Lupin the Third: The Del Monte Ruby

Chapter 5

Lupin had successfully evaded Interpol only to run into Antony Del Monte's personal security. And thus, a whole new chase began. "Oooh! You guys are a little more tenacious than Pop's men!" he claimed as he slid down a banister and descended into the garage. A slam of his fist against a numbered panel activated the automatic doors.

Del Monte's men were on his tail as Lupin booked it out of the garage.

"Jigen! Start the... huh?"

Jigen should have been waiting in their getaway car with the engine idling, but instead the Fiat tore off, leaving Lupin behind in the dust. Somewhere above, he could hear Zenigata roaring out.

"LUPIIIIIN!! COME BACK HERE!"

Lupin ran as fast as he could, glancing momentarily up at Zenigata who, for some bizarre reason unbeknownst to him, was standing on the roof. Lupin tossed off Zenigata's fedora as he raced by.

"Sorry, Pops! No time! My ride's leaving without me!!"

"Huh??? L-Lupin!? Then... who was...?"

Somehow, throughout it all, Ruby had managed to keep the hat on her head. She wasn't about to reveal herself now, for there was no knowing what these thieves would do to her if they thought she'd intentionally tricked them. But they were leaving the real Lupin behind!

Ruby was all limbs as she scrambled over the console and into the backseat of the Fiat, an awkwardly clumsy Lupin-like movement, which only made her camouflage all the more convincing. From the backseat, she watched in horror as, from the garage, darted the real Lupin, who no doubt expected his getaway vehicle to be waiting for him. And on his heels were Antony's men.

'Oops.'

Lupin leapt onto the wall that ran alongside the main drive, chasing after the Fiat. "HEY! WAIT FOR ME!"

He was surprisingly quick, but certainly not fast enough to catch the Fiat if it weren't for Goemon. Still crouched on the roof of the car, the samurai spied the man running after them.

"Hm? Lupin!? It's Lupin!"

Jigen, clenching a cigarette between his teeth, looked in the sideview mirror. "Huh? But if that's him, then who do we have in the car?" He glanced in the rearview mirror at the other 'Lupin' they picked up. With a gulp, Ruby tugged the hat lower over her head and slouched further into her seat.

"Later," said Goemon. "We have to help him."

Jigen grunted. "Tch... Hang on!" 

The car screeched sideways, making a violent turn up an embankment and sending Ruby sliding across the back seat as the tiny vehicle made a 360 degree turn just as Lupin reached the end of the driveway wall. Ruby thudded hard against the door, then slumped into her seat. Lupin leapt off the wall, and with some tricky wheel work from Jigen, managed to land through the rolled-down passenger-side window and into the front, with his legs still sticking out.

"Floor it, Jigen!"

Jigen did just that. The Fiat sped away with one Lupin hanging halfway out the window and the other 'Lupin' in the backseat, curled in the fetal position with the fedora clamped to her head.

"What's the big idea trying to leave without me?" demanded Lupin as he scrambled to pull himself into the car.

Jigen jerked his head toward the backseat. "We weren't! We thought we already had you!"

"Huh? Already had me?" Lupin was about to look into the backseat when something caught his eye in the rearview. "Uh oh..."

"Lupin!" Goemon called. "We have pursuers."