Page 55 of Rat

“Really?”

“Slightly better.”

Rory laughed and accepted Ollie’s hand. He tugged him off the floor, then patted his back. “That’s six-nil to me.”

“Whatever.”

Rory bowed forward and rested his hands on his knees. His heart thumped hard enough to distort his vision, and Captain held his shoulder to steady him.

“Okay?”

“Yeah, just dizzy.”

“You need some water.”

“In a sec.”

“Hey, Rory.”

He looked up at Vince, who’d rushed in. “Yeah?”

“You might want to get back to the wing.”

“Why?”

“The officers are trashing your cell.”

Rory stopped panting and stood upright. “What? Why?”

“No idea, but Sebastian’s fuming.”

“I’ll be right there.”

Captain grunted, then held out a bottle for him to take. “Not before you drink.”

Rory drank the whole bottle, then hurried out of the gym.

Sebastian’s eyes followed him the whole trek up to the cell. The glare was back, more intense than before, and Rory’s gut churned. He stared at the metal walkway as he approached, then leaned on the railing beside Sebastian.

“Can you believe it?” Sebastian hissed.

“What are they looking for?”

“Anything we’re not supposed to have. The question is, who’s trying to piss me off?”

“What?”

“They wouldn’t do this randomly; someone’s tipped them off.” Sebastian pointed his finger at Pauly hovering by the stairs. “And I reckon it was him.”

Pauly snorted and turned away.

“I’ll get him back for this,” Sebastian warned.

Rory craned his neck to see inside the cell. Their clothes were scattered, and the mattresses were getting vigorously patted down. One of the officers stepped out and held up a small pot.

“What’s this?”

Sebastian lifted an eyebrow. “It says what it is on the pot.”

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