Chapter 9

The cat pinned Bolt to the ground. He was furious. He smashed his paw on the dog's head.

"Damnitt Tobey! Get off me!"

Tobey hit him again. Mittens jumped on the attacking cat.

"Get off him!"

Tobey hissed and kicked Mittens back. He turned back to Bolt.

"Where's my dad?"

Bolt tried not to yelp in pain from the bullet. "I…I'll tell you. But…I need you to get off me."

Tobey hesitated, then got off of the dog. Bolt got painfully to his feet.

"Tobey, you're dad uh…"

"What?" Tobey demanded.

"He's dead Tobey." Bolt said. Tears came to his eyes.

Tobey hissed. He punched Bolt in the face. Bolt didn't resist.

"You killed my dad you bastard!" Tobey shouted.

Bolt put up his paws. "No! I didn't kill him. I…I would never hurt him."

"Screw that! He's a cat, you're a dog. Natural born enemies!"

Bolt sighed. "Your father said there's no such thing as a natural born enemy."

The young cat calmed down. Slightly. "You didn't do it?"

Bolt nodded. "I swear to you Tobey. On my own life, I didn't have anything to do with Garcia's death."

Tears were streaming from Bolt's eyes. Tobey saw this. He too was crying.

"H-How did he die?" Tobey asked.

Bolt thought. He realized at that moment that he couldn't tell Tobey the truth.

He would return to the family. Bolt didn't want him to have to tell the family that Garcia had been shot in an accident.

"He…there was a…kitten in the middle of the road. A car was coming. He pushed the kitten out of the way, but…the car hit him."

Tobey sobbed loudly. Bolt embraced the young cat as he cried for his father.

"It's okay. He died bravely. He was a good cat. And a good friend."

"And a good dad." Tobey added tearfully.

Bolt nodded. "Go back to Maine. Tell them…tell them what happened to him. And…don't forget him. I know I won't."

Tobey nodded. He quietly padded away and trudged off into the city.

Bolt wiped tears from his eyes. "That family is gonna have a lot of trouble without a father."

Mittens nodded.

"I'm sorry about your friend Bolt."

Bolt nodded. "Thanks Mittens."

Rhino rolled up in his ball. "Uh…shouldn't we head for Hollywood?"

Mittens nodded. "Let's go wags."

Bolt sighed. "Mittens? Am I a TV star?"

"Not anymore. You used to be."

Bolt nodded. "Good. Garcia never really seemed to like them."

The trio made their way across Nevada. Bolt stayed silent. He didn't want to trust the people he was with.

The scrawny cat and the overweight hamster. But he felt strangely comfortable around them.

That probably meant that he had known them. The trio crossed the long desert on the outskirts of Nevada.

Of course no cars were in sight. Walking would have to do.

Bolt suddenly stopped. "I think we should go back."

Mittens frowned. "What? Why?"

"I just...I feel like we're leaving him behind. I don't know..."

"Bolt. Garcia is dead. You said you saw the body."

Bolt nodded. "I know but...I should've at least recovered the body."

Mittens rolled her eyes. "Bolt, if this guy is crazy enough to shoot you in the back and claim you're a hallucination, I'm sure he's gotten rid of the body by now."

Bolt shook his head. "Why did I have to run into him that night?"

Mittens rolled her eyes again. "Look, we should go out and make ourselves at home. It'll be dark soon."

Bolt nodded wordlessly and lay down on the sand.

Mittens and her hamster exchanged worried glances.

"Bolt? Are you okay?"

"My best friend is dead and I have a bullet in my back. How okay can I be?"

Mittens sat down next to Bolt. "Sit up. I'll take care of the bullet."

Bolt reluctantly sat up. Mittens examined the wound in his back.

"This isn't terrible. It isn't a deep wound."

Bolt suddenly felt tears coming from his eyes. Mittens roughly pulled the bullet out.

Bolt yelped in pain. "DANG IT THAT HURTS!!"

"No claws wags."

Bolt stared at Mittens akwardly. Mittens sighed. "Guess it doesn't ring a bell."

Bolt padded away. He suddenly turned. "Is it worth it?"

"Is what worth it?"

"My life. Is it really worth another life?"

Mittens stuttered. "Well it's...you know..."

"Someone is dead Mittens! DEAD!! BANG!! SPLATTERED HIS BRAINS ALL OVER THE WALL!!"

Mittens was taken off guard by Bolt's sudden outburst. "Well uh..."

"So I ask you a simple question. IS IT WORTH IT?!!"

Mittens sighed. "I don't know Bolt."

Bolt nodded and grinned. "Of course."

"But I can tell you this wags. The night before you went missing, you told me it was a great place. You said it would be a pleasant surprise."
Mittens shrugged. "So I don't know if it's worth someone's life, but let me tell you, I'd never seen you happier than when you were there."

Bolt paused.

"So I suggest you let it go. Garcia is dead. It was sad. It was a tragedy. But we have to move on! You need to get home. Your person needs you."

Bolt grumbled something under his breath and lay down. He was asleep in minutes.