Page 85 of Cats Never Fly

Myfront legs shook asImanaged to lift my front half up off the jagged gravel lane.ThenItried to get my back legs to work.Theydidn’t.Idragged them behind me, clawing forward.Needingto move.Needingto get help.

Icollapsed again.

Ittook three tries beforeIcould stand, but at least my back legs were under me this time.Theywobbled, but they supported my weight.

HowwasIgoing to trackOgdenin this condition?Iwas so screwed.No.Iwouldn’t give up.Icouldn’t.Ogdenwas counting on me.Ineeded to do better.Ihad no other choice.

Itottered forward one step.Thentwo.Thenmy limbs crumpled again.

Iwanted to cry and scream and yowl, but none of that was going to help.Thenext timeItried to stand, it was easier and faster, andIeven lurched forward five steps before falling.Istumbled over the pouch.TheoneOgdenwas supposed to be wearing.Idon’t know whyIbothered, butIpicked it up in my mouth again.Iclenched my teeth around the fabric and forced myself to move again.Andagain.Overand over untilIfinally reached the main street that skirted the front of the building.

Thecop car was there.

Justseeing it filled me with rage.Howcould someone kidnapOgdenwhen the police officers wereright there?Theywere supposed to protect us.

Istaggered to the vehicle.Theydidn’t even notice me.Iyowled.Ithought about jumping on their windshield so they couldn’t ignore me any longer, but my body yelledno way.Instead,Iopted to drag my claws down the driver’s side door.

Thedoor flung open, whacking me hard enough to send me sprawling.Ilost the pouch again.

“Fu…dgesicle…”Igroaned, almost letting out a swear word beforeIcaught myself.

“Whatthe fuck?”Theofficer apparently wasn’t raised by someone like my mama.Thiswoman had no problemcussing as she reached for her gun and sniffed the air. “It’sthe cat shifter.Simon.”

Herpartner darted around the car and fell to his knees beside me.Ihissed half-heartedly as he reached for me.

“Whathappened?”

“Og…”Ipanted heavily.Mylungs weren’t working right.EachbreathItook or wordItried to speak had pain exploding through me like fireworks.ButIhad to do this.Ogdenwas counting on me. “Gone.Taken.”Igroaned.

“Jesus…” the officer muttered.

Theother one was on her radio, calling for backup and an ambulance.Whenshe finished, she said, “Stayhere with him,I’llgo…”

“Greta, don’t you dare go in there without backup.Greta?Fuck…Sonof a…FuckingFuck…”Helooked torn between staying with me and following his partner.

“Go,”Iwheezed. “They… took… him… out… through… apartment…Findhim…”

Theguy nodded, then jumped up and followedGreta.Idoubted they’d find anything.Thatstupid bear and his cohorts had obviously stashed a getaway car somewhere close, andI’dalready been around the three sides of the building with roads and lanes and hadn’t seen them.Imust have been unconscious for a while after my jump.

Myheart raced as every harrowing millisecond of my fall crashed over me again.ButIwas alive.Andnow people were looking forOgden.Iprayed it was enough.Ilurched toward the stupid pouch with the tracker in it again.Idon’t know why, but it felt important to keep it close.Iwas probably wrong about that.Afterall, it hadn’t helped yet—andOgdenwas already gone, so what wouldIeven do with it now?—butIcouldn’t shake the compulsion to take it with me.

Amoment later, the two officers raced back to the vehicle.

“Grabhim,”Gretasaid.

“Shouldn’twe?—”

“He’sa cat shifter.Ifhe survived the fall, he’ll be okay.”

“I’msorry ifIhurt you,” the officer said as he scooped me off the asphalt.Thenwe were in the car with sirens blaring.

Soloud.Ithurt my already aching head.

Theofficer had put me in his lap and was petting me.Iwanted to protest.Ogdenshould be the only one to pet me.Butit felt nice as he ran his fingers gently over my ribs and my legs and—Oh.Wait.Hewasn’t petting me, was he?Hewas checking for broken bones.

“Howare you doing?” he asked. “Doyou remember me?I’mConstableKeats, but you can call meConrad, and this isSergeantGlover.Youprobably heard me call herGreta.Youwouldn’t know it to look at us but we’re cousins.You’reSimon, right?Youare going to be okay,Simon.You’resafe now.Canyou tell me how you feel?”

Ihuffed and opened my eyes just enough to look atConrad.Heseemed young to be a police officer, maybe even my age.Helooked so sincere… and more than a little freaked out.