Author's Note: "Goodbye, So Soon" by Vincent Price is used without permission. "Goodbye, so soon," Maelstrom sang softly, "And isn't this a crime-" Lee looked confused. Since when did Gunner Maelstrom sing Disney songs? "You followed me, I followed you. We were like each other's shadows for a while," Maelstrom continued. Now as you see, this game is through. So, although it hurts, I'll try to smile..." Lee rolled his eyes and looked down at a map. He began to draw lines and plot points. "We know by now that time knows how to fly. With time so short, I'll say so long, and go, so soon, goodbye." Maelstrom finished cheerily. Lee shrugged. "Sing all you want. We're on Easy Street." Maelstrom agreed. "Just like a sailboat sailing along the sea at high tide on a calm day." Lee shook his head. "You gotta stop using so many ocean-related metaphors." Maelstrom looked annoyed. "I was a marine archeologist. Ever hear the saying, 'your job is who you are'? But never mind that." He turned his back to ignore Lee. "I've won, Carmen Sandiego." Back in the theatre, Carmen commanded her allies. "Everyone, roll to the right!" They did so. The ropes loosened slightly. Ivy reached into her pocket for her Swiss Army knife. She pressed it against the group's bonds. "Hurry, Ivy!" Zack cried. "Before the fire spreads!" "I'm trying," Ivy replied. "It's just that this rope's tempermental." She pressed harder. It worked. The rope snapped. Mortimer ran to a cupboard backstage and opened the door, revealing the contents:several boxes of baking soda. Working together, the foursome doused the flames. Soon, the torched area was out but smoldering. The team went outside to escape the leftover smoke. "Golly, those two are as bloodthirsty as Leroy Brown and Smackwater Jack!" commented Mortimer. "And only slightly less nightmare inspiring!" "Forget the noose!" Ivy wailed. "If I had my choice, I'd give them the chair!" "Why not the table?" joked Zack. "Why not the squad?" suggested Carmen. "What?!" Everyone turned to her, surprised. Carmen looked embarrassed. "Just saying." "Now what do we do?" wondered Zack. "Those two creeps think we're pushing up daisies," Ivy observed. "We've definitely got the element of surprise on our side." She reached up to remove her wig, which had miraculously managed to stay on her head, though now it was seriously askew. "In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity," Mortimer contributed. "Oh, cut it out, Albert Einstein!" Ivy retorted. "He's right," Zack informed. "In the Chinese language, the symbol for 'crisis' is the same as 'opportunity'. " Carmen sighed. "Let's call the Chief and tell him what happened." "That won't be necessary!" announced the Chief. "The Coast Guard has reported a sighting of Maelstrom's ship off the coast of North Carolina. We can just C-5 you to Cape Hatteras." Back on the ship, Maelstrom asked, "How far from shore are we?" "Well, this gauge thingie says 3,000 fathoms, so I'd say we're a safe distance away," Bilge called. "A safe distance?" Lee said doubtfully. "Isn't that almost three and a quarter miles?" Maelstrom grabbed Bilge by the ear. "It's time I told you that a fathom isn't a nautical mile--it's six feet!" Meanwhile, Zack, Ivy, Carmen, and Mortimer were watching from the lighthouse. "Yep, they're definitely coming this way," Zack declared. "Why Cape Hatteras, though? Why not Cape Fear?" "Don't know, little bro," said Ivy. "Don't try to figure Maelstrom out. You'll get a brain cramp." "I mean it," Zack pressed on. "Until this lighthouse was built in 1869, this 301 mile stretch of land used to be the site of many shipwrecks. Cape Hatteras is nicknamed the Graveyard of the Atlantic." "The mouth of the Columbia River in Washington is considered the "Graveyard of the Pacific," Mortimer informed. "There are sandbars that move constantly." Carmen pointed out. "There's Maelstrom's ship." "It looks like they're entering the Neuse river," Ivy observed. "Where do you think they're going to dock?" "Probably Goldsboro or Raleigh," Carmen replied. Zack ducked. "Think they saw us here?" "Don't be ridiculous, little bro," Ivy retorted. "We're 190 feet in the air. And beside, they think we're still in Stansbury. Stop being paranoid." Staying a safe distance, the group trailed the criminals' ship in a boat. After a couple of hours, Maelstrom and Lee docked in Raleigh. Carmen, Zack, Ivy, and Mortimer docked their own boat. Unfortunately, Maelstrom caught sight of them through his spyglass. Lee snatched the spyglass. "Who do they know? Houdini?" Maelstrom snatched the spyglass back. "We're not letting them live this time! Bilge! Start the RV!" "Why can't I drive?" Eagle Eye whined. Maelstrom guffawed. "Your vision is terrible. NOW GET GOING!", he said when he stopped laughing. Fortunately, the detectives overheard the orders. "Chief, send us the C-5 car," Ivy requested. "Now, everyone, get in!" To be continued.