Cat In A Leopard Spot

Chapter 47

Dead Ahead

“Good,” I say, ducking back under some sagebrush.

“It is good that the great white hunter has your roommate and her companion at rifle point?”

“That is the only thing that will keep them safe. This is called a paradox. I will explain it to you later, when the worst is over instead of yet to come.”

I turn to continue my trot toward the danger ahead.

Miss Midnight Louise does not move a muscle. Not even a whisker. “You mean you are going to walk away and leave your significant other in that appalling situation?”

Ah. Little Miss Midnight has just shown me how to kill two birds with one very sneaky stone.

“Of course not,” I say indignantly. “I am going to leave you here to deal with the armed man. Obviously, my Miss Temple, competent as she is, has her hands tied at the moment. Not only does she have that extremely large and heavy tote bag to lug around but she must also consider the safety of the, uh”—I look carefully at Miss Temple’s companion, and then look again—“catwoman. It is up to you, Miss Louise, to watch the situation and take action if required to save the ladies’ lives. I imagine that you can handle one mighty hunter with a rifle?”

“Of course,” she spits back without thinking.

By then I have turned tail and am running through the brush before she can gather her wits and argue with me, or worse, follow me. I have neatly put her between the devil and the deep blue sea, as they say. The man with the gun is the devil, and if she leaves her post to follow me, she will feel guilty. The deep blue sea is me; if she follows her instinct to interfere with my plans for the sake of it, she risks harm to the helpless humans.

I am practically chuckling at the fiendish cleverness of my move as I run, except that I cannot chuckle. But I can think about it.

For the presence of the rifle-toting guard makes one thing clear: If they have posted a guard here, the real action must be pretty near.

Dead ahead, in fact.