Bentley's Lab, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 5:32pm 27 July 2013
They are still taking up Dimitri and his earlier efforts as they descend into the lab. It shows how much they value him now even if they didn't pay as much attention to him as before. He is more versatile than people think. Dimitri's self confidence has been given a huge boost after seeing what it can bring to him. He feels like there is a groove going on and his favourite song is on for him to get down which is all he wants really. Being misunderstood or just weird compared to everyone else is just who he is. There is no trying to change that. His ways are his ways just as they have been since that first encounter in Paris.
This hasn't done much to alleviate the problems they have. There is still a mouse running some kind of operation where the true extent is unknown to them. That still puzzles them, it is clear that she wants Bentley back since their trip to medieval England. But her other motives and resources are have come from unknown sources. What they need now is the way to find out some more details. Murray has told them about the 'boss' that Penelope said on the radio while they were in the hangar. Since they were at an airfield, it would only make sense that they would come by airplane. Bentley gets onto scanning all the flight paths of every plane in the sky now. No civilian planes and no military planes show up on his search. This means it falls into the dangerous 3rd category. Where there is an unknown secret adversary that they need to face that is pulling the strings of Penelope to get Bentley and Sly.
It seems that Penelope only wants Bentley for herself and that she isn't motivated in the same way to get Sly. She never engages with Sly directly, sending goons and his own family after him. Whereas she tries to get right at Bentley as they saw by him spinning around. Is there even a remote possibility of her going back to their side? In Bentley's mind it's 100% never going to happen while he is still in the Cooper gang. Others think about her in completely different ways. While Bentley is clearly the most hurt about her betrayal and now the most against her, Sly and Murray are quick to back him up. Carmelita is less so against her on a personal level but on a criminal level she has gotten out of jail and her capture would be a sure fire way to boost her standing and prove that she isn't corrupt. Joey doesn't know exactly why they hate her so much. So much hate directed at her and he has no clue why. He goes along with it fit in with the group. On the other side of the spectrum, Otto is still in love with her, even though he shows it less and less his happiness for his plane is seeping through his mouth in the form of a smile.
"I've got a hit, but it's not pretty." Bentley announces having completed his scan. They go up to look at the screen.
"There are no details at all about it, just that it arrives in 30 minutes." Bentley explains.
"Looks like you'll need to exercise your right foot." Sly says to Murray who already knows what he needs to do. There is no time for a plan in the lab. They rush into the van and leave as quickly as possible; time is against them.
Motorway, The Netherlands. 5:35pm 27 July 2013
The fast lane, the only lane for 'The Murray' to drive down. He is driving down it faster than usual with the indicators flicking on and off, telling all oppose the vans forward motion to get out of the way. Otto and Sly have already been dropped off to get the plane ready, they are going to provide aerial help with their plan. Bentley is explains that plan in the van.
"Okay, this is going to take a coordinated effort for all of us to get as much surveillance on this meet as possible. Otto and Sly have already been instructed on their duties and should be able to provide us with some extra pictures from above of the airfield; Sly is in the back taking the photos with his Binocucom. Dimitri, you'll be on the drain patrol again." Bentley explains. A small annoyance goes through Dimitri. He wanted something more.
"If its what I have to do." Dimitri replies.
"Yep, you'll get right under where they are going to walk. I'll be flying the drone over the meeting as well, we'll get pictures from every angle and figure out exactly who we are against." Bentley explains fully. As Bentley turns around, he hits a button, turning on the radio. The news, not something enjoyable to them but an important source for a thief who wants to get some high profile heists done. It's also the sure fire way to increase one's reputation.
"It's 5:37pm in Amsterdam on Radio DUT, here with the latest headlines today and ther is still no sign of 'the Murray' after his amazing semi final bout in Monaco. Pundits can only guess at the location of this rookie wrestler sensation." The presenter announces.
"It's clear that he has disappeared from the competition and we fear for his life now he has been missing for sometime."
"That was the chairman of the Wrestling Federation speaking about the disappearance of 'The Murray'." The presenter clarifies. Murray wants to tell them he is alright but knows that what they are doing is something that no one else needs to know about. "Also we'll have more on the coconut butter scandal later in the program but first. The number of high profile heists lately has increased by almost 100% in the past month, says new figures released by Interpol. They say that the notorious thief Sly Cooper has remerged after an 8-year hideout. So should we be taking measures as well? For more answers we've been delighted to have the director of Interpol join us on the line for an exclusive Interview. Director thanks for your time.
"It's my pleasure." The director says on a phone line. That voice only makes Carmelita angry, that director has done nothing but ruin everything after his appointment when Chief Barkley decided that chasing after criminals was doing his head in and needed an early retirement.
"So how can you be so sure that the disappearance of one thief is the answer? Surely he isn't that influential in the underworld?" The presenter asks.
"He is a menace to society, stealing anything valuable that hard working people have earned. I assure you we are working around the clock to find him and have set up a task force to locate this notorious thief and bring him to justice." The Director states with pure anger towards Sly.
"Okay then, you seem very angry at him in particular, is there any other possible cause?" The presenter asks.
"What makes him so dangerous is that he is unlike any other thief. I don't know how but he's just much harder to catch than every other criminal. Destabilising governments is easier than going after Sly Cooper, but there's been a development. From our intelligence gathering activities, we know that he managed to corrupt a police officer and we believe she is working with him right now." The director states again.
"A she? I know all these things are classified but is it Carmelita Fox?" The presenter asks in hope of a major scoop.
"She has been doing great work for us lately but it seems she has gone to the 'dark side' so to say." The Director jokes.
"Are you confirming this right now." The presenter asks again, amazed at his candid response.
"Yes, and if anyone sees Sly Cooper or Carmelita Fox, they can contact us on the website, phone, email, snail mail, even a telegram. Any and all information is needed to help us capture them. We are also starting a media campaign where we will update the public with the situation. We just have one message for the public, look up. He gets around on the rooftops so if you look up you might see him and call us to finish him off." The Director explains.
"Can you give some more details about him?" The presenter asks, trying to coerce the Pandora's box into opening.
"I'm sorry I don't have time to explain, I've got a meeting to go to, you'll hear it all on the ads." The director says as he cuts out. The gang are stunned. They are half glad that Sly didn't have to hear it now, as he would be devastated. The loud approach is what they do not want, since their activities are all based on stealth and secrecy. Telling everyone all the information about him wouldn't be doing him any more favours apart from raising his reputation from #1 thief to worldwide infamous celebrity #1 thief on the run. It feels like in some way that their cloak of secrecy has been lifted from them, they feel naked without it.
What this is a scare campaign against Sly. Sure he has been adorned on the fronts of newspapers, undoubtedly after one of his big heists. But this is something else. This is going to be different. The gang hasn't met such a tactic before, trying to expose someone by dumping masses of information on the airwaves for people to gobble up. No doubt this kind of interview will make it onto the much larger news networks around the world. He will be headline news for today, which is exactly what he didn't want for that 8-year period with Carmelita. That period gave him time to slow down and stop being a thief for a long while. He got to see what it was like on the other side of the law, more in a symbolic sense than anything else. In the black and white world of the police, Sly is a thief, and thieves get punished. But in that grey area which Sly inhabits, the area where there is a blend of good and bad. It is what he has been trying to show Carmelita for all of these years. They are not so different, they want the same things. They just do it in different ways.