The Investigators, Inc. The Search. Chapter 8.

Meanwhile, back with us…Muffin comes pushing the door open to our bedroom, jumps on the bed, then jumps on me! Meow,meow!=Wake up! No time for nap. Annelie sneak out of house, go quiet like. M.C. sneak out of house to watch her. I give him tracking device to put on car if she go somewhere. “Good for you Muffin,” I said, “wake up Kat, we have to go somewhere.” “I’m awake and dressed already,” she said, “you’re the slow one.” I get up and can barely move. Meow,meow?=You hurting? “Just a little bit Muffin,” I said, “I’ll be okay.”

“Maybe you should stay home Steve,” said Kat, “you need to watch your back.” “No way,” I said, “I’m not missing this. Muffin, go wake up Rock, tell him to get the others ready fast.” Off she went like a little gray streak. By the time we got outside Rock and the other men had caught up with us. We went in 3 cars. Meow.=Annelie turn toward town, go fast. So we did as well and found her car parked at the best hotel in town. “That makes sense,” I said, “John would want to be in the best hotel, especially now that he’s Baldwin, he has to act like him.”

I called the others and sent one car around back to keep an eye on that exit. The other car went into the side parking area. We stayed on the street just before getting to the hotel. There were 2 men with Kat and I, plus the cats. I told the 2 men to go into the lobby and wait. Annelie was in there quite a while. “Why don’t we just go in and get John ourselves?,” asked Kat. “Because he’s not John right now, he’s Baldwin,” I said, “it would be a little hard to take Baldwin without making news headlines around the world. And right now we can’t prove he’s not Baldwin, so we have to be careful. Until we can find out what that combination is for.”

“There she is Steve,” said Kat, “what now?” “We just watch to see what she does now,” I answered. Annelie got in her car, which was in the side parking area and sat there for a while. “I wonder what she’s doing?”, asked Kat, “did you fall asleep? Steve?” She gives me a gentle push. “I, I’m okay,” I said slowly, “just a bit tired, I guess.” “You’re not tired, it’s your back,” she said, “you’re going to see your doctor tomorrow.” “No time for that,” I said, still slowly. “Tomorrow!”, said Kat, “I’ll get Rock to carry you there if I have too. You need to get your back checked. No arguing!”

“Okay, okay,” I said, “it is getting bad.” Finally Annalie drove off fast, but more into town, not toward the chateau. “Do we follow her Steve?”, asked Kat. “No, back to the chateau quickly before she gets back there,” I said, and I called the others to do the same. The 2 men came back to the car and we were all back in good time before Annelie made it home. “I just can’t imagine Annelie betraying us like that,” said Kat, “and I’m not going to let you forget going to the doctor!” The doctor wanted me to go straight to the hospital so he could check me more thoroughly.

I told everyone we would be postponing our search until tomorrow. “Hey,” said Annelie, “is it okay for Kat and I to go shopping then?” “Well, I don’t know if I should,” said Kat. “Go along,” I said, “and if they still have that jacket you liked, buy it.” “That’s kind of expensive Steve,” she said. “Hey, I’m doing what you said,” I reminded her. “That’s not fair, but okay, I’ll buy it,” she said. Rock dropped me off at the hospital and left 4 men to guard me. “Follow the girls Rock,” I said, “watch the back especially.” “Are you expecting trouble?”, he asked. “Yes, right now I’m always going to expect trouble,” I said, “this would be a good opportunity for John to kill Kat.” So off he went with the other 4 men.

Sure enough, 2 men with guns showed up and took Kat and Annelie out back to a waiting limousine. One of them opened the door while Annelie said, “get in Kat honey, this is your big day.” But Kat punched her in the stomach, then kicked her in the head and she went backward, hitting the wall, and down she went. The man pointed his gun at Kat but Rock, who had been hiding, jumped out, breaking the man’s arm and throwing him over the car. A man inside tried to close the door but Rock flattened it open against the car. The driver then sped away while a man shot back. Kat took one shot and got the man who fell out of the car. Then a large truck blocked the exit, but John and his driver ran into a nearby building and somehow disappeared.

To Be Continued.

Photos of M.C. are kindly supplied by his human, Nina.

Previous chapters of this story, and other stories, can be found on my home page under “The Investigators, Inc.”

©2021 Steve McLeod.