PROGRAMS OF BETRAYAL
Slideshow 3
Bentley:
(picture of the communicator windmill) Well guys, I have some bad news. Carmelita finished setting up the receiver array just in time for me to overhear something drastic. (picture of Bentley with gigantic headphones on, looking horrified). Winthorp was on the phone with someone—meaning he isn't the person behind all this—and being alerted that, and I quote, 'Every other field agent has been compromised.'
Sly:
You mean he knows we've been going around kicking their butts?
Bentley:
Yes, and in order to guard against that possibility here, they plan to break into every building in the area, including the barns, and search them top to toe at dawn. (image of the safe-house: one of those barns.) There's no way we can be ready to take them on by then, so we have to figure out something. But I don't know what.
Carmelita:
Couldn't we operate out of the van, like we did in Egypt? (picture of the Egypt 'safe-house'.)
Bentley:
We only managed that because we could camouflage it in sand. That won't work here. (picture of the fields). Even if anything had grown high enough to put it out of sight, they're going to be combing the fields and haystacks—everything they can think of that might hide someone.
Murray:
Do we need to go back to our time for a couple days? (picture of the time machine)
Otto:
I know a location we can reconvene.
Sly, Bentley, Carmelita:
You do?
Sly:
Where?
Bentley:
Please keep in mind, we're going to need to put all our equipment there, too. (picture of their thief gear piled in a corner.)
Otto:
Not to worry; I guarantee it can all fit. And as for where, Sly, you should know it quite well.
Sly:
I should?
Otto:
Certainly. Weren't you the one exploring the innards of the hotel?
(gif of a record spinning and spinning and stopping with an abrupt screeching noise.)
Carmelita:
You have to be joking.
Otto:
Certainly not. Why would you think I am?
Bentley:
Because you're always joking. (picture of a clown)
Otto:
I do enjoy my work, yes. Haven't you learned anything in your work as thieves? (picture of a blackboard, teacher pointing at it with chalk.) Your enemy is never more vulnerable than where he's secure. That mouse has been able to sneak out again and again—why? (picture of Penelope). Because there are places, such as the castle, where he is certain he's in control, so he doesn't even bother to reinforce it.
Sly:
So, what, you think we should move the safe-house inside the castle? (picture of the cellar) I mean, there are guards all over, but I guess it could work.
Otto:
Not the castle, the hotel. (picture of the hotel). He has the doors blocked from the inside and a spotlight watching every 'possible' entrance or exit; why would he bother searching all the rooms?
Carmelita:
There's no way that would work.
Bentley:
Actually, that's not a bad idea.
Otto:
Believe me, if I could live in police headquarters undetected for three months, the lot of us can live in a hotel being used as an enemy base for a few days.
Sly:
You didn't put that story in the Thievious Raccoonus. (picture of the book).
Otto:
It didn't seem important, or remarkable, enough. Now, are we going to do this or not?
LOADING
The scene re-opens with a sweeping shot of... what appears to be a pair of hotel rooms, joined together by an open door between them. The room they're in has two large beds, two nightstands, and two tables pushed together, with eight rather plush chairs set up around them; through the door, it appears the other room is set up much the same, though it has no tables or chairs... but does have the van. I have no idea how, but it has the van.
Bentley is fiddling with a projector on the table, while Murray and Sly wrestle curtains into position over large balcony windows, preventing any spotlights outside from getting a glimpse of them. Carmelita's checking her weapons, pauses, picks up Sly's cane from the side of the cable, and starts polishing that; apparently all her guns are in good condition.
The slideshow resumes!
Bentley:
Is everyone ready? Everything here?
Sly:
It's a good thing you put that engine on the dumbwaiter, otherwise we'd still be hauling stuff along. (picture of the dumbwaiter thing)
Murray:
You look good as a fox, Sly. (picture of Sly in disguise.)
Carmelita:
I don't think it was very convincing.
Bentley:
Well, he knew the passwords, so as far as the guards are concerned, that area was guarded perfectly all night without incident. Now, the sun should come up in just a few minutes. Given our nocturnal exploits (pictures of the last few jobs flash by), we should probably go to bed soon. But we need a plan of attack for the evening.
Sly, you'll be up first. We have a decent idea of the hotel's basic layout, thanks to your earlier scouting and our familiarity with it, but there will be areas we can't access. (picture of a sliding door-panel opposite the bar.) I've identified several guards carrying keys; you'll need to pickpocket them. Due to our current situation, it's best if no one knows we're here, so you should do it while still in disguise.
Sly:
Sure, I can do that.
Bentley:
Excellent. Use every key you get as soon as you can find a keyhole for it, and remember those passwords. (picture of Sly eavesdropping while pretending to be a scarecrow.) We need to know how this place connects to the tower, and where Penelope and Winthorp are.
The rest of us will stand by. I have no doubt there'll be jobs to pull off once we have a better idea of what we're getting into. Everyone, make sure you're in top shape. (picture of a cooler stashed with food). Get some sleep, eat something, and check your abilities from Thiefnet. Carmelita, you may want to get the Precision Goggles; I have a feeling those will be useful.
Thiefnet Computer
Sly: Paraglider Dive Attack
Bentley: Gas Bomb. Knock out all enemies in range of this gaseous attack.
Available Jobs
Hotel California