Azur

Chapter 41: Arriving in China

Beijing, China

1800 hours

Current Conditions: Stormy

The remaining convoy of trucks finally arrived in Beijing to meet a massive thunderstorm. The 6 trucks barely managed to fight through the packed streets and reach their final destination where the missing truck full of art was finally noticed.

Chinese Entrepreneur?: "嘿，装满艺术品的卡车在哪里？" she asked.

Chinese Soldier 1: "呃，我们很抱歉，女士。" he replied, bowing apologetically, "我们半路被抢劫了，我们谁都看不清小偷，但我们有这张纸条。"

Chinese Entrepreneur?: "让我看看。" she ordered.

One of the other soldiers handed her the note, upon reading it, a grin crossed the woman's face as she turned away from the soldiers. The Soldiers then found it surprising to hear their client giggling.

Chinese Entrepreneur?: "Carmen Sandiego." she giggled, "So you make your appearance at last."

Chinese Soldier 2: "女士有什么事吗？" he asked.

Chinese Entrepreneur?: "哦，不，没什么问题。" she replied, "开始卸下武器，稍后我的朋友会看一下。"

The soldiers shrug and begin unloading the various weapons of various calibers from rubber bullets to small Nuclear Bombs. As they did, the 'Entrepreneur' grabbed a green phone from her pocket and called up her colleagues, a Bold, Black 'V' encircled by a green, gridded Hexagon showing up on her phone instead of a Caller's ID.

???1: "Countess Cleo, what a wonderful surprise." he greeted, "Whatever is the purpose of this call? You do realize that we are trying to keep a low profile in this place, correct?"

Countess Cleo: "I understand that Professor Maelstrom," she nodded, "but my shipment of fine art was just robbed."

???2: "Really Cleo? You're calling about a little thief?" she asked, "We've dealt with a few hundred of them."

Countess Cleo: "I would, if not for a little note the Chinese handed me when they got here." she replied, "Carmen Sandiego is here."

???3: "Black Sheep." she snarled, "I knew it was only a matter of time before she ended up here."

???4: "Have you encountered her directly yet?" he asked.

Countess Cleo: "Not yet." she replied, "She stole the shipment somewhere in the countryside during transport."

???4: "Then that means we have no idea of her current capabilities." he warned, "Be on high alert, there's no telling how dangerous Carmen Sandiego is at the moment."

Prof. Maelstrom: "Shadowsan is correct." he said, "We need to gauge Carmen Sandiego's strength before we confront her head-on. And when I say 'We' I mean all of us Coach Brunt."

Coach Brunt: "Don't worry about me doing all the punching and kicking to Lambkins." she said, "All I'm gonna do is give her a nice big hug."

Countess Cleo: "Well, go back to whatever on Earth you are doing out there, I am going to go back to examining the weapons shipment we just procured, courtesy of the Chinese Government." she said, hanging up and turning to the soldiers, "女士们、先生们，进展如何？"

Chinese Soldier 9: "足够顺利。 我们只需要多几只手。" he said.

As Cleo walks off to check on the Weapon's Shipment the camera flies up and out of the warehouse and towards the outskirts of the city where a familiar truck parks up next to a Red Muscle Car/Convertible.