Spies in Saddles [Book One]

Chapter Nine: I Hope the Alley Cat Doesn't Have Nine Lives Cuz I Sure Don't

Hola! Fast update whoohoo! I'm almost done with this story - I think only 1-2 more chapters after this one. Then I gotta figure out how to somehow print 100 pages for my friend with paying like a bajillion dollars haha. School computer lab, here I come! That'll raise some eyebrows...anyway, I hope you enjoy this latest edition. Kinda lost the humor in this one, sorry, but it's a pretty serious chapter. So please vote and comment, tell me what you think!

Gracias!! <3 vb123321 :D

Chapter Nine

I Hope the Alley Cat Doesn't Have Nine Lives Cuz I Sure Don't

As soon as the man spoke, Dawson froze with his fists in midair. A slow creaking filled the air as Zach's chair seemed to topple over in slow motion, his face bloody and dazed. The sound of wood and body crashing to the floor broke the chilling silence.

I couldn't breathe as the man from the doorway advanced on us, smoothly placing one foot in front of another, his black eyes fixed on my face. His thin graying hair was slicked back on his high forehead, making his face look thin and sharp, and as he stopped just in front of Dawson, I saw that he was about half a foot shorter. Yet there was no doubting the authority in his voice as he said,

"Please step away from our guests, Dawson."

Dawson definitely weighed twice as much as this new guy did, but he backed away from Zach and me as if facing a crocodile. I couldn't stand the penetrating look the guy was giving me, so I looked instead at Zach's motionless body sprawled on the floor.

"I'm so very sorry," said the guy calmly, following my gaze. "I'm afraid Mr. Dawson sometimes can't control himself. It's one of his many faults."

I glanced at Dawson to see that he was clenching his fists and gritting his teeth, but he obviously didn't dare say anything. Ignoring the little smile playing on the guy's mouth, I called Zach's name desperately, fighting against the handcuffs again. No response came from the floor, and his dark hair fell over his face so that I couldn't see if his eyes were open. When I looked back at the new guy to that smile again, something snapped.

"Who are you?" I growled, kicking my heels against the floor in vain. "Where's Christina?"

"My dear," he said in an oily voice, still smiling, "I am the Alley Cat."

My jaw dropped. "But – he said –"

The man actually rolled his black eyes. "Did you really believe that Dawson is the Alley Cat? If he was, we would have been found out years ago."

Dawson cracked his knuckles loudly.

"I knew it," came a hoarse voice from the floor, and my heart jumped to my throat as I looked down to see Zach's eyes peering up at us hazily. "Dawson's too dumb to be the Alley Cat; there was something wrong with that picture."

Snarling, Dawson tried to get to him, but the Alley Cat simply raised a languid hand and his advance halted.

"Zach!" I cried, relieved. "Are you okay?"

He gave me a crooked smile. "Please, you thought that guy could hurt me?" He craned his neck to survey the Alley Cat with critical look. "I gotta say, this guy is even less alarming. Although I can tell where the nickname came from now."

He was right – the Alley Cat was indeed built like a cat: thin and lithe, sharp face, and strangely dark eyes. I expected him to get real pissed off and start beating Zach up again, but he just smiled disconcertingly down at Zach.