The Tortoise was beyond distraught.
His city was in a state of virtual lockdown with citizens afraid to walk the streets. The only ones out were the security forces acting under orders from the Zodiac, supposedly making the city safe. In reality they were only interested in rounding up cats, agitators and subversives, in that order.
After nearly a week of martial law, almost everyone was considered a potential subversive.
'After all Sir,' Cancer had said. 'We now know this conspiracy goes beyond the Glass Cat and his people. Your own board has been compromised. The enemy combatant that you used to call your best friend has struck right at the heart of our great nation.'
He had finished by telling the Tortoise that the situation was being handled but that the CEO must remain confined to an area between his office and his quarters for the time being ... 'For your own protection Sir,' Cancer had added, before departing, leaving Aries and an armed guard at the Tortoise's door.
So here he was, sitting dejectedly at his desk, taking a mental hike through the wilderness of his own mind.
Where had it started to go wrong? With the theft of course ... before that even, as this had obviously been a long time in the planning ... the robbery of the most valuable piece of data in the world he meant, not the militaristic take-over of Zodiac and the suspension of all civil authority. His authority.
Must ... think this ... through, thought The Tortoise.
Someone had got to Hare ... obviously ... coerced him into this darkest of betrayals. Zodiac's hunt for the culprit had seemed a fruitless exercise in authoritarianism when their lead about The Glass Cat bribing the night security animals Chee-Chee and Jip had led only to a witch-hunt. A witch-hunt against cats that The Tortoise was on the verge of shutting down.
Then the Two of Hearts woke up from his coma.
He had named his attackers. Renard ... and The Hare. It soon became obvious that his oldest friend had gained access to his office and copied the file, but for who? Cancer's investigations into the Glass Cat had turned up all kinds of information about his left wing and anarchist leanings that nobody could have suspected.
The Tortoise knew Bungle was a canny creature, but now it had come to light that he was some kind of shadowy power behind a cat unity movement. Zodiac believed he was behind the theft and had refused to listen when Bruin pointed out the puzzling fact that he had bribed the monkey and dog personally instead of sending an agent.
Cancer and his eleven colleagues acknowledged that he might be working with others, but were resolved to act on information that cat prisoners had provided ... Tortoise shuddered when he thought how such information was divulged ... the Zodiac now believed Bungle was a major player.
This was all very well and good, but then their next step was to demand to see the file. Naturally he had refused and the next thing The Tortoise knew, he was being very politely treated but informed that his civilian authority was suspended, for the duration. His office was searched and his computer taken away and all his protests had fallen on deaf ears. The rest of the board and many employees had been confined as well.
Zodiac were in charge and they had declared that The Hare, Renard and The Glass Cat were terrorists and enemies of the state, to be apprehended at all costs.
'Oh ... my old friend. What ... have you done?' muttered the Tortoise as he completed his mental hike. His mind, like everything else truly seemed to be a forsaken wilderness.