Chapter 2: A Timely Arrival

Rajan and Neyla ran through the ornately furnished hallway, thick carpet muffling their steps. They arrived at a set of double doors and Rajan kicked them open, still clutching the duffel. They entered a large room. In front of them was a short flight of steps leading into the room. A huge whale skeleton hung from the ceiling, a globe set into the floor spun to their right, a printing press hummed to their left, and a set of copper scales sat in front of them in a lowered area. A tribal drum was at the bottom of the stairs. The two KLAWW members warily stepped into the room. Rajan tensed and looked to his left. His pupils widened as he noticed a raised hallway that provided a clear view of the room. Three Cairo Police Officers, all Nile Crocodiles wearing gas masks, stood in the hallway. 2 held grenade launchers; the one that Rajan guessed was their captain held an Automag .44 handgun. The three crocs opened fire. Tear gas grenades flew into the exhibit hall, and .44 caliber magnum bullets slammed into the floor dangerously close to Neyla. The two tigers took cover behind the spinning globe.

Rajan put a finger to his Bluetooth earpiece.

" Arpeggio! Help!" coughed the tiger, beggining to wheeze from the effects of the gas.

" Hold on..." said the British parrot.

The cops still blasted away in the hall. The leader, the croc with the Automag, heard a sound to his right. A hulking bison in a gas mask and a massive business suit stood in the hall. The crocs eyes widened when he saw the bison was holding a SPAS12 shotgun.

" Wait! No, Wait!" pleaded the croc. The bison fired and the leader flew back, taking the full brunt of the shot. Red shell casings clattered to the floor as the bison pumped the shotgun. He fired twice more, taking out the other guards. Jean Bison slung the shotgun over his brawny shoulders. then he looked at his fellow gang members and gave them a friendly nod of his bushy furred head. rajan returned the nod as Jean moved on down the hall.

" Let's move," said Rajan. They walked to the right, towards the whale skeleton. A raised balcony with a control panel and a security gate was Rajan's goal. He unstrapped a hookshot grapple gun from his waist and shot the titanium tip up to the balcony. It drilled into the wall.

" Grab on," Rajan told his purple-furred companion. Neyla wrapped her paws around his body.

" I could get used to this..." she murmured. Rajan just barely glanced at her. Rajan pressed a button on the side of the gun and they were reeled up to the balcony. They landed and Rajan reeled his gun in. He strapped it back to his belt as Neyla pulled a lever to summon a maintenance elevator. the metal grate slid open and they both stepped into the tiny elevator. Rajan pressed the button for the basement and they headed down. As they moved into the depths of the building, they could hear the faint sound of gunfire. It got louder as they neared the basement. The doors finally opened into a dimly lit storage room, packed full with crates and boxes. The room was filled with guards. The purple, French lizard called Dimitri was at the center of it all, his FAMAS rifle blazing. Neyla didn't need to be told what to do. She just went to work, using her trusty whip to reel a guard into her, then using her Desert Eagle to put a bullet into the pig.

Rajan, meanwhile, got down on one knee and fired away with his MAC 11. With the three villain's combined effort, the guards easily went down. Dimitri loaded a new clip into his assault rifle.

" Right on with the split-second timing bro!" Dimitri said, misquoting American slang. " Ready to put the throw down on the old metal bird?"

" Of course," continued Rajan, perfectly understanding his cohort's confusing English. before they moved on down a dimly lit hall to their left, Rajan unstrapped a Browning Hi-Power from his leg holster. He tossed the pistol to Neyla.

" You're gonna need it," growled Rajan as the trio warily walked down the hallway.

A/N: So how do you like it so far? The room Rajan and Neyla were ambushed by cops is the first room in the Cairo level of Sly 2. The double doors are right in front of you, and the raised hall is to your right. Next chappie: the Contessa!