#### **Chapter 12: Operator Meow**
"He's holding Midnight at a decommissioned shipping warehouse in the Rotterdam port," Kuro announced twenty-four hours later. The digital chaos had worked. In the confusion, The Warden had been forced to use a less secure channel, and Kuro had intercepted it. "It's a trap. The building is wired. Thermal, acoustic, seismic sensors. It's a kill box designed for you, Renji."
"I'm still going in," Renji said.
"I know," Kuro replied. "Which is why we're not going in blind. We're going in with a distraction." He brought up another screen, showing a live feed from a small carrier cage. Inside sat a fluffy calico cat with a micro-camera on its collar. "This is Agent Mochi. I've trained her to respond to specific laser-pointer patterns. She will infiltrate the southern vent."
"You're sending a cat to do recon?" Renji asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice.
"The enemy is expecting a soldier. They are not expecting a small, fluffy animal to wander into their command post and curl up on their server racks," Kuro explained. "The villain will monologue. They always do. He'll pet the cat. He'll confess everything. And he will call Mochi 'sweetie.' It will be disgusting."
A long pause.
"What if Midnight likes the terrorist?" Renji asked, the question utterly serious.
Kuro thought for exactly 2.735 seconds. "Then the mission objective changes. We tie the terrorist up and send him to the bunker. He's Midnight's new pet. Now, let's go over the plan."