by Julie Bihn
Chapter 3: A Visitor
Gadget couldn't get to sleep after the other Rangers left. She was sick with worry about them--what if they got in trouble? What if something went wrong with the Ranger Plane? What if it crashed, or broke down, or the balloon popped and they couldn't control it? What if they got attacked by hawks, or the compass stopped working, or someone got a papercut? It'd be her fault if anything bad happened to her friends.
Her more logical side reprimanded her. It wasn't her fault she was sick. Then again, maybe it was. She should've worn a jacket when she went out to the junkyard, or maybe asked for some company in case she got in trouble. She suddenly sighed, realizing why she hadn't asked anyone to come to the junkyard with her. She knew that Chip and Dale would just about kill each other fighting over who would get to go with her, but once in a while she just wanted privacy. She wasn't blind to their advances, but she really didn't feel anything for either of them...for anyone at the moment. Still, she couldn't say 'no' to them, or come out and say she wasn't interested. She wished herself back to the days when she had been oblivious--a *long* while back... Like when Chip had brought her a thimble with a flower in it, and Dale had invited her on a picnic... She had discarded the flower (sure, it was pretty, but the thimble was more useful at the time) and then assumed Dale meant for all the Rangers to go on a picnic, not just him and her. It wasn't until she met Sparky the lab rat that she realized how the chipmunks really felt about her. She had mostly been happy to find someone who shared her love of machinery, but the jealous reactions of the chipmunks showed her that they loved her, or at least lusted after her.
In an attempt to show how she had no deep feelings for Sparky, she had hugged both Chip and Dale. She had done this to show how important they were to her, how they'd always be friends. The hug was a gesture of comradeship, nothing more. Gadget knew, deep inside, that she wasn't in love with either of the chipmunks. Of course they were nice, and the attention was flattering, but she couldn't love them as any more than friends, or maybe even family. Not as boyfriends. Anyway, she knew she couldn't possibly have chosen between the two without hurting someone's feelings, and didn't like either of them enough to warrant such a sacrifice, which could cause arguments and maybe even break up the team.
She had wished the hugs back a million times. Both of the chipmunks had taken her hug as a go-ahead for even more flirting, each assuming she liked them both, and that they just had to convince her to choose one or the other. Still, Gadget doubted their sincerity--how quickly they had fought over their female visitor! Once Gadget's father had told her all guys were easily distracted by pretty girls, and, though she had once doubted this, she now figured he had a point, although most girls could be distracted by handsome men, as well. Even *she* had been flattered by both of the chipmunks' advances at one point or another. Sometimes she still was. Yet Gadget couldn't stand to see Chip and Dale fight over her, and didn't really love either of them. So she hoped that Samantha and her sister would fall in love with Chip and Dale, and vice-versa, so everyone would be happy.
"Just tell them both you're not interested," a vaguely familiar voice offered. Gadget looked up and saw the mouse who had saved her life the night before, standing in front of her bed. Gadget was rather frightened.
"H--how'd you know what I was thinking about?" she stammered.
The mouse smiled. "You were a little delirious," he said. "I heard you ranting about not loving Chip and Dale..."
Gadget wasn't sure if the red glow she felt on her face was due to embarrassment or a fever. Thankfully, the mouse seemed to attribute it to the latter. He handed her a thimble cup, saying, "You're going to burn up if you don't get some liquids."
"Thanks," said Gadget, taking the cup instinctively. She then frowned suspiciously--this mouse was practically a stranger, and hadn't he been sent to bring her to 'the boss?' Gadget looked at the mouse, a bit suspiciously, then sniffed at the liquid. It had a slight scent--one somehow familiar and pleasant. Suddenly Gadget felt thirsty, though she knew she was too tired to get up for a drink. If she was going to get anything, it would be what was in the glass. She hesitated, then finally sipped. The beverage tasted funny (but again, familiar), and made Gadget wrinkle her nose in disgust. "What *is* this stuff?"
"Just drink it," the mouse said. "It's an old family recipe. Well, I called them my family. Just a bunch of mice my age living in a gutter." Gadget looked up suspiciously--the Rangers had had more than one run-in with *that* group. All were thieves, some worse, and once, a group of them had vandalized and looted their treehouse while the Rangers were in Minnesota on a case. "No, don't worry--I'm not one of them anymore," the mouse said seriously. "Please, trust me." Gadget looked into the mouse's eyes, and somehow did trust him. Anyway, if he had wanted to take her to someone, wouldn't he have done it while she was nearly unconscious? Why drug her now? And Gadget had never been poisoned, but had tasted that taste before, so it couldn't be anything bad, could it? She closed her eyes, then downed the whole glassful of liquid.
"It'll help you feel better," the mouse said. Gadget suddenly realized that the taste was from her childhood--once, when she had been feverish, her father had whipped up something remarkably similar to what she had just drank.
"What's in that, anyway?" Gadget motioned to the now empty thimble cup.
The mouse shrugged. "I'll leave you a recipe." After a rather awkward silence, he extended his paw to her. "My name's Shadow."
"That's a nice name," said Gadget absently, taking his paw and giving it a strong shake. "You know, I think I feel a little better already." Shadow offered her a small 'I told you so' smile.
"Why are you here?" asked Gadget after a while, confused. "I mean, the Rangers went with that girl and--"
Shadow looked over his shoulder towards the window. "Oh, yeah. That reminds me. I...I gotta go..."
"Wait..."
"It's been nice talking to you, Miss Hackwrench," Shadow said. "I'll see you later."
"Don't leave," Gadget requested.
"I...I'll come back later, " the mouse replied. "Goodbye!"
Shadow slipped out through the window, not even asking to use the door, and leaving Gadget confused, and maybe the slightest bit suspicious, but at least with something to wonder about other than what to do about Chip and Dale.
*****
Samantha's house was dug into an oak tree, much like the Rangers' house. But this place smelled musty, and contained just three small rooms, which were sparsely furnished and not too well-kept. The Rangers searched them, along with the surrounding limbs of the tree, but nothing showed up. Finally, Samantha remembered something.
"I found this note." She pulled out a scrap of paper from the top of her dress, much to Chip and Dale's joy.
"Oh, brother," Zipper squeaked, rolling his eyes.
The note read:
Dear 'friend,'
If you wish to have your family restored to you, please enlist some help, then come to my headquarters. If not, I will be forced to have your family over for dinner.
Hungrily yours, Fat Cat.
The ornate signature at the bottom showed the note to be a true work, not a forgery.
"What are we waiting for?" asked Dale impatiently. "We have to rescue Samantha's family!" Chip was almost as blindly enthusiastic. For once, though, Monty was reluctant.
"I don't know, you two. It seems like a clear-cut trap to me."
Chip replied, "I *know*, but we have no choice but to try."
Dale continued, "He'll eat her family if we don't!" Samantha shuddered. "Oh, sorry," Dale apologized.
Chip said, "I'm sure they'll be fine. We'll just leave you here, Samantha, where it's safe, and bring your family back when we--"
"I'll go with you," said Samantha, sounding determined. The chipmunks admired her tenacity.
"All right," said Chip, "but be careful, and stay out of our way."
"We wouldn't want you to get hurt!" Dale added.
The chipmunks quickly exited the house and got in the plane. Monty and Zipper paused to exchange concerned glances as they reluctantly walked to the plane.
"A six-toed cat with a bloomin' machine gun's less dangerous than a couple a lads who've just seen a pretty face," Monty muttered under his breath as he got into the plane.
Soon, the Ranger Plane was circling the roof of the Happy Tom Cat Food Cannery, going around a few times before landing. The building itself was several stories tall, but Fat Cat resided in the head of the giant cat figure that decorated the roof. The body was Fat Cat's casino, a hot spot for all sorts of animal gamblers. When they touched down, Chip's inattentiveness to the plane caused it to nearly crash into a wall. With a cry of "Whoa!", he pulled back and stopped the plane only an inch or two from the bricks.
"Chipper, lad, you might wanna watch where you're goin'!" Monty cried. Zipper buzzed around Chip, admonishing him.
"Right," said Chip, getting out of the plane. "Now, come on. Let's go find Samantha's family." Dale jumped out, and helped Samantha down off the wing of the plane.
"Thank you, Dale," she said, blushing. Chip glared at Dale, who very nearly stuck his tongue out at his friend.
"Sssh," said Monty, looking around. "We want to surprise Fat Cat, and his office is awful close."
"Are we gonna go in through the casino?" squeaked Zipper.
"Oh..." Chip said, trailing off. "I'm not really in a mood to do another dance number..." He half-blushed at the questioning look Samantha gave him. Suddenly, he stopped and forced Samantha and himself against the nearest wall. Dale, Monty, and Zipper instinctively did the same. All held their breaths as a suspicious-looking mouse with gray fur and a black jacket passed by. He didn't see the Rangers, and punched in a code on a small keypad on the side of the giant cat figure. A hidden door opened, and the Rangers saw the mouse look both ways, right past them, before he disappeared up a steep stairway. Zipper rushed over to the door and held it open as it started to close. He motioned the other Rangers closer.
"This must be a secret entrance to Fat Cat's office," he buzzed.
"D'you think we can get in without him *noticin'*?" Monterey asked suspiciously. Zipper tried to shrug, but couldn't; he was using all his energy to keep the door open. Monty reached over and held it for him. Zipper rested on Monty's shoulder, squeaking appreciatively.
"Well, lads, are we gonna do this?" the Australian mouse finally asked.
"We have to," said Chip, determined, "but try to be quiet about it." Starting up the stairs, and not noticing that Samantha was no longer with them, he whispered, "Rescue Rangers away!"
Meanwhile, Fat Cat spoke to the gray mouse in his office.
"So, Shadow, did you bring them here?"
Shadow nodded soberly. "They'll be up in a minute."
Fat Cat tried to hide his own immense pleasure. "Excellent," he said. "Now we'll just wait for them to come to me."
Shadow seemed somewhat concerned as he asked, "About the gold...when are you going to pay me?"
"As soon as *all* the Rescue Rodents are dead. Though I'm really doing you a favor by disposing of them. In your line of work, you don't need them meddling."
Shadow cringed, almost imperceptibly. "Yeah. I know..." He nervously asked, "But let's say one of the Rangers doesn't show up. Just one. Would I still get the gold?"
Fat Cat looked angry, and extended the claws on his right paw. "Why? Did you...forget one?"
Shadow swallowed instinctively, unable to think straight. "Of course not! But one of them might..." He saw Fat Cat's glare, and shook his head. "Uh...nothing...they'll...uh... I'll get 'em all...it just might...you know...."
Fat Cat continued, "Well, Shadow, if you did 'forget' any..." He drew a claw gently over the mouse's throat.
Shadow shuddered, then backed up nervously. Suddenly, the two both heard whispers.
"Hey, the door's stuck!"
"Step aside an' let Monterey Jack knock it open--"
"Sssh! Be quiet, you two!"
Fat Cat grinned and pressed a button on his desk. Suddenly, a thick metal partition slammed down behind the Rescue Rangers, trapping them. Fat Cat bent down and whispered to Shadow, "Our visitors are here." Shadow fidgeted. Fat Cat walked over to the door and pressed a button to open it. He scooped up the Rangers before they had a chance to run off, and caught them by their collars on the claws of his left paw. Zipper was still free, though, and he flew towards the window.
"Catch him, Shadow!" shouted Fat Cat. The mouse ran after the fly, and caught him in a tackle.
"Good work," smiled Fat Cat. He looked over his prisoners, counting. Surprised and angry, he asked, "Where's Gadget?"
"I dunno," said Shadow, shrugging and sounding indifferent, but almost rebellious. He was a lot braver when Fat Cat's claws weren't near him. "Who's she?"
If Fat Cat's paws hadn't been full, he would've hit his head angrily--or perhaps Shadow's. "Who's Gadget?--I showed you pictures of them! She's the inventor mouse, you dimwit!"
"Oooooh," said Shadow, grinning, with an exaggerated air of understanding. "Her."
"Where is she?" Fat Cat had lost his temper completely. Shadow didn't reply. "Is she in the tree?"
Shadow shrugged again, seriously. "I haven't seen her."
"Hmm," pondered Fat Cat. "Maybe I'll send one of my lackeys over that way..."
The other Rangers were very worried. Monterey offered, "Don't worry, pallys--Gadget could get past any of Fat Cat's blokes--why, they're as dumb as a buncha bloomin' lobotomized eucalyptus leaves!" The chipmunks and Zipper, who were still trying to free themselves from the grasp of their respective captors, sighed in subdued relief, although all of them knew that Gadget was still sick--barely conscious. None dared to show their concern, though, somehow hoping the others had forgotten about their friend's condition. Fat Cat grinned, and used a free finger to press a button on his desk, next to a speaker.
"Mittens? I have a job for you."
While he waited, Fat Cat placed each of the Rangers into individual jelly jars on the floor, each with a few minute holes in the lid to let air in. Dale touched his jar and found the inside was still sticky. He was hungry, and took to nervously licking the grape-flavored sugar off his fingers, and then the jar.
"No need to rush things," Fat Cat purred, stretching lazily. "I'd like to wait until you're all *together* before I do away with you." The Rangers shuddered.
"You'll never get away with this!" shouted Chip angrily. His cry reverberated through the jar, but a muted reply reached Fat Cat.
"Oh, believe me, I *will*," said Fat Cat, picking up Chip's jar and looking him in the eye. "You see, I realized why you Rangers have always been able to foil my schemes. My companions have been more than a little on the...*slow* side. But now--"--he motioned at Shadow--"I've enlisted help from more *capable* assistants."
As if on cue, a confident-looking female cat pushed Fat Cat's door open and stalked in. She was almost all black, with strange, entrancing turquoise eyes which seemed to gleam with intelligence. Her silvery whiskers further complimented her appearance. She had slight patches of gray on her four paws, hence her name. Her dull turquoise dress matched her eyes elegantly, and it fit her muscular body nicely. Nearly purring, she gracefully rubbed her hips and tail against Fat Cat's desk, looking at him.
"You wished to see me?" she asked in a silky voice.
"Yes, Mittens," said Fat Cat, rummaging through a desk drawer. "I was wondering, my dear, if you could track down this mouse and bring her to me?" He dramatically drew out a picture of Gadget. Chip recognized the shot as one they had taken on vacation from a roll they thought they had misplaced.
"Of course I shall find her," Mittens purred, "for a small price."
"Name it," Fat Cat said.
"If you would merely allow me to consume her," she smiled. "I shall bring her back here, but I find it only fitting that we should dine together tonight..." She cast an adoring glance at Fat Cat, a look which made every non-feline in the room nauseous.
"Of course, my dear," he said, smiling back. "Just make sure you bring her back, and we'll share a meal, Mittens."
Mittens turned to go, then noted a look of panic in the Rangers' eyes. "Oh, what's wrong?" she asked, feigning sympathy. "Don't be sad. If your little Gadget is so capable, she shall easily elude *me,* yes?"
Chip's intuition echoed that of the other Rangers--he didn't think the Rescue Rangers as a team would be able to easily deal with such a sleek cat as Mittens, let alone one Ranger by herself.
Glancing around, Chip noted that the grey mouse seemed to be a bit frightened as well. Maybe he was afraid Fat Cat would eat *him,* too... Suddenly, without a word, the mouse hit a button on the wall by the door, causing it to open, and darted out of the room.
"I wonder where he's off to," Mittens mused in her silky voice.
"He probably wants to bring Gadget back himself," smiled Fat Cat. "As if I'd pay him, even then! No, I was planning a *six* course meal...with you, of course, my dear."
"Don't worry," Mittens said smoothly. "I'll bring *both* of them back in time for..." She paused for effect. "*Dinner.*" Smiling, she stalked out of the room, leaving the other Rangers to wait nervously as Fat Cat watched them like a hometown basketball game.
*****
Shadow rushed out of the passageway to Fat Cat's office, then sprung into the Ranger Plane, buckling his seat belt and praying he could fly it. Gadget's inventions were user-friendly enough--not only had he been able to disconnect the dashboard switch on the fan in the Ranger Skate, but he had driven it easily as well. The electrified laptop, on the other hand, had taken him days to hook up, and had painfully made his already gray fur a bit smokier in hue more than once. As he messed with the controls, he saw Samantha coming out from the casino, where she had been playing slots. "What are you doing, kid? Where's my gold?"
Shadow had played his cards well, so to speak. He knew Samantha would do anything for money; she was dead broke from gambling in Fat Cat's Casino. He had gotten her to do practically all the work in capturing the Rangers for only a quarter of the payment.
"Uh...This is a great plane," Shadow said. "I thought I'd take it for a spin. And you'll get your money soon."
"Well, you could at least offer me a ride back home," Samantha pouted. She was only a couple years older than Shadow, but she looked like an experienced adult. She always tried to use her looks to get what she wanted, be it a money, food, or a plane ride, and she almost always succeeded.
Shadow shook his head. "It's not my home anymore--not when I get the gold to get out of there."
"Well, it's your home right now," Samantha replied. "I'm disappointed to hear you're leaving us..."
"Yeah, well, things change. After you all looted their tree--"
"They're a bunch of vigilantes," Samantha said. "Those Rescue Rangers don't even know the meaning of the word 'justice.' You think they'd listen to *our* side of the story? Maybe if *we* had had caring parents like *they* had--"
"You can't blame it on that. Our parents didn't make us *steal*--"
Samantha laughed. "Oh, look at the goody-*no*-shoes, trying to right all the wrongs in the world...So you're bettering your position by handing over your 'heroes'?"
"They're not my heroes!" Shadow was starting to get angry.
"Then why are you stealing their plane?"
Shadow shook his head. "I'm *borrowing* it!"
Samantha laughed again. "'Borrowing,' huh? We both know what *that* means..."
Shadow tuned out Samantha and crossed his fingers, then hit a few buttons. The plane's wings started flapping wildly, and the landing gear took him backwards. He turned the wheel and hit a few more buttons, and the plane started to travel forward. Shadow pulled up the bottlecap steering wheel as sharply as he could, and the plane floated off, leaving Samantha and Fat Cat's Casino far below.
Shadow let out a nervous sigh. He had no idea what he was going to do now. But something inside him had objected to Fat Cat taking Gadget--he wasn't sure why. He scanned his memory for anything he knew about her, any reason he would risk losing enough gold to leave the country and start over to save her, but it came up blank. There was just something about her. He knew the other Rangers wouldn't understand him; no one had ever understood him. But somehow Shadow thought Gadget might. He had observed the Rangers for a few weeks before he had Samantha lure them to Fat Cat's, and she seemed different than the others. More trusting and sweet, yet still brilliant. She seemed like someone you'd want on your side, someone you'd like to be friends with. Someone you'd feel bad for after you electrocuted, someone you'd want to make up to. He hadn't had enough time to fix the Ranger Skate after he had sabatoged it, so she could make a clean getaway, but he hadn't let Max get her, either. And he knew he couldn't let Mittens get to her. Steering as best he could, Shadow flew towards the Rangers' tree, his heart pounding nervously.