The Chief Who Cried Carmen -------------------------- On April Fool's Day, Zack and the Chief were talking at the Acme Detective Agency. They were talking about the tricks they would play on people to get them to look behind them when nothing was really there. "Hey Chief?" asked Zack, "Remember one of the orginal look behind you gags? 'Oh no! There's a big monster behind you!" Zack laughed and addedm "The sad thing is, we'd fall for these things." "Yeah. Well, I can't say I did. Since I'm a computer image, no 'monster' could really do anything to me. Ha, ha. Hey Zack? Remember this one? 'There's a bug on your shoulder! AAAAAAAHH!'" the Chief replied. Zack chuckled. "Oh yeah. I remember that one. Ivy used to fall for that." The Chief chuckled also. Suddenly, his face looked concerned. "Uh-oh," he finally said slowly. "What? What's wrong Chief?" Zack asked frantically. "Look on the monitor! Carmen Sandiego has broken into Acme again!" There, on the monitor was Carmen walking through the hall of Acme. Zack went to push the alarm button, but the Chief broke into a great laughing fit. "Ha ha! That's a new one to add to the list! That was old footage fron the time Carmen actually did break in," the Chief said while he was still laughing. "That wasn't funny!" Zack exclaimed. The Chief noticed the door open and Ivy walk in. "Chief false alarms about Carmen are-" Zack began. "Zack...about...that..false...alarm..." the Chief stammered. Ivy walked behind Zack and smirked. She then tapped him on the shoulder and he became frighted. Then he exclaimed, "AAAH!" He whirled around only to see a grinning Ivy. She began to laugh and the Chief joined her. "If only you could have seen the expression on your face!" Ivy exclaimed while laughing. "Very funny," Zack grumbled. He folded his arms and frowned. "Seriously Zack," Ivy said as soon as she calmed down, "I'm going to the movies with Jasmine tonight. Hope you don't mind staying home by yourself." "No problem," Zack replied. * * * That night after Ivy left, Zack lay on his bed and began to read. His window was slightly open and a small breeze blew by his bangs. The Chief interrupted him by contacting Zack on his communicator. "Hot tip! This just in from Crimenet!" the Chief exclaimed. Zack yawned and replied, "If you think I'm going to fall for your Carmen gag once more today, you have another thing coming." "But Zack! I'm not kidding! I've told Ivy and Jasmine and they're on their way to-" "Yeah, yeah." Zack interrupted. "Look, Chief, just let me read my book in peace, okay?" "Zack! What do I have to do to prove I'm not lying?" "I don't know. I'll believe you tomorrow Chief, but until today is over, I don't trust you." "Zack I-" "Good-bye Chief," Zack replied. The Chief tried again. "Look Zack, Carmen really is on her way here. She's after your notebook that had all the fact and figured from when you made that computer! Don't you remember your Zack Attack 200000? Remember Carmen almost stole everything you made it protect? Zack, if she gets that notebook-" "Whatever," Zack replied as he turned a page in his book. The Chief realized there was nothing more he could do. He decided to leave Zack saying, "Ivy and Jasmine are on the way!" Moments later, there was a knock on Zack's door. "Zack? Are you in there?" Zack heard Ivy ask. "Yeah Ivy. I'm fine," Zack replied. Ivy opened Zack's door and she and Jasmine came in. "The Chief told us that Carmen was nearby," Jasmine said. "I wouldn't believe the Chief," Zack replied. "All today he was saying Carmen was around and she wasn't. Since it's April Fool's Day, I'm not going to believe the Chief again today. You guys were probably just being tricked like I was. You might as well go back out." "Really?" Jasmine asked. "The Chief made up false alarms? I didn't think he'd do that." "Well, I must admit, I was part of one of them," Ivy replied. "I can see why you don't believe him, Zack. However, just in case he's not lying this time-" "Yeah right," Zack mumbled. "Well, just in case, contact us if Carmen really does show up," Ivy finished. "Okay," Zack replied. "Have a nice time." "Bye Zack!" Ivy and Jasmine exclaimed. Ivy closed Zack's door behind herself and Jasmine. "Bye!" Zack replied. Once again, Zack was left alone. Meanwhile, outside Zack's window, the conversation was overheard by Carmen! She knew that Zack didn't believe the Chief at the moment and decide to use this to her advantage. She sneaked into the house and went upstairs looking for Zack's room. She glanced around for a moment until she saw a closed door with a sign that read, "Zack's Room. Enter at your risk." Carmen knocked on the door and Zack replied, "Yeah Ivy? Come on in. Did you forget something?" Carmen knocked on the door again and Zack replied, "Are you deaf Ivy? I said come in!" Carmen decided to make her grand entrance at this point. She slyly chuckled and opened the door. Zack didn't look up from his book and responded to he thought was Ivy, "Sis, maybe you should get a hearing aid." "Oh there's nothing wrong with my hearing, Zack," Carmen replied. Zack quickly turned to see Carmen standing in the middle of his room! He gasped and stammered, "But I thought...I mean the Chief didn't-" "Believe it Zack. Now where's that notebook that had all that information about that computer of yours?" Zack decided to try to fool Carmen. He got off his bed and said, "I'll get it." Carmen decided to walk behind him, just in case Zack thought about running away. Zack walked over to his desk and opened his top drawer. Inside was a blue notebook- not the notebook Carmen wanted. This notebook only had last year's math homework and some doodles in it. He handed it to Carmen who began to flip through it. While she was preoccupied, Zack ran out of the room and downstairs. He signaled Ivy on his communicator and when Ivy responded, Zack frantically exclaimed, "Ivy! Help! Carmen is here! I'm not kidding! Come quick!" Then Zack heard footsteps coming down the stairs. "Oh no!" he exclaimed and began to run. He opened the door and was ready to run out. As he turned to close the door, he was grabbed from behind. "Going somewhere, Zack?" Carmen asked. "I..I-" "Zack, it isn't nice to try to fool people," Carmen glared at Zack and added, "Especially me." "Oops, wrong notebook," Zack said chuckling nervously. Carmen shook her head. She then pulled Zack to her motorcycle and strapped him into the side car. "Where are we going?" Zack asked. "You'll find out," Carmen replied. She started up the motorcycle and raced down the street. She pushed a button and the motorcycle's concealed wings came out. A rocket came out of the back and they were airborne. A few minutes later, Ivy and Jasmine arrived back at the house. "Zack?" Ivy called out, "Are you okay?" When she heard no response, she and Jasmine ran upstairs to Zack's room. "Oh no," Ivy said as she saw that Zack wasn't there. She noticed a blue notebook on the floor that looked like it had been thrown there. "What's this doing here? Zack usually keeps his room neat. It's not like him to throw stuff on the floor," Ivy wondered. "I hope Zack is okay," Jasmine said. "Me too," Ivy replied. "I hope we can find a clue to where Zack is." Jasmine sighed and began to look. "There must be a clue somewhere," she said. Meanwhile, Zack was locked in a cage in a large underground room. There was a partially assembled computer there and various parts scattered about the room. "You see Zack, this is why I wanted your notebook. I was going to build another computer but-" "I'm not building a computer for you, Carmen!" Zack exclaimed. "I would rather spend the rest of my life in this cage than help you!" "I really don't think you would," Carmen replied. "Nice try on the petty threats though. Look Zack, I'll give you twenty minutes to decide-" "Twenty minutes?" Zack asked, "Isn't that a long time to think about this?" "Yes," Carmen replied. She paused and then added, "However, I have a deal for you. If you help me with this computer, I'll send a clue to Acme and tell them where you are. Of course, that won't be until after you've started working. While you are pondering, I'll make up the clue. Then it will be ready in case you do change your mind." "Like I'm going to," Zack retorted. Carmen grinned slyly and replied, "I think you might." She turned and went to a metal door. She pushed a button and the door opened. She walked through the doorway and the door closed behind her. Zack sighed. "Oh man," he said, "I want to go home." Suddenly he realized something. Carmen didn't take his communicator. He pressed the button and signaled Acme. The Chief answered and exclaimed, "Zack! You're okay!" "Shh!" Zack hissed. He then whispered, "I don't want anyone to hear you." The Chief whispered, "No problem." He then exclaimed in whisper, "Zack, this is all my fault! If I hadn't given false alarms, you wouldn't be here!" Zack whispered, "You got that right. Listen Chief, I have no idea where I am. Carmen wants me to help her build that computer. Carmen said if I help her, and after I started working, she'd send a clue so you guys could find me. What should I do?" The Chief replied, "Say you'll help her." "What? Chief have you-" "Pretend to help. Then Carmen will send the clue and we can rescue you." "Great idea! Thanks Chief!" When Carmen returned, Zack sighed and said, "Okay, Carmen, I'll help you build the computer." Carmen smiled and replied, "I knew you'd change your mind." Zack asked, "Where's the clue?" Carmen pulled a note out of her coat pocket and said, "Right here, Zack." She then unlocked the cage and Zack walked out. Then she said, "Start working. I'll be back to check on your progress." After Carmen left, he could hear a clicking noise after the door slammed shut. "She locked me in!" Zack exclaimed. He sighed and began assembling parts. He purposely put the wrong wires in everything, but made the computer look like it was put together correctly on the outside. After awhile of laboring, the computer looked finished. Of course, when a command was tried, the computer would short-circuit. "I'm finished!" Zack cried out. Moments later, Carmen unlocked the door and walked in. "Well, Zack I am quite impressed." Carmen said. She then called for two of her henchmen to escort Zack outside. The henchmen entered the room and each one took one of Zack's arms. Carmen then said, "Well, Acme was sent the clue, so your sister should be here soon." She turned to the henchmen and said, "Take Zack outside and make sure his sister doesn't try to come down here." The henchmen took Zack a flight of stairs. One of them pushed a button and a panel lowered. The henchmen then through Zack outside. "Whoa!" Zack yelled while he was in the air. He landed sitting down and groaned. He looked around him and couldn't see where the entrance to Carmen's lair was. Suddenly, a gleaming blue light appeared before him and out of it came Ivy and Jasmine. Ivy ran towards Zack and asked, "Are you okay?" With that, the C-5 entrance disappeared. "Sure," Zack replied, "The ground broke my fall." He stood up and Ivy hugged him. "I was so worried," she said when she let go. "What happened? Jasmine asked." "Well-" Zack began. His explanation was interupted by the sound of crackling. "That computer must be almost toast," he then said. "Huh?" Ivy asked puzzled. Before Zack could explain more, a grass panel lowered and revealed a metal door. The door opened and the two henchmen that escorted Zack outside ran towards the detectives. They began to run and the henchmen began to chase them. "I have a plan," Ivy whispered. She whispered her idea to Zack and Jasmine. The detectives stopped running and Ivy kicked down the henchmen that was in front. Zack and Jasmine lundged at the other henchman and brought him down too. They cuffed the henchmen with the cuffs that Ivy had brought. "Where's Carmen?" Zack asked. His question was answered as soon as he saw Carmen zoom out of the hideout with with jet powered hang-glider. "Oh man," Zack said with a sigh, "She got away again." * * * It was quite late when Zack, Ivy and Jasmine returned to headquarters. They all explained what Carmen was up to to the Chief. Afterwards he said, "Wow. Thank goddness everything turned out okay." "Yeah," Zack replied. "Too bad we didn't catch Carmen though." "There's always next time," the Chief replied. "Zack, I promise I will never say Carmen is there when she's not. I promise. In fact I promise on my-" "Okay Chief, I get the picture." Zack smirked and pressed a red button on the the Acme computer and a triangle appeared on the screen. The Chief looked really scared and tried to get away from it. "Zack! Don't! Please!" the Chief exclaimed. "Don't take my mouth away like Carmen did!" Zack turned off the program and laughed. "April Fool's Chief," he said. The Chief sighed with relief and said, "Okay, we're even."