Page 40 of The Rat

His lips twitched, the laughbubbled up, and he couldn’t stop it. Sebastian glared at him, but hisangry expression gave way for amusement. He grinned, then shook hishead.

“What are youup to?”

Ollie darted panicked looksbetweenthem.“Look, this was my idea, not Rory’s.”

Sebastian stepped intothe cell, thenleaned back on the door. “What was your idea?”

“Teddy had some maggots and I gotthe guards to kill them. He was upset and I feltshit. I asked Roryto help me get some more.”

Sebastian’s eyebrowsshot up.“Help you get maggots?”

“And I tried to go through the bin, but Icouldn’t do it, so I begged Rory.”

“That explains the smell.”Sebastian smirked.

“Theshort story is, Rory found a deadrat.”

Sebastian narrowed his eyes andtook a step closer. Theamusement had gone, and the anger returned in fullforce.

“Have you got thisrat?”

Ollie nodded. “Rory’s gotit—”

“Give it to menow.”

Rory hesitantly held out the bag, andSebastian snatched it away.

“It was moving withmaggots.”

Sebastian reached into the bagand pulled out the rat. Ollie scrunched his eyes shut and turned to thesink.

“This is mine.” Sebastianmuttered.

Rory blinked—he swore he’d heard wrong.Every long serving inmate had lost their mind. Teddy, obsessed withmaggots, and Sebastian territorial over dead rats.

“It’s yours?” Rorysaid.

“I’ve been waiting forit.”Sebastian ripped the rat open with his hands. “My old onegot found by the guards.”

Rory pinched himself. It must’vebeen a dream. He wanted to wake up, it was toostrange, thestress of being undercover had lost him his mind.

There was no blood, or guts, orsmell. Sebastian grinned, then turned the gaping rattoRory.

“They look good, don’tthey?”

Rory leaned closer. “It—it’sfake.”

Sebastian nodded.

“But it wasmoving?”

Sebastian opened up the rat likea purse, and Rory spotted something inside.

“Take it…”

Rory reached, and his fingers closedaround something plastic. A flip phone. He smirked and studied itintently.

“As I said, I’ve been waitingfora newone.”

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