GS Note: Well, just got back from a retreat, which was awesome, and I was all fired up for writing. Then, four nights of going to sleep at three caught up and I passed out. Then I went riding, came back all excited, then passed out. Then I decorated my room, thought about writing, and here I am.

Reviewers (which I love dearly and keep sacred): DBZVelena, Ivy, Emy (That gave me an idea actually…), Eike (Coolio ^_^), tenshiamanda, Hakumei (Yup, yup 1x2 action, er, soon…maybe…If I stop being lazy…), shinigami, Muse, Lev (heh heh, gotta love Doro-chan! *waves flag right along side*)

Kitt SSEH, I know, I know, I'm just so excited to get the next part out, I forget to reread it. I always feel a bit stupid when people tell me but I usually am more careful after, so thanks! I'm almost willing to bet that this chapter has no spelling mistakes *crosses fingers*

Neko

Chapter 8

It took no time for Rashid to point Dorothy in the right direction. She nodded and led the four tomcats over the fence and to the edge of the street. She had to yell at a grey and white one as he tried to step onto the cobblestone streets. He paused and looked at her with a sneer.

"What?" Auda sighed, still slightly appalled that Master Quatre had ordered them to take on this female.

"Do you want your brains bashed across the street?" she growled right back at him. He glared at her and she sighed. "Streets produce cars." There was a pregnant silence. "Cars speed on streets, hit cats, cats go boom?"

To prove her point, a dark van pulled down the narrow curve just ahead of the house and drenched the four toms in water. They sputtered as they dripped while Dorothy sat a few feet away in mocking glee.

"You see that? That will be you if you get caught. Watch me." With that, Dorothy approached the curb and stood there, her ears cocked in wait as her eyes narrowed in concentration. They looked at her with grudging respect when she suddenly began to shout for them to run across now.

Rashid hesitated but followed her orders and in a matter of seconds they were trotting down an alley on the other side of the street behind the queen. She slowed in a matter of minutes after leading them through a maze of alleys and fire escapes. Though they were in top, physical condition, long-distance endurance trips wasn't something these tomcats practiced much. They struggled behind the steady pace set by the older cat. Finally, they were jerked to a halt.

"Hey," she stared at the shadows. "I hope she's still around."

Rashid looked wearily at the longhaired Persian. "Who?"

"An old friend," she said distracted. "Where is she?"

"Why don't you call her," Auda sneered. He sulked at the back of the group. Dorothy turned to fix and intense glare at him.

"She'll know I'm here if she is."

One of the other toms that was keeping a look out suddenly yelped and jumped to whirl behind him. Instantly, the other three males turned to face the noise in the corner. Dorothy snorted, looked the other way and smiled.

"Hello Merian."

***

"So we have no way of getting out of here?"

"I have every confidence that somebody will come along, Duo."

"Like they did for you, Solo?"

"You came along."

"And look at how much luck we had."

Heero snorted at the fighting from his spot in the driest part of the sewer. He sulked in the shadows, wishing feverishly he had just let that stupid female leave and hadn't followed her. He closed his eyes to their bickering when a ray of light caught his eye. It was shining very thinly through a crack in the rumble of rocks blocking the exit. He sat up curiously.

"Just because you got cocky doesn't mean—"

"Cocky? You think I got cocky?"

"Here you go, off into one of your moods again—"

"My moods?"

Carefully, Heero climbed the unsteady pile of cement and rocks until the light peeking through was on his face. He could smell clean air leaking though so he prodded it with his paw. The loose pebbles fell away.

"It's not my fault that you lose you temper—"

"I can't believe you Solo! I get passionate about something and you pass it off as hormones! I'll have you know—"

"Hey!" Heero called down to them. They fell silent to his relief. "I'm trying to concentrate on getting us out of here."

Almost immediately, he could hear the two cats start to scramble up after him. They crowded around the tiny hole, now big enough to get a small visual of an alley. Duo poked it with her paw, dislodging more small stones that bounce down behind. As if on cue, all three started to frantically rolled the gravel back down into the sewer, slowly widening their escape.

***

Back at the house, Quatre was frantic. Soon after Dorothy had left, a dark van had pulled it. It was one of Her friends.

Apparently She had called together a group of woman to go over the cats. It was done so quietly, Quatre probably wouldn't have noticed unless Hilde hadn't come into Heero's room looking for the Havana Brown.

"Here, Heero, Heero, Heero," she called softly in the dark room, the door open a crack to let light in. She crept around the plush carpet on her hands and knees. She clucked her tongue as she carefully started to look in all the dark corners. Quatre hugged the floor under the couch.

If Hilde caught him in here, their whole ring of escape route and vents might be dismantled. He might never see Trowa again. Or, even if he wasn't found, Heero wouldn't be either. Hilde and She knew that Heero got out every so often but when a full house search failed to retrieve him, all hell would break loose.

Quatre had to do something.

But what?

***

Dorothy had to almost forcefully restrain her group from attacking the black cat on sight. Merian smirked at them as Dorothy held them under control with a glare.

"So," was the quiet voice from the stealthy black cat, "You've come back."

Dorothy snorted. "Hardly. I'm too old for street life anymore, Merian, and you know it. You might join gangs but I'll just end up bleeding in front of them."

Merian chuckled. "I know. It helps that you're four years my senior I guess. I still have some kick in me. What did you come back for. And why with them," the quiet comment was directed over Dorothy's shoulder.

"I have a protective mate," she smirked. "I'm looking for a brown queen, named Duo and another chocolate tom named Heero. Do you know anything?"

Another quiet chuckle. "Dorothy, you've come to the right cat. Give me a minute to handle my boss and we'll see if those body guards of yours are any good."

Auda shifted from foot to foot as the black cat stole off back into the shadows. So soon as he thought she was gone, he voiced his concern. "I don't trust her."

Dorothy snorted but didn't say anything as the four started to argue. She did step in when they became too loud.

"Look guys," she knocked Auda over his head to quiet them down. "You have to shut up. This is a pretty isolated street but not all dogs are like Walker and Otto. They're hungry and you fit perfectly in their stomachs. Unless you feel like redecorating Rover's insides, shut your traps!"

They waited in a tense silence, the now paranoid toms continuously checking over their shoulders.

***

Finally, Solo pulled back from the hole with a sigh.

"It's not going to work."

Heero pulled back too, his once spotless coat covered with mud and dirt. Duo gave the hole a few more half-hearted prods but gave up too. The three balanced on the rumble with a heavy air of disappointment.

"We need somebody on the outside," Heero sighed. "We can't move that board covering most of the exit. I think there's a garbage bag weighing it down."

"Maybe one of us could wiggle out the part not blocked," Duo added hopefully but the half-lit expressions on the two toms' faces shot down the idea. She grumbled and gave a weak joke, "I'm not that fat."

There was movement outside of the hole and the three instantly fell silent as they listened to the starting conversation.

Mueller had been guarding the grate they had been thrown down, it was well over five feet on the wall beside them. The hole must have opened into the same alley as the grate because they heard Mueller's voice greet another.

"Hey boss, something wrong?"

"No, no," Duo growled softly at the reply Dekim gave. Solo gave her a warning look. "I'm going to send Alex to relieve you soon. Then I want you to find—"

Mueller cleared his throat loudly and a third voice joined theirs.

"There you are," Dekim said calmly. "Have you settled the problem with those five cats on my grounds yet?"

"Yes boss," the voice was new to all three of them. "It's all taken care of. Do you want me to watch the prisoners while Mueller goes to get Alex?"

"No," a touch of suspicion was clear in the tone. "Stay with Mueller, I'll get Alex and Relena. Then I'll tell you what we are going to do with these three."

There must have been some sort of agreement or closure to the conversation but from their angle, none of the three prisoners could see. It was silent for a few minutes.

Duo jumped as a slight thud coming from the grate. They waited in, adrenaline racing through their bodies. Duo could hear Heero's heart pumping madly against her shoulder. After a few minutes of no movement, Heero pushed himself a tiny bit closer to the opening.

The tiny ray of light was blocked as a small black face filled it. It startled Heero so much he fell back to the bottom of the sewer. Duo growled as Heero groaned in pain below her.

"You. What do you want?" Duo spat out as the cat began to inspect the board. "You're one of Dekim's gang! Damn, now he's gonna know about this hole."

Duo grumbled under her breath but Solo smiled.

"Hey Merian, ready to come out of hiding and help out your brother escape?" the black tom winked to the slight cat in front of them.

"Not alone," the black cat smirked, not oblivious to the shocked silence in the jail. "But I'll be back. If Dekim comes, stall him."