Dr. Susan's Reign: Cat Johnson series (Cat Johnson Chronicles Book 1)

by Katerina Degratte

  I hear the sledgehammer knock on the door. Worse than a cop knock. “Cat, we realize you’re in there. Come out peacefully, so we don’t have to use force.” Not that it would take much, as the door was barely standing from last night. I should have just stayed around to get Charming’s stuff, then been out. This goddamn fucker.

  “Mommy, let’s say hi; he sounds nice.” Charming tries to make a run for the door, but I block him. That spider tranquilizer didn’t last as long as I would have hoped. “Mommy, no one likes antisocial peeps.” This was not the time for that.

  “That man is nowhere near nice, Charming.” But he protests the subject, whining from his spot. God, I wish I could stop him because that just makes the knocks louder. How the hell was I going to get out before they came in? I couldn’t go with them because they would weave it so I would be found guilty. Not that it would be tough.

  “We hear your cat’s noises. If you don’t answer, we’re coming in.” He yells. What so he can bend me to his will, make me go peacefully? Fat chance.

  I could chance jumping out the window, though that’d be stupid as all hell. I lived on the 3rd story of the building. The stuff outside that would break my fall would be trees and bushes… that may just end up with a runaway kitten and some broken bones. If he could thwart the urge to say ‘hi’ to the nice man.

  “Give me a second, I’m not decent,” I yell out to buy myself some time. Hoping it would work as fruitless as it was.

  “One minute, then this door is being crashed through.” He yells, not permitting me much time.

  “Give her a few.” A woman’s voice yells behind him. God, at least some people were decent. Hopefully, it was just the two of them.

  “Fine. Three minutes.” He informs me. “If she escapes, it’s your fault.” He harshly whispers outside the door to her.

  How to get out in three minutes? I grab the bag of cat stuff from the couch, and hell if it doesn’t weigh a ton. Cat bookbag? Charming would probably hate it, but it would prevent him from running off. I originally got it for Maori, that didn’t last long.

  “What are you doing with that, Mommy?” He looks at it skeptically. Smelling at it to check it out. Smelling further into it as I unzip it, making it easy to just shove him in there. “Hey, that wasn’t nice.” He whines when I zip it upon him. “I don’t like this. I can see things, but I can’t touch them. Not cool.” He whines.

  I ignore his whines as I search around the apartment. Pill’s check—couple cans of cat food check. A change of clothing, I guess. Charger, a must-have. How was I going to explain this to work?

  Cat scratching post? I stare at it, wondering if that could conceivably work. It was far-fetched, and it’s not like I had many other options if I didn’t want to go in.

  “You’ve had more than enough time; we’re coming in.” I run into the office as the door gets kicked down. “You can only hide for so long, Cat.”

  I glance out the office window and see its downward path looks any better than the one living room. No. But there was a bit of good news; they seemed to be the only ones here so far. Or they just didn’t see clumsy old Cat as someone to actually worry about.

  “She’s not hiding in the cupboards in the bathroom.” The woman doesn’t seem to take the situation very seriously.

  “Victoria, can you be a little less joking?” The man doesn’t seem to find her humor intoxicating.

  “I’m sorry, Jeff, I’m just a bit miffed to be tracking down this ‘serious issue.’ This serious issue had me cancel my lunch date at this spa trip that I had planned for months! And since it was so last minute, I didn’t get my deposit back!” He doesn’t bother with some witty comeback, probably having tuned her out.

  “It would have been starting soon.” Her whines could compete with Charmings. But it was good for me because she wanted to be elsewhere. If I could take him out, maybe she would just let me be on my way. “The least you guys could have done is given me my lost deposit.”

  “Jesus, shut up about that already!” He yells at her. The dick. “You’ve been bitching about this since we first met up this morning. You should see this as an opportunity to finally have some fieldwork.”

  He flings open the door to the office, nearly rocking it off its hinges. How was I going to explain this shit to my landlord and not get evicted in the process?

  “In here!” Charming meows as I’m left facepalming at his idiocy. How did he survive this long? I’m surprised Maori took him back with this attitude. Not that I regretted having his snuggly butt around...I think.

  “They’re in here.” I’m ready at the door to take aim. But he takes me off guard as he grasps me by the ankle, aiming to knock me over. Before I came to a clash, though, Charming protested much. I take my teeth, snapping at his ankle. Cat advantage as they sink into his ankle.

  “I’ll knock those fucking teeth out.” Ouch. Mean much? If he did that after all the money put into them...

  “Over my dead body.” Me taking the advantage to kick his head against the floor with my heeled boot.

  He passes, should have undoubtedly come better prepared.

  I raise an eyebrow at Victoria, the red-headed girl who is just observing the scene in shock. She must have been new; I haven’t seen her around the block in HQ. And her reaction is all off. It would have been a much more bristle fight had she been up to par.

  I feel a hand stretch out to clutch my ankle, drawing me down. “You should know better than that Cat after four years.” Giving him the advantage as he looms over me. I mutter in loathing as some blood drips onto my white kitty shirt. It had a kitty and a fish touching noses. I should send them my dry cleaning bill when things were said and done.

  I booted him in the gut. Knocking him over, so I’m looming over him. “And know that I have killer kicks.” I knew him under the jaw rendering him useless. The squad could take care of him when inevitably more stopped by.

  I take up my fighting stance. “And I’m going to have to fight you too? Or are you going to take off to your likely much-deserved spa day?” Seeing as she was a newbie, it was presumably much needed after the endless hours of computer work. There was due to notching upon notches on her poor back. Doing all the other chores and clearing up all the other messes that higher-ups wouldn’t bother dealing with. A custodian was a much better wording for one of the beginners.

  She holds her hands up in mock submission. “I think I’m just going to take off; this was more than I called for.” She pets Charming, as he is doting on the affection. “I never agreed to hold a cat hostage to get someone’s attention.”

  “Indeed.” I picked Charming to put him in our carrier so we can go out.

  She peers out the window. “You better take off soon, though. He alerted others that he was going here. Heading in early so he could try to have an advantage before you disappeared.”

  “Thanks. Noted.” I give her a wave, surprised by her kindness towards me. Even if it was a little selfish so she could do her own thing.

  “Good luck out there. Sorry I can’t help you more.” But she already offered more than enough help.

  Deciding to travel more incognito, I grab my auburn wig, quick to put it on. It was one of the more natural colors of the wigs I had. Good enough. If someone saw me from a distance, I wouldn’t be as easy to spot. Quickly dialing up a Lyft. Thank goodness, two minutes. They would never stop by the back entrance, always going upfront. That was called for in this situation. Hopefully, this driver didn’t get lost like so many others had in the complex.

  Because of living in a townhouse apartment, several other apartments were attached to mine, almost like a little community. Seeing that some were outside my door, I took a trip down to the basement to escape from another entrance. Hopefully, that would be enough.

  Charming meowing the whole time, as he doesn’t have a flying fuck on what the hell is going on. “This is scary.”

  “You’ll be fine.” I try to soothe him, seeing in relief when they aren’t ou
tside the opposite door to my entrance. And as if on perfect timing, the Lyft driving up. I make my way inconspicuously to the car.

  “How are you doing today?” The driver greets me as I step in.

  “Great!” I lie straight through my teeth, putting on a false smile.

  “Is that a cat in there?” He asks the question that we both already realize the answer to.

  I nod. “Yeah.” Hoping it won’t be too much of a problem. Some drivers were more pet friendly than others. I was in a car with a few of them during the pandemic, and there was this one car I got paired with a couple times. A nice, elderly guy would have his smaller pup upfront, so she didn’t have to be alone all day.

  “Cool. Can I see them?” I try to keep the plastic smile on my face, though I really want to get a move on here. A move on before someone rounds the corner and sees Cat trying to make a grand escape.

  I show him the cat bag as Charming makes his way up to say hi. Paws desperately leaning against the plastic bubble of the bag.

  “What’s the name?”

  Another glimpse at my watch, the driver seems to notice as he starts up the car. Great, I was starting to worry he was an undercover agent for HQ. “Charming, he’s quite the snuggler.” How I wish I could take him out and snuggle him now to get these anxieties slightly soothed.

  “As in Prince Charming?” The question everyone asked. Because, why not? No, the dark Charming night, I think sarcastically.

  “Yeah.” I nod. I couldn’t exactly tell him I got the name from my talking cat Maori while she was bitching about him. He offers me some peace of mind as the rest of the trip is made in silence aside from cats’ mews from Charming, deciding he’s going through rigorous torture and the music on the stereo used to cover up such a noise.

  Chapter 20

  Cat

  I walk around in circles attempting to find Susan’s apartment. Seeing the same Latino chick from earlier that gave me an odd look, I feel like I walked in a circle. The fifth time now? It didn’t help that I lacked a sense of direction. Once when I was younger, my grandmother, brother, and I went to the zoo. I wanted to be responsible for trekking places… I ended up going in the exact opposite direction that the map was leading us to. Yeah, I’m basically useless.

  “You alright?” The pretty Latino woman asks me as I make my sixth round around the block. She probably was debating whether to call the cops or offer assistance at this point—hopefully, the latter.

  “All good.” I give her a thumbs-up before going on my way again to just backstep. I shouldn’t be too proud to ask for help. “I was looking for a friend’s apartment. She borrowed something kind of important.” I awkwardly scratch the back of my neck, hoping this is sounding somewhat liable. “Do you know Susan?”

  “The crazy pretty workaholic?” Yup, the very one. So many nights, we’d be watching something, and she would be continuing the never-ending pile of work on her laptop. Not that I blame her.

  “The very one.” Almost surprised that she knew her, with how antipersonnel that Susan could be. Maybe a little jealous. How long had Susan been camping out here before I even realized that?

  “Follow me.” She nods towards me. “We live in the same building.” Really she couldn’t have bothered letting me know it was part of a building instead of giving me a scavenger hunt to go on. “Judging from the blue hair, you must be Cat.” She talked about me. Before I can ask, she explains. “She had a picture of you in her office. The one she said she let getaway.” Some slight jealousy in her voice at the comment. “I’m a single mother, so she would watch my kid for me sometimes.” Who knew she had kindness in her? What did she do, give the kid spreadsheets to examine?

  ….

  …

  It didn’t exactly go like that by a long shot.

  “That’s nice.” I give her a smile. She pulls out a picture of her kid on her phone. He looked like he was seven at most. Cute kid.

  “Has she been alright? Haven’t seen her around the apartment in awhile? And rumors are going around.” One of the ones that managed to operate big enough that HQ couldn’t keep it on the direct down low.

  I shrug. “Wouldn’t be able to tell you.” I could, but that would be a farfetched unbelievable story that would have me being seen for psychiatric help. Not that there was an issue with people doing that. I took my antidepressants and sleep meds to get by.

  She stares for a moment before deciding to accept my answer. “Just as well, probably delved deep into work.”

  Deep into work, she got killed by it, but I don’t bother painting the pretty young woman by saying that.

  “Well I got to pick up my kid from school. The extra key is in the ceramic frog by the door. She was never good with keys or self-care all the time, so that just resided there.” Some things never changed. Not that I could talk much on that particular topic.

  “Thanks for your help.” I throw her a smile.

  “What’s the cat’s name?” Charming is back to sleeping away in the bag, the spider venom knocking him back out. All the better. I didn’t need him asking are we there yet every few minutes while I was on the road. It would have gotten old fast.

  “Charming.” That brings a smile to her lips.

  “That’s nice. Does he have a princess kitty around as well?” She teases as I try to keep my face neutral. Words coming back to me about Maori partially joking about how she would kill me if I made her name like something out of one of those damned fairy tales.

  “I have Maori as well, but she’s gone at the moment.” I bite the inside of my cheek to let that information flow out. I didn’t need to overshare with a pretty stranger.

  Concern flashes over her features. “Sorry to hear that. Sometimes they’ll runoff.” If she only knew. The only running off Maori was doing was when I was telling her in the woods.

  “She always makes her way back. She’s resourceful.”

  She nods. “Well I would stick around longer and chat, but as I said, the kids are getting off soon.” She passes me her card. “Maybe hit me up sometime?” Interesting. She was pretty, but I likely had more damage than someone should have to deal with. Earlier relationships ended due to my insecurities back in my youth.

  A pained smile hits my face seeing the ceramic frog. That was something I got her as a gift a while back ago. A gift-giving day was shortly after we got together, but I didn’t know much about her other than her love for frogs. She still held onto it over these years.

  Opening the door, I’m hit with a wave of memories that almost has me falling back. It was almost just like her place when I first went all those years ago.

  I was nervously standing outside her door as she slipped the key in, unlocking it. “I apologize for the mess.” She excuses as it opens.

  It’s not that it was messy, per se. Just more like a mad genius a bit with the scourge of papers around. The pegboards that you would see in those criminal shoes, except she used it for her experiments. A picture of a rat, and how they could be used to grow bigger? Who was this person I was falling for?

  She notices my expression. “If things go well with it, it could help with aiding in the natural human conditions.” I don’t know too much more to ask about it other than that. There’s a bunch of mostly empty coffee cups littering the room. Some artwork of cats and other animals. Some were puzzles that had to be 1000-nearly 5,000 pieces. Her brain was incredible.

  When I’m settled in the apartment, setting the cat bookbag down, Charming starts to stir. Scratching feebly at the bubble area. “Mom, can I be let out? I wanna explore. I’m bored.” The prince was awake.

  She still kept her phone charger plugged in by the computer, letting me make use of that. I can’t help but wonder how many work messages I missed. I think I had a shift today, but I couldn’t go there with HQ lurking. Didn’t need them to drag that shit to my day job.

  She said the fridge?

  “Hello mom? I’m not sure if you heard me, but let me the fuck out of here!” he’s al
ready picked up on some foul language from Maori, it would seem. If she tried to teach him anything else, it wasn’t sticking to his youthful brain.

  “Alright Charming.” I sigh, letting him out. He immediately runs off to another room, like a bat out of hell.

  I check the fridge and freezer for the recipes but am just left with empty vials. Charming making his way back open at the sound of the door. “Can I have those?” He nearly tries to jump on my leg as I make quick work to sturdy myself.

  “No. These are some sort that your sister Maori has.” I shut the fridge and freezer, not finding the necessary components.

  “Then I definitely want some!” He gets all hyped up. “Then I can be big like her. That would make playing way more fun!” That was a nightmare to think about—a giant kitten roaming the streets, using humans like toy mice.

  “I don’t think so, Charming.”

  He huffs.

  I go around the living room, checking all the shelves and drawers. Her bookshelf has book upon book about mutation experiments and stuff like that. Hm pollination. The flowers of the countries. How to train your-- in many different animal categories, as she sought to train them.

  “Mommy there’s someone else in here!” He yells excitedly to see another person to give him love and affection. “It’s that woman you saw the other night.” Before words are cut off with purrs from the comfort he’s likely getting.

  Raven.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” I yell out to her. Not sure if I should run in their guns blazing. She worked for Susan; she likely worked for HQ as well.

  The bed squeaks as she steps off. Susan not having gotten rid of her older mattress. “I figured you’d stop by here.” She comes out with a bag in hand. I don’t trust it.

  “Throw that in front of you. And put your hands up.”

  “Going to feel me up, officer?” She winks, not taking caution to the wind. “I figured after letting you escape last night, you could be a little less crude towards me.”