Who in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?

by Rebecca Tinker

Once more she pounced toward Shadowsan, and once more he caught her wrist before she could steal from his coat. I could tell that Tigress was getting frustrated. I leaned forward in my seat and noticed that my classmates were all doing the same. Will Tigress lose her cool? I wondered.

  Tigress lunged forward a third time—​but it was a fake-out! She avoided Shadowsan’s grasp. Suddenly, Tigress reached toward the nearby Japanese zen garden that was filled to the brim with sand. Before Shadowsan realized what she was about to do, Tigress reached down and grabbed a fistful of sand. With a wicked smile, she flung the sand straight toward Shadowsan’s face. I heard Gray gasp as Shadowsan stumbled backwards, his hands clutching his eyes. Tigress pounced on her opportunity. Her long claws sliced through the air as she swiped toward the instructor’s coat.

  A heavy silence filled the room. For a split second, everything seemed frozen in time.

  And then Shadowsan’s coat fell to the floor in ribbons, shredded by Tigress’s claws.

  Tigress casually walked over to the strips of the coat and picked up the dollar bill from among the remains. “Looking for this?” she asked Shadowsan with a victorious smile.

  I turned to Gray. “There’s no way Shadowsan will pass her. He’s got to call foul.” Gray nodded in agreement.

  “Unorthodox technique,” said Shadowsan, his expression souring as he wiped grains of sand from his face. I held back a smile, knowing he would announce her failure at any moment. But to my surprise, Shadowsan bowed to Tigress. “But excellent results.”

  My jaw dropped, and I turned to Gray in outrage. “No way! Shadowsan’s totally playing favorites!”

  “Black Sheep, you are up next,” came Shadowsan’s voice from the front of the room. I took a deep breath to calm myself down and walked up to face him. I’ll show him.

  Shadowsan put on another trench coat. This one was undamaged by Tigress. Once again, he started the timer.

  I took another deep breath, centering myself. There was no way I was going to be able to do this successfully if I let my anger get in the way. I focused on my training and did my best to clear my mind. This was my chance to prove that I wasn’t a reckless child anymore—​I was a skilled thief, and I was ready to become a graduate of VILE Academy.

  Calmly and nimbly, I made a grab for his coat. I was able to slip my hand into one of the pockets on my first try, dodging Shadowsan’s grabs, but my hand came out empty. That’s okay, I thought, keeping a mental note of which pocket didn’t have the dollar bill in it.

  I made a second pass at the coat, but this time Shadowsan caught my arm. Even as I was flung backwards, I managed to slide my other hand into one of the pockets. Again I came up empty.

  Don’t lose your cool, don’t lose your cool, I told myself. I could feel the rest of the class watching me. From the corner of my eye, I saw Gray nodding encouragingly. Focus, I told myself.

  Over and over again, I tried to find the dollar without success. I could hear the ticking of the timer as I lunged and dove toward Shadowsan. It seemed to get louder and louder with each passing minute. I must have reached into a dozen pockets or more, and each time my hand came back empty. With each lunge I made, Shadowsan became more aggressive in his defense. He started by simply avoiding my attempts at reaching toward the coat, but soon he was advancing toward me, forcing me backwards. I almost stumbled over my own feet as he came at me, managing to catch myself only at the last second.

  BEEP!

  The timer rang out.

  I froze in place. I couldn’t believe I had failed—​there was no way! I stared at Shadowsan, who simply looked back at me with a cold expression that was filled with . . . disappointment? Hatred? It was not easy to read, but it was definitely not good. “Your time is up, Black Sheep. Take your seat.”

  I forced my legs to walk slowly back to my seat, feeling numb. I tried to ignore the whispers from the other students, but the sound of Tigress’s giggles rang loudly in my ears.

  * * *

  “I hit every pocket,” I told Gray as we walked together through the halls hours later. I had been the only one to fail Shadowsan’s exam and was feeling shaken. “I know I hit every pocket! If there was a dollar in there, I couldn’t find it.” Even though I aced every other exam, I was crushed by my performance in Shadowsan’s class.

  “So you choked a little,” Gray said cheerfully. “It was probably just nerves. Don’t worry about it. There’s no way that could affect your grade. You’re the best pickpocket in our class. Totally in a league of your own.”

  “You think so?”

  Gray patted his heart. “I know so.”

  I gave him a grateful smile, feeling better by the second.

  A familiar click-clacking sound came toward me from down the hall, and soon Tigress was at our side.

  “You might want to pick a different pair of shoes if you don’t want to get caught when you’re a thief,” I told her. “The police will hear you coming a mile away.”

  “Actually, it turns out I don’t need to sacrifice fashion for the job. These shoes are a mean weapon,” she said, swinging her foot around in a high arc that came toward me as fast as lightning. I didn’t move. There was a loud crunch as her sharp heel burrowed into the wall a few inches from my head.

  “See?” Tigress said as she pulled her foot back. “It’s the authorities who should be worried about me.”

  “Whatever you say, Sheena,” I said with a snicker, purposefully using her real name just to annoy her.

  “It’s Tigress now, little Lambkins.”

  I ignored her attempts to make me angry. “Remember what Coach Brunt said? You have to earn your code name.”

  “I think I’ve earned it. I aced all my exams . . . which is more than you can say. “

  Gray stepped in front of Tigress. “She’s still a better thief than you.”

  “She’s not better than me, and she never will be.”

  “Enough!” I yelled. “I’m a better thief than you, and you know it! That’s why you’ve always hated me!”

  I knew I was right, but Tigress didn’t become angry like I thought she would. “If you’re so much better than me, then how come I aced Shadowsan’s exam and you failed?” she whispered in my ear and walked off before I could respond.

  * * *

  Down the hall, students were shouting and cheering. They were all gathered next to a large electronic bulletin board. As I approached, I saw Le Chèvre and El Topo, and they beckoned us over. “Results are in!” El Topo said excitedly as Gray and I rushed to join them.

  I jumped up and down, trying to peer over the heads of the taller students who were high-fiving each other and exchanging congratulations. Le Chèvre and El Topo hugged each other. “Upward and downward, mi amigo!” El Topo said with a grin as he clapped his friend on the shoulder.

  Gray pushed his way through the crowd to the front. He quickly turned away from me, frowning. “Didn’t you pass . . . ?” I asked, confused. There was no way Gray had failed after he had done so well in all his classes.

  “I passed,” he said, clearly trying to hide his sadness. “But . . .”

  Could it be that Gray had passed . . . but I hadn’t?

  I fought my way through the crowd and looked up at the results. Next to my name was a big red X.

  I fought back tears, trying not to feel the full weight of my shattered dreams. All around me I could hear the sounds of celebrating as my classmates whooped and hollered.

  Gray looked as though he was trying to think of something to say to me when Tigress approached him. She took him by the elbow, leading him away. “Come on, Crackle. Sit at the big kids’ table with us.” He looked back at me, as if for permission, and I nodded at him. “Go on, Gray,” I said with forced cheerfulness. “I’ll be fine.”

  My heart hurt as I watched them leave without me. Everything I had worked for, everything I had planned for . . . it had all been for nothing.

  Chapter 7

  I crept away to the rooftop and pulled out my c
ellphone. Gray was celebrating with the rest of the soon-to-be graduates, and I didn’t want to bring him down with my disappointment. Luckily there was someone else who always knew how to help.

  “Black Sheep?”

  “Hey, Player.”

  “Are you okay? What’s wrong?” As usual, Player could read the emotions in my voice.

  “I failed one of my exams. And now . . . now I’m going to have to repeat the program.” My voice cracked as I said it. I had been trying to deny the reality of my situation, but it was finally hitting me. I had failed.

  “That’s . . . that’s crazy! You’ve worked so hard for this!” Player sounded shocked. He didn’t know the truth about VILE Academy because I always kept the details of my schooling secret, but even so, he knew how much this meant to me.

  “I know! But it’s done,” I said.

  “Can’t you, I don’t know, talk to your professor or something? What if they let you have a do-over?”

  “I failed. It’s not like I can retake—” The gears began spinning wildly in my head. “Player! You’re a genius!”

  “I know, I know. You could try saying it more often, though.”

  I smiled the tiniest bit as right then my feelings of disappointment and despair were replaced by determination.

  * * *

  Later that night, I made my way through the hallways of VILE Academy. The sun had set hours ago, and the halls looked eerie in the darkness.

  I watched from around a corner as Shadowsan left his classroom and closed the door to lock it for the night. I darted behind him, my hand brushing past him in the nimblest of movements.

  Shadowsan patted his pockets, reaching inside to find them empty.

  “Looking for these?” I asked, dangling his keys in my hand.

  “Playing games? Typical,” Shadowsan said with annoyance.

  “This isn’t a game,” I said defiantly. “I want a do-over.”

  Shadowsan took his keys from me, locked the door, and pocketed them. He barely looked at me. “And you will have it,” he said. I brightened, feeling hopeful. “Next year. Once you redo your coursework.” The disappointment crept back in.

  I’m not giving up that easily, I thought as I stepped in front of him, blocking his path. I had worked too hard for this and was not about to accept defeat without a fight. “You’re not hearing me,” I said firmly. “Put on the coat. I want a do-over now!”

  Shadowsan stepped around me and began to walk away. He didn’t even pause to look at me as he continued down the hallway. “We do not change the rules for other students, and it is my belief that we must stop changing them for you. Good night, Black Sheep.”

  I felt anger bubbling up inside me like an active volcano.

  “The coat was empty, wasn’t it?” I yelled before I realized what I was saying.

  Shadowsan stopped dead in his tracks. He slowly turned around and walked back toward me. I immediately knew that I had crossed a line—​in all my time on the island, I had never seen Shadowsan so angry.

  “Are you accusing a VILE instructor of cheating?” His words cut through me like a sword.

  I gathered my courage and tried to make my case as best I could—​I had to try. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I know I’m as good as the other students in my class. Better, even.”

  I dangled his keys in front of him again. I had stolen them a second time.

  Shadowsan furiously snatched them away. “You are unruly, undisciplined, and a prankster. I would strongly urge you to find a way to get those qualities in check, since they seem to be holding you back.”

  He walked away, leaving me alone in the darkened hallway. I was overcome with anger—​not at Shadowsan, but at myself. What if he’s right? What if I had ruined my chances of getting off the island? There was no one else to blame.

  * * *

  The graduation ceremony was in full swing in the assembly hall. I watched through the cracks between the auditorium doors, my knees tucked up close to my chest.

  Inside, I could see each of the faculty members lined up on the stage. Next to them, Vlad and Boris were playing “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” on an accordion and hand cymbals.

  Coach Brunt made her way up to the podium and took her place behind the microphone. It was just like orientation, only now the students were moving on from the academy . . . everyone except me.

  “Congratulations, graduates,” Brunt began. There were celebratory shouts and hollers from the students in the audience. “You have proven yourselves worthy of becoming VILE operatives. From this day forward, you are part of our little family.” Brunt’s expression suddenly became frighteningly serious. “Do not let us down,” she said slowly as a few of the graduates shifted nervously in their seats. “Valuable Imports, Lavish Exports . . . soon you will travel across all seven continents in pursuit of these precious goods.”

  I sighed. Traveling across all seven continents? That was supposed to be my destiny.

  Next it was Maelstrom’s turn to speak. He curled his long, thin fingers around the podium. His beady eyes examined the graduates carefully. “Never forget what you have learned here. You will need to put your skills to good use if you wish to succeed as a career criminal.” He stared out into the audience, sending a chill up my spine. “You have done well to join with VILE. I look forward to seeing what you can do in the field. Steal as much as you can, as often and as diabolically as you can.”

  Cheers followed his speech. If VILE really wanted to be successful, they would send me out there, I thought. I’m the best thief on this island.

  * * *

  Two days later, I sat out on the beach. I was trying to overcome my sadness so that I could be ready to take on the challenges ahead, but my misery wasn’t going anywhere. Even though graduation had come and gone, the feelings of failure hadn’t left me.

  Right now, at this very moment, the graduates were being given their first assignments as VILE operatives. They would leave the island and steal exotic artifacts in faraway places. And I wasn’t going to be a part of it.

  There was a ringing coming from my pocket. I took out my phone and saw Player’s familiar white-hat icon on the screen. I answered it as quickly as I could, keeping my voice muffled.

  “Player! You know the rule! I call you!”

  “I know, I know! I was just . . . worried about you.”

  I sighed. It was true that I had been avoiding everyone since exams, and that had included Player.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “So . . . are you really going to repeat the year all over again?”

  “I’m not sure yet. I didn’t think I had a choice, but I’ve been thinking . . . maybe it’s time to make my own choices.”

  I heard a sound from the rocky outcrop above me and looked up. It was Mime Bomb. He was sitting by himself, staring off into the distance. I quickly hid my phone as fast as I could. Did he see it? I wondered. I waved an enthusiastic hello.

  “What’s shaking, Mime Bomb?” I asked.

  He mimed crying, his shoulders rocking in fake heaving sobs. At first I thought he was mocking my sadness, but as his crying intensified, it dawned on me that he was sad too.

  “Something wrong, Mime Bomb?” I asked.

  Nearby, the academy doors opened and the sound of graduates talking to one another drifted toward me.

  Tigress, Le Chèvre, and El Topo ran down the steps to the waterfront. They were all wearing their caper outfits now—​slick, high-tech clothes that matched their new VILE-operative identities perfectly. I looked down at my student uniform, longing for my black jumpsuit. With everyone else moving on, I might as well have had failure stamped across my forehead in this uniform.

  Eventually I saw Gray coming down the steps. I turned back to Mime Bomb and pretended to hand him an invisible handkerchief. “Here’s a hanky. Keep it,” I said, and ran over toward Gray.

  “Hey, kid sister,” Gray said as I approached.

  There was an air of awkwardness between us that
was impossible to ignore, but I tried to push past it as best I could.

  “Do you . . . uh . . . do you know why Mime Bomb’s so upset?” I asked, trying to avoid talking about graduation.

  “Mime Bomb? Oh, he got cut from tonight’s mission.” I knew Gray must be referring to his first big VILE caper that he had been assigned to, along with his teammates Tigress, El Topo, and Le Chèvre.

  “But he graduated!” I said, surprised.

  “Not every heist has a role for a silent clown.” We both chuckled at that.

  “Well . . . I guess this is it.” I shuffled my feet awkwardly, unsure of how to say goodbye to my friend. He was about to go off to an exotic place on an exciting heist—​the first of many—​while I was staying put to redo the school year. “I’m surprised you’re still here,” I said. Graduation was two days ago, so why were my classmates still on the island? It couldn’t have taken them that long to get their assignments.

  “Just when you think you’re out, Coach Brunt makes you go to a ‘mandatory senior seminar’ and pulls you back in,” Gray explained with a laugh. “We’re shipping out tonight.”

  I didn’t laugh with him this time. I could no longer hide the sadness I was feeling in my heart.

  Gray was no fool—​he saw the change in my expression and leaned down to talk to me. “Look, Black Sheep . . . I know it’s going to be torture going through the program all over again. But you’re still a kid. You’re way ahead of the game. Stay focused. Time will fly. You’ll make it off this island way sooner than you think.” He ruffled my hair and took off down the steps to join his fellow classmates. Actually, they’re his fellow operativesnow, I thought.

  Gray’s parting words seemed to hang in the air. For the first time in days, I smiled. I wasn’t just a kid. I was a great thief, and I could prove it. I was going to make it off the island . . . sooner than everyone thought.

  Chapter 8

  That night, I slipped out of my dorm room as silently as a ninja—​just like Shadowsan had taught me. Anyone who looked inside my room would see a sleeping form on my bed. They would have no idea that it was really my globe and some pillows stuck under the blankets.