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

a huge long table considerably a meeting table. There was also a main desk like the one Armand had in the secretive room. James continued to look around as he watched the entire place ready for a whole new business; surprisingly he couldn’t see the main source of the so planned business – the Magnificent Cat.

James walked deeper into the room with cautions and alertness.

 

"Looking for something?" a voice said annoyingly

James turned sharply and saw Ruddick standing in the back of the room with the Magnificent Cat right next to him.

"Perhaps I am looking for something that belongs to me" James said as he walked slowly trying to approach the Magnificent Cat.

"James, James, James" Ruddick said as he laughed "same old pathetic James"

"Give it up, Ruddick" James said angrily "it's better to die easily than painfully"

"Look who is talking" Ruddick continued to brag "the looser himself"

"I shouldn’t have asked you a question" James said as he grabbed a stick from the ground "people like you, one way or another must die painfully"

Ruddick reached out for his own knife and ran forward to stab James.

 

 

Picklock drove as fast as he could, making his way from Bevin to Slycity.

"Come on" Picklock said angrily and desperately "you silly old car!"

 

 

James stopped the knife by the stick he was holding, pushing as hard as he could, he somehow managed to push away the knife which fell from Ruddick's hand to the ground. James quickly raised his stick landing a hit across Ruddick's head and two more into his stomach. Ruddick fell against the long table and slowly slid down next to some metal sticks on the ground.

"Having fun already?" James said annoyingly as he started to kick Ruddick on the ground.

Ruddick reached out for some metal sticks on the ground and hits it directly on James's wound which was barely sewed by Mr. Picklock.

"Ahhhhh" James shouted in pain and stepped back, blood seeping from the cut and his hands pressed to his stomach, James finally fell on the ground.

"To answer your question, James" Ruddick said as he rouse up "I am not having fun yet"

James still lying on the ground with pain didn’t answer or looked at Ruddick.

"I plan my moves, James" Ruddick continued "do you think I'm stupid"

Ruddick walked closer to James and pulled his hand away from his wound.

"Ouch…" Ruddick said annoyingly "that doesn’t look good"  

Ruddick continued to hold James's hand as he stood him up from the ground.

"Now I am starting to have fun" Ruddick said laughingly "just a little"

Ruddick raised James and hits him hard on the wall; he then tied him to the wall with strong irons.

"You like that, James" Ruddick said angrily as he hits him one more time in that particular spot hardly

James shouted again in pain trying hardly to pry from the iron but fails every time he gives it a shot.

"Didn’t I tell you I planned everything" Ruddick started "this is your spot of suffering, James, I knew it was you who came earlier, trust me it was crystal clear"

"Go to hell" James said angrily still trying to free himself

"Now tell me, James" Ruddick said annoyingly "who on earth will desperately enter into my compound solely after the Magnificent Cat and Patricia"

"You killed her" James said as he looked at Ruddick angrily

"Sure I did" Ruddick replied "don’t tell me you loved her…oh she did fool you big time!"

"You killed her without any sympathy" 

"Well that’s what I do" Ruddick continued "I kill things that are not useful anymore"

"She was more than a thing…you worthless piece of shit!" James shouted

"She was useless, Ray was useless, Armand was useless, and do you know what else turns out to be useless" Ruddick said as he approaches James.

"Let me guess" James interrupted "me?"

Ruddick looked at him closely and laughed hardly "you?" 

James continued to look at Ruddick with rage and anger.

"Of course not" Ruddick replied "you were never useful, you are very useless, you have always been useless, you are just an obstacle in everyone's' way" 

"I don’t give a crap about what you say, think, or even do" James replied "you are sick and you need help, let me give it to you"

"Look who is talking…" Ruddick said as he laughed "do you not know how people look at you? I mean you repulse them, you are too pathetic, and you made them sick!"

"The only help you need is bringing you down, Ruddick" James said "only death can serve you best"

"James, you are tied to a fucking wall…" Ruddick said angrily "I really don’t know where on earth do have the guts, if I were you, I would have committed suicide years ago…too pathetic"

"It doesn’t matter what you do to me now" James continued "if you kill me or not, the armies down there will come up sooner or later just to see you shattered in pieces"

"Of course" Ruddick said "but that’s only if they can come in! Silly of you to come all by yourself here, don’t you think so?"

"It doesn’t matter" James replied "they will come in…trust me"

"I don’t care" Ruddick continued "how stupid do you think I am, yes you can be right about the army, I am not naïve to believe I've won the battle! I know I've lost the battle, but that doesn’t mean you’ve won the war…especially when you don’t get what you are fighting for…."

"They know where it is, Ruddick" James said as he smiled and looked at the Magnificent Cat far at the end of the table "you didn't even hide it"

"And what's the point of hiding it, Jimmy" Ruddick continued "I don’t hide useless things…did you finally get what I meant earlier"

James looked at Ruddick scarily and shockingly.

"Yes, James" Ruddick said annoyingly "I kill things that are useless"

"Clearly you couldn’t do it" James interrupted "because otherwise you would already destroyed it"

"Yes you are right about that" Ruddick said as he walked closer to the Magnificent Cat "the silly key is missing…causing Ray to be useless or as I can say dead"

"The Magnificent Cat has a key?" James said annoyingly as he laughed "it’s a shame you never thought of that"

"Since I can't have it, no one can" Ruddick said "now, let's start torturing you…I would love to see the look on your face when the Magnificent Cat dies in front of you"  

"Well you can't destroy it" James said as he looked at Ruddick "you don’t have the key…remember?"

Ruddick walked closely to James and looked him in the eye "well I know the other way of destroying it"

James heart stopped in scare and suspicion. How on earth did Ruddick know about any of this? Can he possibly know about the Magnificent Cat's origins? The Scorpions…? About himself being The Magnificent cat? 

"What is it, James?" Ruddick said nauseatingly "did I say something top secretive!"

"Ruddick…listen to me" James started to plead "you don’t have to…"

"Look at you" Ruddick said as he laughed "pleading like a bitch, I am just having fun James, you asked me if I was having fun…and I am just starting to"

James didn’t understand when Ruddick entered into a protective glass next to the spy window.

"Where are you going?" James asked as he looked at Ruddick seriously

"Oh…I will be right back" Ruddick said as he entered the protective glass "don’t miss me too much"

 

Picklock continued to drive as fast as he could, for he never knew the short way to Slycity and had to take the long way through the bushes. 

 

All of Steve's men tried hitting the door with the tank several times but it didn’t work, the door was still as hard and protective.

"It's not working" Joe said as he looked at Wade "we should try something else"

"This is horrible" Wade said as he looked at the door "and why isn't James back yet? Did he actually found a way in?"

"Let's find the way James entered…let's start from the back!" Joe said

"What are we going to do?" Lisa asked

"Well one thing for sure…" Joe shouted "we can't depend on James…he could be dead!" 

"Let's not jump into conclusions" Wade interrupted "there must be a way in"

 

All of a sudden the spy window from the top of the building broke off powerfully.

"What is that!" one gunman shouted 

"Be careful" Wade shouted

Everyone started to ready their guns.

"Stay back" Wade said as he looked at Lisa

"What is going on?" Lisa asked worryingly 

"Just stay back" Joe shouted "go hide behind that rock!"

Next to the spy window, everyone could see a protective glass with someone init approaching them as it force to land.

Wade looked at it as it approaches closer and closer

"It's Ruddick!" Wade shouted as he picked up his gun "Fire!"

All the army raised their weapon to Ruddick and started shooting as fast as they could, firing ever inch of the glass.

Lisa closed her ears with her hands and lays down on the ground.

"Get out of here!" Wade shouted as he looked at Lisa "go hide behind that Rock"

Lisa ran as fast as she could and hid behind the rock.

 

Everyone continued to fire at the glass as it finally landed on the ground. Their shots were pointless as the protective glass was indeed shielding Ruddick in it.

Everyone could now see Ruddick clearly standing in front of them holding a long knife.

No one stopped shooting, everyone continued to shoot, but due to the protective shield Ruddick just stood there with the long knife smiling back at them.

Ruddick pressed a small bottom on the protective shield; suddenly a powerful force like a wind blew everyone causing them to lose their guns and flew away.

Joe flew and hit the rock in which Lisa was hiding 

"Joe!" Lisa said "are you ok?" she continued to say as she looked at Joe lying down unconsciously.

Wade stood there as he watched his people fell on the ground far away.

"Hello Wade" Ruddick said still inside his protective shield.

Wade loaded his gun again and started to shoot.

Ruddick's protective glass approached Wade closely in a second. Ruddick quickly got out of the Glass and threw Wade's gun aside.

Wade looked at Ruddick as his gun fell; Ruddick immediately used his long sharp knife and stabbed Wade on the chest. Wade stood there unable to scream as blood poured down.

 

"Wade!" Lisa shouted as she stood up.

"Goodbye, Wade" Ruddick said while still holding the knife "this wasn't my plan till lately…I am sorry"

Suddenly a huge gunshot aimed at Ruddick direction almost hitting him. Ruddick pulled out the knife from Wade and ran back to his protective shield. 

Wade fell on the ground and crawled as fast as he could to get away from Ruddick.

 

Ruddick looked from inside his protective shield and could see Lisa holding a big shot gun. Lisa continued to shoot without stopping, she has never used a gun before but knew that this moment is the right moment; she has to do anything to get Ruddick away from Wade. 

Wade continued to crawl away, blood pouring out of his mouth, he managed to go as far as he could while Lisa carries on shooting.

Ruddick looked at his protective shield and noticed the glass is starting to crack from that constant shooting.

"For heaven's sake…" Ruddick said as he rolled his eye and picked one of his smaller knifes "I hate interruptions"

He turned to Lisa's direction and was ready to throw the knife.

"Get down" Joe shouted as he grabbed Lisa and pulled her back behind the huge rock.

The knife missed her and sharply hits the ground.

Lisa looked at it scarily, for it was so close.

"Let me finish him" Lisa said as she tried to let go of Joe

"No" Joe shouted "you can't defeat him!"

Ruddick turned back to look for Wade, he quickly saw him and got out of his protective shield. He then dragged Wade from the ground and lifts him up again.

"Let go" Wade said as he tries his best to fight him off.

"I am not done with you" Ruddick said as he thrust his sharp knife again into Wade.

Wade stopped fighting back and looked