Super Cats v Maximus Fang

by Gwyneth Rees

  ‘I … err … well, I can fit into small spaces …’ Tagg mumbled.

  He hadn’t reckoned on being so tongue-tied, or being tested on his knowledge of different murder methods in such detail. When Hamish asked him to describe a time when a killing had gone wrong and how he could have done better, Tagg started to talk about one of his less successful mouse-hunting experiences, only to be rudely interrupted.

  ‘That’s it! I’ve heard enough!’ Hamish yowled impatiently. ‘You’ve no skills to offer us! You’re just not ruthless enough for this organisation, lad! Oh … wait a minute … one last question … can you swim?’

  Tagg heaved a sigh of relief. At last there was something he could say to impress Hamish! ‘Yes,’ he mewed enthusiastically. ‘I’m a very good swimmer, as a matter of fact!’

  Hamish sighed. ‘OK, we’ll need to tie some weights to his feet before we push him in, lads.’

  ‘WAIT!’ Tagg panicked as two large muscly tomcats approached him, dragging chains attached to a lump of concrete.

  But just at that moment, Kenny rushed over to Hamish with a scroll of paper in his jaws. The paper was spattered with blood and Kenny had a couple of bird feathers stuck to the side of his mouth. ‘This just came for you by carrier pigeon, boss.’

  Tagg and Sugarfoot were instantly forgotten as all the hit cats gathered round to hear the message.

  ‘Is it from him, boss?’ Kenny asked.

  ‘Yes, it’s from my brother, Gus,’ Hamish confirmed. ‘He wants to meet me tonight. I’ve to send the bird back with confirmation.’

  ‘Oops,’ Kenny mewed apologetically, letting out a burp that smelt unmistakably of fresh pigeon. ‘Sorry, boss.’

  ‘You haggis-head!’ Hamish snapped. ‘Go and catch another one. Gus needs to know it’s safe to come out of hiding.’ And he let out an angry hiss, as if he wasn’t looking forward to the meeting at all.

  He turned suddenly back to Tagg, who was still poised nervously on the rock. Hamish narrowed his eyes in a calculating stare.

  ‘Actually,’ he said, ‘I think I’ll keep you two. You might be of use to me after all …’

  After dinner Hamish ordered everyone to go to bed early. As soon as he set off into the woods to meet Gus, Tagg followed him, slipping out of the hit-cat camp and activating his superpower as he went. Sugarfoot agreed to stay behind to cover for him in case anyone noticed his absence.

  Tagg easily tracked Hamish back through the woods until they reached the secret cat flap in the fence that led to the alley. Here Hamish stopped. Instead of going through the flap, he turned to his right and disappeared under a low bush growing against a high wall made of stones.

  Tagg went to follow. At first, he could only see the wall in front of him, then he noticed that some of the stones jutted out to make a set of steps leading up to a small hole just big enough for a cat to slip through. On the other side he saw a small overgrown garden and a house. It was completely dark, apart from a single light in one of the upstairs windows. There was no sign of Hamish or his brother. Tentatively, Tagg crept across the damp grass, straining to hear any feline voices.

  ‘SHOW YOURSELF!’ came a sudden yowl.

  Tagg almost jumped out of his skin. He threw himself to the ground, checking his fur and finding it indistinguishable from the grass he was lying in. Phew! At least his superpower hadn’t failed him.

  At that moment the moon came out from behind a cloud, revealing Hamish in the middle of the lawn, staring towards a large cherry tree.

  Tagg saw a dark shape sitting on a branch halfway up the trunk. It was another cat – similar in appearance to Hamish.

  ‘No need to get yourself in a tizz, little brother.’ The new cat spoke in a deep commanding miaow, which held just a trace of Scottish accent.

  ‘Less of the little, Gus – I was born one minute after you,’ Hamish grunted. ‘Now let’s get on with it! I’m a busy cat and I’ve a business to run.’

  ‘Straight to the point as ever, I see,’ Gus said. ‘Listen up, I want you to break into Cat’s End Prison and rescue Maximus. There’s a secret tunnel that leads from Stoke Mewington railway station down to the old underground station where the prison is. The humans blocked up the tunnel when they closed down the underground platform, but dynamite will sort that out. Do you think your gang can handle it?’

  ‘Of course we can,’ Hamish grunted, ‘but it’ll have to be for the right price!’

  Gus let out a furious growl as two beams of purple light shot from his eyes, hitting a tree directly behind Hamish. With a terrifying wrenching of earth and roots, the tree rose from the ground and was flung on top of Hamish, who screeched as he was whipped by its flailing branches.

  ‘DON’T TEST ME, HAMISH!’ Gus roared.

  ‘I was only joking,’ Hamish gasped, spluttering out a mouthful of leaves. ‘You don’t have to pay me anything. Just get this tree off me!’

  Gus swiftly lifted the tree off his brother and dumped it on the ground. Hamish hissed under his breath as he limped closer to Gus, shaking his head to dislodge a leaf that was stuck in his ear. Still camouflaged, Tagg followed behind the pair as close as he dared, listening in to their conversation.

  ‘I’ve a couple of new gang members who would be perfect for a dangerous job like this. I don’t mind risking their necks,’ Hamish said.

  ‘That’s the spirit!’ Gus answered. ‘So how soon can you be ready? I’ve checked the security rotas – the night shift has fewer guards.’

  ‘Tomorrow night then?’ Hamish suggested. ‘That should give us enough time to prepare.’

  ‘And time for Topaz to get wind of what we’re up to,’ Gus said. ‘I say we act tonight! It’s still early. We’ve plenty of time.’

  Hamish glanced up at the pitch-black sky. The moon seemed to have disappeared for good now. ‘I suppose we could do it tonight,’ he miaowed. ‘If you’re ready?’

  ‘Of course I am! I’ll leave the map and the dynamite wrapped in newspaper behind the bin to the left of the tunnel entrance. You can’t miss it. Now listen carefully. Opposite the main entrance to the station there’s a fish and chip shop with an alley round the back where they keep the bins. That’s where I want you to bring Maximus. And don’t let me down! Otherwise I might lose my temper again – and neither of us wants that!’

  CHAPTER THREE

  THE TUNNEL OF DOOM

  Just a few hours later, Hamish and his gang were skulking in the shadows inside Stoke Mewington railway station. Hamish had mobilised his team so fast there had been no time for Tagg and Sugarfoot to get a message to Rowdy.

  ‘The tunnel entrance is over there,’ Hamish told Tagg and Sugarfoot, pointing his nose towards an iron grille across a darkened opening. ‘The humans keep it locked, but Gus used his telekinesis to open the grille for us. It’s only a small gap, but as you two aren’t full-grown yet you should fit through easily.’

  As it was the early hours of the morning, the station concourse was mostly empty of humans, but the gang still had to be careful in case a stray one in a blue uniform appeared.

  The cats were busy studying the map of the underground tunnels. There was a large cross marking the point where the tunnel they had to enter connected with the old abandoned platform before it was bricked up. Tagg still found it hard to believe that the disused station platform had been turned into a high-security feline prison, and he could only imagine what the humans would say if they ever found out!

  ‘What’s that, boss?’ Kenny asked, pointing at another area of the map.

  ‘That’s the main entrance to the prison – the one the guards use. It’s an old emergency staircase that leads up to another iron grille at street level. It’s always heavily guarded by Topaz’s cats.’

  Tagg pulled Sugarfoot to one side, whispering, ‘It’s not far. One of us could sneak away now and warn them.’

  ‘It’ll have to be you. You can use your camouflage,’ Sugarfoot said. At the worried look on his face she added, ‘I have my super yowl to protec
t me. I’ll be fine. Go!’

  The coast was clear, so Tagg seized his chance. He raced across the platform, heading for the cover of a large metal bin. A loud scratching sound from behind the bin made him stop in his tracks. It was Hamish, tidying up after weeing on a pile of empty crisp packets.

  ‘What do you think you’re doing?’ Hamish hissed in his most threatening miaow.

  Tagg just gaped at him. He’d done it again! He’d forgotten to activate his superpower before he made his move.

  ‘Err … same as you …’ he offered meekly.

  ‘Get on with it then.’

  ‘I can’t with you watching,’ Tagg said, hoping Hamish would agree to leave him alone for a minute or two.

  ‘Need our privacy, do we?’ Hamish teased. ‘Well, you can wait until you’re inside the tunnel in that case. Come on.’

  Tagg and Sugarfoot easily squeezed through the gap where the metal grille had been slightly opened. According to Gus, Maximus’s prison cell was directly behind the bricked-up wall. Their orders were to blast a hole in it and bring Maximus out through the tunnel.

  Their hearts thumped as they headed along the passageway until they turned a corner and were out of sight of the entrance. Then they both stopped abruptly. They had each been forced to wear a horribly uncomfortable collar. A stick of dynamite was attached to Tagg’s, while a box of matches dangled from Sugarfoot’s.

  Tagg was struggling to keep his tail from bushing up. He had to stay calm. He couldn’t let his fear take over. Sugarfoot’s throat was starting to tingle and she had to take deep breaths to control it. It wasn’t the right time for a super yowl, even if she was feeling super scared.

  ‘What are we going to do?’ Sugarfoot whispered. ‘We can’t go back. Hamish and his gang will be waiting there. But we can’t help Maximus escape either.’

  ‘I know. If only we’d managed to update Rowdy and get a message to Topaz!’

  Tagg frantically tried to think of a way to change the plan. ‘What if we break into Maximus’s cell, but I stay camouflaged?’ he suggested. ‘You can pretend you’re on your own and, while you distract him, I’ll find the prison guards. I can tell them about the breakout and get them to alert Topaz.’

  ‘That’s a great idea,’ Sugarfoot said enthusiastically. ‘But I’m worried about using this dynamite. What if the whole tunnel caves in? I think it’ll be safer if I use my super yowl.’

  Tagg snorted. ‘I think I’ll take my chances with the dynamite!’

  ‘I can control my super yowl much better now. Topaz taught me. I’ll do a very focused, very directed sort of yowl … Come on! Let’s take off these collars and dump them.’

  ‘Well, if you’re sure …’ Tagg replied, quickly undoing his own, then Sugarfoot’s.

  The tunnels were dark and damp and seemed endless, but finally the two cats arrived at a fork, with one passage continuing around a bend and the other stopping abruptly at a grey wall made of different bricks to the rest of the tunnels. This was the wall they’d been searching for – the one they were meant to break through. According to Gus, Maximus’s cell was located directly behind it. Tagg couldn’t quite believe they were about to come face to face with one of the most dangerous criminals known to catkind. Or that he and Sugarfoot were completely on their own, with no backup whatsoever.

  He stood well back, watching Sugarfoot cup her paws around her mouth as she focused directly on a specific section of the wall before releasing her yowl.

  The sound grew steadily stronger, cracking bricks and sending old newspapers and other bits of rubbish billowing about. Soon Sugarfoot’s yowl grew so loud and powerful that Tagg lost his footing and was blown back down the tunnel, just as he heard the sound of bricks smashing to the ground.

  Sugarfoot had made a hole in the wall big enough for even the fattest of cats to squeeze through. She looked exhausted and it was clear that focusing her superpower in such a controlled way had used up most of her energy. But before Tagg had time to congratulate her, two huge leopard-spotted paws shot out of the hole and grabbed Sugarfoot by the throat. Tagg could only gasp in horror as his friend was pulled through the gap, head first.

  Tagg only just remembered to activate his camouflage before scrambling through the hole after her. Inside, he found himself in a damp, dark prison cell that smelt strongly of cat wee. He stood completely still, staring at the cat who had grabbed Sugarfoot. He was easily the largest feline Tagg had ever seen – a spotted Bengal who resembled a leopard. Its massive paws were clamped over Sugarfoot’s throat so that her super yowl was useless.

  This was Maximus Fang – it had to be!

  The ferocious cat flung Sugarfoot to the ground and stood over her as she croaked out. ‘G-G-Gory Gus s-sent me.’

  The big cat grunted. ‘Why didn’t you warn me before you knocked the wall down, you stupid fool?! I could’ve been hurt.’

  ‘S-sorry,’ Sugarfoot croaked. ‘D-didn’t think.’

  As she spoke a disgusting smell wafted their way and Maximus pulled a face. ‘Breakfast. They’ll open the door in a second and chuck it in. You’d better keep out of sight.’

  Tagg knew this was his chance. As soon as the cell door opened, he could slip through it, inform the guards and save the day! With a bit of luck, Topaz would have a team waiting for Maximus in the alley behind the fish and chip shop. They could capture not just him, but Gory Gus and Hamish and the hit cats at the same time!

  Suddenly, the cell door was unlocked and a fat furry arm appeared, bearing a tray of congealed, foul-smelling food.

  Maximus stepped backwards to hide the ruined wall of his cell from view. ‘Tripe and rotten vegetables. Yum – thanks,’ he growled sarcastically.

  As the guard grunted in response, Tagg seized his chance, slipping past Maximus to reach the doorway. But at the same moment, Maximus let out an angry snort and hurled the tray of food back at the guard.

  Tagg yelped as the tray clipped his tail.

  ‘What was that?’ Maximus and the guard miaowed in unison. Instantly, the guard reached for something dangling from his belt and pointed it inside the cell. It was a can of dog-wee spray. Concentrated dog wee was the vilest, foulest irritant known to catkind.

  Without thinking, Tagg acted on impulse, diving at the guard and sinking his teeth into the arm that held the spray. The guard howled in pain, dropped the can and quickly slammed the cell door shut and locked it.

  ‘I know you’re in here, whoever you are!’ Maximus hissed in Tagg’s direction. ‘I know you’re a super cat too! Show yourself!’

  Tagg didn’t deactivate his superpower at that point, but then Maximus grabbed Sugarfoot by the throat again, and Tagg couldn’t bear to watch her gasping for breath. Disabling his camouflage, he begged, ‘Please don’t hurt her.’

  Maximus glared at Tagg, lifting a huge paw and striking him on the nose. ‘Who are you and what do you think you’re doing?’

  ‘Gus sent us to help rescue you. I just wanted to practise using my superpower, that’s all. I didn’t mean any harm!’

  ‘How dare you mess with me, you little squirt! When I get above ground I could spin you in a tornado or trap you in ice so you never move again! Would you like that?’

  ‘N-n-no! Please! We’ll help you escape.’

  ‘Yes, you will. And if you try and trick me again, I’ll kill you both! Got it?’

  ‘Please let my friend go!’ Tagg pleaded as Sugarfoot gave a strangled whimper. ‘You’re choking her.’

  Maximus gave out a savage growl as he dropped Sugarfoot and kicked her towards the hole in the wall. ‘Now lead the way, you little brats, or I’ll fish-slice you both right now and find my own way above ground!’

  And, judging by the evil glint in his steely eyes, Tagg had no reason to doubt him.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  MAXIMUS FANG’S REVENGE

  Tagg went first back through the underground tunnels, with Sugarfoot in the middle and Maximus at the rear to keep an eye on them both.

  Tagg coul
dn’t believe he was leading Maximus to safety – but he was sure Maximus would have killed Sugarfoot if he hadn’t agreed. Anyway, it was too late, as the big Bengal was now close enough to the exit to sniff his way out without their help. As they neared the opening to the station, Maximus seemed to become more invigorated by the second.

  ‘Yes! We’re nearly there!’ he announced triumphantly as they reached the last flight of steps. ‘I can feel the sky! I can feel its pull on me! I can feel my powers returning!’

  Loud miaows greeted them as they headed along the final tunnel to the metal grille across the entrance: ‘It’s them! They made it!’ Hamish and the other hit cats were waiting for them on the other side.

  ‘Change of plan,’ Hamish grunted. ‘The alley behind the fish and chip shop was blocked by a lorry. Gus used his superpower to dump it out on to the main road and now the place is swarming with screaming humans. We can’t go that way!’ As he spoke they heard the blare of human emergency sirens. ‘Come on. There’s another exit at the back of the station. Gus is waiting for us there.’

  ‘This is our chance to escape,’ Tagg whispered to Sugarfoot. ‘Head for the exit with the sceaming humans and get ready to dodge them!’

  As Tagg and Sugarfoot hurriedly slunk past all the police cars and fire engines they heard a clap of thunder and looked up to see a streak of lightning shoot across the sky.

  ‘Do you think that’s Maximus?’ Tagg hissed.

  Sugarfoot looked grim but didn’t reply. She refused to look at Tagg as they headed back to Topaz’s headquarters.

  ‘Sugarfoot—’ Tagg began nervously when they were almost there.