Catlips, Incorporated

Catlips, Incorporated

Copyright © 2018, Sharon Bennett-Gandy

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

ISBN (Print Edition): 978-1-54391-951-6

ISBN (eBook Edition): 978-1-54391-952-3

Book 1

Prologue

Catlips Incorporated: The Beginning

Introducing the Neighborhood Association for the Advancement of Feline Life AKA, NAAFL

Book 2

Oh, That Pesky Leader Just Won’t Go Away!

The Final Showdown

Epilogue

Epilogue to the Epilogue

He walked swiftly yet carefully through the dirty, littered maze of the inner city. These streets had been his home for as long as he could remember but they’d recently turned into a refuge for his enemies and thus, deadly for him.

Eyes darting and ears perked at every sound, he knew his life was at stake with every step of his journey. Still he moved on, the not too comfortable rumbling of the package in his belly a constant reminder of the importance and urgency of his mission.

The small pouch, swallowed for extra safekeeping, held promise for the continued survival of his kind. When he delivered it to where it was to go and its contents were exposed, hundreds if not thousands of lives would be saved.

His mind drifted while he stealthily made his way to the appointed destination. Then he stopped abruptly because his keen ears had picked up an almost indiscernible noise. But when it was not immediately repeated, he continued on, determined to remain focused throughout the rest of the voyage.

Cautious and streetwise as he was, still he did not see. Seemingly out of nowhere he was violently hit across his head and the resulting wound instantly gushed blood. In an effort to thwart the vicious intrusion, he took off in an opposite direction. Weaving his way into an open parking lot, he frantically whipped his head back and forth to locate the physical proof of his phantom attacker. Suddenly he screamed in pain as he was barraged again, but this time the blow was directed to the delicate folds of his vulnerable abdomen.

Now he understood. This was no random assault—a common occurrence around these harsh streets—it was a purposeful violation. They meant to take from him what he so viciously protected.

Despite his agony, he tried to steady himself and figure out a way of escape. Prepared to do battle for the package’s preservation, he struck out desperately in all directions against the unseen enemy, growling and spitting in the process.

However, the ghostly violator had more in store for him. Immediately, a powerful shove sent him airborne and he collided forcefully against a brick wall and fell to the ground unconscious.

Finally, with no fear of discovery or defeat, his assailants surrounded his now still body. They wasted no time. In one swift move, they clawed his belly open, located and snatched out their prize and disappeared into the dark shadows.

He regained consciousness in time to witness their retreating forms. They hadn’t been ghosts after all, he thought. They’d just been faster and stealthier than he. The night air clotted the blood that oozed out of his open torso and he knew they’d stolen what was his mission to protect and deliver.

As the agony from his wounds threatened his consciousness, he appreciated the fact that his failure would cause an evil to be unleashed upon his kind. If he perished right here and now, numerous lives would be affected. But if he miraculously managed to survive, he vowed to destroy the ones who assaulted and stole from him.

He attempted to stand and shield himself from another aggression within the dark pockets of the empty lot, but the grief and pain of his demise got the best of him and he lay motionless. As he slipped into the almost welcoming unconsciousness, he finally acknowledged the simple and grievous truth.

His mission had failed and everything that had been so fiercely guarded was now lost.

Papillion, or Pap as everyone called him, looked out of the big high-rise window in amazement. From his view, he could see the other tall buildings and the busy activity down below on the grounds surrounding his new home.

There were so many cats! This especially excited him because where he’d come from there had been little other felines in the vicinity. His sole, well-loved companion had been a big, black canine with an even larger heart named Charmin.

As youngsters free and largely unsupervised in the vast countryside, they had experienced a countless number of happy and interesting adventures. Suddenly he was struck by a distinct feeling of loss as he accepted that he was not likely to ever see his treasured dog buddy again. Pap’s Mom broke his nostalgic reverie when she lifted him into her arms and cooed over him as usual.

How’s my baby this morning? She kissed the top of his head and set him on the floor and filled his food dish. He thanked his lucky stars he had such a great mom. When she’d first discovered him lost, starving and confused for what seemed like forever, he thought she was his birth mother and he wondered why she didn’t have any fur. After his belly was filled and his mind began to clear, he came to understand that his mother was a human and he was a cat.

Regardless of our differences, she loves the heck out of me, he thought as he munched on his crunchy breakfast. He ate slowly, bidding his time while his mother did what she’d done every morning since they’d arrived. She grabbed her house keys, bid him goodbye and left the apartment. Experience told him she’d be gone for a while and this was precisely the opportunity he’d been waiting for. It was time to explore.

He escaped through a hole underneath the kitchen sink he’d discovered yesterday which had been day three of the four days they had been in their new home. It led into a tunnel that lay behind the back walls of several other apartments and then emptied into a wider passage that steeped steadily downward.

Pap followed the dusty, dark trail all the way down to the bottom floor. Though he didn’t spot anything more interesting than some spiders and other crawly bugs, it took him longer than usual because he’d stopped several times to explore the mysterious alcoves that were situated here and there along the way. Although the heavy accumulation of dust balls made him sneeze, he closely examined each one as they would make good hiding places if he ever had a need for one in the future.

Secret cubbyholes discovered and noted, Pap continued his travels through the tunnel that would lead him to the outside where he’d spied all of the cats from his top floor window. He couldn’t wait to meet them, as he was excited about finally being in the company of other felines. His enthusiasm grew and he walked hastily, no longer allowing for any further distractions. At the end, there was a small screen that covered an opening to the outside and it seemed like it had been carved out especially for him.

After he pushed through the screen barrier, he was finally on the outside and he stared at the wide-open treeless large concrete area that was filled with cats playing and socializing. In the not too distant past, it had been a playground for the humans that resided in the complex before a new modern one had been built a few blocks away and left the old as free reign for the numerous homeless cats in the area.

He stood unnoticed for a moment and took in his surroundings. The day was warm and sunny and he breathed in a deep breath of the scented air. The sun baked concrete heated the soft pads of his feet and the fragrant rotten garbage scattered on the ground stimulated his nostrils. He sat down and licked his fur in an effort to remove some of the dust that had gathered on his back and tail during his explorations. This is a very interesting place, he surmised, as he finished his rushed grooming and walked towards what he assumed would be his new friends.

He looked for an inviting face as he sauntered by but he was either ignored or sneered at. These aren’t the friendliest cats I’ve ever imagined. He was trying to think of a way to break the ice when he looked over to his left and saw her.

Covered in light blonde fur accented with dark swirls that extended from head to toe, she was the most beautiful cat he’d ever seen. As she sat against a post and delicately licked her paws, he marched over.

Argyle’s observant eyes noticed Pap’s approach and she immediately pegged him as one of those stupid, arrogant Downtowners. She could smell the good life all over him and she resented his nerve at once. He probably thinks his rich status will keep any of these Claws from killing him right on the spot. But he’s too dumb to realize that the Claws will gladly off any cat that ain’t a Claw and they don’t care how rich he is. She sighed with defeat at the thought of the bloodshed that was likely to ensue. She was so tired of the killing, of the bullying Claws, of everything.

Her thoughts turned to the acquisition of her next meal which would mean scrounging in the trash bins behind that posh human restaurant a few blocks away. It was more dangerous work than she was in the mood for, as the humans who lounged there tended to throw hurtful objects at strays like her. Plus, the last time she’d gotten a hold of something that had made her stomach hurt for two days. She couldn’t afford to be sick out here in the streets because it left her open to losing her life.

Based on that, she had resigned herself to one of her least favorite, but reliably effective options. She would hang around the intoxicated mostly low-level Claw members and wait until they got too high to know which end was up and then she would convince them to give her some food. Though begging from the gangsters was a serious blow to her pride—they usually had good eats because the business brought in plenty and their head boss Fat Max, had a thing for her—it was easy work for a meal. But no matter how easy and filling it was, being anything more than temporarily associated with the Claws required a price she was unwilling to pay. That expense was membership into a gang that demanded she join in the business of killing cats and Argyle would never be down with that. I would rather die starving on the streets before I ever call myself a Claw and it don’t matter how good of a life they promise.

But now that this idiot has just waltzed into Claw territory and is bound to stir things up and be murdered for his trouble, my plan has just been squashed. I’m not about to sit around and watch another cat get killed even if it is a no good Downtowner. She prepared to make a peaceful exit but then she discovered she was too late because he was already right there in front of her.

****

Hi, I’m Pap. She stopped licking her paws and glared. It was the coldest look he’d ever encountered and from such lovely blue eyes! She didn’t respond, but went back to her grooming though he had the feeling she still watched him.

Now that he was closer he could smell and see she was in great need of a bath and some big meals as she was painfully skinny. He thought of asking her to his new place to share some of his food. I said hi, I’m-

I heard you. I ain’t got nothin’, don’t sell nothin’. All of these cats out here and he has to stop and ask me for nip, and then she fastened her eyes on him with a look that promised violence.

Whoa, I was just going to ask if you wanted some food. You look like you could use it.

Why would you want to give out food to a cat you don’t even know? What do you want? I just told you I ain’t got nothin’. He was starting to seriously aggravate her and she began to consider that he might try to force her to sell him something she didn’t have. If he don’t change his tune soon, I might be the one to put a claw in his shiny fur and show him he’s picking on the wrong kitty.

Why do you keep saying that? His frustration became apparent as he didn’t understand her rudeness. I haven’t asked you for anything. I’m just trying to be friendly. Finally, she took note of his funny accent and the sincere, somewhat hurt look in his eyes. Furthermore, he didn’t have the tell-tale scent of a nip user which even the pampered rich cats acquired no matter how many expensive baths their owners gave them.

Maybe he really wasn’t from downtown like she’d originally thought. But he was obviously well fed and groomed so he looked like one of those rich cats that had only one reason to venture into this part of town. They were never interested in helping the less fortunate cats like her who were forced to live on the streets and scrounge for food. There is something different about this Pap guy though, maybe he is as safe as he claims.

Where you from anyway, you talk funny. She gave him her full and friendliest attention for the first time and Pap relaxed, glad that she was finally making reasonable conversation.

"I don’t know exactly how far from here, but we came a long way. There were lots of trees and grass where I used to live. My best friend was this dog named Charmin and—

A dog! Are you crazy? You lucky he didn’t bite your tail off, no cat that wants to live hangs with a dog! Obviously, she’s had some troubles with dogs, but they’re ok as long as you know how to handle them.

She was my friend, but now I need a new friend to show me around. What’s your name anyway?

Argyle. So you’re from the country, no wonder you’re so weird. Pap decided to ignore that particular comment after all, at least he was nice. Instead, he turned around to observe the other cats on the playground.

Are these guys your friends? She narrowed her eyes as she responded.

Nope, I don’t have any friends. It’s safer that way.

None of these cats look too good, everyone looks like they’re starving. Doesn’t anybody get any food around here? The lackluster, unhealthy parlor of the fellow cats unsettled him. He took great care in his appearance and his clean, shiny coat revealed his attention.

I’m sorry we can’t all look as perfect as you, king. Argyle replied with an envious sarcastic edge. I guess some of us ain’t lucky enough to live the good life in the country, bet there’s no nip out there huh?

Nip, what are you talking about? Pap looked completely confused and she chuckled at his ignorance.

I’m talking about a different type of catnip. You’ve heard of catnip right? Well this stuff is a lot stronger and a lot more dangerous. It’s called nip cause it’s different from the regular stuff humans give their pets. Practically everybody you see out here is on it. It makes you high for a little while and then you get so that’s all you want. Getting nipped or being nipped—that’s what they call the high—gets to be more important than eating, sleeping, playing or whatever.

Pap stared in disbelief as Argyle explained the turmoil of the surrounding felines. With this startling new information, he could now appreciate that their problems ran far deeper than simply too little to eat. Their fur was horrendously unkempt, their breathing strangely labored and they weren’t as sure on their feet like a typical cat should have been. In fact, they look just downright sickly.

You’re saying everyone looks so awful around here because of some bad kind of catnip?

Yep, and it messes up all the great things about being a cat. Her pretty face looked sorrowful. Pap scrutinized her carefully and wondered about her usage. She didn’t look anywhere near as bad as her cohorts but she didn’t look all that healthy either.

You on it too?

Heck no! I ain’t never been on it. I can’t believe any cat would ever sell out to that junk. It must be human made cause they always hooked on something and now they want to see cats messed up too. Pap breathed a sigh of relief at her confessed abstinence. He didn’t really know why as he had just met her, but it would have bothered him greatly if this beautiful girl had succumbed to the obvious debilitating effects of this nip. Argyle stood up and focused her attention on a patch of weeds.

Before he could blink, she stuck out her front leg and scooped up a small brown mouse from the grass. Wow, she’s quick. He had just noticed the rodent and she was already eating it. It’s so small, I’m not even sorry I didn’t catch it myself. Geez, even the mice are starving in this new place!

That was a fast catch but why work so hard for just a little morsel? I’ve got more and better food at my house. Why don’t you come on up and eat?

I don’t know you. You probably really are one of those Downtowner cats just pretending to be from the country so you can steal your nip instead of buy it. Argyle wanted to believe this new cat was as ok as he professed, but she’d seen what happened to those who had made the mistake of trusting the wrong feline. New in the neighborhood or not, she was very much aware of the games some would play to get over on one another. He might be some sort of decoy designed to fool me into becoming an addict.

Pap rolled his eyes in a renewed bout of frustration. This is getting so old. What is up with this girl, why does she insist I’m up to no good? Doesn’t she see I’m only trying to be her friend?

"I already told you I just moved here from the country. Where I’m from there are lots of trees, bigger mice and everybody knows how to be friendly. He over emphasized his last phrase in hopes she might catch the hint. My mother and I just moved here a few days ago."

Your mother, you’re too old to live with your mother. Maybe he’s really just crazy and he ran away from one of those places where they keep cats locked in cages until they lose their minds. This new possibility caused her to back a step away.

I live with my human mother. As you can see she takes great care of me. He stuck his chest out and flicked his tail with pride.

Oh, see I knew you was a loon. Humans are always bad news. She’s probably fattening you up to sell you or something. This pretty girl can say all she wants about me, but I won’t allow her to insult my mother.

Now look here, I don’t know what kind of humans you’ve been around but my Mom is the best there is. If you had good sense you’d come upstairs with me and get some food in your belly. She’d probably take care of you too. We can’t be friends if you’re going to talk bad about my mother, so you can just stop it right now. Pap’s tone conveyed his seriousness and Argyle was taken aback by his protectiveness. She didn’t understand, as she’d never met a human she liked.

I never said I was your frie—

Hey Argyle, who’s your new punk buddy? A scruffy black and white cat kicked dirt and small rocks at Pap as he approached. Pap noted the old, healed scratches and scars on his face and had the distinct feeling there could be trouble, while Argyle knew there already was. I got too involved with friendly weirdo here and let my guard down and now these nipped Claws are going to kick his country butt.

He’s new around here Poppy. Why don’t you just leave him alone? He ain’t botherin’ you.

He talkin’ to Fat Max’s girl, he botherin’ me. Poppy stopped close and Pap realized this cat meant to hurt him badly. Argyle fluffed her tail and stepped in front, her face just inches away from Poppy’s. A low, warning growl rose from her throat.

I said leave him alone! Won’t be no trouble if you don’t start none. Argyle’s body tensed and she slowly moved her frizzed tail from side to side to illustrate her growing agitation. She seemed fearless despite the fact the tough looking Poppy outweighed her by at least 5 pounds. Pap on the other hand, was very afraid. His eyes scanned the surroundings and searched for a way out, but there was none.

The other cats on the playground—each of them looked as tough and hardened as Poppy—gathered around them in an efficiently tight, silent circle. Argyle crouched down low to the ground and rustled the fur on her back. Abruptly, she hissed and swung her paw across Poppy’s cheek so fast it was a blur and he yelped in pain.

Pap run! She shouted as she squatted even lower and shot between Poppy’s legs and underneath his torso. Pap reared back and pushed hard off his hind feet and hoped his jump would clear the rapidly constricting circle. As he crossed over the top, a plug of hair was ripped out of the tip of his tail but he managed to make it over of what would surely have been his death ring. Argyle had just saved him from an ugly situation. Temporarily dazed by the sudden events, he stood still on the other side until Argyle plowed into his shoulder and almost knocked him over.

Come on! She raced toward an open field while Pap looked behind him and saw Poppy and about seven significantly angry cats rushing towards them. He turned and ran after her, hoping he would live to see another meal.

Natasha walked slowly through the salon, admiring and scrutinizing at the same time. Her salon, her creation, always had to look perfect. Kris, her salon counterpart, sometimes didn’t understand that concept but Natasha lived by it. She found only a few items out of place and after she nudged them with an outstretched leg into their correct positions, she sat down on her oversized, ultra-plushy bed and groomed herself.

The Fur&Nail salon had begun as Natasha’s dream. She always liked to look glamorous with the perfectly groomed fur and poise of a professional show cat and she understood the problem of not being able to access the best products to make that a reality. Being a homeless stray with no loving human to look after her welfare made an easy life a distant dream for cats like her. She wanted to provide the best products to those who wouldn’t get it otherwise. At least, it had started out that simple anyway.

But now a mere six years after embarking upon her ambition, she was locked securely in Fat Max’s web. She was the big boss’s girl or more truthfully one of them, and she was partly the reason why his business was so big today. Besides, it had seemed so harmless in the beginning.

Max had assigned them to lure in the customers with the quality work of the salon, offer them a small sample of nip and then they would leave addicted to both. Now Natasha knew so many strung out cats, she realized she’d helped create monsters. The power of the nip was so strong many cats would do anything to get it. And she’d started it all by giving them that one little seemingly innocent taste at their first visit.

It had been Fat Max’s idea. He said it created a supply and demand market that could make them big money. As a result, the Fur&Nail had become the biggest distributor of nip and the headquarters of the Claws, the violent cat gang who manufactured and sold the product.

All she’d wanted was to help cats look good, but she’d managed to make them addicted to a substance that ensured they would look like crap. This in turn, brought them more frequently to her salon to cover up the effects of the nip and score more of the drug. And on and on it continued until the vicious cycle inevitably ended in destruction. Natasha had lost count of the many young and promising lives that had been prematurely cut short. The one thing that helped ease her guilt was the prestige. Having grown up homeless, she now looked like any typical honored house animal and she lived like those revered Downtowner cats that had the rich owners and only gave their pets the best of the best.

But she dreamed of owning a business that didn’t offer drugs to its clients and of sleeping without the myriad of lost feline lives on her conscience. When she’d asked Fat Max for the go-ahead to start her own salon, he’d laughed in her face citing she could never leave, that she was a Claw for life.

Then Natasha told him she was departing instead of requesting and his response was to scratch her face so badly, she couldn’t show it in public for a week. Then on a day when she hadn’t mentioned her desired exit, Fat Max had quietly whispered in her ear, he would kill her if she ever tried to get away. It was that softly spoken sentence that had frightened her the most because she knew he meant what he said.

However, it only strengthened her resolve because no matter what, she would get out or die trying. But she needed funds to do so. Fat Max strictly rationed all of her and Kris’s earnings and gave them just enough to provide for their personal needs and no more. Her only solution was to slowly and carefully steal it and if the boss caught on he would surely eliminate her, but she didn’t plan on getting caught.

As Natasha cleaned her beautiful, white Persian fur, her business partner and long-time friend Kris, an equally beautiful black Persian, spoke secretly in the back room with an unusually quiet Fat Max. He was convinced Natasha was leaving some of the Fur&Nail profits unreported and was stashing money away from him. He couldn’t allow that so he was using her most trusted confidant as a spy. Kris had always had a soft heart for the big boss so she was more than happy to boot Natasha out of the top position by confirming her possible illegal activity. It’s time for her to retire anyway, thought Max. She’s getting too much of a conscience and it’s getting in the way of the money.

Scratch stood guard at the gang’s main dugout as he’d done a thousand times in the seven years he’d known Fat Max. They had been friends as kittens and he’d been there when all Max had were his dreams and ambitions. He didn’t contemplate too hard about how they’d become so mean. They’d been homeless, poor, hungry and they had to fight for even the smallest morsel on the streets, so there had been little choice over their level of cruelty if they wished to survive.

In those days, Max would fill Scratch’s ears nightly about how things would be if they ever got their paws around the type of money and status like the Downtowners enjoyed. He had always said if he ever got rich, nothing or no one would ever take it away. But Scratch had never believed in his wildest dreams that they would ever become so big. All over town, every cat and many dogs shuddered at the mere mention of the Claws. In the beginning, he’d been a little put off by all the violence they inflicted on other cats but Max had assured him it was necessary to let everybody know they meant business.

It was common knowledge the drug they sold gave most cats a false sense of bravado. Somebody it seemed was always testing them, which was why he didn’t trust just any cat to guard this particular dugout. Fat Max had a ton of cats working for him but it was only Scratch as his second in command that ever stood watch at this vulnerable location. Of all the different hideouts under Claw influence, this one was where the chief spent most of his time when he wasn’t on the streets or up at the salon. It was up to Scratch and those under him to make sure no one broke into it and tried to get even with the Claw leader.

Protecting the boss was Scratch’s most important job as far as he was concerned. Max made sure he never wanted for anything so he would willingly give his life before anyone so much as touched a whisker on Fat Max. The only part of his duties he didn’t care for was watching over the other forty or so cats Max employed to sell the nip and protect the business. The problem lay in the fact that he paid these cats with nip. Most of them were so often under the influence, it was a full-time job to make sure they did their jobs. Scratch usually had to resort to violence or take their drug away just to get a decent day’s work out of them.

He personally never touched the stuff because he liked to be in optimal shape to do the best job. But I can never understand why they can’t wait until after work to get high. Max is the reason for this life of luxury and they owe him their best work. He’d tried to get the boss to see his point but the Claw leader believed a high cat was easier to control. Scratch sighed as he reflected on their latest discussion on the subject. It’s easy for him to see things that way because he isn’t the one out here struggling to keep these brothers and sisters in check!

If only we could get miss high and mighty Argyle on the team. She was tough and she was clean and Scratch loved that in her even if she was a female. He generally didn’t trust women and he heavily resented the fact Max had put two females in charge of the place where they made much of their profits. But if he were forced to pick a girl to run any type of Claw business, he would surely pick Argyle.

However, every attempt to bring Argyle on their side of the camp had failed. She seemed to prefer to remain a loner until now. Scratch wondered who that rich looking cat was that had been with her earlier. He’d never seen him before and he knew practically everyone. Though I don’t blame the guy for trying to make the moves on her cause she is quite a looker. Nevertheless, it was a stupid move because despite Argyle’s protests, she was indeed Fat Max’s girl. The head honcho wanted her badly and Max always got what he wanted, it was just a matter of time.

Finally, Argyle stopped running when they got to the middle of another open lot. By the time Pap caught up with her she already had another pitifully tiny field mouse in her mouth. She’s gonna’ have to eat fifty of those things to get halfway full .

I thought you weren’t ever gonna’ stop! Haven’t we lost them by now? He panted heavily as he lived too well to work so hard.

You can never run far enough from those guys. She replied around the mouse between her jaws.

Who were they anyway?

The ‘Welcome Committee’. They don’t like you, ya’ know. Pap failed to appreciate her sarcasm.

I can see that! He had begun to lose patience with the whole situation as this was not the type of exploring he’d had in mind. I don’t want to get hurt or possibly even killed because of some gang of nasty kitties. What is going on in this new place that makes cats want to hurt one another? I can understand arguing over territory, but fighting over some harmless catnip? Catnip makes me feel good and relaxed, the last thing