At that same time back in Hampton, Roshedam and Ralpharite were packing up for their trip to London. They wanted to travel lightly, so they each only brought a backpack and a belt. Their belts contained certain weapons and tools mostly as precautionary measures. Their backpacks contained their passes, some provisions, and other equipment.
The two of them had spent the previous day looking over the directions that had been given to them, as well as preparing for the meeting with the founder in general.
When the two of them were ready to leave, they said their farewells to the other members of their group.
Roshedam embraced Kingsley and Scurtena firmly, being mindful of the latter's abdomen.
"Come back soon, Daddy," said Kingsley, looking up at his father with a look of pure affection and innocence in his eyes.
"I will, Kings, I promise," Roshedam assured his young son.
Scurtena kissed her mate's cheek and whispered in his ear "Don't do anything stupid."
Roshedam scoffed and stated "I'll try my best."
Ralpharite stepped up to them and patted Roshedam on the back. He told Scurtena "Don't you worry about a thing. I'll keep an eye on him at all times, Scurt."
"Thanks, Ralph," she smirked.
Ralpharite felt something cold and metal tap his shoulder. He looked over it and saw Victor standing behind him with his hook resting on his elbow.
"I just want to wish you good luck," he told his friend, "London's become a dangerous place ever since we were last there."
"Don't worry, Victor," commented Ralpharite, "We'll manage."
The red and white tabby and the yellow and brown tom soon set off. They travelled a few miles east until they reached the Hampton Court railway station in Molesey. Once they were there, they got on a train that would take them directly to the London Waterloo Station. They made sure to get in an empty train car so that no humans would see them.
After the train departed, the two toms got comfortable.
Ralpharite leaned back in his seat and went over their plan in his head. Roshedam took the notebook Commander Thogren had given them out of his backpack and looked through it once more.
Ralph looked at his friend out of the corner of his eye and remarked "Is there anything in there we haven't already discussed?"
"I don't think so," replied Roshedam as he leafed through the pages, "There was just something we skipped that really caught my interest. Ah, here it is!"
Ralpharite turned to him and asked "What's it about?"
Roshedam briefly looked over the subject before stating "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. This whole section talks about a 'mysterious apparition' that lurks the city at night."
"Only at night?" said Ralph.
"Yes, it never comes out during the day," answered Rosh, "There is very little information about this apparition; only that it has flashing red eyes and that it attacks anyone that really does wrong."
Ralpharite studied the section of the notebook with his eyes and said "It also states quite clearly that the apparition must be a cat. I guess that greatly narrows down the probabilities of what it is."
"That would make sense," said Roshedam, "However, I'm still curious as to what motivates this apparition to do what it does. It calls itself 'The Great Rumpus Cat,' but no one is even certain if that is its real name."
"Based on the limited amount of detail, it would appear as though this section was written very recently," noted Ralpharite, gazing at the notebook's content, "That suggests that the apparition has not been around for very long."
"That certainly seems to be the case," Roshedam agreed, "But perhaps we should keep an eye out for it. Who knows? Maybe we'll encounter it and learn its motivations."
"That's a possibility," said Ralpharite, "But for now, let's just focus on the mission."
…
Several times I have brought up the commander of the Siamese fleet, Mouveilyr. Even if you have read the fanfic in which I introduced him ("The Boatswain), you do not know that much about him. Perhaps now would be a good time to discuss his backstory.
Mouveilyr was raised as the average Siamese cat living in London was raised. His father was a security officer and his mother was a scientist, both serving in the Siamese fleet. The two of them took pride in their only son. Once he came of age, they involuntarily enlisted him in the Siamese fleet, as was custom for the Siamese living in London.
Mouveilyr proved to be a very promising officer, and he quickly rose through the ranks. After twenty months of working in the fleet, he took a fellow officer as his mate and had three sons with her: Filvaro, Joreng, and Waelik. All three of them eventually enlistened in the Siamese fleet.
After thirty months' worth of service in the fleet, Mouveilyr's aptitude was recognized by Genghis, the commander of the fleet at that time. After a few weeks of evaluating his career, Genghis made Mouveilyr his third top ranking officer in the entire fleet, behind two other cats named Nihaar and Unbedim.
Eight months before the present day, Genghis launched a plan to assassinate his top rival: Growltiger the Bravo Cat. Growltiger had been the most hated enemy of all Siamese cats for almost five years ever since he killed one of their most beloved sailors. However, because of all his power and influence, Growltiger proved to be very hard to kill.
The assassination plot began when the Siamese intelligence started pursuing one of Growltiger's old allies, an officer named Baltrow. Another month went by and the Siamese finally found a way for them to make an assassination attempt on Growltiger's life.
Genghis had Nihaar and four volunteers to follow Baltrow to a meeting he had with Growltiger. One of the volunteers was Waelik, Mouveilyr's youngest son. Mouveilyr was a little uncertain of letting his youngest go on such a dangerous yet important mission, but Waelik assured him that he would be alright.
The assassination attempt failed. Nihaar was the only one who came back alive. The three volunteers other than Waelik were killed directly at the meeting, and Waelik was tortured and interrogated by the Bravo Cat's crew for over an hour. He told them nothing, so they had him walk the plank.
Mouveilyr was devastated by his son's death. He swore to get vengeance against Growltiger's crew.
Another month went by. The night of Growltiger's Last Stand, Mouveilyr got his revenge.
Most of Growltiger's crew had been attending a celebration at Hampton Court. The rest were left to watch over the ship. Very few of them made it off alive after the assault.
Both Nihaar and Unbedim were killed at Growltiger's Last Stand. Naturally, Mouveilyr was quickly promoted to Genghis' top-ranking official in the fleet.
However, the first order he had been given in his new position proved to be very difficult. Genghis had ordered Mouveilyr to go to the celebration at Hampton Court and fire two volleys of arrows into the courtyard in effort to eliminate more of Growltiger's crew.
Mouveilyr was shocked by this order. Not that he had any problem with eliminating Growltiger's crewmembers, but there were scores of innocent civilian cats there, as well. Mouveilyr felt that he could not bring himself to kill so many innocent people for such a cause.
However, he quickly changed his mind when Genghis started to subtly threaten Filvaro and Joreng. Mouveilyr was already troubled by the loss of one of his sons; the loss of another would have been too much for him to bear. So he went through with Genghis' orders, even though he was incredibly reluctant. Sixty-nine cats died at Hampton Court; only twenty-six were members of Growltiger's crew.
A week after this, Genghis went undercover in Macavity's organization as one of thirteen henchcats whose services he had given to the Hidden Paw. Mouveilyr was expected to run the fleet in his absence.
After Genghis was killed by Grumbuskin around three months later, Mouveilyr found that he was actually in charge himself.
He never expected to take his former commander's place, but he had to assume the responsibility upon hearing the news of his death.
Overtime, Mouveilyr's power started to take over his mind. He did not abuse his authority, but he did relish in it. He also was no longer concerned if innocent people got hurt or even killed in the fleet's operations.
However, his morality did not die completely. His morality was passed on through his genes.
Mouveilyr's two surviving sons – Filvaro and Joreng – were both good officers in the fleet. Filvaro served on a warship. He had killed several of Growltiger's allies on his own. He also had a mate and two kittens. Like his father, he felt no pity for innocent cats that got involved in the Siamese operations.
Joreng, on the other hand, did felt pity. He also had a mate, but did not see her as much. Joreng had originally been stationed on a ship that assaulted other ships outside the fleet and captured their crews. He served as a security guard on that ship.
When he saw how his own people were causing the prisoners to endure so much suffering, he felt a twinge of pain and guilt stirring up inside of him. To see so many innocent people in such great anguish tormented him.
After many weeks of seeing this, Joreng decided that he had had enough. So he put in a request for transfer. His request was granted, and he was reassigned to one of the Siamese laboratories. The laboratory he was assigned to was the one that held the American sailors prisoner.
After a week of seeing the other guards and the scientists torture their prisoners, he decided right then that he would do something about it all. He made a vow that he would help the Americans escape.
He knew full well that escaping from a high-security Siamese lab was very difficult to accomplish, even with inside help. But he managed to make it work.
The Americans were never allowed outside their cells for anything over than the experiments. They had two bathrooms – one on either side of the room – but they were never allowed out for anything else. So someone always brought them their meals three times a day.
Joreng volunteered for "meal bringer" many times, as most of his colleagues felt uncomfortable being alone with a group of angry, genetically-engineered Americans. After a few times of bringing them their meals, he tried to talk to their Captain.
Initially, the Captain would not even look at him. However, Joreng could be very stubborn at times. After coming back and trying to make conversation repeatedly, Jonathan decided to listen.
When Joreng told Jonathan that he was going to try to get him and his crew out of the lab, the American Captain simply laughed and dismissed this idea.
However, the injections Jonathan and his crew had received made them stronger, faster, and more intelligent.
Edolseer became so intelligent in interpreting facial expressions that he could actually tell whether or not a person was telling the truth based on certain details in their countenances.
Eventually, after studying Joreng's face very closely whenever he talked, he was convinced that the young Siamese soldier was actually telling the truth. So Jonathan finally began to believe Joreng.
Joreng provided him and his crew with information about the upper levels of the laboratory, and he began to work out an escape plan for them. This proved to be a lot easier once he had the Americans' cooperation.
When he was on guard duty during the experiments, he would communicate with the "test subject" via the usage of Morse code. He would tap on the wall with his claws, and the test subject would tap on the table with his/her claws. This allowed them to communicate without the risk of being discovered by the other guards and the scientists.
Joreng even managed to convince his mate to see things his way. So she promised to aid him in his efforts to liberate the Americans in any way she could.
Joreng did not need to worry about being discovered by his fellow officers; he was very good at covering up his tracks.
After many weeks of interacting with the Americans in secrecy, they were finally ready to begin their great escape.
…
Back in the present day, while Roshedam and Ralpharite were on the train, Griddlebone had stepped outside of the group's hideout for some fresh air. Victor had noticed that she did this a lot, but he did not make anything of it.
Griddlebone went to another abandoned apartment on the street and climbed inside a second story window. Inside this room, there was a great deal of equipment. At the front of the equipment were a webcam and a microphone.
Griddlebone had been using this equipment to contact with Macavity and keep him apprised of the group's activities. She logged onto the computer and contacted him.
A few moments later, the Bravo Cat appeared on screen and asked her somewhat nonchalantly "What is it?"
"Two members of the group are making their way to London by train," she reported, "They plan to meet up with the founder of something called 'The Siamese Resistance.'"
"Ah, so the rumors are true," stated the Hidden Paw, "All this time, I did not believe that the Resistance was real."
"It would appear as though it IS real," she said, "Ralpharite and Roshedam should be arriving at the London Waterloo Station in approximately a half-hour."
"Very well," said Macavity, grinning wickedly, "I'll send them a little greeting."
Griddlebone also grinned wickedly and cut the communications line. She shut down the computer and went back outside. She headed back to the hideout, feeling that she had already gotten enough "fresh air" for one day.
…
Back at the junkyard in London, Admetus had just finished telling Tumblebrutus and Pouncival about the previous night's events. Thus concluded his long explanation of his activities as The Great Rumpus Cat.
Both of the knockabout cats were stunned. Their elder friend was a very private person, but he moonlighted as the world's first cat crime fighter in secrecy. They found themselves admiring him for all his work.
What really caught Tumblebrutus' attention was his business with Geraldine.
"What's all this about a Siamese Resistance?" queried the white and brown tom.
"It's a covert organization of cats that are plotting to overthrow the Siamese domain on the Thames," Admetus explained, "I did not even know it existed until last night when I spoke with Geraldine. She provided me with a lot of information regarding the Resistance. She also helped me clarify a few things about recent events."
"Such as?" said Pouncival.
"Macavity has been hiring Pollicles to seek out all the strays in the city," Admetus expounded, "It is unknown what happens to most of the strays, but a percentage of them are taken away by the Siamese fleet."
There was a short interval of silence between the three of them. Then Tumblebrutus asked "Will you be going back to see Geraldine again tonight?"
"That is my plan," Admetus replied, "Unfortunately, I have a lot more work to do in other parts of the city. So I cannot stay there too long. There's a human drug deal going on around that time, but it's over a mile away from Ratcliff. I'll need time to find a human police officer and lead him to the dealing at just the right time."
"How do you know all this?" asked Pouncival.
"I have my resources," was all Admetus said, "I just do a little investigation on suspicious places of residence and make notes of certain sights, smells, or sounds. After doing a little research, I can draw my conclusions."
"Damn, that's pretty good," commented Pounce.
"Thank you," Admetus remarked, "Unfortunately, even with all my resources, I cannot be in two places at once. It is imperative that I stop that drug deal before it is over, but lives are at stake in the Siamese Resistance, so I must attend that meeting with Geraldine, too. So unless I can find a way to get both things done at once, I have a serious problem on my paws."
Tumblebrutus sat thinking, and he quickly got an idea. He looked up at Admetus and offered "Maybe I could help you out."
"You?" said Admetus in slight confusion.
"Sure, think about it," Tumble expounded, "I once served on board Growltiger's ship. Growltiger was the sworn enemy of the Siamese. I figure that if this 'Geraldine' is really opposed to the Siamese, I'm sure she'll bring herself to trust a colleague of Growltiger."
"Tumble, you were discharged from his crew," Admetus reminded him.
"I know that," Tumblebrutus stated, "But I still have my Boatswain medallion. If I show it to Geraldine, I'm certain she'll take my word as a colleague of Growltiger. Besides, I want to see the Siamese fall as much as anyone else out there."
"Wait a minute," Pouncival interrupted, "If Tumble's going, then I'm coming along, too."
Tumblebrutus turned to his brother and told him "Pounce, this is serious business."
"I'm well-aware of that," stated the grey, white, and brown tom, "But don't think I'm going to let you go on another chance for adventure without me. I, too, want the Siamese domain to be purged. Even if all I can do is carry information, I want to help. I mean, wouldn't two correspondents be able to carry more information than just one?"
Tumblebrutus shrugged and said to the older tom "I guess it's up to you, 'Metus. Are you going to let one, both, or neither of us become involved in this operation?"
Admetus sat seriously considering his options. Both of his friends were young, but they definitely understood the significance of the situation. One of them actually hated the Siamese fleet with a burning passion; the other one was determined to help his friends.
After thinking for almost five minutes, Admetus told them "I'm convinced you guys can help me. But first, there are a few conditions we have to establish. One: I want both of you to respect Geraldine. Two: I don't want you to demand for more information than she provides you with. Three: I'll be staying at her place for a few minutes. If I become convinced that you two can remain with her on your own and behave like gentletoms, I'll agree to leave you there."
"You have our word, 'Metus," stated Pouncival, "We just want to help. We'll behave ourselves."
"Good," said Admetus, "Now we just need to make a few minor arrangements."
…
Back at the Siamese laboratory with the American prisoners, it was time for breakfast.
The prisoners heard the outer door of their cell open and someone rolled in a cart. Then the outer door was closed and the inner door was opened.
A young black, white, and grey Siamese tom stepped inside. He had trays of prepared meals on the cart. He started to distribute them throughout the crowd.
Most of the time, the Americans would glare hostilely at whoever gave them their meals. But not this tom. He was the only one that they could trust.
This was Joreng.
Vecinha opened up her tray. Inside were some cold scrambled eggs and cold ham, along with a day-old biscuit. At least the food was somewhat decent.
"I notice that they stopped putting forks in the meal trays," she remarked.
"Probably because some of us could kill the Siamese with a fork," theorized Edolseer.
"But they were made of plastic," Vecinha pointed out.
"It's still possible to kill someone with a plastic fork it you're strong enough," Kylam pointed out, "In fact, I'll bet I could kill someone with a plastic spoon."
While the three of them talked, Jonathan stopped Joreng and whispered in his ear "We've all agreed; it is time to start the plan."
Joreng smiled and said "I'll glad you've finally decided to get out of here. You do know I hate to see all of you suffer."
"We're flattered," said Edolseer truthfully. He reached to take his tray, but he suddenly felt a twinge of pain in his chest. He grasped it and moaned in light pain.
"Are you alright, Edolseer?" asked Kylam.
"Yeah, I'm fine," replied the silver and cream tom, "I'm still… recovering from the acid test."
Sometimes after receiving injections, the Siamese would conduct various tests on their test subjects. One of these tests was the 'acid test,' in which they would pour a very small amount of corrosive acid on the subject's chest and see how much damage it would cause. The goal was for the acid to just run off the person's body without eating through their flesh. If it turned out successful, then they would have strengthened the person's skin exponentially.
"How much of your skin did it eat through?" asked Kylam.
"Not much, I'd say just one lair of cells on one spot of my chest," answered Edolseer, "But they're still not satisfied with the results."
"Makes me glad I just recently passed that test," commented Vecinha, "Even acetic acid couldn't eat through my skin."
Jonathan asked for silence as he started to discuss the escape plan with Joreng.
"It's too dangerous for all of us to attempt escape at the moment, so we'll only be sending out one person," explained the Captain, "At seven o'clock tonight, Vecinha will be taken away for her next injection. We've decided that she's the one that will get out."
"Alright, I'll make sure that I'm one of the guards looking out for her," Joreng assured the American Captain, "When no one is looking, I'll slip her something that will allow her to pick the lock on her restraints while she's strapped onto the table. But we'll need careful timing. There's certain to be at least two other guards in that room, as well as a number of scientists."
"Where should I go once I'm out of this building?" inquired Vecinha.
"Do you have a high-level access code?" asked Joreng, "Even I don't have one, so I don't know if I'll be of much help there."
"Yes, Kylam managed to learn one from one of the guards earlier," stated Jonathan, "Thanks to him, we all know one now."
"Alright then," said Joreng, talking primarily to Vecinha, "Once you're out of the experimentation room, head to the West end of the building. You can get outside from there. Once you're out, follow the river for a few miles until you come to a house with two broken windows in the back. That's the house my mate has chosen for your sanctuary. I've instructed her to expect you at any time, so she'll be waiting for you."
"Forgive me for asking this, but are you certain you can trust her?" enquired Edolseer.
Joreng glared at Edolseer and responded "I trust her as you trust me."
"That's all we need to know," said Jonathan, "Alright, thank you for your help, Joreng."
"It's my pleasure, Captain," said the young Siamese tom, "It won't be long until you're all out."
With that, Joreng took the cart out of the room and shut the inner cell door behind him.
Review, please. I had a feeling that this chapter may have turned out to be a little vague or confusing, or perhaps a little rushed. What do you think? If I was too direct or too ambiguous, just let me know and I'll try my best to clarify everything for you.