Sly Cooper 5: Promises Made By Thieves

Chapter 74: Penelope

I hug my sister. I can't help it. She doesn't return the hug and I don't care. When I release, she's staring at me like she's seen a ghost. I may as well be one.

"What's...going on?" She looks down at her equipment. "I was...I was here. Tightening a GM engine...That GM engine," she gestures to the ground. "What happened?" She's alarmed probably equally at seeing her long lost sister and her world going all out of reality, plus all these new people behind me staring at her with hesitant interest. "Why is the world all fazed out? And who are all these people with you? How did you get past Warren?"

"It's a long story. And I promise, we'll reunite back in the real world soon. But we need you to promise you won't tell anyone about this dream once you wake up."

"Why? When will I wake up?"

"When we're done talking. If you can just keep this on the down low, my friends and I will help you out. You'll be able to escape from-"

"Escape..."

I pause. "You do want to escape from this place, right?"

"I...I do see this place as my home. But you and Celina mean more to me, and Dad never should've done what he did. I can never say. But I don't see how you can take him down. He has eyes and ears everywhere. The whole Order does. If I run I still won't be safe. You know that."

"Is that why you're still here, doing work for him?" I ask incredulously.

Jeannette gets angry. "I'm married now. My husband and I have a daughter together!"

My heart skips a beat. "I'm...I'm an aunt?"

"His name's Ethan. Swell guy. Works at his family's bulk store a few blocks down. It's been owned by that family since its inception. I do kind of wish I didn't fall in love with him, though. Now I have even more reason not to leave."

"Um...where's Celina?"

Jeannette gulps. "I don't know. She ran off a few years after you did. I've...I've tried to look where I can, and I think someone here knows, but everyone just keeps denying it."

I digest this. I feel like a stubbed toe. This could mean the best or worst outcomes. My other sister could be free like me, or long-digested worm food with a bullet having pierced her skull.

"Okay. We can talk about all of this later. We need some important info and we're on a time limit. My friends and I have ways we can track her down."

"Uh, Miss Penelope..." Jim McSweeney interrupts. "Can I talk to you for a second? Actually, all of you?"

Before we can respond, his big arms shove us all over, except Jeannette. He makes us huddle. "What's going on?" I ask, showing my slight hurt at being dragged away from my sister who's watching us.

"Miss Penelope," says McSweeney, "are you sure you can trust her not to spill? If we reveal ourselves or our plan and she talks about a dream she had of you, and a turtle and a raccoon...our cover could be blown."

I hadn't thought of that, actually. And from Bentley, Sly and Inspector Fox's expressions, neither did they.

"I...guess I don't. But not completely so." I walk back over to her. "Jeannette, my friends can easily get you refuge. Ever heard of the Cooper gang?"

"The Cooper gang?! I...Ethan has a cousin from Mesa City. He told me about how they liberated him from Muggshot...You're serious? This is the Cooper gang?"

"Muggshot was easy to take down," says Sly smugly, but I don't mind. I remember how his certainties had me attracted to him in the first place. "His fire hydrant hideout was fitting."

Jeannette ponders this and looks around, at the only place she's seen as home. "Will everyone be arrested? Because I don't want that."

"I promise," says Inspector Fox. "Carmelita Fox, Interpol. We're diving deep into the Shadow Order at this point. I'm ashamed to say even we didn't know who was pulling the strings, but if you help us, we will be able to work on rehabilitating your father and ensure clean employment, and safety for your husband and daughter."

Jeannette doesn't look entirely convinced. She turns back to me. "What was my favorite flavor at Double Scoop?"

"Oh, uh, Blue Bubblegum."

"Favorite part of the park?"

"The teeter totter. You'd make Celina sometimes take a heavy backpack to make one of us much heavier and make us jump."

"Okay. Last one. Favorite movie up until I saw Lion?"

"The Dogfather."

Jeannette takes a deep breath. "Okay, so this isn't some trickery. I guess I'm throwing myself to the winds for you...Cooper gang."