Carmen Sandiego smiled as she lifted the ancient Egyptian vase from its resting place in the museum, admiring its beauty before she turned back towards the rope which would lift her back to the roof. Suddenly, the bright lights of the museum turned on, startling her and she watched as the rope, cut from electronic pully system she had set up on the roof, was cut and fell uselessly to the floor in front of her.
The lights now on, she turned to see several police officers, their guns trained on her. One in particular, a handsome FBI agent named Brian Hawkins, smiled at her.
"Why don't you set the vase down nice and easy, Carmen," Brian said. "And then put your hands up."
Carmen looked around somewhat frantically.
"There's no path to escape, Carmen," Brian said in a steady voice. The smile on his face could practically be heard. He'd been chasing after this for years. "We have agents at every exit. You're not going anywhere."
Realizing she was caught, at least for now, Carmen set the vase down on the floor and smiled at Brian.
"Put your hands up, Carmen," Brian reminded her.
She continued to smile.
"Agent Hawkins," she said in a sultry voice. "You of all people know I'm unarmed. Violence is not my style."
"All the same," Brian replied, "these officers and I would all feel a lot more comfortable if your hands were up and in plain sight."
Carmen shrugged and, still smiling, raised her gloved hands. Brian approached her slowly, cautiously, knowing how talented Carmen was. He took her by her arm which was covered by her trademark red jacket and he led her to the wall and firmly pushed her up against it. He pulled the gloves from her hands and removed her red hat letting her auburn hair fall just past her shoulders.
"I've been waiting a long time to say these words," he said. "Carmen Sandiego, you're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent and to refuse to answer questions. Anything you do say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand?"
Carmen looked over her shoulder at Brian.
"Oh, I understand," she said, a smile on her face, remarkably at ease for a woman facing decades in prison.
"Keep facing the wall," Brian ordered her and she complied. Brian frisked her, running his hands over her fit young body, touching her firm chest and then moving them down her torso to her hips over her buttocks, up and down each of her legs, and finally up between her legs.
Carmen couldn't help but notice the authoritative and firm strength his hands exhibited as he patted her down and a shiver ran through her body involuntarily. Then she felt Brian pull her arms behind her back and she felt the cold steel of a pair of handcuffs tighten around her wrists pinning her hands behind her. He turned her around to face her and she smiled at him.
"Agent Hawkins," she said in the same sultry voice, "usually men buy me dinner before handcuffing me."
Hawkins couldn't help but smile in return. It was half a mocking smile and half of genuine amusement.
"You keep that sense of humor, Carmen," he told her. "You'll need it where you're headed."
He took her by the arm and with no less than twelve officers following behind he led her out of the museum and put her in the backseat of a black Ford.
"Why, Agent Hawkins," she quipped, "walking the lady to her car and opening the door for her. And they say chivalry is dead."
He closed the door. The truth is, she was getting to him a bit. As long as he'd been chasing her, this was the closest he'd ever been to her physically and she radiated sexuality. She was wearing an intoxicating perfume and her calmness, especially under the circumstances, was overwhelming and he found himself a bit hard. This was increased by the fact that she was, for all intents and purposes, under his control.
He got into the driver's seat and closed the door and started the car and began driving. He couldn't help but steal glances at her through the rearview mirror. She continued to give him the same voluptuous smile.
"So," she said in a breathy voice, "when we get to the jail...who strip searches me? You? A female agent? I'm okay with either, you know."
He couldn't tell if she was flirting with him solely to throw him off his guard or if it was just how she was coping with her unexpected circumstances. Or maybe she was just very very horny. Maybe it was a combination of two or even all three of them. Either way, if he was going to get himself calmed down, maybe his best move was to play along.
"Oh, I intend on taking on that task all by myself," he replied. "I've worked too long and hard to bring you in to not see it through all the way."
"Long and hard, you say," she replied, licking her lips.
Brian's stomach turned. He didn't want to admit how nervous she was making him.
"Have you ever had sex with someone you've arrested, Agent Hawkins," she asked, the same smoky breathy voice.
She was definitely trying to get to him, he concluded. He remained quiet, not responding to her probing questions.
They reached the federal holding facility and Brian parked the car. He got out and opened Carmen's door and helped her out of the car and led her inside. He took her to an elevator and took her to the fifth floor. When the door opened, a young woman with short black hair and glasses was waiting for them.
"Carmen," said Brian, "this is Agent Jules Argent. She'll be taking over your booking process from here. I'll chat more."
"I thought you said you would be doing the strip search," Carmen breathed. "I'm not making you nervous, am I?"
"Quiet, Sandiego," Jules said sharply. Her voice was much less nervous than Brian's and she took Carmen by the arm and gruffly walked her over to a counter.
"I'm going to remove these handcuffs," Jules said. "You try anything, though, and you'll regret it. Keep your arms down to your sides until instructed otherwise."
She didn't even bother to ask if Carmen understood. She unlocked the cuffs from Carmen's wrists and for now, Carmen decided the best move was to cooperate. She left her arms by her sides as she had been ordered to do. Then, one hand at a time, Jules fingerprinted her, rolling each of Carmen's fingers along a digital scanner.
Next, Carmen was led over to a height chart where her mugshot was taken: front and profile. Jules took her by the arm and led her to a room. She handed Carmen a plastic bag.
"Strip," Jules ordered. "All of your clothes go in that bag and then stand there and wait until you're told what to do next."
Without any hesitation or nervousness, Carmen removed her jacket and then her blouse and then her pants. Everything she wore, except for her black blouse, was a bright and deep red: her jacket, her pants, her shoes. Even her bra and panties were a lacy red matching set. She removed each piece of clothing and dropped them into the plastic bag and stood completely nude in front of Jules.