They seemed to be going on forever but suddenly the tunnel ended in a ladder going up the wall. Scrambling up frantically, Feral practically leaped to the top and was shoving hard at the sewer cover. It wouldn't budge.
"Back away! I'll blast it." T-Bone said raising his glovatrix.
Not hesitating, Feral jumped down again and waited as T-Bone fired at the metal cover and blew it off with one of his missiles.
Relieved Feral once again scrambled up the ladder and out into the late afternoon sun. There was no one around. The silence was deafening. Keeping a modest distance from Feral, T-Bone hit his comm trying to raise Razor again.
To his relief after a moment his partner's voice boomed from his comm. 'T-Bone at last. Are you and Feral okay?"
"Yeah buddy were on the surface. We found our way through the tunnels but don't see anyone around." He told his partner.
"It's okay I've got your signal. Lt Feral and I are heading your way just stay there." Razor ordered.
T-Bone looked over at Feral and saw him pacing like mad, his body twitching violently. Sighing, he had no clue how to help Feral. He hoped the Commander had a mate or lover not too far away. Suddenly, a blast of gun fire sprayed the ground between them.
From a large all terrain vehicle that had just arrived from around the back of the factory another batch of strangers raced up. They stopped near Feral and yanked him inside, holding their weapons on him and T-Bone as they spun around to leave.
"He's in heat! He'll fetch a fortune in this condition. Let's get out of here!" T-Bone heard one of them shout as they raced past him going back the way they'd come. He could see Feral struggle violently, trying to escape.
Before they could get out of range, T-Bone pressed a button on his glovatrix firing a gas grenade into the speeding vehicle. There were screams of anger and fear as the driver lost control. It hurtled through a wall of the factory. Wood splintered and plaster exploded as it crashed through and continued on until it finally fetched up nose first into a stack of crates. The crates toppled and landed on top of the car crushing the top.
T-Bone rushed to the trapped vehicle, from behind him he heard his partner and Felina yelling something but he didn't stop to find out what they wanted. Reaching the vehicle, he saw two of the strangers had been tossed out and were obviously dead. Groaning could be heard inside the crushed interior.
Razor reached his side as he tried to clear the debris to free Feral. He could just be seen slumped on the floor with another of the strangers laying on top of him which is probably how he survived the crash.
"T-Bone back away a minute. We have to clear the stuff off the top if we're to get him out!" Razor shouted. The tabby quickly backed away as Razor blasted the broken crates off the top. Moving close again, Razor used his laser torch to cut the door away.
T-Bone dragged the dead body off Feral then he and Razor very carefully pulled the Commander from the wreckage. Felina walked beside them as they carried him further away from the vehicle in case it caught fire. Laying him down gently, they quickly checked him out.
Feral moaned and blinked his eyes open. Hovering over him was Felina and the SWAT Kats. It took him some minutes to remember what had happened. His body hurt in many places but it also throbbed in one place and that helped him snap alert quickly. He tried to sit up but his head spun.
"Easy, Uncle, just lay still! There's no telling what kind of injuries you sustained from the crash." Felina warned him, pressing her paw on his chest to keep him from rising.
Trying hard not to think about his other problem separate from his injuries, he squinted at Felina and asked, "Where's Viper? What's happening with those plant creatures?"
"Those crazy plants are destroyed but Viper got away again." Razor answered.
"We've had significant enforcer losses as well, Uncle." Felina said sadly. "We also have some dead from gunshots and I have to assume they were killed by those strangers. No one seems to know who they are and why they were shooting at us." She said annoyed and confused by the mystery.
"They weren't after the enforcers just one enforcer. Razor and I freed Feral from them twice and this was the third time they tried to nab him." T-Bone told Felina then glared at Feral. "Alright Commander, what's going on? Why did those creeps want you? And don't say you don't know because I won't believe you!" He snapped.
Exhausted, injured and in heat, Feral was in no real condition to fight with the SWAT Kat. To think he'd been able to keep this secret for weeks and now here he was. He could just say he didn't know but these three would never buy it and would keep after him for an answer.
Fainting now would be great right about now unfortunately his heated state was keeping him alert and despite his less than stellar condition, desiring the hunky tabby. 'Oh yuck! I can't be thinking that!' He groaned, disgusted with himself.
"Uncle, on some of my patrols, I've noticed an unusual amount of security, both black ops and strangers, surrounding this city. As soon as I spot them, they would vanish before I could get close. This has been going on since you returned from being kidnaped. I don't think it's a coincidence." Felina said flatly.
"Come to think of it, so have we!" Razor said thoughtfully.
'Aw crud! Spare me from overly observant vigilantes and relatives.' Feral thought resignedly. "Fine, only Ms. Briggs is aware of what happened. I want your word that no one else know about this!" He demanded feeling sick already that he would have to relive this incident again.
Frowning in surprise, the SWAT Kats looked at each other a moment then apparently coming to a silent agreement, they looked back at him and nodded.
"Of course, Uncle!" Felina agreed.
Closing his eyes, unwilling to see their expressions, he told them what had been done to him, the agreement with the tiger, who the Kamau Clan was and why he was now being hunted which was the reason for the security perimeter. His fists were clenched trying to hold back the rampant emotions racing through him on top of the intensely heated desire burning inside him. Lying here on the ground felt almost like the moment when he was helpless before the tiger. It wasn't a pleasant memory and he tried to get up again. This time he succeeded in sitting up.
It was then he realized no one had spoken since he'd stopped talking. He opened his eyes and wished he hadn't. Though he couldn't see their eyes, the SWAT Kat's body language showed their anger and sorrow for him. Felina was crying softly and had looked away. Swallowing he turned away from all of them and struggled to his feet. Shoving a helping paw he felt on his arm away roughly, he walked stiffly toward the front of the factory.
After a moment, the other three trailed after him. Some ten minutes of silent walking brought them to their vehicles. The Turbokat was parked in a field nearby, enforcer back up was taking care of the survivors and were investigating the scene for their reports. Lt Commander Steele was directing the activity with Feral's Sergeant standing by him. It was the Sergeant who saw them first and tapped Steele on the shoulder.
Steele turned and saw them and walked to meet them halfway. "Commander Feral you're alright."
"Report!" Feral barked.
"Yes sir! The wounded are being packed up to be shipped to the hospital and CSI are already doing the scene." Steele said briskly. "Clean up crews are due to arrive shortly."
"Good!" He said then winced as a particularly sore area of his back twinged.
Narrowing his eyes, Steele said, "Perhaps you should be seen too sir!" He commented carefully.
"I'll take care of myself, thank you. You're doing fine, Steele. Carry on! I'm signing out for the day." Feral grunted turning away from the scene and looking for his vehicle then remembered he and Felina had flown there.
As if reading his mind, Felina offered, "I'll take you home, Uncle."
"Fine, alright." He said heavily and walked toward his chopper.
Before they reached it though, a black limo raced up, stirring up a cloud of dust as it stopped sharply near them. The SWAT Kats ran up, on the alert for more trouble, glovatrix at the ready. Felina had already pulled her weapon. The door to the limo opened and a big silver and black tiger got out.
Feral gave a cry of relief upon seeing his mate, "Shakil!" He reached out for the tiger.
Shakil took two steps and swept Feral into his arms. "My beauty! Are you alright?" His melodic voice said in concern.
"I am now, please get me out of here." Feral murmured, his face buried in the tiger's neck fur.
Confused by all the weaponry pointed at him, Shakil shrugged mentally and concentrated on his obviously tired and dirty mate. "Yes of course but let me take you to my hotel room. You need to use the jacuzzi. It will make you feel better." He said softly.
"I hope it has good sound proofing." Feral muttered.
Shakil blinked not certain what he'd heard, "What's that love?" He asked.
"Nothing, let's go!" Feral said a little louder.
"As you wish." The tiger said and helped his mate into the limo. Closing the door behind him, he bade the driver to return to his hotel quickly.
Felina and SWAT Kats watched it leave. They were stunned by this turn of events, hadn't Feral just told them this tiger had been the one to cause all this trouble in the first place?
"Well, he did say that he and that tiger were making the best of a bad situation." Razor said shrugging his shoulders.
"Hope that was true because Feral's in heat and that tiger is in for a very busy night." T-Bone grunted in mild amusement.
Razor and Felina gaped at T-Bone in shock. Seeing their expressions, T-Bone laughed and told them what had happened in the tunnels.
"Well, crud! Poor Feral! It's not bad enough to be running for your life from creepy crawlies and slavers then be creamed in an accident but to be in heat as well..." Razor just shook his head in amazement.
"Yeah, he's had a really messed up day and it's going to be a wild night too. Wouldn't expect him back to work tomorrow, Lieutenant." T-Bone snickered.
She just shook her head at him. "I can't believe all that he's suffered. It explains why Ms. Briggs had him hospitalized. He had a small break down from the trauma now this happens. I hope he makes it through it alright in the end. I'd better get going! Thanks for your help and for saving his life." She said turning to head for her chopper.
"You're welcome, Lt. Feral and don't worry your Uncle's tough. He's managed to make it this far." Razor said encouragingly.
She nodded but didn't turn around and was soon taking her chopper into the air. The SWAT Kats ran to their jet and lifted away into the sky.