Chapter 7

Mittens stared up at the night sky. She was lying in a park. Rhino was lying next to her.

"So where are we going tomorrow?"

"We'll make tracks for Las Vegas." Mittens said. "We've searched the whole town. He's not here."

"So why would he go to Vegas?"

"Because he's injured. Vegas is where people go to die."

The bus came to a stop. They were at a rest stop.

Bolt crawled out of the luggage compartment to stretch his legs.

He looked at the side of the bus.

"Las Vegas." He muttered. "This should be fun."

He got back in the luggage compartment. The bus drove off.

The cat and the dog awoke late that day. Bolt was bored. Really bored.

The area was small. Where there should have been room was luggage.

"Where did you get that name?" Bolt suddenly asked.

Garcia cocked his head. "What name?"

"Garcia."

"Well, I don't know. I was named after my father who used to live in Mexico. What do you give a damn?"

Bolt put up his paws. "No reason. Why do you snap at everyone?"

Garcia glared at Bolt. "When I get to Las Vegas I'm going to kill you and dump your body in a blender."

Bolt nodded slowly. "I can't wait."

Two days later Bolt and Garcia crawled out of the luggage compartment.

"Viva Las Vegas." Garcia said, looking at the skyline.

"You gonna kill me?" Bolt asked.

Garcia frowned. "That was sarcasm. You gotta be able to tell the difference sometimes."

"So we make tracks for California?" Bolt asked.

Garcia grinned. He had sighted the Las Vegas strip.

"You sure you don't wanna…you know have fun?"

Night came fast. Bolt and Garcia padded up to the Monte Carlo casino.

He watched the fireworks shoot into the air. Suddenly memories came flooding back.

He was here. But there were two other animals next to him.

"Woah!" Bolt shouted.

"What's wrong with you?" Garcia asked.

Bolt paused. "Nothing. What's wrong with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Ever since we left your home you've been treating me like dirt!"

Garcia stared at the dog. "Well…you know…you're a dog, I'm a cat…"

"Bullshit. You told me yourself there's no such thing as a natural born enemy."

Garcia sighed. "I am going to share something with you that I've never told anyone."

Bolt grinned expectantly. "Let's hear it!"

"I'm a moron." He said.

Bolt frowned. "What?"

"I'm a moron. And every time someone else screws up I jump on the chance to rub it in their face."

Bolt nodded. "So I'm not…"

"No. You are a moron. Just not as much of a moron as me. With me it's a chronic freakin disease."

Bolt sat back on the bench. Other stray cats and dogs were near.

"Must be nice. Animal life in Las Vegas." Bolt noticed a black cat in the crowd.

"Hey Garcia. I think that cat is checking you out."

Garcia looked at the cat. "Really?"

Bolt smiled. "No. That was sarcasm. You gotta be able to tell the difference sometimes."

Garcia hesitantly looked at the black cat. "You think she would go for me?"

"Sure. You don't look bad. I mean…for a cat."

Garcia smoothed down his hair. Then he padded towards the black cat.

Bolt watched from a distance as he suavely chatted with the black cat.

"Lady's cat huh? Hope he doesn't forget to tell her he has a mate" Bolt said to himself.

He must have because suddenly the black cat hissed and punched him in the face.

Garcia was sent sprawling back. He crawled back to Bolt.

"She hit me! I'm bleeding! SHE HIT ME!!!"

Bolt looked. A bit of blood was dripping from Garcia's nose.

Bolt patted Garcia on the back. "Grow some backbone. It's just a nosebleed."

"She hit me!" Garcia shouted again.

Bolt padded over to the black cat.

"Excuse me. You hit my friend." He said, moving aggressively toward the cat.

"Yeah well…" The cat trailed off. "Bolt? Bolt!"

The cat embraced the startled dog. "Excuse me? What?"

"Bolt! It's Mittens!"

Bolt frowned. "Do you know me?"

"Yes! Don't you remember me?"

Bolt shook his head. "I don't remember anything."

Mittens smiled and embraced him again. "I thought you were dead."

Bolt looked down at the cat he didn't know.

Garcia padded over. He was still rubbing his bleeding nose.

"What the heck woman? You hit me!"

Bolt turned to his other cat friend. "This is Mittens. Apparently she knows me."

Garcia stared suspiciously at the cat. "You hit me."

"Yeah, we've established that. Who're you?"

"My name is Garcia. I am a…"

"Class A moron." Bolt finished.

"Thank you Bolt." Garcia snapped. "Shall we find a place to stay for tonight?"

Mittens led Bolt and Garcia to a spot behind one of the casino's. Bolt sat down next to one of the dumpsters.

Mittens padded over to Garcia. "Hey. No hard feelings right?"

Garcia muttered under his breath.

"Where's Rhino?" Bolt suddenly called. He paused. "And who's Rhino?"

Mittens padded over to Bolt. "Rhino? He's around here somewhere."

Bolt stared at Mittens. "I have no idea how I remembered that."

"Your memory it probably coming back in fragments." Mittens explained. "You're remembering certain things."

Bolt nodded. "I'm gonna get some sleep. Maybe it'll help."

Garcia grumbled at the two and rubbed his still bleeding nose.

Mittens smiled innocently at him. "Who are you?"

"I'm the guy who's on freakin vacation. Goodnight."

With that Garcia laid down and fell asleep.