Merilee didn’t see fire when she opened her eyes. No, instead she saw the dashboard of the Lexus.
It appeared that Angelina had scooped up her body and carried her to the car, laying her on the front seat.
Merilee gave a soft groan as she stretched, her back feeling scrunched together. Being blown against the ceiling had kind of stuck with her this time.
“You’re awake?” Angelina asked. She reached out a hand and for the first time, scritched Merilee just right along her jaw line. “Are you okay?”
Merilee shook herself and stretched some more. No, she wasn’t okay. She was certain that her beautiful, luxurious fur had diminished. It wasn’t scraggly, not yet, but it would be. The toe beans on her footpads were no longer pink and soft, but had changed to a darker color, and were cracked. Her claws, too, weren’t as white. A few of them had yellowed significantly. She knew if she wasn’t careful using them, they’d crack and splinter.
“Mrrrow,” Merilee said after a few moments. She gave a soft sigh as she forced herself to stand up and look at Angelina who sat in the driver’s seat.
“I know,” Angelina said. “I’m sorry I didn’t even know his name,” she said after a few moments. She turned to look at Merilee. “Do you know what caused the explosion?”
Another firetruck came whining toward the trailer park.
Merilee nodded and stared hard into Angelina’s eyes.
Amulet. In wall.
“There was an amulet in the trailer? Imbedded in the wall?” Angelina said, shocked. “Why? Who would do that?”
“Mrrow,” Merilee replied. She didn’t know. Perhaps it had been one of the other thugs. Probably the same person who had placed the amulet in the rear wheel well of Angelina’s car.
“And, what, it went off in my presence?” Angelina continued.
Again, Merilee didn’t know for certain, but that certainly would have been her guess.
“Someone is really out to get me,” Angelina said, looking away from Merilee, staring out of the front window of the car while she thought.
“Look, I know you’re tired. I’m tired too,” she said. “But we’re going to need to confront the other two thugs tonight.”
Merilee wanted to yowl in response. Angelina had no idea how tired she was, how much effort it took to drag herself back to life every time. Faint memories of the pain made her paws tingle and her nose twitch.
But if whoever had placed those amulets was willing to kill, Angelina and Merilee had to keep moving.
“I’m going to set up a meeting with Nialto and Bennet,” Angelina told her.
Merilee nodded and dropped back down onto the seat. Angelina turned the car on and pressed a button.
Glorious warmth sprang up from the seat. Oh, this was heaven. Merilee had forgotten that Angelina’s car had seat warmers up front.
She purred and stretched out, letting the seat absorb whatever cold had remained from her last death. She may have even fallen asleep. It wasn’t until she realized that the car had stopped moving, that it had been moving, that she opened her eyes again.
“Mrrow?” she inquired, standing and stretching.
“Nialto and Bennet are meeting us at the wastewater reclamation plant,” Angelina told her.
Merilee gave a deep kitty sigh at the news. Of course. They’d want to meet near water. Someplace that they believed would put them at an advantage.
“I won’t let them drown you again,” Angelina said firmly.
Merilee couldn’t help but roll her eyes at that. Her sister wouldn’t be able to protect her. She knew that, deep in her bones. No, Merilee just had to make certain that the thugs couldn’t catch her.
How had Angelina gotten Nialto and Bennet to agree to meet with her at all? What had she promised them? Merilee wasn’t certain she wanted to know. Particularly not given the slightly sour smell of her sister.
Merilee leaped over the armrest between the seats, landing in Angelina’s lap. It wasn’t that comfortable, not with the steering wheel right there. She licked at her sister’s neck, chasing away the vinegary scent.
“All right. All right!” Angelina said after a few moments. She wrapped her hands around Merilee’s torso and pulled her back. “I had to power the magic somehow,” she said. The more familiar scent of her anger rose up.
“Mrrow,” Merilee said. She didn’t care. Angelina was going to slide back if she wasn’t more careful. She shoved her face forward again, licking Angelina’s nose.
“I get it!” Angelina said. “Fine. I won’t dip into the stronger stuff. Even if we need it.”
Merilee sighed. She knew that as soon as push came to shove, Angelina would backslide.
Would it be more difficult to clean her a second time? Just as it was harder for Merilee to come back to life? Probably.
Merilee growled deep in her chest, so that Angelina could feel the rumble against her fingers more than she could hear it.
Angelina sighed. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have done it.”
The sour smell started to dissipate.
Good. The Great Angelina needed to stay more humble, to remember her place, to not push so hard.
They’d get through this.
Merilee looked at her sister, then back at the other seat.
Angelina actually caught the hint and lifted Merilee over the armrest.
“Mrrow?” Merilee asked.
“What’s the plan?” Angelina asked. She gave a bitter laugh. “Well, to start with, we tell them what happened to Thing Two. His name was Daryl, by the way.”
That was good to know. Merilee nodded, encouraging Angelina to go on.
“They have to know that they’re being set up by Richard. That they’re completely expendable, as far as Richard is concerned,” Angelina continued.
Dick the Elf Merilee corrected in her head.
“So it will be in their best interests to work for me, rather than to keep working for Richard,” Angelina continued.
“Mrrow?” Merilee said. That’s it?
Angelina gave Merilee a brilliant smile. “Plus, I have a call scheduled to go in to the authorities to report trespassing on the site if they don’t agree.”
Merilee bobbed her head, giggling.
It wasn’t the greatest plan. However, it was what they had given their general lack of preparation.
Hopefully, it would be enough.