Chapter 9: In The Interim

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This is the chapter in between the important chapters. I just need a minute to think through the next bad guy, okay? Besides, we don't want all operations, all the time.

Do I really have to say it again? Still, better repetitive than illegal. Sly Cooper belongs to Sucker Punch.

That's out of the way. I think you'll find this chapter… Interesting. I'll translate most of the French, don't worry.

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"Inspector Alayna Marais, Personal Audio Log Number 1. Je jure par Dieu (I swear to God), if anyone but me is listening to these, I will hunt you down. These are my personal records.

No news on the Cooper Gang since that episode in Russia. At least, no official news. They seem to have gone under the radar since their heist against the late Gol Bora. I am left wondering, are they just as out of leads as I am?

On the unofficial side of things, the files they stole have mysteriously been put back. No doubt in my mind that they made copies, but it IS nice to have all that research back. I made some copies of my own, stashed them in my personal vault. Better safe than sorry, n'est-ce pas?

I'll admit, I am almost impressed with them. Their leader, le Voleur by the name of List Cooper, is in possession of a very strange sense of morality. Thievery and vigilantism are illegal, though. I still fully intend to put him in jail. That does not mean I cannot respect him as an enemy, despite how annoying he is when he opens his mouth.

I have only had brief meetings with the other two members, but they seem to be as difficult to dismiss as their leader. The smart one - Abigail, if memory serves - is pragmatic but obviously cares for her allies. I had to put my shock pistol up against her head to force her to reveal the other two's location back in Russia. The strong one - Rick, I think - is surprisingly kind, if a little thickheaded. He actually complimented me on my way out.

I'm still stuck on what le Voleur said. He 'owes me'. What could he have meant by that? It's been rattling around in my head since he said it a week ago. It was the first time he's said something and not been un gros malin (a smart-ass) about it. It was actually a little odd to see him so serious. I know he was attached to that cane of his, but…

The cane! Merde, I keep meaning to talk about that. It was easy enough to find, knowing roughly where it fell. Brown and gold stick out in so much white. Mon Dieu, what kind of thief carries something so easy to see? And why use it as a tool if it means so much to him?

…Questions to sleep on. I need rest. End of log."

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"Personal Audio Log Number 2. Ce foutu Voleur (That damn Thief). I check my personal vault this morning, and what do I find? He's broken into my office again! Left a note this time, on that blue calling card of his. 'Guess I just missed you. Wanted to see if you were alright without me. Seems you'll live.' Back to being a smart-ass, I see, Voleur, and back to pushing your luck.

Seems to almost be a trend with him. Living on the edge, I mean. It's infuriating; can't he get his adrenaline kick skydiving or croc wrestling or actually confronting me so I can finally haul him off to jail? Why this game?

I suppose now is as good a time as any to record my findings since last time I recorded one of these. Mon Dieu, these Steele Ring idiots are hard to track down. I've found my lead, though, and I'll follow it through. I have to wonder if Abigail has found this lead as well…

One of the cleverest members of the Steel Ring is holding a, I kid you not, cotillion. For someone supposed to be so clever, il est un idiot. Un putain cotillion (he is an idiot. A damn cotillion)? Nobody calls them that anymore!

Despite the incredibly conspicuous and frankly dumb name, it has apparently attracted a good number of high-profile individuals. Most of them are under some serious suspicion for possible links to the criminal underworld, leaving Interpol wondering if this is just a coverup for some kind of meeting between that guy and his… I don't know what to call them. Shareholders, maybe? Whatever.

Interpol wants me undercover again at the… À l'enfer avec il (To hell with it). At the ball. And that means finding a dress that looks good on me and then trying to go unnoticed. Mon Dieu. At least in the parka back in Russia I didn't have to look like I belonged at a fancy party.

Well, whatever. If it means a crack at the idiot who decided 'cotillion' was a fitting word, I'm game. Just hope I don't blow it. Manners aren't my thing…

Oh, and the techs finally figured out what that thing they pulled out of the server terminal was. Before they told me, they insisted that it was wired to blow itself out, and that it definitely was not their fault. I do not believe them, but I humored them.

Turns out it's a… Dammit, how did they describe it… A USB linked up to a satellite transmission device. In essence, a portable, unsecured wireless link. They told me it was probably being used in an attempt to tear down the defenses in the server terminal, but why leave it there? I was told only basic defenses were up on that terminal, and the techs had it open in under an hour. It seems sloppy of the Cooper Gang to not take their toys with them. Sure, I don't have any direct links to them for this, but it just reeks of Abigail's handiwork.

I smell a rat, but there's nothing I can do about it. That USB is fried now, so there's no getting data off of it, and I'll just alert the rat if I ask for a second look at that terminal. Hm. There's got to be a reason…

I should prepare. I have two weeks left. End of log."

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"Personal Audio Log Number 3. I'm almost hesitant to chronicle what is on my mind at the moment… But there's no point in stalling it. Je jure par Dieu, if anyone else hears this…

Alright. My office was broken into yet again today, and what do I find? One of le Voleur's calling cards, of course, with something I'd find romantic coming from anyone else written on it. From him, though, it's just infuriating and I don't know why!

He wrote, and I quote 'Figured I'd stop by again to see my favorite Inspector. When you weren't around, I got worried. I've been holding onto this for a while, hoping to bump into you, but I suppose this is as safe a place as any to leave it. Consider it a token of my gratitude for what you so generously did for me.'

It's romantic and all, but I can't help but hear it in his voice. And it's just so very infuriatingly coy. Who exactly does he think he is? Je ne suis pas une fille pour séduire, je suis un Inspecteur déterminé à mettre ce Voleur en prison (I am not a damsel to woo, I am an Inspector determined to put that Thief in jail)!

That said… The gift is interesting. It's a gemstone of some kind, I'm not sure exactly what, but it's a deep purple and very old. I could log it as evidence, but the calling card they left in the safe is enough to pin the Gol Bora heist on them… So I'm keeping it. Not sure what I'll do with it just yet, but I have to cut myself a little slack here. Il est probablement vaut une fortune putain (It's probably worth a damn fortune), and it's a gem for crying out loud.

In the meantime, I've been mostly doing paperwork. Mon Dieu. Paris is the city of my birth, and it is where I was raised. But it's just starting to get on my nerves that there's so much paperwork and so little fieldwork.

Honestly, that's all I have to say about this week. Hopefully, next week will be more interesting. End of log.

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"Personal Audio Log Number 4. I love my job, I really do, but I love it when it's about doing interesting things. Right now, it's about sitting in the office, doing paperwork. And I'm bored out of my mind here!

On the upside of things, I'm off for my next target tomorrow. I found a decent dress that won't attract too much attention and that fits the dress code. I should be able to blend right in, so long as I keep my shock pistol hidden.

I never thought I'd say this, but I almost miss le Voleur. Irritating though he is, at least he keeps things interesting. I had the gem from last week appraised, and the man who did it practically had to pick his jaw up off the floor. It was worth several fortunes. Leaving the question; why did he leave it in my personal vault? He had to know just how much it was worth, and why steal if not for the money?

Well, I won't have to worry about my office soon enough. The security in this Steele Ring member's little party is tight. No ins or outs except if you're on the guest list, and thanks to some strings pulled by my superiors, I am. Unfortunately, due to the overabundance of potential criminals there, I'm not flying solo on this one. There are quite a few other Interpol officers both in disguise as guests and working as plants inside their security force. This is one party that will definitely end with a bang. Hehehe. I am a little peeved that they don't think I can arrest these chumps without backup, but a smart officer knows to accept backup when offered.

With any luck, it will be fairly uneventful. Walk in, gather the evidence, arrest the bad guy, walk out. But I have a bad feeling about this, and that rat I smelled is still scurrying about…

Probably all in my head. Still, I should be on alert tomorrow. End of log."

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Short chapter, yes. It's an interim chapter after all. Next time, we'll have a quick intro, then get straight down to business. In medias res, but not quite… Eh, you'll see what I mean. Those little breaks between segments of each chapter will probably be used more often in the chapters to come. Don't be fooled; they do not indicate only the end or beginning of a chapter anymore.

No blurb this time because that'd give too much away.

Review if you want to say something. Fave if you liked it. Follow if you want to know what kind of horribly stereotypical easily hatable villain I'll intro in the next chapter, in accordance with Sly tradition.

KEY FIRE! Wants to take a nap.

G'night.