The Black Cat

   It was one of those situations that I recall as being nightmarish but a bit funny at the same time...  maybe ludicrous is a better word.

   It was my second--last operation with Black Group... Prague, by the way.  My triad was supposed to put a bomb in a Nazi recruitment centre in the neighbourhood.  Carruthers and Gamble were the ones who were going to handle the bomb and its placing.  My job was to primarily kill anyone who tried to stop them.

   We were in small flat and my two co-operatives were working on the bomb: its parts had arrived separately including a large charge of C4.  I let them work at it on the table in the middle of the rather dirty apartment.

   While they were at that, I tried on the new Kevlar head and body armour.  It was black, of course.  I had just picked up my pistol from the end table beside me when something went wrong and the bomb exploded.  I had an excellent view...  Carruthers and Gamble pretty much disintegrated right in front of my eyes then I was being propelled backwards through the window and I lost consciousness.

   I woke, looking up.  I could see the window, bright flames rimming it, but nothing else.  My first thought was: Thank God... I can see!  Somehow, my eyes were unscathed.   I had fallen two storeys and was wedged in the narrow space between our building and the one next to it.  I realised I was lucky to be alive and made a mental note to tell my superiors the armour worked well.  That's not to say I was in no pain:  I felt like I'd been run over by a tank.  I could not hear anything as I had been momentarily deafened by the blast.  I was afraid to move as I figured I had probably done something very bad to my back when I hit the ground.  I tried anyway and found it useless: I was tightly held between the walls.

   At least, the building we had been in was not burning down.  As my hearing returned, I heard confused shouting and the problem was, it was mostly German.  I lay very still... although, as I said, I didn't have much choice.  My hearing was coming back: I could hear mewing sounds to my left.  I  turned my head as much as I could and saw a few bricks had fallen apart over the years, leaving a small hole.  Four sets of tiny green eyes were staring at me, illuminated by the fire above.  Kittens, obviously.

   I decided that they must be very young, judging by the size of their eyes and the volume of their voices.  I was allowing the small entertainment value of this when something landed on my chest.  I thought, immediately, Rat!

   But no... it was a huge black cat, the mother I was sure.  She shared her offsprings' bright green eyes.  She stared at me intently for a moment (she had a mouse in her mouth) then she went into the opening in the wall to be with her children.

   I found I could use move my arms from the elbow down.  This made me feel much better as it looked like I had not injured my spine and might be able to get out of this predicament.

   By dawn, I was beginning to have my doubts and I was getting weak from struggling.  I had been able to get my hands on my knife and found I had retained a grip on my pistol but that was all.  I had just found the second weapon when a flashlight beam illuminated me from the direction of my feet.  I very quickly aimed at the figure standing there and my pistol's silencer worked perfectly... the soldier grunted and fell forward into the opening.  I prayed to God, something I did only in the most trying times, that the body would be invisible from the street.

   Fortunately, although this was a mixed blessing, it rained hard early in the day so I was able to catch water in the forehead of my Kevlar mask.  I also got soaked to the skin.  Mama Cat watched me the whole time.  Some street-kids stole the boots off the corpse but otherwise it was ignored.

   As the sun went down ( I could tell by the colour of the sky visible above me), I began to get cold and realised I was probably going to die from exposure if I spent the night held there... and I was very weak.  The mother cat had been back and forth several times... always, when she came back, she'd always stop and stare at me for a moment.  After awhile, I didn't really notice as I found myself slowly drifting off.

   There was the usual thump on my chest but this time Mama Cat dropped two things on my face.  I picked them up and even in the weak light could see what they were: two dead mice.  Mama Cat stared at me as usual, then vanished.

   I held the little bodies up to inspect them and decided they were freshly killed.  I, to this day, don't understand her actions... although, she may have realised I was as weak and helpless as her children at that moment.  My training had taught me: when you need energy, eat!

   So I quickly, using my blade, skinned and dressed the little "morsels", throwing the viscera back behind my head, and ate the small pieces of meat obtained.  I waited several minutes then I tried one last time to get out there.  My mind was clearer than it had been in hours and I realised that if I stuck my shoulder a little way into my benefactor's home,  I would be able to wiggle out.  I finally got on my side.

   I looked into the hole and said, "Danke, Mamma Kat!", and got out of that spot as quickly as possible.  I made it to the recovery point less than an hour later.

   Of course, I took all the flak for the operation going South: some people who liked my work and work ethic didn 't care for me personally. I received a reprimand even though I pointed out I was only the "button man" and had nothing to do with the explosives.The rest was S.O.P. :  I went and got myself abysmally drunk... though, I drank many a toast to Mama Cat and her children. May their heirs raise the cat I.Q. universally!

   She was one smart cat!