My Dog is Chase Devineaux
Chase is transformed into a dog after wishing he understood Carmen Sandiego and why she tried to save him. Carmen finds him and adopts him. Chase becomes a part of the team as a dog and slowly develops feelings for Carmen. Maybe she is not the villain he thought her to be or maybe he's just falling in love. Oh help, he's in trouble now. Julia is worried about her partner and V.I.L.E hates Carmen's new ally. Chase/Carmen
I don't own anything
Sorry for the wait everyone, this chapter was a pain to write as it follows the rest of the Rio Caper.
Chapter 4: The Caper and Shadowsan
Chase was with Carmen which was no surprise but he and Carmen were basically taking the high road, while the redheads took the low road in order to search for wherever V.I.L.E. was hiding. Chase was enjoying the whole experience, the sights, the smells, the sounds, he felt as though he was getting a much bigger picture of everything around him than ever before and the lovely, interesting facts he'd learned about Rio made it all the better. He felt like a true inspector again, despite being a dog. He tilted his head as Carmen looked away from the binoculars and shook her head for a moment before looking back through them and then she smiled. 'What's going on with her?'
"Red, Zack, and Ivy have spotted La Chèvre," said Player, giving Carmen the direction in which to go.
"Ok then, time to suit up," said Carmen, she put on her outfit, hat and coat and grinned, "Alright Chase, time to go," she said, bringing out a red harness. "Now, stand," she told him. He blinked and obeyed the order. "I'm going to put this on you, you have to trust me ok?" He cocked his head to one side but he knew they didn't have too much time to catch La Chèvre so he barked in agreement and was surprised when she gently put the harness over his head and put his legs through the holes. It was a full-body harness and she made sure it was comfortable and not too tight before she picked him up and quickly attached him in his harness to her own new harness, having him hanging in front of her. He could watch everything but he wouldn't be in danger of falling out.
"What is this?" he barked in slight alarm. He'd gone along with the harness because he didn't know what to expect. This was not good in his book.
"Ok Chase, get ready," Carmen said.
"Ready for whaaaaa….?" He barked in alarm as she jumped off of the cliff. "Carmen Sandiego!" he barked but she let out her glider just in time. He had closed his eyes briefly but he opened them at hearing Carmen's voice, saying that it was ok. He blinked at the scenery below. It was amazing, seeing everything from this angle, his tail started to wag as he began to enjoy the wind blowing in his face. He let his tongue hang out and he mentally laughed. He could see why Carmen Sandiego did this on a regular basis.
"Carm, we lost our goat," came Ivy's voice over the com.
'Nice job geniuses,' thought Chase.
"I see him, just leave it to me and be on your guard," said Carmen, "Where there's a goat, the Mole isn't usually far behind."
"What mole are you talking about?" Chase asked with bark.
"Chase, hush, I want to try and keep you a secret for as long as possible," said Carmen.
He sighed, 'Alright then,' keeping his mouth shut.
"Good boy," she murmured and Chase watched La Chèvre perform some impressive parkour across the roofs.
"Carmen? Impossible!" as he turned to look around. He started to run again, "How did you know I was here?"
"Next time, try disguising yourself as a giraffe." Chase wanted to laugh at that but kept his silence.
"It is a costume, not a disguise!" he yelled before Carmen landed, releasing Chase from his harness as she did.
'Not too much of a difference between them,' thought Chase, ready to go.
"After him Chase," she said, starting to run. Chase gladly followed, he still kept quiet though.
'The hunt is on!' he thought, easily leaping over a small gap between the roofs alongside Carmen. La Chèvre leapt off the next roof. Chase leaping first but bouncing a bit on the canopy, 'I need a lot of practise,' Carmen scooped him up before she leapt down and he jumped from her arms in order to continue the hunt. They chased La Chèvre through somebody's house but the family, who had a little girl made Carmen stop and stare for a moment. 'Not again,' Chase mentally groaned before barking at her. She shook herself before bolting out, trying to catch the goat.
"I blew it, Chase, I got distracted," said Carmen. She sighed and sat down in the deserted house she'd ended up in. "When I'm not seeing Shadowsan's everywhere I'm seeing families with me in them. I'm so not on top of my game right now," she groaned, putting her head in her hands. Chase looked at her with great concern. This was not good.
He jumped up onto her lap and whined. "It's ok, we all make mistakes. I've made plenty of them. You're just preoccupied right now but you do need to get your head straight," he whined softly, licking her on the cheek, trying to comfort her. She pulled him in for a hug.
"Thanks, Chase," she said, burying her face in his soft fur. His heart ached to see her like this.
'This is like mother and father after a day of hard work with almost nothing to show for it,' he thought, remembering his own past. He'd been born to poor but loving and hardworking parents, his sweet, sincere, and gentle mother, Fleur, and his tough, brave and noble father, Leo. They hadn't lived in the 'bad side' of town, just the 'poor side.' They'd done their best for him, scraping together the money to send him to school, teaching him right and wrong, to help others, the value of hard work, and doing what's right, even though what's right isn't always easy. He'd done his best too, once he was old enough to understand that he could help. With his father's help, they'd mended an old bike and he'd gone around the neighbourhood, delivering newspapers, helping out with things like mowing the lawn, doing shopping for the elderly, babysitting, minor tutoring, he'd done everything in his power to earn money to help his family. It sometimes wasn't all bad, his parents would sometimes get paid a lot, depending on their jobs at the time. They would save all their money and buy him what they could, especially on Christmas and his birthday, all to give him a decent childhood and happy memories and he repaid them in kind. He did the laundry, cleaned their tiny but cosy apartment, washed the dishes, planted flowers in their tiny garden for his mother (the seeds were given by a kind neighbour), mending things like the fence so his father could rest, he did a lot to make their lives easier and happier. He had had a selfish, rich aunt who had given them much-needed handouts at times but boy had she fussed about it each time. She'd passed away just before he'd almost lost his place at his high school in 11th Grade due to the unpaid fees, but despite her selfishness, she'd left them her money, which had enabled him to continue his education and eventually go to college. He'd worked his butt off to make something of himself, studying hard to become a pilot and then enlisted in the police, eventually Interpol noticed him and he was invited to join them. He'd worked in many departments including Child Crimes. He shuddered, he'd seen so many kids go down the wrong path, too many abused kids, just…it was heartbreaking.
He sighed sadly, remembering his parents had both died of an illness, shortly after he'd earned his pilot's licence. He never knew the name of the illness but they'd been so proud of him for making something of himself and he'd promised that he'd always do his best and to ensure that their sacrifices for him were not in vain. 'Please, maman en papa, guide me in helping Carmen Sandiego take down V.I.L.E. Guide both of us,' he thought. He wanted to cry but it was then he discovered that dogs do not shed tears, instead he let out a sad whimper. Carmen held him tighter.
"Are you alright?" asked a male voice and both Carmen and Chase looked up to see the man whose house they'd run through.
About ten minutes later they were sitting with the family with Carmen eating some of the local cuisine.
"Would your dog like a small slice of meat and some water?" asked the mother.
Chase barked happily at that suggestion, looking over at Carmen with pleading eyes. He'd been playing with the little girl until that point. Carmen laughed, "Yes please. Allow me," she said, handing back her now empty plate and taking the plate and bowl from the mother. Chase waited before sitting and begging, adding a bark as Carmen placed the food in front of him. "Go ahead Chase, eat up," she said, he barked again before quickly eating the meat then drinking the water. It was a nice snack and all that running had made him thirsty.
"What a clever and well-mannered dog," said the mother.
"Thank you," said Carmen, Chase barked a thank you too.
"Can I throw water balloons at the samba dancers?" asked the little girl.
"No Isabell, it's rude," said her father.
"Aw," she said before running off.
"She's spunky," said Carmen, she was reminded of herself at that age.
"She is a terror," smiled the father. The family asked her why she'd been chasing that man and then told her about the group of friends that lived in the house the father had found Carmen and Chase in.
"Thank you very much, this little break was just what I needed." She looked at Isabell, "Can I have my hat back please?"
Chase looked at Isabell, she was sitting next to him. She was about to take the hat off when he cheekily did it for her. "Oh Chase," laughed Carmen as he walked forward with her hat in his mouth. She gave him a quick scratch behind the ears and he looked like he was laughing.
"Silly puppy," said Isabell with a grin.
"He is a smart dog," said the father.
"Yes, he is. Well, we better get going, come on Chase," she said. He barked and walked off with her.
'At least she's in a much better mood and headspace than before. Me too for that matter. Alright, let's take down V.I.L.E.' He barked energetically.
"Alright Chase, we're focused now," said Carmen as they walked into the empty house.
"Red, is everything alright?" asked Player in concern.
"Everything is fine Player, my head is clear, I'm back in the game," said Carmen.
"That's good," he replied.
Meanwhile, Chase had his nose to the ground, trying to sniff out anything that might be useful. He found a loose tile and he barked, "Carmen Sandiego, here!" he stepped on it and a hole opened up in the floor.
"Good work Chase, very good job," she praised him, giving him a small treat she had in her pocket.
"Thank you," he gave a soft bark, watching as she took off her hat and coat and told Player that she was going radio silent for a while. She then picked him up and climbed down the ladder one-handed before placing him on the floor.
He sniffed around a bit, 'Three people, one woman, two men, that way,' he thought, he was always amazed by his sense of smell.
"Well, only one way to go. Let's go Chase, ssshhh!" she said. He simply walked beside her, no need for her to tell him to be quiet this time.
"Can we wrap things up, Carmen Sandiego is on to us," they both heard La Chèvre's voice and Chase was disgusted that a fellow Frenchman was working for V.I.L.E.
They heard a woman's voice telling him off, "Tigress too huh," said Carmen quietly.
'Hmm, La Chèvre and Tigress, one more to go,' thought Chase, he was delighted to have names to put to faces. He took a quick peek, finally seeing La Chèvre's face properly. Then he saw a blonde woman, he was certain he'd seen her face before. 'No matter, I now know that she is Tigress. Plus, dogs chase cats…' He observed all the alexandrite on the conveyer belt and the other guards as well.
"The cat, the goat, and the mole can't be far behind," muttered Carmen. Chase heard footsteps and smelt a human that smelt like every kind of soil there was and anxiously pawed at Carmen's leg. She looked down at him but he looked behind himself. "No time to hide," she said, seeing El Topo.
"Carmen!" said the man, who Chase assumed was the mole. That got the others' attention.
"Get her!" yelled Tigress.
"Run!" Carmen told Chase who bolted towards La Chèvre, barking furiously.
"A dog! Where did a dog come from?" he asked, leaping over Chase, who turned and ran towards Tigress instead.
"I hate dogs!" she shouted, aiming a kick at him, which he dodged. The boys were busy chasing Carmen around. Carmen was flipping, running, leaping, and landing punches and kicks where she could. Chase ran underneath some of the machinery, where Tigress couldn't get him. "Stupid dog!" Unfortunately, the boys had managed to capture Carmen!
"CARMEN!" he barked.
"Stay where you are Chase, stay!" she told him.
"Chase, you mean you named your mutt after that dumb detective whose coat I shredded in San Francisco? That idiot couldn't detect his way out of a wet paper bag, the girl he was with was smarter," said Tigress with a smirk.
"Chase Devineaux is a great detective! He's not dumb, if he's an idiot, then tell me how he's the only person to ever find me every time no matter where I am?" snapped Carmen.
Chase was ready to rip Tigress apart for what she said about him. 'Wait…She's the one who ruined my coat! I loved that coat and I blamed Carmen for it! That kitty is going down, all of them are! As soon as I figure out how to rescue Carmen,' he thought. He was touched that Carmen defended him. 'I'll definitely thank her later, somehow.'
"She has a point," said El Topo.
"It matters not my friend, we have captured her, we need to inform the Faculty," said La Chèvre.
Chase heard the footsteps before any of them, they were almost silent but the person, most likely a man, was wearing boots, they gave him away. 'Great, another enemy,' he thought. He crept forward slowly, as not to draw attention to himself when the man entered the room wearing a mask. Chase's jaw dropped when he took it off. It was the same man who helped kidnap him in Poitiers! Wait a second…did the criminals just say SHADOWSAN?! 'But that is the name of the person who gave Carmen the mysterious hard drive and who she has been talking about the entire week!' Chase thought in shock. What did this mean? Was he on Carmen's side? The criminals standing there referred to him as Instructor Shadowsan. Was he part of the mysterious Faculty? What was going on? Chase looked at Carmen's face. It was of someone who had been betrayed. Chase felt his protectiveness towards her rising, he would…He stopped, Carmen had noticed him moving and was gesturing as little as she could to him. He mentally frowned. 'What is she trying to say?' he wondered. He looked closely at her and she managed to mouth the word 'stay.' He mentally groaned but it was obvious that she didn't want him to be hurt, he decided to stay put for now. He was only a puppy in this state after all.
"Is it my fault that you were foolish enough to believe those falsehoods that it was Coach Brunt who found you as a baby?" asked Shadowsan after Camren threatened him.
'Brunt,' thought Chase, 'I've heard that name before…' he would think about it later, right now Carmen's expression had changed after Shadowsan's words.
"What?" she asked.
"And in Moscow of all places. Coach Brunt has never even set foot in Russia, hahahahaha!" laughed Shadowsan. The other three laughed.
'Lapdogs,' Chase mentally sneered and then he blinked, 'Oh…no pun or offense intended to me.' He watched closely as Shadowsan turned to Carmen again but he gave Carmen an actual, small smile and raised his eyebrow at her. Again, her expression changed and she seemed to understand something…it was more than him. He didn't understand anything at the moment. 'Not unusual for me these days,' he thought morosely.
"You…won't get away with this!" said Carmen, Chase cringed, how cliché was that line?
"I am afraid that I already did," said Shadowsan, walking forward to pick Carmen up. That was it, he wasn't going to wait any longer. Chase bolted from his hiding place, barking furiously at him. He had shot out so fast Shadowsan had taken a step back and Chase was now in front of Carmen, actually growling and snarling as best he could. "A dog?"
"Fedora the Explorer here obtained a pet as pathetic as she is," said Tigress. Chase snapped in her direction, his teeth making a distinct clicking sound but he made no move to leave Carmen.
"Eeekk!" Tigress squealed.
"Looks like even the king of the jungle is afraid of you Chase," said Carmen with a smirk.
"Hey!" yelled Tigress, looking furious, not only had she squealed like a five-year-old, she had just been called a boy by Carmen and it had been insinuated that she was afraid of this small mangy mutt. Chase wanted to laugh.
"It is no matter," said Shadowsan, who, faster than Chase could blink, had him by the scruff and Carmen hoisted on his shoulders. "I will be taking them both back to V.I.L.E. Island where Carmen will be punished and brought back under V.I.L.E.'s control and the dog will serve as an excellent threat once trained by V.I.L.E.," he said, walking off with the both of them.
"Don't you touch him!" yelled Carmen.
"Let me go! Let Carmen Sandiego go! I'll bite your fingers off!" Chase was barking nonstop. "I'll never work for V.I.L.E., as a human or a dog!" He stopped barking when he heard the man ask about the gemstones.
"In the belly of the beast," said El Topo, who was hit by La Chèvre who was knocked out by Shadowsan.
"What?" was Chase's bark of surprise as Shadowsan gave the order to tie the goat up.
"Yes Instructor Shadowsan," said Tigress. She glared at El Topo. "You heard him!"
'These people are idiots and yet they evade law enforcement. The world is going to the dogs…once again, no offense or pun intended to me,' he thought. Shadowsan walked down the passage and was actually berating Carmen for her meddling in this specific operation like a father would. 'Wait, so, he's on our side?' questioned Chase, he was so confused.
Shadowsan put them both down and untied Carmen. Chase growled at him, he didn't trust him, not one bit.
"Chase, no," said Carmen. "This is Shadowsan, who has a lot of explaining to do," she said, arms crossed.
"Not now, we must leave before they realize they were tricked," he said.
"Fine, but after this is over, we're having a long talk," said Carmen, "Come on Chase," and they all raced down the tunnel.
"I don't trust him Carmen, but I trust you, you'd better know what you are doing," Chase barked at her. She simply scooped him up as they reached the ladder.
"When did you get a dog?" asked Shadowsan as he climbed up after her.
"Last week," was all she said as she made it out and placed Chase on the ground before grabbing her hat and coat.
"A good choice for a companion," said Shadowsan, making Carmen turn to look at him in surprise. "I think he will be good for you. But we do not have the time to talk now, they are on to us," he said. Chase cocked his head and concentrated, his hearing picking up shouting.
He barked at Carmen, who nodded. "Let's go and no ninja disappearing acts," she told Shadowsan who frowned but they ran off together with Chase.
"How do you expect your dog to follow us? He is not full-grown and cannot maintain the speed to keep up nor does he have the ability to jump high or long distances yet," said Shadowsan as they ran with La Chèvre and the others chasing them.
"Don't underestimate him," was all Carmen said, even though his words rang true. She scooped up Chase in her arms and jumped onto the nearby roof. Chase was cross but he had to admit, the old man was right, until he grew and was…ugh…trained to do such things he was a bit of a hindrance to Carmen. The three of them managed to outrun the three stooges as Chase called them.
"V.I.L.E. is attempting to move a half-billion dollars worth of uncut gemstones out of Rio tonight," said Shadowsan.
Chase was walking beside Carmen who had him on his lead now, 'That's a lot of money and can we actually trust him?'
"That's probably more than enough to fund every future plan indicated on that hard drive you gave me," said Carmen. She and Chase followed Shadowsan up some sacks onto a roof. "So, shouldn't we be trying to sneak back into the mine right now?"
"Could you not see their operation has been thoroughly mined? The gemstones have already been moved to a second location," explained Shadowsan.
"Right, 'belly of the beast,' they said. So, you're taking me to that location?"
"If I knew where it was, I would. I was tracking the operative La Chèvre silently when these children became an unnecessary and rather loud complication," Shadowsan said. Shadowsan showed them where he had stashed Zack and Ivy.
Chase mentally smirked, 'Alright, he gets one point from me for tying them up.' He wanted to laugh upon hearing their explanations to Carmen. "These two are idiots, good quality entertainment but idiots," he barked, wagging his tail in glee.
"Hey Chase," said Zack, smiling to see him.
He turned and looked at Carmen instead, just to see his reaction.
"Aw man," Zack said.
"So uh, who's your pal?" asked Ivy.
"Um, crew, meet Shadowsan," said Carmen, a bit awkwardly.
"Oh, man, the ninja?" asked Zack with a look of excitement on his face.
"The mean teacher who cheated Carmen out of a passing grade and tried to stop her from escaping the island?" asked Ivy with a mad look on her face.
"Say what?" asked Chase with a bark, looking up at Carmen and then giving Shadowsan a dirty look. He disliked him even more now. He cheated Carmen out of a passing grade? Who does that? For what reason?
"I might have mentioned you on occasion," said Carmen, a bit sheepish as she looked at Shadowsan. "But what's past is past. Shadowsan's on our side now."
Zack was excited, Ivy was skeptical and Chase didn't think it was a good idea at all but none of them could go against Carmen, she was the boss. Chase put his paw over his eyes when Zack called the man, 'Sensei.' 'This kid needs his brain examined,' he thought. Ivy just gave Shadowsan the, 'I'm watching you' sign. 'At least she has more sense,' thought Chase.
Shadowsan just growled a bit. He had noticed Chase's very human action though but he didn't say a thing. It could have just been a trained trick.
Chase barked, "Hey, I'm the dog in this team!" he said. He may not like being a dog…well, it wasn't…that bad but he wasn't letting anyone take his place, especially not a grumpy ninja who hurt him a few weeks ago.
Shadowsan surprisingly knelt down to face him. Chase let out a little growl. "Chase, I know you had a bad first impression but as I said, Shadowsan is on our side now. Shake with Shadowsan," said Carmen, also kneeling down next to Chase.
He looked at her and then at Shadowsan. 'She's out of her mind,' he thought and looked away defiantly.
"Chase," and he looked at her, "I'm not raising you with bad manners. Shake," she said in 'that voice,' the one he hated, the firm, no-nonsense one that made him cringe and feel ashamed, as though he had done something bad. But he hadn't. Not this time. He looked away again for a moment and then sighed. He raised his paw to Shadowsan who took it and shook it for all of two seconds, Chase letting out a little growl to emphasise that he didn't like this.
Carmen sighed, 'Great, now I have to take care of two alpha males,' she thought.
"I do not blame him for being wary and distrustful of me. However, I will respect his space and obvious attachment to you. He respects you and is already highly protective of you. I respect that. You named him after the agent that got hurt? Correct?" asked Shadowsan, who had stood up by now.
"Yes, Chase Devineaux," her arms folded at the reminder that he got hurt.
"I already told you, I had to put on an act while with Coach Brunt. I would never have gone after the Inspector at all if I had been able to travel alone. To harm him was never my intention," said Shadowsan. Chase was beyond surprised to hear this piece of information. Shadowsan wouldn't have gone after him at all if not for this Coach Brunt he kept hearing about? Hmm, well, since the only other person to be with the ninja was that huge bear woman…then she must be Coach Brunt. It was nice to put a name to the ugly face in his nightmares. He let out a growl.
"Easy boy," soothed Carmen by stroking his fur. He settled down and looked at her. "Act or not, he was innocent and he got hurt because of me, because I was stupid enough to let myself get pickpocketed by Paper Star, I just hope one day I can tell him the truth and he'll forgive me," she said, looking sad and guilty.
Chase felt sad that she thought that way, it wasn't her fault that V.I.L.E. decided to come after him, she hadn't meant for any harm to come to him at all. He whined, pawing her leg, "Carmen Sandiego, don't think that. I forgive you. It was V.I.L.E.'s decision, not yours. Don't feel bad," and she picked him up. He licked her on the cheek gently.
"Thanks, Chase," she said, holding him close and his tail wagged. Neither of them saw the small but approving smile on Shadowsan's face.
Xxxxx
Meanwhile, Julia and Zari were looking for Team Red for they were in Rio too.
"Security camera footage," said Zari, looking at the video of Carmen using her glider. "Why would our perpetrator so openly flaunt her position?"
"Well, if Carmen has been here for three days and a major theft hadn't been committed, perhaps she was simply taking the quickest route from point A to point B," said Julia.
"Don't you mean point V? She may have been rushing off to meet her friends from V.I.L.E," said Zari.
"We shouldn't assume that Ms. Sandiego is actually in league with the enemy. By all accounts, Agent Devineaux was not in his right mind during his last encounter with her, which means we shouldn't fully trust whatever it is he told Chief that he thinks he saw," Julia said.
Xxxxx
Chase sneezed just then, 'Someone's talking about me,' he thought.
Xxxxx
It was now night time and fireworks were going off, festive music was playing and poor Chase's ears were killing him, 'Now I know why dogs hate Guy Fawkes and all other days we celebrate with fireworks,' he thought. He couldn't help but whine miserably. He had a headache from hell.
"Poor Chase, this is rough on your little ears huh?" asked Carmen, picking him up and petting him, trying to give him some comfort. He just whimpered, pushing his head into her coat to try and stop the noise from hurting so much. The first and second nights they'd been here they'd been inside with closed windows and doors, so Chase hadn't been affected but right now, he hated life.
"So here's the half-billion-dollar question, why would V.I.L.E. wait until tonight to move the gemstones right in the middle of Carnivaal?" asked Player as Carmen held her phone in her other hand. Chase wanted to know that too.
"More children? Please, tell me this is another unruly prank," said Shadowsan.
"No joke, Player's my secret weapon," said Carmen with a smile.
"You'd think it would be harder to get a ton of gems passed all the party people down there," said Ivy.
"Unless they use a parade float to move them," said Carmen, using her binoculars. "The, 'belly of the beast,'" she said, looking at Shadowsan.
"We both know that hiding in plain sight is V.I.L.E's MO," he replied.
'Good to know,' thought Chase miserably. He had stuck his head out of Carmen's coat and was watching the floats, despite his headache.
"One thing isn't clicking. The buyers are in Prague. V.I.L.E. can't actually drive a parade float all the way to Eastern Europe, can they?" asked Player.
"I doubt floats actually float on water," said Ivy.
Zack gasped, "Duck boats do! Quack, quack!"
"Are they making up words? What are they talking about?" asked Shadowsan crossly.
"V.I.L.E. mined the gems way under there. If they need to get their booty across town and into the water, they'd need a float that can drive on the land and on the sea," said Ivy.
'She's smarter than I thought,' was Chase's thoughts as he continued to scan the floats. The bright lights made him blink, dog vision was slightly different from humans.
"You guys may be on to something. These so-called 'duck boats,' were built during World War 2, when they were used to transport cargo and troops. The Axis powers, Germany, Italy, and Japan, seized a lot of European cities by force, so America and England needed a way to take back occupied Europe," said Player.
"And these duck boats were the perfect way to do it," said Zack.
"They had six-wheel drive and could float," said Ivy. Chase was impressed, they seemed to actually know what they were talking about.
"The Allied troops used them to storm the beaches of Europe from the water. After the war, the army had a surplus of these floating tanks, so they sold them around the world. Now they're used in city tours to haul visitors over land and water," Player explained.
"Boston harbour's full of 'em," said Zack.
'Ah, Boston pride,' thought Chase, 'That explains their knowledge.'
"If it quacks like a duck and floats like a duck…" said Carmen with a grin… She used her binoculars to scan the floats. Chase wished he could do that too. "We have a stray, a huge dragon, 'the belly of the beast.' She took a picture of it, sending it to Player.
"Ok, so V.I.L.E.'s going to float or fly that thing all the way to Eastern Europe?" asked Player.
"They must have a rendezvous in the works, somewhere out there. Did you send Zack and Ivy scavenging?"
"Parade crew has their marching orders, said Player.
"Then Shadowsan, it's time for you and me to do a little stealth one-oh…" Chase barked. "Chase, what's…" she stopped when she saw what he'd seen, Shadowsan was gone. "Again? Fine, Chase, it's you and me," she said.
"Well you can count on me, unlike Mr. Disappearing Act," he barked and slipped into his harness. He barked as he saw the beast enter the water, "We have to catch it!"
"Chase, we need stealth, hush," said Carmen, he sighed but he knew she was right so he kept his mouth shut. She praised him and he felt satisfied. But not completely, he wanted to really help with stopping V.I.L.E. To do that, he had to work hard to do something meaningful to contribute. He mentally frowned, this was going to be tough.
Xxxxx
Meanwhile, on the beast, El Topo was worried, "What if Shadowsan should return for us? I don't want a karate chop."
"He's gone from the dark side to the red side. Which means we have permission to teach the teacher, a lesson," said Tigress, showing off her claws. El Topo just gulped.
"If you have any hesitation, mon ami, just remember all those painful origami lessons," reminded La Chèvre before going down inside the beast with Tigress. El Topo grinned but he was unaware the Shadowsan had boarded the boat and was creeping up behind him.
Shadowsan was almost upon him when he heard the rustling of fabric and turned to see Carmen, with Chase soaring towards them. She kicked El Topo so hard he landed on the beast's neck. She landed after a flip, making Chase a bit dizzy, and then released him from his harness. The noise alerted Tigress and La Chèvre.
"Again with blowing my cover?" asked Shadowsan crossly. "I was invisible to them."
Chase heard the growl that came from La Chèvre and he turned, deciding that this was where he could help.
"Again with running off without a note?"
"I saw an opening. I thought I could save you the trouble," he explained.
"No more saving me anything, please? We really need to talk," said Carmen. They heard a shout from La Chèvre and then Chase growling and barking.
"Get this dog away from us!"
"Later!" they both said.
Chase was on the hunt, chasing the two around while snapping at their heels and barking furiously. He got ahead of Tigress and tripped her up, "Ha! Take that kitty cat!" he barked. She swatted at him and he snapped, just missing her fingers.
"Eeekk! Stupid dog!" she yelled.
"I didn't tell him to do that," said Carmen, slightly bemused at Chase's behaviour.
"Perhaps you should be scolding your dog rather than me," said Shadowsan as they took up fighting positions and began to attack El Topo and La Chèvre. That became a sword fight with the two eventually disarming El Topo and La Chèvre and Carmen turning the boat so they went overboard.
"Catch me if you can pussy cat!" Chase barked, running up the neck of the beast, making sure that Tigress followed him.
"Get back here you mutt!" she shouted, making to grab him. He shot underneath her and turned to bark at her. She turned as while attempting to grab him and she failed. He then leapt up, using his back legs to push himself forward, and then he pushed her with his front legs with all the strength he had, barking as he did so, "Down you go!" She was standing on the head and couldn't keep her balance and needed up falling into the water. He barked happily, "I thought cats hated water!"
Carmen had seen what Chase had done, "Chase, come here boy!" He ran over to her, barking happily. "Who's a good boy, you are, yes, you are," she praised him, petting him and then picking him up and cuddling him. He happily licked her face, feeling his heart swell with happiness and pride. He had contributed to the caper, he'd helped make a difference. Carmen then put him down and she grinned to see his tail wagging nineteen to the dozen. "Chase, you were a big help and a good boy but next time wait for me to tell you to go and attack," she said. His ears drooped slightly and he whined, his tail beginning to slow down the wagging. "Then again…I haven't trained you to do that yet and I didn't tell you to stay, so, this time, it's fine. We'll work on it," Carmen said and Chase perked up, happy again. "So, Shadowsan, what is it with you, me, and night time boat rides?"
"This is far from over. We must find a way to transport over a half-billion dollars worth of uncut gemstones without detection," Shadowsan said.
Carmen talked to Player who said that the arrangements had been made and that they could go and meet up with Zack and Ivy. "To the harbour then," she said.
"Your dog was exceedingly clever to get Tigress to fall in the water, a clever trick," said Shadowsan, looking down at Chase who ignored him.
"He's a rare breed, he's got several tricks down pat already. He's only going to get better," said Carmen proudly.
"I see," was all he said. The last they heard of the three V.I.L.E. agents was their yells for help from the V.I.L.E. pick-up crew. Once in the harbour, Zack called to them. He and Ivy were managing a crane.
"What are those two up to?" Chase barked, surely that was dangerous? He blinked in shock as a giant duck float was lifted over them and then place carefully over the beast. "I guess I underestimated them," barked Chase quietly. He was somewhat impressed, it was the perfect cover.
"Bait and switch," said Shadowsan, Chase looked at him and saw that he was impressed too.
The V.I.L.E. agents had been rescued and Tigress was informing Maelstrom that Shadowsan and Carmen were now officially working together. "Carmen also has one more new ally," she said.
"Oh, pray tell," said Maelstrom with a raised eyebrow.
"A dog, a mangy mutt of a German Sheppard, it's young but it's already on my kill list," hissed Tigress.
"Carmen Sandiego has a dog? Interesting."
A giant duck was floating peacefully but Chase was disturbed at what he was seeing, Zack and Ivy were dancing around in duck suits and singing 'Samba, samba, samba, quack, quack.' "I take it back, they don't have a modicum of intelligence between them," he barked softly, this was nightmare fuel, give him a fight with V.I.L.E. operatives any day over this.
"And what do you suggest that we do with a duck boat full of uncut gemstones?" asked Shadowsan.
Chase looked up at him, now that was a really good question. "Yes, what do we do with them?" he barked.
"What Team Carmen usually does, give back to the community."
By the next day, Chase was convinced that Carmen was an angel with a heart of gold, seeing her give the uncut gemstones to the family that helped them and to the rest of the community was pure selflessness. She really earned his full respect with that manoeuvre. He had now found out that she had a charity fund, Black Sheep Incorporated. It amused him, to think that she was using V.I.L.E.'s funds to help others. 'Cheeky and brilliant,' he thought. They were sitting at a table and by they, he meant, Carmen and Shadowsan and he was sitting by Carmen, drinking water from a saucer with a small sausage to keep him occupied.
"So, here we are," said Carmen.
"I suppose you are wondering what is next, as am I," Shadowsan responded.
"It's a small world for thieves like us. Just a matter of time before we cross paths again, trip each other up, blow our cover. Next thing you know the bad guys are making a getaway and we're at each other's throats all over again," said Carmen to Shadowsan but Chase couldn't help but bark in agreement.
"So, you are suggesting that we coordinate our efforts?" Shadowsan asked and Carmen nodded.
"Your knowledge of V.I.L.E. runs way deeper than my own. I'd welcome your strategy," said Carmen. Chase looked at the two Bostonians as they threw something at Shadowsan who caught it without effort. They blamed each other for it.
'Those two are more idiotic than I ever was. How has Carmen managed to get this far with them on her team?' wondered Chase.
Shadowsan growled. "I thought…"
"My crew, my rules," said Carmen, laying down the law. "No more disappearing acts. We learn to communicate," she said. Chase barked in agreement and Carmen ruffled his ears.
Shadowsan looked sad before he started talking. "I was on the island living a lie, while you, a child, achieved the unthinkable by forging your own path. You paved the way for me to follow in your footsteps. Without any question, it is I who am the student and you the master," Shadowsan said, actually bowing his head to Carmen. Chase's jaw dropped but he couldn't help but feel his respect rise just a little bit for the man. Here he was, an experienced V.I.L.E. agent, bowing to someone younger than him.
Chase rolled his eyes, 'I guess he's not…all bad.'
"It also means no secrets," said Carmen.
Shadowsan sighed, "I was a young operative for V.I.L.E. sent to Argentina on a mission. Bringing back an abandoned baby was not that mission. I wish I had more to tell you, but I do not." Chase didn't buy it, the man was keeping a secret, his old detective instincts were screaming but…he had no way to force him to talk. Instead, Chase thought about it and opted to simply let time take its course. They would find out eventually but finding out that Carmen was found by Shadowsan in Argentina as a baby while he was on a mission was something else.
'I'll just keep an eye on him,' Chase thought and finished his sausage and water before he picked up a scent that was…familiar…a perfume…he knew that perfume…He sat up and looked around, he spotted Agent Argent and Zari in the crowd. "Not good, we need to leave!" he whined. He suddenly realised that this was his new life, a life of dodging the law because Carmen could only do what she did, without the law holding her back, it was who she was. 'I…I understand a bit more now,' he thought as Carmen quickly clipped on his lead. He saw the two agents rushing towards them and he barked, "RUN!" He didn't need to worry. Carmen had things under control, before he knew it, they were gone and had left Julia and Zari behind. He mentally smirked, imagining their faces, he could definitely get used to this.
And he would.
Xxxxx
I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Next up, the gang heads for Japan.
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