Author's notes: Well, here's chapter 14. This one's very corny in parts so I appologise if it's sickly sweet. Enjoy, Please R&R!
Warning: Corniness!
Griddlebone woke with a start. She sat blot upright and sprung to her paws. She panted heavily and her eyes darted round the room wildly but it was completely empty save for the sofa. She took a few calming breaths, it had all been a dream. Macavity would never exploit Etcetera like that, seen as she was her daughter. Besides, why would a common whore lead her daughter through the cavity behind the wall and end up swimming in the sewers? What criminal mastermind would put a cavity in his walls anyway? It was a stupid dream and she knew it was probably too far fetched to be true.
Griddlebone curled up on the sofa again. She needed her beauty sleep and fussing over a silly dream wouldn't help. With a deep yawn Griddlebone fell straight back into an uneasy sleep with no idea she was being watched.
Anana weakly dragged Etcetera's limp and lifeless body out of the water and onto a muddy bank. The faint glow of dawn was lightening the sky and the birds were making ready to sing. Anana almost collapsed onto the wet mud, her once beautiful fur sodden with mud and sewer water.
She placed the back of her paw against Etcetera mouth and nose. She could feel no breath. Keeping calm, Anana opened Etcetera's mouth to be greeted with a rush of murky sewer water.
"Don't die now, you've come too far and risked so much." Anana begged. She bent down and her lips connected with Etcetera's cold ones. She blew hard into her mouth and felt the queen's chest rise. As she worked on Etcetera it became clear to her that the queen was lost. With a final attempt, Anana fell to the ground defeated. This queen was dead and she didn't even know her name, then Macavity would come and hunt her down. Either that or she'd freeze to death. Anana gave a defeated sob before falling into the same deadly slumber Etcetera had fallen into.
As the sun rose over the distant hills, single ray of light found its way to Etcetera. As though by some unearthly force Etcetera shuddered a breath. The young queen's eyes fluttered open and gazed out upon the rising sun with awe. "I though I'd never see this again." Etcetera whispered hoarsely as the golden disk rose into the sky. With a contented smile on her face Etcetera fell into a deep sleep with the rising sun warming her.
The tom pulled on his black leather gloves over his paws. After glancing around to check the coast was clear, he slung Etcetera over his shoulders and disappeared into the surrounding wood. He hadn't seen the other queen and even if he had he'd have left her anyway.
As he leapt nimbly over the bracken and dodged oncoming trees, he clung tightly to Etcetera feeling her head bouncing limply against his shoulder.
"Don't worry my little Etcetera." He muttered to the unconscious queen, "I'll put you out of your misery soon."
As he rounded a fairly large clump of stinging nettles, he was greeted by a blaze of light. The tom sprung back and shielded his eyes; the roar of the oncoming lorry nearly drove the last of his courage from him. With just an inch to spare he leapt out of the lorry's way and in a tumble of fur, he and Etcetera rolled down into a muddy ditch.
Once the tom was sure the lorry had gone he slung Etcetera back over his shoulder and continued on his journey. "Not long now little one, this will all be over soon. I'll put you out of your misery. I promise it will be quick and painless."
The tom heaved the limp queen into a more secure position then disappeared into the night.
Alonzo, followed by Mungo and Plato, walked towards were Old D was sitting.
"Have you found him?" Old D asked urgently.
Alonzo glanced at Mungo and Plato then hung his head. "No. We looked everywhere but we couldn't find him. No one has seen him and there wasn't so much as a trace to follow. He's gone."
Old D closed his eyes and ran his paws through his grey fur with a heavy sigh. "He can't have just vanished. He can't have gone too far."
"Old D, he's been missing for days. It could be that he's lost or… something." Alonzo replied pathetically.
"What about the twins?" Old D said.
"They can't find anything either. They can't sense his presence anywhere." Plato answered. "Misto's the same."
Old D opened his eyes and looked directly at the three toms. "Is there no one else who can help us…?"
"Wha' 'bou' Exo'ica?" Mungo suddenly piped up.
"Exotica? How could she help?" Old D frowned.
"Well… I don' know. She's da only one we 'aven' fough' of ta ask ye' so I' only seems logical da' we ask 'er." Mungo shrugged.
"You know something, you could be right." Old D said seeing a glimmer of hope. "Alonzo, go find Exotica quickly!"
The black and white tom sped out of the clearing and returned a couple of hours later with the Siamese queen. She seemed to float after him and didn't make a single sound.
"Exotica, we need your help." Old D said rising to greet the queen.
Exotica said nothing but tilted her head to show she was listening.
"Munkustrap's been missing for a few days. We've taken every possible lead but have found nothing. You're the only cat we haven't asked yet, do you think you could help us at all?"
Exotica seemed to think for a moment, and then a warm smile spread across her face. Without a single word to any of them she sprinted out of the junkyard and into the surrounding woods.
The tom laid the limp queen against the base of a large oak tree. He spread his cloak over her shivering form and crept into the dense undergrowth.
Etcetera must have lain against that tree for several hours before an almost non-existent patter of paws headed her way. Out of the thorn bushes stepped an elegant Siamese. Exotica glided over to the unconscious queen all the time keeping that same mystical grace. "Ma'am?" She whispered gently.
The filthy queen didn't stir. Exotica checked her pulse and was relieve to find the young queen still had one.
Exotica's head spanned up. She stared intensely at a clump of brushes to her right that were rustling ominously. Exotica slowly took up a defensive stance and waited. The rustling grew louder as the creature approached where she was guarding Etcetera.
CRASH
A huge branch fell from a tree next to Exotica and narrowly missed her. With her heart pounding like an insane drum in her chest but still being able to keep her unnatural grace, she waited.
Then, out of the darkness, a long deep moan followed the sound of breaking twigs. Exotica backed away slightly as the bush began to part and out of the darkness stepped…
The next chapter has already been finnished but I'm sick of people reading and not reviewing, so from now on I won't post the next chapter till I've got at least ten reviews. I know I'm being a bitch but I need to know people are actually reading my work.