Chapter 3
Danger Mouse and Woodruff were taking a walk around the huge garden of the house. Kim, Stella and Penfold were indoors, chatting and enjoying Stella's muffins. It turned out that Stella was quite a good cook.
"You seem so happy, Woodruff", smiled DM, as he observed his friend. "I'm glad you get along with her".
"Thanks", Woodruff smiled back. "It's a bit weird, having a sibling. But a couple of hours of chatting to her and I felt like I'd known her forever. She has this huge comicbook collection that she's been gathering since she was seven. She likes SpiderMan too, but the Justice League are her favourite".
DM grinned, falling silent as Woodruff went on to describe the different things that he and his sister read. Woodruff would never be able to say things like this to Stella. Besides, it brought back old memories for the agent.
"You know", said DM thoughtfully, as they stopped by a small pear tree. "Damien and I used to read this old comic called Calvin and Hobbes. It was created in the 80's, and we loved it".
Woodruff was interested. "What was it about?"
"It was about a six-year-old boy who caught a toy tiger in a tiger trap", replied DM, smiling as the story returned to his memory. "As it appeared, the tiger was alive, and could walk and talk just like the boy. They became firm friends".
Woodruff raised an eyebrow. "And I'm guessing that only the boy knew that the tiger was alive?" he asked.
"That's right. Oh, it was childish, but then again, so were we. We were young and we were often reckless".
Woodruff's eyes became wide. "You? Reckless? No way! By the way, you got any of those comics left?"
DM frowned thoughtfully. "I think my parents gave most of them away to charity shops after Damien died, but I think I kept a few copies and put them in the pillarbox attic. I'll look for them for you".
"Thanks".
Woodruff slung an arm around DM's shoulder as the agent patted his back.
"Anytime, old friend".
Jack anxiously checked his watch. It was nearly eleven o'clock and the day had been uneventful, save Jack getting his new crutches. The tiger hobbled around the ward, testing them and checking to see that he could use them properly.
How was Helen going to get him out of here? Jack wished she had told him – his nerves were on edge. What if they got caught? What if it went wrong and he damaged his leg? What if they did get away, but it was back to the old routine of running around and breaking the law?
Jack was sure that any moment now, he was going to go insane with all these 'What ifs?"
At that moment, someone tapped on the ward window.
DM collapsed onto the sofa in the lounge back at the pillarbox. It had been a busy day – besides the fact that Stella's delicious muffins had really filled the agent up!
It was getting dark, and DM was tired. He stretched and then lay back on the soft fabric of the sofa.
At that moment, Penfold came in and sat down next to his Chief. DM observed him out of the corner of his eye.
"You'll have to cut down tomorrow, Penfold. You had about five of those muffins".
"Stella's a good cook", smiled Penfold.
"Yes. Where's Kim?" asked DM.
"Oh, she's reading in her room".
"I think we had better turn in for the night", yawned DM. "You go to bed and I'll tell Kim to hit the hay, so to speak".
"Right, Chief. Goodnight, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite", smiled Penfold.
DM returned his assistant's smile. "Goodnight, Penfold".
After Penfold had gone to his room, DM walked across the hallway to Kim's room. He knocked on the door.
"Come in", called Kim. DM cautiously opened up the door and saw Kim lying on the bed, reading a book.
"Time for bed, Kim", he said. "You never know when we might get a call".
"Right, DM". Kim folded over the page in her book and put it on the desk. She then reached under her pillow, and brought out a grey nightie. DM absent-mindedly leaned against the wall and watched her.
Kim turned around and saw that her Chief was still there. She gave him a pointed look.
"Uh – DM, could you give me a little privacy?"
DM blinked a couple of times and then the realization hit him. "Oh – yes! I'm sorry!"
Kim smiled as he opened the door to her room to leave. "Night, DM".
"Goodnight", he replied. Then, as he left, he cursed himself for letting his affection get in the way of his consideration.
Jack cautiously clambered out of the window with Stiletto and Helen's help. Jack had met the two crows, and he wondered where all this was leading.
"Take your time, Jack", whispered Helen, as Jack started to slide down the makeshift rope of sheets: real ropes would have burnt their hands. Jack was relieved to see, as he eased down, that all the other windows he passed had the curtains shut across them.
At the bottom, Leatherhead was holding the rope steady with one hand whilst reading a comicbook with the other. Jack continued to ease himself down, trying not to look up at the sky or down at the ground.
"Come on, mate". Leatherhead put his comicbook away and caught the tiger around the waist as Jack finally landed safely next to him.
"Catch!" called Helen from above and Jack's crutches were thrown down. Leatherhead caught them both neatly with one hand and then gave them to Jack. The tiger eased his arms into them and hobbled away from the rope as Helen and Stiletto came sliding down.
"OK, let's-a go!" whispered Stiletto.
"Go where?" asked Jack.
"You'll see", whispered Leatherhead in his ear.
Jack gulped. Somehow he didn't find that very reassuring.
Baron Greenback sat back in his chair in the back of the van. He watched his henchmen assist a young tiger on crutches towards the vehicle.
"Well, my little Nero", the toad addressed his pet caterpillar, who was sitting in his lap. "We shall see if this Jack has the quality and skill we so desire to eliminate the Witless White Wonder".
Nero giggled in reply. Greenback smiled.
"Yes...if he is good enough, we will use him to our advantage".
Nero giggled again and looked up at his owner. He was sure that whatever plan Greenback was concocting, it would be an impressive one.
Jack hobbled up the steps into the back of the van waiting outside the hospital. He nervously raised his head to see a chair, half-bathed in darkness, and the outline of a toad sitting on it.
"Is this the young tiger you told me about, Helen?" enquired a hoarse voice.
"Yes, Baron". Helen nudged Jack forward. There was an awkward silence in which Jack found he would rather look at the floor than at the toad.
"Well?" Greenback enquired finally. "Is this the way all my new henchmen treat me – preferring not to talk? Speak, Jack Blackstone!"
"Er..." Jack mumbled and stuttered a few times before managing to speak coherently. "Uh – hi, Baron".
A sigh came from the depths of the chair.
"Well, it's a start. Tell, me Jack, would you accept the honour of working for a genius like myself, Baron Silas Greenback?"
Jack tried not to roll his eyes at the Baron's 'modesty'. "Um – I guess so, if you want me to".
"Excellent. A little more enthusiasm and we'll make a good criminal of you yet! Stiletto! Leatherhead!"
"Yes, boss?"
"Si, Barone?"
"Go upfront and start the van. I want to talk further with Jack and Helen – in private".
Jack turned to look at Leatherhead and Stiletto. Stiletto just shrugged at him before jumping out of the back of the van, but Leatherhead gave Jack an encouraging smile and a wink before running out after his collegue.
"Sit, Jack". The Baron invited. Jack did so, gulping inwardly.
This is going to be a long trip...
Stella sat down in front of her laptop computer that night and logged onto the Internet. Woodruff had travelled back to his own place tonight in case he was called out for the agency, leaving Stella to relax at her stepfather's. It was late, but Stella was alone, and she didn't feel like going to bed just yet.
She looked at the piece of paper on which Jack had scribbled his email address. The Black Labrador opened up a new email and wrote the address in. She then started to write out a letter to the tiger, hoping he would be out of hospital soon.
Danger Mouse was not asleep either. He felt strange. His agent instincts had not proved him wrong yet, and now the mouse felt that something wasn't quite right.
Danger Mouse jumped out of bed and drew back the curtain covering his window. He scanned the street quickly. There was nothing.
DM massaged his eyelids and sat back down on the bed. He was tired, and yet he felt something was going to happen.
The mouse wondered if he should call Colonel K. But what was the point when he didn't even know what as wrong? Why worry the Colonel this late?
Moaning, DM rested his head back on the pillow. It was going to be a long night.
Jack looked nervously around at the long corridors that greeted him as soon as he stepped into the Baron's quarters.
"Stiletto, take Jack to his room – "
"And explain the get-up?"
"Yes, 'explain the get-up', as you put it, Leatherhead. Just do it".
As the Baron walked off to his office, Helen came forward. "I'll show him around", she said pointedly to Stiletto and Leatherhead.
The crows exchanged glances and then nodded in agreement.
"Alright, Helen", said Stiletto. "We'll-a leave you to it".
Helen nodded and then took Jack by the arm and leading him away and into a room in the next corridor.
"Helen? What are we doing here?" Jack's voice was nervous.
Helen turned to him.
"We're helping Greenback", she stated.
Jack looked at her uneasily. Helen sighed.
"Look, Jack", she said. "He wants us to help him get rid of Danger Mouse".
Jack raised an eyebrow. "But he escaped us once before, with Woodruff", he protested. "He can escape again".
"Not with the toad, he won't", smirked Helen. "He's built another trap to catch him. Now, you get yourself settled, and DON'T WORRY".
As Helen left the room, Jack bit his lip worriedly. He had a bad feeling about this...