Chapter Thirteen

"What?" Griddlebone shrieked. "He's your brother! Why would he do something like this?"

Hyde whimpered, not at all looking like the full grown tom that he was. He shook his head helplessly. "I don't know why, Mom. I was in here with... with..." He burst into tears.

"With who?" I asked gently. He shook his head in despair. I could see the pain in his eyes eating him alive and immediately felt bad that it was going to be me who was going to be grilling him. His mother, my beautiful mate, was pacing the floor and chewing on her clews nervously. Maybe it would be easier for him to have his mother ask him what I needed to know, but I had to do the job right.

"The kittens. Pippen, Skeet, and... and Giselle. I was playing with them and then... he just burst in here and started shoving me around." He tried to cover his eyes, but his paws fell back. "I tried to stop him, but then some of his friends came in and grabbed the twins since Otto was already carrying Giselle. I really tried to stop them, but there were too many of them and Otto's friends without the kittens beat up." Hyde looked away. "I played possum finally so that they would leave. God, I feel so miserable. What the hell did I let happen?"

Griddlebone burst into sobs and cradled her son in her arms. I released him and sat back silently, my paws clenched. Hyde glanced at me as Griddlebone licked his face gently, trying to sooth the physical hurt.

"Dad? What are you going to do?" he asked fearfully when he noticed the expression on my face and the way my paws were clenched in fury.

That was the difference between him and his brother. Although they both knew I was their stepfather and half-brother, Hyde still insisted on calling me father. Maybe that was because we hadn't told them until they until were older. By that point, they should've accepted the fact that I was their father, no questions asked. But, Otto was disgusted and it seemed an effort to even call me by my name.

Griddlebone cradled her son closer. "Macavity? Please answer him."

I shook my head. "The bastard!" I hissed. "I don't know what I'm going to do to him, but I'm going to find my kittens, damn it!"

"Don't hurt him!" Griddlebone gasped.

"He almost killed Hyde!" I shouted, feeling my patience with her suddenly snap. She cringed back, huddling close to her bloodied son. "His brother and your son! How can you defend him?"

"Because he's my son," she sobbed. "Call me an idiot if you want to, but I can't stand the thought of one of my beautiful children hurt. Especially if I knew that the one person I loved most in the world was the one who had hurt them."

I put a paw on her cheek. "Right now, all I want to do is find the kittens. I'll deal with Otto later."

She hesitated then nodded. "Just don't hurt him if you can help it."

"I'll try."

She buried her face against Hyde's chest and began to sob again. Poor Hyde struggled to comfort her, although it was plain to see that he was the one that needed the most comfort.

I ran out of the room, rage surging through every vein in my body.

"I can't believe this," Orion growled through his teeth. He was stalking next to me down a dark alley. Even though it was midday, the buildings and trees on either side kept the alley fairly dark. It was good. I felt more in my element at night instead of during the day. I rested most of the day and came alive at night.

"You think this is any easier for me," I snapped in return. "That little bastard has my children and I have no idea where he is!"

Orion glanced at me. "He's not exactly little, Macavity. You have to remember that if we find him."

"Yeah, but there's two of us and one of him!"

"And how many on his side, besides him," he demanded. He grabbed me by my shoulders and spun me to face him. "You heard Hyde say that Otto's friends helped him kidnap the kittens. We have to be careful."

I jerked free of his grasp, breathless with rage. "Damn it, Ry! I just want my children back!"

Orion didn't say anything, but allowed me to back away from him. I strode forward, clenching my paws tightly. If I did find him, I'd kill him for this.

I couldn't stop my mind from running over and caressing all of the "what if's" possible. What if he had already killed the kittens and had no intention whatsoever for ransoming my children? What if he had done worse to them? What if we never found them again? The questions that drove me the closest to screaming with rage were the why's: why had he kidnapped innocent children and beaten his own brother nearly to his death? Why did he hate me so much as to make this foolish move?

"We should rest," Orion said. I stared at him.

"What? We can't."

"We have to. We've been walking for hours and I know that you were up the whole night last night. You'll collapse," he predicted. I sighed.

"Fine," I mumbled, not wanting to fight.

I curled against a box, watching Orion try to find a place to sleep. I shut my eyes. Sleep came quickly.

"Stop it! Get away from me!"

Giselle screamed helplessly as Otto grabbed her tiny wrists, lifted her up by then, and flung her across the room. She slammed against the wall and bit her tongue. Blood trickled down her chin as she slumped down to the ground and stared up at in horror at her older half-brother.

"Otto! Why are you doing this?" she asked, honestly confused. She was too young to understand that, often times, violence occurred with little or no provocation.

Another brutal strike, this one across her face. She screamed again as he jerked her to her feet by her head fur. Her tail tucked between her legs as she struggled to make herself seem smaller than she was. She wanted nothing more than to disappear forever from this dirty place which stunk of urine and rotten meats. Her fur was puffed out in fear.

"What's the matter, Gissy? Daddy not here to save you?"

He pressed her roughly against the wall that he had just throw her against and forced his mouth against hers. The kitten gagged and struggled to shove him away from her. Her eyes were wide with horror and disgust. Finally, Otto pulled away, glaring at her with disdain.

"You little tramp! Don't you know any better? I'm your brother."

Giselle shook in her head in horrified disbelief. She would never kiss one of her brothers. Just the thought of kissing any tom put her off very much at this stage in her life. She started to sob weakly. "Otto, you kissed me! I didn't want you to kiss me, so just leave me alone already. Please?"

"Sorry, Gissy. I'll have to teach you a lesson on good manners." He smirked at the way the kitten was breathing quickly and harshly, biting her lip in order to hold back her tears. She wasn't doing a very good job of it, but it was an admirable effort. Once again, Otto pressed his mouth to hers. This time, he let one of his paws wander down her the side of her body. She tried to squirm away from her brother's unwanted touches, but he pressed one of his paws against her throat. Suddenly, he slammed her head back against the wall again. She screamed aloud and Otto took a special delight in cutting the scream abruptly short by cutting off the supply of air to her lungs.

"Shut up, Gissy!" he panted. His eyes scanned hers quickly Already her pretty eyes were starting to fade from the lack of air.. "Just shut up!"

Kicking her legs out from under her, Otto watched as his younger half-sister sprawled to her side on the ground. She was choking and gasping in air at once while once more trying to make herself as tiny as possible. Maybe if Otto thought she was too small to be bothered with anymore, he'd let her go home to her mother and father.

Otto squatted down next to her and shoved her shoulder hard so that she was forced to slam flat onto her back. She was now crying in earnest and looked pathetically hurt and confused. Otto hated her for one very violent second and seriously considered just slitting her pretty little throat instead of trying to deal with her and use her to hurt Macavity. He just could not stand to listen to her snivel and whine for their mother and her father. It would be so much easier if she were dead.

Instead, Otto had a better idea of what to do to this kitten. One that would be a lot more pleasurable for him and would mean that he could have her in the palm of his hand for all eternity. He had enough practice at the warehouse that he was pretty sure what the kitten's reaction was going to be. He sat down flat and forcibly drew Giselle into his lap, a crooked smile on his lips.

"What are you going to do to me?" she asked, trembling as she asked him. He didn't answer right away, rocking his hips and adjust Giselle painfully onto just the right spot on his lap. He smiled at the kitten generously.

"Nothing you probably haven't already done before, my dear little sister," he answered, thrusting his hips suddenly forward.

The tiny kitten, too small both physically and emotionally to withstand this kind of penetration, screamed in agony. Her tiny, needle fine claws scrambled at his muscular arms as she struggled to pull herself from this all-encompassing hurt. She struggled the entire time and Otto enjoyed it all the more for the struggle.

Gizelle screamed as loud in her head as she could manage, too locked up in fear to make another verbal noise.

I screamed.

"Giselle!"

Abruptly, I was sitting upright. Orion was watching me from his resting place, his breath quick from panic. He stared at me with obvious confusion and worry. I covered my eyes with my paws.

"He raped her! He raped my baby!"

Orion stood, approaching me and setting on hand on my shoulder. "You don't know that for sure-"

"I do!" I growled. Orion hesitated. "I saw everything! I saw what she saw, I know that I did!" Then a chill ran down my spine. "There's something very wrong with him, Ry. He's always hated me, I know that much, but this was so much different. The way he was staring at me..."

"At you?" Orion asked, tilting his head to one side.

"At her," I snapped. "I saw everything she saw and it was like it was me. God, Ry, I'm scared."

Orion sighed, shaking his head. He lowered his eyes to the ground then raised them again. "Of a dream? You've never been superstitious before."

"It wasn't just a dream!" I insisted angrily. "He raped my daughter and I saw everything!"

"Maybe you really saw that, but how can we do anything about it just now? We should get moving. The sooner we'll find them if we do."

I startled myself with a crisp laugh. "That's exactly what I'm afraid of."

Night was nearing. With each passing moment, my chest tightened with fear. I could feel Giselle's terror and shame as Otto forced himself onto her. I could only imagine what he was doing now. I also felt terror inside of me for my sons. What in the name of Heavyside had he done to them? Were they OK, were they alive? Had he hurt them in any way? If he had, I'd kill him twice over!

Try as I might, I couldn't get his eyes out of my mind. They terrified me. Even if it had been a dream, like Orion tried to soothe me with, I could see insanity lurking deep in his eyes. Even what he'd done had confirmed it. Orion had to believe me. I watched him walk ahead of me and cleared my throat. Orion turned.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know where we are?"

He glanced around and sniffed the air. "I think we've circled back around to the junkyard. A block or two and we could rest there."

"No. We can't."

He shrugged. "Fine. Do you want to rest here for a moment? I'm tired. Macavity? What are you looking at?"

I stared at the building in front of me with dread. Drops of blood were splattered on the front steps. I turned to Orion, my face paling.

"I think we found them."

"It's creepy in here," Orion whispered. "All I can smell is fear. I hate this."

"Not scared, are you?" I asked.

He whipped around, confused. Seeing the look on my face, his own face broke into a large grin. He shook his head.

"You're an idiot, Macavity. Of course I'm not scared. Did you think I was you or something?"

I made a stabbing motion at my chest. "Ouch! That hurt! How long did you stay up last night thinking that one up?"

"You only wish you could look and be as brilliant and wonderful as me."

I held up my paws. "Whoa. Since when did your looks come into the picture?"

Orion preened. "My looks are always in the picture." He smiled indulgently. "Besides, you know you're only friends with me because I'm so damn sexy. Admit it."

"You're onto my plan!" I howled. I grabbed his shoulders and rested my face against his chest. Orion laughed. "I love you, Orion, 'cuz you're so purty."

"I know," he replied, buffing his claws on his chest fur. I laughed.

"That's disgusting."

Orion hissed, spinning around and away from me, so that we were back to back. I craned my head back, trying to see who had spoken. There was no one else in the room, not even a mouse or a rat. I drew my lips back in a growl.

"Otto? Where are you?"

"Right here, brother."

I spun around in time to see a board swing out from the darkness. I tried to cry out, but it was too late. The board smashed into the side of Orion's head. His arms flailing, he fell to his knees. The board crashed down again and Orion fell flat onto his face, out cold.

I hissed, rage filling every last cell in my body. "Show yourself, you coward!"

The instant I said him, I regretted it. Otto stepped from the shadows, his huge body even more imposing in the darkness. I swallowed as my heart thundered in my chest. I could see why Otto was different.

He was rabid.

I took a step backwards. There was nowhere to go. Otto knew it as well as I did and smiled. My blood turned to ice and I felt a shiver run up my spine.

"Can't always be the hero, can you?" he whispered. His bloodshot eyes were locked on me. "Nor the villain, apparently. Too bad that you aren't even going to win your last battle."

I pressed myself against the wall. "What are you intending on doing? Soon the other strays will be here and you'll be outnumbered."

He smiled coldly and leaned forward. "But not before I finish with you Macavity." He grabbed my throat and lifted me a bit above the ground. "The only problem I can see is this: what should I do with you before I kill you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" I gasped.

He sneered at me. "You're an idiot, you know that don't you? Perhaps I need to explain. All I have to do..." He dug his claws deeper into my neck and I cried out in pain. "... is to infect you with this disease that I have. Then you'll know what it's like to have to fight to have a coherent thought."

I struggled against his paws. "You wouldn't!"

"You underestimate me," he growled.

Then, to my shock and horror, he pressed me closer against the wall, allowing me to slide back down. He pressed his body up against mine. For a moment, all I could see was my Giselle screaming as he thrust into her tiny body over and over again. I felt myself start to tremble and squeezed my eyes shut tightly. He stayed there for a minute, placing his paw my waist and gently playing with the fur at my hip. I fought the urge to vomit.

"Poor Macavity! Scared to death, aren't you?" I remained still, fighting the new urge to scream. You know, if Gissy was any indication, then being a good lay is a family trait." His fingers crawled over each other and brushed against my most private of places. "Maybe I ought to see if it comes from mother or father?"

"Get off of me," I struggled to growl and Otto laughed. He bent down and swept his tongue inside my mouth before I could quite register what was happening. His paw squeezed hard and I cried out against his mouth. Otto's tongue left my mouth and I could feel the smile on his lips against my own.

I opened my eyes slowly after Otto pulled back and away from me. I gasped as his paw reached out and seized my wrist. I turned my face up to his in confusion. With a sharp yank upwards, I heard a nasty cracking noise. Pain shot up my arm like a fire. I started to sink down to the ground in dizzy pain, but Otto caught my shoulders and pressed me up against the wall again. I could feel my eyes filling with tears from pain.

He glared at me. "I won't hurt you too much right now. At least not for a little while. I can't say anything about later. Who's to say what's going to happen once this-" he tapped his head "-progresses. Until then, I'll have to content myself with Gissy."

"Don't you touch her again!" I growled, sinking to the ground. He smiled then kicked me the ribs. I cried out and rolled over.

"Don't think you're in any position to be telling me what I should do, huh?"

He knelt and grabbed my chin, jerking my face up to his. "Just remember this the next time you want to try and play the role of the brave and dashing hero. If I decide to let you live long enough to have that chance."

I started to weep as Otto stood and walked away. I knew that there was no way out. My wrist was fiery with pain and I wasn't even sure if Orion was alive. I couldn't think straight with all the pain in my body. And the horrible images that kept racing thru my mind.

Crawling over, I knelt beside Orion. Suddenly, my head was light and I felt myself collapse down next to him. I wiped my face free of tears and nuzzled my head against his.

"I'm so sorry, Ry. I've made such a mess of everything."