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Secrets In The Dark	By : Daniella Category: +S through Z > SwatKats Views: 1763 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own SwatKats, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 16
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Chapter Sixteen

“Talking”

‘Thoughts’

Rick was the first to recover from the shocking news, quickly wrapping his arms around Dena to comfort her. What a horrible choice to make…protecting her new mate or the last living member of her family. He grieved for her, knowing full well what her choice would have to be.

“I’m so sorry, Dena.” He said softly.

“Oh Rick…how can I do this? My brother’s the rogue and holding my mate hostage. My own brother!” She choked bitterly.

“You will because you must!” Rick said firmly, shaking her a bit by the shoulders.

Dena gaped at Rick in surprise at his rough treatment then took a deep breath and settled herself. “You’re right! There must be a way to save both of them. I just have to find it.” She said, coming to a decision.

“How can you say that!” Razor shouted finally finding his own voice.

“What would you have me say, Razor? That my brother should die just to save T-Bone? What would your partner say about that?” She said sharply, rising to her feet to face the infuriated SWAT Kat.

“I’m sorry your brother is the rogue but he’s killed and shouldn’t be shown any mercy. Add to that cold blooded crime he’s kidnapped your own mate! That’s all you need to concentrate on!” Razor growled angrily.

“It’s not that simple, Razor…” Dena started to argue back before Rick came between them.

“Stop it! There’s no time for this bickering. Razor! You should head back to your hangar and begin working on other shield. Dena and I will take care of my brother.”

Razor grumbled under his breath still hot from his argument with Dena but he knew Rick was right. He reached into a pocket of his G-suit and pulled out a small device.

“Here take this. I’ll contact you when I’ve finished altering T-Bone’s glovatrix.” He said flatly, handing over the comm to Rick. Without another word, he turned on his heel and stalked away.

The distant slam of a door signaled the departure of the SWAT Kat which stirred the pair into action. They’d been standing silently each in their own thoughts until the noise jarred them. Dena huffed out a frustrated breath as she looked down at her once best friend.

“Come on! We need to take Zachary to a holding cell.” She said reluctantly, making a spell gesture toward the downed Iriomkat.

Zachary whined when the paralyzing spell hit him. He couldn’t move any part of his body. Now that he couldn’t escape, Dena leaned down and pulled an arm up to drape around her shoulder as Rick did the same on the other side. Between them they easily carried Zachary out of the gym and down the stairs.

No one was about as they walked past the high school and down the street to Dena’s car. She leaned forward and opened the back door. Releasing Zachary, she allowed Rick to lay the male on the back seat and wrap a seat belt over his waist to hold him in place. He slammed the door then went around to the passenger side and slide in. Dena was already in the driver’s seat and starting the engine.

She drove to another part of the city where an abandoned hospital stood looking worn and decayed. Just like the high school, the building was more than it seemed. These buildings were bought by the Iriomkats to serve various purposes that hid them better from Kat kind.

Dena drove past the hospital until she came to an alley running beside it and turned. She drove until she reached a small side door where employees used to enter. She parked beside the building and shut off the engine.

Rick jumped out and went to the back door and opened it. He reached in and undid the seat belt and hauled Zachary out. Dena was already waiting to help. They carried him to the door where she opened it and they stepped through. The door closed silently behind them. It was obvious the door was well maintained.

They walked down a short hallway until they reached the main lobby of the old hospital and went to the second of a pair of elevators. Here again, the elevator had power and was working well even if its exterior look dusty and unused. They got into the car and Rick reached out to a strange looking keypad that was there instead of floor buttons. He tapped in a code, the doors closed and they moved downward.

“Dena…I…” Zachary tried to say.

“Don’t say anything.” Dena said coldly, ignoring him.

Zachary swallowed unhappily but stayed silent. The elevator stopped and the doors snapped open. Stepping out they moved their prisoner down a short hall and went through a door. Lining the walls here were cells. At the entrance to the hall was a guard post. Two guards eyed them questioningly. They recognized Dena immediately.

“What’s going on Commander?” The oldest of the pair asked.

Clearing her suddenly tight throat, Dena said grimly, “Zachary Bishop has been caught aiding and abetting the rogue. He’s to face the council for his crime. Lock him up until they summon him.”

The older guard nodded grimly. He gestured his partner to go ahead of them to open a cell. “Follow me.” He said.

Dena and Rick carried Zachary after the pair of guards. The cell was waiting when they walked up to it. They carried their prisoner into the cell and laid him on the bed then turned and went out of the cell. Dena cast a reversal spell and Zachary sighed in relief, able to move again.

Rick looked at his brother in sorrow and anger. The older guard prepared to lay a warding spell over the cell when Dena held up a palm to stop him.

He looked at her in surprise. “Commander?”

“I’ll lay the initial warding spell. We don’t want him to find a way to warn the rogue.” She said firmly.

“Are you suggesting my spells won’t be sufficient?” The guard growled, affronted.

“No. But too much is riding on him not being able to get out by a sympathizer among your ranks or finding another way to reach the rogue. We can’t take any chances. I will lay the first layer of spells then you will lay yours on top.” She explained calmly.

“Ah....I see. Very well.” He said in understanding and waited for her.

Dena then stood in front of the cell her paws raised. Concentrating, she laid out the spell in her mind then cast it. Her paws glowed a silver-blue before she pushed it toward the cell, encompassing it. Lowering her paws, satisfied the spell had set the way she wanted, she turned and nodded at the guard. The guard in turn concentrated his paws glowing a gold color as he pushed his own spell at the cell. It merged with Dena’s and glowed purple for a moment then disappeared. Dena nodded in approval then turned to leave without saying a word. Rick kept to her side and said nothing until they climbed aboard the elevator and were going back up.

“Dena that was a three layered warding spell. You don’t think they noticed that?” Rick asked glancing over his shoulder.

“No one has seen such a spell since my father’s time and even then it was rare. If you noticed, the guard never thought there was anything amiss. Now we wait for Razor to contact us.” She said quietly then glanced at her companion and was surprised to see his look of approval for the extra caution she’d taken, she blushed at that and turned away.

As they walked across the lobby for the side door her steps slowed then finally halted short of the door. The past few hours caught up with her and she worried how her mate was doing and how long they would have to wait for Razor.

Sensing her anxiety, Rick placed a paw on her shoulder and squeezed gently. She turned her head and looked at him. He gave her an encouraging smile and she returned it with a wane one of her own. She moved again and they went out the door and to her car. They decided to just wait in the car for Razor’s call.

Fortunately, it wasn’t too much later, when Razor finally contacted them and told them he would meet them at the warehouse Dena had seen in Zachary’s mind. Dena gave Razor the address and started her engine. As the three took off for the warehouse, something odd was happening at their destination.

Outside the warehouse, a cloaked figure was approaching a side door. Surrounding the figure were pink creatures that chattered and flapped around.

"Quiet!” Dark Kat commanded softly and received instant silence as he moved to unlock the door.

He slid it open quietly and slipped inside, closing the door once his minions had gotten in as well. He ordered the creeplings to do a search of the premises to insure there was no one in here that shouldn’t be.

In very short order, a creepling returned in a hurry. It shrieked and pointed back the way it had come. A scowl lit Dark Kat’s features at being told there were intruders using his warehouse.

He needed to see to this immediately. He signaled the creepling to lead the way and he stalked further into the building. As he passed through an alleyway of boxes and crates he came out into an area that held large cages. Frowning, he studied the occupants of the cages. The prisoners hadn’t discovered him yet.

The cage nearest to him, held a she-kat with two kittens that were clinging to her. In the cage across from hers, a male was standing near the bars with the distinctive markings of an Iriomkat and next to his was, of all things, a SWAT Kat.

“Well, well what have we here? An unexpected treasure right under my nose.” Dark Kat rumbled in surprised pleasure. His voice startled the prisoners.

T-Bone went cold as he took up a defensive stance. “Dark Kat!”

Dark Kat walked into the space and over to T-Bone’s cage.

“What a perfect place for you!” He smirked then glanced at the other male. “An Iriomkat. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen your kind......alive anyway.” He drawled, making Bruce’s fur stand on end with its menace.

“What are you doing here? And how do you know what he is?” T-Bone demanded, watching his enemy cautiously.

“This is my warehouse and as to why I’m here. I need the materials for the up coming war of course. And I’ve known about these creatures for over fifty years ever since the last rogue appeared.” Dark Kat said in amusement.

“War?! What war?!” T-Bone blurted in shock.

Dark Kat snorted. “The one about to take place between Kats and Iriomkats. They fear each other too much to ever be friends. First blood has already been drawn. It’s only a matter of time before the Kats retaliate.”

“And you’re planning to use the war to take over the city.” Bruce said flatly already guessing Dark Kat’s plan.

“That might happen......if he was still alive!” A familiar cold voice stated.

Dark Kat whirled around to face Demon who was standing a short distance from him. The omega blinked at the sight of dead creeplings just behind the Iriomkat. Demon had killed them so swiftly, they hadn’t had a chance to warn their master.

“You dare.......” Dark Kat growled furiously turning to get away knowing how dangerous these creatures were and not willing to confront him at this time when the advantage wasn’t his.

A bolt of energy slammed into a crate where Dark Kat had been. The omega dodged another bolt aimed at him before finding an escape route through some crates on the other side of the cages and went running down it out of sight. Demon growled furiously. No way would some ego maniac Kat interfere with his plans. He had to be silenced immediately there was just too much at stake.

“I’ll deal with him now and you later T-Bone.” Demon promised as he took off to follow Dark Kat’s trail, his paws glowing with energy.

“He’s going to kill him.” Bruce said

“Good that will give us time to try and get out of here.” T-Bone said without remorse. “Bruce do you know how to bring the spell down?”

Bruce touched the cage bars briefly. It sparked a moment before fading away.

“No, this is not a common spell so I can’t break it without using almost all my energy. However, if we both tried, we might succeed.” He said thoughtfully.

“Huh? I can’t do magic. I don’t know the first thing about magic!” T-Bone objected.

“You’re mated to an Iriomkat, aren’t you?” Bruce asked.

“Yeah, so?”

“So you’re now linked to magic through your mate. I’ll do the work. All I need from you is the energy you share with your mate.” Bruce told him, reaching for the tom’s paw.

T-Bone stared at the paw for a moment before placing his paw in Bruce’s. T-Bone gasped as he began to feel some of his own energy leaving his body and traveling into Bruce. The Iriomkat concentrated and pushed a dispersal spell against the one on the bars making it spark.

Unknown to them, outside the warehouse Dena, Rick and Razor had just arrived and were planning on how to enter the warehouse.

“When you find T-Bone, Dena, give him this.” Razor said handing her the altered glovatrix.

“Right!” She said, taking it from him and putting it in her coat pocket.

As they made their way to the side door the sound of breaking glass made them look up in time to see a blot of energy shoot out to the sky.

“T-Bone!” Dena cried out in fear.

Without waiting for the other two, Dena grabbed the door and yanked it open, charging into the room. Razor and Rick were hot on her heels. As they made their way through the dim warehouse they heard fighting.

Dena prayed it wasn’t T-Bone and her brother. They followed the sounds and found dead creeplings and the prisoners but not where the fighting was coming from.

“T-Bone!” Razor and Dena said in unison spotting the tiger tabby standing near a set of cages with Bruce.

T-Bone turned in surprise to see Razor, Dena and Rick running toward them. Dena ran to his side immediately and he wrapped a protective arm around her pulling her close so he could nuzzle her neck drawing her scent in to reassure himself she was truly here.

He looked past them and asked, “Where’s Zachary?”

“In an Iriomkat cell. We discovered what he was up to and forced him to tell us where you were.” Dena said quietly.

“Oh, Dena! I’m sorry, I know he was a friend of yours.” T-Bone said gently.

“I .....” She started to say before she was interrupted.

“I hate to break this little reunion, but I need help here.” Bruce said urgently, as he stood near his mate’s cage.

“Oh, sorry.” Dena said pulling away from T-Bone and going over to the cage to study its defenses. It sparked at her touch as it had for Bruce earlier.

Dena frowned unhappily. “It’s the same one I used at the prison.”

“Can you break it?” Bruce asked, hopefully.

She nodded, “Stand back.”

Bruce did so while Lesley moved her kittens and herself back. Dena placed her paws between the bars again speaking the spell. Her paws released a golden red bolt that wrapped around the cage. The cage then glowed a silver blue before fading away. Dena dropped her paws and moved back. Bruce moved forward zipping the lock away. He opened the cage door allowing his mate and kittens out.

T-Bone and Razor watched as Bruce’s mate and kittens raced toward their mate and father. Bruce greeted them in relief. But the tender scene was cut short as Rick suddenly cried out in pain. He stumbled a bit then fell. He looked behind the others and stared in horror. The others whirled around to see Demon standing on the other side of the cages where Dark Kat had fled. He was covered in blood spatter and his arms were deeply clawed.

“Rick, get Bruce and his family out of here!” Dena shouted automatically standing before her brother to allow them to escape. T-Bone and Razor stood at her side.

Rick grunted in pain but got to his feet and gathered the others and hustled them toward the exit.

“Be careful, Dena!” He called over his shoulder.

“No one’s going anywhere!” Demon growled, firing a bolt passed the group in front of him but Rick had managed to duck and keep going.

Before Demon could fire another shot at the departing Iriomkats, Razor raised his glovatrix and erected the special shield moving to block.

Demon’s next shot hit that shield and Razor grunted at the force of it. The Iriomkat’s eyes widened in shock as his bolt came back at him. His quick reflexes saved him as he threw himself to the side out of the way.

Dena hurriedly pulled the altered glovatrix from her pocket and tossed it to her mate. “T-Bone, catch! Razor already altered it. Get out of here and guard the others while I deal with my brother.” She ordered.

Before T-Bone could object Dena was already gathering her energy and firing it at Demon. He ducked again. As she gathered more energy for another shot and moved forward to block her brother from her mate Demon snapped at her.

“Get out of the way, Dena! I don’t want to hurt you again!”

“No! Give it up Demon! If you do I’ll help you the best I can once this is over.” Dena pleaded with him.

“I’m not giving up! You know what Kats did to our family and to me personally! How can you just stand there and help them!?” He shouted, furious with her.

“Because not all Kats are bad just as not all Iriomkats are good!” She argued.

Demon roared angrily and quickly gathered energy firing it at the SWAT Kats still trying not to hurt his sister. T-Bone grabbed Dena and raised his shield just as Razor was doing and deflected the bolt. When the energy splashed away they discovered Demon was gone.

“T-Bone let me go! I have to go after him!” Dena said angrily. She didn’t want to break her mates arms but she would get free.

“Not without me you’re not and I’m not leaving!” T-Bone stated flatly as he released her.

She sighed in resignation. Her mate was one stubborn Kat.

T-Bone turned to his partner, “Razor take the left side we’ll take the right.”

Razor nodded, “Alert me if you cross Demon. I’ll do the same if I run into him.”

With that Razor took off moving quickly and quietly while T-Bone and Dena did the same. They had only gone a short ways when their noses picked up the gruesome scent of burned fur. They didn’t say anything as they raced to where the scent was coming from and came upon a burned form. Its clothes told them who it was.

“Dark Kat.” T-Bone muttered softly, kneeling to take a closer look.

“He was here?” Dena asked in surprise but kept her eyes watching their surroundings.

“Yeah, but it looks like we don’t have to worry about him anymore.” He sighed then felt pain around his neck. He whirled back to his feet and saw Demon holding his sister by the throat.

Trying to ignore the pain they shared, T-Bone moved slowly close to Demon. “Let her go!”

“No!” Demon said tightening his hold T-Bone could feel his air being cut off as well.

“Demon…” Dena gasped, struggling to get her brother to let her go.

“Be quiet!” He snapped at her. “I’m not going to allow this! My sister is not being mated to some disgusting creature like you anymore!” Demon snarled furiously. “I’ll make sure of it!”

While T-Bone tried to reach Demon despite being choked he watched in horror as Demon placed his paw on his sister’s stomach and shot a jolt of energy through her body. T-Bone screamed with Dena at the searing pain. Rage roared through him temporarily swamping the bond and allowing him to lunge at Demon.

Demon was so focused on punishing his sister he didn’t see T-Bone charging toward him until the SWAT Kat was on top of him. The three fell to the floor. Demon released Dena and she rolled away in agony her body shaking. T-Bone was thrown off Demon as well and before he could jump back on the Iriomkat, Demon snatched the tom by the throat and squeezed.

T-Bone clawed at Demon’s arms struggling to get some kind of purchase to break the other male’s hold. Through his fading vision, he could see Demon grinning viciously at him. With what little strength he had left T-Bone used his unsheathed claws to swipe at Demon not knowing where he would land his blow since he could no longer see.

Dena had been gasping and choking when her mate was gripped by her brother. Through oxygen starved eyes she watched in horror as T-Bone’s claws slashed across her brother’s throat ripping it open. Blood flowed out of Demon like a river making him let go of the tom’s throat.

The Iriomkat stood up in shock clapping both his paws over his throat to try and stop the bleeding. It did no good. As he lost more blood and his breathing was inhibited, he wheezed and gasped. He fell to the ground and gargled as if drowning, which he was. He looked over at his sister helplessly then his eyes rolled up and he went still.

As T-Bone got his breath back he rubbed his neck and watched as Demon went still and his life blood pooled on the floor. Horrified, he moved to the stricken Iriomkat’s side and checked his pulse but there was none. He looked over at Dena, who was finally sitting up rubbing her throat and saw her shocked stare.

“D-Dena....I.....I wasn’t trying to kill him.... I swear!” He pleaded anxiously.

Dena shook her head and struggled to her feet. She wouldn’t look at him as she staggered away from the scene of death. T-Bone tried to rise to follow her but his body was too oxygen starved to obey yet.

“T-Bone!” Razor shouted as he came running up to him.

Razor spotted Demon and saw the blood on the floor then on T-Bone’s paw. He heard footsteps and saw Dena walking away. Frowning with worry, he knelt down near his partner and placed a paw on his shoulder.

T-Bone stared at him in anguish. “Razor, I didn’t mean to kill him! I swear, he was choking me....I couldn’t breath....I didn’t even see what I was aiming for...... I…I…”

“Easy buddy. I know you didn’t mean it. Just…just give Dena time to see that. Right now, I think she’s confused on what to do and how to react.” Razor said comforting his best friend the best he could.
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Secrets In The Dark