Part Two: The Exile

Chapter Fifteen

"Oi was jus' puttin' in a-'onest day's work, Boss," the kit stood up, dusting off his coat. "This la'eey 'ere is tryin' ta cop me fo' it."

Mac shook his head in despair, "Mungo, this is my mate, Bombalurina. The Red Queen."

"Well 'ow was oi to know?" Mungo cried out in defense.

"Perhaps the red coat should have tipped you off," I replied dryly, my paws on my hips. I could not believe Mac would employ such riffraff. I mean, I know he's a criminal, but even Mac has standards.

"Look, oi rea'y di'int know," he turned to Mac with pleading eyes. As if out of nowhere, he produced the necklace. " 'Ere it is; I didn't take no'in else, I swear."

Mac looked at the necklace in amazement. He turned to me, "How did you not notice?"

"He bumped into me," I admitted, looking down at the floor. "I didn't realize it was missing until I reached the bar."

"It weighs a ton," Mac was still incredulous. "How did you not feel it being lifted off your neck?"

"He's good at what he does!" I replied indignantly.

"Tha' oi am," Mungojerrie agreed. I shot him a withering look that instantly silenced him. I continued, my tone defiant and angry, "Besides, I am the Red Queen. I don't expect cats to be stupid enough to steal from me."

Mac gave a shrug of agreement. He saw my reasoning—between the two of us, we made quite a formidable pair. Cats usually did their very best to avoid any form of confrontation with us.

Mac took the necklace and handed it back to me, "No harm, no foul, Red. Mungo, you steal from my lady again and you'll be sleeping with the fishies. Capice?"

"Aye, Boss," the kit nodded quickly.

I stepped away from the table and turned to reattach the necklace. But the clasp was so small that I couldn't seem to latch it.

" Allow me, Miss," Mungojerrie's voice came over my shoulder. I turned back to give him a disdainful look, "I will notice if you take it this time, you do realize that?"

"Oi'm tryin ta 'elp," he replied. "Jus' tryin ta make things roight. If Oi'da known who you was, oi wouldn'a dunnit."

I nodded, accepting his apology. I turned to let him fasten the necklace. He had it done in a wink.

"Thanks, Skippy," I turned back around. Mungojerrie shook his head with a smile, "You're som'in else."

"I know," I replied with a smug smile.

"If you we'ent Mac's old la'eey—"

"I most definitely wouldn't be yours, Kiddo," I shot back. Then I whispered in a taunting yet alluring tone, "I'm way too much of a handful for you."

I turned to go. He called after me, mischievous twinkle in his yellow eyes, "As you sed, oi go' se'en fingers, which means oi can 'old twice as much."

"I'm still too much, even with your seven fingers!" I replied saucily over my shoulder as I made my way back to the card table. I took a seat beside Mac, "Why on earth are you letting that idiot work for you?"

"That 'idiot', as you call him, happens to be one of my best," Mac replied coolly, his eyes never leaving the cards. "The cat has seven fingers. What's not to like? Seven fingers means he can hold—"

"—twice as much," I finished for him in an exasperated tone. I had grown very tired and wanted to go home, but I didn't dare ask Mac to leave in the middle of a game. It was down to him and one other player; it wouldn't be too much longer.

~*~

"You're awfully quiet," Mac commented as we were walking home. "What's on your mind, Red?"

"Nothing," I replied. "Just tired."

"I shouldn't have kept you out so late," he gave a soft smile. "Momma's got to have sleep to keep up with those little rascals."

I chuckled in agreement. The kits had learned to walk and were beginning to scamper about the house, wreaking havoc in an alarming fashion, "They're like their father that way."

"Yes," Mac stopped and leaned over to kiss me. "Because their mother is just an innocent little angel."

"That's right," I smiled widely at this obvious joke. We returned to my human's house in a lighthearted manner.

~*~

Nefertiti met us at the window, hysteria ravaging her usually beautiful features, "Oh, bast, Bomba! I am so sorry. I tried to stop it. I tried—"

"What? Tried to stop what? What are you talking about?" I leapt to the window, my entire being suddenly filled with the intuitive fear that only mothers possess. "Nefertiti, where are the kittens?"

"Gone," she gasped, tears flowing down her dark cheeks. Mac looked at her severely, "Gone?! What do you mean 'gone'?"

"The human took them," Nefertiti began to sob uncontrollably. I felt a small amount of relief, "Well, then, she'll surely bring them back. She probably took them to the cat doctor. They're at that age, you know."

Nefertiti's small frame wracked with silent sobs. She shook her head. "No. She didn't use the moving cage. She put them in a sack."

"A sack?" I felt my stomach plummet with fear. I knew what that meant. "Are you sure?"

Nefertiti nodded, trying to hold back a new wave of tears, "I tried to stop her—I scratched and growled and did everything I could. But she was just too strong."

"Whoa-whoa-whoa wait," Mac was confused. "What's with the sack?"

I had forgotten that Mac did not know the ways of house cats or humans. I took a deep breath and turned to face him, my whole body quivering with fear and sorrow, "When humans don't want kittens, they put them in a sack and throw them in the river."

"No, no, no, no!" Mac cried wildly, looking around the house. "Where is she? Have they left yet?"

Nefertiti began to cry again, "She took them about an hour ago."

"There may still be time," Mac looked at me. "Stay here."

I nodded, knowing that even if I wanted to, I did not have the strength to run after him. My legs were as useless and wobbly as jello. Still, I could not sit still. I ran throughout the house, hoping against hope that my kits had somehow escaped. I tore through every drawer in the bedroom, searched every hiding place I knew, calling my kittens' names the whole time.

Poor Nefertiti just slumped over in the corner, her eyes now glazed over with tears. She had already gone through the hysterical part of it; she was now experiencing shock. I was still in the stages of hysteria. Once I was certain that neither my human nor my kits were in the house, I was filled with the urge to bolt after Mac, but I knew I couldn't. So I waited. Minute by agonizing minute ticked by; I still clung to the hope that my mate could somehow rescue our kits and bring them home safely.

"This is all my fault," Nefertiti whispered hoarsely, her eyes staring blankly ahead. I shook my head, "No, it's my fault for leaving them here. I should never have gone out tonight; they were too young. I should have stayed."

I often wonder how differently things would have turned out if I had stayed home that evening. And every time I am filled with an overwhelming sense of guilt.

~*~

Mac returned several hours later. The look on his face told me everything I needed to know. I began to cry hysterically, beating my paws on the wall, digging my claws into my face—anything to lessen the ripping pain I felt in my soul. Mac had to hold me to keep me from hurting myself.

"Red, Red—calm down, Red," he whispered soothingly, although I could hear the tears in his voice. I looked up at him, tears still streaming down my face, "Why? Why, Mac?"

He didn't have an answer. He just held me tighter and cried even harder.

"I should have been here," I said, my voice catching with sobs. "I-I-I-I should never have left. It's all my fault."

"You couldn't have known this was going to happen," Mac reminded me. "And you couldn't have stopped it. It's just one of those things."

I pushed him away, my sorrow turning into something ugly and hateful, "Just one of those things? Our kittens are stolen and more than likely murdered and you say it's just one of those things?!"

"I didn't mean it like that, Red," he reached out to me. Still, I jerked away from him. Nefertiti slid up behind him and gently laid her paw on his shoulder, "Perhaps you should let her get some rest. She needs to be alone right now; I'll come and check on her first thing in the morning."

Apparently, the past few hours had given Nefertiti enough time to deal with her demons. But mine were far from done.