Chapter 40

That night the kids let the tigers out so they could have their fun without scaring the other guests half to death with the sounds of their lovemaking, and without risk to the suites’ furnishings. So, the next morning, leaving the guys in bed sleeping, Little Bit, Ann, and Caitie went out looking for the tigers. It was only a bit before 6:30; why they were up and about so early none of the girls knew.

Initially, they were a bit surprised. They had expected the four tigers to be waiting for them near the hotel’s door, but such was not the case. At that point, Ann saw a flash of color across the street, farther down the block. It was a large lot then being used as a storage area for construction materials and tools for the Hillsdale College work.

Walking over to the site, they were surprised to find the four tigers pacing around eight men who were lying face down in the dirt. Lying near the men were eight heavy canvas carryalls with some of their contents spilled out on the ground. All of the men were wearing black clothing.

While still out of earshot of the men, Caitie Fitzpatrick, who had experienced an attempted murder and attempted rape in New York City’s Central Park, said, “Guess what? It looks like the tigers have stopped a bunch of saboteurs.” Then she snapped her fingers and added, “Of course... !”

“‘Of course’ what?” Little Bit asked.

“PHA has its own union that’s organized on an industrial model, while most of the building trades are organized on a craft basis,” the girl replied. “Because we’re working out of our home territory, the local building trades have been trying to organize our guys.” She shook her head and continued, “I take that back. It’s not the local building trades, it’s another alleged union that’s reputed to be dominated by Organized Crime. What we were seeing, really, was nothing more than attempted extortion. They don’t give a damn about the workers; all they care about is the dues money. I wonder... ?”

Then she said, “Hey, kids, want to have some fun?” Then she told my sisters some of the things the tigers had done in the past. “The common denominator,” she concluded, “is that they just love to act. Want to try?”

Before the girls could reply, Caitie started to giggle.

“What’s so funny?” Ann asked.

“I was just thinking about my great-aunt, Maria, and my great-grandmother.”

“Good grief!” Little Bit exclaimed. “Where are they? In a nursing home somewhere?”

“Not hardly,” Caitie responded. “Maria is on the sunny side of 30 — and looks to be 19 — while Great-grandmother Marion is in her mid-30s and looks to be about 22 or 23. Nursing home? Hah! Both of them have infants less than a year old.”

Little Bit and Ann just slowly shook their heads, utterly baffled. Then Ann said, “You said you were thinking about them. What about them?”

“It happened a couple of years back,” Caitie reported. “Maria was saying that the tigers were wasting their time with educational software on their computers. Gram just softly ran her fingers over Maria’s arms, legs and buns.

“‘What are you doing?’ Maria asked.

“‘Oh ... Nothing... ‘ Gram replied vaguely. Then she added, ‘But, Maria, do me a favor, will you?’

“‘What’s that?’

“‘You will give me plenty of notice before you tell them they’re not human and can’t learn, won’t you?’

“‘What for?’

“‘Well ... I’ll need time to get out of range of your screams.’ Shaking her head, Gram continued, ‘And the reason I was running my fingers over your extremities was that I want to remember what you were like when you still had them.’ Then, with her eyes wide she added, ‘But you’re absolutely right, daughter. Tigers can’t learn the way humans can. But don’t forget to warn me before you tell them, okay?’” Caitie was giggling by that time.

“Well?” she asked the girls. “What do you think? Want to try?”

They agreed and off they went, agreeing that Caitie, with her experience, would take the lead.

Walking up to the group, Caitie casually asked Sheba, “What have you got? Some new toys?” As she asked, she casually kicked one of the men in the side with the toe of her sneaker. The man started to groan, but was instantly quiet when Gus let out a very soft and low-pitched but terrifying growl.

“You are so good!” Caitie enthused. “It’s still early in the morning, so I’m glad you’re keeping your playthings quiet. But what are you going to do with them?”

Sheba moved close to the man Caitie had kicked, extended her huge claws and made a cutting motion where his left arm met his shoulder.

“Oh, no you don’t!” Caitie protested. “That would be just awful! It would spoil your appetite, for one thing.” She shook her head and continued, “And aside from the dirt, that arm is probably loaded with fat, and you know darned well what the vet told you about too much fat!”

Sheba was down in a crouch. Moving her paw down to the man’s elbow, she looked at Caitie plaintively.

“No, not even the forearm!” Then with a determined look on her face, Caitie continued, “Sheba, if you insist, there will be no pizza for you... for a full week! Now how do you like them apples? Huh? Huh?” Then she added, “And there’s a Domino’s just down the street, and I know how you just adore their special pizza with extra cheese...”

Sheba licked her lips and looked at Caitie with her eyes wide and pleading. Two tears began to run down her furry cheeks.

“I know!” Caitie exclaimed. “You can use them as balls and play catch!” For some reason there was a heavy leather medicine ball lying exposed just inside a PHA toolshed. The girl decided to have some fun. Getting the ball, she called over Ziggy and Gus.

Taking the heavy medicine ball, she had the huge cats lying on their backs about ten feet apart. She flipped the heavy ball to Gus who caught it with his clawed forepaws and tossed it to Ziggy. The two were having a fine time.

After about ten tosses each, Caitie took the now-battered medicine ball and looked it over. In spite of being made of very heavy leather, the tigers’ huge claws had already ripped gaping slashes in it and its innards were starting to spill out. The two huge males got to their feet and came close to Caitie to inspect their work. While padding over, Ziggy stepped on the forearm of one of the men on the ground. The girls quietly shuddered when they heard a sound similar to a snapping twig as the tiger broke at least one bone in the man’s arm.

“I’m afraid it just won’t work,” Caitie admitted to the huge animals. “Just look at this ball! It’s covering is far tougher than their skin, and you’ve already ripped it to shreds.” Shaking her head in dismay, she added, “We’ll have to think of something else.”

Gus went over to the man whose arm had just been broken. Using his great claws, he sliced the air right at both shoulders and then where the man’s femur joined his hips. He looked at Caitie with a pleading expression on his face.

“I just don’t know,” Caitie said. “Yes, I know they’re wearing heavy clothing, but still ... I just don’t think it will work.” Then she shook her head firmly and added, “No! Absolutely not! After all, who’s going to clean up the mess? There will be pieces of them all over this lot, and, unlike King in Los Angeles, they can’t even get a street sweeper on this lot to clean it up. So it’s no.”

While this exchange had been going on, my sisters had been looking around. Then Little Bit asked, “Caitie, how did these guys get here? And how are they going to get away? I don’t see a vehicle around anywhere.”

Caitie’s eyes widened as she realized the significance of the question. So she asked the man with the broken arm.

“Pick up,” he gasped. “Pick up at seven.”