{"id":377,"date":"2014-12-30T07:20:13","date_gmt":"2014-12-30T07:20:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/?page_id=377"},"modified":"2022-01-01T20:20:14","modified_gmt":"2022-01-02T02:20:14","slug":"part8","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/episodes\/episode10\/part8\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 8"},"content":{"rendered":"

Episode 10: \u00a0Catch Her If You Can<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Part 8<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Diamond was in heaven.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere in the world is Carmen Sandiego?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

As the taxi transporting her and the other two agents back from the Biblioteca Ambrosiana took a left turn onto the Via Monte Napoleone road, her eyes sparkled.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026around the world from Kiev to Carolina\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Armani.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026filcher from Berlin down to Belize\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Salvatore Ferragamo.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026for a ride on a slow boat to China\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Louis Vuitton.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me, where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Gucci.<\/p>\n

Face glued to the window, oblivious to Nick\u2019s constant singing, Diamond drew in an audible breath, her eyes growing wider and wider as she read the names of the stores they passed. This was the most prominent shopping street, right in the heart of Milan. In other words, pure heaven. The kind of heaven she would consider herself lucky to be in if she was dead and had come back to the world as a ghost. Oh, how wonderful it would be to wander through the racks of clothes, shelves of shoes, and lines of bags for eternity\u2026<\/p>\n

Prada.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, that\u2019s it,\u201d she mumbled and turned to the taxi driver. \u201cRiesci a tirare su per favore?!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Nick and Styx glanced at each other confusingly. \u201cWhat did she say?\u201d Nick asked, pointing at Diamond sitting next to him.<\/p>\n

Styx shrugged. \u201cDon\u2019t ask me, dawg, I could only get the per favore<\/em> part.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before the taxi came to a full stop, Diamond threw herself out of the car and yelled to the fellow agents, \u201cPay him!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick and Styx didn\u2019t move an inch, just stared blankly at the foxy former blonde, who now stood on the sidewalk right in front of the Prada store.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you waiting for?!\u201d she called to them exasperatedly. \u201cPay the man and get out of the damn car!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think she\u2019s losing it, dawg,\u201d Styx commented as Nick took on the command instantly and did as he was told, motioning Styx to follow him out of the car. \u201cNo offense — she\u2019s sexy and all that, but I guess all these plane rides messed with her mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick raised his head and gazed at their surroundings, knowing all too well why Diamond had rushed out of the taxi. \u201cNope.\u201d He sighed. \u201cBeing in Milan messed with her mind.\u201d He gave Styx a small pat on the shoulder. \u201cLet\u2019s go before she explodes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Diamond had already made her way into the Prada store, her eyes growing big with anticipation at the luxury inside. Milan, oh dear Milan\u2026 Prada\u2026 shoes\u2026 bags\u2026 Right there!<\/em> The summer dress she was dying to buy\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cArgh, are we seriously gonna let her shop, dawg?!\u201d<\/p>\n

Snapped back to reality by the rookie agent\u2019s comment, Diamond turned on her heels, her eyes now glaring right through Styx. She took two steps towards him until her face was merely inches away from his chest (she hated being small at times like these) and raised her index finger in a threatening manner without releasing her gaze from his.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been traveling around the world for God knows how many days now, stuck in these ugly clothes, not complaining for a second<\/em>,\u201d she hissed. \u201cI\u2019ve had to endure all your childish behavior and bickering, and I haven\u2019t said a word.\u201d She poked his chest with her finger, causing the tall man to take a step backward. \u201cNow I am in Milan. The shopping capital of the world. I\u2019m in the Prada store. Milan. Prada. And I will<\/em> shop. As long and as much as my heart desires. And I wouldn\u2019t recommend you standing in my way, rookie. Understood?\u201d<\/p>\n

Speechless, Styx just nodded, gulping audibly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow that we\u2019re on the same page\u2026\u201d Diamond threw her hair over her shoulder and looked around the store, puzzled. \u201cWhere do you think I should start? The shoes? The bags? There\u2019s so much to do in so little time!\u201d<\/p>\n

As she turned around and started browsing through the racks of clothes like a butterfly flying from one flower to another, Nick gave Styx another pat on the back.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst rule of being on a mission with Diamond Divine: Don\u2019t argue when it comes to shopping. If you\u2019d like to live, that is.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Two hours and at least fifteen shops later, Nick and Styx leaned against the outside wall of Valentino, looking expressionlessly at the stylish men and women passing by the street.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel queasy,\u201d Nick whined.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know there are ninety-one designer stores located only on this street?\u201d Styx turned to face him with blank eyes. \u201cNinety. One. And the last time I counted, we\u2019ve only been to fifteen of them, tops. Which leaves us\u2026 I mean, dawg, how many stores exactly?\u201d He shook his head. \u201cI can\u2019t do the math; my brain is not functioning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick glanced back inside the store, only to see Diamond trying on probably her fiftieth pair of shoes. \u201cThat woman is a robot, I swear. I have to pee, and I\u2019m starving. Yet she looks like the Energizer Bunny.\u201d He let out another sigh. \u201cI think we\u2019re gonna rot here. The last thing my eyes will see is gonna be another leather clutch from Chanel or a silk summer dress from Dior. Or a pair of peep-toe pumps from Prada. How sad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Styx looked at him incredulously. \u201cDo you hear yourself?!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick\u2019s eyes grew wide with realization. \u201cOh my god. Not only am I gonna die here; I\u2019m gonna turn into Lancy before I do!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, I\u2019m done!\u201d Diamond announced as she came out of the store, carrying two bags. \u201cYou won\u2019t believe the shoes I just bought, Nick; they\u2019re amazing!\u201d she chirped and then stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes stuck on the other side of the road. \u201cYves Saint Laurent!\u201d<\/p>\n

Grunting, the two male agents grabbed the rest of the bags from the ground and followed Diamond like a pair of ducklings across the street. \u201cWe\u2019ll be waiting outside!\u201d Nick yelled inside the store, only to get a hand shrug from Diamond. \u201cThis is the apocalypse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick had only counted five Italian ladies that he would have loved to bless with his Carter charm when Styx nudged him roughly in the ribs, pointing across the street with his head. \u201cDawg, we have company. Ten o\u2019clock.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reluctantly releasing his gaze from the Italian girl he was checking out at the caf\u00e9 next to the store, Nick turned his attention to where Styx was pointing. \u201cShitballs,\u201d he muttered under his breath, spotting two middle-aged men in wrinkled suits and ill-fitting fedoras who looked distinctly out of place in the high-fashion district. \u201cWho knew the Feds had a sense of style?!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going in to let Diamond know,\u201d Styx said and rushed inside, only to come out with Diamond in tow seconds later.<\/p>\n

Trying to act nonchalant, so they wouldn\u2019t attract attention, Nick looked around. \u201cAlright, let\u2019s play it cool. We\u2019ll just walk calmly up the street until we\u2019re out of their sight, and then we\u2019ll catch a cab and go back to the hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n

The other two agents nodded as Nick took a step towards the opposite side of the street from where the Feds were standing.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrab the bags!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you fucking kidding me?!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick stopped and looked behind him to see Diamond, her own hands already full, motioning for Styx to take the rest of her shopping bags. \u201cI WON\u2019T leave them here!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re gonna slow us down!\u201d Styx raised his voice exasperatedly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey cost me more than your monthly income, Styx! TAKE. THE. BAGS!\u201d Diamond yelled back.<\/p>\n

He was about to open his mouth to tell them to cut the crap when he saw the federal agents nudging each other and pointing at them. \u201cShitballs! They\u2019re onto us! Run!!\u201d<\/p>\n

This was enough to bring Styx and even Diamond back to their senses. Diamond dropped the bags she was carrying in an instant as they started running down the street, trying to make their way through the crowds of people.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are we gonna do?!\u201d Styx yelled.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should have thought about that before yelling like a pig in the middle of the street!\u201d Nick yelled back, knocking down an empty chair on the street caf\u00e9. \u201cShitballs!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere!\u201d Diamond pointed towards a narrow street on the left side. \u201cWe can lose them in there!\u201d<\/p>\n

They rushed across the road, dodging traffic, and turned down the side street as horns honked and angry voices shouted Italian swears that Nick was glad not to be able to understand.<\/p>\n

The new street was narrow but lined with several small boutiques. Without bothering to look back, they hurried into one of them. There were only a couple of customers inside, with a sales lady behind the cash register.<\/p>\n

Diamond flipped out her HimTak ID, making sure everyone in the store saw it. \u201cTu non ci vede.\u201d You did not see us.<\/em><\/p>\n

Benefiting from the baffled expressions they received, Nick and Diamond squeezed inside the only dressing room in the store, hidden by a curtain, while Styx barely found the time to jump inside a rack of clothing beside it before they heard the Feds\u2019 loud footsteps pounding on the pavement as they ran past.<\/p>\n

For the first couple of seconds, they didn\u2019t even dare to breathe. The dressing room was small and stuffy; it was hard for even one person to fit in. Diamond felt Nick\u2019s hands on the small of her back; she was pressed tight against his body. She muffled a laugh and buried her head into the crook of his neck. Nick\u2019s body stiffened a little, giving the reaction she knew it would as she felt his hands moving even lower.<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t know you had a dressing room fantasy, Carter,\u201d she whispered seductively, toggling the loop on the back of his button-down shirt. \u201cI like the idea of it, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I had a dime for every fantasy I have with you,\u201d he whispered back huskily, pulling Diamond closer to himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d be a fucking Rockefeller — yeah, we\u2019ve heard.\u201d Styx yanked the curtain open, looking unsurprised to catch the two agents\u2019 intimacy. \u201cThey\u2019re gone. Not sure if they\u2019ve lost us, but they don\u2019t seem to be anywhere out on the street. Highly likely that they\u2019re stashed somewhere to step on our tails, though,\u201d he said matter-of-factly.<\/p>\n

\u201cCourtesy, rookie,\u201d Nick hissed as they both got out of the dressing room. \u201cCommon courtesy to KNOCK.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn a curtain?\u201d Styx scoffed over his shoulder as he walked away.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sounded a lot like K when you spoke to him,\u201d Diamond mumbled behind his back, eying the now vacant boutique. \u201cGreat, we\u2019ve scared off the customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shrugging, Nick walked to the entrance and peeked outside. The street looked empty. \u201cHow the hell are we gonna get out of here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Diamond\u2019s eyes sparkled with mischief. \u201cI have an idea,\u201d she said, swinging a brown wig on her finger.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cYou look like a dork.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSaid the dork with the blue suede shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least I ain\u2019t wearing a hideous tan vest inside a navy jacket with a cream tie with polka dots on it. Over a blue and white striped shirt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least I don\u2019t show my ankles in tight tan pants.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least I\u2019m not wearing an ugly belt and suspenders.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least I don\u2019t have a bright green scarf around my neck.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh stop, you two!\u201d Diamond yelled exasperatedly, fuming as she tried to fit her hair inside a short, curly brown wig. \u201cI\u2019m the one who really looks repulsive. Not only did I lose a whole new designer closet, but now I have to wear this ridiculous mismatched clown outfit!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick and Styx turned their attention to her, trying to stifle their laughter. She wore black and white patterned harem trousers under a bright orange, loose silk top with leopard print flats.<\/p>\n

At the insistence of the lady behind the counter, who also happened to be the boutique\u2019s owner, they had to wear the clothes on display in the window. Nick wasn\u2019t sure if the owner was doing it as a favor for brightening up her dull day or as a punishment for nearly giving her a stroke. He just couldn\u2019t figure out Italians.<\/p>\n

He placed his own black, long-haired wig on his head. Nodding to Styx, who put on sunglasses and a fake beard, and looking to see if Diamond was ready, Nick checked himself out in the mirror one last time. \u201cLet\u2019s get the hell out of here, clowns.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cFinally!\u201d Diamond sighed once they got into their hotel room, desperate to take off the wig. \u201cI thought we\u2019d never make it!\u201d<\/p>\n

They had escaped the boutique without a problem; there had been no trace of the Feds on the street. Deciding it would be better to split up, the three agents had all taken different directions once they hit the main street. The Feds had separated, too, each one guarding a different end of the street, but with the help of their disguises — which was one of the perks of being in Milan; everyone was so trendy and fashion-forward that nobody looked weird in their eyes — they had slipped right under the Feds\u2019 noses.<\/p>\n

\u201cCheck this out,\u201d Nick grinned as he plopped down next to Diamond on the bed and took out his cell phone, dialing the number he now knew by heart. He was going to miss making these prank calls once the mission was over.<\/p>\n

\u201cH–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTOMMY BOY!!!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCarter,\u201d the federal agent replied calmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, I feel honored that you recognized my voice immediately this time.\u201d Nick chuckled; he loved doing this. \u201cWhat a nice little encounter we had today, didn\u2019t we? If only you could be civilized enough to just have a decent conversation instead of running around the streets, then we might be able to understand each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re on your tail, Carter,\u201d Tom hissed through clenched teeth.<\/p>\n

\u201cYet, on the wrong tail. You still don\u2019t know your enemy, I see,\u201d Nick said in his sing-along voice. \u201cTell me, Tommy Boy, do you know your enemy?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo on and mock me, for all I care. You have so little time left. Did you start to feel my breath on your neck?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe breath of a Fed as blind as a bat!\u201d Nick\u2019s face lit up. \u201cIt has a ring; you hear it, Tommy Boy?! Next time around, when you\u2019re on guard, take a second look at the long, black-haired dude walking past you with a bright green scarf and blue suede shoes. Adios, amigos!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFUCK!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick shut down the phone, chuckling to himself. \u201cAh, I love messing with the Feds!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdios, amigos<\/em> is Spanish, Nick,\u201d Diamond stated, rolling her eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever. It was still so much fun!\u201d<\/p>\n

Styx emerged from the bathroom, after changing back into his own clothes, with his phone ringing in his hand. \u201cIt\u2019s Jay calling,\u201d he said before answering. \u201cYeah, boss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPut me on speaker,\u201d Jay\u2019s voice commanded on the other side of the line. Styx placed the phone on the vanity, doing as he was told. \u201cI\u2019m in Japan right now–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAren\u2019t you a jetsetter, Jay?\u201d Nick snickered, still too hyped up from his prank call.<\/p>\n

\u201c00Carter, LISTEN. We left Colombia and just landed in Japan to search for the next clue, but up until now, we\u2019ve seen that the clues and the crimes don\u2019t match. We find a clue, we go to the place, but it never leads to the crime scene. She\u2019s fucking with us. But I really do think these clues will take us to something solid.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOr I better go and get myself handcuffed by the Feds right now,\u201d Nick mumbled to himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cDude, Carter, I have awesome hearing, even through the phone. Consider this a warning!\u201d Jay snapped. Styx snickered softly until Nick smacked him. \u201cAnywho, I was thinking about our little encounter with the thief back in France–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDi-Crapio,\u201d Nick hissed under his breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cCARTER! I\u2019m getting tired of this, and let me tell you, I\u2019m not in the best mood when I\u2019m jet-lagged! So what the hell was I saying? Oh yeah. I was playing the encounter over again and again in my head, and I realized that she had mentioned going to Italy while she was talking with Vitruvian. Saying that she was going to head there next after France for a small business\/pleasure trip. And the next thing we knew, she\u2019d stolen Da Vinci\u2019s notebook from Milan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid she say anything about going to another country, Jay?\u201d Diamond asked, caught up in Jay\u2019s story.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just coming to that. Before Vitruvian and the lady thief started flirting–\u201d Nick made a barfing noise. Diamond rolled her eyes, then turned her attention back to Jay. \u201c–we were looking at the glass pyramid outside the Louvre, and she said she was planning to travel to Egypt soon and quote \u2018would love to hold in her hands a piece of Egyptian history\u2019 unquote.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo she\u2019s dumb enough to tell us her next crime scene? What thief in her right mind would do something like that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no idea, Carter, but she\u2019s playing a cat and mouse game with us. She likes the thrill of being chased, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo Egypt it is, then, huh?\u201d Diamond stated, looking rather disappointed. She was so ready to take a hot bubble bath with a glass of Italian wine. Accompanied by Nick, preferably.<\/p>\n

\u201cPositive, Diamond. Anyway, I gotta go. Make sure you catch the next plane to Cairo. We don\u2019t have a minute to waste.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, boss,\u201d Styx said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdios, amigo!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNick, it\u2019s Spanish!\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Agent Jay rubbed his temples with his index fingers after hanging up. \u201cYou\u2019re giving me a headache, Carter. A friggin\u2019 headache,\u201d he muttered under his breath.<\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t trying to threaten Nick when he\u2019d said he was jet-lagged and not in the best mood. Jay truly hated suffering from jet lag. And yet again, there he was, back on the other side of the ocean, losing count of how many countries he\u2019d been to in the past few days. He didn\u2019t even know the exact date or time zone he was in, for God\u2019s sake. All he knew now was that it was daytime in Japan.<\/p>\n

It was, of course, another indecipherable clue that had led them all the way from Colombia to the heart of another faraway country. Japan, he thought inwardly, resting his head against the cold window of his hotel room on the thirty-second floor as he looked out at a city full of tall buildings. Buildings with an uncountable number of floors. Buildings whose shadows fell onto each other. Buildings that made him feel like the smallest, tiniest creature out there. Buildings made by mankind that looked otherworldly.<\/p>\n

He had no idea what the latest clue was talking about; South American literature was not his thing. Yet, Opal was fascinated to see that the latest clue they had deciphered belonged to the famous novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez. \u201cLove in the Time of Cholera!\u201d<\/em> Opal had said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. \u201cThe most romantic book I\u2019ve ever read in my entire life!\u201d<\/em> It looked like their felon didn\u2019t have a preferred genre when it came to leaving traces behind her.<\/p>\n

Partly because of his unbearable headache and partly because of his mixed feelings about being in Japan, Jay left Opal and Vitruvian to trace the next clue and ventured outside the hotel. He had one place and one place only in his mind to go.<\/p>\n

After two stops, three changes of metro lines, and a fifteen-minute cab ride, he stopped the car in the middle of a deserted road. Paying the cab driver a couple of extra bucks to wait for him, he got out and looked around at his surroundings.<\/p>\n

The site was nothing but rubble, a wreckage of bricks and concrete. The remnants of some walls were still standing, resistant to time, but in total, there was little left to remind him of the impressive building that had once risen where he stood. The building which had been the foundation of the organization he was a part of — the original headquarters of Himitsu Takana. K and Grasshopper had started their careers here. Jay had only known the place from the pictures and videos that were saved after the explosion.<\/p>\n

It was quite tragic when he thought about it — an organization rising up from its ashes on the other side of the world, leaving its roots behind. He stood still for a moment, paying his respects to the fellow agents who had lost their lives for the sake of a more peaceful world.<\/p>\n

Interrupted by a sudden buzz on his left hip, Jay groaned. Whoever was on the phone better have important information to report.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat now?\u201d he grumbled into the phone without checking the identity of the pager.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd good afternoon to you, too, 003.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know where I am, K?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, but I have good news–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know where I\u2019m standing right now, K?\u201d Jay questioned again. \u201cAnd why do you sound so happy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause we have a face and a name.\u201d<\/p>\n

K\u2019s response caught Jay off-guard. \u201cOf the book thief? How is that possible?\u201d he replied, completely forgetting to inform K he was standing right on the foundation of their former headquarters.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m gonna keep it short. We got a visual of her, you know, so I decided to send the image to some of the major media corporations around the world. Turns out, our little book thief was already quite popular in the old continent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEurope?\u201d Jay was confused.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got an immediate response from Denmark, the thief\u2019s home country. Apparently, she was quite popular back there as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGive me the profile.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTanja Copenhagen–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCopenhagen?\u201d Jay couldn\u2019t help but let out a snicker. \u201cTanja Copenhagen, from Denmark?! Are we sure this is her real name and not another alias?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay could hear his superior\u2019s soft chuckle on the other side of the line. \u201cI know, that was my first reaction when I heard the name. But they faxed me her ID, and it looks like it\u2019s her real name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFair enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHang on; I have more to share. She worked for the Denmark National Library back in the day, which explains her fetish for books and how she could get into the security system in the Library of Congress. She has extensive knowledge about the back doors of libraries, and from the looks of it, she had plenty of time to practice while working in Denmark. Her former employers said she was a brilliant employee, always treating the books with care and incredible devotion. Great at archiving, knew most of the books by heart, and so on. Earned herself the nickname \u2018Walking Database\u2019 for her extensive knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay shook his head. \u201cWho would have thought loving books could be a crime?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt becomes a crime when you start stealing some of the most valuable ones and impersonating other people to blame for your thefts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood point. So, what\u2019s her motive for stealing precious books all around the world? Money?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably,\u201d said K. \u201cWhat\u2019s the status of the latest clue?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay sighed, rubbing his hand slowly across his forehead. \u201cOpal and Vitruvian are working on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou better join them. Looks like they\u2019ve got a lead on that. Just got the memo.\u201d K hesitated before continuing. \u201cAnd Jay, there\u2019s no point in poking around the old HQ. The place is torn apart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay rolled his eyes. Did K always have to know everything?<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do we got?\u201d Jay asked the minute he approached Leo and Opal, who were sitting at their hotel bar.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve found the next clue, Jay,\u201d Opal said, her eyes sparkling. She held a piece of paper in her hands delicately, like it was a precious artifact. She placed the paper in front of Jay for him to take a look at it.<\/p>\n

N\u00f6srychb anihq Vuha Fpkg’kfk<\/em>
\nCeyndov’b ilq ehtsha cb\u015fo bqih vugkce<\/em>
\ncx hdiinenq, govlo.<\/em><\/p>\n

Iqinnhnq ahe l\u00e7leyn, em\u015finp nndyqml, gkhahcq \u00e7lrhha<\/em>
\neb hqne iqp lchoeb cndvokny rhtpce,<\/em>
\naw akinddni, fw anddnq govlo.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ahuhdrle ni ahqhhcql, iqs nhpa a\u00e7lmhfqmd,<\/em>
\nkhy nyle lepfele ldrckh awhhw\u011fwkv,<\/em>
\nax k\u00e2ebq govlo.<\/em><\/p>\n

Kg\u015ffhha iqp c\u011fb\u00e7 aqio qne eb l\u00fcp<\/em>
\neb iqt lslck boiq ahsne\u015f\u00e7eqmdn,<\/em>
\nav phtsyq iqvos.D<\/em><\/p>\n

Jay looked at the paper. \u201cAm I supposed to understand this?\u201d He took a second glance at the writings. \u201cThey don\u2019t even form a sentence.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause it\u2019s a poem,\u201d Leo interrupted, pointing to the first paragraph. \u201cThis is the longest clue we\u2019ve ever gotten up until now, and it\u2019s in sections.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay turned his attention back to the piece of paper, studying the letters carefully.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Playfair,\u201d Opal burst, unable to hold herself until Jay was finished examining. \u201cPlayfair, the cipher that was used in this clue. I recognized it immediately.\u201d She looked down sheepishly before continuing. \u201cIt was one of the most interesting ones, for me, at least. I wrote a research paper about it back in college.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what is this Playfair?\u201d<\/p>\n

Already eager to share all her knowledge, Opal started to tell. \u201cPlayfair is a digraph substitution cipher, mainly. It was founded back in the nineteenth century by Charles Wheatstone. The cipher uses a five-by-five table containing a keyword or phrase. The system goes like this: for example, the letter S is removed from the alphabet, and an H takes its place in the text that is to be encoded. It\u2019s not commonly used anymore, though, because any modern computer software can solve it in a few minutes.\u201d She patted her laptop. \u201cWe only need to find which letters were used and what the keyword is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHer intelligence scares me,\u201d Leo piped up.<\/p>\n

Nodding, Jay had another question in mind. \u201cDo either of you have any idea what those letters could be? Or the keyword?\u201d<\/p>\n

Leo shook his head. \u201cWe\u2019ve been racking our brains, but none of the things we came up with worked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opal scratched her head slowly, her eyes fixed on the paper. \u201cI know we\u2019re missing something, something we\u2019re not seeing here,\u201d she mumbled. \u201cNineteenth century\u2026 Wheatstone\u2026 Playfair. It was used for the Cuban Missile Crisis\u2026 JFK used it back in the negotiations with the Soviets\u2026 I GOT IT!\u201d<\/p>\n

Startled, both Leo and Jay turned their attention to Opal, who scribbled something on another piece of paper. \u201cIt has to be this one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay glanced at the paper. \u201cJ to F, and Kennedy as the keyword?\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded. \u201cIt was used by John F. Kennedy in 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, for their negotiations with the Soviets to remove the missiles\u2026\u201d She turned to her laptop and started typing vehemently. \u201c\u2026and ENTER.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her face beamed with happiness when she looked at the results. \u201cThere you go, gentlemen.\u201d She turned the laptop around for the other two agents to see.<\/p>\n

D\u00f6rtnala gelip Uzak Asya’dan<\/em>
\nAkdeniz’e bir k\u0131srak ba\u015f\u0131 gibi uzanan<\/em>
\nbu memleket, bizim.<\/em><\/p>\n

Bilekler kan i\u00e7inde, di\u015fler kenetli, ayaklar \u00e7\u0131plak<\/em>
\nve ipek bir hal\u0131ya benziyen toprak,<\/em>
\nbu cehennem, bu cennet bizim.<\/em><\/p>\n

Kapans\u0131n el kap\u0131lar\u0131, bir daha a\u00e7\u0131lmas\u0131n,<\/em>
\nyok edin insan\u0131n insana kullu\u011funu,<\/em>
\nbu d\u00e2vet bizim.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ya\u015famak bir a\u011fa\u00e7 gibi tek ve h\u00fcr<\/em>
\nve bir orman gibi karde\u015f\u00e7esine,<\/em>
\nbu hasret bizim.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat language is that?\u201d Leo asked. \u201cNothing I\u2019ve come across before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning around the laptop towards herself again, Opal typed more. \u201cI should have known.\u201d She smirked.<\/p>\n

Jay eyed Leo before leaning over the table to take a look at the screen. \u201cTurkish?\u201d<\/p>\n

Opal nodded. \u201cThe cipher was used to remove the missiles in Turkey after the crisis. It only makes sense that she put the clue in Turkish.\u201d She looked from Jay to Leo. \u201cPack your bags, guys. We have another long flight ahead of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Part 9<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Episode 10: \u00a0Catch Her If You Can Part 8   Diamond was in heaven. \u201cWhere in the world is Carmen Sandiego?\u201d As the taxi transporting her and the other two agents back from the Biblioteca Ambrosiana took a left turn onto the Via Monte Napoleone road, her eyes sparkled. \u201c\u2026around\u2026<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span><\/i><\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":145,"menu_order":8,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"templates\/template-onecolumn.php","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-377","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P5xaHX-65","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=377"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/377\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":998,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/377\/revisions\/998"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}