Renee Jennings's heart skipped a beat, her hands trembling slightly as she held the blue cat.
She struggled to remain calm. "Mr. Archer, I'm your upstairs neighbor."
"Do you know Josephine Keller?" Albert Archer's tone was no longer gentle, replaced by a sharp, displeased question.
"Who's Josephine Keller?" Renee Jennings feigned a look of confusion and nonchalantly stood up. "By the way, what brand of cat litter does your little furball use?"
"The empty bag is right over there. You can take a look, Miss Bishop."
Albert Archer stared at her back, his eyes filled with a sinister, scrutinizing light. The hand hanging by his side slowly reached for the utility knife in his pants pocket.
His instincts told him something was off about this beautiful woman.
"Watch out!" the blue cat shrieked.
Just as Albert Archer raised the sharp utility knife, preparing to stab Renee Jennings, the doorbell suddenly rang.
DING-DONG—
Renee Jennings's heart hammered in her chest. She slowly turned her head.
He had already put the utility knife away.
He stared at Renee Jennings, a strange smile spreading across his lips. The dim light from the balcony casting shadows on his face made him look even more sinister.
Renee Jennings held her breath. "Mr. Archer, your doorbell rang."
Albert Archer suddenly leaned in close, a sinister grin on his face. "I heard it. Shhh."
The doorbell continued to ring. Sensing he had no intention of opening it, Renee Jennings took two steps back. "Mr. Archer, it's getting late. I won't bother you any longer."
She turned to leave, but a heavy hand suddenly fell on her shoulder.
"Now that you're here, don't even think about leaving." Albert Archer pulled out the utility knife, waving it in front of her. He threatened in a low voice, "This blade doesn't have eyes."
"Mr. Archer, what do you mean by this?" Renee Jennings pressed her lips together, her heart racing with anxiety.
'Are the police outside?'
The blue cat was heartbroken. "My sweet darling, you have to find a way to escape."
Renee Jennings took a deep breath, deciding to risk it.
'As long as it's the police outside, all I have to do is open the door.'
Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly heard Albert Archer cry out in pain. "Ah!"
"The birds are here to help!" Magpie and a few of his buddies flapped their wings, pecking furiously at Albert Archer's face with their sharp little beaks.
Renee Jennings's eyes lit up. Clutching the cat, she dashed for the door.
"Stop!" Seeing this, Albert Archer wildly swatted the birds away and lunged after Renee Jennings.
But Magpie wasn't about to give him the chance. "Brothers, attack! Let's peck this evil short-hair's face to shreds!"
"Where did you damn birds come from? Get the hell away from me!" Albert Archer cursed in frustration.
But the more he cursed, the more ferociously the birds pecked, buying Renee Jennings precious time.
She reached the entrance and threw the door open.
Seeing two uniformed police officers, she let out a sigh of relief. Her wildly pounding heart began to settle.
"Are you Miss Jennings?" one of the older officers asked.
Renee Jennings nodded quickly. "Yes! This man has a girl locked up in here, and he's been abusing her!"
The weak blue cat cried with excitement. "My sweet darling, you're amazing!"
Albert Archer quickly hid the utility knife.
He hadn't expected Renee Jennings to actually call the police. He was so furious he could have ground his teeth to dust.
'He knew it! Something was off about this woman!'
Seeing two uniformed men standing in his doorway, a deep sense of unease filled him.
"Officers, this is all a misunderstanding," Albert Archer said, calmly walking to the door to explain. "Miss, please don't spout nonsense. I'm a law-abiding citizen of upstanding character. I could never do something illegal."
"I'm telling the truth." Renee Jennings's tone was firm, her clear eyes fixed on him. "You locked that girl in a room and cut off her finger with a knife! You don't just abuse people, you abuse cats, too!"
Albert Archer lowered his head, hiding the furious resentment in his eyes.
'Damn it!'
'Josephine Keller actually managed to secretly call for help!'
'How on earth did she manage that?'
But this wasn't the time to dwell on that. Albert Archer said urgently, "Officers, I've been framed! She's slandering me! If I really had someone locked up in a room and was abusing them, how would this lady possibly know? That's preposterous!"
Renee Jennings knew he would try to weasel his way out. She scoffed, "The only way to keep a secret is to not do it in the first place. You ask how I know? I saw everything clearly from downstairs."
The color drained from Albert Archer's face.
To his utter astonishment, the door to the bedroom where Josephine Keller was imprisoned swung open.
And the ones who opened it… were that flock of damn birds that had been pecking him!
'What the hell?!'
Renee Jennings knew the police would need a warrant to enter and search, so she seized the opportunity while Albert Archer was still stunned and rushed inside.
The sight was so shocking that even Renee Jennings, who was supposed to be the villainess of this story, felt her eyes well up.
The two officers came to her side, their expressions turning grim.
Renee Jennings turned to Albert Archer and demanded in a low voice, "Do you still dare to call this slander?"
Albert Archer was ashen-faced. He opened and closed his mouth, unable to offer any rebuttal.
The younger officer produced a pair of silver handcuffs and said sternly, "You're under suspicion of unlawful imprisonment and abuse. You're coming with us."
The older officer called for backup and an ambulance.
Josephine Keller was taken to the hospital, while Renee Jennings went to the police station with the cat to give her statement.
When she came out of the police station, she found that Magpie and his little buddies were still there, waiting for her.
The flock of birds chirped as they flew circles around Renee Jennings.
"Renee, weren't we awesome?"
A small smile touched Renee Jennings's lips. "You were awesome. You were a huge help, thank you. I owe you all a big meal. I have to take Princess to the vet now. Do you want to come with?"
The breathing of the cat in her arms was growing fainter, and she didn't dare delay.
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Renee Jennings used her phone to navigate to the nearest 24-hour pet hospital.
A shaved patch for the B-scan, blood drawn for testing.
After a thorough examination, the vet said the blue cat had a broken bone and liver damage, and would need to be hospitalized.
Renee Jennings prepaid the fees, then went to the barely breathing blue cat's side to comfort her. "Don't be scared, you're not going to die. I'll come see you again tomorrow."
The little cat meowed weakly. "You have to come!"
"I will," Renee Jennings promised solemnly.
Leaving the pet hospital, the birds followed her all the way, finally flying right into her second-hand BMW.
[System 009: Congratulations, Miss Jennings, on completing the mission. Reward obtained: Bear Dictionary.]
Renee Jennings returned to her apartment and said goodbye to the birds at her window.
She gazed at the deep, quiet sky, her mind still reeling from the day's events.
'The creatures of this world are truly magical.'
'A dog worries about its owner.'
'A cat saves its owner.'
'A bird calls its friends for help.'
'Everything is becoming so interesting.'
Renee Jennings suddenly felt a flicker of anticipation.
'What will the next mission be? And what will the reward be…'
**
The next day, the first thing Renee Jennings did after breakfast was go to the pet hospital to visit the blue cat.
The cat seemed to be in slightly better condition than the night before.
Renee Jennings chatted with her for a few moments. As she was about to leave, she heard a familiar voice coming from the adjacent exam room.
"Babe, I'll cover the cat's medical bills. Don't you worry about it."
'Isn't that goddamned Evan Shepherd?'
The next second, a woman's saccharine voice reached Renee Jennings's ears.
"Evan, you're so good to me! If you keep this up, I'll never be able to leave you!"
"Silly girl, of course I'm good to you," Evan Shepherd's voice was dripping with affection.
'Scumbag!'
Renee Jennings sneered inwardly. The phone in her palm suddenly vibrated.
She glanced at the screen. It was a text from Evan Shepherd.