Coricopat hissed, even though there was only Tamoline to hear him. The protector was outraged. All his trust, everything the Jellicles had done for the dirty thief had been forgotten in a moment. "Listen," Tamoline snapped. "Have you even heard Mungojerrie talk like that?" Coricopat listen closely. There was a cockney lilt to his voice, his language courser and less erudite. Coricopat had certainly never heard the tabby cat use the word "babe" to refer to anyone, let alone Rumpleteazer. Something wasn't right. "Now let's try this again, darlin'" Mungojerrie sneered. "Where is my child?" Griddlebone demanded. "I have no idea who that is," Rumpleteazer snarled. "Why don't you answer her yourself?" she spat at Mungojerrie. The tabby thief ignored the question. "I am losing patience," her captor hissed, the white queen scowling. "Now tell me where it is, or we'll wipe your precious family off the map." "Have you ever seen what a dog can do to a cat?" Mungojerrie asked softly. Rumpleteazer looked up at her mate and stifled back a giggle. "What is it?" he asked angrily. "You're ... you're not Mungojerrie," she laughed. The tabby looked furious. "She's lost it," he snapped at Griddlebone, who recoiled. "What do we do now?" she asked. Mungojerrie ignored her, turning on his heel and stormed out of the cell block, followed by the fluffy white queen. Coricopat and Tamoline approached the still laughing Rumpleteazer. Coricopat concentrated hard, trying to project his voice into her head. "Are you ok?" he asked. Rumpleteazer gave a start. "Coricopat?" she whispered, looking around. "Coricopat and I are here in spirit only," Tamoline explained. "Once we return to our bodies we will bring help." "Well could you hurry up," Rumpleteazer replied darkly. "How did you know that your captor isn't Mungojerrie?" Coricopat asked. Rumpleteazer nodded. "His face," she explained. "He has a trio of scars from where Macavity clawed him. I don't know who that cat was, but he didn't have the scars. His voice, his demeanour … everything was off. That wasn't my Mungojerrie." "We must leave now," Tamoline said. "No don't leave me here alone!" Rumpleteazer begged. "We must, or we cannot summon help," Coricopat explained. Rumpleteazer slumped. "Please hurry," she whispered. "And try to find Mungo." Coricopat and Tamoline flew away, returning to their bodies. The opened their eyes, gasping for breath and covered in a cold sweat. The mystical cats they had gathered also opened their eyes. "Did you find her?" Jemima asked instantly. Coricopat nodded. "She is being held at Griddlebone's home," he whispered through cracked lips. "Summon the protectors. We must retrieve her." Munkustrap, Old Deuteronomy and George, now removed from his Rumpus Cat persona, were meeting in Old Deuteronomy's private rooms. "You're sure about this?" Munkustrap asked George. "Freya was certain. He's using dogs." The silver protector breathed heavily. "Does that cat know no bounds?" he asked. "Freya said that the Pollicles will stand with us," George said, turning to his father. The old leader nodded. "Freya is a good and wise leader. She has done more for canine-feline relations than any other alpha I've known. I think we can trust her." At that moment Coricopat and Tamoline staggered into the den, supported by Jemima, Tumblebrutus and Quaxo. Munkustrap and George immediately rose, allowing the mystics to be sat down. "What's happened?" Old Deuteronomy demanded. "We … we found Rumpleteazer," Tamoline gasped. Old Deuteronomy cocked his head. "What?" Coricopat looked up at the Leader with dulled eyes. "She's being held at Griddlebone's den in the city. We saw two guards on the doors, but there may be more. She's being held in a cell block off the entrance hall." Tamoline breathed deeply before taking over. "Rumpleteazer believes that Mungojerrie is being impersonated by another cat. From what we saw she may be right." "Why would they do this?" Old Deuteronomy asked "Griddlebone is looking for her child. They seem to think that Rumpleteazer knows it." Old Deuteronomy and Munkustrap exchanged a worried glance. "How do you know this?" Munkustrap insisted. "Temporal Separation," Coricopat muttered, exhaustion permeating his voice. "Spirit Cats," Tamoline clarified. "But that would require intense power," Old Deuteronomy mused. "How we did it isn't important!" Coricopat tried to yell, but the sound came out as a croak instead. "Just get a team together. We can rescue Rumpleteazer." The Cats were swiftly assembled. Munkustrap, Victor, Augustus, Alonzo and Plato were selected to lead the rescue mission, while Coricopat and George stayed behind to guard the kittens. They brought Quaxo along to provide some additional firepower, while Skimbleskanks, Jennyanydots, Morgan and Honoria also insisted on coming, along with Erik and Exotica. Tamoline, having recovered from the spirit cat journey much faster than her brother, was going with them as a guide. This left the queens, along with Admetus, Tumblebrutus and Bill Baily, to help guard the junkyard. Munkustrap gently stroked Demeter, holding her close. "We'll be back," he said, trying to comfort the nervous queen. She smiled tearily up at him. "Just make sure you are," she said, snuggling into his chest fur. The silver protector didn't want to move from that moment, but his duty demanded it. He gently kissed Demeter before turning to the large rescue party. "Move out," he declared, leading them out of the gate. The Cats followed him, trotting alongside and behind him. "Let me make one thing perfectly clear," Munkustrap said to Jenny, catching hold of his older sister. "Once we break in, you don't enter until we've cleared the den. Understand?" Jenny scowled at her younger brother. "No chance. I'm not going to stand by while my daughter is in danger." Munkustrap shook his head irritably. "You're no fighter Jenny." The Gumbie cat smiled. "Have you ever seen a queen defending her kits?" the motherly queen asked sweetly. "Rumpleteazer's not a kit anymore," Munkustrap pointed out. Jenny shook her head slowly. "She'll always be my little kitten," the mother snarled, flexing her claws. At that moment they round a corner and were confronted by the last cat any of them expected to see. Mungojerrie. In a flash Munkustrap seized him by the neck and pinned him against the wall. "You'd better start talking, or I hand you over to Skimbleshanks, Jenny and Morgan," the silver tabby snarled. "Bast's sake," the young Tom choked. "Just hear me out."