Claws

by Ricky Sides

  “Yes, Lieutenant,” the sergeant said. He moved out with the corporal in tow.

  “Are you hurt?” Jerry asked Patricia.

  “Nothing but a couple of small scratches, but it scared me. I tried to use a wadded up towel crammed in the hole to keep the cats out. I’m afraid I didn’t do a very good job of it. The cat got one of his paws past the towel and nicked one of my fingers,” Patricia explained.

  “Under the circumstances, I’d say you did really well,” Jerry said with a smile.

  While the men were checking the house, Jerry made a quick trip to Lowe’s, where he purchased supplies to repair Patricia’s doors. The men pitched in on those repairs and soon both doors were secured. “Well, it’s not pretty, but the patches will keep out the animals,” Jerry stated.

  Next, he ordered his men to do a thorough sweep of the property with the instructions to look for anything that may have been used to attract the felines. Jerry was convinced that the men he’d encountered earlier in the night had been connected to the sudden appearance of the cats.

  When they reported to the lieutenant who had stayed inside and helped Patricia clean up the mess caused by the invasion of her home, it was nearly 10:00 P.M.

  “Lieutenant, you’re not going to believe this, but someone used bait to lure in the cats,” the sergeant reported.

  Jerry examined the evidence. The men had scattered the cat food all around the house. They had even tied two stockings that contained a few ounces of the food to a clothesline so that the wind would carry the scent a great distance.

  “Did you find it all?” he asked.

  “There’s no way to know for sure, Lieutenant, but I think so. The animals ate most, but we found traces all over the yard.”

  “In your opinion, is it safe for Patricia to stay here tonight?” asked the Lieutenant.

  “No sir. We can’t be certain we found all of the bait that was left in the area, and even if we did, we have no idea if this is the only area that has been baited. It’s possible that there was a lengthy trail laid out that ended here. If that were the case, any animals that followed the trail would still end up in this area.” The sergeant paused for a moment, and then he added, “There’s one other thing that has me puzzled. Why did the cats go to such lengths to get inside the house?”

  That very question had also troubled Jerry. It was one thing for the animals to attack someone out in the yard, but it was entirely another for them to execute a home invasion. Turning to Patricia, he asked, “You didn’t by any chance bring home samples of the food did you?”

  “No. That food was kept under lock and key. Every ounce of it had to be accounted for when it was used. Talbot insisted on tighter than customary security on this food. At the time, he said it was because the food was a revolutionary product, and he didn’t want the competition acquiring a sample. Of course, now I know it was probably because of the government involvement,” Patricia explained.

  “Check the known areas of interest again,” the lieutenant ordered.

  A few minutes later, the men returned. “We found something, but we’re not sure what to make of it,” the sergeant reported. Shrugging, he added, “I thought it might mean something, because we found it in all three exterior places of interest.”

  The sergeant held out a small plastic bag containing a few brownish pellets. “I think that’s catnip,” stated Patricia. Then she said, “Let me see the bag please.”

  The sergeant looked to the lieutenant who nodded his permission and then he handed over the small bag.

  Patricia opened the seal and held the bag up to her nose. She inhaled slightly and then pushed the bag away from her face. “Yeah, that’s catnip,” she affirmed.

  “Would that account for the unusual behavior of the animals?” asked Jerry.

  “Possibly, yes, especially if they ate too much,” she explained. “An overdose of catnip can have some dramatic results including enhanced aggression.”

  “As if these animals aren’t already mean enough,” the corporal stated.

  “Alright, Patricia, let’s get you a bag packed. I think it best if you stay in a hotel tonight. Don’t worry. I’m sure this will all be settled in another day or two.”

  Nodding her head in agreement, Patricia took a step toward her bedroom, but then she stopped and turned to face the special ops team. “I want to thank you all for coming to my rescue. I was in a bad spot, and I appreciate the fact that you exposed yourselves to danger on my behalf.”

  “No thanks are necessary, Ma’am, but I appreciate the sentiment,” the sergeant said.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t even know your names,” she stated.

  The sergeant looked to Jerry who nodded and said, “She’s been briefed on our mission with the blessing of the brass.”

  “In that case, my name is Robert Haskell. Pleased to meet you,” the sergeant stated.

  “And my name is Henry Evans. It’s a pleasure to assist you,” the corporal said with a smile. He was more than a little smitten by the beautiful brunette.

  “Robert, Henry, thank you both for rescuing me,” she stated with a nod and a warm smile to each man in turn, and then she walked into the bedroom to pack her bag.

  When he was certain that Patricia was out of earshot, the sergeant spoke in a low tone of voice when he said, “Lieutenant, I didn’t want to alarm the lady, but I believe someone was trying to use the cats to murder her.”

  “I agree. Thanks for being discrete, but she’s a brilliant woman. She has no doubt reached the same conclusion. You two go get my car and park it out front with the engine and heater running. Then you can head to Huntsville. I placed a call to the base, and they’re expecting you. They’ll take the cats off our hands. Then I want you to get back to Athens. We’ve still got to get out to those woods I mentioned earlier.”

  “We still leaving for the woods at first light?” asked the sergeant.

  “I wanted to do so, but you men will be late getting back and I want you well rested so that you’ll be sharp in the field. We’ll shift it to a later time. Call me when you get up and we’ll take it from there.”

  Chapter 10

  After the men left in the van, Jerry asked, “Would you like me to give you a lift to the hotel, or do you want to take your car?”

  “I’d better take my car. You may be gone all day tomorrow, and I don’t want to be stranded,” she replied.

  “Are you sure? The boys left my car out front, so it’ll be warm. I can always drop you off here tomorrow when we head out to the site you suggested.”

  “That sounds fine to me. I wasn’t looking forward to a cold ride to the hotel,” she said.

  She stepped closer to Jerry and slid her arms around his waist. Leaning against him, she tilted her head back and gazed into his eyes. “Thank you for coming to help me tonight.”

  Jerry felt a shiver run through her body as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. “You’re safe now. I won’t let anything happen to you, and that’s a promise,” he said, and then bent his head down to kiss her.

  After the kiss, he smiled and added, “But from what I saw when I was helping you clean up the mess, you did a pretty damned good job of defending yourself.”

  “Thank you, but I was running out of things to try to keep them at bay.”

  “Let’s hope there’s never a next time, but if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, try a blow drier and or a curling iron, if you have time for that to heat up.”

  “Damn! I didn’t think of that. The blow drier would’ve worked well with the powder, but I’m not sure the curling iron would’ve had enough time to heat up. That blow drier idea is great. It would have scared the cats, even without the powder. They wouldn’t like that blast of air in the face,” she reasoned.

  Patricia’s face looked troubled as she asked, “Why is someone trying to kill me?”

  Her question caught the man off guard, but he responded, “Talbot knew about your trip to the sheriff’s departm
ent. I wouldn’t put it past him to send some men, but when I confronted him about it, he denied any involvement. Don’t worry, I plan to have another discussion with him. By the time that discussion is over, he’ll know that if anything happens to you he’ll have to deal with my superiors who don’t take kindly to these sorts of complications. They are a threat to the secrecy of the project.”

  “Not to mention my health,” she replied.

  “You’ll be safe tonight, and tomorrow I’ll initiate steps to get him to back off you permanently. If you’d feel safer, you’re welcome to stay at my house until this blows over,” Jerry offered. He saw the hesitant expression on her face and quickly added, “I have a spare bedroom. I promise I’ll be a perfect gentleman.”

  “Well, if you’re sure it’s no imposition, I think I’ll take you up on the offer,” she stated.

  “Great. Oh! If you don’t mind, you could change the bandage on my wrist. I think the wound must have opened up a bit during the fight earlier tonight because it bled a bit.”

  “Sure, I can do that. I’ll just get my first aid kit,” she responded.

  “Alright, but we’ll take it with us.”

  “Are you afraid those men will come back tonight?” she asked.

  “No, but I’m afraid someone might steal my car,” he replied with a grin, which caused her to smile. “It’s running out front.”

  “I’ll only be a moment,” she replied.

  A few minutes later, they were on the road to Jerry’s house. Jerry lived in a small two bedroom wooden frame house on Easter Ferry Road, approximately twelve miles north of Athens. He lived in a rural area, surrounded by farms and woodlands.

  As he drove, he talked to her about the area near his home. “It’s pretty wild country. It’s common to see deer in the fields near my place. I’ve often sat on my front porch and watched them move across the fields in front of the house. I’ve also spotted them out in the fields as I drove up the dirt road leading to the house.”

  “You live on a dirt road?” she asked, somewhat surprised.

  “Actually, it’s my driveway, but it’s so long that I call it a road. You see, the house is a half-mile off the highway. Farmland borders both sides of the dirt road leading to it. The old place isn’t much to look at, but it’s warm and dry. I like it because it’s so peaceful. I also enjoy sitting out in the yard late at night. It’s far enough from the city that the lights don’t wash out the stars. The view is spectacular. Of course, it’s too cold to enjoy that tonight,” explained Jerry. He was attempting to familiarize Patricia with his home before they arrived.

  “I haven’t done that in years,” Patricia said.

  “What’s that?” asked Jerry.

  “Star gazing,” she explained. “I used to do it often. It always made my problems seem small and inconsequential.”

  “I know what you mean. Living out here the past few months has caused me to think a lot about my life. I’ve been happy in the military, but lately, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to leaving it when my reenlistment time comes around next month.”

  “How long have you been in the military?” Patricia asked.

  “Twelve years,” he responded.

  “And you’re thinking of leaving now?” she asked, surprised that a man who’d been career military so long was thinking of leaving.

  “Yea,” he responded. “I think I’d like to buy the place where I’m living and put down roots. I’m sure I could get a job in the private sector easily enough. There’s always a high demand for a highly skilled security man.”

  “Then, if you’re interested, maybe we could establish a lasting relationship.”

  “Oh, I’m definitely interested,” he responded. “In fact, that’s one of the reasons I’m thinking it’s time to leave the army.”

  “I hope that’s not the only reason. If you get tired of me, you might regret leaving,” Patricia stated.

  “I don’t think I’d get tired of you, but you’re not the only reason,” he said. He remained silent for a moment, while he contemplated whether he should tell her the truth.

  “Would you like to talk about it?” she asked.

  “I guess we should probably talk about it. You need to know some of what I’m about to tell you. It’s important for you understand just what we’re up against,” he stated decisively.

  “Once I told you that we don’t get to pick our missions, but what I didn’t tell you was that I tried to turn this one down.”

  “You did? Why?” asked Patricia.

  “I told my superiors that I found this project to be morally repugnant. Turning animals against innocent civilians is just wrong on so many levels, not the least of which, it’s abusing the animals, and I don’t like that.”

  Patricia nodded in agreement, but realized that he wouldn’t see her nod, so she said, “I can agree with that sentiment, but I don’t imagine it went over too well with your commander.”

  “You’re right. It didn’t. He reminded me that attack dogs are put into use on a daily basis. He also reminded me that in times of war, there aren’t any innocent civilians. He spoke of London, Dresden, Berlin, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki, all of which were bombed during World War II. He went on to point out that at its worst, this program would lead to a fraction of the deaths, as opposed to bombing a city, and that it would be a viable alternative.”

  “Intellectually, I understand what your commander was saying, and even agree that mathematically, his reasoning is sound. But, that doesn’t set aside the moral issues involved. You’re talking about taking people’s trusted pets, which they are emotionally attached to, and turning them on the people. When you tamper with the behavior and spirit of pets, there will also be a devastating impact on the spirit of the victims. It’s one thing to crush the ability of a people to make war. It’s another to crush their spirit. If we descend to those depths, it seems to me that we also taint our own spirituality,” Patricia stated.

  “You just stated, quite eloquently, what I’ve been thinking about since Vinnie was killed,” said Jerry in a soft voice.

  “Vinnie?”

  “He was the fourth man of our team. He was killed last night by three of the cats,” Jerry stated.

  “Oh my god, Jerry. I didn’t know. I’m so sorry,” she said in a soft voice that was choked with emotion.

  “It wasn’t your fault, but it was mine. If I’d refused the mission, he’d still be alive.”

  “I thought you said you don’t get to pick your missions.”

  “We don’t, but we can turn down a mission and face the consequences of that refusal.”

  “What consequences?” Patricia asked.

  “A discharge is the least punishment, but a dishonorable discharge is also a possibility. In extreme cases where the brass decides to make an example of someone, they can court martial you, and you can end up serving a sentence in a military stockade,” Jerry explained.

  “That’s pretty much what I thought,” Patricia stated. “That doesn’t seem to leave you much leeway to turn down a mission. Not if you want to remain in the military.”

  “That’s pretty much the idea. You can’t have a chain of command where officers decide they don’t like the orders so they won’t carry out the missions. Nothing would ever be achieved militarily.”

  “Then, I can’t see where you had much of an option. Hindsight’s twenty-twenty, honey. When you took on the mission, there was no way for you to know what would happen to Vinnie.”

  “Was he the first man you’ve lost under your command?” asked Patricia.

  “No. A few years ago there was another man, but Vinnie’s death is different,” Jerry explained. The lights of an oncoming car illuminated Jerry’s face and Patricia could see that his expression was grim.

  “Why, what was different about it?” she asked.

  A long silence followed her question, causing Patricia to think she’d asked one too many questions. She decided to drop the matter and not press Jerry for an answer. Howe
ver, a moment later he began to speak.

  “A soldier knows he can be shot and killed in the line of duty. He comes to terms with the possibility that he can be stabbed or blown up. During some of our undercover missions, if our identity is discovered, we could be tortured and then murdered. In others, we could face life in a third world prison, while the host government negotiates with our government for our release. We come to terms with those risks, but what happened to Vinnie was something none of us expected.”

  Jerry slowed the car and turned on his left turn signal. A moment later, they were progressing slowly up the dirt road that led to his house. He was about to resume his narrative, when several deer darted across the narrow dirt road about twenty yards in front of him, causing him to slam on his brakes. His right arm reflexively reached out to prevent Patricia from being thrown against the dash of the car.

  “Thanks,” Patricia said when the car slid to a stop on the dirt road. “You weren’t kidding about the deer around here. I wish I’d gotten a better look at them. I barely had time to catch a glimpse before they were gone.”

  “Whew, that was a bit too close for comfort. I’m sorry about the emergency stop. They usually avoid the road when a car is approaching,” stated Jerry apologetically as he put the vehicle back into motion.

  “There’s a weather front moving into the area later tonight. Robert says that sometimes causes deer to move around after dark,” Jerry explained.

  “The Sergeant?” asked Patricia.

  “Yea. Sergeant Haskell loves deer hunting. He asked me to let him hunt some of the deer here, but I’ve spent so much time watching the animals that I’ve grown attached to them, so I said no.”

  Jerry pulled his car around the last curve in the dirt road and up to the back door of the house. Soon, they were sitting in his living room having a beer before retiring for the night.

  “Are you going to finish telling me about Vinnie?” Patricia asked.

  Frowning, Jerry said, “I was hoping you’d forgotten about that.”