~Location: Sand Dunes, Just Outside of the City - Egypt~
~Date/Time: 1300 B.C., Operation Raccoon Rescue: Day 2; Evening~

The Cooper Van made its decent over the endless sandy desert. Sparks and flashes faded as the van stabilized after a time-jump. Bentley directed Murray to land somewhere that they would not be seen.

"I don't think I need to remind everyone to keep hydrated." Bentley squinted as he rolled out of the back of the van and started to set up shade. Carmelita and Murray emerged; the hippo helping Bentley while the fox looked over the city that wasn't far away.

"I hope you have a plan, Bentley." Carmelita said, turning back to stand under shade.

"I do have a plan. I just need to know when Sly's pulling off his plan. That way, we can coordinate and intervene to rescue him at the right time."

"How do we find that out?" Carmelita reached into a cooler for a water bottle and started to drink.

"We need some reconnaissance work. I brought clothes that are accurate to the location and time period for you two of us to have vantage points in the city. My wheelchair would give me away, so I cannot be seen. What I suggest is a perimeter around Slytunkhamen's building and waiting until Sly or his ancestor to step out."

Carmelita started to march to the city on her own, Bentley urging Murray to follow her and bring her back so she can change. Bentley let the two of them change in the van for privacy and to cool off a bit before they would begin the mission. Murray disguised as a merchant and Carmelita was simply dressed like a rural commoner.

They were both given the location to observe and Bentley monitored their position while they individually took watch of the building's entrance. People passed by the door, but none entered or left for a while.

"How do we know we aren't late?" Carmelita huffed, crossing her arms.

"Because I haven't lost faith." Bentley replied through her ear piece that was hidden in her clothing.

After what seemed like a long wait, a cloaked figure emerged from the building they were scoping. It immediately perked the fox's interest and she made the others aware of this. "I got a visual of someone leaving the building. He's wearing a hood, but I can see a striped tail. I think it's Sly!"

"Can you get close enough to confirm that without being seen? If he sees you, it might jeopardize everything."

"I think I can manage."

Stealthily as ever, Carmelita followed the hooded raccoon to where he was going. She paused when it lowered its hood, the fox frowning a bit. "Negative. It's not Sly, I'm moving out."

"Roger."

The fox stepped quietly passed the raccoon that was now talking to someone and walked down a street. A basket of laundry lay outside and Carmelita looked around before examining the clothes. "I think I found more disguises. Ugh... A bit too revealing..."

"You've been compromised, Inspector! They're following you!"

Carmelita gasped and hid as the raccoon and another figure approached and continued to talk some business. The fox was close by, but out of sight, letting her communicator pick up the conversation.

"Bentley... You hearing this?"

"Indeed. It sounds like they are talking about Sly's heist. If that's not Sly, then it is definitely Slytunkhamen. We are not too late, after all! Okay... They'll be posing as assassins... Tonight... Pharaoh's Dining Hall... A shepherd falling from the sky... I think I have a plan. Head back in you two. We need to go over some details. Murray, make sure the two of you come back without followers."

Murray did so and escorted Inspector Fox out of the city to the waiting turtle inside the Cooper Van. Bentley didn't have a projector set up, so he found a whiteboard and mounted it before drawing up plans.

"We know where Sly is going to be. He and his ancestor, Slytunkhamen, are heading to Pharaoh's Palace and will act out an assassination attempt. According to what I heard from Inspector Fox's eavesdropping and taking what I read from the Thievius Raccoonus into consideration; it brings me to the conclusion that the attempt is a façade, so no actual killing will take place."

The other two remained quiet for Bentley's presentation.

"There's one thing we have to keep in mind. We have to watch over Sly and protect him without interfering with his path or making direct contact until he reaches the extraction point. I have decided on a few individual tasks for us during Sly's mission tonight. Carmelita, I'll need you to be monitoring Sly's progress up close, so I'll have you in disguise in the dining hall. Murray, I'm counting on your physical training for your role. I need you to the disable wooden chariots so that Sly would have less to deal with when he makes his escape."

Bentley paused for a moment and stopped writing with the marker, humming in thought. "Okay... There's a problem... I know Sly gives people a show in the dining hall here and that's where Carmelita can be..." He marks it on a map he had brought from the present, marking a second dot. "This is where Sly is to rendezvous with his ancestor, but Slytunkhamen personally left us a message saying that he won't be there and is actually leaving Sly for us to find him and take him home. That's where we can intervene. I was thinking about Murray waiting there for him and leading him to the van."

"I can do that, Bentley. No problem."

"I know you can, but there is a problem. I'm missing a key factor. There's no way for me to know what path Sly takes from the palace to the rendezvous point. As soon as he leaves the palace to the streets, I have nothing."

Carmelita thought about it for a moment, glancing at the map. "What if we followed him to see what path he takes? I can follow him on the streets."

"I'm listening... You follow him from below and take a path behind him from the beginning. I can pick a vantage point and watch from above. When I lose sight of him, Murray can join the chase and clear Sly's path from there."

"So what happens when we meet Sly?" Bentley hummed in thought at Murray's question, scribbling things on the board.

"Good question... Murray, on second thought; take one of the chariots with you after destroying the rest of them. Don't let Sly see you until he meets you at the rendezvous point and wait for the rest of us to meet you two there. Although, I'm going to have to keep a low profile since I can't be seen like this. How about you take Sly and Carmelita to the van in the chariot and I make my way to the van as soon as I lose visual of Sly?"

"I can do that too! That'll be so easy!"

"Fantastic! Inspector Fox, anything to add?"

"Yes, one thing."

"Name it."

"I'm not dressing up to dance for a pack of monkeys again, am I?" Carmelita huffed and crossed her arms.

"Actually, you won't be dressing like that at all. I need you to blend in with the crowd of royals and slip away when Sly makes his escape."

"Oh. So not dressing like an exposed belly-dancer... I'm in."

"More like posing as Pharaoh's wife and sitting quietly until you see Sly."

"Like I said, count me in."

Later that night, the game was afoot. Murray wore his merchant's attire and found a way inside the palace walls. There, he met the owl Ausar, who seemed to be in a hurry this evening.

"Bentley... What if I screw it up?" Murray failed to mention that it was one of his first disguise missions out on the field.

"Just take a deep breath. You can do this, pal. I'm counting on you to get that chariot. You can do this."

Murray nodded and approached the arrangement of wooden chariots, studying them like a potential buyer would. Ancient Egyptian structure wasn't up to the task of Murray's complete examination, one of the spokes snapping like a twig from a wheel. Murray dropped the spoke and acted casual as Ausar approached him. The owl that discovered the merchant was a bit impatient, pacing around quite often.

"Who are you and what purpose have you here?"

Murray cleared his throat and glanced back at all the chariots lined up. "Might I buy one of these?"

"A merchant... Offering to purchase one of Pharaoh's War Chariots? Out of the question. Away with you."

"Come on back Murray. We'll think of something else."

Murray had something else in mind and stopped the vizier from walking away. "I can pay for it. I'd like this one right here." Murray pointed out the one that received his less-than-gentle touch and the owl seemed interested in an unfair deal.

"... Very well. I'll bring forth a scribe to record the trade and let him deal with you. If you excuse me, I have other duties tonight."

Murray bowed and Ausar walked off, a scribe taking his place soon after. No actual trade was ever supposed to take place and all Murray had to do was knock-out the scribe and leave him on the disabled chariot before actually picking one to take with him. He did manage to break the others before he left the palace walls with a working chariot, setting his fake merchant goods in the chariot and rolling away with it.

Now it was Carmelita's turn. She had to take the position of Pharaoh's wife and had to find an appropriate disguise. Getting in the palace walls wasn't very difficult since she posed as Murray's merchant stash. As soon as the scribe was rendered unconscious, she was able to slip away from his large backpack and into the actual palace.

As soon as Carmelita stepped inside, a servant noticed her and escorted her to the royal quarters.

"My Queen... You are not yet dressed for dinner tonight. Pharaoh would not like this at all."

Carmelita followed to where the Royal Bedchambers was, letting the servant lay out a costume of silk and jewels. Not wanting disrobe completely before a male servant, she shooed him away and dressed before he escorted her towards the dining area. Up ahead, Carmelita saw Pharaoh's real wife storming towards them. Carmelita's eyes met hers and the fox knew she had to think of something.

The fox was crafty as she dashed into another doorway and hid, the servant acting bewildered until his Queen approached.

"Queen? Are you alright?"

"Take me to my chambers... I am not yet ready to dine with Pharaoh."

When the servant was still bewildered, the Queen snapped. "What is with you?"

"Forgive me... I'm seeing double tonight, my apologies."

"Ah... I see... I'm seeing double as well... The wine was strong, apparently."

"Would you like to lie down?"

"Yes... Please escort me before I start to lose my balance. You should do the same before Pharaoh has you executed."

The servant nodded and did so, Carmelita stepping out into the hallway and walking towards the dining area.

"Bentley... What was that all about?"

"Coincidence... Luck... I think this is related to the temporal anomalies we observed with Hund."

"Translation?"

"The universe is working with you. Everything should fall into place now."

Carmelita was a bit hesitant but sat at the table with the rest of the royal family. Pharaoh joined soon after, sitting to Carmelita's side while maintaining a position at the head of the table.

Nothing happened for quite some time. When something actually happened, it happened rather quickly. She was rushed out of the way by a few servants, but she did get a chance to see Sly. He looked just like he did in the hieroglyphics. With the embroidered sack in one hand and signature cane in the other, he made an improvised escape out a window to the rural streets.

Stage One was now in play: Carmelita made her escape amidst the general frenzy and followed Sly's path, relaying directions to Bentley. The turtle had his own vantage point on a roof where he can't be seen. Aided by the telescopic view of his Binocucom, he followed Sly's path until he had a visual of the raccoon. Stage Two was in effect: Carmelita taking caution to not be seen as she made her way to the rendezvous point. Bentley watched for Sly's general direction, letting Murray know what path the raccoon took so that Murray could intervene and be undiscovered. Stage Three was underway: Murray's turn to watch Sly and quickly stun guards if they got in his way.

Disabling the wooden chariots earlier limited Pharaoh's response time to the attack. Very few guards were posed out in the streets and the trio (Bentley, Carmelita, and Murray) didn't let a single guard get within 5 feet of Sly.

Carmelita arrived at Slytunkhamen's home through a back way and Murray managed to run inside before Sly arrived. The hippo simply couldn't resist giving Sly a friendly tackle-hug, pinning the raccoon to the ground.

"So glad to see you, Sly!"

"Heh. Great to see you too, Murr. What's the occasion?"

"Rescue mission. Bentley's waiting for us, so let's get going!"

"Lead the way, old pal."

As soon as Murray let him stand, Sly was urged outside to where Murray had a chariot waiting. As they were about to leave, Sly saw a gorgeous fox climb into the back of the chariot with him.

"Not leaving without me, Ringtail..."

Sly was indeed ecstatic to see her again, but Bentley made it aware to Murray that time was of the essence. Everyone was inside the van and flying away into a time-jump faster than Sly could even get a word out.

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