“You do have a plan, don’t you Steve?”, whispers Kat. “Um, yes, but somehow it seems to have hit a roadblock,” I said, “we need something quick.” “Steve, wait,” said Candace, “I remember now, there’s a secret way in and out of here, through a door over on that wall.” “She’s lying,” said Anthony Sr. while laughing, “imagine, secret doors, that’s old time spy stuff!” “Watch him Kat,” while the cats and I take a look. “Gladly Steve,” she said, “and what if he moves?” “Then shoot him,” I said plainly. That seemed to stop the laughter in a hurry, now he knows I’m very serious about this.

“The police are all around the building Steve,” said Candace looking out the window. Meow.=Here door. “Good, now to find out how to open it,” I said. “No help from me,” Anthony Sr. said firmly. “I wasn’t expecting help, and we don’t need it,” I answered him. I held Muffin so she could sniff around the door better. Meow,meow.=Here where to open, I smell wire. A trophy was sitting on a shelf at that spot which I tried to move unsuccessfully. So I turned it once. Nothing happened. So I turned it back, and the door opened. “We got it!”, I exclaimed. Everyone looked at that moment towards the door. Now, I had checked Anthony Sr., so I knew he had no gun, but, he must have had one under the cushion on the chair.

He pulled it out quickly and aimed at me. Candace spotted that and yelled, “NO!”, then jumped in front of me just as he shot twice. She fell to the floor. Kat shot 3 times and Anthony Sr. was dead. All his money, plans, security, didn’t do him any good in the end. “She’s still alive,” I said, “but we’ll have to carry her down the stairs.” “I, I, can walk,” Candace said slowly. “I’ll take her down Steve,” said Kat, “even if I have to carry her myself. You just make sure no one follows us.” I smiled, “that’s no problem.” Off they went, and I sent M.C. along with them for protection. Muffin stayed with me while we sealed the door. Meow,meow?=That stuff make it so door won’t open?

“Yes indeed Muffin,” I said, “just get ready to push this button when I tell you, and not before, or I’ll get roasted!” I put this sealing ribbon around the door, which fortunately was metal and then gave the okay to Muffin and she happily pushed the button. That stuff lit up like a welding torch and effectively sealed that door so no one will be able to open it. We started down the winding stairs with Muffin telling me to walk faster. “Hey, you have four legs,” I said, “you can walk faster than me.” But we caught up with the girls right near the bottom. The door leading out was locked and with the police outside I didn’t want to shoot our way out. So I held up M.C. so he could pick the lock, which didn’t take long, and we were outside.

Rossana was right there and told me that Anthony Jr. wasn’t in the building. Candace gave me two addresses to check out, talking in a very weak voice. The ambulance arrived and took her away. I asked Rossana for a plain car, told her where Kat and I were headed and gave her the other address to check out. Off we went to hopefully catch Anthony before he leaves the country. We get to the house and I just drove up onto the lawn and around to the back door. We all got out, I shot the lock off the door and in we went.

A guy was coming up the basement stairs with a shotgun, so I didn’t wait, I just shot him. Kat shot another man in the kitchen, then started fighting with a woman. I went in the living room where two more men were waiting. The one knocked the gun out of my hand with a poker from the fireplace. That led to a fight and Kat came in and kicked the other man, which knocked him cold. “How come you can kick a guy once and he’s out cold, I kicked this guy twice, and hit him 3 times before he was out?”, I asked. “Practice,” was all she said. The cats giggled. “Thanks for the help you two,” I said.

Meow.=We know you not in trouble. Meow,meow=Yep, so we decide to watch the fun this time. They smile. Hmm. The other house was completely empty apparently, so Anthony Jr. escaped to somewhere. We finally arrive back at our airport and a limousine was waiting to pick us up. We get in the back. “That really wasn’t nice,” I said. “Well, it was the best way to keep little Anthony safe, if he’s dead, no one will look for him,” said Baldwin with his usual boisterous laugh. Candace and Anthony were given new identities. Jennifer Johannson, from Norway, is now working in France with Calanthe at her resort. Robert Gordon was adopted by a very nice couple from Ohio. And Kat, the cats and I are just taking some time to relax.

The End.

©2021 Steve McLeod.