HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
Chapter 9: Getting to Know Aurora
She'd made short work of her meal, pleased that T-Bone had thought of it. Thinking of the tabby tom made her blush. She well remembered that wonderful night she had spent with him. Of course, he wasn't aware that she knew who he really was. She looked up and caught T-Bone staring at her. There was a look of recognition in his face before he realized she was looking at him and smoothed his features.
Should she tell him or not? She debated with herself then a new thought intruded, one more urgent. 'Oh no! My things...they are still in my temporary quarters. I need my magical artifacts. They mustn't fall into the paws of innocent Kats much less the hunters.' Aurora thought in a panic.
She looked across the room. The three Kats were wrapped up in their design work. She was grateful that Razor had indeed developed a way to build a negator after making the detector. But the three were too preoccupied to be of assistance with her current problem.
She turned back to T-Bone who was eyeing her in concern. 'He would have to do!' She thought.
"T-Bone, I need a favor." She said aloud.
The big SWAT Kat blinked in surprise. "You do, huh! What kind of favor?" He asked cautiously.
"I left my kit bag in my temporary quarters at Enforcer Headquarters. I need it." She told him.
"I'm sure the Professor has some clothes around for you to use or can order out for some rather than risk one of us slipping into headquarters." T-Bone grunted in refusal, making the wrong assumption about why she needed her bag.
She bite her lip. He was right for one reason and wrong for an entirely different one. "It isn't my clothes I'm concerned about. When I knew I was being hunted, I gathered up my most important magical tools and stored them in my kit bag. I must have them. I can't risk someone finding the bag even by accident." She said urgently.
"Crud that's different!" T-Bone said grimly. "I'll have to go get it but there's still a problem. I can't turn invisible so will have to wait until dark to sneak in. I really hope no one finds your bag until then or we're screwed."
"I hate waiting." She ground out then sighed. "Well, no one should need to enter my room during the day. I put a no service notice on the door so even housekeeping won't enter." She said in resignation.
"Too bad you can't risk just sending for it by magic." T-Bone said wistfully.
She just gave a distracted grunt of agreement as her attention went back to the other three in the room. 'Goddess, I am going to be soo bored sitting around here waiting to be saved. How I hate being helpless.' She muttered gloomily to herself.
"You know we could slip away and watch TV. The Professor has a real nice flat screen in his living room." T-Bone suggested quietly.
Aurora turned her head back to T-Bone and studied him a moment. "Actually, that does sound like a good idea. I hate sitting around."
"Yeah, me too. Come on!" The tabby said, getting up and leading the way to the Professor's home space.
Elsewhere in the city, two strangely dressed Kats watched the entryway to an apartment building. When they observed the security guard leave his post to aid an apartment dweller, they quickly transported themselves into the lobby and made for the stairs, disappearing from sight before the guard returned.
They had learned their quarry lived here on the top floor. They hurried up, not encountering anyone. Reaching the top floor, the lead Kat opened the stair door cautiously. Peering out, he found the hallway empty.
Quietly slipping out of the stairwell, they moved quickly to Aurora's door. Using magic, they popped the door open and snuck in. Not speaking, they set about searching the apartment thoroughly. One of them sings out from the bedroom making his partner hurry to his side. He was standing before an open closet. All his partner could see were male clothing.
"What is it?" He asked, perplexed.
"Reach out with your senses." His companion admonished.
The other sent out his magical senses toward the closet and was rebuffed by the feel of a strong spell. His friend nodded gravely. "She's very good. Let me try to dispel it." He said raising his paws and chanting for several minutes.
Finally, there was a discernable pop to their senses. Revealed was the rest of the closet that displayed obvious female attire. The first male pushed the clothes aside and sensed another spell behind a dresser.
"Give me a paw, we need to move the dresser," He said. His partner moved to his side and they moved the dresser out of the closet and set it to the side. The first Kat checked the spell now that they were closer.
He grunted in annoyance, "A warding spell...very strong. Might take both of us to break." He said. His partner nodded and they both raised their paws and chanted. Casting a counter-spell, it hit the ward and rebounded back at them knocking them off their feet.
After laying stunned for a moment, they leaped to their feet and snarled. Trying again and using a different spell only gave them the same results. This time getting to their feet they made no move to do anything else and stared at the closet in anger.
"Don't know what she's hiding, though I suspect its her personal magical artifacts. We are definitely not getting past that ward." The first Kat growled.
"Do we tell him?" His companion asked fearfully.
The first Kat grimaced then sighed. "We have no choice. He'll want to know what she has hidden." He said reluctantly.
They stepped away from the closet and closed it then vanished together.
They reappeared in an outer chamber. After telling one of the guards outside the audience room they needed to see the Red Force Leader, the guard bade them wait and knocked softly before entering the room beyond. Moments later, he returned and gestured them to enter.
Hurrying forward, they entered the room, the guard closing it behind them. They walked through the throne room and entered another chamber. Standing near a work table that had a magical map of their world displayed in the air above it, was their leader. They waited to be acknowledged.
Red Force Leader was studying a map of the mortal city. He looked up when his two spies entered. "Yes?"
"Sir! We entered the witch's abode and found a magically hidden closet. I managed to unveil it and found her female attire and a warded storage area. Despite both of our attempts, we were unable to breach it. I suspect she may be hiding her magical tools in there." He finished, trying to hide his nervousness.
Their leader's face didn't reveal what he was thinking as he moved away from his minions for a moment then he turned back. "Show me!" He commanded.
The spy nodded quickly and opened a portal to the female's quarters. He and his partner moved forward with their leader standing impatiently behind them.
"It is within there, sir." The spy said pointing to the back wall of the closet. All that could be seen was an apparent blank wall.
The Red Force Leader stepped forward and raised a palm. He sent a tendril of power toward the warded space. He studied it for some moments then shot a spell at it. The spell made the area flash an angry red then faded.
The Leader hissed in annoyance as he noted his spell had no effect on her warding spell. 'She is definitely powerful and worthy of being mated to me.' He noted cooly as he prepared to try something else. This time the spell caused the area to glow a purple flash mixed with gold. It held for a long moment before dispelling to reveal a small door.
He moved forward and knelt down. Trying the door, he found it locked. He cast an unlocking spell and a soft click was heard. With a satisfied grunt he pulled the door open. His eyes narrowed when all he found were some herbs and stirring utensils and nothing else.
Standing up, he swept his palm out and sent them back to his throne room.
"She took her tools with her." He said flatly as he moved from the portal. "Keep watch for her. I want her found!" He barked coldly.
"Yes sir!" His spies said in unison and quickly left their leader's chambers.
Later that night, T-Bone made for Enforcer Headquarters on a cyclotron. As they had twice before, he slipped into the building and made for the officer's quarters. He wasn't seen as he found Feral's door and slipped inside.
He went to the closet where she said she had placed her carry case. He found it where she'd indicated and pulled it out. He made a quick search for anything she might have left and, finding nothing else, quickly slipped back out.
He was soon roaring back to the Professor's lab home in the moonlight. He raced as fast as he dared in the dark, not wanting to be caught out by the search parties of the outsiders.
Aurora was relieved to be handed her case by T-Bone some fifteen minutes later. She opened it in the bedroom the professor had given her to stay in and was even more relieved to find nothing had been disturbed in her suitcase.
She spent the next half hour hanging her clothes and putting away her underthings. As for her magical tools, she placed their special case on the top shelf of the closet. She didn't dare to place a warding spell on it. She had to pray she was never found here and that it would stay safe.
Aurora returned to the lab where everyone was and watched, leaning against a wall, for some time before a yawn caught her.
"Why don't you get some sleep. No point staying up and worrying." T-Bone suggested coming to stand near.
She glanced at him for a moment. 'I know something else that would help me sleep but should I tell him now?' She wondered. She looked back at the inventors and scientist and noted how totally wrapped up they were in their project. None of them would notice T-Bone and her being gone. Coming to a decision, she turned to handsome tabby.
"I have something to tell you. Come back to my room." Aurora commanded.
He blinked in surprise. He too looked over at the others then back at her. Pursing his lips in thought he finally decided to see what she wanted.
"Okay. Lead the way." He said lightly.
Nodding she made her way back through the lab and into the professor's home. She took him down a short hallway and entered one of the rooms closing the door behind him.
She stood hesitantly for a moment.
He noted this and said casually to encourage her, "What did you want to tell me?"
She tossed her head a moment then threw caution to the wind and closed the gap between them placing her arms around his neck and leaning close.
"I know who you are." She said softly, nuzzling his face with her nose. "You were the most magnificent sex partner I'd had in a very long time."
T-Bone jerked his head back and stared at her in shock. "It was you! You knew all along when you..." He couldn't finish his sentence as the implications hit him.
"Yesss...I did...I've known all along...but it was safer for both of us if you didn't know." She murmured, pulling his face back close to her and giving him a light kiss.
"Hmmm, sneaky she-kat," He murmured, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Yes well it was necessary but let's put that on hold for now. I need a distraction and you are a perfect one." She said in a sultry voice.
"I am, am I...well let's see just how good a distraction I can be," T-Bone rumbled deep in his chest as he gave her a passionate kiss.
Aurora moaned happily and pressed her body tighter against the powerful tom feeling his hard muscles through her clothes.
'Oh yes! He is soo fine.' She thought dreamily.
'Oh man is she ever hot!' T-Bone groaned pleasurably.
The night was going to be a very enjoyable one as far as he was concerned as he began to slowly strip her clothes off.
Her paws reached up and removed his mask so that she could see those beautiful emerald eyes staring at her with hot desire.
A rather loud knock jolted the entwined pair awake early the next morning.
Aurora called out, "Yes?"
"Sorry to wake you but have you seen T-Bone? We're finished and need to discuss our plans for what action to take next." Razor's apologetic voice came through the door.
"Be out in a few, Razor," Chance called out, his voice sleep roughened.
Razor jerked back in shock at hearing his partner's voice coming from Feral's room. "Uh, sure thing. Uhmm, breakfast is being prepared and should be ready in about twenty minutes." He said, totally bewildered.
"Thank you!" Aurora called back and heard Razor walk back down the hallway. She turned to Chance with a warm smile. "We've probably shocked him silly." She snorted as she moved to leave the bed.
"No doubt." Chance chuckled then wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back to him for a little morning make-out session.
Sighing, she pushed him back reluctantly. "We have to get up, I'm hungry." She said.
"Yeah, so am I but not for food." He rumbled darkly making her shiver with desire.
The night had been so very enjoyable. He was a very talented tom and she found herself dangerously smitten with him. Sighing again, she got out of the bed and went to the bathroom, carefully locking it so that he wouldn't slip in on her though the thought of that made her hot.
Chance stared at the door and heard the lock click. He smiled wolfishly. She was a really hot she-kat and he was taken with her. But the situation was dangerous right now so he pushed his desires aside, put his mask back on then gathered his clothes and slipped out of her room to use one of the other rooms the Professor had.
Soon the two of them met again in the hall and made their way to the kitchen, his arm casually wrapped around her waist.