Drew's Trouble with Cats and Roaches

To all,

Due to the interest in this series, here is part 6. This chapter is back to the action of previous chapters.

Any aliens, real or imagined in this story are purely a construct of my twisted and warped mind. My attempts to enter a realm (writing), that has always eluded me, has been exciting. I hope you enjoy my continued tale of Drew Jr.

Part 6

"Gentlemen, as they say, out of the mouth of babes.'' Drew paused to think and cock his head. "Gentlemen, to add onto the words of my young compatriot, if you do not turn my children over within 24 hours, we will find them. If we are forced, we will kill anyone that gets in the way of bringing our children back to the Pride." Drew again paused, "Then I will return, and burn the houses down around anyone involved in the kidnapping of our children. You have 24 hours." As they started to leave, they ignored the mutterings of Dick and they ignored the guards.

Drew paused at the oversized ornate doors. "Gentlemen, one more item to think about. This whole meeting has been live streamed to the web. There will not be any instances of editing this talk or saying that we are threatening violence for no reason."

Dick sputtered, "That's impossible this room is shielded."

Drew just smiled and waived him off like the idiot he was and tossed a small glowing disk on the table. A link to the armed Corvette hovering outside.

Drew just looked at him, and kept staring into his eyes," Someone here, knows where our children are. We will have them back within 24 hours, or else." Drew turned and walked out the door saying over his shoulder, "Check your phone Richard, your master wants to talk to you."

Dick turned white when he looked at his messages.

***

They boarded the armored Corvette and then started to breathe again.

"What now my lord?" asked Thing One

"We rescue our younglings. I assume all of the preparations are in process?" Lord Drew commanded.

"Yes, my Lord" said Thing One with a very feral growl.

"Pilot take us home. And make a show of leaving. I want to shake the windows." Drew ordered.

"Lord, may I add to the experience?" Thing One asked.

"As long as you do not blow anything up, and no one dies,'' Drew paused, 'Yet...please add away."

Thing Two's fingers flew all over her keyboard and Thing One was doing the same. They were both so excited that Drew could feel the emanations, not sexual, but close.

"We are ready my lord" Thing One notified

"Open a channel to the outside of the ship." Ordered Drew.

"Done lord." Responded Thing Two.

"Clear the square, we are about to take off." Drew advised.

Drew could see through the screens and saw the guards still standing next to the ship. He just shrugged and thought 'well, they were warned'. He also noticed the navigation and Comm console was lit up with incoming messages. He did not understand where they were coming from, but he knew their takeoff was going to piss off a lot of folks.

"Alexander, strap in tight. I have a feeling this may be epic."

"Yes Lord," responded Alexander and Drew saw him tighten his straps.

"Take us home you two." Drew ordered.

Thing One made a dramatic move to slowly punch a button. Drew was ready for the gravantic compensators to be overwhelmed, but nothing happened, the Corvette sat still and silent.

Then music blared inside and outside of the Ship. The guards on the outside held their hands over their ears. Then he could feel vibrations shake the ship as Thing Two forced the engines higher and higher in energy while forcing the gravantic plates to keep them static.

"Is that the oldies musician Billy Idol you are playing?" asked Drew.

"Yes, my lord. The song is called 'white wedding', my new favorite." responded Thing One.

There was a subtle nod of heads between the twin hellions and Thing Two slammed her fist down on her console.

The ship leapt into the sky. The resulting atmospheric suction sent guard bodies tumbling in all direction. The small powerful ship went from zero to Mach 3 in a matter of a minute. As they streaked home, there were messages from every air controller and military air unit in their area. 'Let them stuff our diplomatic immunity where the sun does not shine' thought Drew.

Part of the way home they lowered their altitude to the edge of military and civilian radar detection. A small package dropped from the Corvette, 100 miles from the location where Drew could 'feel' the younglings. That package broke into three drones that streaked at treetop level and headed to where they were needed.

The subtle war had begun.

***

The arrival of the Corvette back at the Cat refuge was a grim affair. They landed to a small silent crowd waiting their arrival. Drew stepped off the ships landing ramp and met by both pregnant queens. Tiffany, swollen to bursting with 6 cubs, came and nuzzled Drew first.

"I am glad of your safe return Lord,' She sated purring and nuzzling his neck.

"I am Glad to be back my Queens," as he raised his head and locked Meme in the eyes, "There is much to talk about and much to plan."

Meme just nodded and turned to walk back to the main house. They walked in silence back to the main house through the many groomed pathways that lead between buildings. There were many messages mentally sent between them, but most were of reassurance that the mundane tasks of the Pride were being handled along with battle plans.

They entered and made their way down into the hidden labyrinth of passages and rooms that now resided below all of the buildings and groves above. Since their arrival, the Pride had drones digging through soil and rock to create a safe sanctuary that would stand up to anything close to a nuclear blast. This was typical of any Pride stronghold. The nurseries were the most protected and guarded. The life and future of the Pride resided here, their children.

The upper tier of the Pride sat together to plan for the rescue. Kay also joined them, not because she was asked, but because she would be impossible to keep out if they tried. His father and her took a seat along the wall along with the representatives of the UN and Homogeny.

In the center of the table, floated a 3D contour map of the facility where the Children were held. A squat building sat in the middle of a series of other building and odd partial structures.

"So, it's a military training facility." stated Drew confusing the others.

"How so my Lord? How can you tell?" asked Meme.

"These partial structures are for training in different 'battlescapes' of war. They are pretend villages and, pretend urban buildings. They can be reconfigured easily and if they burn to the ground, rebuilt easily. From the drones sonic mapping, this building is only two stories below ground, nothing that would stand up to strategic bombing, but deep enough to hide things from prying eyes. It is like my limited training before I went to space. And it is far away from the normal paths, so it can be used for clandestine efforts without embarrassing questions." Drew finally finished.

Drew paused. He knew deep in his heart that the younglings could die if they tried to rescue them. He knew that all who went with him, and he was going to go, could die in the attempt. But he knew the Pride would not stand for patient negotiation, with creatures of no honor.

'OK, we need to pick a team. We need to figure out how to get there without being seen and we need to figure out how to get in." Drew stated.

"Let's shelve the team discussion until the end," Drew knew it would be the most troublesome since everyone would want to go.

"How do we get our team there? We can't use the Corvette or shuttles and we can't drive. We are being watched from every direction and I presume there are multiple satellites parked over our head as we speak. Any ideas?"

From the back row against the wall came a voice "yes, take my sleds, they stealth. No one knows I have and they damn fast.' Kay stated.

"What sleds and what exactly are you talking about?" Drew questioned.

'What you think I do all day in shop? Play with myself?" Katy returned. There was chuckling all around. Only Kay, Drews 'mom' could talk to him this way without insult.

She hopped down from the chair by the wall and climbed into one of the conference chairs. She touched her pad and a shape took place above the 3D map. A flat-bottomed flying machine. A cat figurine materialized next to the 3D picture of the flying machine, to provide scale. The table them exploded in different schematics showing shape size and components.

"Got only three, but each carry two big cats, if want to be cozy. Stealth, silent and damn fast." Kay responded.

"OK, that gives us a strike team of 6, which should be about right. And it gets us close without anyone knowing we are coming. We can use a shuttle for the recovery team and the Corvette for cover. We will define things a bit more, but we will send the shuttle one way and the Corvette the other. Confusion of our enemy is our friend." Drew stopped and just had to think for a moment.

He got up and looked outside the window at the peaceful glade. He was hoping one day just to relax in his hammock without the world exploding around him. He looked at his old-style analog watch his dad had given him, and noticed it was 5pm. Well, time for a drink and more discussion.

"Kay, are the sleds autonomous? Can we call them to us from a distance? "Drew queried.

"Yes, they fly themselves if we want, why?" Kay asked.

"Well, I want to leave them as a second way out if someone gets separated. But I do not want to leave your technology for anyone else. So, I am looking for options and fall back plans." Drew responded.

Drew seemed to be all the talking and he was tired, but he wanted to get through the first review and ideas for the rescue mission.

'Ok, how do we get in? We can blast our way through, but they could have it wired and blow the kids up if we try. It would be a stupid thing for them to do, but anti-alien hatred and fanaticism is frightening. And frightened people do stupid things. Storming the bastille never works out in the end. Any ideas?" Drew asked. Most in the room did not know what in the hell a 'bastille' was, but they got the idea.

There was silence for a few minutes and then the assembled group heard a "harrumph". Those that worked with Bob knew that was his way of trying to get others attention.

He to rolled off his side chair and then oozed up into one of the empty conference table chair. Bob had started a habit, since working with humans, to do something Drew felt odd. He created fake eyeballs that floated around inside his gelatinous body and would stare at whomever he was talking to. He did not need them, he felt other creatures found it more comforting to look into a set of eyes as they talked. Drew was not sure who offered this great insight, he just found it creepy.

So, Bob rolled up and stared at each of the team at the table. "I'll do it, I'll get you in"

"Bob, we thank you for the thought, but what makes you think that you can get into a building that you do not even know?" Drew questioned.

"Because unless the doors are hermetically sealed, I can get you in. Shall I demonstrate?" Bob responded.

"Um, sure." replied Drew.

Bob rolled down off the chair and over to the shut conference room door and then just sort of disappeared. Everyone at the table stood and walked over to the door to see if they understood what they had just witnessed.

A few seconds later, Bob slid back under the door and reconfigured himself in his normal shape. Everyone was silent. And just stared at the alien.

"Well damn Bob." Drew commented and waived everyone back to the main table.

"Bob, you are our representative from the Homogeny, and you are taking about walking into a shooting war. We are grateful but cannot accept your help," Drew paused. "The only reason you are here, and Else of course, is because you two have become friends. I can't ask you to be involved where lives could be taken."

"As you said, we have become friends, that includes friends with the younglings that were kidnapped. If you must use explosives to get in, it raises the odds that the children may not live. While I will not take up arms and will not take a life, I will help get us in without violence." Bob just sat in the chair and 'stared" at Drew.

After a moment he added "and I cannot think of a better adventure."

"I am coming too" Drew heard from another wall seat. Elsa stood up and walked behind Bob's chair. "Like Bob stated, I will not carry arms and will not take life. I'll be on the Recovery shuttle. I am a medical doctor after all and as an observer, I can assist with medical duties as needed as a humanitarian gesture."

Drew felt he was being played, but he found no argument from the Cats. In fact, the mental projections from Meme and Tiffany were glowing with their feelings for these two aliens that were willing to risk their lives for the offspring of the Pride.

"Ok, lets shelve any further talk for a while. Let's get some food and maybe more planning later. My discussions with the Alliance took more out of me than I thought." Drew ended the discussion with a heavy sigh and roll of his shoulders.

"My Lord, when will we go get our children back?" Asked Tiffany.

Drew knew that the answer would not be taken well. Three out of the six younglings taken were 'hers.' Yes, the young were raised by the whole Pride, but mothers are mothers, no matter the race.

"3 to 5 days" was his response. Everyone filing out of the room froze. The reactions from the Cats were almost feral.

'No, we can't let them keep our children that long! We can't!" yelled Tiffany both verbally and mentally. Her reaction was mirrored by Meme. "they are terrified and lost...we just can't!"

Drew squared his tired shoulders and asked "OK, everybody back in the room."

Drew shuffled back into the room and sat back down at the table. He waited for everyone to get seated. And he took a long breath before explaining and turned the 3D projection back on.

"I have just threatened the Alliance and they know I meant it. What do you think the compound here," he said sweeping his hand over the projection, "is going to be acting like? It will be on high alert. Probably double shifts, and who knows, maybe reinforcements?"

Drew paused and took another deep breath and moved his shoulders. He always carried his stress in his shoulders. "We need to watch them through our Drones to see how they are reacting. Humankind does not do well in a constant heightened state and will relax back to a normal routine. It's what I am counting on."

Drew looked to the wall and asked a simple question of one of the other humans in the room. "Else, how long do you think it will take the humans to return to a normal routine?"

Else looked pensive for a moment and then gave her own Mona Lisa smile and a positive shake of her head "3 to 5 days is about right."

Drew looked to all in the room, eye to eye. He swiveled his head to make sure they all looked at him. "I made a promise in the room with our enemy, I will have our children back. And then I will burn them alive." Drew added looking at the table in a very black mood.

"One more thing before we go," Drew paused, punching buttons on his own pad. The compound display disappeared to show a 3D weather map. On it they could see a storm heading their way. Drew had overlaid their location and the compounds. "This storm hits us tomorrow and in three to five days at the area of the compound. We go in in the middle of the storm. With our mental communication, we will be ahead of the game, and the humans will not like standing watch in a storm." Drew ended.

"Please, let's eat. We will meet again in the morning to sort out details. I want to be fresh and I have had a day of days." Drew commented and he slept alone that night. The first night alone since he had become Lord Protector of the Pride.

***

As the morning light broke, the first light found Drew sitting in his Adirondack chair watching the forest denizens wake and enter the glade looking for breakfast. He threw one inquisitive squirrel a piece of his biscuit. He had not slept well, almost not at all and he felt it.

He kept wishing that his life was as simple as the squirrels at that moment. He wished he could shake the ominous feeling about this mission to bring back the children. They, "whoever they are" he thought, tried to kill his whole family. The kill zone was so layered with ordinance that no one would have escaped. The children were just bait. He could not stand the thought of losing anyone during this mission, but the odds were against him, even with a complete surprise.

Drew jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Time to meet and talk my Lord" Tiffany whispered in his ear and she nuzzled his neck from behind.

'How in hell can you be so silent when you are huge and waddling with 6 cubs swimming inside you?" Drew asked in jest.

He felt her fangs clamp down on the juncture of his neck and shoulder, "I do not waddle! And telling a pregnant female she is 'huge' is just asking for more scars...my Lord."

"Point taken my Queen" he said gently as she released pressure on his shoulder.

"Now that we have that understood, come tell us your plan to get our children back." Tiffany replied and then flicked his ear, luckily with claws sheathed.

Drew and Tiffany walked through the Main house greeting other members they passed. They entered the meeting room and took their places at the conference room. The new member to sit at the table was Eddie.

Drew nodded to him and began the meeting. "Eddie, I am glad you are back from your research. Tell us what you found and what we can do with the issue in the future."

"The perimeter sensors were overridden using a 'back door' built in by the manufacturer, Aramis. We will have that fixed this morning with our own programing. I have found a second manufacturer of similar devices and visited the plant to make sure we do not have the comparable issues. We will double layer the sensors for added security." Eddie paused checking his pad. "But as we suspected, it was representative Richard that over road the sensors."

Many in the room just let out a low-level growl.

"As for the satellites watching our refuge, I have sent the warnings we discussed to the various entities involved, Aramis being the manager of several of them. All have denied responsibility or knowledge of the offending spying." Edie finished and laid his pad on the table.

"To you my family, I love you all. To our friends Bob and Else I am grateful for your willingness to participate in this mission. But there are going to be disagreements with what I am going to say. We will discuss it after I am done." Drew paused.

"First, no pregnant females will be on the strike teams or the secondary team that will be on the recovery shuttle." Drew had not even finished the comment when there were immediate objections from his Queens both verbally and mentally.

"NON-NEGOTIONABLE!" he said using command voice at a louder volume than they were used to.

There was silence in the room.

"The future of the Pride lies in those children and we are risking enough lives as it is." Drew paused and was glad that the first point was done with.

"I am going to tell a story about something I saw as a kid and it has nothing to do with war, it has to do with a marching band, at a North American football game. Most bands walk in with order, straight lines to the beat of drums. They remind me of ancient armies of the old European states, where soldiers would walk into cannon and rifle fire lined up shoulder to shoulder." He paused for only a second.

"But there was this one band, they came running on to the field in confusion, screaming, yelling and running all over the field. The bandmaster waited patiently and then tapped his baton and, in that instant, each person was in place and they struck up a song." Drew stopped, took his tea and slowly drank.