Chapter 393: Guided by Pippin

Chapter 393: Guided by Pippin
Alayna's POV

I don't really understand what's happening. One minute I was with Rex, and the next minute there were a bunch of people with guns everywhere.

Rex was holding the mayor really tight, and everyone was yelling.
"Rex," I tugged at his sleeve. "Where's Mommy and Daddy?"

He looked down at me, his face all serious. "We're going to find them, Alayna. I promise."

The men in black clothes were spreading out all over the village. They were going into houses and barns and everywhere. Some people were crying, and others were being put in handcuffs. It was just like on the police shows, but scarier because it was real.

"You're hurting me!" the village head man shouted at Rex.

"Good," Rex said in a voice that made me shiver. "Now tell me where Sophie is."

"I told you, she left!" the man insisted, but his eyes were darting around like he was lying.

More scary-looking people in black clothes were bringing women out of some houses. Some of them were crying, and others looked really scared. One lady was bleeding.

"She needs immediate medical attention!" Luke called out.

I watched as they brought more and more ladies out. Some of them were yelling things like, "I want to kill them all!" and others were saying, "I can finally go home!"

Rex was still holding the mayor. "I'm going to ask you one more time," he said in that scary voice. "Where are Sophie? Tell me where they are, and you might still have a chance to live."

The man's face got all weird and stubborn. "I really don't know..."

Rex's voice got even scarier. "If you don't tell us and something happens to them, you'll be charged with kidnapping and murder. You'll get the death penalty!"

The man just stuck his chin out. "What law? I don't know what you're talking about... I don't know anything..."

Jason suddenly punched the man in the face! I gasped and covered my mouth with my hands.

"Jason, what are you doing?" Rex grabbed his arm. "Stop!"

"Rex, why are you stopping me? This bastard deserves to die..." Jason's fist was still raised.

"Calm down," Rex said. "We need to find them first."

Everyone looked really worried. I was worried too. Where were Mommy and Daddy? I wanted them so bad my tummy hurt.

We waited and waited. The men in black clothes kept searching everywhere, but they couldn't find my parents. I started to feel really scared. What if we never found them?

Then I saw something that made my heart jump. A small cat with blood on its back leg was limping across the dirt road.

"Rex!" I shouted, pointing. "Pippin! That's our cat!"

Rex looked where I was pointing. The cat – Pippin – was trying to walk, but its leg looked hurt. It was leaving tiny blood spots on the ground.

"Pippin!" I called again, struggling to get down. "That's our cat!"

Luke went over to Pippin and knelt down. He reached out to pick him up, but Pippin hissed.

"I think we need to sedate this cat," Luke said. "It's injured and aggressive."

"NO!" I shouted. "Pippin, are you trying to lead us to Mommy and Daddy?"

Pippin looked at me and made a sad "meow" sound.

"Please," I begged Luke. "Pippin is really good at finding people. When we play hide and seek, he always finds me."

Luke shook his head. "Alayna, I know you're worried, but a cat can't—"

I ran to Pippin and picked him up before anyone could stop me.

"He can really find Mommy and Daddy!" I cried, holding Pippin close even though he was dirty and bloody. "He really can!"

Everyone was looking at me like I was being silly, but I knew I was right. Great-grandpa William always said that Pippin was special.

"Pippin is even better at finding Daddy," I said, remembering what Great-grandpa told me. "He always knows where Daddy is!"

I was crying now, big tears rolling down my cheeks. "Why won't you believe me?"

Suddenly, Pippin squirmed in my arms and jumped down. But instead of running away, he stood up on his back legs for a second, like he was trying to be a person.

"Pippin!" I gasped. "How are you standing up?"

Jasper, who had been quiet this whole time, stepped forward. His eyes were wide as he watched Pippin.

"I think she might be right," he said slowly. "That cat... Adam spent months teaching it to walk again after it broke its legs. I've never seen anything like it."

"You believe me?" I asked, wiping my tears.

Jasper nodded. "I do. I think Pippin might be able to find Adam and Sophie."

"This is ridiculous," someone muttered. "Following a cat?"

But Jasper ignored them. "I'm going to follow the cat. Anyone who wants to come can join me."

"I'll go too," Jason said after a moment. "It's better than standing around doing nothing."

Jasper picked me up, and we followed Pippin, who was now limping quickly ahead of us. Some of the men in black clothes came with us, their guns ready. Pippin was moving faster and faster, leaving tiny bloody paw prints on the ground.

We followed him through the village and out to a field where there were mounds of dirt. It looked like a graveyard. Pippin ran straight to one of the freshly dug spots where there was a wooden box – a coffin – sitting on top.

Pippin started digging at the dirt around the coffin, meowing loudly and desperately.

"Is Adam in the coffin?" Jasper asked, putting me down carefully.

Jason and some of the men rushed forward and pushed the coffin lid open. I held my breath, afraid of what I might see.

"It's empty," Jason said, sounding disappointed. "I knew we couldn't trust a cat..."

But Pippin wasn't interested in the coffin. He kept digging at the ground, his paws bleeding more now, but he didn't stop. His cries were getting louder and more urgent.

"Why is he still digging?" I asked, watching Pippin scratch desperately at the dirt.

Jason knelt down and looked at the hole more carefully. "This grave has too much soil... And the walls are too smooth, like it's been dug for a while and recently filled in!"

I put my ear to the ground where Pippin was digging. At first, I heard nothing. Then...

"I hear knocking!" I shouted, pointing at the ground. "Down there! There's knocking down there!"

Jason dropped to his knees and pressed his ear to the ground. His face suddenly lit up.

"There really is something!" he exclaimed. "Adam and Sophie might be down there! Start digging, NOW!"

Everyone started digging frantically. Jasper used his hands, not caring that they were getting cut and bloody. Jason sent some men to find tools, and they came back quickly with shovels and picks.

"Hang on, Adam! Sophie!" Jason called as they dug. "We're coming!"