101 Dalmatians II
XVI - Red Alert
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Morning in London. A bright and sunny day but no amount of sunshine could brighten the travesty that had just occurred.
In the evening before, the Pongo's received terrible news.
The dairy farm had been attacked once more.
Without Detective Wilkinson and the time needed to replace him, whoever orchestrated the attack in the first place wasted hardly any time trying their luck once more.
No one could tell what had happened because the only possible witness was knocked out cold for the whole ordeal.
Nanny Cook was found with a nasty head injury and was rushed to the hospital at once.
The guard dogs Maddock and Beatrice were gone.
As were the remaining 92 Dalmatian puppies.
It was as if they simply vanished without a trace.
"Yes. Yes. Thank you."
Roger Radcliff hung up the telephone.
He sat on the hotel bed alongside his wife, Anita. She was blowing her nose into a handkerchief. Her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks were stained with tears.
"Any news?" Anita said.
Roger sighed wearily. "Nanny will be alright but the doctor said that in order to make a full recovery, she must remain in bed for at least a week."
New tears formed in Anita's eyes and she dried them quickly. "Oh Nanny. And the puppies, not a one was found? Are you sure Roger?"
Roger nodded glumly. "The police searched the farm. There was no sign of any one of them. Given the lack of tracks, the police believe none of them escaped. They've all been taken."
Anita sobbed. "And Maddock and Beatrice included."
Roger's face scrunched. It took every ounce of his will to keep from bursting into tears as well. But he had to be strong, he had to keep himself together for Anita.
Roger took his wife's hands in his. "Yes but we must keep our heads Anita. We must be strong and pray like our lives depend on it." And then his face tightened and jaw clenched with righteous indignation. "And then we must act. One way or another my dear, we will find those pups and put whatever scoundrel who took them away where they can do no more harm."
Anita sniffled and then straightened herself out, new strength rising in her. "Yes, we shall."
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"Get your paws off me!"
Perdita's frontal paw was planted on Tommy's head, effectively pinning him. She growled menacingly at the English Bull Terrier.
"Where are my babies?!"
"Ha! As if I'd ever tell y-!" Tommy's defiant response was cut off by a choking gasp when Perdita planted her other paw on his throat and pressed hard.
"You will tell me while you can still breathe," Perdita said coldly.
Tommy's haughty glare turned into raw fear. He struggled and struggled, flailing like a worm on a hook, trying desperately to get free, but the mother Dalmatian was bigger and unbelievably stronger than him. He could not get free.
That might not have been the case if Perdita wasn't driven by the unmitigated rage which followed after her love for her children and her immeasurable desire to see them safe.
Under normal circumstances, Pongo would be unnerved by this display of hostility and aggression from his wife, and he even considered holding Perdita back.
But after hearing the terrible news of the abduction of his remaining children, he decided to stay his paw.
Tommy choked, uselessly attempting to cry out for help, but Perdita's hold on him was firm and unyielding. She paid no mind to Tommy's attempts to remove her paw from his throat. His clawing caused her pain but it only served to fuel her rage. She pressed harder against his throat.
Tommy became more frantic in his struggling. He was no longer gasping. Perdita's paw left no more room in his windpipe to make a sound.
Pongo looked worried. He looked from his wife to their captive. "Perdy…"
Perdita relieved the pressure and Tommy was breathing again.
"You're crazy!" Tommy cried, both terrified and mad at the same time.
"Talk!" Perdita shouted.
Tommy shook his head. "No! Nero will kill me if I tell you!"
Perdita showed her teeth. "What makes you think I won't?"
Pongo looked aghast. "Perdy!"
Tommy scoffed but his hesitation betrayed the fact that he was sorely afraid. "You wouldn't…"
Perdita began to press down once more, cutting off Tommy's speech. Nothing but choking was heard.
Perdita spoke in a voice as cold as an Arctic wind. "I will ask again. If I hear anything less than satisfactory, I will press down and not let go. Where. Are. My. Children?"
She let go.
Tommy gasped sharply as he breathed again.
"Alright! Alright!" He said in a panic. "They've been taken to the abandoned mental hospital! On the northern shore!"
Perdita sneered. "You lie! There are no mental hospitals anywhere near the northern shore!"
Perdita prepared to choke Tommy out but he cried out. "No wait, listen! Any record of that mental hospital has been erased. You won't find anything about it in the papers. It's been abandoned for decades and any documents that show its existence are gone."
"Why?"
"I don't know!" Tommy shouted. "Something terrible happened in that place! And it was shut down! That's all I know about that!"
"Where is it then?! Where on the northern shore?! Be specific!"
"Blackfriars Bridge! Right by Blackfriars Bridge!"
Perdita nodded with satisfaction. And as swift as lightning, she struck the Bull Terrier in the head. Tommy's head collided with the concrete, knocking him out cold.
Pongo chose not to point out his wife's brutal finisher. "Blackfriars," He whispered. "That's nearly halfway across town. It would take us over an hour to get there on foot."
"Then we best be off," Perdita said sternly without missing a beat.
And then she was off.
Pongo followed after her. It took all his strength to keep up with her.
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Ryder and Thunderbolt followed after the Pongo's as quickly as they could.
"That wife of his is scary," the show dog said nervously.
Ryder nodded. "Yes but I would keep that comment to myself if I were you."
Thunderbolt shuddered but managed to keep pace with his brother. "Believe me, my first encounter with her was enough to know that she is not to be crossed." He sniffed the air, checking for any dogs that might be following, per his brother's instructions.
"You're learning."
Thunderbolt looked to his left. "What?"
"I said you're learning Thunder," Ryder said, somewhat begrudgingly. "You're keeping stride and you're minding our surroundings. That is how a guard dog ought to act."
Thunderbolt scoffed. "I'm no guard dog."
"No," Ryder said. "But you have the makings of one and more."
Taken utterly aback, Thunderbolt almost stopped in his tracks but had to force himself to keep going. "That's the nicest thing you ever said to me."
"Well...me and Mr Pongo had a long talk. About you and myself."
"Really?"
"Yes," Ryder said nodding. "It was quite…" The war dog shook as though a chill came over him. And he cleared his throat, "...educational."
Thunderbolt stared at his brother for a long while. "So are we finally going to send the word out? The Twilight Bark I mean."
Ryder shook his head. "No, still too risky. But I already put things in motion to put the word out to our people in the city."
Thunderbolt furrowed his brow in anticipated dread. "You made the call?"
Ryder nodded and he answered in a deep voice. "There's no other way."
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Patch continued to stare through the Hampstead gate to some unforeseen distance.
He was no longer searching frantically with his nose.
He was rigid, erect and completely still, as though he had been turned to stone.
He had caught another scent.
A scent he knew all too well.
Many scents all at once, in one place, and then several places, as though it were on the move.
"That's not possible," Patch whispered.
He had to force himself to keep from shaking.
They have them! Whoever attacked the farm has captured my family!
Patch turned back to his siblings who were still with him.
They were finishing what was left of their meal.
Penny looked up from her dish and noticed the look in Patch's eyes.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Penny asked with concern.
Patch did not answer her. "Roly!"
The pudgy pup stopped eating for a moment. "What is it?" He said.
"Come here, please hurry!"
Roly took a few more quick bites before he quickly scurried to his brother.
"Smell the air," Patch said.
"What?"
"Just do it Roly, please. This is important."
Alarmed by Patch's urgency, Roly wasted no time in inhaling the air, examining its many scents.
After a moment, Roly's eyes grew huge and he gasped sharply.
"Well, what do you smell?" Patch asked even though he already knew the answer.
"Two-Tone. And...Jewel. Rex. Rose. Inky. And…" He smelt the air once more. "Everyone. I can smell everyone."
At that point, the other pups ceased eating and came over to the fence.
"What did you say?" Penny asked as though she thought she had not heard correctly.
"They have them Penny," Patch said with grim finality. "Whoever attacked the farm has taken our family."
Penny was shocked to the core. "No."
Pepper shook his head disbelievingly. "That can't be."
"It is Pepper," Patch said firmly. "I could smell them on the move. Roly confirmed it for me."
Cadpig nearly fainted but Lucky held her up.
Freckles burst into tears.
Penny came to his side. "Freckles, it's ok. We'll get them back."
"It's not that," Freckles sobbed. "It was my big mouth. I must've jinxed them."
"What are you talking about?" Pepper said.
"You remember when I said that I hope those villains wouldn't attack the farm again. And look at what's happened, that's exactly what happened! I did this!"
Penny, with gentleness and severity, looked her weeping brother straight in the eye. "Freckles, stop it! You are not in any way responsible for this! Yes, you have a big mouth but you did not cause those men to take our brothers and sisters!"
"But-"
"No buts!" Penny's tone softened. "Freckles, you're being ridiculous. You need to choose your words more carefully, true but you are not responsible for what happened. Do you understand?"
Freckles bowed his head. "Yes."
"Good," Penny said and then she turned to Patch expectantly. "What do we do now?"
"You're asking me?"
"You always seem to know what to do Patch," Penny said confidently.
"Not always."
Penny bristled. "Patch! Enough! I won't hear anymore self-doubt from you!"
"But-"
"But nothing," Pepper said, interrupting. "We have their scent now Patch. We can do this."
"Besides," Freckles said strongly, having gotten over his own self-turmoil. "Wherever they've taken our family, that must be where Precious is too."
Roly couldn't resist putting his own two cents into this. "It beats staying here and waiting for someone else to find them."
Patch looked up at his siblings. They all had looks brimming with confidence, as though they were prepared for battle.
Patch stood up straight, his posture sure and his love for his family now greater than his fear and doubt.
His love for Precious.
Patch had to hide his bashfulness at this thought.
"Alright, let's do it."
His siblings cheered.
Patch shushed them quickly. "We can't tip Danny off."
"What do you mean?" Cadpig asked. "Maybe he can help us."
"Or maybe he'll keep us from leaving," Freckles said. "It's not like we can ask. What answer could he possibly give except no?"
Penny smiled. "Well said Freckles."
Patch nodded in agreement. "Freckles is right, we can't ask Danny for permission. We need to leave now."
"How do we get out without being seen?" Lucky asked.
Patch looked downward through the gate. "The way we got in."
The other pups looked in the direction their eldest brother was looking.
Freckles paled. "Oh no."
The open sewer grate.
"Oh yes," Patch said.
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Danny kept his ear to the wind as he listened in on the latest Twilight Bark.
At first, it seemed like nothing more than gossip.
But then he took notice of the code words.
Certain words in themselves that appear meaningless but in a certain order relays a message.
Brigadier General Dan, as a high-ranking officer among the regiment of England's military dog service knew this code all too well.
"Code Red." Danny furrowed his brow in thought. "Perhaps they're searching for the little ones in my care."
Just then, Reggie the Yorkie came scurrying after the Great Dane in a panic.
"Danny! Danny! We have a problem, the pups-!"
"Not now Reggie," Danny said. "Quiet for a moment, I need to receive the rest of the message."
The Great Dane lifted his ear and listened.
After a series of short barks, his features turned from intense focus to great alarm.
"Heavens preserve us," Danny whispered.
"Danny, the pups are gone!"
The Great Dane immediately turned on the Yorkie as though he had been skewered in his backside.
"What?!"
"They're gone Danny, they fled into that sewer drain they came out of."
Danny's mouth dropped so low, Reggie thought it would snap right off.
"That's not possible," Danny said. "Could they have gotten wind of the message."
"That's…" Reggie scoffed at the idea. "...very unlikely. They're pups, only a select few know the Code. Besides you, myself, the Colonel, among several others, no one."
Danny furrowed his brow. That was true. There's no way the pups could interpret the Twilight Bark for the message that was sent.
But if it wasn't the message that made them leave, then what was it? It can't be coincidence. Did something else tip them off.
"I better go after them." Danny eyed the Yorkie with a commanding stature. "Reggie, relay the message on my behalf. You'll know what to do."
"Aye sir. But what about the pups? Where will you look? The sewer will surely cover their scent."
"Don't worry," the Great Dane said assuredly. "I already know where they're going."
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"Do we even know where we're going?"
"Yes Freckles," Patch said. "The scent will take us south, towards the waterfront. Right Roly?"
"Mmhm," Roly said as he continued to smell the air.
"How can you smell anything from down here Roly?" Freckles said. "We're in a rank sewer."
"I've learned how to ignore other smells."
The pups looked at their portly brother with amazement.
"How'd you learn to do that?" Lucky asked.
Roly shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. I just did."
The pups eyed Roly with confusion. Then they just shrugged their shoulders and moved on.
"So…" Pepper said. "When we get there, wherever we're going, how will we get in? How will we get our family out?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Penny said.
"We may have to cross an actual bridge on the way Penny," Patch said grimly.
"We'd be exposed," Freckles said.
"Precisely," Patch said emphatically as though he were Thunderbolt.
His siblings stared at him.
Patch smiled bashfully. "Anyway, if it comes to crossing bridges, we'll need to find a way to cross without being seen."
"Maybe we can stow away in a car like we did before," Lucky said.
Patch smiled and he nuzzled his brother appreciatively. "Good one Luck, that'll hide us and save us time."
"Come on!" Cadpig cried frantically. "We have to hurry!"
Cadpig rushed ahead.
"Caddy!" Penny called out. "Wait! Stay with the group!"
Cadpig didn't listen. Her mind was filled with fear and turmoil, fear for the lives of her family.
"Cadpig!" Patch called out in a commanding voice. "STOP!"
The youngest sister of the 15 stopped dead in her tracks.
Patch caught up to her. "Caddy listen!" He gritted his teeth, remembering to control his voice when speaking to his youngest sister. "Caddy, I know you're scared. I'm scared too. But we need to keep our heads. Whoever has our family is dangerous and very smart. We can't just run into where we're going. We need to be smart about this."
Cadpig nodded but she was shaking. "N-N-Nero."
"Never mind him, right now we focus on finding our brothers and sisters. Besides Nero is half blind and out of his mind. I don't think we have to worry about him right now. Now let's go get our family back, ok?"
Cadpig sniffled. "Ok."
Patch gave his sister a kiss. "Let's get moving."
To be continued...