Chapter Ten
Noah stopped under a bridge to think about what had happened to his life before and after he became a special member of the park. He remembered how his old dog friend and 'Uncle' AJ used to play and take care of him before his death and he sighed as he said "Oh AJ... I miss you so much... why did you have to leave?"
"Hello." said a voice behind him.
Noah turned to see Raccoon standing right behind him with a look of calmness and concern on his face with Cardinal by his side, staring at the boy with a look that the boy found very creepy.
"I heard all about you my boy, the child who can talk to animals." Raccoon said "So I decided to come and pay a visit, only when I get here I find a bunch of humans on a treasure hunt for Surly like he was the most wanted animal on the planet."
"You know Surly?" Noah asked.
"Yes, he's an old friend of mine from long ago." Raccoon said with a nod "And I know where he might be able to find the perfect hiding spot for him."
"Really? Where?" Noah asked.
"There's an alley by the old video store on Rhys Street with an old friend of mine living there. All you have to do is mention the name Miguel and Surly won't have to worry about his problems anymore." Raccoon said with a smile on his face.
"Really? Wow, thanks!" Noah said "I can't wait to tell Surly! Oh... wait a minute, what if he can't help us?"
"Well... then you'll have to go to the old chemistry lab for shelter instead." Raccoon said "Nobody would ever think of looking for a squirrel there."
"Great, thanks!" Noah said with a smile and was about to tell his friends the good news when he turned back and said "Oh, by the way, what's your name?"
"My name... is Liam." Raccoon said with a grin.
"Thanks again!" Noah said before he ran off to tell his friends, unaware of the raccoon's grin turning into a wicked evil smile.
Later the others, minus Precious who had returned to her owner so not to worry her, were heading towards the old video store just as Raccoon had told the boy to go and soon enough they had arrived at the alley where a chill ran down their spines as Noah looked around for any sign of life in the alley.
"Uh... you sure this is the right place?" Johnny asked as he clung to his siblings in fear "I don't like it here."
"Miguel!" Noah cried out "Miguel! Are you out here?! We need to talk to you!"
Buddy clung on to Surly as they trembled in worry and fear while Surly asked out loud "Miguel... where have I heard that name before?"
He soon got his answer in the form of cat meows, and soon various alley cats came out of hiding and crept towards the group with nasty and hungry looks in their eyes as the park animals trembled in fear and huddled closer to Noah before Miguel, who wore a patch over his eye like a pirate, came out and said "Who are you suppose to be?"
"We're park animals who come in peace." Noah said.
"I don't see no park animals, all I see is what I was promised..." The cat said before he licked his lips and said "Dinner for me and my friends!"
With no where else to hide the animals ran inside Noah's backpack and Noah managed to zip it shut to keep the cats out, but Andie was pulled out before she could join her friends and Noah cried "Mommy!"
Andie was scared out of her wits as Miguel loomed over her with his bared sharp teeth and was about to strike when Noah kicked him away and pulled Andie close before the cats pounced on him and scratched him up as well as they to break open his backpack before he broke free and ran off with some nasty cats after him.
As they continued to run for their lives, Noah looked for an escape route and saw a black rabbit watching them through an open window before he headed straight for the window, tossing the backpack and Andie through the window before crawling through to save himself and his family from the cats.
Before he could slam the door shut, Miguel lunched out and scratched his right cheek, leaving three nasty bleeding scratches on it thanks to the cat's claws. Luckily the rabbit managed to kick Miguel out by kicking the cat right in the face and jumped on the window so slam it shut so the cats would not get in.
Noah unzipped the backpack and everyone climbed out with Surly wasting no time to check on Andie, who was trembling in fear, and hugged her tightly as he asked "Andie! Andie, are you ok?"
Andie was too scared to respond for a moment as she just hugged Surly as tight as she could and was about to speak when Mole came in saying "Oh boy, for a second there, I thought we were all going to be inside those monsters stomachs by now."
"Well, the important thing is that we are all-holy cow, what happened to your cheek!?" Greyson exclaimed when he saw the nasty scratch on Noah's cheek.
Andie turned to see Noah's cheek and gasped in horror before she ran up to his shoulders and said "Oh my baby! What did those monster do to you?"
"It's okay, just a scratch." Noah said, trying not to worry his mother figure.
"Don't worry," the rabbit said, startling the animals a bit as she bounded over to the animals with a smile on her bucktoothed face "My owner just happens to be a doctor and he just might be able to help."
"And who are you?" Grayson asked.
"My name's Sophie and I come her often every time my owner Dr. Oliver Nelson comes to work here to take care of sick and unwell animals." The black rabbit said.
"Can he do human kids too?" Johnny asked as he pointed to Noah, who was still holding his cheek in pain.
"Worth a try." Sophie said "You guys stay here and keep those cats out while I take him to my owner."
Noah fallowed the friendly black rabbit through a door and closed it, leaving his friends alone to tend to their own business for an hour or so before Noah came back with a bandage on his cheek and a lollipop in his hand.
"How did it go honey?" Andie asked.
"Great, Dr. Nelson is really nice, he took care of me and gave me this lollipop for being a good boy, and guess what, he's going to let me visit his wife's movie themed baby shower while we come up with a plan to protect Surly from those nasty humans."
"Wait... did you tell him about your gift?" Surly asked.
"Kind of by accident but yes..." Noah said "But he says he called it an amazing gift and even offered me a position of junior vet so I can help him understand his patients better!"
"Oh boy, I hope that wasn't a mistake." Andie said.
"Speaking of mistakes, it was a pretty dumb one we did trusting some stranger for help." Jimmy said "That Liam guy, what a dummy!"
"Just wait til I get my paws on him," Jamie said "I'll turn him inside out and wear his fur coat!"
Unknown to them Cardinal was spying on them and listened in on their conversation and flew away to alert his master while Raccoon was back at the alley scolding the cats as Miguel tried to readjust his jaw.
"How could you idiots get outsmarted by a rabbit and a human boy?!" He roared "You're suppose to be the most feared gang in the whole city! A dimwitted duck would've had a better chance at capturing those animals!"
Cardinal alerted the raccoon to the vet's office and both he and the bird arrived just in time to see Noah leaving the office with his friends inside his backpack before a car drove up to the front office and out came a beautiful woman with long brown hair, blue eyes and was rubbing her very round stomach.
"Is that your baby Mrs. Noland?" Noah asked the woman.
"Yes, my beautiful baby boy... he still has a month to go then i'll be able to hold him in my arms." The woman said with a smile "Would you like to feel?"
Noah nodded and pressed his hands against Mrs. Noland's pregnant middle and felt the baby moving inside. He giggled happily and the woman smiled before she said "You know, I think my baby already likes you so very much."
Spying from inside the backpack the animals watched on with curiosity and Mole said "How can she tell? The baby's not even born yet."
"She's having a baby? I thought she was just fat." Jimmy said before earning himself a slap in the face "Ouch! What did I say?!"
"Anyway, sorry for interrupting your baby shower so you could pick me and my friends up." Noah said with a little frown on his face.
"Oh, no trouble sweetie, no trouble at all. Besides, I was looking for a good excuse to get out of the house anyway." Mrs. Noland said "By the way, who's your favorite movie star? Everyone will be dressed as one for today and maybe we can find a costume for you to wear as well... if you want to that is."
"Thanks, but i'll stick to being me." Noah said before he got into the car and Raccoon watched as they drove away as he muttered "Baby shower... hmm... that gives me an idea."
He turned his attention to the alley cat and to his own minions the rats and said "Ladies and Gentleman, rodents and felines alike... how would you like to go crash a human party?"