Pandora stared at him incredulously. “What do you mean? The feral cats have been poisoned and we are next. After we’re gone, there will be no one to protect the humans. That seems pretty dire to me!”
Inkspot nodded. “I know all that. I’ve communicated with Elspeth. She has made sure that Hope is safely at her human’s, but I have sent Kelley to escort Hope to us so that we may protect her this night, which seems to be a critical night of all nights.”
“But Danforth needs to be stopped,” Pandora persisted.
“Striker seems to have that well in hand.”
“Well in hand? He refused to arrest Danforth. He was sitting in the alley watching him and then let him get away! Striker told Hester he was waiting until he had proof! Even Hester said she thought it was him. We don’t have time to wait for Striker to wake up to what is going on.”
Inkspot sighed. “I know that your instincts are good and I know you are trying to do the right thing, but Striker is right. We do need the proof. And besides, I think it is not as urgent as you believe it to be.”
“Not urgent? He’s been practicing on the feral cats and we’re next!”
“Don’t be so impetuous. The old scrolls indicate the extract is most powerful at the source when the moon is at its highest.” All the cats looked out the small barn window at the moon. “We have time to wait and be assured we target the right person. Can you honestly tell me that you feel deep down in the innermost part of your soul that Danforth is the one who has the vial? Can you swear that you know that without even the smallest doubt?”
Pandora paused to think about it. She tried to search deep down inside herself. She knew Danforth was up to something, but she had to admit that when she really focused she did have a niggle of doubt about him being the one. Something told her to pay attention to the wisdom of the older cats. Was it possible that she really was too headstrong and impulsive?
She could tell by the way the other cats were looking at her that no one would join her if she decided to go after Danforth. There was only one cat she could depend on now … Hope. But did she dare enlist the young cat to help and risk putting Hope in danger? Hope’s magic was very strong and she could use that going up against their enemy, but if anything happened to the two-faced cat, the results could spell disaster for Mystic Notch.
Loneliness settled over Pandora like a black cloud until Kelley’s striped face poked its way into the barn. Hope would not be far behind and then she would have an ally to help persuade the cats to take action.
Kelley pushed the door wide and trotted in alone, her head hung low. “I’m afraid I have bad news. Hope is missing.”
14
Tears stung Pandora’s eyes as she raced away from Elspeth’s barn amidst the protests of the other cats. As she’d feared, they wanted to wait until they had more information. They wanted to take their time and formulate a plan, but Pandora couldn’t wait any longer. Her friend was in trouble and she needed to take action.
She took a deep breath and raised her awareness, kicking her already powerful senses into overdrive. Having her senses tuned so highly would use her energy at a rapid rate, but she needed to do it in order to sniff out Danforth’s trail. Even though her sense of smell was many times more sensitive than a human’s, she still needed the extra boost to be able to locate him from so far away.
She honed in on his scent and followed it to an old colonial style house huddled deep in the woods. Pine trees had grown up around it, shadowing it in darkness. The house was over three hundred years old and the cedar shingles had turned almost black over time. This was Danforth’s ancestral home.
The house loomed over Pandora, gaping at her with sinister, black windows. Not a light was on. No sounds came from it. Pandora’s whiskers twitched. Something was wrong.
She circled the house cautiously, sniffing along the perimeter. She could smell Danforth and a cat, which she assumed was Ming, but there was no sign of Hope.
A niggle of doubt bubbled up from her gut. Obsidian’s words echoed in her brain,
Follow your gut.
She was following her gut. Her gut told her that Oscar Danforth was the one. She’d seen him coming from the church. She’d read the article online about his ancestor accusing Hester of witchcraft and Hester herself even thought it could be Oscar.
But all that information wasn’t coming from her gut. That information was coming from technology and observation. Those were the new ways, not the old ways of getting information from inside yourself.
For the first time, Pandora wondered if maybe she wasn’t doing the right thing. Maybe the other cats were right after all? But then worry about Hope overwhelmed her thoughts. She couldn’t just sit back while Hope was missing and in danger. She had to take action and with all the information she had, and the only action that seemed logical right now was to follow Danforth.
She picked up Danforth’s trail heading east and followed it, a feeling of dread flowing over her like a heavy, wool cloak.
The trail led to one of the biggest mansions in Mystic Notch—the mayor’s house. Pandora’s stomach swooped. Were Danforth and Rebecca in on it together? She’d seen them both at the police station and near the church.
Ming had said Danforth was good but you couldn’t trust some cats. Just look at how evil the innocent-looking cat, Fluff, was. Ming could be cleverly feeding false information to Otis.
Pandora's nose twitched as she sniffed the air, her heart skipping when she caught the faint scent of Hope mingled with fear. Hope was in there, being held captive.
She hunkered down on her belly and crept closer to the house. The citrusy smell of Danforth grew stronger the closer she got until it overwhelmed all the other scents, almost as if he was much closer than inside the house.
Pandora stopped short. He was much closer. She could feel it.
She scanned the area, focusing all her energy on her sight. And then she saw him, crouching behind a forsythia, his attention fixated on the big house.
If Hope was in the house, what was Danforth doing outside?
Her instincts kicked in and she launched herself at Danforth before she could even think to answer her own question.
Pandora landed on Danforth’s back, her razor-sharp claws digging in. Danforth wasn’t expecting her assault and the force knocked him over onto his face.
“Ow!” Danforth flailed his arms, trying to swat her off.
Pandora dug deeper with three paws, using her forth to pat at his pockets for the vial.
“Hey, what the heck?” Danforth twisted around, dislodging her, his face creased dramatically. “What are you doing?”
Pandora sat back on her haunches and hissed. She hadn’t found the vial. His pockets were empty and she wondered what she would have to do to get him to reveal where he had hidden it.
“Of course they’re empty. It’s because I’m not the one who stole the vial!” he said as if he could read her thoughts. “Of course I can read your thoughts, you foolish feline.”
Pandora pulled up short and stood, blinking at the human. Did he just read her thoughts?
“Yes, I did just read your thoughts,” Danforth said. “And you’ve got the wrong guy. I could have told you that the other night in the police station if you were receptive. I’m trying to protect the cats, not harm them.”
Pandora narrowed her eyes. “I don’t believe you, I know your ancestor burned Hester to try to get his hands on the extract and you’ve been trying to get that box from the police ever since it was found.”
Danforth’s face crumbled. “That’s true. Miles Danforth was an evil man, but you can’t suffer the crimes of the parents on the children. That’s why it was so important to me to get the vial, so I could make sure the cats were safe. To make amends.” A tear trickled down his left cheek and Pandora could feel his sorrow and remorse.
Pandora studied Danforth. He seemed sincere—in fact, she could feel it. But if what he said was true, then she’d been on the wrong track all along.
Could she have been so wrong?
A feeling of dread bubbled up in her chest. She knew Hope was inside that house and if he wasn’t telling the truth, then why would he be out here watching the house? If he was in on it with them, then he would be inside.
Too late, Pandora realized that she had made a fatal mistake.
The mechanical sound of the garage door motor caught their attention and the both turned toward it. Danforth made a run for the driveway, but he wasn’t fast enough. A black Range Rover whipped out of the garage and Danforth jumped out of the way just before it plowed into him.
Pandora recognized the driver—Rebecca Devon-Smyth. Through the back window, she caught sight of a cat carrier and Hope’s two-toned face staring out at her from inside.
Pandora’s stomach sank. Through her own stubbornness and ego, she’d let the real culprit get away with the extract … and Hope.
15
Pandora flopped down on the ground in a deep depression. She couldn’t believe she’d screwed things up so badly. She been in such a hurry to save Mystic Notch and so sure her assumptions were right that she hadn’t taken the time to figure out what Obsidian really meant when he’d said the old ways were powerful and to follow her gut. Now she knew that she should have listened to that niggle of doubt deep down inside and paid more attention to the older cats. But she had been too headstrong, too full of herself. And now Mystic Notch would be plunged into evil and it was all her fault.
“She’s got Hope!” Danforth stated the obvious.
“And she plans to do her in,” Pandora added.
Danforth’s lips pressed together. “Yes, but where is she taking her?”
Good question. Why hadn’t Rebecca already used the extract on her? She must have learned something from her experiments with the feral cats that caused her to hesitate in using it, but what?
A rustling in the bushes caught her attention and she saw Otis’ smug face appear in between two shrubberies. Great, just what she needed. It figured Otis would show up now to rub her failure in her face.
She arched her back and got ready for his verbal assault.
“What are you standing here for? Mystic Notch needs your help!” Otis said.
Pandora glared at him suspiciously. “It’s too late. I failed us. Rebecca has Hope and the vial.”
“I know that,” Otis said. “If you’d just stuck around long enough like we kept trying to tell you to, you would’ve known it, too. But that’s in the past. We need to move forward quickly. The other cats are still back in the barn formulating a plan, but I know exactly what to do and I need your help.”
Pandora didn’t know what to think. Was Otis springing some sort of trap to try to make her look even worse than she already did? “I don’t believe you. You went against the others and came here on your own?”
“No. They sent me first to scout things out. I took a detour to come here because I knew you would be here.”
This only made Pandora more suspicious. Did he really expect her to believe he would go out of his way to help her? She didn’t think so. “How did you know I would be here?”
“It was rather obvious to me. I knew your superior senses would lead you to Danforth.” Otis jerked his head at Danforth who appeared to be taking inventory of his injuries.
“But how did you know Danforth would be here?”
“As I said in the barn, Ming informed me as to Danforth’s intentions. I knew he was trying to protect the vial and that he suspected Rebecca. It was only common sense he would come here to watch her. If you’d only listened to us in the barn instead of thinking you knew everything, you would have figured it out, too.”
Pandora’s heart sank. It was true. She’d been so intent on Danforth being the one that she didn’t even look into any of the other suspects or listen to the advice of the cats. “And now I’ve ruined everything.”
“Ahhh, don’t be so dramatic. You are just young and impetuous.” Otis looked at her and she was surprised to see kindness reflected in his eyes. “Believe it or not, I was just like you once.”
“You were?”
“Yeah, but let’s not get all sentimental about that now. Mystic Notch is in trouble and you did screw up, so get off your keister and help us make it right.”
“You still want me to help after what happened?” Pandora’s voice was laced with guilt and doubt.
Otis shook his head. “As I’ve been trying to tell you, Pandora, you have a lot to learn. You do have good instincts. You will be an important member of Mystic Notch, but only if you learn to trust others. You are not a one-man show, you need to take others’ input and combine it with your own. I came to get you so that you could have another chance at saving Mystic Notch with all the cats. Surely, you don’t want to be left out of that, do you?”
“Of course not, but—”
“Listen, you two, I don’t know what is going on, but we need to get a move on if we are going to stop Rebecca.” Oscar Danforth vibrated with nervous energy. “My car is a half-mile back on the road … I think she’s taking the cat to Hester Warren’s land. That’s where the lily extract will be most powerful!”
Otis nodded. “We thought so. I have a faster route so we don’t need transportation.”
Danforth nodded and then sprinted off into the woods. Otis turned and trotted in the opposite direction. “Well, are you coming?” he shot over his shoulder.
Pandora hesitated. She’d lost her confidence and wasn’t sure how much help she could be.
“I’m not sure. I don’t think you guys need me.” A hint of self-pity crept into her voice.
Otis stopped and fixed her with a golden-eyed glare. “That’s where you are wrong, young one. This is not about you. This is about the whole of Mystic Notch. We need all the help we can get. Each one of us depends on the other and your presence could be the one thing that tips the balance. But if you prefer to sit here and wallow in self-pity, don’t let me stop you.”
And with that, Otis turned and raced off into the woods.
16
Pandora reeled as if she’d been slapped. Otis was right. She’d been a self-centered jerk, thinking her way was the only way when she should have been working together with all the cats.
She raced after him at full speed, hoping she wouldn’t be too late. Pandora's legs weakened and her energy reserves drained, but she pushed on—Mystic Notch needed her.
She caught up with Otis about a half-mile before their destination. He barely acknowledged her, he was so focused on running, but she thought she saw him crack a quick smile in her direction. Or maybe she imagined it.
She could smell Rebecca’s evil intentions well before they got to the site of Hester Warren’s house. The foul, rancid stench set her nerves on edge.
When they burst out into the clearing, the moon was almost at its highest, lighting the area with an eerie glow. A backhoe sat on the east side of the cleared area. A giant oak tree dominated the north. To the south, they’d already started work on the new historical society building—the foundation had been poured, the first floor decking put in place and the studs for the walls erected.
In the middle of the clearing was a smooth spot at the center of which sat a cat carrier.
Rebecca stood beside the cat carrier, her face twisted with evil. In her hand, she held the vial. Moonlight glinted off the silver newt that wrapped itself around the glass. The silvery liquid inside glowed as if it had come to life under the moon. No one else was there.
Otis motioned for Pandora to stop at the edge of the woods before Rebecca noticed them. Pandora fought the urge to rush in and help Hope without thinking things through, as she might have done not that long ago. Maybe she was becoming wiser and less head-strong. She knew waiting was the right thing to do. They needed to maintain the element of surprise.
“Where is everyone?” Pandora whispered to Otis.
“They should be coming soon.” Otis glanced up nervously at the moon.
Pandora shifted her weight
from left to right, then back again. She could see the side of Hope’s face through the metal bars of the cat carrier. Her orange side was in shadow, the black side facing toward Pandora, giving her the illusion of being all black.
Hope sat calmly in the carrier. As Pandora watched, Hope’s nose twitched, sniffing the air. Then her head turned toward Pandora like a radar dish homing in on a signal. Their eyes locked. Was Hope trying to communicate something? She got the impression that Hope did not want them to venture further. That she had things under control.
But Pandora couldn’t be sure. It would be just like Hope to sacrifice herself for the good of all but Pandora wasn’t about to sit back and let Hope do that.
Next to the carrier, Rebecca was extracting the silvery liquid from the vial with an eyedropper. Apparently, her experiment with the feral cats had revealed exactly how much to administer. Further scrutiny of the site told Pandora exactly how she planned to use it, too.
“She has dishes set out with catnip!” Pandora hissed in Otis’ ear.
Otis nodded. “She is using Hope as a lure to bring all the cats of Mystic Notch here.”
Pandora’s heart twisted. Otis was right. Once the cats of Mystic Notch got close enough, they wouldn’t be able to resist the lure of the catnip. They would eat it and die. There were only a few cats that could resist the herb's siren song, but they would be no match for evil once the others were gone.
Rebecca bent down, squeezing out a few drops of extract onto one of the dishes then mixing it in with the cat nip. She’d only administered the extract to a few of the dishes. There was still time.
“We need to stop her!” Pandora rocked back on her haunches ready to spring forward, but Otis stuck his paw out in front of her.
“No,” he hissed. It’s exactly what she wants. We need to be smarter about this. We cannot get too close to the catnip.
“But she hasn’t spiked it all yet. The vial is still almost full.”
Paws and Effect (Mystic Notch 4 4) Page 8
