Chapter9: Into the Maelstrom
A/N: Sorry for the unannounced hiatus. Life happened, then I got REALLY sick at the end of the year and haven't had the energy to write.
As always thank you for reading and comments and questions are loved.
Carmen refused to live in fear of the presumed threat that Maelstrom posed any longer. He was a man not known for his patience, only his tenacity. Last time he escaped it took less then 48 hours for him to start menacing Carmen, it had now been close to 5 days. So Carmen felt the threat to be minimum, perhaps he had truly given up. He shouldn't be aloud to spend the rest of his days as a free man after all he had done, but catching him was not in Carmen's job description, that was for ACME to deal with.
Inspector Zenigata was asleep at his desk. He was annoyed that Carmen took such long breaks at least it seemed that way, even though Lupin would often do the same. But with both of them taking it easy he was rather annoyed.
Then as if his wish was granted Jeremy ran in with a report, it was clearly Carmen's MO. Leaving a taunting note after a theft. All it was his time was a coin, but an old one worth a lot obviously why would she steal it other wise. Carmen's items where rarely something sell-able, seems like she was more of a collector. Like when she stole the statue of Abraham Lincoln from Washington D.C. that one time. Yes the one currently there is a replica.
The clue left led Zenigata to the Château d'If, odd place for a thief to want to go decommissioned or not. Of course he followed it, it was what she wanted and he was already deep in playing her games, it was too late to stop now. Even with Lupin laying low for whatever reason the poor man could find no rest. However it was better for him this way, he was not the type that did well with nothing to do.
He arrived on the island alone, if he wanted to have a chance to catch her he knew that was the only way. Just as he studied Lupin, he had not just been doing paperwork but studied the patterns in Carmen's moves. She was the proud type that liked to boast but the more people that where around the more scidish she got.
Once up on the island and up into the structure he looked around. Not at all like the movies or plays that he remembered watching.
"What's wrong Inspector? Disappointed?" The woman in red said as she walked up out of his blind spot, he wasn't too surprised.
"Odd choice of location." He smirked a bit.
"What more exotic of a location is there then this? It's also nice and secluded."
"That sounds very suspicious." He remarked back.
"You should know me better then that by now Inspector." She chuckled a bit. "You really think I would hurt you? That's not fun."
"No, like Lupin you're not the violent type." He crossed his arms. "But you are a strange one. Lupin does his best to avoid me. Yet you actively search me out and even wait for me to catch up."
"Well I don't have to take public transport, so it wouldn't be fair if I didn't." She replied in an almost flirting tone. However in the middle of their conversation something caught Carmen's attention from one of the towers. It was the barrel of a rifle. She couldn't tell who it was aimed at but she wasn't going to take any chances.
"INSPECTOR!" Carmen called out and dashed foreword pushing Zenigata from his stationary spot. But as she did she stumbled on an upturned stone and the two ended up crashing into the closest wall just avoiding getting shot.
As the dust settled the female thief had Zenigata pined against the wall leaning against his chest. And on reflex he had wrapped his arms around her waist. Both had to catch their breath for a moment having almost been shot, and from where the bullet had indented itself into the ground it looked like it was aimed at Zenigata. Once Carmen realized she was leaning against the other's chest she instinctively pushed herself away. Only to have him pull her back, she hadn't been able to move too far way since his arms where already around her. She was going to protest only to have another shot be fired at them only missing her because he had pulled her back. But it also seemed like a threat. Carmen looked him in the eyes as he held her close, then quickly looked away spotting a bit more cover to the side. She moved her head indicating as such so they wouldn't have to stay in this position, not that Zenigata was complaining. However he complied with her plan.
Once under more cover Carmen was able to free herself from his arms and think about their situation. Of course her first thought was that is was Maelstrom. And they couldn't stay there forever. Zenigata was also trying to think of a way out of this predicament. Carmen looked at the wall that was their cover. It looked like it could be pushed over by a strong breeze, at lest the top half. That wasn't good, but at least their adversary didn't know that, other wise he would have still tried to shoot them with his high powered rifle. Carmen let out a heavy sigh since Zenigata hadn't said anything then glared at him.
"How bad has it gotten at INTERPOL?" She snapped, the inspector looked at her surprised and confused.
"What?" He questioned.
"I'm willing to bet that's Maelstrom, and how do you think he knew I was going to be here?" She snapped again and gave his shoulder a hard shove back against the wall. Zenigata was confused, he had never seen Carmen act like this before.
"So you're blaming ME?!" He retorted.
"Well I don't see anyone else here." She raised her voice a bit and and stood with her back to the cover wall.
"Oh like he couldn't have figured out your clue himself? He was obviously waiting for us."
"Oh sure. Like it wasn't in INTERPOL's possession this whole time." She pushed him again, her pushes didn't really hurt, but it was making the older man angry and it was clear on his face.
"Now listen here!" He bellowed back hitting the cover wall and the top half of it came tumbling down as Carmen thought. Zenigata was surprised however thinking it was because he was super strong or something, but quickly came to his seances and ducked back below what was left of the wall. Carmen was in the process of doing the same when another shot rang out and she fell.
"CARMEN!" And without thinking Zenigata leaned out from his cover to pulled her back behind it, his arm getting grazed by another round in the process. Once they were both in the shade of the cover again he looked down at the woman in his arms. She was unconscious but he couldn't see any wound.
"Carmen, come on wake up." He gently tapped her cheek. Now they were in a jam, and he sat there trying to come up with a plan. However if it was this Maelstrom guy, the only one who knew anything about him was currently out of commission.
"I'm sorry." He mumbled feeling responsible for the situation. After what seemed like hours of sitting there Zenigata started to hear foot steps. Was it the sniper? How close was he? He thought wile reaching for his own gun but before he could pull it out as she was still holding Carmen, a man rounder the corner and leveled his rifle at him.
"I don't think so Inspector Zenigata." His heavily accent voice addressed him. He didn't look like much of anything and Zenigata could easily take him out in a fight. He was kinda scrawny looking with long scraggly blond hair and a very distinctive red tattoo on his right hand accompanied by a scar on the same eye. He definitely looked like he had seen better days.
"Dr. Maelstrom?" He questioned and the man smirked.
"I see my reputation preseeds me." He smirked stepping closer. "Now would you be so kind as to toss that gun of yours away." He demanded looking down at the 2 of them as Zenigata held Carmen closer, but he complied. "And now Carmen."
"Not on your life." He snapped.
"No, on yours Inspector." Maelstrom growled raising his rifle again with another step closer. But Zenigata refused to relent.
Just as Zenigata was sure he was done for Carmen opened her eyes and swung her legs out catching the over confident Maelstrom off guard and knocking him to the ground. His head hit the same upturned stone Carmen had stumbled on earlier and he was out cold his rifle going off but missing both Carmen and Zenigata.
"Wha..." Zenigata sat in shock as Carmen stood up dusting herself off. She had also snagged a pair of his handcuffs to restrain the blond would be sniper. He wasn't bad but she had seen far better. "Wait where you awake this whole time?" She questioned standing up but his legs were stiff. Carmen picked up Maelstrom's rifle and made sure it was empty before throwing it back to the ground.
"Yes."
"What? Then... wait!" Zenigata stuttered out. "Did you have this all planed out?" Carmen turned and gave him a smirk. "And you didn't bother to tell me? I thought you were dead!"
"And if you did then so would Maelstrom, or at the very least incapacitated." She replied but Zenigata was fuming. She looked back at him and felt a little bad. "Look I didn't know if he had any high powered listening device, and if he did how sensitive it was. He might have been able to hear us even in a whisper. And it would have taken too long to write it all down and have you read it. He would have suspected we had a plan and would have been less likely to fall for it."
"Wait so that was all an act. The shoving and hollering?"
"I had to find a way to provoke you into hitting that wall. It was one strong gust from falling anyway. By the way thank you for not letting me get shot." She gave him a wink.
"That was an awful big risk on your part." He grumbled and looked away so as not to be swayed by her flirtatious mannerisms and way of speaking.
"But a calculated one. I knew you wouldn't let me lay there in the open. You're not the only one that does their research Inspector." She pulled something from her pocket and patted it on the graze he had gotten earlier. He flinched, it stung, it was an antiseptic wipe. She smiled at him.
"Thanks." She said nothing in return as she then pulled out something resembling a tablet and started tapping on it as Zenigata cleaned his small wound. As he finished cleaning the blood from his arm and any dirt from the wound he herd a familiar voice perk up.
"CARMEN?! What in the world?" It was CHIEF from ACME. "You calling can never be a good thing.
"Once again I've done your job for you." She turned the tablet to show an unconscious Maelstrom.
"WHAT?!"
"He came after me again. The Inspector and I dealt with him so you can come and get him. I disabled the tracking block on this so you can link the C5 to it." She set it down on the ground facing the would be murderer and started to walk away only to be followed by Zenigata.
A/N: Wow this is a long one. Next chapter may be a little short, after that I have to think some more. I will try my best not to let you wait too long. I had intended to set a time table of every other month so after chapter 10, I will try for that if life and work permits.
Next chapter will be out soon as it is already partly typed and spell checked.
