Page 4 of The Rat

Rory frowned. As a name went, itseemed friendly enough. “How long’s he in for?”

“I don’t know, he doesn’tspeak.”

“Doesn’t speak?”

“I asked the guard about it,he’s not saida word since he arrived here ten years ago.”

Rorywidened his eyes at the tenyears—Teddy’s crime must’ve been severe.

“He grunted at me when hesaw me, and I said hello in reply, that was as far as ourconversation has gone.”

“Me andSebastian haven’t exactly hit itoff.”

Roryopened the small cabinet and shovedhis clothes in the spare space. Sebastian may have looked at himlike he wanted him dead, but he at least had the manners to clearhim a space.

“Breakfast’s happeningbelow.”

Rory nodded. “Then webetterget toit.”

They walked back out on to thelanding, and most of the curious faces were distracted by food.Rory wrinkled his nose at the smell of burned toast, and wateryegg. There was aline, but many inmates walked in front of them and gotserved first. They didn’t protest, but lowered their gazes andwaited their turn.

The toast was black, and noamount of scraping the charred bread could revive it. The eggs wereat least edible, and the coffee, although weak, wassoothing onRory’s taste buds.

Olliepointed out Teddy. “That’s mycellmate.”

He satat a table by himself, and scoopedeggs in his mouth like he was pressed for time. Bald head, but hemade up for it with a dark beard. He wore a tank top, and althoughless muscular than Sebastian and Captain, he was still prettydefined.

Ollie leanedcloser.“Looks crazy, don’t he?”

“He might beallright.”

“What about yourcellmate?”

Sebastian was engaged in intenseconversation with two other inmates, his lips stopped moving, hefrowned, then he looked atRory. Rory spluttered his coffee, drawing theunwanted attention of the neighboring table. They laughed, and oneof the group lifted his head.

“Can’t handle yourdrink,sweetheart?”

Rory didn’t reply to theman. He wipedthe coffee off the table with his sleeve and didn’t glanceup.

“Didn’t you hearme,sweetheart?”

“Say somethingback,” Olliemuttered.

“Like what?”

“I dunno.”

Roryraised the cup. “It’shot.”

“Glad you think so, you’renot bad either.”

“No, I meant thecoffee.”

“Am I not hotthen?”

Captainwalked into view then sat down at thetable, blocking both Rory and Ollie from the men behind. Roryinwardly sighed with relief and wondered whether Captain knew he’djust saved him.

Captainsighed at his breakfast and whiskedthe eggs with his fork. Rory noticed he had more on his tray thanboth him and Ollie put together, and his toast wasn’t burned to acharcoal crisp.

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