The Magnificent Cat by Nadia Ramadan (early reader chapter books .TXT) 📕

Armand said loudly “it's important”

Everyone in the hall started to gather around the meeting chairs, each of them has a curious look on their faces, eager to know what the boss is going to say this time. 

James took his usual seat, a bit far from the other guys and a few inches away from the boss’s seat. Armand sat on his usual boss’s seat with Wade sitting right next to him; they both face directly to the team and James.

“We have a new member joining us to the team, guys” Armand started 

“What”

“When”

“How”

Everyone in the living room was asking questions, surprised of what they just heard 

“Quite” Armand shouted “I don’t want any more questions; I haven’t finished talking about him an-”  

“Does he know about the Magnificent Cat?” James interrupted

Everyone in the room turns and looked at James 

At first Armand didn’t know what to say but then he looked at James and said “As a matter of fact he does”

Everyone in the room became more surprised now and angry at the same time

“Is he going to be one of us” shouted a guy from the back of the hall

“No” Armand replied “he is going to be like a second boss to you all”

“What?” James shouted 

 “No way”

“Do you remember when we almost lost the Magnificent Cat?” Armand shouted “Did you all remember Andy! Ruddick’s spy, ready to posses it away from us, or Bob, the traitor who was working undercover with the police!”

All of a sudden the room became quite. 

“Well guess who saved our asses” Armand continued “Guess who made me realized that Andy was a spy!”

Armand stopped talking and walked around as if he was saying something extremely important, and then handed a file to Wade. James looked at him annoyingly trying to hold himself from shooting them both

“Guys, please welcome Ray Greenwood” Armand said finally 

 

All of a sudden, the room turned quite and everyone was focusing on the foot steps they hear coming from the corridor, and there they saw Mr. Greenwood coming in.

It was strange but James could feel that this man is familiar in one way or another, as a matter of fact he was too familiar but nameless. Suddenly it stroke him,

Ray Greenwood is the older man he saw earlier, with the girl he liked so much.

 

Chapter 3 - Innocent Patricia

Patricia Greenwood is staring out the kitchen window, pouring herself a cold glass of orange juice when she suddenly saw Ray Greenwood coming, she then hears the main door open and Ray walks in.

“Hello dad how are you today, and how is the new job?” she asked sarcastically 

“Its fine sweetheart, I think I am in the right place and at the right time” Ray answered

“Are you sure this is going to work, dad?”

“Yeah, first time in my life I am positive” Ray said happily while leaving the kitchen.

Patricia smiled and turned her head back to the window, suddenly something caught her eyes, and she saw James sitting angrily. She looked again and saw the huge building. 

 “Isn’t that the place you came from?” Patricia asked 

“Yeah, isn’t it amazing?” Ray said, but this time he walked out of the kitchen, just so she won’t ask any more questions. 

 

James stands at the verandah and smokes a cigarette, thinking over and over about the girl he saw earlier and her relationship with Ray, and what is Ray doing here working under his boss? 

“Oh actually Ray is my second boss” James said angrily to himself. 

James lit up another cigarette and started smoking when suddenly he turned and saw Patricia, he actually saw Ray coming out the same house at first, but now he could only see Patricia at the window.

He raised his hand in a sign of hello

At first there was no response from Patricia, but later on he could slightly see her from the kitchen window raising her hand 

A smile came on James face for the first time in months.

Suddenly he thought of introducing himself to her, at least not in details but just to know about her too.

James took a few steps on his way to Patricia when he suddenly hears the voice he never wants to hear 

“Where do you think you are going” shouted Mr. Bacilli 

“Not now Bacilli not now!” James said as he walks off.

Patricia saw James coming closer and closer and then realized that he is actually coming to the house. Patricia walked out of the kitchen and stood at the main door.

“Hi” James said 

“Hi” she replied

“Can I come in?”

“Sure” Patricia said lowly “please come in” 

James took a few steps inside the house and turned back to Patricia 

“Are you sure you want me to come in” 

“Yes, do you think I am scared of you? Is there something about you I need to be scared of?” 

James did not reply, he stood next to the kitchen door 

“Are you married?”

“No” Patricia replied surprisingly “why?”

“So what is your relationship with Ray?”

“Ray is my father, do you know him?” Patricia said smilingly

“Your fa-” James said “oh, ah, we work together”

“Is that your Job place?” 

“Yes” James interrupted “Yes that’s it, that's where we work”

"I am Patricia" Patricia said shyly 

"I am James” James said nicely as he stood outside the door

They both stare at each other awkwardly 

 

Was this a good idea? Is James making a mistake getting to know Patricia, But James couldn’t stop starring at her, she was irresistible to him, but she’s still Ray Greenwood’s daughter, a man that will soon join his “hate list” along with Armand and Wade.

“I have something to do right now, can I be excused” James said suddenly thinking that this might not be a good idea.

“Yes sure” she replied “it was nice meeting you” 

James walked out of the house and went straight forward to where he came from.

Patricia just sat and watched him as he walked straight out of the house.

 

James walked inside the house/office and sat on a table next to Mr. Picklock.

 

Mr. Picklock is the father that James never had, Mr. Picklock is the only person that James trusts in the entire building, and he loves Mr. Picklock more than everyone and always shares his secrets with him.

 

Mr. Picklock always loved James, for he was a good friend to both James's father and Grandfather. James is the only Scorpion left that could remind him of his dearest friends he once had.

"Good afternoon Mr. Picklock, how are you today?” James asked

"Oh I am doing great James how about you?"

"There is this girl I just met, and really can’t stop thinking of…”

"What, who…?" Mr. Picklock asked

"I am afraid its Ray's daughter, I mean I saw her earlier today…I didn’t know she was Ray’s daughter, but…”

“Ray? The new employee or I can say new boss?”

“Yep” James continued “Don’t even remind me, He just came in and all of a sudden he is a boss to us? Armand must be…”

"What about Armand?" Wade said while entering the main corridor 

"And why wouldn’t you mind your own business" James replied harshly 

"You are the one who's talking about the boss, James" Wade said annoyingly "seems like your business is other people's business"

"I really don't want to waste my time talking to you, you pathetic-"

"Ok stop it both of you" shouted Mr. Picklock "we are all supposed to be friends and stick together at all times"

"Well how can I be close to James if he all he wants is the Magnificent Cat" Wade continued jokingly 

“Stop pretending like you don’t care” James said as he walks closer to Wade “I saw the way you killed a man when he didn’t pay enough dough for hiring the Magnificent Cat”

“It’s not my fault Armand chose me over you, James” Wade replied annoyingly 

"I said stop it both of you!" Mr. Picklock repeated "I can't take this anymore, James can I have a word with you alone"

"Sure" James replied and walked away from Wade

"The battle is still on" James said while passing next to Wade   

 

 

Chapter 4 -The $60 million Magnificent Cat dealing

The day was turning darker, and it’s Lisa’s duty to close the Bar once all the customers are gone. Lisa shuts the Bar and was ready to go upstairs to her room when she hears a slight knock on the door.

“Is the bar still open?”  The voice called out right after the knock

"We're closed" she shouted

"Please just for one second" the voice shouted 

Lisa ran next to the window and piped, and then took a few steps to the door.

The door opened and Wade walked in.

"I am sorry to bother you this late but I need a drink" Wade said as he walks in.

"Why now" Lisa said as she walks to the counter.

"The work is really tough here and I don’t know if I can take it anymore" Wade said to himself as he poured a glass of vodka 

“You wha-“

“You are new here” Wade interrupted as he looks at her

“Yes, I started yesterday “Lisa said shyly "Where do you work?"

There was a sign of richness all around him, he was stylishly dressed and his cologne was all over the place. Lisa continued to look at him and can’t help notice that his skin was perhaps even smoother than hers 

“Where do you work” She asked as she checks him out slightly 

“What?” 

 “Oh…Where do you work?” she replied shyly “don’t mind my curiosity, for I just…” 

“No not at all” Wade said while staring at her as if he was examining her "Just a few blocks away from here, at the big building…you can probably see it from your roof top"

"Oh yes" Lisa continued "I saw it …it’s a strange looking thing"

"You have a very lovely voice" Wade said randomly with a poker face.

"Thank you" she replied quickly so he won’t say more. For his behavior was way too weird, she earlier thought that James was weird but right now she is wondering if perhaps everyone in that building are weird. 

"You don’t mind me saying that do you?" he questioned

"No, no, no" she interrupted "its fine with me, thanks again. Do you know that I always wanted to be a singer?" 

"Wow, I can tell" he replied "but … if you don’t mind me asking … ... why are you here?"

"Well it not easy to go to Talent land or Fantastica stage which is not far away from Bevin, I still will need more skills and