It’s a nice Tuesday morning with the sun shining and a cool 72 degree temperature when Dad calls for breakfast. Sister puts out the kibble. We all dive in. Dad calls for specific cats. “Tiger Tye, Minnie, Misty, breakfast.” Misty and Minnie answer, but no, Tiger Tye. Ten minutes later, he calls again. As he does, he looks down the drive. He notices us and our strange behavior as we search way down to the street.
Oh, let me introduce myself. My name is Bandit, the Heart Stealer or Bandit the Traveling Cat. When Dad and Sister go to town together, I must go no matter where they go together. Down the drive with me are the head of security DJango, Tiger Man, and Buck Rogers Part Deux, Snow’s Son.
Dad calls to ask if we want breakfast. DJango and I stare at him, but neither of us moves because we have a mystery to solve. About five cats away from the drive, we smell Tye, but not where we are. Instead, the drive smells strange to our noses. Tiger Tye doesn’t respond to Daddy’s calls. We do not even detect her on the property or in the area. It is as if she has just vanished. Did someone use a communicator and say “Scotty, beam her up”?
We hear Dad’s voice again saying, “You boys must have seen something strange in that area. Come on up and we can check the cameras.” In response, we race up the hill and rush to him. Once inside the office, we jump up to the security monitors and wait for him to fire up the screens. Dad starts the video from late last night. As he fast forwards it, time flies by until it shows 3:30 in the morning. As we pass that time, something appears on the screen. Dad stops the video and rewinds it as I get up to the screen, front paws and all. When he plays the video at regular speed. What we see captivates us all, cats and humans. A black SUV is sitting in our driveway. One of its humans is seen carrying a cat to the SUV at 3:27 a.m., then it departs at 3:42 a.m.
Daddy stops the video again and rewinds it, then he zooms in to focus on the cat. Just enough light is available to see the cat’s fur colors and size. The dead giveaway is one white spot on the right rear hip. “TIGER TYE” we all howl together, including Dad. Suddenly, all heads pop out of the food bowls, away from toys and they all just stare at us.
“What’s wrong?” asks Sister as she enters the living room.
“Someone stole Tye last night,” replies Dad as he focuses on the SUV. As he zooms in on the SUV, he sees the words “Cat Labs, Inc.” on the front door.
“Cat Labs, Inc.?” he reads out loud with a puzzled look. “Where’s that at, and what is it?”
Sister reaches for her Chromebook and punches in the name. Google provides her with sites to review. She clicks on the first one that has the link she is looking for and starts to read. After a few more minutes she says, “It seems to be a research lab group. They conduct research on cats to improve their lives it says. The question is, what type of research?”
Dad looks up and says, “Where’s the closest one to us?”
“Pennsylvania”.
“So why come all the way down here for one of our cats?”
“Not sure, unless they have a nearby facility not listed here on their web site.”
I start pawing at the screen. Dad focuses back on the video. He pulls back from the SUV and then back to the drive. He starts the video again, and we see it back out, then go south. From there, where did it turn next is the question?
Sister looks at the screen, then at Dad. “Do you think the Colonel can help us figure out where that black monster went?” she asks.
“I can call her to see what she says,” he replies.
I get off the screen shelf and back down on Dad’s desk. I swat the phone out of the cradle. Next, DJango pushes on Dad’s hands to say, “Hurry up!”
The other cats gather around Dad as he picks up the phone. He dials, and the next voice we hear is Nancy Thomas. “Speak.”
“Hey Nancy, this is Mark. I wonder if you could help me with a mystery here at the Sanctuary.” He tells her about Tiger Tye, our Tiger Tye, and how she has disappeared.
Dad gets the Colonel on the line and tells her what has happened. She then tells Dad and me the news. She will do almost anything to get her freshly baked cookies and cakes.
After a few minutes of silence, she says, “Give me a description of the vehicle. Tell me the time frame, or send me that section of your video.”
Dad does both before he says, “Cookies or cake?”
“Your Dark German Chocolate Cake, of course. Takes care of my chocolate need for a couple of days.”
In two days, we will deliver it.”
“Give me about an hour. I’ll get back to you with what I find. You said it went south, correct?.” Then to the cat therapist, “Hi Tiger Man,” she says. And to dad, “I’ll do my best, sir.”
“Yowl,” Tiger Man responds as dad says thanks to Colonel Thomas.
“Get back to you within an hour, guys, and love the cats for me.”
Dad hangs up the phone. We all head out to the yard. This includes Sister and Dad. We check out the area looking for any possible clues. DJango yowls for the Black Cat Rescue Squad to assemble when we get down to the drive. The BCRS consists of Midnight, Ebony, Angela, and some of her older kittens. It also includes several other black cats living at the sanctuary. Of course, unofficially, it includes ME too. I am not a black cat, but I still work paw in paw with the team. And DJango is a member because he is head of security.
DJango gathers us all together. Then, he points with his paw and tail to where he wants each of us to search. He saves the end of the drive for himself and Ebony. Midnight and I start our search around the next-door garage, and we smell two humans’ strange scents. Unwelcome human beings. Their scents get stronger as we move inside. It is a small wooden structure made more for a subcompact or horse carriage than our van. But it has hooks and splinters that can catch on clothing or fur. Midnight looks up, and suddenly she reaches up the wall at something and howls her loud, bloodcurdling scream. Then I see what she sees and join in. Of course, Dad and Sister see it right away when we point it out to them. A piece of black cloth that was not there yesterday. It is about two of my paws long and three of my paws wide. At about the height of a human shoulder, and it hangs on a rusty nail.
She asks Dad, “Is it?”
“Possible, since it wasn’t here yesterday when I came out here to get two of the older kittens.“
“We have to get…,” she started as the phone rang with the Colonel’s ID showing.
As dad answers the phone, we hear, “It’s me.” Nancy says, “I have something for you guys.” She asks, “Is Tiger Man close?”
Sis calls him, and he dashes over from the porch. Dad says, “He is now.”
“Ok, I found where that mystery car went. About twenty miles southwest as the crow flies.”
Dad responds, “Please send me the GPS coordinates.”
“Dorothy’s phone should chime right about… now”. A beep, or should we say a meow, follows.
“Got it,” she says as she pulls up Google Maps to pinpoint the location.
“Get Tye back, then worry about that supposed cat lab. If I can help in any way, Crazy Cat Daddy, be sure to call me.”
“I’ll do so, and we’ll keep you updated.”
Tiger Man responds with a hardy “Meow” of thanks.
With that, Dad hangs up and says, “Let’s have breakfast, make plans, and go get her. Time to get started, everyone.” We all head back to the house. We have work to do, planning a rescue mission.
While Dad makes breakfast. The cats who have not eaten yet are already digging in. Meanwhile, Sister gets her Chromebook out again to see where the SUV is and what the area looks like. She turns to Dad and says, “Check the big screen.” She says this as she mirrors what she sees on her Chromebook. “Forty-two miles by road. It looks like a newly constructed building on about ten acres and one hundred twenty feet back from the road. It’s two stories, with a second one-story building behind it. The Colonel not only gave us the overhead shot. She also sent us ground shots from the road. Otherwise, we would be going in blind with just the satellite view. I looked at the parking area. I counted five cars. There were also two black SUVs at the time she shot these.”
Dad replies, “We’ll head out there in an hour to see if we can find out what’s happening. We will talk to them and ask as concerned neighbors. If that doesn’t work, you and I will have to figure things out from there and plan a raid.”
Suddenly, DJango, Midnight, Tiger Man, and I look up. We give a loud “Yowl.” This expresses our feelings about being left out.
“OK, ladies and gentlemen, you can help too,” says Sister.
DJango, Midnight, Ms. Ebony, Amelia, Tiger Man, and the older kittens follow Dad and Sister to the Sanctuary van. I make my way to Sister’s door, since I always ride up front in my own “shotgun” position. When everyone is secure, Sister checks under the van to make sure no one is there. Then, Dad swings the van to head out. Sister and I get in, and off we go.
We take an hour to find Cat Labs, Inc. instead of forty-two minutes. When we do, Dad drives into the entrance, and we get out. Sister sends DJango, Midnight, Ebony, and Tiger Man out to scout the area. We head into the front office to talk to anyone available. We find a receptionist sitting there. The receptionist is staring at a computer screen.
“Miss,” Dad says, “we need to talk to someone about a cat, please”.
“Sir?… We are not a shelter.“
“No matter, our cat had a late-night visit.“
“Sir, if your cat is missing, check with your shelter or your neighbors.”
Sister leans on the desk after a while. She speaks up, “We will speak to someone in charge right now.”
At Sister’s tone, she suddenly relents and says, “Please wait, and I will see what I can do.” With that, she picks up the phone and calls a couple of different extensions. The next thing she says to us is, “Dr. Redman will be right up.”
Fifteen minutes after pulling in, we are in the office of Dr. Redman, head of research at the facility. Meanwhile, the others are sending me messages. They are letting me know what they have found over CAT NET, our version of your Internet, only better.
Dad says, “Thank you for your time, doctor. Last night, a visitor came to Crazy Cat Sanctuary. They were driving a black SUV. It had a front plate with your company’s name on it. It was also on the front door of the SUV. Now we are missing one of our cats. It is very obvious from our security video that they took her away in the SUV. Would you like to comment on this and tell us where she is right now?”
“You are coming into my facility to accuse us of…” and he pauses.
Sister fills in the rest, “Catnapping?”
“Mrs..…”
“Miss”
“Miss,” he says, “I have no idea what you are talking about. We are a research facility, not a catnap group. The only cats here were legally obtained through local shelters in the area.”
“That’s not what I’m told. I received different information as we conversed. According to Bandit, you have nine illegally obtained cats in cages in the north corner of this building.
“Bandit? Nine cats? Back corner? What are you talking about? Is someone outside trespassing on our grounds and talking to you by radio?”
“No, Sir,” says Dad, “Bandit is sitting right there.” Pointing at me. “My daughter is a cat whisperer and talks to them daily. Four others are checking your facility outside as we speak. Where is our cat, sir? Do you wish to get her and bring her to us?”
“I do…do…don’t have your cat,” he stutters.
“Fine,” Dad says, “Whatever you say. Our team will be back soon.”
He says to Sister, “Let’s go.”
Then he tells Bandit, “Recall the team, Bandit.” With that, we all get up and head out while I send out the recall. After Sister receives a full update from the team, we plan for later tonight.
“None of the team saw Tye. But they have a good idea by scent of where she would be in the building. DJango and Ebony talked through a back window to a large gray tiger cat. They narrowed it down. They told them she was probably on the second floor at the south end of the building. If she is, she sits in a special research lab with two other special cats. They are also told if she is in that lab. We want to rescue her. We also need to get the other two out. Otherwise, they will suffer badly. ‘Dr. Redman is an evil man. This is a direct quote from the gray,” Sister tells Dad as she ends the report.
“When we get home, I need to see if I can find the building plans on the county site. We must get in there, but we know nothing about breaking into a building.”
“Dad, we follow the team’s lead. We get the information on the building and let our specialists lead the way.’
Django howls in agreement.
Once we are back home, Dad gets to work. About two hours later, he has the building plans printed out. Now it is time to plan our nocturnal visit. Dad, Sister, Django, Tiger Man, and I look at the plans. Yes, Django and I study them too. We see the area the gray cat is talking about on the second floor.
Sister points to a photo the colonel sent. Then she points to plans that show a back door on the building. Yet, DJango paws away her hand. As he pushes her hand toward a nearby tree, he indicates we should look there to get in.
“You’re saying we need to use the tree to the deck on the back, big guy?” she asks.
‘Rowl,’ saying yes.
“You all scouted it and know what we’re up against. That’s our entry area,” she replies. She then says to Dad, “What time do you think we should head out?”
“Maybe Midnight, but no later than two.”
“What do you guys think about one o’clock?” she asks us, and we give her grins and flag pole tail wags.
“OK,” says Dad, “one o’clock it is. We’d better get out whatever we want to take and get some rest.”
They set out dark clothes, gloves, ropes, and tools for breaking into a door or window. Six travel units (travel cages) are ready to leave. We have them just in case we can get the gray and the other two cats with Tiger Tye. We will also try to recover any other stolen cats that we can.
Now off to bed for the humans, as it is time for us to set out our plans. Through the CAT NET, we all see the information Django and the team obtained. Thanks to Dad and the Colonel, we also have the building plans and photos that DJango and I have seen. Tiger Man, Ebony, and DJango assign teams and routes on the property. Even though directly, only Sister and Dad will rescue Tiger Tye, we have decided WE ARE GOING, period. With that done, we settle down for some nap time with peace of mind. Sister will be up at five p.m. to put out kibble. As we settle in, DJango hollers at Buck and Snow over CAT NET. He gives them updates. DJango asks whether either wishes to join the rescue mission. Buck says yes, but Snow can’t see himself riding in the van. That means we have at least two tame feral cats on the team, him and Amelia.
Eleven Thirty, our ‘D Day’ arrives. Everyone is up and eating something as Dad and Sister go over tonight’s plan of attack again. They also double-check the equipment as they pack the van. Five after twelve, we all climb into our places in the van, while sister checks underneath. Two minutes later, we were on our way to CAT LABS, Inc.
We arrive outside of CAT LAB’S property, and Dad pulls off on the side of the road. Sister pulls out a night scope and checks the area. She sees two black SUVs, but nothing else. The humans get out of the van, and Sister opens the tailgate to let us out. The front of the property is about two hundred feet away. When we get where we want, we will be about twenty-five feet from the tree we want to climb.
We head out once Dad and Sister are ready, with DJango leading on the left and Amelia on the right. Slowly and carefully, we follow the tree line as we get closer to our mark. After twenty minutes, we look across at the building and the tree. Sister pulls out the night scope again, and Dad pulls out a set of binoculars to study our target. Thankfully, we have some good light from the moon. The only problem with that, it lights up the area as we sneak across to the tree.
“We have one camera on each end of the building,” Dad says. “They’re both pointed away from the tree and balcony. The tree that the boys say to use looks fairly easy to climb. It is easily within reach of the upper deck rail.”
Sister says, “I don’t see anything to stop us with the night scope, just two SUVs.” This just seems too easy.”
“Ditto,” Dad whispers.
With that comment, we head out and tell Sister to stay put as we check things out. Ebony stays behind to help us communicate with Sister since Dad doesn’t speak cat language. As DJango, Buck, and I get to the tree, we do not hesitate and climb straight up the tree. No problem so far. Midnight and Tiger Man head up while the rest patrol the area, avoiding cameras. Sister is right, this seems too easy, even for us creatures of the night. Next, we go out on the limb we spotted on the morning visit and head over to the deck. DJango gives the go signal to Ebony, but also advises extreme caution because something feels wrong.
While Dad, Sis, and Ebony head in, we continue our investigation. We find the room we saw on the plans, Gray told the team about, and a window into the room. The window is cracked open about an inch or two. A trap? Not sure. DJango lets Ebony know, so she can relay if possible. She is good at communicating with us and Sis, but is she good enough for this role? I hope so. By the time we get back to the tree, Ebony is up with us, and Sister is studying the tree, preparing to come up. A vehicle pulls in out front and we freeze while Dad and Sister fall to the ground, flattening themselves down as much as possible. As it drives around the lot, it turns away from the van and heads back out. Someone just turning around, or a security check? Not sure, but let’s hope it is just someone turning around.
After Sister joins us, we head back to the window. She inspects it using the light of a shielded flashlight. Once Dad is on the deck, he joins in.
“There are no visible alarm contacts,” she says. The window is unlocked, and we can easily remove the screen with a screwdriver.”
Then I let out a soft meow. I get four responses: Tiger Tye, the two we were told about, and the gray cat. The humans moved him up here, too. According to Ebony, all the “illegal cats” have been moved upstairs. They are in the next room over. That means we rescue Tiger Tye and ten others tonight.
DJango yowls softly and receives reports, but one response he dislikes. He paws Sister’s leg and looks her in the eye.
“What’s up, DJango?” she asks. “What’s up?” she says again after a brief pause.
As he reports, Sis relays the information. “DJango says someone’s prowling around at the other end of the building.” She pauses as he continues, then she continues, “They’re looking around the outbuilding right now.”
“Have the team keep an eye on them while I remove the screen. I’ll need the Phillips screwdriver for the eight screws I can see. Then I’ll use the small pry bar to lift the screen out. And I’ll keep it as quiet as I can.”
Sister hands Dad the tools, and DJango keeps her updated. After a couple of minutes, he pulls the screen out quietly and checks the window for any signs of trouble. After a couple more minutes, he slowly opens it up. Just then, Tiger Tye lets out a very loud howl from inside, and Sister whispers, “Down now.” A light turns on inside. I move to the window. I put my paws up on the building, hoping to see inside. Sis understands and lifts me, so I can.
“One human is checking the cages,” I tell her. Five minutes later, “He is leaving.” Then the lights turn off.
Dad works on the window as DJango tells Sister that the last human downstairs is finally leaving. Buck, Ebony, and Tiger Man continue watching from the deck as the two outside continue to prowl around the outbuilding.
Sister asks Dad, “Wonder where the overnight security office is located upstairs or downstairs?”
“Can the kids tell?” he asks as he looks down at DJango and me.
Ebony walks around the deck to the back and sniffs at the door. She informs DJango that one human is still upstairs. The human is moving around in a separate office area. Ten minutes later, the human moves away from the door to the deck.
Ebony comes around just as Dad opens the window. Django and Ebony are the first to go through it, followed by Dad. The rest of us wait out here on the deck while they check out the two connecting rooms. When Dad returns to the window, Tiger Tye is riding on his shoulders.
“We have nine cats in two rooms. We only have seven cages. We’ll figure out how to get them out and into the van without a cage. DJango is working that out now, I presume.”
“I have the rope out. I am ready to come down from here when we’re ready. All we have to do is get them out here.” Sister tells him. Just then, DJango comes up behind Dad with his tail held high and ten cats trailing behind him. The tenth is EBONY, bringing up the rear.
Guess we don’t need a cage.” Sister says. “They just want to leave here. Bandit, you and Tiger Man take them down and into the woods. Dad, I will put this back together.”
With that, we led the nine cats to the point just inside the tree line where we started. DJango and Buck stay with Dad and Sister, and DJango calls the rest of the team in. The next thing I see is four of them coming down the tree and across to meet us. Once everyone is together, we head back to the van.
Sister looks around the van after we all get in and counts heads. We rescued ten and brought twelve with us. All here. Ready to roll.” We head back to the sanctuary. As we do, Dad asks, “When do you think the good Doctor will show up?”
“Not sure, but we know where those nine came from. The ginger belongs to the Lawson’s. The two brown tigers come from the Newtons. The other six come from Linda and her rescue. We’ll call them after sunup to let them know we have their cats. They can send a text to verify, so we can confront him and his people. Right now, though, we need to get them home and give them some food and goat’s milk.”
With that one word, milk, we get a chorus of happy cat calls. Dad pulls out and heads back to the sanctuary.
Part 2: The Confrontation
Once we get the new cats settled in for their brief stay, we return everyone to their normal routines. This includes Dad and Sister. Most of us who can sleep for a few hours take catnaps before dawn. Teddy Bear and the Ginger curl up with Sister, while I curl up with Dad and Mom. When her seven o’clock alarm sounds off, we all get up and start the day. First, a few bites of kibble and checking our nine charges, then our daily rounds.
We received photos from all three caretakers. Ms. Linda will help with the confrontation. Now is the time to set up our watch schedule. We need to be alerted if these evil people come in through the driveway. They also come from behind the sanctuary. DJango calls Midnight over, and the two set out a watch consisting of BCR Team members and a few others. This includes Tiger Tye, Tiger Man, and me. I enjoy climbing. I climb one of the two trees at the front of the property. From there, I can watch from horizon to horizon. From here, I can see just about anything heading toward us from the north or south. Shortly, I saw a blue minivan coming from the north. I know it is Linda, true to her word. She is coming down to retrieve her kids and help with the confrontation. As she pulls into the driveway, she hears several of us howling a welcome. She replies with a sweet toot of the horn.
I, DJango, and Ebony notice it at the same time as they pass under the two trees. DJango and Ebony are walking along the property’s border. We see a black SUV, but not just one. We see two coming our way, and we let out the loudest alarm call ever heard in the sanctuary. From the tree top, I watch Sister, Dad, and Linda jump up from the chairs they are sitting in. Their attention focuses on the trees.
They pass, turn around, and return to the driveway. The two black SUVs pull into the driveway. Our humans move away from the house toward the center of our play area. I came down from the tree with DJango and Ebony in preparation. As I look around, I see the Black Cat Rescue Team moving carefully around us. They form two rings. Linda’s kids stand on the porch, watching.
The SUV stopped partway up the driveway, and the doors opened. There are humans coming out of the back one, and Dr. Redman gets out of the front one, along with his helper. They look around at us. DJango sends a message to each of us to stand firm. He reminds us to stay safe. He moves ahead, standing and walking straight to Dr. Redman with Buck and Buck Part Deux. He looks up at the doctor, bares his teeth, his ears back, and flares his fur. With that, he lets out a loud and menacing hiss.
“I don’t think you’re wanted on the sanctuary property, Dr. Redman,” says Dad in the same tone and attitude as DJango.
“Sir,” says Dr. Redman, “I have come for my cats, so you return them now, or we will see you in court.”
“I don’t think so, doctor. We have documented proof of ownership from the cat’s caregivers.
“I don’t think so, doctor. We have documented proof of ownership from the cat’s caregivers. We contacted each cat caregiver this morning, and they sent us these documents. Ms. Linda even came over here with documents and photos of six cats. Regarding Tiger Tye, we have all the documents. Her vet supports us as her caregivers.”
“But we need that tortoiseshell for studying. She and her brother, whoever he is, work as cat therapists. We must find out how. Furthermore, we also need to reproduce it in other cats.”
“Dr. Redman, that is not magic. Nothing you can reproduce. Tiger Tye is a special cat, as was her brother…”
“Was???”
“Yes, he died, and now we have Tiger Man Part Deux. Tiger Tye passed the name on to him with her blessing.”
“How do you know that?” the doctor asked sarcastically.
“My daughter is a cat whisperer. She communicates with them.”
“They are all studying the evil men as they prepare to evict you.” Sister tells him. When she finishes, DJango hisses again.
With these words, he holds us with his right paw and flexes his claws. Amelia joins him to add her words and actions to the mix.
In response, Sister says, “There is no magic, no special formula you can use. Their creator, God, gave them a gift, and they use it to help these cats. I use my gifts the same way. So, you as well pack up your microscopes, test tubes, and fancy machines. Go back under whatever rock you came out from under with your goons.”
“We will be glad to help with the cats at the lab. This way, you don’t have to transport them,” adds Dad.
“Get back in your vans and leave this property now.”. You have our number if you want us to pick up the cat you have there. We will hold it for their caregivers. This is about the three that Lina does not take care of at her rescue center. “Now, please leave.”
“We’ll be back to get our cats,” Dr. Redman threatened.
I don’t believe so, because the sheriff is waiting at the corner and hears everything we say. He will be glad to direct you to his office, or you can leave on your own now. Your choice.”
He signaled a retreat, but declared that “We are not finished.” I will get those cats.”
“What next?” asks Linda.
“We go on split shifts, but I think a night visit will happen. Probably tonight or tomorrow. Dorothy and I will alternate on four to six-hour shifts, and we will set the audible alarms on the cameras. The cats will probably be on high alert, and Tiger Tye will probably stay inside for a couple of nights.”
“If you want, I can help,” says Linda as her six cats meet her in the play yard.
Sis says, “I can take the first watch starting at six tonight.” Tiger Man and Teddy Bear, who snuck down with Linda’s cats, push their sister to sleep in the house.
He says, “I guess that’s settled. I have the second or third shift. I’ll set the alarm on the cameras. So, when would you like to watch Linda, or do you prefer the office side?”
“I can handle the office, freeing you all up for the fight.
I’ll set up lines one and two for your office. Just let me know when you can pick them up on your home phone. You have the software down already?”
“Get the soft phone down and active.”
I can switch now.”
“Sounds good, and I’ll get my kids home. Call me if you need anything.”
“See you later. We’ll keep you updated.”
“We believe they will return tonight or tomorrow night to try taking her again. Dad is setting up his security, but we must see where he can’t.” DJango addresses his feral team. Snow and Buck should coordinate with Amelia, Grace, and Ann. Buck Senior should contact you again, so he can see more. Snow, you work east with a team, and Buck takes a team north. Midnight and I will coordinate on the south corner of the property. “At all times, one trainee will be on high alert.” With that, the teams assemble and plan individually. This is like a small army preparing for battle. We are a cat army.
Sister starts her watch. I tuck Dad in. Our teams are on full watch, waiting for the evil men to show up. Fortunately, we don’t have long to wait. Nothing happens on Sister’s watch. Yet, just two hours into Dad’s watch, we all notice a low growl from high in the two trees. Next, we hear Midnight and one team at the south property line hissing and growling. I rush in to wake Sister and let her and Dad know what the team sees and hears.
I tell Sister there are two black SUVs parked at the creek. Midnight smells two humans in the south field. Supreme Commander smells one human on the wind out front. Jules Verne verifies that someone is across the road as he smells and hears someone out there.
On the screens, Dad displays a few of his special night cameras. He points them in both directions. Sister dims down the lights. Tiger Tye gets close to her special human, Dad. He comforts her with his sweet kisses, petting, and cooing. Furthermore, he does not talk to us like Sister can. But if he knows how to love us. He makes us feel loved. I can hear her across the room. Sister can hear her too. She returns the love as only a cat can.
As we watch the screens, Dad sees movement out front. Someone just entered the property between the two trees. We see more movement from both sides. Our Supreme Commander, Ebony, and our Commander Jules Verne have half a dozen smaller cats. These trainees for BCRT are ready to surprise our visitors. The human slowly moves between the trees and prepares to crawl toward the house, not realizing what awaits.
Two other figures are crossing the side road on the south property line. Buck, Part Deux, Snow, and Buck Senior join Midnight and Amelia, along with several other cats. Then they spread out and… wait.
DJango, Midnight, Ebony, and Jules communicate across CATNET as they prepare to surprise both fronts. We all have a CATNET connection. I keep my humans informed about what is happening through these cats and the CATNET.
When I tell them the human is halfway to the house, and Dad sees him crawling on the monitor, he says it is his turn. He grabs some heavy-duty zip ties for the shop and garden. Sneaks out the back door. Next, it’s around the side of the house, beside the van on the driver’s side, and quietly down the drive. All the cats attack as soon as DJango gives his team the “go” sign. Slapping at his attackers, the evil human lets out a scream like one you might hear from a small human girl. DJango and Ebony dive towards the head to pin the invader with pain and fright. The team also pinned him with his body and legs. Dad rushes in and uses his arms to secure him. Then he swings over his back at Dad. Four of our more robust trainees push up and attack his arms. Just then, Buck Part Deux dives into the mix and sits down on the evil human’s upper back and grabs his neck. With that, he settles down, and Dad can restrain him with both hands and feet.
Just then, more cats attacked the invaders. Dad and the team rush up there. One monitor shows cameras up there, and Sister picks the one where we can see the action. Just then I get a message saying Buck Senior and five of his feral team, along with his son Snow, arrive to assist. That means twenty against two. The cats and kittens are swarming over the evil humans, like ants over dead bugs. Dad gets up there, and he sits down on top of the closest one, just as the other humans extract himself from all the cats attacking and holding him down. Instead of helping his partner, though, he runs down the hill and the last we see of him. He is running across the field toward their SUVs. Dad secures the second human, though, and they get him down the hill and park him with his buddy, before Dad secures him at his ankles.
Sister calls 911, and in about fifteen minutes, the sheriff shows up with the three deputies. We did not get Dr. Redman, but those two tell the full story. The sheriff had the state patrol charge him with animal-related offenses, and the deputies took care of these two prisoners.
“Book em DJango” is all I have to say on this night.
As the sun rises, we all settle down to an excellent breakfast of our favorite wet/dry “Party Mix.” Dad makes breakfast for mom and sister. After that, it is time to tuck our humans in and get some sleep ourselves. Thus ends the case I call “They Have Her.” Oh yes, the Colonel gets her cake, delivered by Dad, Sister, AND ME.