After checking the police station for clues and, finding none, deciding to
get some reading done in my latest Sureluck Jones novel. I then decided to
monitor the afternoon newscast. The others had settled into their own
affairs for the day seemed a loss. I alone stood, or rather sat, ever
vigilant against crime. My diligence was about to pay off...
The newscast began. "Special Bulletin: Police say a downtown restaurant has received a bomb threat. Unless the time bomb can be found, the restaurant could be destroyed." Nothing got my blood pumping like a good case, and this could prove to be just that. It had been awhile since we've seen some real action outside of routine matters and small cases.
"Woah! A time bomb!" I exclaimed.
"Chip! What is it?" I heard Gadget ask with concern.
"There's a time bomb in a restaurant downtown!" I told her. I was ready to deploy the team and they wouldn't disappoint me. "We've got to find it." I said in a determined voice.
"This is an emergency!" Gadget's concern for any situation which represented a danger to anyone had always warmed my heart.
"There's no time to waste! Let's go, Mates!" Monterey added as he quickly entered the room.
"We've got a bomb to find." I said, slamming my fist into my open paw.
"We'll go ahead to investigate!" Gadget already had her brilliant mind working on the means of a safe method of bomb disposal. "Look for us and we'll give any clues we've found." She already had some gear ready for the job.
"Or give you some help..." Monterey offered. "Never would o' made it through the battle of the brie without a bit o' help." Musing as he so often did in such situations. "Ah, those were the days..."
He and Gadget started off toward the restaurant.
Zipper flew into the room. "... .. ..... .."
"Right, Zipper! There's no time to lose!" Zipper then left to catch up with the others.
"Dale, you come with me." I commanded.
I had seen Dale slip into the room as Gadget and Monterey were leaving headquarters. It was up to me to rouse him from his lethargic state. This was normal for Dale when there was no early-morning case work with which he could properly begin the day.
"Now!? But I was about to start my afternoon nap!" He complained, much to my annoyance.
"No can do, Dale!" I chided him.
"OK, Partner! Let's go!" His demeanor had changed quickly, but I wasn't surprised by the spark in his eye which was only present during a case. His devotion to Ranger duty always did break his worst domestic habits, at least as long as the case occupied his time.
"Rescue Rangers away!"
The whole team was now on its way toward the restaurant. In my haste I neglected to turn off the television.
"Also in the news..." the announcer continued "Fatcat, the notorious feline felon, escaped from prison last night..."
Dale and I made our way into the restaurant. I was glad the building was in tact, which meant we still had time to find and neutralize the bomb. I was grateful that the building had been evacuated by any humans who would have only complicated matters for us. Though the humans had vacated, there were animals throughout the restaurant that seemed determined to slow us down. I deduced that the bomb had to be of animal origin. But who would do such a thing? I was sure to find out.
I hadn't seen any sign of the other Rangers since splitting up upon our arrival. Dale and I made our way through the dining room and into the kitchen area.
Near the back of the large kitchen, we found ourselves trapped in a large sink. This was thanks to Dale's antics. As I was about to bonk him, I suddenly heard Zipper's distinct buzzing and called him over. He quickly turned on the faucet and we floated toward freedom. We jumped out and I thanked Zipper for his help. Dale and I continued our search as Zipper decided to retrieve reconnaissance from other parts of the restaurant.
We then bumped into Monterey who had been "negotiating" with some of the miscreant animals. He insisted we not interfere and instead continue on with finding the bomb.
We eventually came upon a menacing pink rabbit riding some kind of machine. He seemed to be running the show so I started asking questions.
"All right, spill it! Who set the time bomb?" I started.
"I did!" he admitted to my surprise. "Fatcat asked me to create a diversion, and it worked!"
So I was right about the origin of the bomb. I wondered what purpose Fatcat had in distracting us. What was he up to...?
"No way! Fatcat's in prison!" Dale said with certainty, bringing me out of my introspective queries.
"Not any more!" The rabbit said with a knowingly wicked grin. "He broke out last night! He's planning to steal the Urn of the Pharaoh! He probably as it already! You're too late!"
So that was Fatcat's ulterior motive for this charade. We needed to learn what we could about this "Urn of the Pharaoh". First thing's first I reminded myself.
"So where's the bomb!?" I inquired.
"Find it yourself! Ha ha ha!" he exclaimed indignantly.
Dale and I came forward to force it out of him...
The machine on which he rode was apparently some kind of water cannon. We easily dodged his blasts and quickly hung him out to dry.
I called the group together and we redoubled our efforts to locate the bomb.
"Gadget, have you found the bomb?" I had asked her to use some of the equipment she brought, since I didn't know how much time we had left.
"Here's the bomb!" she answered. I knew she could find it, I always admired her cunning. "Look, it has blue and red wires coming out of it! We have to cut one of the wires to defuse it!"
We didn't question her reasoning.
"But, uh, what happens if we cut the wrong one?" Dale asked while sweating profusely.
"We're doomed!" Gadget answered him.
"Uh oh." Dale looked around for a nearby exit.
"Which one should I cut? Red or blue? Hurry!" Her mind had been working it over; I remembered she sometimes had trouble making decisions. She suddenly turned to me so I suggested the blue wire... call it a detective's hunch.
"OK, here goes!" She proceeded to snip the wire and we all held our collective breath.
"Whew, I guess that was the right one." She said, sharing in our relief.
"It must have been a fake bomb" she noted.
With the bomb no longer a threat, I could concentrate on other pressing matters. I briefed the team on what I got out of the Water Rabbit.
"Hurry! Fatcat's stolen the Urn of the Pharaoh! It's on a ship about to leave port!"
I deduced that Fatcat wouldn't be able to hold a priceless, unique piece locally and that he'd want to move it out of the city quickly and discretely.
"Now what does Fatcat want with the Urn of the Pharaoh? Gadget asked curiously, stroking her chin.
"Who knows? We've just got to get it back!" Our goal was clear, we had to thwart Fatcat's ambitions and deliver him to justice once again.
Dale and I entered the sewers, the quickest way to the docks. The local animal population was none to happy to see us and they made sure we knew it! It was almost as if Fatcat had them under his employment. I was suspicious but didn't dwell upon it.
As we neared the docks we encountered a cat dressed in pilot's attire. He also sported wings sewn into his jacket that allowed him to hover above us. The debris from the ceiling left behind as a result of his flight pattern proved to be a sufficient weapon. Dale and I made short work of him, grounding his flight plans.
We then emerged from the dank sewers to find ourselves at the docks. I just hoped we weren't too late.
As expected, the local animals tried to slow us down. We hurried past them and headed for a large storage area that I figured would suit Fatcat's purposes. Instead, we found a sea faring weasel armed with a bottle. Its contents apparently gave him fiery breath with which he attempted to stop our progress. We put him on ice.
I gathered the team at the docks as I pondered our next move. I stroked my chin in frustration as I tried to get in Fatcat's head to figure out how he'd get the Urn out of the city. I began to survey the area for any ships that appeared to be ready to set sail...
"The Urn of the Pharaoh is missing and we don't have any leads!" Dale exclaimed, flailing his arms in the air, venting his puzzlement.
"..... ... ..... .." Zipper began to buzz excitedly.
"Montey! What's Zipper saying!?" Gadget asked.
"Well, luv, he says that Fatcat and his henchmen headed into a warehouse by the docks!" He pointed to a building not far away.
"Really? Are you sure Zipper?" I asked as I turned my focus, as well as my gaze to him.
"..." he buzzed affirmatively and urgently, with a hint of annoyance.
"All right! C'mon! Let's go!" I lead the team toward the building. "Fatcat better watch out!" Dale and I entered first.
"Woah! Its pitch dark in here! I can't see a thing." I commented.
"Hey! The door shut itself!" Dale yelled as he whirled toward the noise he heard behind him.
The lights came up, but we had no time to take in the sights for we heard a familiar, if muffled voice overhead. Whoever it was, they sounded quite pleased with themselves.
"Ahhh ha ha ha. Welcome, my little Rescue Rangers! I've waited a long time for this!"
"Fatcat??" Dale asked, unable to see the figure clearly.
"The one and only!" came his reply, confirming my suspicions. I wanted to rush forward, ahead of the others, so we wouldn't all be caught in some kind of trap. I knew Fatcat would pull something like this. I figured he was purposefully baiting us when he appeared outside the building, and now he had us trapped.
"Fatcat! You stole the Urn of the Pharaoh!" I said accusingly.
"That's right! And it's full of ancient evil spirits! When I release them, I'll rule the world!" He wore a maniacal grin. At last I knew how he intended to use the urn.
"You'll never get away with this, Fatcat!" Dale said resolutely.
"And what will you do to stop me!?" He eyed Dale, curious at his assertiveness. "You're in a giant refrigerator! You'll be frozen solid in three minutes! Ha ha ha!" He cackled as he walked off, leaving us to our doom, and our own devices...
"Aw nuts! What are we gonna do now?" Dale turned toward me in askance.
"I think I see an opening! Over there!" I pointed toward the top of the large structure. "Maybe we can escape through it! Hurry!"
So we raced on through the frozen shelves, dodging icicles and riding the air currents produced by the many cooling mechanisms. We had plenty of time to spare as we reached the opening I spied from below.
A thought then occurred to me. This certainly wasn't Fatcat's best attempt at stopping us by any means. Perhaps he was in a hurry to get somewhere or meet someone? Or perhaps he was anxious to try out the urn's powers for himself. I wondered about this as the others joined us on the roof of the refrigerator building.
I informed the others of Fatcat's intentions and of the power of the urn. I tried to figure out where Fatcat would most likely unleash his newfound power.
Suddenly, Monterey exclaimed excitedly, "Crikey! There's ghosts everywhere! Fatcat must've opened the urn!"
That answers that question.
"Look! They're coming from the warehouse!" I directed everyone's gaze to the source of the problem.
"You m-m-mean the w-warehouse is h-haunted...?" Dale started shaking like a leaf.
"Pull yourself together, Dale! You're a Ranger!" I gave him a good bonk to get it out of his system.
"Yeah, and th-th-those are gh-gh-ghosts!" I sighed and dragged him into the warehouse with me to investigate.
Inside, we found that the candles had been possessed and were determined to thwart us. They were accompanied by canine apparitions. They did not pose much of a threat. We dodged them and raced along deeper into the warehouse.
I noticed all the doors in the building had the same number 22. For some reason, it reminded me of the residence of my hero, Sureluck Jones. I wondered what he would have thought of this increasingly strange case. I later observed some portraits which bore a striking resemblance to Howard Bask, the creator of Sureluck Jones. I don't know if my mind was playing tricks on me or if it was the darkness that surrounded us... perhaps my brain was giving me these stimuli as a defense mechanism against the unknown, to keep me focused. Or perhaps there were other forces at work here... I resolved to ponder them at a later time; we had Ranger work to do. We pressed on. After all, we didn't have time to play spirit detectives; we had to find that urn quickly. Those ghosts would be quite troublesome if they remained free much longer.
Diligent in our search, we came upon the last room in the building. I was confident the urn would be found within. Much to my dismay I saw only a room with four candle holders, two of which were occupied and lit. I didn't have time to be disappointed for they abruptly went out. I soon found out why. In the darkness before us, I watched a ghastly figure materialize. It seemed to swallow up any nearby light with its very presence. The creature was quite large and floating silently in the still air. It had large glowing yellow eyes and a long mischievous tongue. It had a hound's snout and a big nose. Its torn shroud had a haunting purple hue. Its large arms were bandaged, not unlike a mummy's. However, below its torso was nothing but empty space. What use would legs be to one who could fly as such? I pondered this only for an instant then forced it out of my head as the creature loomed forward to attack us. Its projectiles of spiritual energy were slow-moving and easy enough for us to avoid. The large bandaged orbs it lobbed at us provided sufficient ammunition. It came from a world far removed from our own, and we sent it right back.
Once the artificial darkness it created had begun to fade, the urn was revealed to us. The lid had been removed but it was thankfully nearby. It seemed a bit too convenient.
I proceeded to replace the lid atop the urn where it belonged, thus removing the threat of the ghosts.
"We did it! All the ghosts should disappear soon!" I exclaimed proudly.
Fatcat's voice boomed at us suddenly. "Don't you Rescue Rodents ever learn?"
"Uh oh. It's Fatcat!" Dale said, realizing who it was.
I decided to call him out of hiding so he couldn't formulate any new plans. "Come out here and face us! Are you a cat or a mouse!?" I played to his arrogance.
"Not so fast, Rangers!" It seemed he had this premeditated, more so than usual. It didn't seem like him. "If you dare to face me, come to the amusement park! I'll be waiting!"
We had no choice but to play his game, his way. There was nothing else I could do but walk into his trap... again.
"Ooh that Fatcat! We gotta stop him!" Dale said angrily and impatiently.
"Wait, Dale! It smells like a trap to me!" I put my paw on his shoulder to calm him down as I considered the situation further.
The team regrouped and we all made our way to the amusement park. Soon, Fatcat's voice came out over the PA system.
"You're doomed, Rescue Rangers! I control this entire amusement park! You'll never capture me!"
"Oh yeah?" Dale asked in defiance. "Don't bet on it, Fatcat!" He pointed right at the speaker overhead.
Fatcat continued to rant. "Ha! You need three keys to enter my control room, and they're all hidden in different parts of the park! Have fun!"
"We've got to get the keys!" Dale said impatiently
"Righto, Dale! Where should we go first?" Monterey asked knowing Dale was the master of having fun...
I took charge however. "Let's go to the Clock Tower first!" I figured we'd get a good idea of the park's layout. From there, we could decide on how best to explore the rest of the park and secure the keys.
The intricacies of the clock tower would not distract us, nor would the mining moles with their hammers, nor the mice with their electric batteries. We had a mission to complete and they would not stop the Rescue Rangers.
Dale and I quickly ascended the tower and met a strange ostrich riding a clock gear. This loony character did not pose much of a threat. It seemed Fatcat did not trust his interests to those with any sufficient mental capacities.
Gadget had located the key once we grounded the ostrich. "We found the key! Where to next!?"
Before I could say a word, Dale quickly yelled "Western World! Hurry!" I had no time to protest as we headed toward the attraction.
I wondered why the Western World had so appealed to Dale. I would soon find out. It seemed he knew of a mine cart ride within the attraction, and much to my dismay, he insisted on manning the controls of the cart himself. It was all I could do to avoid falling off. I held down my fedora and held my breath as he sped along the rail, yelping delightedly the whole way. I then reminded myself why he rarely flew the Ranger Plane... he insisted it was for the good of the mission.
I was grateful to reach the end of the ride. My sense of security wouldn't last however. To greet us at the end was a pink cat in a top hat and bow tie that had an affinity for playing cards, and a yearning to share them with us. We ended up shuffling his deck, but not before cutting it for the key we needed.
We were well on our way to meeting with Fatcat face to face.
Monty held the key from the Western World aloft. "We've got two keys! That means the last one must be in Future World!"
I would have congratulated Montey on a brilliant bit of deduction but time was against us.
"Right! Let's go!" I said with a wry grin.
Future world, for all of its wondrous ambiance, provided only a brief and uneventful glimpse of what may be. The mice with sling shots turned out to be bad shots. Ironically the mechanical dogs found here reminded me of a past case, the one during which Gadget had been kidnapped by Fatcat. I remembered it well...
We were to find the lost kitten of our neighbor Mandy. We searched the area around her house but came up empty. We later found out Fatcat had taken the opportunity to kidnap Gadget. The lost kitten was a ruse constructed by the felon himself to lure us out there. We tracked him through the neighborhood, the park, a local diner, the library, a toy store, and eventually to his casino where we found Gadget safe. Fatcat gave us the slip but Gadget had been working on a unique means of transportation with which we could pursue him. We tailed him through the sewers and, when he realized he couldn't shake us, through a department store. We eventually confronted him in the Happy Tom Cat Food Factory, the result of which was his original incarceration.
I was shaken out of my introspection by Dale who was pointing ahead of him. Fatcat had employed a rather large, bright green lizard to drive a wrecking ball and guard the key that we needed to continue. It was actually a rather simple matter to redirect the debris left by the ball toward the driver's head. We took away his license as well as the key.
We had all three keys and quickly made our way to the control room I spotted from atop the clock tower earlier. We quietly made our way to the main door. "Shhh! Fatcat is right inside!" I warned the others.
"Let's use the keys!" Gadget said as she handed them to Zipper.
".. ... .." Zipper buzzed in response. He then placed the keys in the lock.
"It's unlocked! Open the door!" I ordered. We then rushed in to finally confront our nemesis.
I triumphantly shouted "We've got you now, Fatcat! The Rescue Rangers are here!"
We all then looked around as Dale stated the obvious. "Hey! He's gone! Where'd he go!?"
Gadget then spied something in the corner. "Look, everyone! A secret passage! Let's go!"
"Be careful!" I warned. "This could be our last stand!" The others nodded towards me as I faced the darkness before us. I then called to them. "Let's go Rescue Rangers!"
Onward we plunged into the unknown.
Navigating the long, treacherous passageway we found Fatcat. He seemed to be expecting us. I wondered what he had up his sleeve this time...
"Welcome, Rescue Rangers! I've been waiting for you!"
"You'll never get away, Fatcat!" I pointed up at him, locking in a cold and determined stare.
"Surrender!" Dale added equally as determined.
"You'll never defeat me, Rescue Rangers!" he answered angrily.
It seemed he was about to reveal his trump card.
"I have the ultimate weapon: the Fatcat Robot!"
So this is what he was buying time for, to prepare this weapon of his, I concluded.
Dale tapped me on the shoulder. "Did you hear something!?"
A menacing rumble filled the room as Fatcat laughed. It was as though he had gone completely insane.
I quickly shouted. "Look out everyone!"
The other thugs Fatcat had hired left me with the impression that he was ill prepared for our efforts to stop him. I was mistaken. It seemed he had given little thought to the guards he had placed in our way since the restaurant because he had always been focused on this titan of a weapon. The urn might be lost to him but he would at least have a good shot at eliminating us, only to reattempt the theft once again.
This clunker was going to be trouble. The robot was as big as its real life counterpart. Beaming yellow eyes gazed upon us. They resembled those of the robotic cat Tom. Indeed Fatcat had learned a thing of two from his experience with the kindly robot cat. This monstrosity's steel jaws appeared to be razor sharp. The contraption's left hand consisted of a large, spiked wrecking ball. The right hand seemed to want to jump out and grab me at any given moment. Little did I know it was capable of just that, and a lot more.
First the creature's tail generated an electric current and ran it through the ground towards Dale and me. We leapt over them and waited for it to make another move. Clenching its jaws open and shut menacingly it quickly obliged us. It rocketed high into the air and we watched as it hovered above, ready to pounce on us. I noticed it dropped a bomb with a three second timer. I quickly picked it up and timed my throw so it would detonate in the monster's face rather than in ours. It didn't do as much damage as I had hoped. I figured if I kept it up, and avoided its attacks for long enough, it would do the trick. Next, the robot combined the electrical attack it used previously with an attack of the wrecking ball from its right wrist. Dodging everything proved a challenge even for us. It took to the sky and I lobbed in another bomb. We were making progress. This time the rocket propelled its right hand straight at me, as I expected. Unfortunately I was slow to react and took a blow to the head. I was dazed but not out. Dale kept me running and jumping here and there. I was grateful for his company. We struggled but held strong to our strategy. Predictability seems to be a fatal weakness when it comes to robots.
With Fatcat's mighty weapon reduced to scrap metal we found the fur ball himself had ran off. Suddenly we heard a very different rumbling.
"The ceiling! She's giving way!" Monterey shouted.
I had to think fast. "Go and find cover, everyone! Dale and I will track down Fatcat!"
Monterey wore a look of concern as he turned the other way. "Take care of yourselves!" he offered as he, Gadget, and Zipper rushed to safety.
Dale and I turned to track Fatcat down and bring him to justice. We didn't get far before the ceiling indeed came down around us...
Dale pulled me back in time for a large bit of debris to miss falling on me. I thanked my partner as we crawled our way through the rubble. We couldn't imagine Fatcat having escaped or survived such destruction. Sullenly, we made our way out to our friends without the felon in custody. I was quite disappointed.
I overheard Monterey as we approached. "Chip and Dale are trapped inside! We've lost the lads forever. The rest of the team looked on toward the crumbled building silently as we came onto the scene.
Gadget was first to recover at the sight of us. I was relieved the instant I looked into her eyes. The disappointment of losing Fatcat melted away as I drew near her.
"Chip! Dale! Thank goodness you're safe!" she said shakily as she brushed away a tear.
"We almost didn't make it!" I said with a grin as I dusted off my fedora.
Dale looked at the ground. "And we never did capture Fatcat. He must still be trapped inside."
Gadget mused. "But if I know Fatcat, he had his escape well planned." She was probably right.
"Well, if nothing else, we made that blighter's life a little less cushy, eh? Monterey said with a smile as he flexed his biceps with pride for a job well done.
"You said it!" Dale answered excitedly with a smile. I knew Dale couldn't stay morose for too long.
"And if he ever shows up again..." Gadget said while looking my way.
"Then I guess we'll just have to teach him another lesson!" I said while grabbing my jacket lapels. "Right Rangers?!"
"Right! Watch out, Fatcat! We're the Rescue Rangers!" they answered in kind.
We then made our way home, tired but happy that we had made a difference.
The newscast began. "Special Bulletin: Police say a downtown restaurant has received a bomb threat. Unless the time bomb can be found, the restaurant could be destroyed." Nothing got my blood pumping like a good case, and this could prove to be just that. It had been awhile since we've seen some real action outside of routine matters and small cases.
"Woah! A time bomb!" I exclaimed.
"Chip! What is it?" I heard Gadget ask with concern.
"There's a time bomb in a restaurant downtown!" I told her. I was ready to deploy the team and they wouldn't disappoint me. "We've got to find it." I said in a determined voice.
"This is an emergency!" Gadget's concern for any situation which represented a danger to anyone had always warmed my heart.
"There's no time to waste! Let's go, Mates!" Monterey added as he quickly entered the room.
"We've got a bomb to find." I said, slamming my fist into my open paw.
"We'll go ahead to investigate!" Gadget already had her brilliant mind working on the means of a safe method of bomb disposal. "Look for us and we'll give any clues we've found." She already had some gear ready for the job.
"Or give you some help..." Monterey offered. "Never would o' made it through the battle of the brie without a bit o' help." Musing as he so often did in such situations. "Ah, those were the days..."
He and Gadget started off toward the restaurant.
Zipper flew into the room. "... .. ..... .."
"Right, Zipper! There's no time to lose!" Zipper then left to catch up with the others.
"Dale, you come with me." I commanded.
I had seen Dale slip into the room as Gadget and Monterey were leaving headquarters. It was up to me to rouse him from his lethargic state. This was normal for Dale when there was no early-morning case work with which he could properly begin the day.
"Now!? But I was about to start my afternoon nap!" He complained, much to my annoyance.
"No can do, Dale!" I chided him.
"OK, Partner! Let's go!" His demeanor had changed quickly, but I wasn't surprised by the spark in his eye which was only present during a case. His devotion to Ranger duty always did break his worst domestic habits, at least as long as the case occupied his time.
"Rescue Rangers away!"
The whole team was now on its way toward the restaurant. In my haste I neglected to turn off the television.
"Also in the news..." the announcer continued "Fatcat, the notorious feline felon, escaped from prison last night..."
Dale and I made our way into the restaurant. I was glad the building was in tact, which meant we still had time to find and neutralize the bomb. I was grateful that the building had been evacuated by any humans who would have only complicated matters for us. Though the humans had vacated, there were animals throughout the restaurant that seemed determined to slow us down. I deduced that the bomb had to be of animal origin. But who would do such a thing? I was sure to find out.
I hadn't seen any sign of the other Rangers since splitting up upon our arrival. Dale and I made our way through the dining room and into the kitchen area.
Near the back of the large kitchen, we found ourselves trapped in a large sink. This was thanks to Dale's antics. As I was about to bonk him, I suddenly heard Zipper's distinct buzzing and called him over. He quickly turned on the faucet and we floated toward freedom. We jumped out and I thanked Zipper for his help. Dale and I continued our search as Zipper decided to retrieve reconnaissance from other parts of the restaurant.
We then bumped into Monterey who had been "negotiating" with some of the miscreant animals. He insisted we not interfere and instead continue on with finding the bomb.
We eventually came upon a menacing pink rabbit riding some kind of machine. He seemed to be running the show so I started asking questions.
"All right, spill it! Who set the time bomb?" I started.
"I did!" he admitted to my surprise. "Fatcat asked me to create a diversion, and it worked!"
So I was right about the origin of the bomb. I wondered what purpose Fatcat had in distracting us. What was he up to...?
"No way! Fatcat's in prison!" Dale said with certainty, bringing me out of my introspective queries.
"Not any more!" The rabbit said with a knowingly wicked grin. "He broke out last night! He's planning to steal the Urn of the Pharaoh! He probably as it already! You're too late!"
So that was Fatcat's ulterior motive for this charade. We needed to learn what we could about this "Urn of the Pharaoh". First thing's first I reminded myself.
"So where's the bomb!?" I inquired.
"Find it yourself! Ha ha ha!" he exclaimed indignantly.
Dale and I came forward to force it out of him...
The machine on which he rode was apparently some kind of water cannon. We easily dodged his blasts and quickly hung him out to dry.
I called the group together and we redoubled our efforts to locate the bomb.
"Gadget, have you found the bomb?" I had asked her to use some of the equipment she brought, since I didn't know how much time we had left.
"Here's the bomb!" she answered. I knew she could find it, I always admired her cunning. "Look, it has blue and red wires coming out of it! We have to cut one of the wires to defuse it!"
We didn't question her reasoning.
"But, uh, what happens if we cut the wrong one?" Dale asked while sweating profusely.
"We're doomed!" Gadget answered him.
"Uh oh." Dale looked around for a nearby exit.
"Which one should I cut? Red or blue? Hurry!" Her mind had been working it over; I remembered she sometimes had trouble making decisions. She suddenly turned to me so I suggested the blue wire... call it a detective's hunch.
"OK, here goes!" She proceeded to snip the wire and we all held our collective breath.
"Whew, I guess that was the right one." She said, sharing in our relief.
"It must have been a fake bomb" she noted.
With the bomb no longer a threat, I could concentrate on other pressing matters. I briefed the team on what I got out of the Water Rabbit.
"Hurry! Fatcat's stolen the Urn of the Pharaoh! It's on a ship about to leave port!"
I deduced that Fatcat wouldn't be able to hold a priceless, unique piece locally and that he'd want to move it out of the city quickly and discretely.
"Now what does Fatcat want with the Urn of the Pharaoh? Gadget asked curiously, stroking her chin.
"Who knows? We've just got to get it back!" Our goal was clear, we had to thwart Fatcat's ambitions and deliver him to justice once again.
Dale and I entered the sewers, the quickest way to the docks. The local animal population was none to happy to see us and they made sure we knew it! It was almost as if Fatcat had them under his employment. I was suspicious but didn't dwell upon it.
As we neared the docks we encountered a cat dressed in pilot's attire. He also sported wings sewn into his jacket that allowed him to hover above us. The debris from the ceiling left behind as a result of his flight pattern proved to be a sufficient weapon. Dale and I made short work of him, grounding his flight plans.
We then emerged from the dank sewers to find ourselves at the docks. I just hoped we weren't too late.
As expected, the local animals tried to slow us down. We hurried past them and headed for a large storage area that I figured would suit Fatcat's purposes. Instead, we found a sea faring weasel armed with a bottle. Its contents apparently gave him fiery breath with which he attempted to stop our progress. We put him on ice.
I gathered the team at the docks as I pondered our next move. I stroked my chin in frustration as I tried to get in Fatcat's head to figure out how he'd get the Urn out of the city. I began to survey the area for any ships that appeared to be ready to set sail...
"The Urn of the Pharaoh is missing and we don't have any leads!" Dale exclaimed, flailing his arms in the air, venting his puzzlement.
"..... ... ..... .." Zipper began to buzz excitedly.
"Montey! What's Zipper saying!?" Gadget asked.
"Well, luv, he says that Fatcat and his henchmen headed into a warehouse by the docks!" He pointed to a building not far away.
"Really? Are you sure Zipper?" I asked as I turned my focus, as well as my gaze to him.
"..." he buzzed affirmatively and urgently, with a hint of annoyance.
"All right! C'mon! Let's go!" I lead the team toward the building. "Fatcat better watch out!" Dale and I entered first.
"Woah! Its pitch dark in here! I can't see a thing." I commented.
"Hey! The door shut itself!" Dale yelled as he whirled toward the noise he heard behind him.
The lights came up, but we had no time to take in the sights for we heard a familiar, if muffled voice overhead. Whoever it was, they sounded quite pleased with themselves.
"Ahhh ha ha ha. Welcome, my little Rescue Rangers! I've waited a long time for this!"
"Fatcat??" Dale asked, unable to see the figure clearly.
"The one and only!" came his reply, confirming my suspicions. I wanted to rush forward, ahead of the others, so we wouldn't all be caught in some kind of trap. I knew Fatcat would pull something like this. I figured he was purposefully baiting us when he appeared outside the building, and now he had us trapped.
"Fatcat! You stole the Urn of the Pharaoh!" I said accusingly.
"That's right! And it's full of ancient evil spirits! When I release them, I'll rule the world!" He wore a maniacal grin. At last I knew how he intended to use the urn.
"You'll never get away with this, Fatcat!" Dale said resolutely.
"And what will you do to stop me!?" He eyed Dale, curious at his assertiveness. "You're in a giant refrigerator! You'll be frozen solid in three minutes! Ha ha ha!" He cackled as he walked off, leaving us to our doom, and our own devices...
"Aw nuts! What are we gonna do now?" Dale turned toward me in askance.
"I think I see an opening! Over there!" I pointed toward the top of the large structure. "Maybe we can escape through it! Hurry!"
So we raced on through the frozen shelves, dodging icicles and riding the air currents produced by the many cooling mechanisms. We had plenty of time to spare as we reached the opening I spied from below.
A thought then occurred to me. This certainly wasn't Fatcat's best attempt at stopping us by any means. Perhaps he was in a hurry to get somewhere or meet someone? Or perhaps he was anxious to try out the urn's powers for himself. I wondered about this as the others joined us on the roof of the refrigerator building.
I informed the others of Fatcat's intentions and of the power of the urn. I tried to figure out where Fatcat would most likely unleash his newfound power.
Suddenly, Monterey exclaimed excitedly, "Crikey! There's ghosts everywhere! Fatcat must've opened the urn!"
That answers that question.
"Look! They're coming from the warehouse!" I directed everyone's gaze to the source of the problem.
"You m-m-mean the w-warehouse is h-haunted...?" Dale started shaking like a leaf.
"Pull yourself together, Dale! You're a Ranger!" I gave him a good bonk to get it out of his system.
"Yeah, and th-th-those are gh-gh-ghosts!" I sighed and dragged him into the warehouse with me to investigate.
Inside, we found that the candles had been possessed and were determined to thwart us. They were accompanied by canine apparitions. They did not pose much of a threat. We dodged them and raced along deeper into the warehouse.
I noticed all the doors in the building had the same number 22. For some reason, it reminded me of the residence of my hero, Sureluck Jones. I wondered what he would have thought of this increasingly strange case. I later observed some portraits which bore a striking resemblance to Howard Bask, the creator of Sureluck Jones. I don't know if my mind was playing tricks on me or if it was the darkness that surrounded us... perhaps my brain was giving me these stimuli as a defense mechanism against the unknown, to keep me focused. Or perhaps there were other forces at work here... I resolved to ponder them at a later time; we had Ranger work to do. We pressed on. After all, we didn't have time to play spirit detectives; we had to find that urn quickly. Those ghosts would be quite troublesome if they remained free much longer.
Diligent in our search, we came upon the last room in the building. I was confident the urn would be found within. Much to my dismay I saw only a room with four candle holders, two of which were occupied and lit. I didn't have time to be disappointed for they abruptly went out. I soon found out why. In the darkness before us, I watched a ghastly figure materialize. It seemed to swallow up any nearby light with its very presence. The creature was quite large and floating silently in the still air. It had large glowing yellow eyes and a long mischievous tongue. It had a hound's snout and a big nose. Its torn shroud had a haunting purple hue. Its large arms were bandaged, not unlike a mummy's. However, below its torso was nothing but empty space. What use would legs be to one who could fly as such? I pondered this only for an instant then forced it out of my head as the creature loomed forward to attack us. Its projectiles of spiritual energy were slow-moving and easy enough for us to avoid. The large bandaged orbs it lobbed at us provided sufficient ammunition. It came from a world far removed from our own, and we sent it right back.
Once the artificial darkness it created had begun to fade, the urn was revealed to us. The lid had been removed but it was thankfully nearby. It seemed a bit too convenient.
I proceeded to replace the lid atop the urn where it belonged, thus removing the threat of the ghosts.
"We did it! All the ghosts should disappear soon!" I exclaimed proudly.
Fatcat's voice boomed at us suddenly. "Don't you Rescue Rodents ever learn?"
"Uh oh. It's Fatcat!" Dale said, realizing who it was.
I decided to call him out of hiding so he couldn't formulate any new plans. "Come out here and face us! Are you a cat or a mouse!?" I played to his arrogance.
"Not so fast, Rangers!" It seemed he had this premeditated, more so than usual. It didn't seem like him. "If you dare to face me, come to the amusement park! I'll be waiting!"
We had no choice but to play his game, his way. There was nothing else I could do but walk into his trap... again.
"Ooh that Fatcat! We gotta stop him!" Dale said angrily and impatiently.
"Wait, Dale! It smells like a trap to me!" I put my paw on his shoulder to calm him down as I considered the situation further.
The team regrouped and we all made our way to the amusement park. Soon, Fatcat's voice came out over the PA system.
"You're doomed, Rescue Rangers! I control this entire amusement park! You'll never capture me!"
"Oh yeah?" Dale asked in defiance. "Don't bet on it, Fatcat!" He pointed right at the speaker overhead.
Fatcat continued to rant. "Ha! You need three keys to enter my control room, and they're all hidden in different parts of the park! Have fun!"
"We've got to get the keys!" Dale said impatiently
"Righto, Dale! Where should we go first?" Monterey asked knowing Dale was the master of having fun...
I took charge however. "Let's go to the Clock Tower first!" I figured we'd get a good idea of the park's layout. From there, we could decide on how best to explore the rest of the park and secure the keys.
The intricacies of the clock tower would not distract us, nor would the mining moles with their hammers, nor the mice with their electric batteries. We had a mission to complete and they would not stop the Rescue Rangers.
Dale and I quickly ascended the tower and met a strange ostrich riding a clock gear. This loony character did not pose much of a threat. It seemed Fatcat did not trust his interests to those with any sufficient mental capacities.
Gadget had located the key once we grounded the ostrich. "We found the key! Where to next!?"
Before I could say a word, Dale quickly yelled "Western World! Hurry!" I had no time to protest as we headed toward the attraction.
I wondered why the Western World had so appealed to Dale. I would soon find out. It seemed he knew of a mine cart ride within the attraction, and much to my dismay, he insisted on manning the controls of the cart himself. It was all I could do to avoid falling off. I held down my fedora and held my breath as he sped along the rail, yelping delightedly the whole way. I then reminded myself why he rarely flew the Ranger Plane... he insisted it was for the good of the mission.
I was grateful to reach the end of the ride. My sense of security wouldn't last however. To greet us at the end was a pink cat in a top hat and bow tie that had an affinity for playing cards, and a yearning to share them with us. We ended up shuffling his deck, but not before cutting it for the key we needed.
We were well on our way to meeting with Fatcat face to face.
Monty held the key from the Western World aloft. "We've got two keys! That means the last one must be in Future World!"
I would have congratulated Montey on a brilliant bit of deduction but time was against us.
"Right! Let's go!" I said with a wry grin.
Future world, for all of its wondrous ambiance, provided only a brief and uneventful glimpse of what may be. The mice with sling shots turned out to be bad shots. Ironically the mechanical dogs found here reminded me of a past case, the one during which Gadget had been kidnapped by Fatcat. I remembered it well...
We were to find the lost kitten of our neighbor Mandy. We searched the area around her house but came up empty. We later found out Fatcat had taken the opportunity to kidnap Gadget. The lost kitten was a ruse constructed by the felon himself to lure us out there. We tracked him through the neighborhood, the park, a local diner, the library, a toy store, and eventually to his casino where we found Gadget safe. Fatcat gave us the slip but Gadget had been working on a unique means of transportation with which we could pursue him. We tailed him through the sewers and, when he realized he couldn't shake us, through a department store. We eventually confronted him in the Happy Tom Cat Food Factory, the result of which was his original incarceration.
I was shaken out of my introspection by Dale who was pointing ahead of him. Fatcat had employed a rather large, bright green lizard to drive a wrecking ball and guard the key that we needed to continue. It was actually a rather simple matter to redirect the debris left by the ball toward the driver's head. We took away his license as well as the key.
We had all three keys and quickly made our way to the control room I spotted from atop the clock tower earlier. We quietly made our way to the main door. "Shhh! Fatcat is right inside!" I warned the others.
"Let's use the keys!" Gadget said as she handed them to Zipper.
".. ... .." Zipper buzzed in response. He then placed the keys in the lock.
"It's unlocked! Open the door!" I ordered. We then rushed in to finally confront our nemesis.
I triumphantly shouted "We've got you now, Fatcat! The Rescue Rangers are here!"
We all then looked around as Dale stated the obvious. "Hey! He's gone! Where'd he go!?"
Gadget then spied something in the corner. "Look, everyone! A secret passage! Let's go!"
"Be careful!" I warned. "This could be our last stand!" The others nodded towards me as I faced the darkness before us. I then called to them. "Let's go Rescue Rangers!"
Onward we plunged into the unknown.
Navigating the long, treacherous passageway we found Fatcat. He seemed to be expecting us. I wondered what he had up his sleeve this time...
"Welcome, Rescue Rangers! I've been waiting for you!"
"You'll never get away, Fatcat!" I pointed up at him, locking in a cold and determined stare.
"Surrender!" Dale added equally as determined.
"You'll never defeat me, Rescue Rangers!" he answered angrily.
It seemed he was about to reveal his trump card.
"I have the ultimate weapon: the Fatcat Robot!"
So this is what he was buying time for, to prepare this weapon of his, I concluded.
Dale tapped me on the shoulder. "Did you hear something!?"
A menacing rumble filled the room as Fatcat laughed. It was as though he had gone completely insane.
I quickly shouted. "Look out everyone!"
The other thugs Fatcat had hired left me with the impression that he was ill prepared for our efforts to stop him. I was mistaken. It seemed he had given little thought to the guards he had placed in our way since the restaurant because he had always been focused on this titan of a weapon. The urn might be lost to him but he would at least have a good shot at eliminating us, only to reattempt the theft once again.
This clunker was going to be trouble. The robot was as big as its real life counterpart. Beaming yellow eyes gazed upon us. They resembled those of the robotic cat Tom. Indeed Fatcat had learned a thing of two from his experience with the kindly robot cat. This monstrosity's steel jaws appeared to be razor sharp. The contraption's left hand consisted of a large, spiked wrecking ball. The right hand seemed to want to jump out and grab me at any given moment. Little did I know it was capable of just that, and a lot more.
First the creature's tail generated an electric current and ran it through the ground towards Dale and me. We leapt over them and waited for it to make another move. Clenching its jaws open and shut menacingly it quickly obliged us. It rocketed high into the air and we watched as it hovered above, ready to pounce on us. I noticed it dropped a bomb with a three second timer. I quickly picked it up and timed my throw so it would detonate in the monster's face rather than in ours. It didn't do as much damage as I had hoped. I figured if I kept it up, and avoided its attacks for long enough, it would do the trick. Next, the robot combined the electrical attack it used previously with an attack of the wrecking ball from its right wrist. Dodging everything proved a challenge even for us. It took to the sky and I lobbed in another bomb. We were making progress. This time the rocket propelled its right hand straight at me, as I expected. Unfortunately I was slow to react and took a blow to the head. I was dazed but not out. Dale kept me running and jumping here and there. I was grateful for his company. We struggled but held strong to our strategy. Predictability seems to be a fatal weakness when it comes to robots.
With Fatcat's mighty weapon reduced to scrap metal we found the fur ball himself had ran off. Suddenly we heard a very different rumbling.
"The ceiling! She's giving way!" Monterey shouted.
I had to think fast. "Go and find cover, everyone! Dale and I will track down Fatcat!"
Monterey wore a look of concern as he turned the other way. "Take care of yourselves!" he offered as he, Gadget, and Zipper rushed to safety.
Dale and I turned to track Fatcat down and bring him to justice. We didn't get far before the ceiling indeed came down around us...
Dale pulled me back in time for a large bit of debris to miss falling on me. I thanked my partner as we crawled our way through the rubble. We couldn't imagine Fatcat having escaped or survived such destruction. Sullenly, we made our way out to our friends without the felon in custody. I was quite disappointed.
I overheard Monterey as we approached. "Chip and Dale are trapped inside! We've lost the lads forever. The rest of the team looked on toward the crumbled building silently as we came onto the scene.
Gadget was first to recover at the sight of us. I was relieved the instant I looked into her eyes. The disappointment of losing Fatcat melted away as I drew near her.
"Chip! Dale! Thank goodness you're safe!" she said shakily as she brushed away a tear.
"We almost didn't make it!" I said with a grin as I dusted off my fedora.
Dale looked at the ground. "And we never did capture Fatcat. He must still be trapped inside."
Gadget mused. "But if I know Fatcat, he had his escape well planned." She was probably right.
"Well, if nothing else, we made that blighter's life a little less cushy, eh? Monterey said with a smile as he flexed his biceps with pride for a job well done.
"You said it!" Dale answered excitedly with a smile. I knew Dale couldn't stay morose for too long.
"And if he ever shows up again..." Gadget said while looking my way.
"Then I guess we'll just have to teach him another lesson!" I said while grabbing my jacket lapels. "Right Rangers?!"
"Right! Watch out, Fatcat! We're the Rescue Rangers!" they answered in kind.
We then made our way home, tired but happy that we had made a difference.
