Spy Cat Read Online Free Page B

blinked silently as he absorbed the conversation. He glanced at the boys, their faces shining with excitement. But his eyes were fixed on Sophie. Her freckles reminded him so much of his previous life.
A life spent on a warm knee. Being tickled behind the ear and purring non-stop.
Shakespeare’s head told him to move on.
With my new collar I can go back to life on the streets with a massive advantage. Knowledge is power
,
he told himself.
Nobody will boss me around again.
     

     
    But Shakespeare’s heart was telling him a different story.
The boys are talking about danger. And Lara’s not here to protect them.
He looked again at the little girl’s freckles and thought about Lara’s ‘rule number one’.

6. Picnic Puss
    Shakespeare’s thirst for knowledge was now almost unquenchable. While the house was quiet he read the paper and watched TV in Ben’s room. The cartoons were great and the cooking programmes made him drool. But he
loved action movies most of all and soon became addicted to James Bond.
Cool car. And gadgets.
If Shakespeare was going to have the skills of a super spy, here was someone he could learn from.
Bond is 007. Hmmm, if cats really do have nine lives, maybe I can be 009?
    He worked out how to surf the Web, gradually learning to tap the keys on Ben’s laptop, and updated the boy’s Facebook page so he ‘liked’ Cat Woman. He studied a map that was opened out on Ben’s desk and read the boy’s history homework, absorbing himself in the spy games of the Second World War.
     

     
    The week sped by. Tomorrow would be Shakespeare’s final day in the Cook household and as he lay in the warm indentation of Sophie’s duvet, he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling about the camping trip.
Lara won’t be around to accompany the kids
, he thought.
And ‘rule number one’ means one of the other animals should volunteer.
So, in a final act of feline goodwill, Shakespeare decided to introduce himself at the next neighbourhood-watch meeting.
    Connie was in charge, sitting tall and proud. Archie was taking the register. ‘May I introduce myself,’ miaowed the cat. ‘My name is
Shakespeare but you can call me Shaky. Or 009? And I have some important information.’ Archie looked confused. Shakespeare picked up a nearby ball and flicked it into next door’s garden and the dog was away, sniffing furiously. Shakespeare approached Connie directly. ‘Hello,’ he said. ‘I’m new to the neighbourhood and have been watching how you operate. Lara’s put you in charge while she’s away. Right?’ Connie looked the ginger puss up and down, admiring the flashing collar but suspicious of the new cat on the block. ‘Right,’ she yowled rather coldly. ‘And I suppose you want to be part of our team?’
    ‘No,’ miaowed Shakespeare. ‘I’m moving on tomorrow. But I have some information about “rule number one”.’
    Connie looked shocked. ‘How do you know about rule number one?’ she hissed. ‘That’s classified information.’
    ‘Doesn’t matter,’ miaowed Shakespeare. ‘But I know that your job is to look after the safety of the children. And I have useful information,’ he continued, looking around to check the coast was clear. ‘Did you know, for instance, that the kids are going camping later today?
It’s a last-minute decision that Lara didn’t know about, otherwise she’d never have agreed to leave with Professor Cortex.’
    ‘Are they indeed,’ said Connie, swishing her tail in annoyance.
How could this new cat know so much? Unless he was a spy? Lara had said to be alert at all times. Maybe the danger wasn’t from humans?
Connie was doing what Lara had encouraged her to do, exercising extreme caution and ‘thinking outside the box’. ‘Our job is to look after the neighbourhood,’ she said. ‘We’re a
neighbourhood
-watch team.’
    ‘Rule number one,’ reminded Shakespeare, ‘means your priority is the children. What if they go camping? What if they leave the