Chapter 14: Betrayed

The pink light flashed into existence again, but this time Susan didn't really need it. The illumination from the red eyes surrounding her lit up the passage with an eerie glow. She spotted Tucker almost immediately and realized why he hadn't warned her. He was pinned under a dozen rats, one holding very tightly to his muzzle to keep him quiet. The cruel creature pinched Tucker's nostrils shut, only releasing him now and again to allow the cat to catch a breath. Tucker struggled, but there were too many rats holding him down.

Susan looked up at Khai, his glowing pink light bobbing by one large ear. He stared down at her with his huge eyes, calm and almost relaxed."You have caused me no end of trouble, Susan," Khai said. "In fact, if it weren't for you, the plan would have worked out perfectly."

"Traitor!" Tucker managed to free his muzzle and howled at Khai. "I trusted you!" Khai's tail twitched as he looked at Tucker.

"I had such hopes for you," Khai said.

"Likewise," Tucker said bitterly. "Guess we're both disappointed."

"Indeed," Khai murmured. "But perhaps if you understood my reasoning, you would see things differently."

"I wouldn't bother, Khai," Julian laughed as he came into the light. He smirked at Tucker, upper lip raised to reveal his sharp teeth. "You've wasted enough time and effort on this half-breed."

Khai didn't say anything, but Susan wondered at the long stare he gave Julian.

Instead, she found the strength to speak up. "What are you going to do with us?"

Khai looked at her, the pink light above him giving his golden eyes a strange cast. "I'm afraid your journey ends here, my dear," Khai told her in his soft voice. "As

soon as Julian reaches the Gate, the rats will attack from both the front and from this hidden passage. My fellow cats will be taken completely by surprise and will be surrounded within minutes. I am hoping," he bowed his head once, "the cats will surrender quietly, but I fear most of them will fight until the bitter end."

Susan shook her head. Did he actually sound remorseful? "If you're so worried about them," she said, "why betray them?"

Khai looked up at her again, a fire in his eyes she hadn't seen before, a red fire similar to the light in the eyes of the rats surrounding them.

"Power," he said. "Of course. The Rat King has made me an offer I cannot refuse." Julian chuckled while Tucker stilled.

"What offer?" Tucker looked back and forth. "He plans to make me Cat King," Khai said.

The rats squeaked and chattered around them, making Susan's skin crawl."He'll just betray you too, don't you see that?" Tucker said. "He wants Cat City for himself. He's part of the reason we moved the City in the first place."

Khai stood up and stretched, fire fading from his eyes as he returned to his normal calm. "I wish things could have been different, Tucker," Khai said. "Now, I have no choice.

Julian," he turned to his fellow traitor. "Set the plan in motion. We will attack within the half hour."

Julian nodded and bounded off, with a parting slap at Tucker on the way by.

Tucker began to struggle again, harder this time, but the rats had larger numbers and soon he was panting from the effort.

"Enough," Khai said. "We must prepare and these two are in the way. Take them and deal with them as we discussed."

One of the rats nodded and squeaked at his mates. They bodily lifted Tucker and started to carry him off.

Susan, certain they planned to kill both her friend and herself, had every intention of fighting back.

Khai must have known it. "I would go with them like a good girl," he said. "If you give them any trouble, they have orders to kill Tucker immediately."

Susan's heart stilled. She nodded once to Khai. "Fine," she said. "I'll go."

She got up and brushed herself off before looking down at Khai one last time. "They'll all die, you know," she said.

"Only if they fight back," Khai said gently.

Susan turned and walked away, knowing she would have no luck trying to convince the Councilor. No matter what, he would go through with his mad plan and the cats he shared his home with were of little consequence.

She went meekly, trusting the rats would do exactly as Khai warned and not wanting Tucker to get hurt because she did something wrong. She clung to the hope of Vinnie, knowing he was already raising the alarm and keeping her fingers crossed he would save the City in time.

Susan caught up with Tucker after a few moments. "Are you okay?"He was no longer restrained, but was surrounded by rats. One even sat on his back, pulling his ears. Fresh blood from the blow he received earlier dripped from his fur to the ground. Tucker, however, ignored it, head down, tail dragging. When he didn't answer, she let him be, knowing he must be blaming himself for what was happening, but unable to come up with a way to help.

They walked only a short distance when Susan began to hear water. The slow, heavy sound of fat drops hitting a lake or pond echoed toward them, quickly getting louder. She strained to see ahead, but the red glow of the rat's eyes only carried so far.

And then they were out of the passage and into a large, open space that felt like it went on forever. Susan could hear the water and, when the rats turned, could see the edge of a lapping lake as the water rippled in waves toward the stone shore.

Had she not been in so much trouble, she would have thought it was cool. Instead, she started to be very afraid and was pretty sure she knew how the rats planned for her to spend her last moments.

"Tucker!" Susan said, feeling desperate as she and her friend were surrounded and slowly forced backward toward the water.

"I'm sorry, Susan," he said sadly. "I never meant for this to happen. I just wanted to keep you safe."

"We have to fight!" She looked down at him. And saw the complete despair and sadness in his eyes.

"I love you, Susan," Tucker said.

She felt the water splash against the back of her boots as she was forced further by the advancing rats.

"I love you, too," she said.

Together they stepped back into the water.