Hey everyone,
Well, we are going to tie up the last few loose ends in regards to the move in this chapter and cover the move itself as well. Then next chapter we're going back to the POV that played the main role for the majority of the first chapter of this story. And I've said it before and I'll say it again; I LOVE that I am rewriting this story. Michael is an absolute gem to write and I am just thrilled with excitement on where I can take his character.
Let's have fun,

Venquine1990

Chapter 18
The Move Commences

24th of June 2007
Paris, France
Bentley's POV

Murray had apparently overheard the conversation between Carmelita, Sly and myself in regards to the spices. And the Hippo had obviously decided to work not just twice as hard, but six times as hard on dinner. Our friend hadn't just worked his magic on the pulled pork, he had also gone the distance and cut and prepped a full-out salad and he had even cut, prepped and cooked a bowl of spinach a la crème. Even the potatoes had been very specifically spiced.
All of us had easily noticed all of the hard work and effort that the Hippo had put in the meal and we had thanked and complimented him all through the meal. Carmelita had ended it all with a peck on the cheek in gratitude before she had gone up to the bedrooms. Sly had stayed behind just so we could cover the plans for the night one more time and then he had followed his girlfriend upstairs. And after Murray and I had finished the dishes, we had followed them as well.

Both of us and Guru had sound-proved our room and, as we had agreed between the three of us, we all set our clocks to go off at eleven. And just before I went to sleep, I quickly and silently checked up on Sly and Carmelita. It slightly surprised me to find Sly's room empty, but when I found him cuddled up against Carmelita's back in her bedroom I had felt reassured. Yet as I left, Carmelita moaned and turned around and in her sleep, she hid her face in Sly's chest.
I saw Sly's tail move to cover Carmelita's back and noticed the rest of his body also move to protectively surround Carmelita just that little bit more. To see that once so powerful and proud fox look so weak and vulnerable had really broken me and I had sworn myself I would work on a training schedule that could help her regain her personal, emotional and mental strength. And with that thought I had gone back to my own bedroom and gone to sleep.

Now it's eleven and while I know that my walls are sound proof and made sure to put my alarm clock under my pillow, I still feel very cautious and so I peek into Carmelita's room again. And this time the sight of the two is much more pleasant. Carmelita seems to have, somehow, regained herself in her sleep and she is now calmly lying on top of Sly, my best friend lying on his back with one arm lazily wrapped around her waist and the other hanging over the edge of the bed. I notice that the comforter is near their hips and silently raise it back up.
Carmelita moans softly and moves her head so that it's a little closer to the comforter, but also lying right on top of Sly's heartbeat. I smile at this as I know that listening to another person's heartbeat can be really relaxing and I close the door to her room before I boost my way down the stairs. "Still asleep?" Murray asks and I nod as I say: "Yeah, and it seems that her sleeping and Sly's presence are really doing her subconscious emotions a lot of good.
She was almost in fetus position earlier this evening, but now she's stretched out across Sly's form. She laid her head on his heart just before I closed the door. I don't think those two will wake any time soon. We're good to go, buddy." The Hippo and the koala nod and we head for the garage and the van. My eyebrows rise when I see it as the whole thing looks like it just came from the showroom, yet there is no shine to the paintjob.

Instead the paint looks a few shades darker and Murray says: "I figured this would help us out on nighttime missions. The darker the van's colored, the less it will stick out or reflect the light of signposts, you know?" Murray explains while he gets behind the wheel and while I smile at him, Guru compliments him. Murray smiles back and thanks his master before he starts the van. Instantly the door to the garage reacts and opens, yet without a creak or a noise.
"I worked on that too. Though that was more because I was still feeling some pent up emotions and needed to keep working." Murray says as he drives the van out of the garage. I nod and then put the Binocucom in front of my face. It takes about a minute or so, but then Helena's sleepy face appears on the bottom right of the screen. And the fox herself is awake instantly as she spots the technological marvel that is my little invention.

"Helena, we'll be at your place in about ten minutes. Get ready and put your travel bags on your balcony. Leave the living room furniture to the Guru and Murray. Just see if you can slide down from the drainpipe or, if possible, sneak out your own front door without alerting any of the other residents. I'll make sure that the security cameras don't detect you if you decide to do so. Let me know what you decided when we get there, okay?"
Helena nods and asks: "I guess you're doing my sis last?" I nod at her and say: "Yeah, though Sly and Carmelita aren't here with us. Carmelita heard about Barkley's spice plan and it reminded her of when the Contessa tried to brainwash her. Needless to say, it was just the final straw for her. Sly stayed behind with her and they're both fast asleep." Helena looks troubled, but she mutters: "Probably for the better. Thanks Bentley. And I'll give that drainpipe a try."

I nod and then Murray parks the van. "We're here." I whisper through the Binocucom and suddenly Helena curses and asks: "How do you plan to get up here without being spotted?" I roll my eyes and ask: "Are you talking to a team of Professional Master Thieves or not? Watch and learn, little fox." And with that I put the Binocucom away. I roll my wheelchair out of the van and over to the other side of the street.
There I pull it out again and use the computer function of the Binocucom, together with a robotic arm to keep it in front of my face and my laptop, to study and scan the building Murray parked in front of. I easily spot Helena coming out onto her balcony and quickly lower my Binocucom to the balconies below hers. A grin forms on my face as I whisper: "Excellent. All three houses below Helena's are empty. Working overtime, visiting family or even on holiday. This is too easy."

I put the Binocucom away and lower my screen before I turn to Guru and say: "Alright Guru, you go up there and help Helena gather her stuff. Then levitate them down and I will catch them with my arms while Murray keeps the engine going." The Guru nods and I quickly relay the same game plan to Helena, who softly mutters: "Right, that makes sense. Alright, I'll go get the bags from underneath my bed where Carmelita hid them."
I give the fox a short word of confirmation and wheel my chair back to where the van is at. A quick boost and I am on top of the van. I look up and grin as I notice that Guru is using the same drainpipe and that he is already up to the second floor. I watch as he climbs the rest of the way and watch him climb over the balcony banister. A few minutes later and a stack of travel bags that are surrounded by a purple aura of magic float over the edge.

Instantly my mechanical arms are out and reaching upward. My arms catch the bags and I move them down to where Murray is standing. The Hippo quickly, yet carefully loads them in and then a shadow covers us both. I look up and gulp as I notice a huge sofa is floating above us. "Don't worry, Bentley. The Murray has got this one. Master, levitate sofa over to me." Murray tells me and then the Guru over his own earpiece.
The sofa moves slightly to the side and slowly lowers itself down the flat. Murray grunts a little as the sofa lands on his raised arms, but he holds strong nonetheless. This happens three times more, once with a chair, once with a coffee table and once with a fauteuil. Murray catches the table and the fauteuil and I catch the chair. And while Murray sets the whole set down in such a way we still have plenty of space in the back of the van, I look up.

I notice that Guru and Helena are coming down the drainpipe again. Helena seems to have a bit of trouble and she even makes a quick stop at the second floor. I grimace as I notice her waving her hands and rubbing them together painfully. I turn from this to the inside of the van and as I look at the few things that are now set inside, I think: "At this rate the travel between the locations will take longer than getting the move itself done."
Then the Guru and Helena are done sliding down and join me in front of the van. Quickly I use my arms to get back into the van and once Helena and Guru are back inside the door closes behind them and Murray gets back on the road. "Helena, are you alright? How are your hands? Are you sure that you got everything?" I can't help but ask and the fox nods, while she is seated next to her furniture and she says:

"Yeah, I'm sure, though my hands are indeed a little sore. My fault though, I packed my gloves earlier tonight instead of wearing a pair. Also I never really had a lot of decoration in my place. I prefer to have my furniture and my walls and floor decorate my place. You know, a nice paintjob, a pretty carpet and a fluffy rug here or there." I nod at this with a smile on my face and say: "Alright, when it comes to bedrooms, I suggest you take the sixth on the left. You'll see."
Helena nods and we arrive at Cheren's. I quickly take care of doing the same as I did with Helena's and yet this time I grimace as I mutter: "Darn. Cheren, wait with dropping anything down. The neighbor underneath your balcony is still awake and they're watching a movie. I need to get them with a sleep dart before we can get your stuff down." I hear Cheren in my ear and he mutters: "Copy that. Good luck."

I grin and pull my dart gun from one of the pockets I managed to install onto my wheelchair. Then Guru also climbs on and with the use of his staff, he helps me levitate up to the height of the second floor. I aim my dart gun and before the neighbor can do more than look up surprised, my dart has hit him in the neck. A few second later the Teckel sags down in his chair and he is obviously fast asleep. Guru levitates us back down and I mutter:
"Okay, Cheren. The Guru will come up to help you levitate your stuff down. Though I don't really see any drainpipe or fire escape near your home. You'll need to find another way down. Also, don't forget the chains that Carmelita hid on your hat stand." Yet as I say this, I suddenly notice something nearing the van. And to my shock this something is a dark-colored motorbike with a fox wearing camouflage and with a whole set of chains wrapped around his shoulders on top of the bike.

"Cheren?" Helena asks shocked and the fox opens the helmet screen in front of his face. Cheren grins at us both and he says: "Sorry guys, but after we discussed the whole thing in regards to transport, I just thought it'd be easier to just stand ready. My balcony door is still open and I figured you guys would be able to get up there easier than I'd be able to get down." This confuses me and Cheren shrugs as he says:
"I have a sleeping bag and a small heater in my cellar. I made sure to stay upstairs until I was sure that everyone was busy watching the telly. Trust me, you hear that almost every day. Don't ask me why, but my neighbors hold an annual competition of who can – well – make the speakers of their television burst apart first. Also I asked Michael to keep me from the security camera sight as I headed down." I feel deeply impressed, but then I focus back on the task at hand.

"Okay Cheren, you just leave the chains with us in the van as they might rattle too loudly if you take a turn. Then just head for our Hide Out and wait for us there. Check up on Carmelita and Sly. They should still be sleeping. Barkley." Cheren nods and he quickly does as said. I tell him the address to our hide out and he hugs Helena before he starts his motorbike. And while the engine seems to have been silenced somewhat, he rides off.
Quickly Guru levitates himself up from one floor and balcony to the next and I use my robotic arms and boosters to get myself back onto the roof of the van. This time the Guru needs two turns to get the travel bags and the three moving boxes down to where I am waiting for them. Yet Helena is also waiting on the curb for me to hand them over to her and safely store them in the van. Thanks to this, it takes us only a few minutes longer than last time before we're on the road again.

"Right, we just need to get to Carmen and Marcus', take their stuff, have them ride their car to the hide out and then meet with Michael at Carmelita's so we can hand over the last few bits of evidence. Then we take her stuff out of her apartment and head back home for a night of well-deserved rest." I mutter as Murray resumes riding after stopping for a red light. The others nod and Helena says: "It sure was smart to start at the one closest to you guys."
I smirk and her words are further proven true, yet in ways I really hadn't expected. As when Murray parks the van in front of the building of the Fox parents, we're all shocked when the car in front of us suddenly blinds us with its lights. We stare into the front window and my eyes widen. Carmen and Marcus are in the other vehicle and the space in the car behind them is filled to the brim with their moving stuff.

Marcus opens his window and Helena quickly does the same on the passenger side of the front of the van. "Just give us the address to the hide out. We'll head there. We already made sure to pack everything. Don't worry, we weren't spotted. Michael made sure of that." Again I feel impressed with the leopard's skill in tech and hacking and I quickly exit the van. I head over to Carmen and whisper the address of the hide out in her ear.
The fox nods at me and I roll back to the van. The car in front of us leaves its parking spot and Murray does the same, but then in the opposite direction. "That just saved us a good ten to twenty minutes. I can't believe we didn't think of this sooner." I mutter and Murray says: "Man, it's going to be awesome having so many others on the team now. This will really make sure that, if something happens, at least one of us can think of a solution to the problem at hand."

Helena, Guru and I grin at each other as Murray is indeed right. Yet when we arrive at Carmelita's, I need to squint before I suddenly spot Michael leaning against the building, just out of the range of a few of the streetlights standing on the side of the sidewalk. Murray quickly flashes his lights a few times and the leopard looks up. I gulp as a shiver runs down my spine. This because the only part of Michael that is now clearly visible is his bright yellow eyes that shine like tiny streetlights in the dark of the night.
"I am so glad that he's on our side. I can't believe that he never tried to use this to scare off Barkley. I guess he feared that Barkley might be made of stronger stuff than that." I think to myself as Michael approaches the van. Helena gets out and hands him a bottle that is filled to the brim with branches and orange red leaves. Michael takes the bottle and asks: "This is only half of what Jason was growing, right?" Helena shakes her head and says:
"It's about 63%. I only needed the other 37% to mix it with the water of the pasta without it becoming obvious or noticeable." Michael nods and I tell him: "I'd appreciate it if you do the research on how Barkley would be able to use these spices without needing the radiance of the Clockwerk eyes. But promise me you'll get some sleep too. Remember, we're counting on you to get Barkley tomorrow." The leopard nods and turns around. And instantly he's much harder to see.

Yet he stops around the corner of the building and shocks us as he comes back with several travel bags under his arms. "Carmelita gave me access to her place about four months ago. She actually stays over from time to time, but I didn't have to even make up an excuse with those that heard me roll these bad boys down. They just opened their door, saw me with the bags, shrugged and went back inside. Seriously, they were almost rude in how careless they were."
Helena quickly takes the bags and puts them with the rest of the furniture while I mutter: "At least she moved to a better place." Michael nods and says: "Don't worry, I'll make sure to be in bed by one o'clock, one thirty at the latest. And I don't plan to go to International until between eleven and noon, so I should be able to get enough sleep and do my research." We all nod at him and then I decide that I want to trust him on the same level Carmelita does. And so I tell him our address.

Michael's eyes widen and I say: "Come visit us once you're done. We'd rather hear the story from you than from the press or the news." Michael nods gratefully and says: "Once I've given Interpol the overhaul it needs, I promise I won't abuse the privilege you just gave me. I'll only approach your base in case of absolute necessity." And while the leopard might sound solemn and sincere, I can't help but joke: "Good, cause Murray's birthday is coming up."
The Leopard's eyes widen, which is a bit of a scary sight, but then he grins at us. And while it probably wasn't his intention, the sight of those bright, sharp teeth makes another shudder run down my spine. I quickly greet the predator and close the door to the side of the van. I lean back in my wheelchair and Murray drives us back to the hide out. "That was helpful, but terrifying." I think as Murray escorts the other car and the motorbike into the garage.

Well done, guys,
Okay, so I decided to make things a little different with each house that was visited and emptied. And personally, I think that these little changes make a lot of sense, not to mention they gave me something to write about. If I made all of the four scenarios the same, I might as well have just skipped this chapter and summarized this whole thing in a future chapter or something. But with this I also tied up the last few loose strings, so I'm happy I wrote this.
You guys?

Venquine1990