Chapter Text
Carmen Sandiego ran her thumb over the block of wood for what felt like the millionth time that night. Again. Again. Over and over, she felt the tiny bump hidden inside a grain of wood. If she had had her gloves on, it would have gone unnoticed. But, thanks to her training at VILE, her bare skin was sensitive enough to pick up on the almost microscopic object.
"Are you still worrying about the camera, Carm?" Ivy's voice was quiet from the doorway.
Carmen looked up and frowned, somewhat guilty. She had promised everyone that she would at least try to sleep, but the knowledge of the hidden camera kept nagging at her mind, making rest impossible.
Ivy sighed and walked into Carmens room, sitting next to her on the edge of the bed. "It's late." She held out a hand, motioning for the block to be placed in her open palm. "You need to sleep."
"So do you," Carmen replied, but handed it over reluctantly.
Ivy looked at the wood curiously for a second before tucking it away. "Why is it bothering you so much? We disabled it."
"I just- I don't know really, but it feels like... like VILE is setting us all up for this grand plan, and..." She trailed off, rubbing her eyes. "I know it's going to be bad. People might get hurt."
Ivy's face softened, her eyes a bit worried. "We won't let anything terrible happen. And you need to go to bed now, Carm. I think that maybe..." She sucked in a tiny breath. "What you went through in Botswana a few weeks ago is still taking its toll on you. You need to be careful."
Carmen just looked away.
"Night, Carmen."
"Goodnight, Ivy."
Zack's voice rang from the main room, oblivious to the sad women a few feet away. "Night, Carm!"
She gave a tiny smile. "You too, Zack."
Carmen tried to sleep. She really did.
But she just couldn't.
The camera scared her. Not just because she didn't understand it, but because it was a sign that VILE had a new plan up their sleeve. She didn't know what it meant for her, for her crew.
And she hated it.
Carmen sighed and threw off her covers, padding quietly to the kitchen to grab a glass of milk and a banana. She took her food and climbed to the roof, where she sat and stared out at the ocean. The choppy waves were dark and ominous, but the moon's bright imprint on the water dulled it's spooky effect, scattering pale light across the wide expanse. The small stretch of sand below glowed slightly, and Carmen remembered that they technically owned the tiny area of beach.
Smiling, the thief gulped down her milk and hurriedly ate her piece of fruit, then shimmied down the side of the warehouse until her bare feet hit the concrete. She made her way to the edge of the water, toes slipping through the cool sand, then stopped before the waves could reach her skin. The brisk air made her shiver as goose bumps worked up her arms, but she just sucked in a deep breath and blinked out at the ocean.
The scent of salt was heavy in the air, and she walked further so that the waves lapped at her feet. She jumped back with a yelp, then laughed quietly and came forward again. "Oh, that's cold," she muttered, reaching down to run her hand through the sea foam. It tickled her fingers as it stuck grains of sand to them, and she rubbed the grit away with her thumb.
The crashing of waves against a distant rock drew her attention, and she turned to see what looked like a small cave hidden partially in the darkness. Its opening yawned open just a few yards away, and a steady stream was flowing into it, then back out. Carmen rolled her eyes, preparing to go back inside, but stopped.
It took her all but two seconds to turn back around and clamber up on top of the hollowed out rock.
Carmen found the driest spot that she could and settled down onto it, rubbing her arms absentmindedly. The wind was whipping through her hair, but then it suddenly calmed and a quiet settled over the ocean. She stared out at it, intimidated by the imposing watery darkness.
She waited for the sun to peek up over the waves, it's orange light bleeding a deep red that mixed with the blue to create pinks and purples and yellows. Drinking it in for a second, Carmen stretched and went back inside, hoping to catch at least a few hours of sleep before her friends were up.
She could worry about the camera then.
For now, she just needed a break.