The Great Mouse Reporter ~ Chapter 11

The door to Tanya's new apartment opened, and Tanya stepped in, awestruck by having her very own apartment to herself. She'd never had more than a bedroom to herself, and even then she'd only gotten that after her family moved to Green River. This was something completely new to her.

"Oh my gosh, Tony, isn't this place beautiful?" Tanya said as she rushed to the window, which overlooked the street below, bustling with carriages and streetcars lit by the street lamps.

"Guess so," Tony grunted unenthusiastically, sitting on the sofa as Ratbone's chauffeur brought in their luggage.

Ratbone had a seat on a chair, "I've spared no expense for my client. I'm certain you'll find this place to your liking. And it's second floor, no need to worry about the cats."

"New York still got a cat problem?" Tony asked.

"It's been even worse lately," Ratbone replied.

"I knew getting' rid of da Mott Street Maulers wouldn't help much."

Ratbone cleared his throat.

"I guess we should finally sleep," said Tanya, "When will you come to get me?"

"Perhaps late morning, 11 maybe, I'll give you two time to sleep in, it is awful late. Any questions before I take my leave?"

"How are you payin' fer all dis?" Tony asked.

"Ahh, well I've covered your first month's rent, and the down deposit. I imagine you'll be making quite enough money to cover your own expenses after that, my diva. But of course, if not, I'll be here to help."

"Thank you so much, Quinn," Tanya said, giving him a hug.

Tony sneered at this, "How'd you get so rich anyway?"

"Well er…it was an inheritance, yes." he said with a smile.

"Who was it from, your grandparent?" Tanya asked.

"No, my father," said Quinn Ratbone, taking his top hat off and dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief nervously, "He was a…very wealthy rat."

"Sorry to hear you lost your father," Tanya said, knowing Quinn was only in his early twenties, so his father died far too soon, "What happened? How'd he die?"

"Murder, actually," he said grimly, before getting up from his seat and pulling away from Tanya.

Tanya let out a shocked gasp, "How horrible! Were you a child when this happened?"

"No, you see it was rather recently…"

"Did the police catch the killer? What about your mother?"

"No more questions for now, Tanya dear. I…I may tell you more another time. For now, get some rest. You've a big night ahead."

Quinn tried to put on a smile as he put his hat back on, and made his way to the exit.

"Good night then, and thanks again," said Tanya.

"Good night my dearest," he said, before leaving and closing the door behind him.

"Quinn must have had a hard life," Tanya said, sitting on the couch next to Tony, "He's so mysterious, I keep wanting to figure him out. I feel so bad for him. But at least he has enough money to follow his dream now."

"I dunno Tilly, he seems kinda too good ta be true, ya know?"

"Why's that?" Tanya asked.

"A guy don't just hand ya everything you ever wanted on a silver platter without some kinda catch. And who knows if he's tellin' da truth about where his money came from. Notice he looked kinda nervous, and he didn't want to talk about it? He cut us off and left."

"It's a hard topic to discuss, Tony," Tanya said, "He's not gonna open up to us when he first meets us. I mean, I've known you for almost five years and I still don't know that much about your family. No offense…"

Tony knew she had him there. He didn't like to discuss what had become of his family back in Sicily, at the hands of the cat mafia.

"Well just be careful is all," Tony said, "I'm here ta protect you, and that's what I aim ta do. Don't place yer trust in someone just because they got money, or at least appear to."

"I'll keep my ears open," said Tanya, "It's not like I didn't learn anything from Waul and Ratigan."

"They're a good thing ta keep in mind. Put yer trust in da wrong guy, and da next thing ya know yer family's in a mouse trap or they got a gun to yer head."

"Come on Tony, it's not like that's an everyday occurrence. I just…seem to have extraordinary bad luck."

"Da point still stands," Tony contended.

"I just really want this to finally be it, I guess," Tanya sighed, "My big break. If I never give anyone a chance then it's never going to happen, you know."

"Yeah well, I didn't say outright not ta trust him, just be aware. Personally I don't like da guy much, sets off too many red flags for me, but maybe I'm wrong about him."

"You're like my little brother. Very protective."

"Filly's got a good head on his shoulders. He learned from da best."

"Nice of you to say such a compliment about Tiger and Papa."

"Heeyyy you know who I meant," The two of them shared a laugh, before Tony yawned, "Well if dis does work out and you find a good job, I hope you'll come back to Green River some time. Don't forget about us little people what helped you on the way."

"Oh I won't," Tanya promised, "I'll have to return sometime, my family lives there."

"Don't forget ya got a lot of friends there too, like me, Olivia, dat Vartan guy."

Tanya sighed a bit, "I will miss them all. And Vartan…I guess he and I are on different paths now."

"Anything eva happen between you two? If ya don't mind my asking."

"We're just friends," Tanya insisted, "But…I don't know. Maybe that's all we were supposed to be."

"Why's dat?"

Tanya didn't appreciate Tony's nosiness, and the subject made her feel a little bit sad, for reasons she didn't understand, but she answered, "He…he could have come with me to New York, you know, if he really wanted to. My papa didn't think he'd be trustworthy enough to watch over me here, but even so he didn't have to stay in Green River, no one was forcing him to. Yet…he did…"

"Did you ask him if he wanted to come with you?"

"No, not outright, but I shouldn't have had to."

Tony shrugged, "He let ya go then, huh? Well, sometimes mice drift apart and go their separate ways. Maybe he didn't share the same feelings, maybe he didn't want to go back to New York. It's a part of life, ya know. You'll find someone new, eh?"

"I guess so," Tanya said, her mind drifting toward Quinn again.

"Why don't you and I get some shut-eye huh? We got a busy day ahead. I'll sleep out here on the couch."

"You sure?" Tanya asked, "I could take the couch."

"It's your bed, might as well enjoy your first night here."

"Thanks Tony," Tanya said with a smile, hugging him and then fetching her suitcase so she could get ready for bed.

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"He…he ain't gettin' tired!" Olivia panted as she, Fievel and Vartan darted down the sidewalk, running from the Russian cat that had spotted them earlier.

"Yes yes keep running. I like my meat lean." the cat taunted, licking his chops.

He seemed to be toying with them. At any time he could have pounced on them and gobbled them up.

"We'll lose him at the park," said Fievel, "It's just up ahead!"

They ran on all fours, maximizing their speed as the Russian cat cackled. When they came to a fence enclosing the park they turned and scurried underneath it.

"Hey! Get back here!" the cat yelled.

However, though slowing the cat down it managed to squeeze between the bars and continue after them.

"Do ya know where yer going?" Olivia panted.

"It's a statue" Fievel replied, "A big one, we gotta find the path that goes towards it."

The trio scurried through the underbrush until locating hard cement ground. Fievel knew they were on the right track now, and led them down the path, trying to stay ahead of the cat as best as they could. Luckily the cat seemed lost in the bushes for now, but he was trying to sniff them out. Before long, they came to a fountain, with the statue of a human in the middle.

"I think it's that one," said Fievel.

"How do we get in?" asked Olivia.

"There's some secret panel."

"Hurry!" Vartan urged, looking back and seeing the cat emerge onto the cement path.

To scale the wall Vartan gave both Fievel and Olivia a boost to the top, and then the two of them pulled him to the top. There was a sea of water between themselves and the statue.

"Can ye swim, Vartan?" Olivia asked.

"Ayo, yes," he answered.

"Ya gonna be okay Fievel?"

"I-it's not that much water…" Fievel said, bracing himself because he disliked large bodies of water unless he had a raft.

"Let's go," Olivia said, hopping into the water.

Vartan and Fievel followed, and the three of them treaded water toward the statue. But the cat had finally picked up their trail.

"Ah, so you think you can hide from me in water, ya? Cats may not like water, but when a meal is involved we can cope!"

The cat hopped onto the cement wall around the water, swatting at them with his paws as they tried to swim away. He managed to catch his claw on Olivia's skirt, and she screamed as he pulled her out of the water.

"Don't eat meh! Please!" she pleaded.

The cat opened his mouth, and was about to drop her inside when he heard a growl. He turned around. A pack of stray dogs stood in a line behind him.

"What brings you into our territory, cat?" the leader demanded, a German shepherd.

"Oh! Lone Woof! Uh, heh heh…" he gave a nervous chuckle, hiding Olivia behind his back, "Just going for a little dip, of course, ya?"

"You know the rules, cats aren't allowed here," Lone Woof said, "This is the sovereign territory of the Council of Dogs."

"Ohh how foolish of me, I didn't mean to wander into your sovereign territory, I just got off the boat from Russia not too long ago you see…"

Olivia squirmed in the cats paw, and then bit the cat's finger hard, making him screech and drop her in the water.

"Out!" Lone Woof barked.

"Sorry sorry, I'm going…" the cat said, glaring back at the fountain with a hiss and slinking away back down the path.

Lone Woof and the rest of the dogs approached the fountain, seeing the three mice treading water.

"Hey, I remember you," said Fievel as he paddled to stay afloat, "You're the one who helped Nellie Brie and I capture Madame Mousey!"

"And you were her little assistant, weren't you? Yes, I remember you. That was years ago."

"Ye saved me life," said Olivia, gasping for breath, "Thank ya so much Mr. Woof sir."

"If it hadn't been for you, we would now be in someone else's digestion," Vartan remarked.

"Three young mice like you shouldn't be wandering the city at night, especially these days. We won't always be there to rescue you, nor are we under any obligation to. I don't know if Nellie's leaving had anything to do with it, but since she's been gone this town has only gotten worse. Still, as bad as it may get, no cat is ever going to challenge our authority."

"We didn't know the city was taken over by cats," said Fievel, "We only just got back, I moved out west a couple years ago."

"Have you heard from Nellie Brie at all as of late?"

"She's living in London with Basil of Baker Street," Fievel explained, "We write her letters from time to time."

"So she really is gone," Lone Woof said, "Unfortunate."

"Mr. Woof, could we ask ya for a boost onto that statue please?" Olivia asked, trying to sound sweet as she could since it seemed the dog wasn't really out to help them per se, "It would help us a lot."

"So you weren't just here to get away from the cat?" Lone Woof asked, "Explain yourselves."

"Can we trust you to keep a secret?" Fievel asked.

"The Council of Dogs does not intervene in the affairs of cats or mice. So you have nothing to fear. But we do want to know why you're in our territory."

"W-well, I don't know if you heard about the Indian mice living underground…"

"Trying to find the secret entrance, are you?" Lone Woof asked, evidently knowing where Fievel was going with this.

Fievel nodded as he did his best to stay afloat, "We're friends with them, I want to go to their tribe to try and help them."

"Chief Wulisso has an understanding with the Council of Dogs. We agreed to keep the entrance a secret from what he calls 'upper-worlders'."

"If he knew it was me asking he'd say it was okay," Fievel insisted, "They made me an honorary member of their tribe when I visited them last time. They call me Chalus-Chalus. Please, they're in big trouble, and we came all this way to help."

"Hm, well, if you say so. You are just a group of kids, I doubt you could bring them much harm. I'll get you up to the statue. You'll find the secret passage on the side somewhere."

"Thank you again," said Olivia.

Lone Woof dipped his snout into the water, allowing Fievel, Olivia and Vartan to climb on. He then brought his nose to the edge of the statue, letting them walk onto it.

"Be careful in the city. These are trying times for mice."

"We will, and thanks,' said Fievel, as he felt along the cement wall.

The Council of Dogs departed as Fievel pressed on the wall, feeling for anything.

"So you met that dog before?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah, back when I was Nellie's assistant," said Fievel, pressing on the stone.

"I miss being Nellie's assistant," Vartan said as he shivered and shook the water out of his hair.

"How will we know ya found the secret entrance?" asked Olivia, also dripping wet.

Vartan rubbed his upper arms, chilled to the bone after swimming in the water at night. He leaned against the stone while trying to warm himself; opening a secret door behind him. He fell backwards onto the ground.

"You found it Vartan!" said Fievel, "Get in quick, before someone sees."

Olivia and Fievel scurried into the doorway, and it closed behind them, leaving them in pitch blackness.

"We should've brought a lamp," Olivia said.

"Maybe we should hold hands so we don't lose anybody," said Fievel.

Olivia held Fievel's hand, and reached in the darkness for Vartan's hand as well. The three of them felt for the narrow walls, and followed the dark tunnel downwards, below the surface of the ground, into the unknown.