Moment of Truth

A couple of days had passed since the wedding and Felicia was at  Enforcer Headquarters.  She was heading at the garage to go out on patrol.

“Hey, Licia!,” Felina called as she ran up to her.  Felicia turned around  and waited for Felina to catch up to her.  “I wanted to congratulate you.  Jake Clawson is very nice and will make a perfect husband,” Felina said as  she smiled at Licia.

Felicia smiled and said, “Thanks, Felina.”

“McFurry!!” a voice boomed behind them.

Felicia turned around to face Feral, she saluted him.  “Y-e-ss, sir,” she said kind of shakily.

“Uncle, her name is Clawson now.  She got married.  Remember?”  Felina said, noticing how scared Felicia was of Feral.  Feral didn’t  particularly like Felicia ever since he found out that she was Ricochet.   Felicia was surprised at the fact making the enforcers but her brother was  convincing.

“I know, she got married,” Feral said sternly.  “But to who? Clawson.   That name sounds familiar.” He tried to recall the name. He remembered where  the name came from and looked at Felicia in disbelief.  “To Jake Clawson?!”

“Yes, sir. I did,” said Felicia unsure of what the meaning of the  look that Feral had given her.

“To that hotshot pilot who now works in the salvage yard?,” Feral  continued.  “Geez, what were you thinking?” He laughed and turned around to  leave.  He walked down the hallway laughing as hard as he could, leaving  Felicia growling.

“That jerk!!!” she said loudly to herself.  But then her cheeks  became flushed when she remembered that his niece was standing right beside  her.  “Oops.  Sorry, Felina.”

“Don’t worry about it.  My uncle can be an obnoxious jerk  sometimes,” Felina replied.

Felicia smiled reassured.  “Well, I better go out on patrol duty.  I  told Jake I would be home by midnight.  Bye!” she said and ran off to her  enforcer cruiser.

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Felicia was sitting in her enforcer cruiser on patrol duty on the  roadside.  She was on the outskirts of the city so there were not many kats  around. She kept glancing at the clock.  “I thought the enforcers were  supposed to be fun,” she said and moaned with disgust.  She slumped down in  her seat.  “Nothing is going to happen out here.”  Suddenly an emergency  call was coming in on her radio.

“Attention all units.  There is a break-in at the biochemical labs.   Suspect is driving towards Selinda on Route 22 in a red Dodge Viper,” the  radio said.

“I am on Route 22 near Selinda!,” Felicia said to herself. She picked  up her CB and said, “This is Lieutenant Clawson.  I am on Route 22 near  Selinda looking for the suspect.” Suddenly the red Dodge Viper passed her.   “Suspect confirmed. I am on it!” She turned on her sirens and started to  pursue the Viper.  “I saw the license plate number when the suspect passed  me.  It is T-O-R-T-R-E-U.,” she said to the CB and put it down.  “This is  hopeless!!  An enforcer cruiser can’t catch up with a Dodge Viper!! I am  going to take a shortcut,” she said to herself and turned onto a side road.   She drove to where the Dodge Viper would be, but there was no sign of it.   “Crud!! Where’d they go?!  I know for sure I beat them!”  She picked up her  CB.  “This is unit 502 to HQ,” she said into it.  “I have lost contact with  the Viper.” She pulled over to the side of the road near a fence.  Suddenly  she heard an engine revving up from the other side of the road where the  other half of the side road was.  She looked over to see what it was.   Suddenly a bright flashed into her eyes as the driver turned on the car’s  brights.  Felicia covered her eyes up to protect them.  Tired started to  squeal from the car and the Dodge Viper ram into Felicia’s car from the side.   Felicia panicked and grabbed her CB.  “HQ!  I need back-up!!,” she said.   Her car went through the fence and down the hill. It began to tumble down  the hill.  Flipping over as it went.  Felicia hit her head and became  unconscious.  The Dodge Viper stopped at the side’s edge. It’s driver,  Vampeera stepped out of the car and walked down the hill to the wrecked  cruiser.  She saw Felicia unconscious and took her out of the car and carried  her up the hill to her car.  Vampeera got into her Viper and left the scene,  taking Felicia with her.

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30 minutes later, the enforcers and paramedics arrived at the scene.   Felina had contacted Jake to tell him of the incident and he had just arrived  also.  Jake ran down the hill but when he saw the wrecked enforcer cruiser  upside down, he began to feel sick to his stomach and fear grew inside of  him.   “No! Felicia!!,” he shouted as reality kicked in and he ran to the  car, pushing the enforcers out of the way.  He looked inside of the car but  she was not there.  “Where is she?!”

Felina ran up to him.  “She wasn’t in the car when we got here.  We  think that whoever was at the labs took her.  Jake–we found blood in the car  as well,” she said softly.  A wave of nausea passed over Jake when Felina  mentioned about the blood.  “It could be hers….we don’t know yet until we  have it examined.”

Anger grew inside of Jake.  “Who took her?,” he said almost growling.

“We don’t know that either.  But pictures from the security camera  should be coming in a few minutes,” said Felina.

An enforcer ran up to them.  “Here are the pictures, Lieutenant  Feral,” he said as he handed the package containing the pictures.

“Thanks,” said Felina as she took out at the pictures.  She and Jake  looked at them.  “What the heck?”

“Who or what is it?,” asked Jake.

“I don’t know.  But she looks like a vampire,” said Felina.

“A vampire?  Can’t be.  They don’t have a reflection,” Jake stated.

Jenson ran over to them.  “Guys, I think you better come over to the  tent and listen to something,” he said and ran back over to the tent.  Jake  and Felina followed.

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Inside the tent, enforcers are sitting around an intercom hooked up  to the phone.  Vampeera had just called them to make her demands.  “This is  Vampeera.  As you enforcers may know, I have captured a Lieutenant Clawson.   I haven’t done anything to her…yet.  But she does have scratches and a bad  gash on her head from the wreck that may need some attention but I don’t have  the equipment.  And watching her suffer from the pain is fun for me,”  Vampeera said.  Felina could hear Jake growling softly to himself.  Vampeera  continued.  “But torturing her is not what I want.”

“Well, what do you want?,” asked Felina taking the direct approach.

“I will trade her for the SWAT Kat, T-Bone,” Vampeera stated.  Jake’s  eyes went wide because he knew that T-Bone was out of town visiting his  father and wouldn’t be back for 2 more days.

“But I am not sure that he will,” Felina said.

“I want him for her.  You have 2 hours to bring him to me.  I am at  the closed down Quality Inn on 13th Avenue,” Vampeera said and disconnected.

“Okay.  Now we need to contact the SWAT Kats and let them of the  situation.  Colonel Jenson, you know them.  Any possible way you can contact  them,? Felina asked.

“I can try,” said Jenson.

“Good.  Okay, Jake.  You can go back now.  We’ll let you know if  anything happens,” said Felina as she turned to Jake.

“Okay,” Jake said sadly and started to make his way out to his car.

“Jake, wait up!,” Jenson called and ran up to Jake.  When he reached  him, he walked with Jake to his car.  “Listen, we’ll find her.  Now all I  have to do is try to contact Razor or T-Bone.”

A smile went across Jake’s face when he realized that Jenson didn’t  know he was Razor yet.  “You already did.  They know,” he said.

Jenson’s eyes grew wide.  “What?!,” he asked.

“I can’t believe you don’t know already,” Jake said.  He chuckled and  started to continue to walk to his car.

Jenson looked puzzled and ran to catch up.  “Know what?”

Jake looked at him and shook his head.  He open the car door and sat  in the driver’s seat.  “Let’s just say that you told Razor.”

Jenson’s voice went to a whisper.  “You…are….are….Ra-zor?”

“Yep,” Jake said proudly.

Jenson looked amazed by what he just learned.  “Whoa! So, you will  get T-Bone right,?” he asked.

“I will,” Jake lied knowing that T-Bone was out of town.  He closed  the car door, started his Eclipse and left.  He drove back to the garage.

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At the hotel, Vampeera was tieing Felicia to the bed.  “The SWAT Kats  will find me, Vampeera.  So you will not get T-Bone!,” Felicia said as she  struggled to get free.

“Oh, please,” Vampeera scoffed.  “This is a hotel with over 500  rooms!  I will catch them before they can find you.” She put a gag in  Felicia’s mouth.  She laughed and walked out of her room, making sure that  the door was locked.  She looked at the room number and remembered the number  514.  Suddenly the sound of a jet landing made her notice that Turbokat had  just arrived.  She ran to the elevator to go to the security room.

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Razor landed the jet in the parking lot.  He noticed how large the  hotel actually was.  “Great!,” he moaned.  “It is going to take forever to  find her but I have to.”  Razor got out and walked inside.  He turned the  corner which led to a hallway.  The hallway contained a lot of rooms on both  sides going down as far as he could see.  “Oh, crud!”  Razor walked over and  tried to open the door but it was locked.  “Great, the doors are locked too,”  he moaned.  “Wait a minute!!  I can’t believe I’m that stupid!” He slapped  his face with his paw.  “I have my kat scanner!”  He took out his glovatrix  and put it on.  He turned on the kat scanner, a tiny blip appeared on it.   “Bingo!  She is on the fifth floor!” Razor ran to the elevator.

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In the security room, Vampeera saw Razor looking around on the fifth  floor following his kat scanner.  “What the-?!,” she said.  “It can’t be!   He’s going to find her!  And that is not T-Bone!” She growled and ran out of  the room to the elevator to get Razor.

Razor reached room 514, the kat scanner indicated that was the room.   He stuck his ear to the door and listened in.  “Felicia?,” he asked.  “You in  there?”

Felicia heard Razor and tried to tell him that she was in there but  all that came out were muffles.  Razor heard the muffles.  “Hang on, Licia.   I am going to get you out of there!,” he said and started to ram against the  door.  The door started to give in a little.

Vampeera ran up to Razor and aimed her gun at him.  “Hold it right  there!,” she ordered.

Razor stopped and turned around.  He saw Vampeera holding a gun at  him and he held up his paws up.  “Well, well.  You must think that I am  stupid.  Trying to sneak in here and rescue her.  Plus where’s T-Bone?  Is he  somewhere else in the building?,” Vampeera asked.

“T-Bone is out of town, Vampeera.  Besides there’s no way I would let  him give himself up to you,” Razor growled.

“Well since you put it that way.  I lose and you lose,” she said as  she took out her room key and opened the door.  “Go on in, Razor.”

Razor walked in the room, Vampeera followed, aiming her gun at him.   He saw Felicia’s wounds and became furious.  Razor turned around and looked  at Vampeera, basically growling.  “You did this to her!!,” he growled.

“Oh, please,” Vampeera scoffed.  “I do not beat kats up just for the  fun of it.  The car wreck did that to her.  Now have a seat.”  Razor sat down  in a chair that was facing the bed.  Vampeera, still having the gun pointing  at him, tied Razor to the chair.  “I think I should teach you a lesson for  not listening, Razor,” she said evilly.  She walked over to a cabinet and  pulled out a clear plastic container filled with a clear liquid and a black  box.  She set the container on a table and opens the black box.  Vampeera  pulled out a shot that was in the box.  Razor looked at the shot in fear.   “What are you going to do with that?,” he said as he gulped.

“You’ll see,” Vampeera said.  She stuck the shot into the container  and let it fill up with the liquid.  Then she walked over to Felicia.   Felicia began to struggle trying to get free.  She began to cry from fear and  muffle protests.

“Vampeera, don’t!!!,” Razor shouted.

Vampeera gave him an evil smile and injected Felicia with the liquid.   Razor became angry and said,” What did you do to her?!”

Vampeera smiled again. “I injected her with a chemical that gives her  8 hours to live without the antidote.  You have 8 hours to bring back T-Bone  to me,” she replied.  She untied Razor and walked over to Felicia.  This time  aiming her gun at Felicia’s head.  Her gun tip resting on Felicia’s temple.   “Now leave if you don’t want her to die sooner,” she said.

Razor looked at Vampeera about to challenge her because he didn’t  want to leave Felicia there.   He looked at Felicia and saw the horror in her  eyes.  “I will get T-Bone,” Razor said, his voice filled with defeat.  He  walked out of the hotel and got in the Turbokat and flew back to the hangar.

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Razor returned to the hangar and got out of the Turbokat.  He changed  back into his coveralls and then thought about what he just did.  Anger built  up inside of him.  He was angry at himself for trying to rescue her on his  own.  He slammed his locker door and hit the door real hard with his fist.   “CRUD!!  LOOK WHAT YOU HAVE DONE NOW CLAWSON!!,” he shouted.  Jake walked  upstairs and flopped on the couch.  Tears were rolling down his face, he  couldn’t keep them in.  He glanced over at the phone and put his paw on the  receiver.  “I’ve go to call Chance,” he said to himself.  He picked up the  receiver and dialed Chance’s father’s phone number.  “Come on, buddy.  Please  be there.”

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At Chance’s dad’s house, Chance and his dad were sitting on the couch  watching Scaredy Kat.  They heard the phone ring.  “I’ll get it,” Chance said  and got up.  He walked over to the phone and picked it up.  “Hello?”

“Chance, this is Jake,” Jake said.

“Hey, buddy!,” Chance said glad to know that his buddy was doing  okay.

Jake’s voice became softer and more serious.  “I need you to come  back here, Chance.”

Chance looked confused by this.  “What is it, buddy?,” he asked.

Jake’s voice began to break up.  “Chance—It’s Felicia.”

Chance began to understand how important it was for him to come back.   “I’m on my way, buddy.,” he said and hung up. Jake hung up also.  Chance  turned to his father.  “Sorry, dad.  But I have to leave.  Jake needs me,” he  said.  He was praying to himself  that nothing had happen to Felicia now.

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Later on the evening at the garage, Chance had just arrived.  Chance  and Jake were both sitting on the couch.  Jake was going to tell him what was  wrong.  “So, buddy, what’s wrong?,” Chance inquired.

Jake sighed and closed his eyes. He wished that what just happened  wasn’t true.  He reopened them to look at Chance.  His brown eyes locking  with Chance’s green eyes.  “Felicia…,”he started and then paused to gather  more strength up so he wouldn’t break down.  “She got kidnapped by someone  named Vampeera.”

“Well we have to go get her, buddy,” said Chance as he got up not  really seeing why Jake was so upset by that.

“Chance, there’s more,” Jake said which made Chance sit back down.   “I tried to rescue Licia and failed so Vampeera injected her with some kind  of chemical which will give her 8 hours to live.  Vampeera told me that she  will only cure Felicia if you trade places with her.”

“Jake, I would trade places with her,” Chance said softly.  “Why  didn’t you contact me?  It was stupid in trying to rescue her on your own.”

Jake sighed because he knew that Chance was right and it hurt so much  inside for trying.  “I know, I just didn’t want to lose you or her.  I sure  screwed up now.”

Chance shook his head and put his paw on Jake’s shoulder.  “Buddy, it  isn’t over yet.  She still has time,” he said.  He took his paw off to look  at his watch.  “About 6 hours to be exact.”

Jake got up.  “Are you sure you want to do this?,” he asked.  “I wish  you wouldn’t.”

Chance got up and nodded. “Yes, buddy.  Let’s hit it!,” he said as he  gave Jake one of his trademark smiles.

Jake smiled back.  “Yeah!,” he said enthusiastically.  Both of them  ran off to change.

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The SWAT Kats arrived at the hotel and walked inside of the lobby.   Vampeera was standing there, waiting for them, she held at gun at them.   “Welcome,” she said.  “I am glad that you brought your partner this time.”   She looked over at T-Bone.

“Okay, Vampeera, you win.  I’ll trade myself for Felicia,” T-Bone  said.

“Yeah, so gives us the antidote too,” Razor stated trying his best  not to lose his temper.

“All in due time,” Vampeera said.  She motioned them towards the  elevator.  “Go to the elevator and we shall see her.”  They got in the  elevator, Vampeera with them.

Once they reached the 5th floor, they went to Felicia’s room and went  inside.  Felicia was at the same spot: tied to the bed.  Felicia saw Razor  and had joy in her eyes.  She tried to call to him but there were only  muffles.  Razor ran over to her and held her. “I am here, Licia.  It’s  alright now, he whispered softly to her.

T-Bone saw the joy that Razor had for having Licia back and smiled  slightly.  “Okay, T-Bone.  Sit down so I can get them out of here,” said  Vampeera as she pointed to the same chair in which she tied Razor to.  T-Bone  sat down and Vampeera began to tie him up.

“What exactly are you going to do with me?,” T-Bone inquired.

“Do to you what I like best: torture,” Vampeera said as she finished  up.

“Great,” T-Bone moaned.

Vampeera looked over at Razor.  “Okay, Razor.  You can untie her  now,” she said.

Razor untied Felicia and helped her up.  “Hang on.  I need the  antidote for her,” Razor said.

“Antidote? What do you mean?,” Vampeera asked innocently.

“For the chemical you injected her with,” Razor replied.

“Oh, you mean this,” Vampeera picked up the same container that had  the chemical that she injected Felicia with.  She turned it around so Razor  can read the label.  It read water.

Razor’s eyes grew wide with surprise.  “Wa-water? Water?!,” he said  not growling.  “You mean you just injected her with that?”

“Yep.  I don’t have any chemicals which could kill someone.  But I  wanted to make sure that you would give me T-Bone so that was the only way  for me to have some insurance,” Vampeera said.

Razor growled and started to make his way to Vampeera.  ” Wait,” said  Vampeera and pointed her gun at T-Bone which made Razor stop dead in his  tracks. “Don’t go back on our deal.  Now take Felicia and leave,” she said.   Razor looked at T-Bone not wanting to lose him.  T-Bone looked back at him.

“Go on, Razor,” T-Bone said.  Razor lowered his head and turned  around to pick up Felicia.  Once he picked her up he turned back around to  face Vampeera.

“Leave,” Vampeera ordered.

Suddenly the door broke down and in poured a squad of enforcers with  the leader Felina.  T-Bone looked at Felina.  “Felina?,” he asked.

“Hands up, Vampeera.  You’re under arrest!,” Felina commanded.

Vampeera began to panic, she aimed her gun at T-Bone.  “Throw down  your weapons or I’ll shoot the SWAT Kat!,” she screamed.

“Gangway!!!,” a voice shouted and the sound of glass breaking came  behind them.  They turned around to see Jenson swing in through the window  from a grappling.  Jenson landed on his feet and aimed his Dostovei at  Vampeera and fired.  The shot hit her gun which knocked it away from her.   Vampeera screamed in terror not knowing what the bullet would hit.  Once the  gun was away, Felina and the enforcers captured Vampeera.

“No! No, no!!,” Vampeera shouted in protest.

“Get her out of here!,” Jenson ordered.  The enforcers led her away.

Felina saw Felicia’s wounds and shouted, “I need a paramedic in here!”

Razor laid her down on the bed so the paramedics could attend to her  wounds.  Razor walked over at Jenson.  “Thanks for the back-up,” he said.

“Thanks for getting my sister back,” Jenson said.

“Ok, I need someone to phone Jake Clawson and tell him that his wife  is okay,” Felina said.

“I will,” said Jenson and looked over at Razor and smiled.

To be continued…. 

By: Felicia McFurry and Rebecca