Cats Paw Part 3

Four days has passed since my grandstand play in Bayport; and the plan was succeeding magnificently. I had made the cover pages of both Bayport's and Queen City's newspapers; been talked about in all the national tabloids, been a joke on Conan O'Brien's monologue. The spin had been wild, and my new publicist Tad, had been hard pressed for a good, simple quote.

But the little wonder had managed to book me on "Good Morning Queen City" with Jackie Marks. I was sitting on the set with the sexy blonde reporter, chatting amiably before the lights came on and the real meat of the interview came up.

"So is he really all that?" she asked. I smiled.

"Yes--but lets save some of this for the viewers, Ms Marks."

"Call me Jackie." I smiled again, a bit nervous.

The lights came on and I saw the director point at us with his clipboard.

"Thanks for watching Good Morning Queen City. I'm here with White Owl, who's taken a bit of time to answer some questions. White Owl all the speculation in the past few months is out in the open. It is now apparent that you've become attached to the most powerful man on the face of the earth. That's quite a coup in anyone's book. But the question all of us want to know, is how did you do it?"

"I'm not quite sure myself, Jackie," I gushed. "I think I fell for him a couple of years ago, shortly after I was recruited for the Guild. Captain Valiant always seemed to stand off. But eventually I realized he wasn't being aloof; he was shy.

"Jackie's face dropped in surprise. "Captain Valiant is SHY?!?"

"Terribly shy. It seems he really didn't know how to be anything more than Valiant. And I think he was worried about his pristine image. If he ceased being heroic, he was afraid the public would turn against him--thinking less of him."

"So you're saying Captain Valiant..."

"Really had no idea how to be with a woman--and no one to show him. I'm not saying he wasn't interested, but he had no idea how to proceed. So I was taken one night when he showed up and asked if he could court me."

Jackie's head rolled back, her tawny blonde hair shimmering in the lights as she struggled to keep from laughing. "You're serious?"

I nodded. "He really was old fashioned, and very much the gentleman."

"Well surely you've enlightened him to the 21st century?"

"Over time, yes." I buried my face into my palm, grinning. "But a lady doesn't tell."

Jackie caught my cue, "And this is still family television. Thank you White Owl. Let me say, we're all glad to have you helping to protect the city."

"My pleasure, Jackie." The set went black and I pulled the lavaliere mike from my leotard. I shook hands all 'round, then exited the set to find Tad tapping his foot anxiously.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing. But I can't figure out your angle on this one Boss Lady. Normally you're as solitary as an oyster and shunning all the spotlight. But this..." Tad shook his head and I smiled.

"Look, trust me. Its going to help keep the city safe. Go on, head back to the office and work on some of your other clients. I'll be in touch tomorrow to let you know what the next step is." I didn't add, "If we need it." I was fairly certain the trap had been properly baited.

That night, I flew a solo patrol over Queen City. Captain Valiant had been called to DC to accept an award from the president and to liaise with Bureau of Metahuman Affairs. I was successful overall, stopping two carjackers and a drug sale in the space of two hours. About eleven o'clock I was about to pull it in for the night when I spotted a woman in a party dress being accosted by three men in dark leather jackets and heads bound in bandannas. The men's slurred words indicated they were drunk, but they had the woman surrounded. One of the men grabbed her purse, and a second man pushed her against a minivan parked along the curb.

"C'mon baby--we wanna party longer!" I heard a shriek following that and I couldn't wait any longer. I dove from the rooftop and scattered the trio as easily as picking up a spare.

I turned to the woman, interposing myself between her and the drunks. I tossed my phone to her.

"Run!" I shouted. "Press one on the phone and run. That will bring the police."

The woman took off and I saw her punching buttons on the phone. Satisfied, I whirled and cut the drunk gang bangers down in a short dance of kicks and punches. The men dropped to the ground, woozy. I got on one knee and grabbed the nearest punk.

"OK, roll over," I said, rolling his sagging form onto his stomach. I rose to a crouch to pull the Zip Ties from my belt. I heard footsteps behind me--women's boots it sounded like.

"I told you to run!" I said. Then a bright light and searing pain creased my skull. My knees turned to rubber and I dropped backwards, then pitched onto my face. I pushed up trying to get to my knees and felt the heavy sap fall against the back of my cranium once more. I drooped to the ground.

As darkness swallowed me, I saw the bright pink boots. "All right boys, wrap her up in the gunny sack and chain her in the back of the van. We have a timetable--and the pretty birdie here has a deadline!"

I was blissfully unaware as I was lowered into the back of the minivan...

To be concluded....