by M.R. Harris
Miko froze.
Chapter Nine
Dusk was settling over the garden and the shadows had grown longer and more substantial. The puppy was shaking, clearly terrified. Miko remembered how she had felt, alone in the dark, with the dogs hemming her in. She swallowed and something unusual happened -- unusual for Miko at least -- she felt ashamed. She didn't want to be hauled off to the cat shelter but leaving the puppy out in the backyard to fend for herself wasn't right.
Miko sighed and resigned herself to her fate; if Matt and Jane sent her off to the cat shelter then that's what would happen. It wasn't as though it was all her human's fault, she should have been nicer to the puppy. Anyway, living in a cage at the cat shelter would be a better future than the puppy was likely to have locked out here, left to the non-existent mercies of the dogs.
"What's taking so long?" Spark called out. "Matt and Jane are going to come up the stairs any second!"
Miko looked toward the backdoor that Spark was holding open. "Okay, be right there." Turning back to the puppy she said, "You there! Puppy!" The puppy looked at her, miserable and shaking. Miko felt awkward and cleared her throat. This was the first time she had spoken directly to the puppy. "Come back inside. I'm ... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have chased you out onto the lawn. I won't do it again, I promise."
The puppy didn't say anything, she just cowered a few feet away on the lawn and shook with fright so much her teeth chattered.
Miko huffed in frustration and growled. Hearing this the puppy's eyes opened wider and she scrambled backwards. "Don't do that!" Miko yelled. "Just hold still. Can't you tell? I've changed my mind about leaving you out here all alone. If you know what's best for you, you will get back inside and quickly!"
Of course Miko didn't mean what she said as a threat, she was thinking of Zoroaster and Helion. If they saw the puppy ... well, Miko could only imagine what they might do. Miko glared at the puppy, "Get inside!" she hissed, but the puppy shrank back, frightened of her.
"Just hold still!" Miko said and lunged at the puppy. Her cat-reflexes were much faster than those of the puppy and so she easily gained purchase on the flap of skin behind the puppy's neck that mother dogs use to cart their offspring from one place to another. The only trouble was that the puppy weighed considerably more than Miko. Miko braced herself and pulled for all she was worth but she couldn't budge the puppy.
Spark, who was still holding the door open, whispered, "They're coming!" At just that moment Jane and Matt started climbing the stairs from the cellar. Jane had a very wet Larry cradled in her arms and wrapped in a huge soft towel.
"I can't be seen holding this door open!" Spark called, sotto voice, to Miko. "If Matt and Jane see me keeping the door from closing, and then find the puppy missing, they'll blame me!"
Miko glared at the puppy. "Look, I'm sorry about before, but it's not safe out here. Believe me, I know! Please, just come in with me." But it was no use, the puppy shrank back still farther. "Fine," Miko said. "Just hide somewhere, okay? Don't let anyone, or anything, know that you're out here. Please."
Matt and Jane were almost at the top of the stairs, in another moment they would notice Spark holding the door open.
"Miko!" Spark hissed.
With a final, pleading, glance back at the puppy Miko ran for the safety of the house. "I'll come back for you!" she promised.
Just as Miko ran inside Matt and Jane reached the top of the stairs.
"Oh look, Larry, here's Miko," she cooed. "She was concerned about you and came to give you licks." Jane bent down and peeled back the towel so that Miko could see Larry. He was utterly miserable. He was soaked and shook from head to tail.
"It's okay," Larry said through chattering teeth, "You don't have to."
Miko swallowed and strode forward and, before she could think too much about what she was going to do, she licked the side of Larry's face.
Larry stared at her wide-eyed as though he couldn't quite believe that had just happened.
"Oh, who's the nice girl, huh? Who's the nice girl?" Jane said to Miko, devolving into baby-talk.
Miko looked at Larry, "Look, I was wrong about the puppy and you were right. I'm sorry. The puppy is hiding in the backyard and we need to get her inside." Miko swallowed and looked down at the floor for a couple of seconds and then looked back up. "I need your help to do that. Can I count on you?"
In answer Larry struggled free of Jane's arms and walked over to Miko. "Of course you can. Just tell me what to do."
Miko smiled at Larry and Spark. "Quick, you and Spark open the dog door Matt installed yesterday."
Larry stared at Miko. "But ... we can't open doors."
Miko stamped with impatience. "Yes, yes, I know, not normal doors, but this one has a thin piece of wood keeping it closed. If you push on the door really hard the wood will break and you'll be able to open the dog door. When the humans see that the dog door is open they will think the puppy escaped that way. Can I count on you?"
Larry nodded. "Of course," he said and, signaling Spark to follow him, ran off toward the living room.
* * * *
When, about ten minutes later, Matt and Jane couldn't find the puppy they looked all over the house and discovered the dog door was open. Jane accused Matt of not installing the door property, a charge that Matt roundly denied, and then she began to cry. "The puppy is outside all alone and it's almost nighttime!" she said.
Matt hugged Jane, "Don't worry love, we'll find her. She can't have gone far."
As Jane stood behind Matt, giving her husband what she felt were helpful suggestions, Matt typed out and printed "Puppy Lost" fliers that prominently displayed a picture of the puppy. They left the house with a stack of about fifty. "It never hurts to be prepared," Matt said.
After Matt and Jane had gone, Miko carefully removed the piece of cardboard Spark had used to keep the backdoor from closing completely and jammed it open. If the dogs caught them outside she knew they'd never make it back to the house but it didn't hurt to be prepared, just in case.
Chapter Ten
As one, the cats stepped outside. It was full night and the only illumination was the moon. The three cats looked at each other and swallowed. "Let's do this," Miko whispered and the three cats crept further into the backyard.
"Puppy, ..." Miko called out, but Spark shushed her.
"You're the reason we're in this mess," Spark said, uncharitably. "If you hadn't been so mean to the puppy she wouldn't have run away from you and we wouldn't be out here at night trying to coax her back inside."
"Fine!" Miko said, icily. "You try calling the puppy then, let's see if you have better luck."
For the next few minutes the three cats searched for the puppy but with no success.
* * * *
A low growl pierced the night. The three cats froze. The sound had come from the neighbor's yard. As one they crouched down so their tummy fur was brushing the tips of the grass and stared at the neighbor's yard, where the sound had come from.
"That was Zoroaster," Miko said, her voice shaky.
Miko slunk toward the hole in the hedge and peered through to the other side. It was dark but, being a cat, she didn't have any trouble seeing the puppy huddled on the lawn in front of two enormous dogs, both Doberman. The smaller one was Zoroaster, the dog who had tried to kill her the other night, but she didn't recognize the hulking Doberman beside her. That most likely was Hellion, her mate.
Miko looked at the puppy. "Please, please, be okay," Miko breathed. Although the puppy was scared it seemed untouched. Miko let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding and carefully made her way back to where Larry and Spark waited for her on their human's side of the hedge.
Miko told Larry and Spark what she had seen. "This is all my fault," she said. "What we need to do now, what I need to do, is rescue the puppy but I have no idea how to do that. Can you help me?" Miko looke
d at Spark and then at Larry.
Larry gazed adoringly at Miko. "You're asking me for help?" he asked, grinning.
"This doesn't mean that you're friends, Larry," Spark said, looking at Miko skeptically. "The furry one is just using you to get what she wants. If she didn't need your help, do you think she would be nice to you?"
Larry gazed at Spark and then at Miko. He shrugged and shook his head. "I don't know."
Miko's shoulders slumped. She had no right to ask for Larry's help, not after the way she had treated him. This was no more than what she deserved.
"I don't know," Larry said, "but it doesn't matter. I'm Miko's friend and I've got a plan." He smiled.
* * * *
"I don't like this plan," Spark said to Larry as Larry and Miko carefully, working together, tied a pouch around the top of Spark's front leg.
Larry frowned at Spark. "Don't worry, you'll do fine. Just ... just don't think about it too much."
Spark snorted derisively to show what he thought of that reasoning.
"There's no more time!" Miko snapped. "I don't know how long the dogs are going to play with the puppy. As soon as they get tired of terrifying the poor thing they'll close in for the kill, or if the puppy tries to run ..."
"Okay, okay," Spark said, "Let's get this over with before I change my mind."
Larry put his paw on his brother's shoulders, "You'll do fine. I would never have asked you to do this if I wasn't sure you could pull it off."
Spark nuzzled his brother's neck for a moment and then, turning away, said, "You'd better be right because, even if you and the furry one do become friends, I don't see her volunteering to lick your ears clean any time soon, and you have that problem with ear wax buildup ...,"
"I'm right here!" Miko snapped. "Don't talk about me like I can't hear you."
Spark stared at Miko and said, unconvincingly, "Oops, did I say that out loud?"
Miko rolled her eyes. "Whatever. We need to move out, now!"
* * * *
Miko, Spark and Larry padded across the lawn toward the hole in the hedge and the huge dogs. They stood by the hole and peered into the next-door neighbor's yard. They could hear the Doberman growing and the whimpering of the puppy. The sounds the puppy was making were growing fainter as it grew weaker. Soon the Doberman were going to tire of their sport and move in for the kill.
Miko turned and looked first at Spark then at Larry. "Whatever happens, thank you," she said and held her paw out in front of her. "You are my family," she said soberly.
Larry put his paw on top of Miko's and looked at her. "For family," he said. Miko blushed a little and then turned to Spark.
Spark rolled his eyes but put his black paw on top of Miko's and Larry's. "For family," he mumbled. Geeks, Spark said under his breath.
They broke the huddle and Miko nodded to Spark. "You're on."
"Be careful," Larry whispered to Spark, his nose pale with worry.
Spark grinned at Larry. "This? Pah. Piece of cake." Spark bent down and, with his teeth, ripped open the pouch of catnip on his leg and took a deep breath. Immediately Spark's eyes dilated and, as his fur stood on end, he seemed to grow bigger. His tail became like a huge bristle brush and his eyes dilated in a killing frenzy. Spark screamed out a battle cry and the two Doberman turned away from the puppy and, as one, glared at Spark. Spark didn't hesitate, he didn't wait for the dogs to make the first move, he ran, lunged at Zoroaster and, extending his claws to their fullest, raked them across the dog's nose, drawing blood. The Doberman whimpered and fell back. Spark allowed himself a smile of victory.
And so it was that Spark noticed, too late, that Zoroaster's mate had silently sprung at him, mouth open, heading straight for Spark.
Chapter Eleven
Hellion 's jaws and were about to close over Spark's neck. Spark only had time for one last look over his shoulder. He wanted to see his brother one last time but Larry wasn't waiting by the hedge.
Like a white overweight comet Larry launched himself at Helicon's back and dug his claws in deep while screaming incoherently. The Doberman roared more in surprise than in pain and, Spark forgotten, tried to fling the crazy cat from his back but Larry hung on like a rodeo rider. "I'm okay, get the puppy!" Larry called to Spark.
Spark turned to Zoroaster. Blood dripped from the dogs nose. Spark took a menacing step forward and hissed. To his surprise the dog moved backward, ears plastered against her skull, and whimpered.
Miko was watching all this from near the hole in the hedge. She regretted how she had treated the puppy and wished she could have atoned for her mistake by putting herself in danger and herding the puppy to safety, but she knew the puppy would run from her. All she could do was hold her breath and watch as Spark quickly herded the puppy toward the hole in the hedge. Miko cringed as the puppy shied away from her as she passed into the safety of her humans' backyard.
"Larry, time to go," Miko called, and tried to keep the worry out of her voice. She knew that if Larry jumped off the creature's back the dog would probably grab him up in his powerful jaws and crush Larry's bones to a bloody pulp. The key was that, to escape, Larry had to be quick; unfortunately Larry's ample tummy would make that difficult. Realistically, though, even if Larry was quick enough to jump down off Hellion 's back without getting bit in half he would still have Zoroaster to deal with. She was scared of Spark, not Larry. Larry, she would gladly crush between her jaws..
Spark materialized beside Miko and Miko looked at him. "The puppy?"
"Safe," Spark said, curtly. He glared at Miko. "Larry's dead, you realize that, don't you? He jumped in the sink for you and nearly drowned and now he threw himself at an angry attack dog to save my life, but it was all because you couldn't find it in your heart to love and accept a puppy." Spark spit the word out at Miko.
Miko looked down at the ground and blinked tears from her eyes. "You're right," she said. When she looked back at Spark her eyes were clear and dry and there was a new sense of determination, a new set to her jaw. She even held herself differently. "I messed up. It's up to me to set this right. I'll distract Zoroaster, you try and get Larry."
Miko looked up at Zoroaster and said, without looking at Spark, "Tell Larry I'm sorry I never had the chance to get to know him better."
No sooner had the last syllable left her mouth than Miko was flying over the ground heading for Zoroaster. Spark had never seen anything run that fast before, it was like she was flying. As her gait ate up the yards between her and the dog the wind made rippling waves in her fur. She was beautiful and determined, her jaw set, her eyes calm and deadly.
As Miko charged toward Zoroaster the dog recognized her and growled, a great rumble that started deep within her chest. "I'm so glad we're finally going to get acquainted," Zoroaster snarled. She opened her jaws and, watching Miko, drooled in anticipation of the kill.
But Miko stopped just short of those massive jaws. Seeing this, the Doberman lunged at the cat but Miko, like a good sheepdog, zagged to the side. The Doberman lunged at Miko's new location and snapped her huge jaws shut ... on thin air. Miko had flattened her body to the ground and sprung away a fraction of a second before the Doberman's jaws snapped closed.
Miko looked in the Doberman's eyes. She knew her next move would mean her death if she didn't time it just right. But she owed it to Larry. And to Spark. And to the puppy. Clenching her jaw, tensing her muscles, she crouched and sprang. Incredibly, she jumped up on top of the Doberman's head! For a moment Zoroaster was too shocked to move, to even bark, which was probably just as well. In almost the same moment, Miko jumped up into the welcoming boughs of the oak tree.
The dog lost it. There are really no words. She barked and screamed and hurled insults and even a few obscenities. She was incensed and, inevitably, this drew Hellion's attention. For a moment, for a fraction of a second, Hellion stopped trying get Larry off his back, and s
tood and stared at Zoroaster as though wondering if his mate had lost her mind. This was what Miko was waiting for.
"Larry, now!" Miko screamed.
No one had to tell Larry twice. With Hellion temporarily distracted Larry sprang from the dog's back and raced for the hole in the hedge. Hellion, though, was quick to recover and lunged after Larry.
Miko, watching the chase from her perch in the oak tree, held her breath. Larry had a head start but Hellion was gaining. If only Larry weren't so chubby! Even that was her fault; if only she had been nicer to him he wouldn't have eaten to mend his sorrows. Come on Larry, run! You can do it! Miko whispered under her breath.
Larry was almost at the hedge where Spark waited for him. "Come on! Move your fat ass!" Spark shouted. Almost there, Larry was almost there, almost safe. But almost isn't good enough. Hellion, with one great lunge ...
"Hellion!" The next door neighbor screamed. "Would you shut up! Half the neighborhood has been calling me about you and, I swear, the other half must be deaf!"
Hellion slowed a little but mostly ignored his human.
"Hellion!" the neighbor shouted again, only this time it was a command and it wasn't shouted so much as barked. Hellion stopped short and, for a moment, looked at Larry like he was the most succulent morsel in the world and then, regretfully, turned away and headed toward his house.
"Zoroaster!" the same angry voice called out. The dog reluctantly turned away from Miko to follow her mate, but cast a last malevolent glare back over her shoulder. 'Just you wait,' the gaze seemed to say. 'This isn't over.'
Larry, running full throttle, tumbled into Spark when he reached the hole in the hedge. The brothers went rolling around and around on the soft cool grass. As they came to a stop Spark hugged Larry, tears in his eyes. "You're one brave cat," Spark said.
"Right back at you," Larry said, grinning at Spark.
Spark blinked back his tears and batted Larry with his paw, "Don't let it happen again.
After a couple of minutes Miko jumped down from her perch in the oak tree and joined Spark and Larry. She stood beside them for a moment and then awkwardly cleared her throat. "I'd like to say ...," but Larry and Spark didn't let her get any further; as one, they included her in their bear hug. After a moment a soft snuffling sound was heard and Miko felt a soft warm nose nuzzle her ear. She broke out of the bear hug and turned around. The puppy was standing there. Tears filled Miko's eyes. "I'm sorry," she said. The puppy barked happily at her and gave her face a big lick.