A Very Meowy Christmas

by Patricia Fry

  “He fell down a well?” Al asked having overheard only the last part of the conversation. “Someone shot at him? The cat?”

  “Yeah,” Michael said, “and we found what the police were looking for that night in the well.”

  “Crazy,” Al said. “I’ve worked with a lot of dogs in the field—in fact they took dogs out last night, but a cat…”

  “Yeah,” Savannah said, “he’s a good tracker and sort of intuitive. The local sheriff’s department even uses him in line-ups sometimes.”

  Al laughed. “Now you’re joshing us, right?”

  “No,” she insisted.

  “There’s a documentary about Rags,” Rochelle said from behind them. “Savannah, is it still airing?”

  She nodded. “As far as I know. Yes, I’m still getting royalties.”

  “A documentary?” Al questioned.

  Before she could respond, a woman who was walking ahead of them stopped. “Wait,” she said. “Did you say his name’s Rags?” She pointed at the cat. “I think I saw that documentary.” She grinned. “I love cats and a friend told me about it. I watched it a year or so ago. He is one cool cat.” She held out her hand to Savannah, then Michael, “By the way, I’m Eleanor.”

  “The paramedic?” Michael asked.

  “Yes. I…”

  Bill interrupted. “Okay, I want everyone to be careful now. It appears from the map that guy’s dropping traps wherever it suits him. I want you to watch very carefully where you step. There should be one in this area, if the fellow who marked this map is correct.”

  “Adam!” Michael bellowed. “Simon!”

  “Simon!” Peter called. “Adam!”

  “What do you think would happen if you let the cat loose?” Bill asked. “I mean put him on the ground keeping him on a tight leash, of course.”

  Michael looked at Savannah, and she asked, “Want me to lift him down?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. Go ahead, but keep a really close eye on what’s in front of him. Don’t let him get too far ahead of you.”

  The search and rescue team had been scouring the area for several minutes, calling out to the boys at regular intervals, and watching for traps, when Savannah shouted, “Over here!”

  “What,” Peter and Michael asked, both rushing to where she stood with Rags.

  “Looks like there’s been some activity right here,” she said. “Rags led me to it.”

  “Of course, he did,” Michael muttered, petting the cat affectionately.

  When some of the others joined them, Bill said, “Yup. Sure looks like there was a trap set here and fairly recently. I don’t imagine he leaves traps in the same spot for very long.” He pulled out the map and tapped it with his finger. “Yup, it indicates a trap right here.”

  Michael slumped. “So what does this tell us besides there was a trap here?” He groaned. “And it sure looks like he caught something in it. Damnit!”

  Peter gazed around the area and said quietly, “I’d be interested in knowing what—you know, what he caught.”

  “You aren’t insinuating…” Savannah started.

  No one responded.

  “Where’s the next one?” Al asked. “What does that map show? We need to keep moving. Those boys have been gone for too long without provisions.”

  “Okay, that direction,” Bill pointed.

  Again, they found a site with recent activity, but no trap.

  They found the same thing at the third site.

  “Rags doesn’t seem very interested in these spots,” Michael noticed. “Do you think the boys were even in this area?”

  “He’s mildly interested,” Savannah said, “but I think that’s because of the wildlife scent.”

  Michael looked down at the cat. “Rags, find the boys. We’re looking for Adam. Please, Rags, find Adam and Simon.”

  “When they reached the fifth trap location on the map, they were surprised to find the trap still there.

  “That guy knows this area, doesn’t he?” Al said. “He didn’t miss a beat with his directions.”

  “But where are the boys?” Rochelle asked, exasperated. She shouted out into the distance, “Simon! Adam!”

  “Wait,” Savannah hissed. “Look at Rags.”

  Peter gasped. “What does he see or sense?”

  “He probably smells a rabbit or a mole,” Bill said.

  Suddenly Rochelle perked up. She squinted and gazed around the area as if in deep thought. Finally, she spoke in a near whisper. “I don’t think so. Something or someone is here. I know it and apparently Rags knows it. Call them!” she insisted.

  “Adam! Simon!” Michael shouted.

  “Simon!” Peter called even louder.

  They listened, but heard nothing.

  “Darn. On to the next trap, I guess,” Peter said. “How many more do we have in this area?”

  “Three,” Michael said. “Let’s move on.” He looked at the women. “Are you two doing okay?”

  Both of them nodded.

  “Wait,” Eleanor said. “What’s the cat got?”

  “Probably a lizard,” Michael complained, walking on ahead.

  The paramedic slowed her pace, then asked, “Hey, what were the boys wearing?”

  Savannah started to respond, then glanced down at Rags and gasped. “Michael!” she shouted. “That’s a piece of Adam’s shirt. He was wearing that orange t-shirt with the bear on the front. Oh, my gosh. Look! See what Rags has? It’s a piece of Adam’s shirt.” She slapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide.

  Unable to speak, Michael took the swatch from Rags and examined it, then called again as loudly as he could, “Adam! Simon!”

  “It looks like they’ve been here all right,” Al said, studying the ground around where Rags had discovered the fabric. He pointed. “They walked in that direction.”

  “We’re close,” Rochelle said. When Savannah looked at her, she explained, “That vision came in really clear. They’re in this area someplace. I know it.” She took a sharp breath. “And Rags seems to know it. Simon!” she screamed. “Adam!”

  At the same time Savannah shrieked, “Rags, wait for me. Come on, I can’t run through the brush like you can.”

  “Let me have him,” Michael said. Once he took the leash, he commanded, “Go Rags. Where are they, buddy?”

  But Rags didn’t lead the eager group to the boys. He stopped next to a boulder and began frantically turning in circles. He attempted to climb the boulder, then tried to dig under it. He ran to one side of it, then the other.

  “Adam!” Michael shouted.

  “Simon!” Rochelle screamed.

  “Nothing,” Peter said, fear in his eyes.

  “They’re here,” Michael said. “Rags says so.”

  “Or maybe they were here,” Bill suggested.

  Ignoring him, Michael said, “Find the boys, Rags. Quickly now. Find the boys.” He watched as the cat darted back and forth around the boulder, then he had an idea. “Could the boulder have rolled over the entrance to a cave in the night?”

  Peter looked the area over as did Bill and a couple of other men. “I doubt it,” Al said. “From the looks of it, this rock has been here for eons. No, I think what the cat’s telling us is that the boys are in the vicinity or they’ve been here. Let’s move away from this spot and look around. I think the cat’s confused. It is a cat, after all.”

  “Yes,” Rochelle said. “I believe we need to expand our horizons. I agree that the boys are here—we just aren’t looking in the right place.”

  “But why don’t they respond?” Savannah asked, anxiously.

  No one spoke. No one wanted to admit to their deepest fears. However, as they moved away from the boulder, Rags pulled in a different direction.

  “He’s on a new trail,” Michael said. “Let’s follow him.”

  Al hesitated, saying, “If I remember correctly, that leads to a dense brush area. It hasn’t burned up here in decades. Some hunters have wanted this burned so new grass can grow
and feed the deer. All that can live here is…wait…” He spoke more slowly, “…fur-bearing wildlife, which is what that alleged trapper’s after. Let’s go. Watch where you step; he could have set more traps out here.”

  Bill looked at Michael. “I’d carry that cat if I were you. He’s probably big enough to set off one of those traps.”

  After several minutes, Michael said, “I can’t hold him at this pace. We’re coming to a clearing; I’m going to put him down.”

  “Well, watch him,” Bill said, “I’d watch him if I were you. In fact…”

  “In fact, what?” Peter asked.

  “If those boys are up here, at least one of them could be in serious distress. If he was caught in one of those damn traps, heaven help him,” Bill lamented.

  The two couples looked at one another; no one able to speak.

  “What was that?” Savannah asked moments later. She stopped. “I heard something. Was that someone shouting?”

  “Where? I didn’t hear anything,” Eleanor said.

  “She has super hearing,” Michael explained with renewed energy. “What do you think you heard, hon?”

  “Listen,” she said.

  “I heard it!” Peter said excitedly. “Could that the boys?”

  “Simon! Adam!” Michael and Rochelle screeched.

  “Dad!” came a scream from the distance.

  “There,” Peter said, pointing in the direction of the voice. “I see somebody waving something.” When Rags continued to pull in the same direction, he said nervously, “Looks like Rags is taking us right to them.”

  “Remember to go easy, guys,” Bill warned. “From the blood we saw on the ground before, it looks like we could have an injury. We don’t need any more of them.”

  “You try to go easy when your son might be in danger,” Michael growled.

  “Yeah,” Peter said, rushing to keep up with Michael and Rags.

  “I see only Adam,” Peter said. “Where’s Simon? Dear God, where’s Simon?”

  “Hold on, man, we’re almost there,” Michael soothed. Sounding out of breath, he said, “Let’s pray they’re both okay.”

  “There he is!” Rochelle shouted. “Peter, it’s Simon.”

  “Thank God,” he whispered, when he caught sight of the boy standing at the opening of a cave.

  Moments later, Peter and Rochelle held Simon in their arms while Michael embraced Adam. Michael pulled back and looked his son over. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I think so,” the boy said. He wrapped his arms around his dad again. “I sure was scared sometimes, though.” He looked at Simon. “Both of us were.”

  When Savannah approached, Adam ran to her and hugged her tightly. “I’m so glad to see you,” she said, her voice thick with emotion.

  “I never thought I’d see you guys again,” Adam said, tears streaming down his face.

  Peter and Rochelle both held Simon as he buried his face in Peter’s chest. He looked up at the two of them. “It’s kinda scary out here at night.”

  “What happened?” Bill asked gently. “How’d you get out here like this?”

  “Yeah,” Al said, “so far away from where your family was fishing.”

  The boys looked at each other and Simon said, “We followed a little fox because she was hurt really bad.”

  “Yeah,” Adam said, “she was bleeding. We think she got caught in one of that fur-man’s traps and somehow got out.” Adam looked up at Michael. “Dad, could you fix her leg? We wrapped it with my shirt to keep it clean and…”

  “She let you do that?” Eleanor asked.

  “Well, she wasn’t feeling very good by the time we got here,” Adam explained. “She even let us give her water.”

  Michael ran his hand through his hair. “You mean you’ve been out here all night alone taking care of an injured fox?”

  The boys nodded.

  “Here,” Eleanor said, handing the boys each a large water bottle she had retrieved from her pack. “Drink up, but drink slowly, okay? I want to check you over. Now who’s who?” She looked at Adam. “You’re Adam, right? And you must be Simon.”

  The boys nodded.

  Michael looked around. “Adam, where’d you get water to give her? From the looks of it, you walked away from the river.”

  Peter asked, “And how did you know to do that?”

  Simon smiled weakly. “Savannah showed us that sometimes you have to try different things when you don’t have what you need—you know, like when we found the baby kittens. I had a plastic bag ’cause I took the last cookie at lunch. Adam had a little water left in his canteen, so we used the bag as a sort of bowl to give the fox some water.”

  Adam grabbed Michael’s arm. “Dad, would you look at the fox. I think she needs treatment.”

  Rochelle shook her head and hugged Simon to her. “I can’t believe you boys are so calm and relaxed after what you went through—being alone out here overnight and all.”

  Simon looked up at her. “Yeah, but we weren’t really alone. We stayed together. Adam told me about the buddy system in the Boy Scouts. Plus the fox was with us and we also saw deer and raccoons and chipmunks. I’m pretty sure a bear was outside the den last night. That was sorta scary.”

  “Here,” Savannah said, handing each of the boys something. “I’ll bet you’re hungry.”

  “Starving,” Simon said. “Wow, a protein bar and a banana. Thanks.”

  Before taking a bite, however, both boys looked back at the fox den, and Adam asked, “Do you think it would be okay to give some of this to the fox? She hasn’t eaten either.”

  “Yeah,” Simon said, “animals first, right?”

  “Dad,” Adam said, “we couldn’t figure out what to feed her. Do you know what foxes eat?”

  “Rodents, lizards, fruit.” Michael faced Savannah. “Hon, you brought a couple of apples, didn’t you?” She handed him an apple and he reached into his pocket and frowned. “Where’s my knife?” he muttered.

  “Oh,” Adam yelped. “I have it. Sorry, Dad. I guess I put it in my pocket after you let me use it to cut my line yesterday.”

  “Yeah, it’s a good thing because we needed it to make that bandage for the fox,” Simon said.

  Adam nodded and handed the knife to Michael, who shook his head slowly in disbelief. He cut a few pieces off the apple and said, “Here, see if she’ll eat some of this.” Michael pointed. “Hey, there’s a bug—catch that for her. She might want that, too.”

  Simon grabbed the beetle and Adam said, “Come on, Dad. I want you to look at her leg.”

  Michael hesitated. “Buddy, why don’t you boys try to get her to eat something and maybe take a good drink of water? Then I’ll go in with you and see if she’ll let me examine her.” He pulled something from Savannah’s pack and handed it to the boys. “Here’s Rags’s collapsible water bowl. See if she’ll drink from it.”

  When the boys emerged from the den minutes later, Simon reported, “She liked the apple and the water.”

  “Can we take her back with us, Dad?” Adam asked.

  “I don’t know. Let me take a look at her before we decide. Savannah, will you come up with me and hold this light?”

  Meanwhile, Simon shivered.

  “Cold, huh?” Eleanor reached into her pack and pulled out a blanket. “Here, wrap up.”

  “Would you like one, Adam?” she asked.

  “Yes, please,” he said

  “It’s pretty warm, actually,” Peter said.

  “Yeah, but you’ve been hiking all morning, and the boys haven’t had anything to eat for over twenty-four hours. It’s natural for the boys to be cold and lethargic and maybe even dizzy after going this long without eating.”

  “Where’s Rags?” Adam asked while waiting outside with the others for Michael to finish examining the fox.

  “He’s right here,” Savannah said quietly, still holding the light for Michael. “He’s standing guard over the fox.”

  “So how is she, Dad?” Adam asked
from the doorway to the cave.

  “She’s not feeling very well,” he said.

  “Oh no. Dad, don’t let her die. I mean, well, she’s just an awesome little fox.”

  Michael grinned. “But you didn’t let me finish. I think she’s going to be all right, and that’s probably because of you boys.”

  “Really?” Simon asked, joining Adam, his eyes filling with tears.

  “Awesome. Thanks, Dad,” Adam said, raising his hand for a high five with Simon.

  “What about her leg?” Simon asked, as they climbed down from the cave.

  “Well, that’s the sad thing, she probably can’t stay out here in the only home she’s ever known. She’ll be too much of a victim.”

  “Darn trapper,” Simon said. “Adam and I are going to make the government outlaw those awful traps.”

  “I’m not sure you can outlaw trapping,” Michael said, “but maybe trapping in certain areas and in certain seasons, like when the animals are breeding and when they have young.”

  “Well, Adam and I, we’ve made a pact to do what we can to help this little fox and other foxes and animals just like her. There’s just something wrong with people who would want to cause this little fox pain.” Simon winced before adding, “And I’ve been thinking. I’m ready to give up fishing.”

  “Give up fishing?” Peter asked.

  “Yes, fish are animals too. I just don’t think I can ever catch a fish on a hook again and cut it open like that. If I’m hungry, I’ll just go to the store and buy something to eat.”

  “You have some great kids there,” Eleanor said, “and I think they’re in pretty good shape, too. When we get them down out of here and put a good meal into them, they’ll be good as new.”

  “Thank you so much for coming out here with us,” Peter said.

  Michael nodded. “Yeah, we didn’t know what we’d find.”

  “I know. I’m glad I did. I don’t get to experience such heartwarming moments in my job very often. This was a special day. I’ll consider it my Christmas blessing.”

  “Well, come on, gang,” Bill said, “let’s get back to civilization and find this little girl some help.” He asked Eleanor, “Do you think the boys are able to walk back to the vehicles?”

  “Well, you know, we have a helicopter ready and waiting,” Eleanor said. “Let’s get it out here to transport the boys and their very special patient.” She glanced to the north. “Besides, there’s a storm brewing, and we don’t want to be caught out here in it.”