The Orphanage

Ginny was locked in a little, empty room. She didn't know why she was here instead in the orphanage's dormitory. Sitting on the cold floor, Ginny looked at her mother's wedding ring. Her father had gave it to her two years before, after the execution of the Killer of Alleys. I won't let them win, daddy. I'll find a way to get out of here.

Suddenly the door of the room where Ginny was locked up opened, and a group of five or six policemen entered. Ginny's eyes grew red of anger as she saw that Basil of Baker Street was with them, followed by a short, fat mouse.

"YOU!"she growled "what the hell do you want from me?"

Basil stepped towards her. Ginny noticed he had many bruises and scratches on his face. "Get out from here!"she snarled "get out, or I'll kill you with my hands!"

Basil took a step forward and gave her a nervous smile. "I see that your temper hadn't changed in those two years, Ginny. But we both know that you can't hurt me now...not with six grown mouse around here"then he turned towards the fat mouse beside him "oh, I almost forgot...Dr. Dawson, allow me to introduce you Ginevra Ratigan, the Professor's daughter."

Ginny grunted, trying to keep control on herself, her instinct now struggling against her brain."Ginny. And don't dare to talk about my father, you goddamn..."

Dawson cleared his troath. "Er...maybe you should calm down, my dear..."

"Shut up, fatty!"Ginny snarled "I wasn't talking with you!"

Dawson shuddered ant took a step forward. Basil sighed. "I'm sorry for what happened to you, Ginny. Truly, I am. I know that you're not guilty of your father's crimes..."

"I don't want any pity, Basil! What do you want from me?"

Basil stared her straight in her eyes. "Very well" he finally said "I don't believe that he's dead. His body hadn't been found."

She grinned. "I knew he was alive."

"Of course you knew it. And I'm sure that you know another thing too" he said "I'm sure that he has another hideout, somewhere in London...and that you knows where it is!"

Ginny stared at him blankly.

"Tell me where is it, Ginny."

"Not even in a thousand of years! I would rather die!"

"Ginny, if you'll collaborate I swear that..."

"I WON'T TELL!"

Basil and Ginny stared at the each other for a moment, then: "Very well, Ginny. But I want you know that I'll get him all the same" Basil turned towards Dawson "let's go."

After a few hours, some mice finally brought her in the orphanage's dormitory. "Be careful, daddy" she whispered to herself on her bed, staring at the wall, hardly aware of the kids who were observing her from their beds with a mixture of fear and curiosity "Basil is still looking for you. Please, wherever you are, be careful..."

"Boss? Can you hear me?"

Ratigan grunted and opened his eyes.His vision was a little blurred. He was lying on a bed, covered with a blanket.

"He's awake!" the same voice exclaimed. Ratigan blinked to clear his vision. He needed a few moments to recognize the figure who was beside him.

"Fidget?"

The bat nodded. "Yes, it's me. Uh...are you fine, Boss?"

Ratigan sat up with a painful grunt. "Nothing serious"he gasped "where..."

"You're in your emergency hideout" said another voice near to him with a strong Irish stress "feeling better, Professor?"

Ratigan turned towards the voice, then he smiled at his old childhood friend, a large mouse with brown fur, green eyes and red hair ."Patrick! How are you, old fellow?"

Patrick Keating laughed, pouring some brandy in a glass. "Not bad, my friend, not bad. Rather, how are you? You had slept for two days, you know."

"Two days?"

"Oh, yes. You had been lucky to survive to that fall. Brandy?"

"I would really appreciate that, old boy."

After drinking the brandy, Ratigan felt better. "How did you find me?"

Keating patted on Fidget's shoulder. "You must tank him, James. He find you near the bank of the Thames and brought you here, then he called me."

The rat's yellow eyes went on the bat. "Really?"

Fidget looked a little embarrassed. "I...uh...I did nothing, Boss. Really, I did nothing."

Ratigan couldn't believe it. He had saved him? Even after he had tossed him into the Thames?

Suddenly the door opened, and a little black bat about ten years old ran in the room. "Hey, guys, I've found..."Nuts suddenly stopped. His light-orange eyes widened."Professor! You're awake!"

Ratigan stared at the boy for a moment, then he asked slowly: "Nuts, where is Ginevra?"

All the eyes were now pointed towards him. Nuts looked uneasy. "Uh...the police...well, they went in the hideout yesterday morning, and..."

Ratigan felt his heart skip a beat."They got her, didn't they?"

"Yes. They were too many, Professor. She couldn't escape. I didn't want to leave her alone, but she ordered me to escape...so I flew away. I met Fidget and Mr.Keating this afternoon."

Fidged sighed inwardly. He flew away...once I was able to fly too...

"Where is she now?" Ratigan asked impatiently.

"I followed them for a while, and...well..."

"Donald, where is my daughter?"

The little bat took a deep breath. "They brought her to the orphanage, sir."

"The orphanage?" Ratigan breathed. He remembered that orphanage very well: he had lived there for a while after his mother's 'accidental' death. He hated that place, so he had fled after a few weeks. The tought that now his daughter was there made him shiver.

Keating placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, James. We'll take her away from that place soon."

The rat slowly nodded. "Yes, we'll take her away from there. And maybe she will menage to escape to herself just as we did twenty years ago."

Keating blinked. "She's just a child, James!"

"Don't understimate her, Patrick"Ratigan laughed "I remind you that Ginevra is my daughter. She's clever enough to do this. We weren't much older than her when we fled from that place, remember?"

The mouse tought for a moment, then he smiled. "Of course I remember, my friend. Of course."