Masks

Chapter Three: Disappearance

Tawny Furfax burst through the hospital room doors, whole and alive. All heads to looked her way as she entered.

"Oh my God, Mayven!" she cried as she ran to her wounded assistant, ignoring the three tomkats in the room. "Are you okay?"

The gray furred she kat looked up with a weak smile. Her face was a bit pale, her blue eyes not quite as bright. She had a thick bandage over her shoulder.

"I'm fine, Tawny. It wasn't that serious."

"And where have you been?" Chance demanded, hovering behind the ginger kat. "You scared me half to death! I thought someone had katnapped you."

"I was at the courthouse already," Tawny said quickly as she glanced over her shoulder. "Mayven was being my double." She instantly turned back to her wounded assistant. "And I told you to wear a bullet vest."

Mayven winced, suddenly looking much younger. "I thought someone would notice and suspect something."

"So let them! It's not worth your safety! I told you that!"

"You told me your bodyguards would keep me safe!"

"Exactly," Commander Feral cut in. The large kat had been standing in the corner, quietly frowning until now. "I told you before, Ms. Furfax, these two you hired don't know how to do anything. They are lucky your friend here didn't get killed."

Chance felt his blood boil and he was about to give Feral a piece of his mind. But Tawny beat him to it. She reached across Chance to grab Jake by his collar and yank him over. The brown kat didn't have time to react before Tawny ripped his shirt open. There in full view was the bullet that hit Jake in the chest earlier, still embedded in the vest. Jake almost forgot it was there himself among all the craziness of the past several minutes. Now that he was reminded, his chest started to ache. That was going to leave a welt.

Feral's eyes widened when he saw it.

"They DID their jobs," Tawny insisted angrily. "Jobs they were forced to fulfill because you couldn't keep your ego out of it. You just had to have your big media parade outside the courthouse so you could strut around in front of the cameras. YOU Commander, are the lucky one that my assistant wasn't killed. Now get out."

"Just a moment here-" Feral blustered, but he was caught short by the death glare he was getting from the angry she kat.

There was almost a growl in her voice as she spoke to him, low and dangerous. "I said get. Out."

For a moment, Feral seemed as if he would get into it with her. Then he thought better of it and decided he would give the angry she kat a moment to cool off before he bothered her again. With his head high, Feral quit the room with a proud gate and shut the door behind him.

For a moment it was silent. Then Tawny let out a heavy sigh and moved to the opposite side of the bed to look over her wounded assistant. "Mayven, I'm so sorry you got hurt. Are you going to be okay?"

Mayven lightly touched the padding on her shoulder, wincing slightly. "It's not bad. Just a broken collar bone. I'll be okay. Really, Tawny, everything will be alright. I promise. Just don't... don't let this hold you back." Her face suddenly looked desperate. "We've got to keep going, alright? We're so close. Don't you stop now. Don't let this scare you off."

Tawny touched her paw, her voice almost maternal. "Mayven, honey, we're not done fighting yet, okay? I promise."

"Why didn't you even tell us what you were planning?" Chance jumped in from the other side of the bed. "Shouldn't Jake and I get to know if you send in a double?"

The ginger kat met his gaze with a challenging look. "Would it have made a difference? Would you have protected Mayven any less if you knew she wasn't me?"

"That's not the point Tawny," Chance shot back. "We're trying to help you! How can I protect you if you're keeping secrets from me?"

"I didn't hire you to protect me, I hired you to do what I tell you!"

Chance's mouth hung open for a minute. "What? That doesn't even make any sense!"

"It doesn't have to make sense! Just do what I say! Don't worry about anything else!"

A growl of frustration rumbled at the back of the yellow tom's throat. "I'm not here to be your errand boy, I'm here to make sure nothing happens to you, you stubborn-" His temper was boiling. If Tawny had been a tom, Chance would have just slugged some sense into her. Since he couldn't do that, he vented his frustration by grabbing a pillow off the chair and throwing it at her. It socked her right in the face.

Tawny gasped and gaped. It was very satisfying to see her so surprised that someone would actually fight back against her. Then she picked up her own pillow and reached over the bed to whomp him back as hard as she could.

"Hey!"

Suddenly both of them were reaching over the bed and hitting each other with pillows, arguing at the same time. It was nearly impossible to discern what each was saying as they vented their anger out on each other.

"Hey, hey! Can we calm down here?" Mayven begged. The poor kat was stuck in the middle as they fought right over her head. "Wounded kat here. Be careful please."

Jake decided he was the only one who could take charge of the situation. He snatched Chance's pillow from his paws and then grabbed his buddy's shoulder.

"Okay guys, everyone needs to take a breath," Jake said calmly, pulling Chance toward the door. "Let's go get some air buddy, come on."

Chance allowed himself to be yanked out, giving Tawny his best 'this isn't over' face before he was out the door. Outside, there was an armed Enforcer stationed down each hallway on both sides of the waiting room, IDing every kat that came by. The two toms would need to move further away if they wanted full privacy to talk.

But Chance didn't make it far. Despite his distaste for how he had been treated, he kept pacing protectively in front of the door, refusing to leave it behind. Jake watched him, feeling a little frustrated himself at the whole situation.

"What is going on between you two?" he finally said in a low tone. "Did you used to date or what?"

Chance paused in mid stride to stare at his partner. His nose wrinkled as if he smelled something sour. "What? No! Jeeze, Jake, the last time I saw her I was sixteen."

"Well, what then? What about this kat has you all bent out of shape? You don't tell me anything about her."

"Look, there's not much to tell, okay? Her mom died when she was young and her dad was always at work. Even her brother was never home so she was a little latchkey kitten. I lived down the road so I would just take her home with me after school."

"That's all?" Jake pressed.

"It's not like some crazy thing happened between us that sealed our friendship for all time. Our last names are one right after the other in the alphabet so we were always seated next to each other, grade after grade. And she-" he paused as very old memories came back to him. "She was utterly fearless and it was so fun to hang out with her, to see what she'd do next. And I don't..." Again he paused and looked at his partner as he realized something. "I don't remember life without knowing her."

That was it. Tawny was his childhood. She symbolized younger days, happier memories, an easier life. She stood for everything Chance used to be before he put on the mask and became someone else. And it was killing him inside that he could not protect that part of his world.

"I know the kind of kat Tawny used to be. She was happy, bright, loud. This kat I see, this quiet, secretive kat isn't her. And she pretends to be strong, but I see this haunted, scared look in her face and the fact that she won't talk to me about it. It's driving me nuts."

Right as he said that, Tawny walked through the door of the hospital room, shutting it behind her. For a brief moment, her facade slipped as she leaned against the door. The previously head strong she kat now looked vulnerable and scared as she covered her mouth with a paw and took a few deep breaths. The other arm wrapped around herself as if trying to hold her up.

"Tawny," Chance said softly as he moved closer.

She saw the two toms standing there and immediately her walls slid into place like a physical change. Her body straightened and her expression grew detached.

"The trial has been postponed until tomorrow," she said calmly as if it were just daily business. "Mayven's staying in the hospital under guard for at least the next 24 hours."

"She seems personally invested in this case as well," Jake noticed. "And in you."

"Yes, she is. I pulled Mayven off the street three years ago when she was fourteen. Her mother died when Mayven was twelve of an overdose. It was sad because only a few years earlier, the woman had been completely clean. But as a single mom, she was very poor. Ended up owing the wrong kats a lot of money. They strung her out on alcohol and catnip- the really hard stuff. Got her doing a lot of things for them no self respecting mother would ever do. It ran the poor woman into the ground and put Mayven in the streets.

"I found her living in an alley, trying to sell herself just like her mother had, just so she could make enough to eat. I got her cleaned up, put her back in school. Made her my assistant when she graduated."

"So how is she invested in this case?" Chance asked.

"Everything comes from Bombay," Tawny sighed. "Though it's near impossible to prove in a case like Mayven's. Bombay owns all the criminal activity in that town. The drugs, loan sharks, prostitution. If it's illegal, it's going down because Bombay says when and how. Though the organization is trickled down through so many channels so it will never lead back to him."

"I see."

The she kat let out a heavy sigh. "Mayven wants to protect me. I'm the only one left alive who can take that slimeball down now. But I never wanted her to get hurt like this." Her stoic veneer faltered for a moment as she leaned against the wall. "And we have to do the whole thing again tomorrow. Some days it feels like I'm beating against a wall that one day's just going to fall over on me."

Jake tipped his head as a thought suddenly came to him. "Hold on, I just had an idea that will get you to that trial and keep everyone safe."


The second attempt at the trial was a far more subdued and controlled affair than the one before it. Picketers were not allowed anywhere on the courthouse grounds and there was no parading of witnesses before the media cameras. Members of the press were allowed by invitation only. Feral and many others agreed that they should still be allowed in the courtroom to show that Megakat City was not scared to continue to show Vincent Bombay for what he was. Thorough ID checks were made on every kat present in the court.

The time came for Vincent Bombay himself to be brought into the courtroom. Everyone fell silent as he was marched down the isle in his expensive suit and handcuffs. The mobster was pushing late 40's with dark gray fur, turning lighter around the face and in his hair from age. He was a large kat, not overly tall, but stout and heavy. His appearance was grizzled from a hard life with a long scar that went from his right cheekbone up to nick out a thick piece of his eyebrow.

Vincent Bombay did not look happy as he took his seat next to his well suited lawyer. A kat who had been on the Bombay family payroll, defending his boys for years. The lawyer as well did not look all too pleased. The DA had been putting together this case for years. Coupled with the surviving witness, this was going to be a tough trial.

At the prosecutors side sat both DAs from Purrson Heights and Megakat City. Heavy hitters meant to take this mobster down once and for all. But there was no witness with them or anywhere in the room. Even Vincent Bombay couldn't help but continue to glance over in curiosity, wondering what was planned.

Everyone was asked to rise until Judge Graywhisker had been seated. Then he addressed the court.

"Due do the unforeseen and tragic circumstances regarding this case, we will be proceeding a bit differently in the interest of keeping our final witness safe. Both sides will be allowed opening arguments and then we will bring in the witness immediately to give testimony and following evidence afterward."

There was a murmur among the crowd and the judge pounded his gavel to keep order.


Tawny waited silently in the tiny room. She was dressed professionally, legs crossed at the ankles as she sat with absolute patience. There were armed Enforcers outside the room. Jake and Chance were the only ones inside. In front of the waiting she kat was a monitor with an attached camera. A quick glance at Tawny's watch and the monitor suddenly came to life. Chance notice her take in a quick breath.

On the screen she saw the competent face of Mr. Showshoe, Megakat City's district attorney. They had met only once in person two days prior, but it made her feel better to see his face.

"Hello, Ms. Furfax," he greeted.

"Mr. Snowshoe."

"May it please the court," he turned to address those in the room with him,"allow me to explain this set up. Due to the murder attempt orchestrated by Mr. Bombay-"

"Objection," interrupted a voice in the background. "The prosecutor has no proof it was my client. A kat, I may add who has been in protective custody for weeks and had no opportunity to orchestrate anything. It's speculative."

"Sustained," agreed the judge.

Mr. Snowshow continued again. "Because of yesterday's attempt on my client's life, we have put her in an undisclosed location where she will testify via a live feed into the courtroom." He turned back toward her. "Ms. Furfax. You were sworn in while we were setting up the feed, correct?"

"Yes," Tawny confirmed.

"You do realize you are still under oath."

"Yes, I understand."

"And can you tell us your involvement with Mr. Bombay?"

"My father used to work for him. He was Mr. Bombay's accountant."

"So he kept financial records of all Mr. Bombay's business ventures."

"I couldn't say for sure," Tawny said. "He began working for Mr. Bombay when I was very young. I never had a full knowledge of what exactly my father did for Mr. Bombay."

"But eventually, your father wanted out," Mr. Snowshoe added.

"Yes," she confirmed, "Mr. Bombay came to our house one night and my dad told him he was done working for the family."

"Please, tell us about that night."

"I had come home late from a friend's house. I was sixteen, maybe seventeen years old. The light was on in the kitchen so I came in quietly, hoping Dad wouldn't notice I had arrived so late. I heard other voices in there with him. I recognized Mr. Bombay's voice, I had met him a few times over the years. They were arguing. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but Mr. Bombay sounded angry and my dad, his tone sounded like he was scared. Like he was asking for something.

"I snuck over to peek in and see what was going on. The door was open just a bit. I heard a gunshot and saw my father fall to the floor. I could see his face. It was blank, no life in it. There was a bleeding hole in his forehead. Mr. Bombay had shot him."

From where he stood, Jake blinked in surprise. Chance never mentioned Tawny's family was involved in the mob like this or that her father was killed. One glance at his partner and it was written all over Chance's face that he had no idea about it either. There was a mixture of horror, sadness and anger fighting for dominance all over the burly tom's face.

"I realize this is difficult to talk about and I am sorry for your loss," Mr. Snowshoe continued, "but can you tell us what happened next?"

Tawny swallowed, but her face stayed a passive mask. "They took my father's body with them. I hid down in the crawl space so they wouldn't find me. Mr. Bombay called other kats to clean up the scene and then they all left. They never knew I was there and I never saw my father again."

"And the authorities have never recovered him?"

"No, he's officially a missing person, even now. No one has ever found the body."

"Your older brother, Dusty Furfax, he, too is on the missing person's report, is that correct?"

"Yes, two years later, after Furfax Industries began to go global, he disappeared without a trace."

"And you suspect Mr. Bombay killed him also."

"Objection," said the defense attorney.

"Sustained," the judge said. "Stick to the facts Mr. Snowshoe."

The attorney nodded. "Ms. Furfax, do you know of any reason why your brother would have willingly made himself disappear on purpose?"

"No. The company was exploding. The money was coming in faster than we knew what to do with it and Dusty one of the main developers. It was his ideas, his first devices and specs that made the company take off. He loved his job, this company. He wouldn't have left it. The only possibility that I can think of is that he, too, felt his life was in danger so he had to hide."

"But you don't really believe that," Mr. Snowshoe said.

"No, I don't."

"Why not?"

Tawny's voice cracked a little. "Because he wouldn't leave his little sister in danger all by herself."

Mr. Snowshoe nodded to her and then turned to the judge. "No more questions, Your Honor."

The DA sat himself down and Bombay's lawyer stood. He was an older kat, one who had known the ins and outs of the courtroom and all the loopholes of the law for years. He strode up to the camera calmly.

"Good day, Ms. Furfax. Mr. Black for the defense."

"Good day," Tawny replied tightly.

"May I start by saying I am sorry for your previous hardships. It can be very difficult to have such unreliable family members."

Chance shifted from where he stood, feeling restless and angry at that subtle jab. Tawny glanced at him for a brief second and then back to the camera.

"I have no doubt they would be here if they were still alive, Mr. Black," she said in an accusatory tone.

The lawyer continued as if she had never said anything. "Did you know exactly what your father did for Mr. Bombay, Ms. Furfax?"

"Not exactly, no. I understood he helped with the finances, ran numbers. But I was a child when he began to work for Mr. Bombay. I did not have much knowledge of what my father's work entailed or what kind of kat Mr. Bombay really was."

"You have created for yourself quite an enterprise with Furfax Industries. To build all that up from scratch is very impressive, not to mention expensive. I can't imagine where a single kat with two children to support came up with that kind of money.

"
He stared at her through the monitor for several moments until Tawny finally spoke.

"Do you have a question in there, counselor?" she asked calmly.

"Do you know where your father got the money to build Furfax Industries?"

"No."

"You don't? It wasn't from a specific loan or...?"

"No, I don't."

"Can you explain to the court why you have no idea what was going on in your own house?"

"Furfax Industries was the brainchild of my brother. He was the genius behind the inventions. And my father was intent on getting those inventions into the market. I was fifteen when they first started working on it. No fifteen year old girl cares where her father gets money from."

"So you weren't aware that your father was actually stealing money from Mr. Bombay, fudging the numbers in the books so he could skim off the top?"

"Does the defense have proof of this, Mr. Black?" Tawny countered. "Because the last I heard, there was no such evidence. Mr. Bombay paid my father well for his work and he knew how to save money. Though if you did want to push that claim, counselor, I'd say you just gave your client probable cause as to why he killed my father. Even if Mr. Bombay was paranoid enough to think my dad was stealing from him, I have no doubt he would kill first and dig up the truth later."

"Of course, that's just my opinion," Tawny added after a pause, looking a little pleased with herself.

In the background on camera, Mr. Snowshoe looked proud himself. He knew the defense would try to tear down Tawny's character to take away the credence of her testimony. That was all they could do. But he had prepped her well and the she kat was proving to be as sly as the mob lawyer himself.

"Motion to strike that last part from the record," Mr. Black said to the judge.

Judge Graywhisker looked down at him. "You opened that door yourself, counselor, I'll allow it."
The attorney looked a little put out, but quickly recovered. "Ms. Furfax, if your father did steal some of that money from Mr. Bombay to build your company, would you be comfortable with that?"

"You mean would I be comfortable using blood money from a dirty mobster to run my business?"

Mr. Black opened his mouth to object, but he knew the judge would just tell him the same thing as before, so he kept his mouth shut.

"I did not build Furfax Industries," Tawny continued. "I merely inherited it when my family was taken away from me. I had no control over its origins, all I can do is run it to the best of my ability now."

Seeing he was getting nowhere with this line of questioning, the defense attorney moved on. "Ms. Furfax, you say you saw your father killed when you were about seventeen, correct?"

"Yes."

"That was several years ago. Why are we discussing it now?"

"I was a child, Mr. Black. I was scared to death that if I said anything the same thing would happen to me. It took a while before I dared tell anyone what I had witnessed. My brother went after Bombay and he disappeared. After that happened, the KBI contacted me and asked that I wait for this trial to give my testimony. Which is perfectly legal since there is no statute of limitations on murder."
"And you are sure Mr. Bombay was the one who killed your father?"

"Yes."

"You saw him do it?"

Tawny sighed. "I did not see him pull the trigger, but I saw a smoking gun in his paw after my father fell to the floor. If Mr. Bombay was stupid enough to handle a murder weapon after someone else had pulled the trigger then he was at least there when it happened."

In the background, Vincent Bombay sent her a murderous glare and Tawny glared fearlessly right back.


The questioning was grueling and emotionally trying, but finally it was over. The attorneys had no more questions and the judge thanked Tawny for her time. When the monitor at last went black, she painfully released her fists that had been clenched in her lap the entire time. Technicians came in to unhook the equipment while Tawny stood and flexed her fingers.

Chance approached her, a concerned look on his face. Tawny just smiled at him.

"I had no idea you had been through all that," he apologized. "I wish you would have told me. I wish I would have known somehow."

"We've been keeping it out of the papers," Tawny said gently. "I would have told you if you had asked about them."

"I would have asked, if we just had more than two seconds to-"

"I know," she insisted. "It's been crazy. Let's talk about this when it's all over, okay?"

He smiled a little. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Tawny turned to look at Jake. "And you, that was a brilliant plan. I don't know why I never thought of this myself."

He just smiled and shrugged a little. "Just doing my job."

"You two have been a big help, really," Tawny smiled, looking almost genuinely happy. "This will be it for now. We're parting ways until the trial's over."

"What?" Chance protested. "What's going on?"

"I'm going underground until the trial's over. Way underground. They believe it's best for my safety."

"The Enforcers," he accused with distaste in his voice.

Tawny shook her head. "Higher up."

"The KBI?" Jake gaped.

She just smiled. "Unfortunately, that means I'll only be able to read the trial transcripts instead of attending. But fair trade, I guess, for living to see the end. Just because I've managed to testify doesn't mean Bombay won't try any revenge."

"I'd like to go to the trial," Chance said. "Somebody should be there for you."

Emotion passed over her face before she got it back under control. "I believe your names are on the approved list if you wish to attend. I have to go now."

"You better see me before you leave the city," Chance warned. "I'm collecting on that talk."

"It's a promise," she vowed.


The next day of the trial there were no more witnesses, but there was plenty of data and evidence to wade through. Jake and Chance were indeed allowed in the courtroom and were determined to sit through the rest of it. The DA really seemed to have an air tight case on Bombay. It was obvious they had been getting everything in order for quite some time.

Two hours in, Chance nudged Jake and leaned into whisper "Check out the corner, up in the balcony."

As covertly as possible, Jake glanced over the kats sitting in the seats above his head. It took a few passes to figure out what exactly Chance wanted him to see.

"Anyone look familiar?"

Then Jake saw her. Even without her mask and costume he recognized her immediately. Black Kat in civilian clothes was sitting up there plain as day. The tall striking she kat would catch anyone's attention. Not to mention gray fur with blonde hair was an unnatural color combination. Though she was dressed plainly in a skirt and heels, hair down around her shoulders, it was nearly impossible not to recognize her.

"Looks like Feral's noticed her, too," Jake whispered back.

Commander Feral had appeared in the balcony and obviously zeroed in on the suspiciously familiar she kat. Jake felt a bit bad for her that she was going to get caught so easily. It seemed like a waste and there was nothing he could do to help her now. Jake hoped for her sake she had a trick up her sleeve to get out of there.

Black Kat picked up she was being singled out as well. As calmly as you please, she gathered up her purse and headed for the exit before the Commander could skulk over to her side of the balcony. With a clicking of heels, she was soon walking down the tile floor toward the exit. Almost to freedom.

"Hold on there, Miss," came a commanding voice.

The she kat froze, breathed out, and then turned around curiosity. "Yes?"

Feral looked her up and down suspiciously. The black choker on her neck caught his eye. It seemed out of place with the rest of her high class outfit. "Leaving the courtroom so soon? Seems strange to go right in the middle."

"Oh, I would love to see it all, but I have another appointment I have to go to this afternoon," the she kat answered smoothly.

"May I see your ID, please?"

She paused for a moment, then put a smile on her face. "Why yes, of course. One moment." She rooted around in her tiny red purse before producing a card and handing it to the commander.

Feral inspected the ID. It was Megakat City issued. It appeared legitimate and the picture matched the she kat standing before him. He looked at the name: Katarina Rogers.

"How long have you lived in Megakat City, Ms. Rogers?" he asked.

"Most of my life."

"And what is your relationship to this case?"

That she kat presumably called Katarina moved closer to him. Feral got a whiff of the flowery scent in her hair. Her smile was dazzling as she plucked her ID from his fingers. "Things like this interest me and I've gotten to know some kats in some very high places."

Any other she kat, Feral would have automatically assumed he was speaking with the mistress of some politician. Any other kat but this. She was leggy with blue eyes that could drown any unsuspecting tom, but Feral felt something more to this one. She wasn't just a pretty face. There was something going on but he didn't have a thing to pin on her.

"Good day," Katarina called as she walked away.

Feral hesitated to go after her. He needed to stay with the Bombay trial as long as that dangerous criminal was in there. But he was torn with the urge to follow the she kat as well.

Eventually, his curiosity won out and he moved to the glass doors to at least see which way she would go. He stepped outside, but the she kat was nowhere to be found.

Frowning, Feral skulked back inside.


One of the things Commander Feral prided himself of personally was his photographic memory. He only had a glance of Katarina Roger's ID, but that was all he needed to memorize the address. Her name had indeed been on the approved list, but Feral could not figure out who had put her on it. It was time to do some investigating.

That night after the trial, Feral followed up with the address, taking an unmarked car. It took him to an older neighborhood. Not quite the slums, but not exactly the nice kind of neighborhood a classy she kat like that would come from. Feral approached the building and inspected the line of buzzers at the front doors that would connect him to each apartment. Katarina lived in apartment 502 but he didn't see any button for that number.

The front door opened and an older kat, most likely to be the landlord, stepped outside. Feral obviously stuck out in this neighborhood.

"Can I help you, sir?"

"I'm looking for the resident in apartment 502," Feral replied.

The kat shook his head. "Look up there, this building only has four floors. There is no apartment 502."

Feral looked at the building and frowned.


The trial lasted for a week before the persecution ran through all their evidence. The DA's case was strong and all the years of preparation had been worth it. Without any bodies, Vincent Bombay was not found guilty of murder, but everything else stuck And it was a very, very long list. The mobster did not look happy at all as he stood for sentencing. The judge gave him all nine lives at Alkatraz Island.


"Man, did you see that guy's face when the book got thrown at him?" Chance said in a light mood as he drove himself and Jake home. "It was priceless. I wish Tawny could have been there to see it."

"There were enough cameras there, I'm sure she'll get a replay."

"It was really interesting to see what happens on the other side though. It makes me feel good about the system to see justice done."

Jake chuckled. "Well how about the day we hang up the masks we'll both become lawyers?"

Chance grinned. "Sounds like fun."

It was evening by the time they returned to the salvage yard. The shop had been closed all week, but there was a car parked right outside the building. A she kat with a ginger complexion was leaning against the car and waiting for them.

"Hey, look at you," Chance greeted as he got out of the car. He eyed the she kat up and down. "Now that's more like it."

Tawny was dressed in jeans this time. Nice jeans with a fashionable top, but still a step lower than her usual attire. She just smirked at him.

"So I guess you heard about the trial results," Chance continued. "That must feel good."

The she kat suddenly grinned, bigger than either tom had seen from her. "It feels amazing. This is the best day of my life."

"How's your assistant doing?" Jake asked.

"She's doing well. Even better since she got the news. She's already back in Purrson Heights working. I told her she could take as many days off as she needed, but she's got a fire lit under her tail now."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it."

Tawny nodded at him and then addressed them both. "I was hoping you guys wouldn't mind working for me a little while longer. I wanted to go out to eat to celebrate. My treat."

"Yes!" Chance pumped his fist. "Wait. Do we have to wear those monkey suits?"

She grinned. "Does it look like I'm wearing mine?"

Chance smiled back, a more gentle expression. He moved closer and put an arm around her shoulders. "You did good."

She leaned into him and patted his arm. "Thanks." Then she pulled away. "You guys ready to eat? I'm starving."


Tawny took them to a steak house with a private, fenced off patio in the back. Having reserved the entire back deck for herself, the three ate in complete privacy. Though Chance purposefully placed his seat facing the door so he could see who was coming and going.

Most of the night was spent catching up. Chance told Tawny about his brief Enforcer days and begrudgingly how they ended up running the salvage yard. Tawny took not a moment to judge him and told him about her struggles with running a business without her family. But by the time dessert came around, the conversation turned to lighter subjects. Jake listened quietly as the two entertained him with silly stories about when they were stupid teenagers.

"And Tawny just grabs a bat and chases all three of those guys down the driveway," Chance said through his laughter. "She just kept screaming at them that she knew where they lived and she was going to get them all. I've never seen kats get in a car so fast. And she had brought me to be the muscle."

"I couldn't help it!" the she cat protested. "They made me so mad! Jude and his friends were slimeballs, all of them. I had to get Tina out of that relationship for good. If any guy hit me, the Enforcers would never find the body."

"Not if I got to him first," Chance and Jake both said at the same time.

"Aww," Tawny cooed, pressing a paw to her heart. "That's sweet, guys."

"Not that I wouldn't have doubted you could take care of yourself in high school," Chance continued. "Remember Jason Bengal?"

Tawny instantly covered her face. "No, don't tell that story."

"Well now I have to hear it," Jake grinned.

"This Jason guy had been beating on a friend of ours, just a really small, quiet kid. I was going to confront him myself about it, but Tawny beat me to it. I walked down to the bleachers just in time to see her kick Jason right in the junk."

Jake made the kind of empathetic face all males make on the subject. Tawny herself winced at the recollection.

"As he's limping away, she's calling after him," Chance mimicked her screaming, "'If you ever touch him again, your balls are mine!'"

Tawny hid her face in her paws again.

"Wow, so you were some kind of schoolyard enforcer," Jake commented.

"I swear, I'm not a bad person," Tawny pleaded to the brown tom.

"She was a bit more scrappy in those days," Chance grinned. "But still as tough now."

Tawny gave him a thankful smile, then hurried to change the subject. "Hey, remember Scaredy Kat? We would stay up all night long watching those marathons."

"Are you kidding!" Chance confirmed. "I still watch Scardey Kat! They've started putting out new episodes again."

Jake groaned at the she kat. "Oh no, you like that show, too? How can you watch a whole marathon?"

"Scaredy Kat is the best show ever," Chance insisted. "Tell him, Tawny."

The she kat turned toward Jake, meeting her eyes with his. "You see, the thing about Scaredy Kat is that is it the stupidest show ever made and that is why it's so hilarious."

"What?" Chance protested, almost standing up in surprise. "It's not stupid!"

Tawny was giggling. Giggling. And Jake just kept watching her. It was like looking at a completely different kat. Was this the Tawny that Chance had always known was under that cold, emotionless veneer?

"It's so bad," she continued to laugh, looking over at Jake.

For the first time ever, he noticed her eyes were yellow and they sparkled like gold in the wake of her joyful smile.

"It's not stupid!" Chance insisted again. "Scaredy Kat is comedy genius!"

Tawny just kept laughing. "Oh Chance, you're hilarious when you're angry." Her phone vibrated in her purse and she fished it out. "Hey Mayven," she greeted as she continued to smile.

The voice on the other end of the phone spoke to her and rapidly that smile began to disappear. Tawny swallowed. "Are you sure?" she said in a suddenly raspy voice.

Mayven said something else and Tawny's head snapped toward the inside of the restaurant. She walked through the doors with wide strides, phone still at her ear. Approaching the bar, she stared at the wall mounted tv where Ann Gora's face filled the screen. Jake and Chance were right behind her as they watched the news report.

"...infamous mob boss Vincent Bombay who was sentenced to life on Alkatraz earlier today," Ann was saying. "Bombay was scheduled to meet the boat that would take him to his prison cell earlier this evening. The police truck transporting the mobster failed to arrive at the appointed time and was found just moments ago, abandoned and empty on the beach."

"What?" Chance sputtered behind Tawny's shoulder.

Jake glanced at her and watched the color completely drain from her face.

"Authorities are now on the hunt for Bombay and the missing Enforcers who were escorting him," Ann continued. "If you see Vincent Bombay, contact authorities immediately. Do not attempt to approach him. He is considered armed and extremely dangerous."

Tawny turned and stumbled through the two toms standing behind her. Jake had to catch her before she almost ran into a table. She wandered back out to the patio in a daze, blindly pawing around to fetch her purse.

"I've gotta... I've got to do something..." she mumbled to herself.

"Hey, hey." Chance grabbed her shoulders. "Look at me. It's going to be okay. The Enforcers are already on his tail. They'll find him. And when they do, this guy has already been convicted. He's going to jail for a long time."

Tawny closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath. She stood there for a moment and then met Chance's gaze.

"I need to go home now."

Chance didn't move, mentally weighing the options.

"Mayven's there. I need to be with her," Tawny continued. "I haven't been home in so long. I need to go home."

Normally, Chance would have insisted she stick with him while she was upset. But maybe getting Tawny out of town and away from this craziness was a good idea. Sometimes just being home was the best therapy and she was right, Tawny had been seeing nothing but hotel rooms for over a week. She needed to go home.

"Okay," he relented.

She gave him an apologetic look. "Do you guys mind taking a cab? I've got to go pack my things and call Mayven to tell her I'm coming home."

"Yeah, that's fine, Tawny. But you promise to call me when you get home, okay?"

Her answer was to reach up and hug him around the neck. "I will. We'll talk again," she promised in a whisper.

They embraced briefly and Tawny slipped back into her business mode. She payed for the meals and the two toms walked her out to the parking lot. It was the last time they ever saw her as she drove away.


That night, the two pilots hit the gym they had set up in a corner of the hanger. It had been a while since either had a good workout with how busy they had been lately. Both had a lot of pent up energy they needed to dispel.

"We should be out there hunting that guy while he's still in the city," Chance panted as he ran on the treadmill. "His trail's getting colder by the minute while we're just playing around in here."

"And just how do we look for him?" Jake answered as he danced around a dangling punching bag. He gave it a few jabs then a savage kick. "That creep's gone underground by now. That's not exactly something we can track from the Turbokat. You know I hate to admit it, buddy, but the Enforcers are better equipped to search for this guy than we are. Not to mention if the KBI are getting involved, we don't want to go anywhere near that."

Chance growled as he ran in place, knowing his partner was right. The SWAT Kats were used to taking care of the big, blatant monster threats on the city. They had no knowledge of Megakat's criminal underground. They wouldn't even know where to start looking for Bombay or anyone who might know of his whereabouts.

Then, of course, there was also the KBI. Neither vigilante wanted to be put on their radar. Maybe the Enforcers didn't have the resources to track down the true identities of the SWAT Kats, but the government just might if they wanted to hunt them down badly enough. The two pilot's paws were tied for now. All they could do was keep their ears and eyes on the news band and wait.

As such, the small screen mounted in the corner was on, broadcasting the news channel while the two kats worked out. The word "Furfax" scrolled across the screen, immediately catching Chance's eye.

"Woah, something's up," he said, catching Jake's attention as he turned up the volume.

The brown tom moved next to Chance's jogging form as they watched the screen.

"Again, we have just received new information about the burning car found five miles outside the city limits," Ann Gora was reporting. "Officials are suspecting foul play as it seems the fire was the result of a car bombing. It has just been confirmed that the car was registered to Purrson Heights multibillionaire Tawny Furfax."

Jake's eyes widened in horror as he heard Chance stumble loudly off the treadmill.

"What?" he asked, his voice hardly a whisper.

"By the time Enforcers arrived at the scene, the flames had incinerated most of the evidence. Officials are now trying to confirm the identity of what remains of the body. Tawny Furfax was the key witness in the Vincent Bombay trial, of which Mr. Bombay was convicted to life in Alkatraz yesterday. He was reported missing during transport and still remains at large."

Jake grabbed the remote to mute the broadcast and turned to his friend. "Hey buddy, are you going to be o-" He was cut off as a set of dumbbells flew in his direction.

With a frustrated cry, Chance attacked the gym, any piece of equipment he could get a hold of. He threw the objects he could and tipped over anything that was too heavy, screaming the entire time. The chain holding the punching bag broke with a mighty swing before Chance turned his attention to the wall itself and punched the concrete.

"Chance, stop!" Jake grabbed his arm. "You're just hurting yourself."

The burly tom's face was a sneer of anger, but there were tears lining his eyes. Tears he would never allow himself to spill. Instead, he closed his eyes and thunked his head against the wall.

"I never should have let her go," he said, suddenly soft. "I should have stayed with her or made her come home with us or... something."

"You had no way of knowing this was going to happen," Jake said gently. "Wanting to get her out of the city was a good call."

Chance's forehead still rested against the wall. His eyes opened as his fists clenched. This time his voice held a deep growl.

"Jake, we're hunting down that skuzball ourselves. And when we find him," Chance's tone turned deep, "I'm going to kill him."