The Golden Owl (Clockwork Calico Book 1)

by Lana Axe

  Before she could pounce, she remembered her homemade weapon. Of course! she thought. After so much time spent idle, she’d forgotten all about the explosive device she’d crafted. It was the solution to her two-spider problem. Retrieving the vial from her implants, she gripped the stopper with her paw. Please work, she thought. Twisting the cork, she pulled it straight out. Lifting the lid an inch, she slammed the vial into one spider.

  In a flash of gray and black, the grenade exploded against the clockwork arachnid. Bolts and gears flew in every direction, shrapnel impaling the walls. Twisted metal legs slid across the marble floor, leaving black marks as they went. Cali couldn’t have been more pleased with her invention.

  One down, one to go, she told herself. The first spider lost its grip on the chest, sending her tumbling to the floor. The calico landed gracefully on her feet. Now was the moment. Wiggling her haunches, she leapt for the remaining spider before it knew she was coming.

  With a metallic clang, the spider crashed into the marble, weighed down by the thrashing calico. Raking with her enhanced claws, she tried to rip the automaton to pieces. No such luck. It was far too sturdy for her to shred.

  Hissing, she tried to strike fear into her opponent. No good. The metal menace had no emotion. It found its way upright, standing again on eight sound legs. Cali jumped backward, her back arched, her fur bristling. Keeping her tail low, she danced around her foe, looking for any sign of an opening.

  The spider’s eyes gleamed with a strange, orange glow. Cali knew it was thinking. Curling its legs beneath it, it shortened its height by half. The cat thought it was a poor decision. Now they were on an even level.

  To her surprise, the spider wasn’t giving up. It was changing form to suit the best counterattack. Standing on half-legs, it extended the sharp metal that had previously served as its feet. Then it began to spin. Gaining momentum, it transformed itself into a whirl of blades. There was no way to attack it without being shredded.

  Scanning the room, Cali searched for anything that could be used as a weapon. Her eyes stopped on the tiger statue. It was big, it was heavy, and it wouldn’t back down to metal blades. It just might do the trick. Sprinting for it, she leapt over the spinning mass of metal with ease. Landing on top of the statue, she attempted to knock it off-balance.

  No luck. The statue was far too heavy. There was only one chance to move it. Below her the spider continued to whirl, a cyclone of sharp metal. Losing her balance now would be like falling into a thresher. That was a ride she didn’t intend to take.

  Placing herself between the statue and the wall, she shoved with all her might. Pushing her enhanced legs to their limit, she barely managed to wiggle the statue. Pausing for a breath, she tried a second time. Heaving her body against the marble, she managed to tip it just enough to unbalance it. In a thunderous crash, it slammed against the floor, taking out three of the spider’s legs. It spun sideways, its balance obliterated by the statue’s weight. It could no longer maintain the cyclone.

  The spider wasn’t giving up just yet. As she watched, it transformed itself again, shifting its good legs to compensate for the damaged ones. Cali groaned in frustration. What would it take to disable this thing? There was no time to think. The spider extended a sharpened leg, intending to run the cat through. She rolled to one side, narrowly avoiding the piercing blade.

  Racing to the far end of the bank, Cali looked everywhere for another weapon. She came up empty. Focusing on the manager’s door, she was both surprised and relieved to see it wide open. Dashing inside, she slammed the door behind her. Turning to secure the latch, she realized it was broken. This was how the spiders had come in. Behind her the window stood open. A large, rectangular section had been sliced from the metal bars that were intended to prevent a burglary. Some good they had done.

  The desk was her only option now. Still in one piece, it was heavy enough to barricade the door while she formulated a new plan. As she braced herself against the wall and prepared to shove the desk, a glint in one partially opened drawer caught her eye. A pistol! Opening the drawer, she retrieved the weapon.

  Despite her lack of firearms training, Cali knew a few things. If it was loaded, then pulling the trigger might create a similar effect to her homemade explosive. There was one sure way to find out. Pulling open the door, she came face to face with the spider. Clenching the pistol in her teeth, she aimed for the spider’s carapace. With one enhanced claw, she pulled the trigger.

  A deafening boom erupted from the pistol, striking the arachnid square in its metal head. Cali recoiled, her ears ringing and teeth chattering. The pistol dropped to the ground. She waited a moment for the smoke to clear before determining her enemy’s fate. Straight ahead, she spotted the automaton. It shook itself, all of its legs trembling momentarily. Then it continued forward, charging at the feline.

  Cali couldn’t believe it. A wide, round hole punctured the spider, leaving a trail all the way through its carapace. Light could be seen from the other side, and the sound of its gears clicked louder than before. Despite its ragged appearance, the spider had survived her attack.

  Leaping high, Cali avoided the charging sentry and launched herself back into the bank’s main chamber. It was possible many weapons awaited in the vault, but finding them would take too long. The spider was already on her, skittering on sharpened feet, one leg slicing at the air.

  With no weapons at hand, Cali improvised. A bowl of hard candy on a nearby desk proved itself quite heavy. She heaved it at the oncoming spider, knocking it off-balance. As it tried to regain its footing, it slipped on bits of spilled candy.

  Cali was surprised to discover that candy worked better than a pistol. But there was no time to contemplate such matters. She had to keep moving and keep fighting. As a last resort, she would retrieve the owl and use it as a hammer. It was far heavier than the spider, but it could be damaged in the process. She didn’t know what else to do. With the spider on her again, she had to make another jump, flinging herself across the room. Her mind raced along with her legs, her heart pounding in her ears. Despite her enhancements, she was still a creature of flesh and blood. Her body would give out with exhaustion long before her clockwork opponent’s. She had to find a way to disable it.

  Emmit stopped short of reaching for the wires, his paws poised inches above them. There was no sign of electricity running through them, but he preferred to be cautious. Touching a live wire could be the last thing he ever did. An accommodating leaf nearby was the solution to his problem. Within the cupped leaf was a small amount of water, collected from recent rain. Standing clear, the mouse tossed the water onto the wires and jumped away. No sparks.

  Double checking the generator, he made sure the switch was set to the off position. He didn’t want it kicking on and delivering him a nasty shock. After a few deep breaths, he was ready to begin working. Reaching into the hole dug by the spiders, he lifted the frayed wire’s end. Wrapped inside a casing that appeared to be rubber were several copper wires.

  It was the first time Emmit had ever handled such a thing. His mother had warned him never to chew through these cables because they were dangerous. He’d always heeded her advice. Now here he was trying to unchew the wire. Thankfully his mother wasn’t watching him now.

  Inspecting the wires, he realized it wasn’t all that complicated. If he attached the copper bits together, the electricity would probably flow as it had before. The only problem was matching the correct wire to its other half. Or did that matter? He couldn’t answer that question.

  Studying each wire, he determined which cut ends matched, the two fitting together like a puzzle piece. Twisting those wires together, he formed a continuous cable for the current to flow through. The work was tedious but not overly difficult. It would take time.

  Emmit’s tiny paws flew as he continued to pull and twist at the wires. His paw pads grew sore, his joints aching, but still he continued. He didn’t dare try twisting the wires with his mouth. His mother’s war
ning rang loud in his ears, despite the lack of power to the wires.

  A loud boom inside the bank startled the mouse, who dropped the wires to the ground. Was Cali all right? Had the spiders just blown up the door to the vault? Returning to his work, his paws flew feverishly over the wires. Ignoring his discomfort, he refused to slow down. Cali was in danger, more than he’d anticipated. If he could get the security system up and running, it would help her. An alarm would definitely sound when it detected movement. There was a chance it would frighten the intruders away, but he doubted it. Morcroft would have prepared them for that scenario. But the police would definitely respond to the alarm, and they’d stop the spiders. He only hoped that Cali lasted that long.

  Again and again he reminded himself what a clever cat she was. With all of her enhancements, she was strong enough, and fast enough, to keep herself out of harm’s way. Yes, he was certain the sound he’d heard was a sign that she was winning. He refused to believe any different.

  Finally all the wires were connected and there was only one thing left to do. Hopping on top of the generator, he flipped the switch. A spark of electricity shot from the cord, and Emmit shielded his eyes from the light. A brief silence suggested he’d failed in his attempt to repair the damage, but when the generator began to buzz, he knew he’d succeeded.

  Turning a backflip, he celebrated this small victory. The buzzing grew louder, and the entire system began to vibrate. Emmit hopped down and stood clear. Steam bellowed from the exhaust port on the generator’s back end as it whirred itself to full power.

  Dashing to the window, Emmit realized that the security bars had been cut. This was where the spiders had entered while he’d been occupied elsewhere. The manager’s door stood open, and the little mouse could see inside the bank. The vault door was open, but he saw no sign of Cali.

  Knowing Cali wouldn’t want him to come after her didn’t matter anymore. He had to go in. She might need his help, and there was nothing else to do outside. Diving through the window, he crept on silent paws to the doorway. A squeak of surprise sounded from his throat as he laid eyes on the scene before him.

  Out of the security camera’s sight, Cali rode on the back of a spider. Bits of mangled metal strewn around the bank suggested she’d already dispatched one. Emmit smiled to himself, proud of his friend’s accomplishment. Too small to set off the camera himself, he’d be able to let Cali know that they were armed. The rest would be up to her.

  Holding on tight, Cali managed to keep herself on top of the spider as it ran in circles, trying to shake her loose. She’d managed to bend one of its legs, forcing it to walk with a limp. It was slowed but not fully impaired. She needed a new plan and quick.

  Holding on with enhanced hind legs, she swung her paws under the spider’s belly. Raking with her metallic claws, she managed to pull open a hatch inside it. Was this where its power source was housed? It was certainly worth finding out. Righting herself, she caught a quick breath before attempting another attack. To her surprise, the spider headed straight for the vault door, careening toward it with its head low.

  It’s trying to crush me! Thinking quick, she somersaulted off the spider’s head, landing softly on her feet. The arachnid tried to stop, but slid into the door, denting its already damaged carapace. Cali wanted to laugh, but there was no time. She had to get to its belly.

  A loud squeak from Lisen’s doorway drew her attention. There stood Emmit, waving his paws and screaming at the top of his lungs. Cali swallowed her anger. He was not supposed to be here. A quick sprint across the room brought her to his side.

  “What is it?” she shouted.

  “The security system is armed,” he told her. “Use it!”

  Glancing up at the camera, Cali saw the red light blinking. “Good work,” she said to Emmit as she galloped away.

  Shaking off its injury, the clockwork spider righted itself and came after her again. Cali positioned herself in the camera’s view, and stood on her hind legs. A piercing alarm echoed through the bank, the blinking red light changing to a steady, menacing eye.

  Silently counting down in her head, Cali waited for the right moment. The spider crept closer, closer, and then it was right where she wanted it. Dropping on all fours, she swept a leg, tripping the spider and sending it skittering into the camera’s view. Cali jumped clear, a crackling hiss resonating in her ears. Just the sound she was expecting.

  Grabbing Emmit and clutching him close, she ducked inside the manager’s office. With the spider still off-balance, it had nowhere to run. A bolt of electricity flew from the camera’s red eye, surging through the metallic monster. It shuttered and quaked before collapsing to the floor in a heap of charred metal.

  “Woohoo!” cried Emmit, leaping into the air.

  Cali didn’t bother to hide her delight. She patted her mouse friend on the back. “I couldn’t have done it without you,” she said.

  Emmit beamed with pride. “I do what I can,” he said. “We’d better get out of here before the police show up.” The alarm still sounded, and soon there’d be a crowd forming. It would be best if they weren’t seen.

  “There’s one more thing I have to do,” Cali said.

  Whatever it was, Emmit hoped it wouldn’t take long.

  Returning to the scene of the crime, Cali searched the debris. “We need one or two of those gears,” she said.

  “What gears?” Emmit asked.

  “The ones with Morcroft’s mark on them,” she responded. “They’re his own make, and they’ll prove he was behind this.” Her mechanical eye examined every scrap of metal on the floor. “Like this!” she shouted, diving for a gear. Lifting it with her paw, she said, “If you find another, put it with this one.” Carefully laying it on top of the defunct automaton, she raced back into the vault.

  “Where are you going?” Emmit called after her.

  “To get the owl,” she replied. Gently lifting it from its hiding place, she caressed it with her paw. It was as beautiful as she remembered. The night’s strange events hadn’t affected it at all. Proud that the prized gift had not been damaged, she returned to the central chamber and placed it inside the blue chest. Closing the lid on top of it, she bid the item farewell.

  “I found another gear,” Emmit said, placing it next to the first. “Now can we get out of here?”

  Nodding, Cali led him back to the office and lifted him to the windowsill. A crowd had indeed gathered out front, citizens in their nightclothes whispering and pointing. A group of police shoved their way through the crowd, approaching the bank’s front entrance.

  Cali and Emmit disappeared into the night, leaving the police to their work. There was no denying who had committed the crime. Such an insult to Ticswyk would not go unanswered. Now it was up to the courts to take on the Guilds and see that Morcroft faced justice. There was nothing more the cat-and-mouse team could do.

  * * * * *

  “Lionel?” Florence called through the door. “Lionel, wake up. You have to see this!”

  Cali stretched at the foot of the bed, waiting for Lionel to don his robe and slippers. When he was ready, she hopped from the bed and followed him to the door.

  Yawning, he reached for the handle and opened it. “Morning, Flo,” he said. Shuffling toward his chair, he plopped down heavily. It was an hour earlier than his normal waking time.

  Florence hurried after him and handed him the newspaper. “Morcroft’s been arrested,” she announced.

  Lionel scratched the top of his head. “What for?”

  “He tried to steal the golden owl,” she told him. “It’s all there in the article.”

  Lionel didn’t have his glasses, so he squinted at the photo in the paper. Morcroft appeared in handcuffs, a police officer pointing to a prisoner’s carriage. Shaking his head, Lionel could hardly believe his eyes. “So that’s what he wanted my help with,” he commented. Patting his lap he invited Cali to join him in his chair. She curled up on his lap and purred. “Good thing Cali rescued me
from his grasp,” he said. “Otherwise, I could be cuffed right next to him.”

  “No,” Florence said. “You never would have given in. I know you too well.”

  The Master Tinker gave no argument. She was right, as usual. He wouldn’t have worked on any project for Morcroft, no matter the consequences. “I wonder what he wanted with that owl.”

  “Probably to melt it down,” she said. “You know how Morcroft is. He commits crimes solely to prove that he can. He thinks he’s invincible.”

  “True,” Lionel responded.

  “Well this time someone did catch him,” Florence said. “The security cameras were damaged, so there’s no photograph of whoever was there, but there were two mechanical spiders, only one of which was damaged by the security system. The other was blown to bits by some other means.”

  “Hmm,” Lionel replied, his eyebrows raised high. It was good to hear that someone was looking out for the community and wasn’t afraid to stand up to Morcroft. “It’s probably best whoever it was remains anonymous,” he said. “Morcroft and the Guilds will be looking for revenge. They won’t like it one bit that someone interfered.” He stroked Cali’s fur casually, unaware of her part in the foiled heist.

  “There was damage outside too,” Florence went on. “Apparently the thieves cut the wires to the backup generator. Someone repaired them.”

  “That’s dangerous work,” Lionel commented.

  “Indeed,” she replied. “I’m going to ask Mr. Lisen to show me everything later today.”

  Laughing, Lionel replied, “I’m sure he’ll be happy to do so.” He knew she grew fonder of the bank manager by the day. Luckily for him the owl hadn’t been stolen. It probably would have cost him his career. Though he wasn’t at fault, the citizens would be outraged. They would say he hadn’t done enough to protect the valuable item. Whoever had foiled the robbery, Lisen owed that person a debt of gratitude. “I expect your banker will offer a reward to the person responsible for saving the owl.”