Chapter Eleven
"Wot is this place?" Teaser looked around, her eyes wide with wonder.
Tugger gave a wry chuckle, "Back in the day, this was where I'd take chicks to—"
"Way more information than we needed," Bomba interrupted. A small smile crept onto her face as she surveyed the room, which was painted a deep red and had "Peace, Love, and Rock n' Roll" signs plastered on the walls.
"I was going to say 'to talk'," Tugger finished smoothly, although the grin on his face testified that he was lying. Bomba just rolled her eyes, smiling at his antics.
"It's pretty big," Cassandra peered into an adjoining room. She flashed a smile over her shoulder, "More than enough room for everyone."
"So…no more sleeping on the floor?" Pounce asked hopefully. Everyone laughed at the comment.
Mungo made sure the door was closed and locked. He looked up at Tugger, "Should we post a wotch tonight?"
Tugger shook his head, "I don't think so. As far as Macavity knows, we all died in the fire. I doubt the rats hung around to make sure we didn't get out. We should be safe—at least for tonight."
Everyone nodded in agreement, although no one truly felt safe. After all, Macavity had discovered their last hide out. How hard would it be for him to do it again?
"One more thing," Tugger held up a cautionary paw. "We are situated above a factory. So in the early morning, a bell will ring—you'll get used to it after awhile. And the machines can get kinda loud."
"Great," Cassandra said dryly.
"Hey, it's better than a burnt out building," Pounce reminded her. Cassandra shook her head with a wry chuckle. The kit had a point.
~*~
Tanto and Coricopat stood atop the junk pile as the deafening sound of sirens shattered the stillness of the night. Jellyorum was seated beside them; she had rushed out when she heard the siren wails.
"How far away do you think that is?" Jellyorum asked, her eyes never leaving the huge orange spot on the horizon.
"A good half-mile at least," Coricopat answered. "Two miles at the most. Outside of Jellicle Territory, that's for sure."
"I wonder what happened," Jellyorum murmured.
Tantomile kept quiet. She had awakened from dreams of fire—a bad omen indeed. Still, she wasn't sure what that meant, so she decided to keep her mouth shut.
"What's going on?" Munkustrap appeared beside them. No one bothered to look at him; they were still focused on the fire.
"Not sure," Corico responded. "Something's on fire—something big, by the looks of it."
Munkustrap nodded. A beat passed. He spoke again, "Inside Jellicle Territory or out?"
"Out, I think," Cori replied.
"We'll go in the morning and find out," Munkustrap decided. The others nodded in agreement.
For some reason, Tantomile could not quell the feeling of dread in her stomach.
~*~
Bombie and Tugger stood side by side, watching as the others slept, their soot-streaked faces lined with fatigue and worry. No one had wanted to sleep alone, so everyone was curled up in the main area.
"Do you have any alcohol in this joint?" Bomba asked quietly. Tugger nodded and turned towards the back room, where he kept his supplies.
"How about wine?" He asked. Bomba wrinkled her nose.
"I'd prefer something harder," she admitted. Tugger chuckled in agreement and quickly found something more suitable.
"Bottoms up," he declared, pouring them each a shot.
The red queen grimaced at the taste, but she dutifully drank the shot. With a heavy sigh, she spoke, "I don't think I'll be able to sleep ever again."
Tugger nodded. He glanced up at her terror-stricken appearance; his mind thought back to the look on her face as she lay in the corner, gasping for air. His eyes traveled to her slender throat as he remembered her paw clutched around it. Suddenly, he noticed something.
"Your collar's missing," he stated. Bomba unconsciously touched her neck. Confusion clouded her face as she tried to remember how she'd lost it.
"I must have taken it off when it got harder to breath," she said distractedly, gently rubbing the spot where her collar had been. It was her last connection to Demeter.
"I'm glad you're OK," Tugger said quietly, his amber eyes meeting her dark ones. She gave a soft smile.
"Don't get all emotional on me, Tugsy-boy," she joked, giving him a playful punch in the jaw. "You're the leader now; you've gotta be tough."
"I just don't want anything to happen to you," Tugger replied.
"Nothing's going to happen to me," Bomba reassured him softly. "Everything's fine—we all survived; no one is even injured. Stop worrying."
Tugger nodded, but the expression on his face told Bomba that he was still concerned.
"C'mon," Bomba poured another round. "One more shot, and then it's off to bed."
The red queen held up her glass in toast, "To us."
Tugger grinned and clinked his glass against hers, "To us."
~*~
Munkustrap stood before the Tribe, the early morning wind ruffling his fur as he looked down upon them, "Alonzo and I will go to inspect the site of last night's fire. We will make sure that it was not on Jellicle Territory."
Cetty thought that was an odd excuse—what did it matter, since no one was allowed to leave the yard anymore?
"Until I return, Asparagus shall be in charge."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jellyorum beamed with pride that her son had been chosen, even if it was only for a few hours.
Munkustrap dismissed the assembly; everyone went back to the business of preparing for the Jellicle Ball. It was now only a few days away.
Demeter ran after her mate, catching his arm and causing him to turn around.
"I'd like to go with you," she announced.
An odd look passed through Munku's eyes, but he did not comment. He simply nodded, "OK."
Demeter gave a grateful smile. It had been months since she had left the confines of the junkyard; this excursion came as a welcome relief.
The three cats made their way through the winding streets of London, occasionally stopping to make sure that they were headed in the right direction. The closer they got to the site, the thicker the air was—grey smoke rolled eerily through the narrow streets, creating odd shadows in the early morning light.
"We've got to be close," Alonzo wrinkled his nose and gave a cough. "The smell is getting stronger."
Munku nodded in agreement. Suddenly, he spotted it.
"There!" He pointed down the street. "It's that building."
"We're over a mile past Jellicle Territory," Demeter spoke to no one in particular.
"I guess we had nothing to worry about," Alonzo agreed.
"Let's go inspect it—just in case," Munku replied, moving closer to the building. Dem and Alonzo exchanged questioning glances, but they followed anyways. The three cats moved through the rubble, up the nearly dilapidated flight of stairs, all the way to the fourth floor.
"What is this place?" Demeter looked around with wide eyes.
"I don't know," Munkustrap replied, although something in his actions made Alonzo believe otherwise.
"Something's not right here," Demeter announced. Her companions turned to look at her in confusion.
"I smell gasoline," she stated. No response. She sighed, "Accelerant—it means this fire was started on purpose."
"Humans do crazy things," Alonzo admitted with a shrug.
"It wasn't humans," Demeter replied.
"How do you know?" Alonzo asked.
"I smell rats," she answered vaguely. Her small nose twitched oddly, "Just like the ones Macavity used to employ."
"We shouldn't be up here," Munkustrap announced suddenly. "This place could collapse at any minute."
Alonzo nodded in agreement. As he turned to leave, something caught his eye. He quickly made his way through the fallen beams to reach it. From a pile of ashes, he pulled out a badly burned collar.
Something in his memory clicked—he had seen it somewhere before.
"Alonzo, are you coming?" The sound of Demeter's voice caused him to turn around. He smiled at her—and that's when he noticed it. The collar around her neck—it was just like the one he was holding. Just like the one Bombalurina used to wear.
"Just a minute," he replied. The look on his face made Munkustrap instantly suspicious.
"You go ahead, honey," Munkustrap motioned to Demeter. "We'll be down shortly."
Demeter nodded and did as she was told. Munku made his way to his brother.
"What's wrong?"
Alonzo held up the collar, "It's Bombie's."
"Are you sure?" Munkustrap asked in a shocked tone.
"Positive."
"So Dem was right," Munkustrap murmured softly, looking around the room with renewed interest. "This wasn't a human fire."
"What happened here?" Alonzo's voice was thick with emotion as he tried to imagine what horrible event had occurred within those blackened walls. He noticed a door near the pile of rubble. He went to it, only to discover it was barricaded. He could barely stifle the tears that threatened his eyes as he thought about the implications, "She was blocked in…and the place was set on fire."
"She wasn't alone," Munkustrap said softly, taking time to inspect what was left of the adjoining rooms. "Other cats were here."
"Oh, bast," Alonzo shook his head. "Who would do such a thing?"
"I don't know," Munku replied. He looked up at Alonzo pleadingly, "Please, don't tell Demeter—she won't be able to handle this."
"She has the right to know," Alonzo countered.
"Do you remember how bad it was last time we thought Bombalurina was dead?" Munkustrap asked. "Demeter wouldn't leave the house for days at a time. She didn't sleep, didn't eat, didn't speak—all she did was stare out the window! Do you honestly want to put her through that again—especially now that she has three young kits to care for?"
Alonzo did not reply. He knew his brother was right—Demeter could not handle losing her friend again. Still, there were other questions in his mind that remained unanswered.
"Why would Bomba be here?" He looked around. "And with other cats? What other cats?"
"We've had several cats go missing over the last year," Munkustrap shrugged. "Perhaps they all came here."
Alonzo was not satisfied with the answer. More questions came, but he kept them to himself. Of all the places in London, why was Bomba here? And why was this the only place set on fire? Who would do such a thing? And why?
"C'mon," Munkustrap interrupted his brother's thoughts with a reassuring smile. "Demeter's waiting for us."
He held out a silver paw expectantly; Alonzo dutifully handed over the collar, which Munku quickly hid in his own.
"Remember," the silver tabby looked at his brother solemnly. "Not a word."
~*~
"We should go back," Mungojerrie announced. He looked around at the other rebels, who were still rubbing sleep from their eyes.
"Are you off your bloomin' rocker?" Teaser cast a skeptical glance in his direction. "There's nuffin to go back to!"
"The humans were there—maybe they saved it from bein' destroiyed completely," Mungo reasoned with a shrug. "We need ta see wot we can salvage."
"I would love to have my mirror back," Bomba said softly. Tugger was the only one who heard her comment.
"Alright," the maine coon sighed. "We'll go back and see what we can recover."
~*~
The tribe was anxiously awaiting the return of the three Jellicles—as soon as they returned, Alonzo, Munku, and Dem were flooded with questions.
"Was it in Jellicle Territory or out?" Asparagus asked.
"Out," Alonzo replied.
"That's good to know," Teathrice gave a sigh of relief. "We're safe."
"Not entirely true," Demeter said quietly. Everyone stopped and stared at the petite queen.
"The fire was Macavity's work," she spoke in a somber tone. The name rippled through the crowd.
"But if it wasn't on Jellicle Territory, then we have nothing to worry about, right?" Teathrice asked, looking around in uncertainty.
"Maybe, maybe not," Roary Huffersnuff replied. His yellow eyes remained focused on Demeter's face. "We'll have to wait and see."
"It was over a mile outside of Jellicle Terf," Munkustrap stated calmly, giving Demeter a disapproving look. "As far as we know, it had nothing to do with the Jellicles—or Macavity for that matter."
"Are you saying that I wouldn't recognize the scent of those awful rats—after spending all that time in the lair?" Dem looked at him in disbelief.
"I'm saying that we don't know for sure," Munkustrap said quietly. Demeter gave a slight nod of acquiescence. Munku had a point—although she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was Macavity's henchrats, she couldn't really prove it.
"I don't think we should get all worked up over this until we are sure that it is a threat against the Jellicle Tribe," Munkustrap informed the others. Everyone nodded in agreement. Even those who believed Demeter shrugged and agreed that Macavity had plenty of other enemies, numerous foes that he could attack besides the Jellicles. There was no need to fear.
Munkustrap simply smiled as he watched the others return to their activities. He had eliminated all threats to his throne. Tugger and his band of rag-tag rejects had finally received their just reward—a painful, fiery death. The perfect punishment for traitors.
~*~
Electra took a deep breath as she timidly stepped onto the rickety staircase. It was badly charred—in some places, whole steps were missing, completely burned out.
"Are you sure it's safe?" She turned to look back at Teaser and Mungo, who were smiling reassuringly.
"Course it is," Mungo motioned for her to continue.
"An' if it ain't, then we'll foind out soon enough," Teaser added.
Electra did not find comfort in Teaser's words, but she bravely pushed forward. Misto and Pouncival followed her.
"I still don't understand," Bomba shook her head softly, her dark eyes surveying the nearly destroyed building. "Why would Mac do this to us?"
"Why not?" Tugger asked. He knew that Bombalurina was a bit biased when it came to Macavity, but he couldn't understand why this was so hard to believe. After all, Macavity was the worst cat in London—why shouldn't arson be on his list of activities?
"Something isn't right," she said softly. Her white-tipped paws gently traced the outline of the brick wall, creating lines and shapes in the soot. "This isn't like him at all."
"It's been a long time since you've been with Macavity," Tugger reminded her. "Perhaps things have changed."
"Perhaps," she said quietly. With a heavy sigh, she turned back to the maine coon. "Shall we go up?"
Tugger gave a grand bow towards the staircase, "After you, Milady."
That brought a smile back to the red queen's face. She made her way up the stairs, gingerly stepping from board to board.
"My, my," Tugger gave a low whistle of appreciation as he watched Bomba's hips sway in front of him. "Going last has its rewards."
"Keep dreaming, Tiger," Bomba shot over her shoulder.
Tugger chuckled but kept quiet.
"I can still feel you staring," Bomba commented after a few minutes.
"Can't help it."
"Can't or don't want to?"
"Is there a difference?" Tugger joked.
"Not in your case," Bomba replied smoothly.
"Hey, guys!" Pouncival called down joyously. "Most of our stuff is still here! The rafters are burned and some of 'em caved in, but the stuff in the back rooms is still OK. The humans must've stopped the fire before it took over the fourth floor."
Bomba and Tugger picked up the pace, finally reaching the fourth story. The red queen instantly went to the bedroom. Gingerly, she felt behind the mirror. It was still there—the rose Tugger had given her during their fight. She quickly took a nearby rag and wrapped the flower in it. She didn't want anyone to see her prize—and most certainly not Tugger.
"I see your mirror is still in-tact," Tugger commented as he walked into the room.
"What? Oh, yes," she turned back to the glass quickly. She lightly swept the silver surface, which was blackened with smoke. "It needs a good cleaning, but other than that, it's just fine."
"I'm glad," Tugger nodded. "I know how much you liked it."
Bombalurina smiled. If only he knew the real reason for her wanting the mirror back—not because she liked it, but because of the secret it hid behind its shiny frame.
"Is this going back with us?" Pouncival entered the room, motioning to the mirror.
"Yes," Bomba nodded.
"What's that?" Pounce pointed to the rag in Bomba's hand.
"A keepsake," she replied smoothly.
"You have a rag as a keepsake?" Pouncival looked at her as if she'd gone mad.
"To each his own," Bomba sniffed haughtily. Unlike Pounce, Tugger could tell that there was something wrapped inside the rag, but he wisely kept silent. Bomba could be quite mysterious at times; it was always best to leave things alone. If she wanted them to know, she would tell them.
"C'mon, ya buncha lazy bums!" Teaser called out cheerfully. "We go' work to do!"
The three cats exchanged knowing grins. Things were definitely getting back to normal.
~*~
Alonzo sat atop the discarded chest of drawers, his mind winding in smaller and smaller circles. He knew his brother was right—Demeter couldn't deal with losing Bombie again. At the same time, Alonzo felt that the black and gold queen needed to know.
But what if he was wrong—what if the collar didn't belong to Bombie at all? No, Alonzo knew beyond all doubt that it was hers. But who's to say she didn't lose it months ago? Perhaps no one was in the building when it caught fire. Of course, that would not explain why the door was barricaded shut.
Something else bothered Alonzo—if Demeter was right and Macavity was behind the fire, why would he go after the runaway Jellicles?
Alonzo shook his head. Nothing made sense.
"Are you OK?" A deep voice caused Alonzo to start from his thoughts. He turned to see Tantomile sitting beside him, her golden eyes watching him with an odd sense of curiosity.
"I'm fine," he replied, although he didn't sound too convincing.
"What did you find?" Tanto asked quietly.
Alonzo was startled by the direct question—he had forgotten that Tantomile could read minds.
"No, I didn't just read your mind," Tantomile rolled her eyes. "I happen to be an excellent reader of body language—and by the way you acted this morning, you're hiding something. Which makes me ask again: What did you find?"
"A collar."
"And?" Tantomile didn't seem impressed by this.
"It looked just like Bombalurina's," Alonzo said quietly.
The black and white queen nodded. Now she understood the gravity of the situation.
"So, are they all dead?" She asked after a slight pause.
"I don't know," Alonzo admitted sadly. He gave a heavy sigh. "I don't know what happened there, but I don't think it ended happily. I mean, the doors were barricaded shut, so that no one could escape. What kind of monster could do such a thing?"
"Everyone is capable of evil," Tanto said philosophically. "All it takes is the right circumstances."
"I don't think I could ever do something like that," Alonzo shook his head.
There was a thoughtful pause. Finally, Tanto spoke again.
"Would you try something with me?" She cocked her head to the side curiously.
"What?" Alonzo was instantly wary. Tantomile wasn't exactly renowned for being a normal, safe cat.
"I want you to take me back to the site of the fire," she spoke in a low tone. "In your mind. Just imagine it for me—what the room looked like, what it smelled like, sounded like. I am going to attempt to go back and inspect it myself."
"Inside my head?" Alonzo was incredulous.
Tanto nodded.
"What if you get lost in there or something?" Alonzo looked around wildly.
"I doubt anyone would mourn my absence," Tanto quipped dryly. "Besides, it's highly improbable that such a thing is even possible."
Alonzo took a deep breath. Surely she knew what she was doing. "OK."
Tantomile closed her eyes. Alonzo did the same.
"Now," Tanto's deep voice took on a soothing cadence. "Think back to the moment you found the collar. What did the room look like? Where were Demeter and Munkustrap standing? What did you say? What did it smell like?"
She continued asking questions. Slowly, she could see the room building itself within her own mind as she read Alonzo's thoughts. She took a moment to step into the room, looking around curiously at the few blank spots where Alonzo's memory had failed. She investigated the piles of rubble, moving about the room slowly, trying to gather as much information as she could.
Finally, she spoke, breaking the connection. The room disappeared like early morning fog.
"I have all that I need," she said authoritatively.
"What did you see?" Alonzo asked anxiously.
"Everything that you did," she replied. She frowned, "I do have one question—where were the bodies?"
"What?"
"The bodies," Tantomile repeated. "I'm not an expert on fires, but shouldn't there have been something left—even if it was just a few charred remains?"
"I guess the fire destroyed them all," Alonzo shrugged.
"Then it would've taken the collar, too—and the whole building, for that matter," Tanto reminded him. "Besides the collar, there are no other signs that indicate anyone had been in the fire."
"So, they could still be alive?" Alonzo asked hopefully.
"I would bet good money on it," Tanto nodded.
"So…Bombie's not dead," Alonzo grinned.
"I doubt a fire could stop her," Tanto commented wryly. She wasn't particularly fond of the red queen, but she did admire Bomba's amazing survival instincts.
"That still doesn't explain why the door was barricaded," Alonzo pointed out.
"Perhaps whoever set the fire thought someone was still in the building," Tantomile supplied.
Alonzo nodded in agreement. "I'd buy that."
He stood up, his heart suddenly lighter at the thought, "Thanks a lot, Tantomile."
"You're welcome," she offered a smile—a rare thing for the black and white queen.
Alonzo turned to go. Suddenly, he turned back to Tantomile, "One more thing—don't tell anyone."
Tantomile nodded, although she didn't understand Alonzo's reasoning. Alonzo gave another grateful smile, "Thanks again."
Tantomile watched the black and white tom's retreating form with concern. Something was going on—something big. And despite her telepathic abilities, she couldn't figure it out. For weeks now, she had been bombarded with nightmares—nightmares that dragged her from sleep, kicking and screaming in fear, but that always disappeared from her addled brain as soon as she woke. Try as she might, she never could remember them—an ill omen indeed.
The black and white queen bit her lip as she turned these things over in her mind. Who was Alonzo trying to protect? Was he protecting someone—or deceiving them? And why, oh why, did Munkustrap think it was necessary to inspect a fire that was over a mile outside of Jellicle Territory? And how did the runaways fit into the scheme?
Tantomile gave a heavy sigh. It was all a very bad omen—very bad indeed.
