A short time later across town in an abandoned warehouse, Jade woke up. She looked around in the darkness of the vicinity, trying to discern anything close by. She did not know what had happened or where she was, but she was quickly able to determine that she was not at the junkyard anymore.
Jade's head was throbbing with pain from a fierce cut she had received across her forehead. She recalled that she had gotten that injury from trying to fight back against her kidnapper. She could feel that the area around the wound was now caked in blood. Her wrists were swollen and sore from being tied behind her back tightly by barbwire. Her fur was soaking wet, causing her to shake uncontrollably in a state of discomfort.
Out of nowhere, a bloodcurdling scream penetrated the quietness.
"Nooooooo, please, nooo!" The scream was followed by an eerie silence. A terrible silence so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Jade buried herself deeper into the corner of the room and burst into tears. She wanted to go home back to the junkyard. She wanted to return to her family, friends, and loved ones.
Jade's eyes started to involuntarily close. She tried desperately using all of her will to keep them open, like her father had instructed her. He had also told her to stay strong, to stay vigilant, to show no weakness, and to fight when she needed to.
With her pain growing worse and tiredness sneaking its way through her body, Jade gave a final whimper and rested her head on the ground. She quickly drifted off to an uneasy slumber.
At that moment, the door opened to reveal a tall, ginger tom with his head bowed, and his brow deeply lined in thought.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry I had to do this to you, but I will get you home, safe and sound, and one day you will forgive me." He turned to leave, but then said both over his shoulder and under his breath "At least, I hope you will."
Macavity sighed and hastily closed the door to Jade's cell. He knew it was pointless to plead for forgiveness with a kitten he had just kidnapped, but somehow he just had to say it. By doing so, he was reassuring himself about the situation and making a promise he intended to keep to the kitten.
Macavity looked at the opposite side of the wall to another cell. This one held Blaire inside. He walked over to the door and opened it. "Well hello, 'lil one, I see you're awake." He commented as a dark smirk crept onto his face.
Blaire lifted her head, blood dripping slightly from the small cut across her check. "Let me go... you... You BASTARD!" She hissed, trying to lunge for Macavity, but was snapped back by the chains that had been secured around her wrist. When the chains pulled her back, Blaire received a type of electrical shock from the magic inside of the chains themselves.
Macavity let out a low laugh and said "Tsk, tsk. A kitten of your age shouldn't be talking with such foul language. Such vulgarity could have very bad consequences. Besides, my dear, you are in no position to make demands!"
Blaire hung her head, reluctantly admitted that he was right. She asked him "What do you want with me? Why am I here? And where is my cousin Jade?"
Macavity answered her slowly "Well, it's not what I want... It's what my brother wants... and he wants you and your cousin." Blaire's head snapped up in alarm at those words. Macavity just went on "But don't worry your pretty, little head. Your cousin is fine... She's a little tied up at the moment, but she's fine otherwise."
Mac sneered, slightly enjoying the power he had over the kittens. He knew very well that what he was doing was wrong, but he had still power, and power was something Macavity had long desired and deserved.
"Ok, fine then... What does your BROTHER want with me and my cousin?" Blaire spoke furiously, not looking up, as she feared another vicious punishment.
Macavity then stepped forward and did something she didn't expect. He started to caress her check, and oddly his touch did not cause Blaire to cringe. It had the opposite effect; his touch made her feel calm. For some reason, what he did soothed her, as the manner in which he touched her was the same manner her mother had used to comfort her as a baby kitten.
He told her "I'm sorry, young one; I cannot tell you the whole story... Not now... not here. This isn't the time... I can only give you a hint..." He lowered himself to her ear, "It has to do with both of your mothers. My brother... Well, he had a certain liking for them..."
Before she could ask what he was talking about, Macavity disappeared, leaving her alone and confused in the dark and unforgiving cell.
Back at the Jellicle Junkyard, an equal amount of tension was encompassing a few individuals in the tribe.
Munkustrap glared at his son with his arms crossed over his chest. He demanded "WHERE have you, Dymas, and Alister been? It's well past your curfew... and you've managed to make your mother sick with worry! And where are your sister and cousin? You were supposed to be watching them!"
Connor dropped his gaze. "I'm terribly sorry, Father... I made sure that they stayed with us... but a few hours ago they went for a walk...I told them that they didn't have the time, but they still went... I tried to get them to stay and wait...but they just exchanged a glance and took off without my approval."
Munkustrap sighed and eased down, softening his gaze. He did know that his son was not to blame for how the girls were missing, and he knew that yelling was not going to help them at all.
He knelt down and placed his paw on Connor's shoulder and told him "It's alright, son. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I know this wasn't your fault, and I'm proud of you for trying to keep your sister and cousin with you. I promise you we'll find them. Can you show us the place where you and the others were playing? That will be a good place to start searching."
Connor nodded, and said as he looked up at his father "Sure, Dad. Follow us." He turned around and walked out of the den with his head hung low.
Munkustrap, Demeter, Bombalurina and Pouncival followed the tom-kits to the spot by the tire were the group was hanging only a few hours before. Connor pointed to the path the girls had taken. "They went down that way. That's the last time we saw them."
Pouncival along with Munkustrap started down that path, looking for any clues, smells or hints that would help them find out what had happened to Blaire and Jade.
Connor, Dymas and Alister sat on top of the TSE-1 bin with their mothers as their fathers kept on searching.
Pouncival reached an overturned bucket with a crack in the side. It was wide enough for a cat to slide through, he smelt the entrance of the bucket. He quickly caught a scent which emanated from inside the bucket. It was a tom's scent; a scent that was strangely familiar to him. He decided to call Munkustrap over to ask him about it.
"Hey Munks, can you come here? I require your assistance for a moment, if you don't mind."
The Silver Tabby lifted his head from the pile he was investigating and ran over to the patched tom's side. He responded "Sure, Pouncival... did you find something?"
The younger tom replied "I'm not quite sure; there's a scent here...it's vaguely familiar. I could sort of recognize it... but it's very faint. Maybe you'll have better luck identifying it than I had."
Pouncival handed the bucket over to the Jellicle Protector. Munkustrap sniffed around the bucket at the entrance for a few moments. He instantly became tense as he recognized the scent. It belonged to a tom that had haunted him for so many years. He uttered a single word to enlighten the others about his findings: "Macavity..."