“Yes, yes, yes,” he answered impatiently.
“It’s been them all along, hasn’t it?”
“Come on, Harold! Move!”
As I was pulling myself to my feet, I heard a voice call out, “They’re gone!”
“Chester!” I cried in amazement, “This is just like my dream. The echo. The voice. Everything. What’s happening? Who just said ‘They’re gone!’?”
“Harrison,” he replied quickly, as he pushed against my hind legs (which were still sitting) with the top of his head. “No more questions, Harold. Just follow me. We’ve got to get the others.”
“And help Harrison find Howard and Heather,” I added, but Chester was already out the door and couldn’t hear me.
By the time I found him, he was already scratching at the door of Lyle’s bungalow.
Lyle was talking in his sleep. “Oh, yeah?” he was mumbling. “Says who? Think you’re a tough guy, huh?”
“Psst, Agent 47X,” Chester whispered.
Lyle’s eyes popped open. He regarded Chester with a look of total befuddlement.
“Wake up!” Chester commanded.
Something inside Lyle snapped into focus. “What is it, Agent 37B1943X10YKLB97—” I think he would have gone on till morning if Chester hadn’t cut him off.
“A secret mission. Follow me,” he said.
Lyle flipped open his door and crawled out. He looked stealthily out of slitted eyes and kept low to the ground as Chester led the way to Taxi’s bungalow.
“Don’t let Harrison see you,” Chester hissed back at us.
“But why?” I started to ask, when Chester cut me off with a sharp “Sshhh!” We continued creeping across the muddy compound until we arrived at Taxi’s. He was wide awake and looked out at us as if he’d been half-expecting our arrival.
“Boy-oh-boy-oh-boy,” he said in greeting. “Can’t a soul get any sleep around this place? What is going on, anyway?”
“Ask Chester,” I replied.
“Okay,” Taxi said, and then with a start, he exclaimed: “Chester!”
“Sshhh!” Chester retorted.
“Chester!” cried Taxi again, but this time in a tiny voice. “You’re back!”
“Yes, yes, I’m back.”
“But how—”
“I’ll explain later. Right now, we’ve got more important things to deal with.”
“How do I know you’re not a ghost?” Taxi went on. “Do something so I’ll know you’re not a ghost.”
“How would it be if I bit your nose?” Chester hissed through clenched teeth. “Would that be proof enough for you?”
Taxi thought a moment. “Yes,” he said then, “yes, I guess that would do it.”
“Agent 35HBO7575NFL13YXX42—”
“Hike!” Taxi cried.
“What is it, Lyle?” Chester asked, turning his head.
“Can we get this operation underway? I was in the middle of a good dream.
Chester shook his head in dismay. “What a crew! I should have done this myself.”
“Done what?” I asked. “I still don’t understand—”
There was a crash of thunder and, in the accompanying lightning, I could see Harrison standing several yards away. Chester noticed, too, and motioned to us to huddle together and keep our voices down. Taxi crept out of his bungalow and put his head close to mine.
“Howard and Heather are somewhere nearby,” Chester told us. “We have to get to them before it’s too late.”
“Help! Howls out now!” I thought.
“What should we do?” I asked, as the rain quieted to a steady drizzle.
“Just wait,” Chester ordered.
“For what?” queried Taxi.
“For a sound that will tell us where they are.”
Thinking he meant their howls, I was not at all prepared for what I heard next. Or for its significance.
My ears perked up as tiny yips resounded softly through the murmur of the rain.
“It’s happened,” Chester said softly.
“What has?” I asked.
“Sshh. Listen.”
I did as Chester bade me, but what I was listening for, I didn’t have a clue. The yipping sound continued, echoing as if from a great distance. And yet, I had the feeling it was coming from someplace very near.
“That’s it!” Chester cried. “I know where they are! Let’s go!”
At the very same moment, Harrison shouted, “I know where you are, you little devils! Now I’ve got you!”
Chester and Harrison both ran to the corner of the compound near Howard’s bungalow. I was relieved to see that Chester no longer cared whether or not Harrison saw us. After all, if we were going to help him, he may as well know about it.
“Chester!” Harrison cried out, as he and my feline friend reached the same spot at the same time. “Where did you come from?” I imagined that it must have been quite a shock to Harrison’s system to see Chester returned from the dead. But he appeared to be so determined to find Howard and Heather that he didn’t dwell on it.
“Never mind,” he muttered, as he began pulling at a plank of the back fence, “I’ll deal with you later. Right now, I’ve got … to … get this … off.” The plank, which was somewhat loose to begin with, tore off suddenly in Harrison’s hands and fell to the side.
At first I couldn’t see anything, but then Harrison shined his flashlight through the opening in the fence, and what I beheld on the other side amazed me.
There, inside the storage shed, their eyes gleaming in panic at the sudden intrusion, were Howard and Heather. A discarded rainpipe ran along the ground from where they sat to the opening in the fence. No doubt that accounted for the echoing effect of their howling, I reasoned. As for the yipping sound of moments before, that was quickly accounted for, too. For there, next to Heather, huddled five or six squirming newborn puppies. Their yips, no longer amplified by the rainpipe, were as tiny as they themselves.
In the glare of Harrison’s light, Howard began to bark.
Harrison laughed. “Sorry, ol‘ boy,” he said, “but you’re going to have to come with me.”
“Jump him!” Chester shouted. “Taxi, go for his ankles. Harold—”
“But, Chester,” I stammered, “I thought we were supposed to help Harrison find Howard and Heather. Weren’t they the ones we were after?”
“Yes, yes, of course,” Chester snapped. “But not because they’re the murderers. Don’t you see? Harrison’s the one! And it’s Howard and Heather he’s been after the whole time!”
Well, I didn’t see at all, of course, but I decided this was not the time for further discussion. Particularly not when I looked up and saw Harrison glaring down at me.
“What are you all doing here, anyway?” he uttered in a low, threatening voice. “Get out of here! All of you! Move!”
We sat, riveted to our spots. Suddenly, Harrison lunged at me. I didn’t know which way to turn.
“Jump, Agent 16IQ!” Lyle shouted in my direction, as he leaped onto Harrison’s shoulders.
I jumped. Harrison lunged. And he landed, face first, in a big puddle.
“Mmmphhgrrux,” he said (or something to that effect), as he lifted his head out of the mucky water. “Get off of me, you stupid cat!” He tried to shake Lyle loose, but Lyle was going nowhere.
“The game is up, NY7!” Lyle cried out. “Your spying days are over.” He dug his claws in to get a firmer hold, and Harrison let out a yelp. He struggled to his feet; Lyle held on tight.
“Taxi!” Chester cried out. “The ankles! I’ll join Lyle. And Harold—”
“Yes?” I asked. I wasn’t very good at rough stuff, so I wasn’t sure what I could do to be of help.
“Bark!” Chester commanded.
“But, Chester, you know how I hate the sound of barking.”
“Bark!” Chester ordered again.
I wasn’t sure what good it would do, but I did as I was told. Loudly, I barked. Howard joined in.
Chester jumped up onto Harrison’s back and Taxi began nipping at his ankles.
“Hey, what’s going on here?” Harrison cried. “Get off of me! Ouch!” Chester must have gotten in a good one. “What’s with you animals all of a sudden? Ow, Taxi, get away from my feet!” Harrison kicked at Taxi, who fell over backwards.