The Secret Life of Pets Problems in New York

Cunning Tricksters

Moaning in pain, Chloe slowly blinked her eyes open. Feeling dazed, she hadn't the slightest clue where she was at. She could hear voices talking but it sounded muffled. It sounded like there were several people arguing with one another. There was also a noise similar to that of someone in severe pain. Trying to move, Chloe realized that she seemed to be restrained. Also, she could feel another's presence on her left. Just then, Mel's voice whispered in Chloe's ear, "How are you feeling at the moment Chloe?"

At last, the world no longer seemed fuzzy. Observing her surroundings, Chloe could tell that she and some of the others were tied up to columns. Before she could answer Mel's question, however, Danger finished tying up Duke, Ozone, and Nitro. He stepped back, as if to admire his work. Grinning insanely, he spoke, "Once I have captured your other friends, I'll tie them up with you right here before letting this place burn down with you inside. Then, I'll-"

However, Danger was unable to finish his sentence when something bounced off his head and rolled away. "A dart from a Nerf gun?" Ozone and Nitro murmured at the same time. Puzzled, Chloe looked up to witness Danger get hit by three more. "What's going on?" Duke asked, a blacked out Pepe on his right. To Duke's left, Buddy finally stopped crying in pain as he and Sweetpea watched silently. Growling, the pit bull backed up a little bit just as a basketball landed on his lower back. It was soon followed by four baseballs and a soccer ball. Chloe noticed that the balls had appeared to have been thrown.

All of the sudden, a bunch of marbles came crashing down on Danger. Mad, the pit bull looked up just as orange and red paint splattered on his face. Yelping, he started to wipe it out of his eyes but slipped on the marbles around his feet and fell. "Guys, did you see who did it?" Max questioned the ones tied up while he and Gidget struggled with their bonds. Mel shook his head, looking like he was going to laugh at any moment. "I didn't see anything," Duke replied, also trying hard not to laugh. Chloe was about to agree when she spotted a dark figure on the catwalks above. She also saw a small shadow coming towards them. Just then, a pair of safety scissors skidded towards Ozone's feet. Looking up once again, Chloe realized that the shadow had disappeared.

"Alright, I had-" Danger was interrupted once more when a bunch of colorful string settled on him, followed by a flying tennis racket that bounced off his muzzle. Eyes glistening with rage, the pit bull spun around just as more marbles spilled over his body. Chloe wasn't sure but she thought she heard someone laughing quietly. "Oh no..." Ozone and Nitro whispered at the same time. "What?!" Duke asked, struggling with the rope. Meanwhile, Mel managed to grab the safety scissors and started cutting away. However, he had a hard time cutting.

"Hurry up! I'm not sure we can keep him distracted!" a voice hissed from the nearby shadows. "Cut the rope as fast as you can!" another one spoke, this one more high pitched than the first. Squinting, Chloe could make out two pairs of eyes, both a different shade of brown. Almost immediately, Chloe realized who it was and whispered, "It's Tiberius and Norman." Trying to see what was going on, Duke spoke in a hushed voice, "What on earth are you two doing?!"

"Isn't obvious? They're cunning tricksters!" Nitro hissed. Rolling his eyes at his friend, Ozone added, "They're distracting Danger while we break free!" Gazing at the shadows, Chloe could see Norman winking, proving that Ozone was correct. A moment later, the guinea pig and the old hawk melted back into the surrounding shadows. Turning to her left, she watched Mel cut away at the rope. "Can you please hurry up!" Chloe demanded. Huffing, Mel snapped, "You try cutting thick rope with safety scissors!"

Suddenly, Chloe's heart sank when she heard a cry a split second before the whack of a metal tail...