Chapter Eleven
While Noah mingled with the human adults, Surly and the animals were in the vet's dining room, where Noah had left them so that they would not scare the other guests, and they were talking about what had happened back at the clinic with Sophie as they talked about what had happened back in the alley.
"It can't be a coincidence that those cats knew we were coming, they had to have known before we arrived." Surly said as he stood on the table while his companions stood or sat on the floor.
"Are you saying that this was all planned out?" Jimmy asked with a frown.
"Yeah," Surly replied with a nod as he crossed his arms over his chest "And I get the feeling that it has to do with the information that Noah had gotten from this Liam guy."
"You think that this Liam stranger could have used Noah so that he would lead us to that alley full of cats?" Mole asked with a worried look on his face.
"I'm sure of it." Surly said with a firm nod of his head.
"We shouldn't jump to conclusions you guys," Andie said "Maybe this animal Noah met didn't know about the cats that lived in the alley."
"But he somehow knew Miguel's name." Surly argued with Buddy nodding in agreement.
"Maybe Liam survived an encounter with Miguel in a different part of the city." Andie reasoned.
"Andie, hardly anyone could have survived an encounter with that cat," Surly said with a hard look on his face "We were just lucky that Sophie was there to help us, otherwise we could have seriously gotten hurt... or worse."
"Gotten eaten by a cat." Greyson finished with a fearful look on his face.
"Well, I wouldn't worry about Miguel and his gang for now," Sophie said with a smile "Dr. Noland will be able to take care of you guys until we can find a way to get you all back home to the park and hopefully we'll be able to help you keep your friend Surly safe from becoming someone's pet or city attraction."
"Thank you Sophie, you and your human friend have been very kind to us." Andie said with a smile.
"Yeah, but there's just one question," Surly said before he raised a curious eyebrow at Sophie "How do you know Miguel and his gang members?"
Sophie gave Surly a sad look before looking down at the ground before she began to speak again, answering "The reason I know Miguel and his gang members is because I lost my family to them a long time ago."
Andie, Surly, Buddy, Mole, Grayson and the Bruisers stared at Sophie in shock and horror.
Sophie let out a sniff before she began to explain "It all began a long time ago... My family and I used to live in Liberty park when I was just a young kit. I was the oddball of the group because of my black fur but I was still loved by my parents and siblings and we were pretty much always happy together. But all that changed when our burrow got discovered by a human's pet dog and we have no choice but to run for our lives. In panic, my family and I ran out of the park without stopping and before I knew it we had entered Miguel's territory. I was the only one who survived since my mother hid me under a pile of trash bags. She was able to hide me when our father fought against Miguel as he tried to protect my two brothers and two sisters. I didn't see what happened after that, all I remember hearing was the horrible screams of my family and my body freezing in fear. It all became quiet for a while, but I was too afraid to come out of my hiding place. If I did then Miguel and his gang would have killed me right on the spot. I don't know how long I was under the trash bags, but I was soon discovered by Oliver when he accidently bumped a few trash bags off of my hiding place with his elbow. At first I was afraid of him, but soon I grew to love him as if he were my father. If it weren't for him, then I would had died in that alley."
After hearing Sophie's story, Andie, Surly sympathized with the rabbit for they had lost their parents and were found by a kind woman who became their human mother to them. Sophie was shedding a few tears as she mourned the lost of her family until Surly, Andie and Buddy came up to the rabbit and comforted her with a hug until she calmed down.
"Sorry," Sophie said as she wiped away the tears from her face with her paws.
"No, it's alright," Andie said with a smile on her face "Me and Surly know the feeling since we lost our family members and were raised by a human once."
"Yeah, if it weren't for Addison, the human who saved us, then Andie and I wouldn't be here by now."
Sophie looked at the two squirrels in surprise for a moment before giving them a grateful smile at them for comforting her.