Guardian Cats and the Lost Books of Alexandria

Chapter 24: Sting’s Headquarters

From a distance the pickup looked abandoned, but inside were signs of life. The raccoons had taken up residence in the ’52 Dodge. The faded orange truck with an additional camper shell more than suited their needs.

Inside, Sting was fuming mad. “Those dirty, rotten fleabag cats! Thinkin' they can raid our territory and call us intruders?” He paced back and forth in the covered truck bed.

“How is it that a bunch of scrawny alley cats managed to thrash you, Sting? You’re not losing your touch, are you?” Tank asked.

Sting drew his large paw back and sent Tank flying. “Does it feel like I’m losin' my touch?”

“Sorry, boss. My mistake.”

Sting sneered. Tank looked tough, but he was spineless. A chuckle coming from the outside interrupted them. Sting swung around. A small raccoon poked his head into the doorway.

“What’s so funny?” Sting demanded.

“I was wondering how a mangy tomcat beat up a tough guy like you. And he’s only half your size,” replied the stranger.

“We was wondering about that, too,” said Crimmany, boldly first, before he cringed.

Sting ignored him and glared at the intruder. “You callin’ me fat?”

“Absolutely not. In fact, I envy your fine stature. Allow me to introduce myself. They call me Lazer,” he said. “I’ve been spying on the cats for some time now.” He chuckled. “It’s sort of a hobby of mine.”

“Oh yeah?” Sting started to warm up a little. He hadn’t always hated felines, but the ‘dead cats’ made his skin crawl. Up until now he rarely gave cats a second thought. They always scattered when he took over their territory and never caused him any further trouble. Until now.

“The leader, Cicero, he’s got some special kind of power. The others, they’re just plain mean and ornery. But they’re ‘reader cats’,” said Lazer, scrunching his nose, indicating the cats might have some contagious disease. “It makes them peculiar.”

“I noticed that.”

“Perhaps you'd be interested in where they get their power?” Lazer asked.

Sting smiled. Now here was a brother raccoon that actually might be useful to him.