Revised: 29-05-2024
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Chapter 5 – The Inside Eye
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🕔12:23 am
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Once again, Spook's motor mouth was far ahead of his brain.
"You barkin' mad, Pops?"
Complete silence. One could hear a pin drop.
"Idiot," Monster hissed lowly in Spook's ear.
The yellow cat had been lounging cross-legged on his 'throne', and lazily sliding further and further down his oversized chair till Spook was busier fantasizing about him falling on his tail (yea, hope he slips a disk or somethin') than actually listening to what was being said.
Until his daydreaming came to a screeching halt at G.P.'s last words.
Spook suppressed the chill running down his spine when the 'Boss' surveyed him – the 'feisty little henchman' as he was dubbed, with yellow irises that shone from under his blue hat.
"I'm quite proud of myself in how patient I've been with you all this time, Spook," drawled the cat in a deceptively calm voice. The tension in the room rose to a palpable level that even Monster looked slightly uncomfortable. Even the repulsive Saber, who had tagged along with him and Monster, shuffled back as discreetly as he could, like a scared dog.
"I don't like it when someone talks back to me," G.P. went on, calm as a pond. "I don't like it when someone accuses me of being…not all there. I have no idea why I keep lettin' ya off so easy. I think I actually like ya. Spook…maybe I'm 'insane' because I like ya?"
You are insane if you really like, think this is an actual conversation, sneered Spook, his face betraying nothing.
"Yea, I probably am," the cat went on to himself. "It suits me though, don'tcha think? Anyway, stop wastin' my time. I don't weigh the opinion of a nameless alley cat. We execute tomorrow at 9:00."
One Eighty-degree attitude shift. A trademark of G.P., Spook had quickly come to know. The anger he'd barely managed to contain only flared up again at the challenging sneer on G.P.'s face. The bastard was playing him again. He always was. The green cat opened his mouth, to spit what he thought exactly of the crazy murderer and his crazier plot, but one harsh pull at his tail by the large red feline on his left was enough to shut him up with a pained yelp.
And then G.P. was suddenly in his face.
When did he get up?! Spook thought as his eyes grew wide and his fur stood on end. He couldn't stop the shiver that ran down his spine and hated himself for it - G.P. smelled these things even before he saw them.
Am I gonna die now..?
"What is it that you don't like about the plan, you little coward?" hissed the cat. His eyes were sharp and piercing, like daggers - no longer bored. They looked insane.
"Uh-"
A knife was at his throat out of nothing. " Uh's not a word, alley cat."
The cold, unsmooth metal didn't do well to make the green cat think his next words carefully. Rather, anger and recklessness carried on relentlessly. Don't let 'im smell your fear. Don't like, give 'im what he wants, submission.
"Why would you do it, man? Like, you know Top Cat's known all over New York. Do you like, want the police to think it was him who pulled this operation?!"
"I don't see why you care. You work for me, remember?" G.P. regarded him from under his single-striped blue hat, "or is there something else you'd like to point out?" the grin was feral.
Spook kept his paws tightly clenched to his sides and swore to himself he'll never allow the other cat to see them shake. He tried to maintain eye contact – a herculean effort.
"Unless you're like, waiting for me to say something, then no. I dunno what you're talkin' about."
"Oh, but I'm sure you do. You think it. I see it in your eyes every time you look at me; I see it right now. I know…it is interesting, isn't it?"
Shut up. Just shut up, you monster. I ain't gonna give ya the satisfaction.
"Boss," intercepted Monster, sensing a bloodbath coming in wake of Spook's reckless mouth, but to his surprise, G.P. pulled back the knife from its dangerous position on Spook's neck and sauntered back to his seat. The enormous cat just sighed, much too used to his leader's unpredictable moods. But what really made him start, was Spook's barely audible, "I'm like repentant, Boss.."
Monster glanced curiously at his subordinate – Spook never apologized for any of the things he said or did ever since he joined the ranks, but G.P. was speaking again as if that whole scene never happened.
And no one dared interrupted G.P. when he spoke. His throws never missed.
"Tell me, Spook, my hot-blooded little henchman - has Top Cat eva been sore at any of the other cats in your pretty little neighborhood?"
"I wouldn't know. He like, doesn' tell me nothin' about things like that."
"Hmm."
Worry and fear bubbled up in his stomach. "Why do you wanna know about that, anyway?" he asked, in what he hoped sounded like mere curious inflection, "Why do Top Cat's relationships like, matter in sweepin' Fast Paw and his gang under the rug?"
"No need to clog your pretty little head with my plans," drawled the yellow cat. "It shouldn't matter that much to you, anyway. I thought you said you were used to bein' told nothing."
The green cat kept his face neutral, but his paw was itching to punch a certain set of teeth.
"I know for a fact that Top Cat is rather chummy with the policeman on the thirteenth precinct. Smart cat," G.P. said with a grin that could almost pass as innocent. Spook personally thought it looked demented. "Always has been – securin' stability and protection from other gangs and other policemen. It's interesting how cats have this mysterious ability to hold sway on humans, ain' it? Word on the street is that the emotional lug of a cop would go to huge lengths to keep 'im outta too much trouble.."
He looked at Spook carefully for a long minute, his expression showing nothing. The green cat forced himself to look right back. Don't break eye contact, man. Don't like, challenge him either, he told himself in a mantra.
"You know, Spook? The way you were so…emotional about tomorrow's mission, I decided to spare ya the heartache and take you off it –"
Spook's heart siezed. The bastard! He's -!
"- I'm givin' ya something else to do."
No no no no nonono-
"I want ya to bring me that blue marshmallow who's always with Kitty. What was his name – ah yes! Little Benjamin Ball."
Spook felt like screaming.
"You, apparently, are not of much use to Kitten if you don't even know the most basic things about him. He seems to favor your fat friend a lot more."
"It won' work, G.P.," the blunt, raspy reply didn't sound like him at all. It was the sound of a cat drowning.
"We should get this Benjamin character here and make him an offer," G.P. shifted the conversation to Monster, completely ignoring the green feline. "His roundedness hardly makes him of any use to me except being a big mouth, so he could either help me with the information I need, or I'll find another use for all that extra weight. I mean, New York's fulla starving dogs. Then there's Saber."
Never had he met a more manipulative bastard. Spook's green eyes burned with rage. Monster placed one large paw on the scruff on his neck in warning.
"Let 'im be, Monster. He's old enough to know to keep that big trap shut. He's a big cat now, and he gets to make the decision this time," said G.P. He surveyed the enraged cat with coldly amused irises.
"Either get the fat cat here by the time I'm back from the mission, alley cat, or I'll make sure you remember that failing for as long as your nine lives allow you. I have eyes inside Kitty's gang."
"That's bullcrap and you know it!" Spook exploded without thought, shoving off Monster's paw. "None of them would ever work for you!"
G.P. smiled ominously, "We'll see about that."
"You're lyin', man." Spook deadpanned, completely and utterly sure. "You're lyin'. They would never."
"You do."
"You know damn well-!" he forced himself to stay calm. "You know why I joined you, Boss."
"And for it, you turned ya back on them."
I did not you scumbag stop twisting my words, was what almost came out of the green cat's mouth, but he bit on his tongue. His credit with G.P. was thinning - even he was smart enough to know that. Nothing clever came to mind, so he remained hatefully silent.
"We'll be leavin' shortly. I suggest ya get a head start; you know as well as I do how Top Kitten will put up a fight, pathetic as it might be."
His head whirled helplessly. G.P. was trying to overcome him, force him to completely submit. From what he'd gathered from Monster and the other guys, he was G.P.'s very personal stress ball, but the gangster's patience - after more than four months, was wearing thin.
He turned and left the room without another word. He managed to take as many steps from the door as he could before he leaned against the light-less wall of the thin hallway, his whole pelt shaking in despair. He could hear the sound of nimble footsteps tread past him, but it didn't register. It didn't matter.
G.P. must've really wanted to know certain things about Top Cat to put up with him that long. The other cats implied that he was never this patient with anyone else. And now he wanted to get his hands on Benny.
Spook closed his eyes. He'd be a fool if he didn't put two and two together; he was proving to be useless to G.P., something the latter hadn't anticipated, it seemed.
And his patience was wearing thin. This mission was G.P.'s deadly warning to him.
Make yourself useful this one last shot, or I will kill you. Bring in information on Top Cat, or you're finished.
Spook remembered that one time he'd seen G.P. use his favorite knife, and he clapped a paw to his mouth, stomach heaving at the memory.
oOoOoOoOoOo
"I told you from the very beginning, Chief," said Monster with a rueful smile. "He never intended to work for you. He's just in it for Fast Paw."
"His allegiance to Kitten is so sweet it makes me want to barf," murmured G.P., rubbing his temple. A small smile formed on his mouth. "He's an idiot to think it ain't so obvious."
Monster hesitated, then asked, "Do you think he's really gonna get the little cat here?"
G.P. gave him a bored look.
"I'll..take that as a no."
"I'm sending Saber and Crookedtoe along to get it done. Cat's a coward; all talk and no action. It'll be a good ending to this lame comic book, turning him into an obedient pet."
"..You're having fun."
"I hadn't had a henchman this rebellious in a long time.." the yellow feline mused. "Y'know those are my favorite toys. But..he is becoming a handful. Way too insubordinate. Not very smart, too.."
"What do you plan to do about it, Chief?"
The cat didn't answer, but the way his fingers ran lovingly over the edge of his treasured, jewel-studded knife was all the answer Monster needed.
"..Call me the nin," ordered G.P.
"I'm already here," a voice spoke. Monster turned his head in surprise. He hadn't heard anyone approach.
Damn nincats and their weightless grace.
The door was opened a crack, and a nimble figure entered and knelt by the door in respect.
"Is this is the one who's goin' to…?" Monster wondered.
"My Nightlight," purred G.P.
"Dahling," the cat purred back.
oOoOoOoOoOo
🕔03:49 pm
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Benny was just...so naiive sometimes.
Top Cat remembered that one time when they were very little, when he'd plucked a clueless Benny out of the clutches of two very wrong-looking bulldogs. Benny had gone with them simply because they'd bribed him with a pastrami sandwich and a golden name tag.
And then today...it was too close a call, and a painful reminder of past encounters in a big city full of evil freaks.
Being a free city cat comes at a steep price.
The blue cat - safe for now, sat on an old crater, and looked back and forth, back and forth as Top Cat paced the alley furiously. Dibble stood off to the side, un-intruding but very much alert to every movement.
"T.C? Can I go call Ma at least to tell her I'm okay..?"
"Benny. Clam it."
"You can use my phone, Benny," Dibble said kindly and seated himself on the crater. "Just don' take too long."
"Would you like to adopt 'im, too?" the yellow cat spat crossly as he paced by. Dibble just shook his head and sighed.
The moment Benny padded off and out of earshot, Dibble turned to the yellow feline, "Now tell me what the heck happened," he hissed urgently.
"Those gangsters are after Benny now, that's what!" Top Cat hissed back. His agitated pacing picked up. "They almost kidnapped 'im today. And if it weren't for that new girlfriend of Fancy's – Shirley-whatsername, they woulda gotten away with it, too."
"You're gonna put a canyon in the alley if you keep this up," Dibble tried softly to ease the cat's agitation. His tail fur was on end, so the policeman ran a fist along its length as he passed by to smooth it. Amazingly, Top Cat accepted the gesture. "Benny now knows they're after 'im, right? Why you so worried? He'll be on his guard, he ain't a little kid -"
"That's where you're wrong, Dibble. Even a 'little kid' can smell TRAP when he sees one. Benny doesn't notice things like that."
Dibble shook his head skyward. "Who would wanna hurt Benny..?"
"I can think of a coupla weirdos."
"Like who?"
As if on cue, Officer Mahoney turned around the corner, humming to himself as he usually did.
"Like him."
"Mahoney?" shrieked Dibble. The redhead turned his head at the sound of his name. His face broke into a grin and happily he waved, completely oblivious.
"'Rigato, Officer Discrete," Top Cat hissed and disappeared into his trash can.
Dibble stared at the trashcan for a while, more confused by the cat than ever, then started paying attention to the female voice talking to Officer Mahoney and another cop – Manohan, at his side.
It was a girl cat, and when he turned to look he recognized her as Shirley, Fancy's new girlfriend. She seemed like a pretty sophisticated young woman, though. Dibble took note of her neat white pelt, eloquent speech, and intelligent brown eyes. Not that it was his business, but the girl seriously seemed to be from a middle-class home at the very least. He couldn't understand why she would choose a womanizer from the streets like Fancy-Fancy of all people. However, he could perfectly understand (and laugh) at all the circulating stories in the neighborhood of Fancy's countless attempts to get her attention.
Apparently, a hard-to-get girl is what fit him best. Word has it he's been actually loyal to this one cat ever since they got together a few months ago.
"I've been in martial arts ever since I was a kit," Shirley said by means of explanation, blushing a bit. "When I saw those thugs try to take Benny, I had to act. I'm sorry about his dislocated bowels - I honestly am, but I couldn't just stand there and let my fey-ancee 's pal be catnapped like that..!"
"You did good, Miss," Mahoney said. "An innocent citizen was saved today thanks to you."
"If I didn't know better, I'd call you an angel!" the cop next to Mahoney said with a laugh. "You seem to be in the right places at the wrong time lots of the time! Hey Mahoney, remember that incident with the bank robbery..?"
Dibble zoned out after that. Sadly, he'd missed out on the fun that afternoon, arriving at the scene after it was all over. Two large cats were on the ground, one out cold and the other begging for an ambulance, heaped on the ground at the nearby construction site with a red-faced, combat-poised Shirley and a scared, immobile Benny. Mahoney and Manohan were already there, guns out and cuffs firmly slapped on one cat's wrists while the other was taken into the white ambulance truck.
"I'm sorry the third cat ran away! I can only handle so much..!" he remembered Shirley pant over all the shouting on the street when he'd run into the site. Dibble had then walked Benny back to the alley where they were intercepted halfway by a certain furious yellow cat.
An hour had passed, and T.C was still angry and shaken. Dibble ran a hand over his face tiredly and shook his head to clear it. The sun was setting; time to head up to the station house to interrogate the crooked cats on G.P. He was sure they worked for him, and he needed every scrap he could lay his hands on. G.P. was proving to be hella difficult to get information on, and Top Cat was stringent on the data-providing no matter how much Dibble tried to ease him into talking.
He turned to leave, but paused when he saw Fancy-Fancy trot hurriedly into the alley, his fur messed up and ruffled (something the girls loved, it seemed – made him look wilder). He bee-lined towards T.C's trash can and rapped it three times, his signature bell-ringing. His tail swished nervously as he waited for his leader to come out, which he did.
"Hiya, T.C. Um-errr…"
"..Um-errr? Say no more, say no more," sighed the yellow cat dramatically. "You gonna ask me some annoyin' favor of some sort.."
"Can you watch Bookie and Mindy for just a couple of hours?" Fancy blurted out. "I'll be back by midnight, I swear! Shirley – well, she knows that fancy place in new Jerse and I promised her last time we w-"
"Hold it right there, ya yellow page inhaler – who in the heck are those Booey and Minty characters?"
Two small pups poked from behind the brown cat. Fancy grinned sheepishly, but Top Cat could see the amusement in his eyes.
"They're Shirley's best friend's kids. She watches out for them is what she told me.." he trailed off at the murderous look on the yellow feline's affronted face.
"Ya askin' t'be punched, Fancy? I'm you leader, not ya baby-sitter! I ain't watchin' no infants! Take 'em to one of your millions of girls or somethin'.."
"NO WAY!" Both Dibble and Fancy shouted out at the same time, horrified. Fancy snapped his head back to his leader. "No way. Those can't take care of anything! You're the only one I can trust with 'em, T.C., please! I'll be back before midnight, I promise!"
"You been spendin' way too much time with women in trees..and fallin' on your head when ya leave. What the heck am I supposed to do with these - these-"
"Are you my Daddy?" one puppy wondered aloud.
"Are you dogs cooky? I'm a cat. Didn't ya mother teach you anythin'?"
"Have you seen Daddy?"
"No, I haven't. Now sit down and stay put."
"Top Cat, can you really be any gentler with the kids?"
"Dibble, can you really tell me what ya still doing here?"
"You know what, this is a complete waste of time!" the other puppy - a boy beagle, snapped loudly. He glared at Fancy with accusing brown eyes. "Aunt Shirley said you guys can help us look for our Dad, but obviously all you know is how to dump us somewhere to go look at a woman's body." The scarfed cat's mouth dropped open while Top Cat laughed his head off. Dibble facepalmed hopelessly.
The little beagle whirled his head around to the yellow feline "And you're no better! You're just a bum who likes to boss people around."
"Alright, alright. It's decided. I ain't takin' that loudmouth little dog, Fancy. Leave 'im there in a box by the alley entrance. Maybe someone will adopt 'im and do us all – Shirley included, a favor."
"Try it, you…you cat!"
"Tsk tsk tsk. This kid doesn't know the most basic rules of tact. Didn't ya Mama teach you how to speak to your elders, boy?"
It was the girl beagle who spoke up. "No..Mommy was shot by a bad man.." she kept her shy brown irises on the ground.
Dibble knelt down and hugged the beagle girl gently, glaring over her oblivious head at the cat. Top Cat shook his head with his own 'Don't you dare blame me for that' glare.
"Then what about ya father? Who do you knee-nibblers live with?"
"Mama's guardians. They told us Daddy's out there somewhere, fighting the bad guys and putting them in jail! He's a police dog!" the boy beagle said proudly. "He's gonna take care of the bad guys and then come back. You'll see!"
"Uh-huh.."
The little beagle boy narrowed his eyes at the cat. "You don't believe me, do you?"
"Of course I believe ya kid, just like I believe that Santa Claus is real, and the Boogey man really lives in cupboards to scare little kids, and unicorns- ooff!"
Courtesy of Dibble's foot to his backside. T.C. turned to glare at the policemen, but Dibble only smiled sweetly and turned his attention back to the offended (and oh my God, they're tearing up) pups.
"Leave 'em, Fancy. T.C. will take care of 'em," He got back to his feet. "He's adult enough to know it's his responsibility," Top Cat glared at him in warning. "and he also knows…that I'll be makin' sure he's doin' it right, or -" Dibble promptly slid his finger across his throat at the yellow cat, quickly so that the children wouldn't notice. Top Cat gaped at him. Dibble nodded pointedly, grinned and pretended to pull out a tail and wrap it around his neck like a fur collar. He could practically see T.C sum up all his willpower not to flash him an obscene gesture.
"Thank you, Officer Dibble!" the brown cat chortled gratefully "And thanks, T.C.! I'll make it up whenever, I promise!" and he was gone.
Dibble left shortly for his last round of the neighborhood, and Top Cat was left to simmer in the delightful task of keeping an eye on the pups. Two very bored pups.
Top Cat quickly learned why people were always warned before they adopted beagles into their homes. The rumors were true – they never shut up.
He laid down across his trash can lid, and made it perfectly clear that he was not listening. He slid his hat down further over his eyes, curled into a more comfortable position and prepared to sleep.
"..then the weird man with the curly moustache told me – hey! Hey, Mister! Are you listening to me? Don't you know it's rude to sleep when someone is talking to you? I know you're still awake, so stop pretending! Get up get up GET UP GET UP!"
"Kid…if you don't go to bed right now and clam up, I'm gonna ground ya sorry little butts."
"You're not the boss of us! Who do you think you are? I don't wanna be in this dump in the first place! If it weren't for me promising Auntie Shirley we wouldn't move, I wouldn't step a paw inside this filthy alley you call your 'home'! You're just a bum, aren't you? You just like to boss people around to feel important! If you were a good grown-up, you would've invited us to pizza, like all of Auntie's friends do, ya cheap freak!"
"They probably did it to shut you up," The cat replied easily, enjoying the puppy's dumbfounded expression at his complete disregard for all the insults thrown at him. "Listen to me, boy – this city's not a theme park. Nasty things happen at night. Nasty people will do nasty things…even to sweet, innocent little howlers like yourselves. They will follow the sound of your tiny, shrill little voiceboxes..and they will have no trouble silencing you to do the sick things that they do. Believe me when I tell ya New York's full of those. I've seen them. I know," he looked at them dramatically with eyes that shone blue in the darkening alley. The puppies leaned closer together, looking suddenly scared. T.C. smiled wickedly to himself; amazing what leaning your head a little to the side will do. The light coming off the bulb shining over the bowling alley's back door reflected off of his large irises, creating just the effect he needed to scare the little runts to sleep and just..stop. The. Chatter.
A brief silence, and then "Can we come up there with you?"
Top Cat glared at them "Try it and you'll be rubbing ya sore little butts for a week."
Bookie muttered something incoherent under his breath, probably a profanity he wouldn't be caught dead uttering by their mother. Top Cat honestly didn't care.
Then out of nowhere, someone howled, long and sad in the distance. Whatever it was, it sent shivers down both pups' spines, and they were immediately clambering up noisily onto the trash can where they curled up next to the cat, eyes wide.
Top Cat rolled his eyes and looked the other way, but he didn't shove them off the lid like he'd promised earlier.
They remained in that position until Dibble left for the night, but when the policeman passed by them again, he noticed the cat's tail loosely draped around the puppies.
Sometimes Dibble didn't know whether the years made him understand T.C more, or less.
oOoOoOoOoOo
They couldn't have been asleep for long. The sky was not the right color of twilight. Top Cat jerked awake when he felt something slink around the alley, so very silent no normal person would notice, but living in alleys gave a cat extra-sharp senses.
He jumped off, grabbed the two puppies roughly and dumped them into his trash can, slamming the lid shut. He heard Mindy squeal in pain and Bookie swear.
"Hey Mr.! Why d'y -!"
"Get us out or I'll scream!"
"It's soooo dark!"
"Shut up!" he growled. Bookie seemed to sense the genuine danger in his tone, and shut up. "Not a peep. Got it?"
Top Cat almost wanted to squeeze in a nice doggy jab just to annoy the proud little runt, but a crisp voice spoke in his ear and something cold was pressed against his back.
"I got word from G.P."
That voice. His fur stood on end as it registered.
"He wants to see you. Now. You're coming with me."
Despite the situation, a rueful smile stretched his lips and he laughed softly.
"You sent Fancy all the way to New Jersey just to stick a gun in my back, Shirley?"