Blossompaw's Escape
Part Two: The Mission
Getting inside was easier than expected. They new doors the white coats had to get after the dogs busted out were low quality. The swung open easily as Blossompaw nudged them with her front paws. The long hallway greeted her and she took a nervous step back. Flint nosed her shoulder, pushing her forward.
"We're right here beside you," he promised as the trio padded cautiously against the cold floors. Blossompaw was glancing around, but not because she was nervous the white coats would show up unexpectedly. She knew their schedule, they had plenty of time. She was simply looking for something they could use to bring the massive structure down.
"Maybe we should split up and look around?" Shiver suggested. Blossompaw hissed at the idea.
"Do you want to get captured? The only way we get out of here is if you follow me. I know my way around, you do not," she growled dangerously, she wasn't angry at Shiver, she was just on edge. The fur along her shoulders was bristling as memories washed over her. Then something struck her as the image of a cat popped into he head. Her heart hammered in her chest.
"This way," she ordered and rounded a corner. Flint and Shiver had to jog to keep up with her pace. Blossompaw froze as they reached another doorway. Her ears flattened against her head.
"What is it?" Flint demanded.
"Wait here until I signal you to come in, and don't wander off," she ordered and pushed her weight against the door, hearing it creak open.
Fear scent immediately filled her nose, but it was not her own. Her eyes adjusted to the harsh lighting hanging from the ceiling and she glanced up at the cages lining the walls. Her eyes focused on the cage she had spent moons trapped inside. And then her attention shifted to a cage where a black and white pelt slept unperturbed.
"Sylvester!" she cried. His head shot up in terror, the fear scent thickened. She ran over to his cage and pressed her nose against it, he did the same. She saw tears in his gaze.
"I thought...I thought the pack left me here," he whispered shakily.
"We came back," she answered resolutely. She signaled for Flint and Shiver to enter. The two cats cautiously poked their heads inside.
"Flint?" Sylvester called out to his old friend. Flint was rushing over.
"I knew it! I knew you were still alive," Flint breathed in shock as he stared at Sylvester. Blossompaw struggled to remember how they opened the cage doors from the outside. Hadn't she pushed a pin up with her paws?
She tried it and an audible click filled the room. Sylvester's cage door swung open and he burst fourth. He immediately stretched his legs by running around the room, getting his first taste of freedom since the capture.
Shiver helped Blossompaw quickly scope the room for other animals the pack had left behind. In total there was three cats and two dogs that remained.
"Go down the long hallway and push against the door, you'll be out in seconds," she directed them. The cluster of animals looked almost skeptical.
"Where is the pack?" one dog barked hopefully.
"If you want to find the pack follow the main thunderpath to a forest. When you see the river walk upstream until you reach a field with a giant rock structure, that's where they are,"
Without hesitation the other animals sprinted towards their escaped. Only Sylvester remained behind.
"What are you waiting for? Go!" Blossomapw urged, but he remained next to Flint - his brown eyed gaze flicking around.
"Why aren't you coming with us?" Sylvester demanded. This time Flint answered his friend.
"We have business we need to take care of, go the meeting wall and I'll see you there,"
"Not without you and Blossompaw!" he declared and made a scene and sitting firmly on the ground.
"Please Sylvester, I don't want you to get hurt," the white apprentice pleaded, her blue eyes were wide. Sylvester wasn't budging.
"I can help," he declared and turned his nose up.
"You don't even know what we're doing," Shiver rolled her glassy green eyes. She was clearly fed up with Sylvester's antics. He was only slowing them down.
"Then tell me!" Sylvester exclaimed.
"We're wasting time, come with us or don't - but don't slow us down," Blossompaw sighed and flicked her tail for them to follow her. They walked cautiously out of the cage filled room, scoping the hallways for any twolegs.
"We still have a few hours before the white coats will come around for their daily testing," Blossompaw explained as they continued walking. She heard Flint whisper a hurried explanation to Sylvester as they walked. She pretended not to hear Sylvester exclaim how stupid they all were.
"I understand a rescue mission, getting me and the others out...but this?! It's ludicrous!"
Blossompaw frowned, perhaps he was right. How would they even accomplish destroying an entire twoleg structure beyond repair? Flint and Shiver were too stubborn to listen to reason though, and if Blossompaw couldn't do the impossible they wouldn't help her.
"Thanks a lot Ashstar," she grumbled under her breath, annoyed with the ancient leader for choosing her to rebuild his clan. Blossompaw glanced back and saw Flint's eyes narrowing, he stopped walking abruptly.
"I smell...smoke,"
"That wouldn't be smoke, that's ash. You kind of become desensitized to the smell after moons of captivity," Sylvester shrugged. Blossompaw trembled, realizing what the ash smell was.
Chance, he mentioned that before, didn't he? The twolegs burned the dead animals. The ash smell is bodies being cremated. What had Chance called it...a furnace? Thoughts tumbled around in Blossompaw's head and she couldn't shake them out.
"Blossompaw," voices whispered in her ears, evil voices. Their whispers were deadly.
"Go away!" she cried, claws unsheathing. She felt something wet beneath her claws, blood. The feeling of blood snapped her out of the flashback. She glanced around wildly, breathing ragged. Her eyes locked onto Flint's muzzle, drops of crimson were oozing out of it, he had a look of surprise on his face.
"She's insane," he growled to Shiver. His sister didn't disagree.
"We shouldn't have asked her to do this," Shiver admitted and prepared to turn around.
"Come, we don't have much time," Blssompaw stated simply as if she hadn't heard Flint and Shiver speak. Her ears were twitching as she walked, she was acutely aware of the red tracks she was leaving. Sylvester caught up to her fast pace and nudged her shoulder. He was the only one who understood, he knew the horrors. He knew she wasn't insane, just afraid.
"Where are you going?" he murmured.
"The furnace," she responded in an off manner, her voice cracking. Sylvester nodded in understanding. The black and white fur on his shoulders raised slightly with agitation. He knew what her plan was by the way she said those words. She was going to turn on the furnace and hopefully catch the building on fire
"Will it work?" he said quieter, looking back at Flint and Shiver.
"It has too. But you need to get yourself and them out of here. If anything goes wrong, anything, I'll die. I'd rather not take you all with me,"
Sylvester didn't protest this time. He licked Blossompaw's forehead and caught her eye.
"Promise I'll see you again," he mewed. Blossompaw nodded, "You will," she vowed. They held each others gaze for a mere moment longer before Blossompaw took off running, making sure Flint and Shiver couldn't follow. She heard Sylvester telling them to follow him out of the building. Blossompaw focused on the task ahead, forcing the image of the three cats out of her head.
It's not like she actually expected she'd she them again. She knew she was going to die. After all, her plan was to blow the building up.
She wouldn't be escaping this time.
