Padding forward, the cat saw a young woman with dark hair approaching him. Her green top looked rather garish and her jeans looked newly washed.

“I’m Jerrix and my companion is Yoland.”

“I’m Holly and this is Hair.”

They shook as the warden said, “I’ll leave you together then.”

As he left, Jerrix glanced at her colleague.

She was on the short side with brown hair and tight jeans. Her white top was rather glaring to his sensitive eyes.

“What have you found so far?” Yoland asked.

“At the moment,” Holly said. “All the mutilations seem to be taking place in the north quadrant.”

“Nowhere else?” the cat asked.

“Not as far as we can see,” Hair replied.

“Do you have patrols out?” Yoland asked.

“Only the usual,” Holly replied.

“Why not more?” Jerrix asked.

“You must understand sir, we are talking about cats here,” Hair said.

“I don’t care if dogs are being butchered. Murder is murder in my book. Whether the victim is humanoid or animal.”

“What would you suggest then?” Holly asked.

“Flood the area with officers for a start. Show the public they are safe.”

Holly saw the obvious result of his plan.

“If we did that sir, crime would surge elsewhere. None of us would sanction that.”

“Then try this,” Yoland suggested. “Just the four of us do the patrol. Keep officer numbers down. Maybe we can flush this monster out.”

The two investigators stared at her.

“She is a security officer,” the cat explained. “I would follow her advice.”

“I suppose it could work,” Hair commented.

“Do you have arms?” Yoland asked.

“In our lockers,” Holly replied.

“Then get them and join us outside,” Yoland ordered. “It’s time to go hunting.”

While they waited outside in the deep gloom of smog, the cat looked at her.

“Well done Yoland. Great suggestion.”

“I believe that it’s the only one which will work.”

As she replied, the two investigators joined them. Yoland spotted the two handgun holsters.

“I hope you know how to use them,” she warned.

“It’s all part of the training,” Holly answered.

“Then let’s go north then,” Jerrix suggested.

They followed the women into the gloom, the stench of which was almost overpowering.

“How can you live like this?” Yoland enquired.

“We were born to it,” Hair replied.

“How much further?” the cat asked.

“Not that far sir. Only this bridge to cross.”

The bridge in question crossed another street and was held up by thick suspension cables. It was deserted of course, and after crossing it, they found themselves in a rundown area.

“What a dump,” Yoland commented.

“Lack of investment,” Holly explained briefly.

From the bridge, they turned left into a series of alleyways. Rubbish was piled up along the dirty walls and at the far end, the cat came across another feline victim.

“Damn it,” he said kneeling down and placing his paw upon it.

“It’s still warm,” he commented standing up again.

“Which means that the killer is still here,” Yoland said drawing her weapon.

The two investigators drew their weapons as they slowly prowled forward.

“It would be far easier if we could see properly,” Jerrix complained.

They emerged from the alley and into a rather rowdy street. Drunks and ladies of the night sauntered around in the gloom.

“No point asking for witnesses,” Hair commented.

They glanced around wondering where the fugitive had gone to, when a scream pierced the air.

“It’s this way,” Jerrix shouted bounding off.

Yoland followed him towards a warehouse where they found an hysterical woman pointing to the wooden wall. Everyone looked of course, and were horrified to see a decapitated feline, nailed to the wall.

“Calm her down,” Jerrix said bounding into the large building.

Despite the obvious darkness, he noted the many stacked boxes and also the lack of escape routes.

Yoland followed and glanced around.

“What do you think?” she asked.

“We have him trapped.”

Yoland pointed across to the far wall, and dashed across. Jerrix moved forward gingerly, listening intently.

Moments later, a pile of boxes toppled and Yoland dived to one side. Heavy footsteps drifted through the air, followed by a cackle of laughter.

“Give up,” Jerrix demanded as his associates entered.

“We could have him now,” the cat advised.

The two women moved forward carefully as Yoland swung around another stack of boxes. As she did so, it collapsed near her.

“You alright Yoland?” Jerrix asked.

When there was no reply, the cat dashed forward and found her unconscious upon the floor.

Kneeling down beside her, he checked for damage. Her head was level with the wall and it soon became obvious she had hit this pretty hard.

As he woke her gently, another crash sounded from the far end followed by gunfire.

“Have you got him?” Jerrix asked.

“He dashed out the damn door,” Hair replied. “Holly nearly got crushed.”

“We will get him next time,” the cat answered as Yoland came around.

“How is your head my dear?”

“Rather sore.”

He helped her up and slowly left the building. It was obvious now that their quarry would resort to violence to avoid capture.
---
Back at the headquarters, the two women were quietly seething.

“I reported what we found sir. That poor animal will be removed shortly.”

Jerrix shot back.

“How did he get past you two?”

“After the boxes came down he dashed past. As I said he nearly killed Holly.”

Yoland, who still felt groggy, rubbed her head.

“I don’t think any of us done well tonight.”

“We certainly didn’t,” Hair commented.

“I have yet another suggestion,” Yoland said slowly.

“We are willing to hear it,” Holly said.

“Do you have a list of establishments in the north quadrant?”

“I can soon get one,” Holly replied. “How will that help though?”

Yoland smiled.

“I noticed the clean cut upon that severed body we found. That’s a laser scalpel.”

“Well it could be a professional,” Jerrix muttered.

Hair dashed out to collect the document whilst the others waited on tender hooks. She returned moments later with a full printout.

“Here we are,” she said spreading it across the table.

They all scanned the list of establishments and Holley asked, “So what are we looking for?”

Yoland found herself drawn to a single name.

Wood’s Veterinary Practice.

“That’s the one,” she said pointing.

“Could well be,” Jerrix commented.

“Surely that is far too obvious,” Hair said.

“Perhaps not,” Jerrix suggested. “Everyone assumes that vets love animals.”

“We should check this out now,” Holly suggested.

Jerrix agreed. Despite the earlier incident.

While decisions were being made at police headquarters, a dark, cackling figure was pacing his so-called apartment with evil thoughts racing through his mind.

“I soon showed those goons what I’m really made of. I hope they leave me to my honourable work.”

He entered his surgery and looked around quickly. Within a cabinet, he found two canisters of gas and smiled.

“If they track me to here, this will surprise them.”

He hauled the tall canisters out and attached remote control devices to them. He then concealed them within a wall recess and waited patiently. He was supremely self-confidant that when the crunch came, there was enough gas to kill an elephant. As for his escape route, there was always the window.

At this point, Jerrix, Yoland, Hair and Holly had crossed that gloomy bridge and were slowly making their way towards the suspect’s address.

“He will probably be waiting for us,” the cat suggested.

“That would make sense,” Hair replied. “You should have armed yourself.”

“Only when absolutely necessary,” Jerrix replied.

They entered a rather dingy alley and to the right, saw the entrance to the vets.

“Let us go in first,” Holly advised.

“Be my guest,” the cat replied.

The two women stood to either side of the entrance, handguns drawn.
Yoland stood beside the cat, her own laser pistol fully ready.

On a count of three, the two women burst in to the reception area expecting a hail of bullets but there was no response.

Jerrix and Yoland came in behind.

“I don’t like the looks of this,” Yoland whispered.

“Perhaps he has fled,” Hair suggested.

Holly heard a noise like hissing coming from the examination room and crept toward it. Without warning, she kicked the door open and burst in.

Hair saw a darkly figure standing near the rear window holding a fully charged laser scalpel. The air was contaminated with gas and she yelled a warning.

As she did this, the scalpel activated sending a tight beam toward the hidden recess. As it struck, the figure leaped through the window as the room exploded in a sheet of fire.

Hair and Holly stood no chance. The blast however, kicked Yoland and
Jerrix into the alleyway as the building disintegrated.

The cat scrambled up, pulling her up beside him.

“We have to get after him. There is nothing we can do about them.”

They raced off towards the rear of the former building and found a side street, which headed towards a rather largish building. When they reached it, they saw a cinema entrance and glancing at each other, crept inside.

Within the cream painted foyer, they saw a pay booth standing to the right and to the left of this, a single lift entrance waited.

“Where would you hide?” Jerrix asked.

“In the lift shaft. It’s dark and easily defensible.”

“I want you to stay here and guard the door my dear. I’ll go after him.”

Yoland offered him her weapon.

“You’ll need this.”

The cat shook his furry head.

“I can handle this. Don’t let him pass.”

“Take care now,” Yoland whispered.

He thanked her and padded towards the lift entrance. As it slid open, he stepped inside.

Looking upwards, he spotted the escape hatch and gulped.

“If I must, I must.”

He stretched and pushed the hatch off softly. Then he stared into the ascending darkness.

“If I were you, I would seriously consider surrendering,” he shouted.

He waited for the response, and when it came, it was not the one he expected.

“On this planet, killing animals carries the death penalty. I’ll take my chances.”

“So be it,” the cat muttered climbing onto the roof of the lift.

He saw the thick cable stretching upwards and behind him a darkly painted ladder. He climbed on and began the ascent, wondering when the fight would break out.

Thanks to his padded feet, the ascent was silent. He peered ahead, hoping to spot the criminal before he spotted him.

“What’s your concern?” the voice asked.

“You murdered brothers of mine,” Jerrix replied. “That I will not ignore.”

“Do you know why?” the voice asked.

“No reason can justify your actions Dr Wood.”

“A damn cat bit me,” the voice explained.

The cat used that reply to zero in on his target. His superior eyes spotted him easily. The doctor was standing upon a ledge, still dressed in the cloak and holding his lethal laser scalpel.

Jerrix stopped.

“Give it up doctor. For both our sakes.”

“Never!”

The cat sprung rapidly, landing squarely in front of the startled doctor. His right paw swung, smashing the scalpel from his hand. The doctor recovered quickly and threw himself forward. As his fingers attempted to gouge out the cat’s eyes, Jerrix lost his balance and locked together, they plunged into space.

As they fell, the cat twisted violently so that it was the doctor who hit the lift roof first. The bodies smashed through, hitting the lift floor with a sickening crunch.

Yoland heard that and ran towards the door, which swished open. She saw Jerrix covered in debris, lying upon the smashed body of the late killer.

The cat glanced up and climbed off.

“It’s over my dear. He will never threaten cats again.”

He padded past and she followed him into the gloom, replacing her weapon inside its holster.

“As they meandered through the smog covered streets, Yoland asked, “now that it’s over Jerrix, I suppose we are rather stuck here.”

The cat did not reply but strolled on. As they approached that awful bridge, Yoland saw a faint green glow ahead.

“It can’t be,” she muttered. “No ship could survive that damage.”

Jerrix glanced at her.

“My ship can repair itself my dear. However, it is not indestructible. There are things even it cannot survive.”

She watched him enter the light and promptly vanish. As she entered,
Yoland stopped.

“It’s all changed.”

Jerrix nodded, scratching his ear.

“So it seems my dear.”

He padded over to the rear wall and sighed.

“At least my drawers are still there. Something’s never change I suppose.”

Yoland stamped her feet upon the blue floor. It was still squashy. She saw Jerrix pad over to the five-foot high pyramid, noting the globe on top. As he reached the north side, she stood behind him.

The cat was staring at a myriad of buttons that reminded him of an accordion.

“If I was designing this, the main one would be at the centre,” he muttered.

He pressed it and saw an image of the galaxy appearing within the globe. Two small dots flashed.

“Quite snazzy,” Yoland commented as he padded over to the east side.

“Seems easy enough,” he said grinning as he pressed the central button.

The craft shuddered slightly and the cat scowled.

“What’s up?” Yolanda asked.

“It seems I have to run the engines in my dear. This I think is going to be rather interesting.”