Chapter Eight:

Plan A

Theodore watched from the window as Horace harshly barked at the workers. Although he was worried about Dave, Theodore prepared himself for the signal. Once he saw Horace in the right spot, he rushed towards his brothers, who were calming down a flock of hawks.

Theodore briskly stated in a childish tone, "He's there! He's right there! I just saw him…"

Alvin shushed him. In frustration, he muttered loudly, "We're not ready."

"Oh, okay. Should I keep guard until you two are ready?" asked Theodore excitedly.

Simon whispered aloud, "No. We've got this covered." He swiftly turned to the hawk next to him and added quizzically, "Isn't that right, Reginald?"

The hawk chuckled, showing a devious look in his eyes. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Just as long as I get my breakfast after the job is done."

Bravely, Alvin replied, "You'll get your breakfast, but it won't be us."

Frustrated, Reginald sneered, "Rats! I thought I would have you three for brunch."

"Not if you're helping us out against that DeVil woman," admitted Simon as he leaped onto his back. Facing his brothers, who had just climbed onto two separate hawks, Simon asked, "Ready?"

Alvin and Theodore nodded, while telling him in reply, "Ready."

Simon nodded in reply, as the hawks moved into position. When Simon called out the signal for takeoff, the flock of hawks zoomed through the various open windows and into the warehouse. The hawks sent the workers running, as well as salvaging the fur they had been sewing together and trimming out pieces. Alvin enjoyed the feel of being in the air, as well as the fast-paced movements of his hawk. Simon rolled his eyes, while giving all the hawks orders, which made the battle even more rousing and exhilarating to watch – from a chipmunk's point-of-view. Theodore, on the other hand, tried a few times not to get motion sickness. However, when he could no longer stand the fierce ride, Theodore accidentally threw up on a worker's shoulder.

Theodore at once apologized to the worker, "Sorry sir! I'm sorry!" In moments, his hawk grabbed Horace's brown cap right off the top of his head.

Just then, Theodore glanced at the broom closet right as the chair was shoved forcefully out of the way and the door was opened by Dave. Before Theodore could say hello to his humanly father figure, the chipmunk let out a high-pitched scream, for he saw Horace standing right in the hawk's flight path. Once he realized his brother was in trouble, Simon leapt off his hawk and whacked Horace on the nose. Before the Badun captured him in his bare hands, Simon averted to a metallic pole before calling out to Alvin to lead the next attack. Horace quickly braced Simon in his grasp and threw him inside a barred cage. Before Horace could latch the cage door, Alvin made his hawk zoom around the Badun in circles three times, before leading the henchman right smack into the pole. Horace soon collapsed backwards to the cement floor, becoming unconscious in seconds.

Theodore cheered in excitement and triumph. Simon, meanwhile, stated as soon as he left the cage, "One Badun down and another to go. Then it'll be Cruella's turn."

"Dave!" announced Alvin, a moment before his hawk landed in a bird bath. The chipmunk managed to pull himself out of the water while the hawk drank down several gulps of the crystal-clear fountain water. Alvin soon protested as he faced the hawk, "Thanks for the wet landing, Rotund."

Snickering, the hawk remarked, "Anytime Alvin."

In a brisk manner, the chipmunk trio approached Dave. The man immediately greeted the three chipmunks with a happy expression written across his face. While the workers cleaned up after the chipmunks' and hawks' destructive mess, Dave engaged in a conversation with Alvin, Simon, and Theodore.

"How did you three escape? You decided to come back for me?" asked Dave curiously.

"Of course, Dave," said Simon, as if the answer didn't need to be restated. "Why would we forget you?"

"You're a friend, Dave," admitted Theodore calmly.

Alvin paused, and then explained, "Well… we climbed out the window and met this flock of hawks. Simon here made a deal with those birds: if we rescued you and Frodo from Cruella DeVil, then they wouldn't eat me and my brothers for breakfast, lunch, or whatever they said we would be as a meal."

"Humph!" grunted Reginald in frustration. "So much for having my morning meal… annoying chipmunks."

Ignoring the hawk, Dave quickly asked the three chipmunks in concern, "Do you know where they took him… where Cruella took Frodo?"

Remembering, Theodore pointed out the book towards one end of the room. "Of course I do, Dave. They fled through that big, enchanted book!" Curiously, Theodore asked him, "Does this mean, after we rescue Frodo and the rest of the chipmunks from that DeVil woman, we get to go home?"

Alvin shushed him before whispering, while pointing out Horace who was still unconscious, "Do you see that Badun over there?"

"Yeah," admitted Theodore.

Loudly, Alvin told his brother in a panicked voice, as he grabbed Theodore's shoulders and shook him a little, "If we don't get out of this warehouse before he wakes up, we're dead!"

Dave raised an eyebrow at Alvin, before admitting freely, "I have to admit that Alvin's right. We need to leave this warehouse, find Frodo, and bring him back to his home before we can return home. So come on, you chipmunks. Let's go." He then led the chipmunk trio across the warehouse towards the end Theodore had pointed out, so politely, to them.

The very moment Dave and the chipmunks stood before the gold-dusted book that was still flipped open to the middle pages, Alvin and Simon dragged Theodore onto the book's pages first. After the two chipmunks stood back, they watched as Theodore vanished from sight in a shroud of gold mist. Upon realizing the book was indeed enchanted, as Theodore had so stated, Simon shoved Alvin off of him before entering the book next. Before Alvin could say two words to Dave, he watched as his humanly paternal figure briskly stepped over the threshold of the gold-dusted pages, disappearing from sight seconds later.

In concern, Alvin spoke loudly to himself, "This is great! First, Simon acts like a boss and travels into the book after Theodore. Theodore, meanwhile, whines and complains about saving Frodo's life. Frodo, all the while, had to go lose me and my brothers for hours on end, and now finds himself caught in a sticky situation." Looking up at the ceiling, Alvin asked in repentance, "Isn't anyone going to save me?"

Just then, Horace used the pole for support as he stood up. After briskly recovering from the hard blow to his head, Horace saw Alvin run off from the large book. Enraged, Horace cried out at the chipmunk, "You – little – rat! Come here!"

After he clambered up a flight of wooden stairs, Alvin ran past an open door that led inside a narrow control room. Once Horace entered the room, Alvin played with a few buttons, before turning his gaze sharply on a red button with a picture of a boxing glove pounding on a shiny gold button. The second he pressed the button, Alvin watched Horace as a large, red boxing glove swung down from a wooden hatch in the ceiling, hitting the Badun square on the nose. While Horace lurched out in pain, Alvin made a run for the tall silver door.

The chipmunk briskly slid out of the control room, and then used his whole body weight to force the door to close for him. The doorknob clicked shut, just as Alvin jumped onto a few wooden barrels and reached for the lock on the knob. Soon after the door was locked tight, Alvin watched with a chuckling smile as Horace made several tries to unlock the door, but found the door wouldn't budge. As Alvin chuckled in delight, he slid down the stairs' wooden railing. Upon charging towards the open book, still leaned up against the wall, Alvin climbed up onto the gold-dusted pages. Within moments, the chipmunk was surrounded by a flash of bright light.

Alvin poked his head out from a snow bank. Looking up at the sky, Alvin noticed the sun moving higher towards noon. After climbing out from the snow bank to brush his fur off, Alvin found his two brothers digging their way out of the freshly-piled snow. Theodore shivered while coughing a few times.

As his teeth chattered, Theodore asked his two brothers, "G-G-Guys, d-d-d-does anyone know w-w-w-where we are?"

"Don't worry, Theodore. I'm sure Alvin has a plan." Simon then glared sharply at Alvin, who wasn't paying any attention to him or Theodore. "Isn't that right, Alvin?"

"What? I love ice cream! It's a pleasant snack when you're freezing!" barked Alvin in a sarcastic tone. Changing his voice to a more serious tone, Alvin asked in annoyance, "Where is Dave when you need him?"

"D-D-D-Don't you k-k-know w-w-where we are?" asked Theodore, more confused than he was a few seconds ago.

Ignoring him, Alvin called out, "DAVE? Dave? Dave, where are you? We need help! We need to know where we are!" Turning to his brothers, Alvin asked them diligently, "Does anyone know what happened to Dave?"

Simon thought for a brief moment, and then answered, "I would say he is just right around the corner, Alvin. Now, if you will kindly lower your voice, then we can…"

"DAVE! Dave?" asked Alvin, calling out more loudly.

Simon immediately shushed him. "Alvin, try not to be so loud. There might be dogs…"

At once, Alvin protested angrily, "I don't care! We need help!"

"D-D-D-Do we, A-A-A-Alvin?" asked Theodore, shivering violently.

"Yes! Until that Halfling comes to our rescue – my guess is Dave will be here first before Frodo – then I will have no other choice except to cry for help until my face turns blue!" barked Alvin, about ready to let out a loud bellow. Just then, Alvin noticed a dark shadow standing over him. He whirled around towards Dave's direction, while happy announcing, "Dave!" Guiltily, he asked the man, "When – when did you get here?"

He thought briefly, and then replied, "Just now, when you started barking at Simon and Theodore."

As Simon and Theodore caught up to Alvin, Alvin chuckled guiltily while admitting, "I didn't expect you would stand right behind me."

Turning his gaze to Simon and Theodore, Dave asked them in concern, "Did you find Frodo?"

Logically, Simon addressed the issue at once, "No. You see, me and my brothers just arrived at this street. We don't have a clue about where we could find Frodo… what is it, Theodore?"

"Look," said Theodore, pointing out a building that had large, black letters in the front, at the top of the stone steps. The black letters stated as a title: House of De Vil.

Understanding, Simon said regrettably, "Oh, that place. That is where Cruella works. I guess you can say it's her business and she owns the building, as well as the fashion that is designed and sewn by her…"

"Okay, enough of that history lesson," complained Alvin. While Simon glowered at him, Alvin ignored his brother and turned to Dave, "So, what's your plan?"

"I was about to ask you the same question," admitted Dave casually.

"Oh," said Alvin, deciding to shy away from the situation. "On second thought, let's get out of here and return home. I mean, there are plenty of places where Frodo could have been kidnapped… why should I be leader all-of-a-sudden?"

Simon and Theodore winked at each other, as if having the same idea. Simon returned his gaze to Alvin as he addressed him coolly, "Now Alvin, don't tell me you're afraid of an evil woman's work place?"

"Yeah, you wouldn't chicken out on us now," said Theodore, playing along admirably.

"All right, I'm scared! I'll scream it from the rooftops!" declared Alvin, now enraged. After a pause, Alvin barked at his brothers, "Fine, I'll simply walk up to the De Vil House of Horrors, look her in the eyes, and say 'Hey, you leave my brothers and me alone!' Then she'll run away like a little dormouse." He then ended the conversation briskly, "There I said it! Are you two happy? Now, move out of my way!"

Theodore turned to Simon with a curious look on his face. "Simon, how long do you think it will take Alvin to realize he has to come back?"

"I'm not sure," said Simon in a knowing voice. Staring at his wrist, as if pretending there was a watch wrapped around it, he admitted with slight confidence in his voice, "I would give him about three… two… one…"

"On second thought…" Alvin was cut off, as soon as he ran down the stone steps.

By then, a grey Ford Transit MkII sped off down the road. Simon, Theodore, and Dave moved out of the way before the truck could run them over. As the truck passed them, Alvin and Dave caught a good glimpse of Jasper seated in the driver's seat, yelling at them, Simon, and Theodore to move off the road. At once, an Airedale terrier approached the four, just as the truck stopped a few yards away from the fashion building. Alvin, Simon, and Theodore briskly made their way onto the terrier's back. Theodore managed to catch the terrier's name by a guess, which turned out to be correct. Soon after Dave said his goodbyes and good lucks to the three chipmunks and to the terrier, whose name was Kipper, the chipmunk trio and Kipper gave chase after the truck.

Dave briskly climbed up the steps as a 1974 Panther DeVille drove down the road. Inside, Dave saw a red-and-black fur coat that must have belonged to Cruella. The easiest way for Dave to recognize Cruella was driving the car was from her black-and-white hair and her red fur hat. He didn't need to think twice about following after the car. A moment after he called for a cab, Dave waited until the yellow cab arrived before stepping inside and telling the driver to follow after the panther and the truck. The cab driver looked at him strangely before driving his cab down the road.