Sly 4: The Nightmare of Thieves

Chapter 3

With Leo

"We've been drive for almost a day now, can we please stop?" Abby said as she held her stomach, "I'm starving."

Leo didn't say anything, he just kept driving.

"Leo, can we please stop? I mean I'm hungry and I need to really go to the bathroom," Jake said.

"We'll stop when we're away from Paris; I have somewhere we can go."

"Is it far?" Jake asked.

"No," Leo said, his hands gripping the steering wheel, showing that he was annoyed with all of their questions.

"Is there food?" the two wolves asked and Leo nodded.

"Thank God," Abby said to herself.

"Where are we going?" Jake asked the panther.

Leo's green eyes looked at the gray wolf beside him, "A friends."

"Riley?"

"Yes."

Jake nodded then smiled, "It's been a long time since I've seen him and Annie."

Leo nodded in agreement then Jake noticed that Abby didn't say anything. He looked back at her then saw that she was asleep. He smiled then saw Leo's lips twitch.

"What's so funny Leo?" Jake asked angrily.

"You love her."

"I do not!"

Leo looked at his friend then chuckled, "Are you stupid?"

"…Leo just shut up."

"You know I'm right then?" Leo asked, smirking.

"Yes, you're right," Jake muttered.

"You should tell her, I'm pretty sure she won't laugh at you."

"Since when are you the match maker, all the girls I know tell me you're a womanizer," Jake said, shaking his head at his best friend.

"I don't deny that I am, but I know Abby. And she won't laugh, I promise," Leo said, seriously.

"I hope you're right," Jake said, not even noticing Abby smiling.

At the enemy safe house

Dalton was so angry at Leo, he could kill, and this was the second time he got away from him. Dalton walked into a room where there was a long table, with criminals sitting on each side of it. Dalton hated this room, mainly because he knew that Jade was going to embarrass him in front of everyone.

Robert had told everyone that they failed, and everyone was teasing Dalton about it.

"Aw, wait till boss hears this," a jaguar with black eyes said snickering. The jaguar was wearing dark blue jeans with a sword in one of the belt loops. His booted feet were on the table, and he was grinning.

Dalton hated James Leapold almost as much as he hated Leo, which was ironic, they're both swordsman.

"Shut it, James," Dalton growled, which only made the jaguar laugh harder.

The bear stood up and then grabbed James by the collar of his red leather jacket.

"I said shut it or I'll shut your mouth for you," Dalton growled in the jaguar's face.

James' black eyes widened and he finally stopped laughing.

"Dalton let go of James, you know he can't control his laughter," a dingo with long brown hair and bright green eyes said touching the bear's shoulder.

"Sorry Kayla. I just think that James is confused about what animal he is. He thinks he's a hyena." Dalton said as he let go of James, who backed away and sat closer to mountain lion with golden eyes and short black hair. The mountain lion rolled her eye and then patted James on the head.

"Aw, Emma and James are so cute together," a beautiful lynx with dark blond hair said from across the table.

"Shut up Hanna!" the mountain lion yelled with made the lynx's green eyes sparkle with humor.

Galen Morgan, a quiet, green eyed leopard shook his head and grabbed Hanna's hand.

They all sat down as Jade came through the door with Robert behind her. Jade's eyes were burning with anger. Robert quietly took his seat beside Dalton.

"Dalton, stand up," Jade ordered and the bear stood.

"Is it true that Leo got away from you twice?" Jade asked, ignoring some of the sniggers from the people around them.

"Yes," Dalton said. "I've failed you, Boss. I'll get him next time."

"There won't be a next time," Jade said. "Dalton you may be dismissed, along with Robert."

Dalton and Robert both stood with their heads down then left the meeting room.

Jade looked at every face in the room, they were all staring at her, waiting for her orders. She sighed then dismissed all of them. They all left the room and then Jade was alone in the room. She sat in a chair and put her face in her hands then thought about how to capture Leo.

She wanted to capture Leo to bring down Sly, but she also wanted to kill Leo for what he did to her. Leo made her fall for him, but then he left her broken and alone. Leo was heartless and didn't care about anyone but himself. Or so she thought.

If he was heartless, he would've said yes to bring down Sly and then Jade would have her way.

Jade knew that if Leo joined forces with Sly, her gang would be done for, unless she got help from someone who knew how to hurt Leo. She knew the right person for the job.

"Having trouble," a voice came from behind her. She turned and saw a tall stranger.

"Yes, I can't capture Leonardo Sanders."

The stranger smiled evilly.

"I know a way to get him."

Jade raised her brow, "How?"

"All you need is me and a helpless girl."

"Why you?"

The man stepped out of the shadows, reviling a tall, handsome black cat with blue eyes, almost black.

"Chad Peters, at your service."

"You're the guy that Leo's been after for eleven years?"

The black cat nodded.

Jade smiled triumphantly, knowing that Leo would finally be captured.

"Excellent."

They both smiled then left the room, planning on how to capture Leo.

With Leo and the others

Leo parked the car behind an old run-down house. Abby and Jake got out as soon as the car was stopped. Leo sat in the car and looked at the house. It had been years since he had been here. It didn't look any different than it did the last time he saw Riley. Every time he came, Annie wasn't there and Leo knew that Riley didn't tell her. She wasn't very fond of Leo after he ran away from the orphanage eleven years ago.

"Hello Jake, Abby, it's good to see you guys again," a friendly female voice said from the back door of the house.

They looked and saw Annie Floss. The arctic fox was smiling and had her blond hair in a braid. Her blue eyes were bright.

Leo slowly got out of the car and then Annie's smile faded.

"Leo…it's been a while," she said coldly.

"Eleven years," Leo said as he walked towards Jake and Abby.

"C-come inside," Annie said as she realized why they were at her house.

They went inside.

"The kitchen is on the left. I'm making vegetable soup, there's enough for everyone," Annie said, not even glancing at Leo, which really irritated him, but he didn't show it. "Riley we have company!"

Riley came downstairs, his blue eyes widened when he saw who was there.

"Hey Jake, Abby," the young male fox said, smiling at both of the wolves. "Leo…what have you been doing? I haven't seen you in forever." Riley gave Leo a fist pound then hugged the panther.

Leo smiled at him. They were like brothers, Riley looked up to Leo. He saw Leo as the brother he would never have.

"The soups ready," Annie called from the kitchen.

Jake and Abby hurried into the kitchen followed by Riley.

Leo sighed then followed after them.

Annie put bowls in front of Abby, Jake, and Riley then looked at Leo. He sat down slowly, then she put a bowl down in front of him. Annie filled their bowls with soup then she got herself a bowl and sat down.

Jake and Abby started eating and talking to Riley and Annie. Leo didn't know what to say, it had been a long time since he'd been in a house with other people. Leo was always on the run and never stayed somewhere for too long, he knew that if he stayed in one place for too long he would be tracked down by the police or worse, an enemy like Jade.

Leo stared at the soup in front of him; it had been a long time since he had a decent meal. He heard his stomach growl and then he ate the food in front of him. He didn't realize he was that hungry until he looked up and saw everyone staring at him and his soup was gone.

"Leo, when did you eat last?" Riley asked him worriedly.

"I don't know," he answered honestly.

Leo was always on the run; he never really remembered the last time he ate or sleep. He never really focused on eating or sleeping. He only focused on staying hidden and not getting caught by the police or his enemies.

Annie looked at Leo and, for once, smiled at him.

"You're welcome to get more," she told him, which surprised him that she actually talked to him.

"Thank you," he said as he got up and got more.

"Annie, I think you and Riley should come with us," Abby said.

Jake spit water, which barley missed Riley -who ducked out of the way in time- and Leo almost choked on a carrot. Annie looked at the two men then at Abby.

"What's wrong with them?" she asked. Abby shrugged.

Leo gulped down his water, and then recovered. He looked at Annie then sighed, "It's too dangerous for you guys to come along. It's too dangerous for all of you."

"Why?" Annie and her little brother asked.

"Dalton's after him," Jake said as he cleaned up the water he spit out.

Annie and Riley exchanged glances.

"Not just Dalton… Jade," Leo said.

Everyone froze then looked at Leo.

"Why is she after you?" Riley asked.

"She wants me to help her destroy Sly Cooper."

"Why you?" Annie asked.

"Somehow she found out about my past and now she's using it against me, I told her no when I saw her last night and then I burned my apartment to the ground," he saw the look on Annie's face then continued, "Don't worry it was an abandoned apartment building. Knowing her, when someone says no to her she gets pissed. And then running off made her even angrier. Then she sent Dalton and Robert after me, I got away from them and then meet up with Jake and Abby."

Abby told Annie and Riley the rest while Jake and Leo made room in the car. Leo put all of his weapons and his laptop in a bag, along with his books. He put it in the front seat.

After Jake and Leo were done rearranging the car, they went inside. Riley and Annie were packing things they would bring along with them.

"This really sucks," Abby said, "I don't have any of my things. Everything is still in the bar."

Jake told her that maybe they could go back and get it, but Leo knew it was just to reassure her. He knew as well as Jake did that the bar had been destroyed.

"Ready?" Leo asked when Annie and Riley came downstairs.

"Hold on," Annie said and then went into the living room and got a bag of pictures.

"Here, I meant to give this to you…but you left the orphanage before I could give it to you," she told Leo, then handed the bag to him.

Leo looked one of the pictures; it was of him and Riley. They were having an arm wrestle match, Annie was in the background laughing because Leo had let the ten year old Riley win, Leo was 17 at the time and Annie was eleven. That was eleven years ago, but Leo remembered that day clearly.

He looked at the next picture and almost fell over, but he held onto a chair. The picture was of Leo, Bentley, Murray, Riley, Annie, and Sly. It was Sly's 16th birthday and the day after Annie turned ten. Riley was on Leo's shoulders laughing. Bentley was standing on the steps behind the rest of them and Murray was eating a piece of cake while Sly was opening a present that Annie was holding. Annie had a crush on Sly those days.

Leo looked at Annie then at Riley.

"I'm sorry about leaving so suddenly," Leo was about to continue but he saw the Annie was on the verge of crying.

"Let's go," Riley said grabbing his and Annie's bags off of the floor and then Jake opened the door and then Abby wrapped her arm around the crying Annie. Leo had never seen Annie cry, even when she got hurt. She never cried in front of anyone.

Leo was the last to leave the warm house then he walked into the cool autumn air. He got in the car. Everyone looked at him then he started the car and then they left the house, not even looking back. Little did Leo know, someone familiar was following them.