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But the car was still hurtling on at a high rate of speed, and of our saviors there still was no sign. Finally the engine was cut and we rolled to a standstill. Moments later the bag was grabbed from wherever it had been dumped, and soon after we were released into the wild, the bag unceremoniously being relieved of its contents. And even as we got accustomed to our new surroundings, a big cloud of exhaust fumes drifted over us, and the car took off again, leaving us in what looked like the exact same place we’d been before, smack dab in the middle of the woods.

“So where’s Odelia?” asked Harriet, reiterating her earlier question. “Isn’t she supposed to save us and catch this catnapper? Wasn’t that the whole point of this pointless exercise!”

She sounded a little overwrought, and frankly I sympathized with the sentiment.

“I have no idea,” I said as we all glanced at the retreating taillights of the catnapper’s car as it disappeared from view.

“These trackers are useless,” said Brutus moodily. “Either they’re broken or Odelia and Chase fell asleep.”

“Or this guy slipped them a fast one,” said Harriet. “Whatever the case, we lost him.”

“I did smell the catnapper,” said Dooley suddenly. “I mean, I got a good whiff.”

“And what did you smell?” I asked.

“Well, he smelled exactly like Mrs. Bunyon,” said Dooley surprisingly.

“Mrs. Bunyon!”

“Yeah, didn’t you notice, Max? The bag, and the person who took us, they both smelled exactly like Mrs. Bunyon.”

I had to admit that I hadn’t paid any attention to any smells. I was frankly too panicky and way too nervous about being sliced and diced by what was obviously some crazy person to pay any attention to minor details like that.

“Are you sure, Dooley?” I asked therefore.

He nodded seriously.“Absolutely.”

And as if to add credence to his words, suddenly a loud lament sounded from the other side of the clearing where we’d been dumped: and before our very eyes, five more cats came walking up. They were the exact same cats we’d helped save that very morning, chief amongst whom was… Chouchou!

“Looks like they caught us again,” said Chouchou in somber tones, “only now I think I know who took us.”

“Who?” I asked.

“My very own human,” she said, sounding down in the dumps. Nor could I blame her. If I discovered that Odelia was my catnapper, and had decided to leave me in the middle of nowhere, presumably hoping never to see me again, I’d be a little disappointed, too!

“Where did they grab you?” I asked.

“Same place they took us yesterday,” said one of Chouchou’s friends. “We’d just left cat choir and were walking along Main Street, when suddenly a car pulled up, and we were all grabbed and put in a bag, then dumped in the trunk of a car.”

“How do you know it was the trunk?” Brutus asked, always interested in the telling detail.

“Because the wheel of the car was right next to my ear,” said the cat. “And the only place where the wheel is right next to your ears is either the trunk or next to the engine. But since there isn’t enough space next to the engine, it must have been the trunk.”

“I like your thinking,” Brutus agreed.

“We must have been in the backseat, then,” said Harriet. “Of the same car that picked you up, for I didn’t hear no wheels.”

“The catnapper is getting more brazen,” I said. “Escalating. Last night he took five cats and tonight he took nine. That’s…” I made a quick calculation in my head. “Almost twice as many. If this keeps up he’ll take over a dozen tomorrow night.”

“It’s not a he, though, is it?” said Harriet. “If Dooley and Chouchou are correct, the catnapper is a woman!”

“So… why would your human grab us and then dump us?” I asked.

“Because she doesn’t like cats,” said Chouchou sadly. “Even though I always thought she was crazy about me.”

“This doesn’t make any sense,” I said, shaking my head.

“I think she secretly hoped I wouldn’t come back,” said Chouchou.

“But then why ask Odelia to go and find you?”

Chouchou shrugged, then sighed.“At least this time we’ll be able to find our way home again.” She eyed me hopefully. “You do know the way home, don’t you, Max?”

“Um…” I said, glancing around.

But lucky for us, just then Odelia’s car suddenly turned up out of nowhere, the headlights of the aged pickup she still likes to drive sweeping across the clearing. She and Chase got out, and she seemed almost frantic with worry as she hurried over to where we were holding our impromptu meeting.

“You guys!” she cried. “Are you all right? Did they hurt you?”

“No, we’re fine,” I said.

“We might be suffering from PTSD after being stuck inside a bag, though,” said Harriet, giving Odelia a not-so-happy look.

“I’m so, so sorry! By the time we realized what was going on, you were already traveling fifty miles an hour in this direction!”

“Bastard gave us the slip,” Chase grunted, looking disappointed.

“Well, at least we know who it is,” I said, and saw how Odelia’s worried expression morphed into one of suspense.

“Who? Who did this to you?”

“Mrs. Bunyon,” Dooley announced. “I clearly smelled her.”