Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 60: The Feline Lord

Gray shrugged. "That's all I heard and I went back to searching the trash."

Nancy scattered another handful of biscuit crumbs. "Thank you, Gray. This information is critical!"

Gray stared at the mountain of crumbs with wide, glistening eyes. "You’re the best human ever! If I'm able to help out next time, can I get to eat the same cookies?"

Nancy smiled and nodded. Rats were highly intelligent rodents with sharp minds. "Of course. There’s always a reward for helping me."

Gray was overjoyed. "Then, feel free to come to me when you need help. Your squirrel friend knows where I live."

"I might need more help from your family later," Nancy added with a twinkle in her eye. "Would you like to come with me for a bit?"

Gray nodded instantly. "Oh, absolutely!" Free, delicious food from this lady? Plus, that younger squirrel was fun to hang out with.

Nancy summoned the older squirrel and relayed what she had learned to Officer Shaun and Coach Ryan.

Shaun rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "So, Jonas was in such a rush because someone he deeply cares about is suddenly in critical condition?"

"But that doesn't make sense," Ryan interjected, looking bewildered. "I contacted Jonas's family this morning, and everyone is perfectly fine."

Nancy remembered something Ryan had mentioned earlier. "Ryan, you said Jonas often visits sick fans, right?"

Ryan’s eyes lit up in realization, and he immediately placed a call. However, after hanging up, he shook his head at Nancy and Shaun. "Jonas frequently visits an eight-year-old fan who is paralyzed. But I just checked—the boy is stable and doing fine."

Both Nancy and Shaun grew suspicious.

"It's alright. Let’s head to the area where Jonas disappeared from the cameras and look around," Nancy suggested.

She led the Squirrel Bros and Gray toward the east. The place where Jonas had vanished was a bustling, labyrinthine alleyway. It was full of life and character but riddled with blind spots and countless places to hide.

Of course, it was also a paradise for rats.

Now it was Gray's time to shine. "Miss Nancy, I'll reach out to my family now!"

Motivated by the promise of more snacks, Gray began "visiting relatives" throughout the network of alleys. Meanwhile, since many of the courtyards in the area had large trees, the Squirrel Bros went to consult their own kind.

Nancy surveyed the alley. She had heard a faint meowing earlier. With so many overflowing trash cans, there was bound to be plenty of food—and likely several stray cats.

Wait... Nancy realized with a jolt of worry. Gray was so plump and slow; what if he became a stray cat’s lunch while "making his rounds"?

She offered a silent prayer for his safety.

Unfortunately, her fears were realized. Fifteen minutes later, the older squirrel scrambled down a tree, frantically signaling Nancy. "Miss Nancy, this is bad! I saw a huge cat capturing two rats from the tree! One of them is Gray! The other was his friend, I think he's on his way back to deliver information to us!"

Nancy’s heart hammered against her ribs. "Where is he? Take me there, fast!"

"Come with me!" The squirrel darted across the tops of walls while Nancy sprinted below, wishing she had wheels on her feet. When she finally arrived, the scene took her breath away.

A tabby cat had its front paw pinned firmly on Gray’s tail, while its other paw held a smaller mouse captive. The cat lowered its head dangerously, baring sharp fangs, mere seconds away from snapping the smaller mouse's neck.

"Who dares interrupt me from enjoying my meal!!"

"King Tabby, mercy! Spare them!" Nancy cried out.

The older squirrel lunged forward, deftly jamming an empty plastic bottle between the cat's bared teeth just as it was about to bite down.

The tabby’s fur stood on end. It arched its back and let out a vicious hiss. Hsss—!

The cat wasn't particularly large, but it radiated the lethal aura of a seasoned predator. Its amber pupils narrowed into slits, every hair on its body bristling with danger.

Nancy fumbled in her bag and pulled out a ham sausage. She peeled it quickly and cautiously moved closer. "We didn't mean to interrupt your meal. Would you consider this sausage instead? These two mice are helping me find a missing person. Their information is very important to me."

The cat looked up, its gaze sweeping over Nancy with cold indifference.

"You want me to let go of two rats with one measly little sausage?"

Nancy pressed her hands together in a plea. "King Tabby, if there’s anything else you’d like to eat, I’ll go buy it right now. As much as you want!"

The tabby’s whiskers twitched. "You can understand me, lady? How interesting."

Nancy blinked. This tabby is quite demanding...

Tabby immediately barked out an order. "I want fish. Fresh fish. And you better pick out the bones for me!"

A cat’s tongue has barbs to help strip meat from bone, but like humans, they still fear a small bone getting stuck in their throat.

"I'll release them as soon as you bring me my fish." the tabby said.

The mouse pinned under its paw was trembling uncontrollably. Gray, on the other hand, appeared to have fainted from sheer terror.

Nancy knew she couldn't get any information until the mice were safe. She immediately dialed Ryan. "Ryan! Please, go buy a pound of fish right now! Any kind, as long as it's fresh and doesn't have too many tiny bones. I'll Venmo you the money!"