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Maddy went red.“Sorry about looking in your garden,” she said to Becky’s mum.

“Don’t worry,” she replied with a smile. “You can help Maddy look up and down our road, Becky. But only until it’s dark – you’ve probably got another half an hour, that’s all.”

Maddy looked around anxiously. Biscuit had never even been out at night! She hated the thought of her being all alone and scared in the dark.

The two girls went on up the road, calling for Biscuit, and Becky’s mum joined in too, asking their neighbours if they’d seen a kitten. But no one had.

“We have to stop, it’s too dark,” Maddy’s mum said eventually.

“We can’t!” Maddy said pleadingly.

“I’ll come and help you look first thing tomorrow,” Becky told her, giving her a hug. “Don’t worry. We’ll find her.”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_5]

At last, as it was starting to get dark, Biscuit decided she could leave her hiding place. Maddy must be home by now. As long as she could get back in through her cat flap before Tiger spotted her, she would be safe.

She crawled out of the dark space behind the shed, wincing as she tried to put her weight on the hurt paw. It seemed to be getting worse. She limped across the garden, and squeezed under the fence, only to see a pair of glinting amber eyes, glaring at her from under a bush. She backed away nervously. Her first thought was that it was Tiger, but it didn’t smell like him. It was a strange smell – strong and fierce. And the creature it belonged to was big…

The fox darted forward, and snapped at her, his teeth huge and yellow.

Biscuit ran blindly. She didn’t know where she was going – just away. She darted down the side passage, under a gate and out on to the pavement, where she stopped and glanced quickly behind her. The fox wasn’t following. But now she had even less idea where she was, and her paw was throbbing after her panicked dash. She limped on, hobbling down the kerb. She needed to rest, and there was a garden on the other side of the road that looked like a good hiding place, overgrown, with bushes spilling over a low fence. Biscuit set off across the road, not understanding the low growl of the car turning the corner.

She was halfway across when she noticed it– the huge machine that seemed to be towering over her, its lights dazzling her. The car braked sharply, its tyres squealing on the tarmac. Biscuit wailed as she dived forward out of the way, her injured paw collapsing underneath her, so that she half-dragged herself across the road. She struggled through the gate of the overgrown garden and flung herself down under the dark bushes, her breath coming in terrified gasps. She was so tired, and everything seemed to hurt.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_29]

Biscuit lay there, gazing into the dark night. She had no idea where she was, or how to get back to Maddy. What was she going to do?

Chapter Seven

[Êàðòèíêà: img_2]

Becky’s mum dropped her round first thing on Saturday morning. “It’s not too early, is it?” Becky asked. “Mum said it might be, but I told her you’d want to get looking straight away.”

Maddy half-smiled.“I’ve been up for ages. I’m just waiting for Dad. It’s really nice of you to come.”

Becky shook her head.“I said I would! I want to help you find her.”

Maddy’s dad appeared behind her. “Ready, girls?”

As they came out of the gate, Tiger and Tom prowled down Josh’s front path and leaped on to the wall, staring at them with round green eyes.

Maddy clenched her fists.“Look at them! They’re so mean!”

“Are they the ones who scared Biscuit?” Becky asked. Maddy had told her how frightened Biscuit had been.

Maddy nodded.“They’re horrible.”

Becky pushed open Josh’s gate, glaring at the ginger cats. “Come on! Don’t you think we should make Josh help us look?”

“I suppose so,” Maddy faltered. She shook herself. “Yes, he should.”

“Come on then,” said Maddy’s dad.

Maddy stomped up the path and rang the doorbell hard. She was a bit shocked when Josh’s dad answered the front door. She’d been expecting Josh.

“Um… We wondered…”

“Your cats chased her kitten away,” Becky put in, over Maddy’s shoulder.

Maddy’s dad nodded. “She’s lost, I’m afraid. We haven’t seen her since yesterday morning.”

Josh’s dad looked worried. “Josh did say something about Tiger and Tom having a fight with a new cat…”

Maddy nodded.“We think they had another fight, and she ran off.”

“Oh dear. Look, Josh has got to get to his football match, but can we come and help you look afterwards?”

“Thanks,” Maddy told him, and the girls set off to search again.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_5]

Biscuit twitched and wriggled in her sleep, then woke up with a jolt, her fur all on end. She stared around the thick bushes, searching for the strange creature that had been chasing her. It had been even bigger than Tiger and Tom. But the gloomy space under the branches was empty– just her and a few beetles. She’d only been dreaming.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_30]

She peered out from under the bushes into the overgrown garden, her whiskers twitching.