Glad you guys are enjoying my fic! Thanks to all my reviewers, including the ones for this story and my other Sly fics! So, this chapter features Carmelita and two of her rather puzzling cases!

Your hints for this chapter: There is 1 Easter Egg in this chapter. It is a book/movie reference.

Disclaimer: Sly Cooper and other related characters are formerly the property of Sucker Punch, inc. and currently the property of Sanzaru, Inc. except for Beatrice Montreal, Bryan Moliere, Desiree Mallery, Desiree Monroe, Nautica Macavity, Aubrey Lancaster, Ann Monret, Armand Jaeger, Phillip Dumont, and Claire Bennet which all belong to me. Carmen Fox, Carlos Diego Fox, Kitty Petro, and Ling Chu belong to Kitty Petro.

Season 1: "When Strangers Meet"

Arc 2: "Cast Adrift"

Episode 4:

Uneasy Ground

Back in Paris...

"¡Criminales malditos! (Damn criminals!)" Carmelita swore as she continued to push the bike as fast as it would go. She hoped the chase would end soon because there were still other criminals on the loose. She was still particularly vexed that the harridan known as the Contessa escaped her! Her eyes narrowed as an angry snarl escaped her lips as she gained on the convicts' vehicle. As the vixen pulled up alongside the tireless auto, she rammed the bike into the side of the car, causing it to slightly buckle. However, but it was able to recover. Carmelita maneuvered the bike back into the next lane then rammed the car again, this time focusing on the nose of the auto. Finally, the car careened into the shoulder before slamming into the wall. The policewoman quickly ditched the motorcycle and redrew her weapon as she made her way towards the burning car. One of the criminals was in the process of bailing from the wreckage. Carmelita called for them to halt and proceeded to chase them down. However, the flames and smoke made it difficult for her to catch up.

Before she had time to even cross the street, the fleeing fugitive disappeared into the smoke. She looked behind her and noticed that the other convict was still trapped inside the wreckage. The vixen growled at the knowledge that she had lost another escaped convict and turned back towards the wreckage while putting her weapon away. She began moving closer to the burning vehicle in order to try to save the person inside. Quickly deducing that the flames were lower on the side closest to her, Carmelita carefully maneuvered her way to the door and wrenched it open. Inside, there was an unconscious todd (another word for male fox) slumped over in the driver's seat. He must've been knocked out when the car struck the wall. Noticing that the flames were growing larger, and closer to the gas tank; Carmelita didn't have time to ascertain whether or not the man was still alive. Reaching into the car and trying to fumble with the seatbelt holding the man in place, Carmelita felt relief fill her chest when she heard sirens punctuate the roars of the flames. The other officers had finally arrived. Her ears twitched when the latch finally clicked open, a smile gracing her features as well.

"Lieutenant Fox! You have to clear out soon! That car is going to blow!" called a voice in the smoke, Carmelita barely hearing the words over the roar of the flames. Catching the man as he fell into her arms, Carmelita put all of her strength into pulling the man out of the car. Suddenly, another person appeared beside her and helped her move the fox. She looked to her left and saw Inspector Claire Bennet. The black bear was putting all her effort into moving the todd. Both women were huffing when they finally made it out of the wreckage as three other officers came forward and relieved the women of their burden, before they all quickly moved to the other side of the street. Everyone shielded their eyes as the car finally exploded, the flames leaping high into the air. "¡Díos! ¡Qué lío!" She thought to herself as she saw the flames completely engulfing the car. (God! What a mess!) Traffic had been blocked by the police, and there were fast-growing lines of cars behind it.

"Fox! What's the situation?" barked a voice that Carmelita knew too well. She turned around and inwardly cringed. Chief Barker was finally on the scene.

"Well, sir, only one of the three escapees I was chasing down was caught," she sheepishly admitted.

"Only one? Where was your backup?" He asked, sighing in frustration. Carmelita's face burned in shame.

"I was chasing down three more perps going in a different direction!" growled Claire as she shivered in the cold Parisian afternoon.

"Chief, we tried our best. There were just too many of them! Two hundred prisoners broke out of Deathrow Penitentiary. It's going to take some time to find and catch them all. Honestly, this wasn't even our jurisdiction, we just offered to help," Carmelita argued. She saw Claire's ebony head nodding in agreement out of her peripheral vision.

"True, but most of these escapees were international prisoners awaiting trial, although a few of them were slated for long-term stays. Now, most of these fugitives are our responsibility, Lieutenant. They have now become, once again, active international criminals. They are now not only wanted for their old crimes, but they are now also wanted for escaping custody and resisting arrest. Originally, this was not our problem, but as soon as one of those fugitives crosses another country's border, it becomes our problem," explained the Chief.

"I suppose. I'm just so frustrated that all these criminals just literally walked out of prison!" groaned Carmelita. Her ears flattened against her head when an ambulance finally made it onto the scene.

"Oh well, not much we can do now other than wait for leads to come in. And then wait for the axe to fall," said Claire as they watched the paramedics exit the ambulance and rushed over to tend to the injured male. "But I do have a question, why now?"

"Simple, the French like their holidays. Most French take their vacation time seriously and are usually gone for most of the breaks, meaning…most government and nongovernmental jobs not completely tied to a direct public service aren't in service. This also includes a good number of guards at Deathrow Penitentiary. They keep a rotating staff during the holidays, but on a day like this, right before the holidays hit full swing...well, let's just say that the staff is rather light due to people scrambling for last minute time off and such," the Chief rumbled by way of introduction.

"So, this would be the perfect time to stage a prison break," stated Carmelita, finishing the chief's thoughts. "The staff would be too underhanded to contain it. But my question is who, or what, was the target? Or at least what was the purpose, asides from the obvious?"

"That is the question, isn't it?" muttered the chief as he turned introspective. Carmelita frowned to herself as thought over an answer to her own question.

"Well, as far as targets go... there was: Dimitri Lousteau, Contessa Ladislava Starosa, Nautica Macavity, José Riviera, Jean Bison, and Rajan," offered Claire. Carmelita nodded as those were some good guesses, especially since any one of them could have orchestrated the break out. Releasing a bunch of prisoners at one time would make it harder to distinguish who was initially being broken out.

"Not to mention, Don Octavio's right-hand man, Franco Bellini... and possibly James McSweeny," said the Chief as he continued to muse aloud.

"James McSweeny? Who's that?" blurted out Claire, yelling to be heard over the sound of an approaching fire truck.

"James 'Big Jim' McSweeny aka Jimmy McSweeny used to run with Conner Cooper in his heyday," answered Carmelita.

"Really? Do you think Sly Cooper was involved with this?" asked Claire as she watched the firemen and women put out the raging inferno. Chief Barker looked at Carmelita in askance.

"I doubt it. Cooper has a habit of putting other criminals behind bars, not breaking them out. Besides, the last time I saw Cooper, he was limping and looked to be suffering other injuries, along with fatigue. Plus, Cooper vanished from the helicopter. Our only lead points to the anti-government group, Nimbus. Not to mention that both his cohorts were recovering from pretty serious wounds. The brains of the outfit, Bentley, lost the use of his legs. At least, that is what the last hospital report said before the turtle disappeared from Hôpital Sainte-Périne-Rossini-Chardon Lagache (Could not find the English equivalent, sorry). We believe Nimbus was responsible for his disappearance as well. I highly doubt any of them would have planned something this massive," answered the lieutenant softly as she thought back to that day nearly two months ago.

Flashback

There had been fire on that day, too as well as puddles of burning oil in the river and chunks of smoldering concrete on the bank.. Black plumes of smoke were billowing up into the otherwise clear night. The now blackened Clockwerk Parts were lying about in piles, some even floating uselessly in the Seine. She, however, had most of her attention on the haggard bundle of blue rags in front of her. It was almost too good to be true; Sly Cooper had turned himself in, but his reason for doing so had her completely baffled. He had turned himself in, so that his companions could walk free. In her line of work, she rarely saw such a thing. Most thugs would give up their mothers to avoid jail. However, he hadn't, and she was determined to know why. Before she could ask him, the sound of another chopper landing interrupted her. She looked across the plaza to see three more Interpol helicopters touch the ground. She stiffened slightly and prayed that they would believe her after everything that Neyla did to her reputation. As a few officers made their way over to her from the helicopter, she slowly approached them with both hands raised.

"Carmelita Montoya Fox, you are wanted for being an accomplice to theft and escaping custody!" shouted an overzealous Constable, she believed it was Ian McGirth, as they got closer. Carmelita resisted the urge to roll her eyes, hoping that she did not sound like that every time she arrived on a scene. She briefly looked over her shoulder to make sure Sly was still sitting there. The raccoon was still there, but instead of staring at the ground, he was giving her an amused look. Carmelita immediately wanted to groan as she knew the raccoon was comparing her to the loudmouth officer she just heard. She vowed to herself right then and there to rein in her louder speaking habits. The officers quickly surrounded her and the thief as Carmelita stole another quick glance over her shoulder at the raccoon. The vixen was surprised to find pity worming its way into her chest over the ringtail. She was comparing how small Cooper was to the officers around him. She vaguely recalled when they danced together, and how he was actually slightly shorter than her. The wolves that were closing in on him were probably twice his size. She returned her attention to the officer standing in front of her.

"Place your hands behind your back," another officer instructed. Carmelita followed the officer's directions. She shuddered as the cold metal wrapped around her wrists again, watching as another officer attempted to cuff Sly. She almost thought he was going to bolt for a moment when he tried to make himself smaller as the officers closed in on him. But his seemingly shy behavior did not last long, as it was quickly replaced by a more defiant behavior. If Carmelita hadn't been watching from the beginning, she would not have seen him nervous at all! The raccoon slowly rose to his feet as the sharp eyes of Carmelita immediately noticed Sly seemed to be favoring his left leg as he moved towards the officers. Feeling the officer in front of her tug gently on her wrists, she slowly turned around, placidly walking ahead of the officer as the wildebeest that had cuffed her led the former inspector to the waiting chopper.

When the awkward looking duo nearly reached the chopper, a scuffle was heard behind them. Carmelita looked behind her to see Sly on his knees. The dark-colored bull that was escorting him was now shouting at the thief as Sly struggled to get back on his feet. Apparently, that left leg was giving him a hard time and the feeling of pity for the raccoon made itself present again as the ebony-colored bull reached down and grabbed Sly Cooper by the scruff of his neck. She didn't hear him cry out, but the look on his face betrayed the Master Thief as the bovine hauled the raccoon back to his feet. Sly stumbled for a moment but eventually regained his footing, noticeably limping now. Carmelita and the other officers could only watch as Sly was forced to practically lope next to the big bull to keep from being dragged. Carmelita internally winced and bit back a cry when Sly's knee gave out on him again causing the thief to land on the concrete. Carmelita began fidgeting nervously in her cuffs. She had seen his body hit the ground headfirst. Now, he just lay there. Every officer in the vicinity stopped what they were doing and stared. For some reason, this sight made her angry.

"Great going, McGirth! Now, we are going to have a police brutality case on our hands! Thanks to you, Cooper will probably walk free, and with money, too! While all of us lose part of our paychecks to cover it, you'll be in jail!" She snarled, quickly adding the case bit at the end to give more plausible cause for her outburst to the others, as well as herself.

"Shut up! It wasn't my fault, woman!" growled the bull.

"Whose fault was it then, McGirth?" called Lieutenant Erwin Rogers, a no-nonsense badger from the anti-terrorism unit. "You were practically dragging the kid across the asphalt! And respect your superiors, Constable," the bull baulked at the reprimand.

"What?! She is a wanted fugitive!" blurted McGirth, glaring at Lt. Rogers.

"No, she isn't… She was never arraigned or formally charged. Fugitives have usually been charged with a crime. She is not a fugitive nor wanted for a crime, only questioning. As a result, she has not been officially relieved of her rank," replied the badger. The bull just continued to sulk while a paramedic made their way to the raccoon's side. The Chief quickly got things back under control by relieving McGirth of his handling duties and replacing him with the wilder beast that had been escorting her. Erwin took over her escort and finished walking her into the helicopter before making her sit down on the bench.

"I'm sorry about this whole mess," Erwin said as he sat down across from her.

She managed to smile as she said, "Not your fault, Neyla and the Contessa caused this mess," the badger nodded. Carmelita let her eyes wander around the interior of the aircraft. She was valiantly trying to look anywhere but out the bay door. Loathe as she was to admit it, she was worried about Sly.

"I can imagine that being on the opposite end of this scenario has left you feeling a little out of your element," said Erwin conversationally as she absently nodded, clearly not paying attention. After about ten or so minutes of awkward silence, Sly was finally placed into the helicopter on a stretcher. The vixen felt the tension leave her body as a paramedic and Erwin strapped the stretcher to the floor. The raccoon was awake and held a cold pack to his head. While they were completing this task, Carmelita was attempting to convince herself that she was not overly relieved to see that the rascal was ok. No, she was just glad her potential "get out of jail free" card had not run off. Although... Ok, so I am glad the raccoon is ok. After all, he is a person, she amended in her head.

Seeing Ian McGirth manhandling the thief had touched something within her, but she was hesitant to name what exactly that feeling was.

"Some day, huh?" asked Sly, snapping her out of her mental daze.

"That's an understatement," she snorted causing Sly to smile weakly.

"I guess," he replied. Their exchange was cut short as the helicopter prepared for takeoff. Erwin waved to Carmelita before disembarking the aircraft. The vixen flattened her ears against her head to block out some of the sound, relaxing them once the door was shut, enclosing them in a dimly lit container. She found her eyes wandering over to watch Cooper once more, even though he looked completely indifferent to the situation. Here he was being airlifted to a hospital in Lyon, before being transferred to the Interpol headquarters. Yet, the raccoon remained infuriatingly calm. Why? Did he have a plan of escape already? "No, he couldn't have a plan! His usual cohorts were injured in the Clock-La fight," she reasoned to herself. After a while, the helicopter lifted into the air. Carmelita could imagine how everything was falling away as the aerial vehicle rose higher and higher.

"Finally alone, we are…" said Sly, causing the corners of her lips to creep upward slightly.

"You don't like silence, do you?" She asked in response.

"Only the awkward kind," he slowly answered.

"Ah. So, that's it…Right, "she teased. Although, some slight shock accompanied the remark as she realized that she was flirting with Sly Cooper again.

"I swear this is nothing but the truth, pretty lady," he muttered. She shook her sable head; he was forever a flirt.

"For someone with a concussion, you sure are talkative," she commented.

"It is better for the patient to remain conscious for at least one to two hours after a concussion. It allows for observation of the patient's current mental and physiological state," he said, "at least, that's what I've read," Carmelita's eyebrows rose in surprise. She had always assumed that the thief was well read due to the rascal's extensive vocabulary, but now, here was some concrete evidence as the raccoon fell silent once more. A few more minutes passed between them as Carmelita's curiosity continued nibbling at her before it finally got too much for her.

"Why did you do it?" she asked pointedly. Sly removed the cold pack from his face and looked at her with a frown.

"Do what exactly?" He asked, "I've done a lot of things lately."

"Turn yourself in…" She clarified as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat; the bench was hard and the cuffs were biting into her wrists. Sly looked dumbfounded for a moment.

"I thought we agreed that if I came quietly, you would let my friends –" explained Sly before being cut off by Carmelita.

"I know that! Why did you sacrifice yourself?" She asked.

"I thought it was obvious, they are my fam-I mean they are my friends. I would do anything for them," he said. She noticed the near slip earlier as well. Had she heard correctly? Did Sly Cooper nearly refer to the turtle and the hippo as his family? Well, his actions seemed to speak when he, himself, would not. She would do anything and everything for Carmen, or any of her family and Sly seemed to be willing to do the same for his. Suddenly, his actions no longer puzzled her; in fact, they made her grudgingly respect him all the more.

"Well, it's nice to know that some criminals have a sense of morals," she said nonchalantly as she once again tried to make herself comfortable as Sly was watching her with an unreadable expression. She fought back the urge to grimace; as Sly's face was swollen where he hit his head. It was turning slightly purple though she must not have hid her face as well as she thought; because Sly covered up the injury with the cold pack a moment later.

"So, why does it surprise you that I actually care about my friends? Don't you care for yours?" asked Sly. Carmelita blinked only for a moment, especially since his tone sounded accusatory.

"I, well, I do. It's just in my line of work, you usually don't see sacrifices like yours often," she explained with a sheepish shrug before sighing lightly. "Okay, I get that you did it to save your friends, but why save me?" Sly laughed.

"Really, Inspector?" He blurted, "You were innocent. No matter what those two-faced so-and-so's said about you. I did it because it was the right thing to do especially since most of it was my fault," she had been listening to him talk and so far, the raccoon had been sincere. It even showed in his face and mannerisms. As he talked about getting her in trouble, his ears folded against his head and his eyes seemed to show remorse. Carmelita put it down to the small amount of light that was coming in, but she decided not to dwell on it any longer as it brought up painful memories.

"So, you read medical books for fun, hmm?" She tossed out. The raccoon rolled his eyes.

"I can't say I read them purely for fun. After all, someone has to know something about first aid and medicine in a house full of daredevils... but the books are interesting," he said slowly. Carmelita was beginning to notice that the ends of his sentences faded abruptly or slurred together. She looked at the young thief, debating if she should continue conversing with him or not. It was obvious that he was exhausted and she suspected that he was in pain.

"Maybe we should stop for now, you look exhausted," suggested the vixen.

"No! Please, I…" He pleaded, startling Carmelita with the sudden outburst. His plea had sounded almost desperate. After a second or two, he added, "this is the first time that I've been able to have a conversation with you without that weapon of yours in between us. I am enjoying it," it was said so softly that she almost did not hear it. Her instincts were telling her that there was more to it, but she figured there was no need to upset him further.

"Okay, okay. Calm down, Ringtail. So, what was this medical book you read about?" She asked. From then on, they talked quietly about anything and everything. They went from discussing books to movies to even discussing some of their misadventures along the way. Carmelita found it difficult to refute that she truly enjoyed talking to Sly. If anyone ever asked, she would just say that she had been pumping him for information. About halfway through the two and a half hour ride, a loud impact on the side of the chopper stopped the conversation in its tracks.

"What was that?" She wondered aloud as her hands twitched. She really wished that she had her shock pistol.

"What's going on back there?" came the pilot's voice over the speakers.

"We don't know," said the paramedic via the speaker. The bear then stood and started rummaging through his medical bag. Carmelita stopped paying attention to the medic as her senses went into overdrive as she tried to discern what had caused the noise. A moment later, she saw movement out of her peripheral vision.

"Hey! What are you doing?" blurted Sly. Carmelita whirled around to see the paramedic strapping Sly's arms down to the stretcher. Despite his protests, the paramedic continued with his actions. At this point, Carmelita began throwing out questions and protesting his illegal actions. However, the burly man continued his tasks and within seconds, Sly was completely immobilized. The bear then began removing the straps that held the bright orange backboard to the stretcher. What happened next confused the police woman even more as the medic moved towards the helicopter's door and swung it open. The cloak of silence that covered the area was suddenly ripped away by the fierce air flying past the chopper, leaving a raging storm of noise in its wake. The booming roar of the aircraft's blades as they sliced through the sky made verbal shouts impossible, but Carmelita was trying her damnedest to call for help. Carmelita's cries were momentarily stilled, and her body was rendered immobile by shock as the bear reached out of the helicopter, bringing in a harness that was tied to a sturdy looking cable. As the fake paramedic made his way over to the stretcher, it hit Carmelita; he was a kidnapper! He wanted Sly! Her assumption was further validated by Sly's look of horror and panic.

Carmelita renewed her cries for help, but to no avail. She felt like a little girl having a nightmare. The scene before her made her insides clench in fear, feeling the strain on her lungs and throat as she screamed. She knew she was screaming, but in reality, it seemed like she was not making a single sound. The howls echoing from the aircraft's flight was fighting with the rambunctious wind completely overpowered her voice. Just like the little girl, Carmelita was forced to watch helplessly, as that awful nightmare continued to play out, despite her cries. The only reason she knew it wasn't a nightmare was that she could feel the grating pain in her wrists as she rubbed them raw. By this time, the bear finished placing the hooks of the harness onto the backboard, moving back to the door before adjusting something on the side of the chopper, the cable growing taunt before the ursid showed his strength by lifting the backboard with Sly still on it, moving it next to the opened door. The look of pure helplessness and fear marring the raccoon's face before he was shoved from the helicopter would continue to haunt the vixen until this very day. It was unbelievable. Within the span of a few minutes, Cooper was gone! The bear would disappear as well after donning a parachute hidden in his medicine bag and leaping from the helicopter...

End Flashback

Carmelita was finally jerked away from her poignant memories when Claire placed a hand on her shoulder. Ironically, another bear was asking if she was okay as the harassed policewoman nodded. They were interrupted when a call for a supervisor from Interpol to come to the prison came over the radio. The chief motioned for the two women to follow him. They walked with the chief to his car and got in. The first few minutes of the car ride were spent in silence. Carmelita was grateful for it; she was still trying to shake the last vestiges of the flashback that she was experiencing. Her chest was still tight, while her throat felt itchy, as if it remembered her screaming. She was so utterly helpless that night, and she hated that feeling; the feeling of terror that could stop someone's heart mixed with the cold knowledge that all one could do was sit there and watch it happen…like a train wreck. Part of you wanted to turn away because you know the damage will be extensive, but at the same time you can't because of the sickening display it creates. She had screamed and screamed until she had collapsed from the strain. The pilot remained oblivious until they had landed in Lyon. Interpol had to wait at least two hours for her to come around before she could tell them what occurred. Once her statement had been taken, she had been placed on paid leave for two weeks while the loose ends from Cooper's kidnapping and the Clockwerk parts deal were tied up. This was because she had developed laryngitis from her shouting and was voiceless for about four days because of it. Not only that, but she was also recovering from an extreme amount of stress. Though, the leave of absence really did nothing for her as she tossed and turned every night during her entire leave, getting little to no sleep whatsoever because of it. She just couldn't shake the scene from her mind. Even now, nearly 7 weeks later, she was still losing hours of sleep to nightly terrors that would propel her awake from a deep sleep with Sly's name on her lips.

She still could not understand why this was haunting her so. Carmelita had been through more terrifying ordeals, so why did this one scar her so much? When the policewoman had been the prisoner of the Contessa, she had been too angry to be scared. The lieutenant had been too determined to clear her name to fear bullets and threats aimed at her. But this kidnapping…she shook her head morosely as she continued to dwell on this vexing problem. Then an idea struck her.

"Sir, what about Nimbus? Could they have been responsible?" She asked suddenly. The chief frowned at her from the driver's seat.

"Can't say 'no' for sure, but it may be a possibility. After all, they snatched Cooper and possibly his turtle friend; why not aim for McSweeny, too?" he mused aloud.

"Why would Nimbus be involved?" asked Claire.

"They're an anti-government group and they would love the chaos it caused... And as the Chief said they did snatch Cooper," said Carmelita shortly as her mind wandered back to the past again. Nimbus was an anti-government organization that could be extremely violent at times. Their violent behavior landed them a spot on Interpol's list of terrorists. Most of their plans usually involved trying to disrupt governmental dealings and plans. Interpol discovered that Nimbus had been involved in Sly's disappearance once Carmelita returned to work and began officially looking into the disappearance. She had been assigned a new partner to help her, Claire, to be exact. As they had combed the surrounding areas where they suspected Cooper disappeared, one of Nimbus's helicopters with their notorious cloud logo had been uncovered in a field. Unfortunately, that had been their only lead so far. Now, much to Carmelita's chagrin; that investigation would have to be put on hold so that they could clean up this mess. She shook her head in mild disgust as they pulled up to Deathrow Penitentiary. The building was a large rectangular structure, having an old, abandoned asylum feel to it. Carmelita felt a jolt of excitement coursing through her veins. Despite what a horrible afternoon it had been, she was glad to be back in the thick of things. This was one of the reasons she became a cop, the action instead of just sitting behind a useless desk looking over even more useless leads.

As they stepped into the prison, Carmelita and Claire had to fight the urge to vomit due to the stench. The walls were reeking with the stench of mold and the scent of all the unwashed and sweaty bodies did not help things, either. Carmelita could also smell the metallic tang of blood in the air. The power was still out in some areas which left shadows hanging in some corridors like heavy black drapes. The three officers did not tarry long the entrance way before meeting up with the completely undone warden of the prison. The wreck of a porcupine was practically hyperventilating. Claire muttered that the man looked close to shooting needles everywhere, or at the very least, wrecking his expensive Amarianni suit. Carmelita wasn't anywhere near amused, barely restraining herself from rolling her eyes as she listened to this sniveling wimp whine every excuse in the book at them to explain why the break occurred. The chief sent Carmelita and Claire with another guard to see what they had been initially called to investigate while he finished talking to the warden.

Warning! Graphic descriptions ahead…

After wandering down a series of corridors, they came across an open cell. Then Carmelita stopped in her tracks by the blood trickling out of the cell. "Great, now we have a murder on our hands as well. What if this was the real reason for the break in?" She thought to herself. The vixen was now certain that there was more going on here than they originally thought. Carmelita quickly gathered her wits and entered the cell. In the middle of the nearly claustrophobic space, lay the body of Jim McSweeny. The large walrus probably died of asphyxiation thanks to the gash in his throat, but that wasn't what had the vixen stunned.

Someone had mutilated the walrus. Along with the gash in his throat, someone had also cleaved his right hand off and presumably taken it. The blood that was seen trailing out of the cell originated from the stump. Someone also took great pains to remove some of the big man's tattoos, leaving behind bloody patches of flesh that made the man's back, and sides, look like a bloody quilt. Whoever did this had a secret to hide; the secret that Jim McSweeny had immortalized on his body.

Scene is done...

Carmelita frowned as she continued to stare at the body they found inside the cell. This was one bizarre case...especially when the events from a few months ago were added in, assuming that they were somehow connected. Cooper: missing… Bentley: missing… Now, James McSweeny: deceased. It just didn't make any sense. What was going on with the Cooper line now? She quickly stored that line of thought away before getting back to the matter at hand.

"Can you tell me if anyone else was murdered?" asked the vixen as she continued to study the scene. The guard said that the prison was thoroughly searched and besides the guards that were trampled to death, no other bodies were found. There were only two of those, and they had been found in the hallway with their demises recorded on tape. "This man had to have been the target then," the vixen thought to herself.

"Was anyone in here when the inmate was murdered?" asked Claire as she tiptoed around the body, looking for more clues.

"No, ma'am. Most of the guards were outside, trying to corral the inmates from the other blocks or just trying to survive the onslaught of prisoners," he answered. Now Carmelita knew without a shadow of a doubt that this prison break had been staged to cover up the murder. As this cellblock and the two next to it were unlocked when the power went down, and the backup generator was delayed. However, none of the other buildings were affected. Carmelita couldn't help but shudder at the implications and what they meant for the prison system, along with her chances of finding Cooper alive. That was if Nimbus was responsible for this murder. She groaned as she felt the infantile throbs of a tension headache starting to press against her skull.

"Man, this is some messed up sh- I mean, stuff! I mean his hand is straight up gone! If I see anything that remotely looks like 'Red rum' on these walls, I'm gettin' outta here!" said Claire empathetically as the CSI unit started combing the cell for evidence.

"Tell me something I don't know. First Cooper and the turtle disappear, now this. " The two women left the CSI unit to their job and returned to Interpol. The chief looked mad, like a bear with a toothache.

"Well? What's the situation?" demanded the chief.

"James McSweeny's body was found in his cell. It's been excessively mutilated, sir. His hand, as well as a few of his tattoos, has been removed. His throat was also slashed. At this time, there is no murder weapon or motive," answered Claire.

"Can this night get any worse?" groaned the chief.

"Ya might not wanna say that too loudly, boss... the fates might take it as a challenge." warned Claire jokingly. Carmelita grinned in grim amusement while Chief Barker rolled his eyes before spotting two new officers coming in the prison and waved them over.

"Chu! Petro!" he greeted them once they were by his side. One of the officers was a plucky blonde vixen and the other was a dark-haired male snow leopard. Carmelita vaguely knew of them and from what she heard; they did good work, even if some would consider their methods a little…unorthodox.

"Hey Chief... Who drained the happy out of this place?" joked Inspector Petro as she looked about warily.

"You and Constable Chu will oversee this nightmare of a prison break; while Lieutenant Fox and Inspector Bennett will oversee the murder of James McSweeny and his missing appendages," said the german shepherd as he ignored the girl's earlier attempt at humor. They nodded and went on their way; while the chief, Carmelita, and Claire headed out the door.

"Why did you single out the murder?" the black bear asked as they continued towards the car.

"Because I have a feeling that this may tie into the Cooper gang's disappearance. And I also want you two to take charge of the Nautica Macavity escape, because the breakout and this murder sound like her father's work…" said the 51-year-old man as they got into the car.

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing, sir." said Carmelita as the car roared to life...

The next day…

Carmelita sighed as she continued to dry her hair and fur in preparation for the day ahead. She was actually once again clamoring to get to work. She was restless and ready to complete her assignments. She was ready to go by 6:30 am and out of her door by 6:35 am, making it to the station by 7:15 AM. Claire walked in about 2 minutes later and both women exchanged pleasantries before diving into their paperwork. An hour passed by in this manner as they both slaved through the pounds of paperwork that the prison break and murder generated. A few minutes later, Carmelita called for her assistant, Winthrop.

"Yes, Ms. Fox?" He asked eagerly, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. Carmelita ignored Claire snickering as she gave him orders.

"I need you to copy and file these reports. Bring the copies back here and file them in my personal file cabinet," she instructed as she pointed a stack of finished reports. The weasel nodded enthusiastically, before grabbing the pile and turning to leave. "Wait," she huffed, annoyed that he did not even wait long enough to make sure she didn't need anything else. "I also need the Cooper kidnapping file, as well as everything I have on Nautica Macavity and her associate, Aubrey Lancaster." The weasel nodded like a bobble head and jetted from the room. By this time, Claire was giggling openly now. Carmelita just shook her head and smiled wryly.

"What? I'm sorry…" The black bear said through her laughter, "he is just so fun to watch. The poor thing gets so excited around you that he doesn't know what to do with himself," Carmelita just rolled her eyes as Claire giggled some more before finally returning to her work. Quite a few minutes later, Winthrop returned with the report copies. He began to file them in the cabinet unobtrusively.

"There is so much information, but no sustenance," Carmelita grumbled as she tried to make sense of the evidence from last night's prison break and murder.

"Speaking of sustenance, why exactly are we looking for Cooper?" asked Claire, "I figured all of Interpol would be dancing for joy that he was out of your hair?"

"Well, Cooper and his gang have come across a lot of governmental information during their heists. If Cooper is being held and pumped for information, he has the potential to cause us a lot of trouble on the global stage," answered Carmelita tersely, Claire's nonchalant tone was grating on the vixen's nerves for some reason, though she didn't know why. As the day wore on, Carmelita became more and more wound up for no reason. At first, she thought that she had just been ready to get back to work, but now she wasn't so sure. She was on a short fuse and it wasn't even noon yet! Winthrop finally finished his filing and left to go find the other files that she requested. She returned to her work without another word. A little while later, the weasel returned with the files. She thanked the weasel and started sorting them out. First, Cooper's file was put away in her personal file cabinet for investigation later and Nautica Macavity's file was left on her desk. As she sat down again, Carmelita opened the file and began flipping through it.

Nautica Macavity was a hybrid of fox and cheetah descent. She was the biological daughter of Joseph Macavity, a current front-running owner of many biomedical research firms in Europe. This was particularly unusual given that Joseph Macavity was also known for his bigotry, especially when it came to cross speciation. However, everything about the mysterious woman came to light about two years ago. It was discovered that Mr. Macavity, whose real name was actually Armand Jaeger, was using his biomedical research firms to conduct illicit research on evolution, genetics, and "magic" of all things! He had even started an underground in-vitro clinic, where he had technicians working to create infants with specific physical traits, as well as running a child supports center came in conjunction with law firms that he invested in all over the world. These facilities were mostly used to harvest children that may have magic. Nautica was one of those in-vitro created fetuses that had been "discarded" as unusable. However, she instead had been stolen for research. When they were through with her, they tossed the then five-year-old into the foster care system.

Her criminal record would begin at the age of 10. She was believed to have killed her foster parent in order to take over the business. She would then move on to ATM scams and car-jackings along the street where the store was located. She somehow managed to locate her biological father during that time, and they began running outfits together. Like most Mafia families, their "legal facades" were above the board; however, all of their underhanded dealings were as shady as they came. After Carmelita had been reading for a few hours, she was interrupted when her sister rushed into the office. Carmen Fox was a freckle faced brunette and the only female at Interpol that held the rank of captain. Carmelita smiled wearily at her older sibling before motioning her over to the desk.

"What brings you here, sister?" Carmelita asked.

"We just received word that Nautica Macavity had been spotted. I came to tell you because poor Kitty and Ling are swamped with calls and work," answered Carmen as she leaned against Carmelita's desk, causing the lieutenant to widen her eyes in surprise.

"Where?" She blurted, her attention fixed on her older sibling.

"Robbing an outlet store on the outskirts of Marseille," She answered. Carmelita leapt from her seat and started gathering her gear and closing up files.

"How long ago?" Asked Claire as she followed Carmelita's lead and prepared to leave.

"About two minutes ago," was Carmen's response. The two women swore and quickly raced to finish their preparations. They finally fled from the office as if hell was on their heels. As Carmelita raced through Paris's streets, she was praying that the hybrid would not head underground once again before they could bring her to justice. Finally, nearly 20 minutes later, they turned onto the street where the fugitive was spotted. The local cops were on the scene as well, but the women decided to play the scene out a little more covertly, knowing how tricky Nautica could be. The women stopped the car and spread out along the street as Carmelita made her way into a small clothing shop. The shop only had three patrons in it as the vixen began looking at some of the clothes on display, or at least pretending to do so. However, she continued surveying the storefront, and the street out of her peripheral vision, not seeing anything out of the ordinary…yet. They figured since the bear was a newer officer, Nautica may not recognize her as one and bolt before they had a chance to arrest her. Carmen and Carmelita took positions on the ends of the street, hoping to trap Nautica between them if she managed to slip past Claire. After speaking momentarily with the sales clerk, Carmelita left the shop. She headed down the sidewalk, seemingly lost in her own world. When in truth, she was quickly surveying the area for anything out of place, or any hiding places. She scanned an alleyway briefly, before making a mental note to come back and check the area more thoroughly later. Unbeknownst to the vixen, a pair of green eyes was watching her from the alleyway...

Nautica Macavity watched from her hiding place as the policewoman wandered past. The hybrid slowly counted to 30 before finally throwing off an old, ratty comforter that she was covering up with. She had been hiding behind a pile of trash bags that fell out of the overflowing trashcan next to her. While the stench had not been pleasant, it kept the police dogs and officers from smelling her and discovering her hiding place. The young woman slowly stood up before proceeding to stretch in a catlike manner. She then pushed a stray red curl back underneath a blue bandanna, before wandering to the back door of a nearby shop. The fugitive rapped on the door in a set pattern and waited. After a moment or two, the door popped open and the redhead quickly slipped inside…

And done! Oooohh... another new character, this time a villain! Please leave a review with your thoughts on the chapter as well as your Easter egg guesses! Also, the next chapter will have all of the Easter egg answers for this month. So make your guesses soon! Thanks!