Rage of Rattus Norvegicus

by L. S. O'Dea

  “That was quick.” He sat up. Lee had been gone a little over a day.

  “What can I say? I’m pretty darn fast when I want to be.” Lee crept from the trees and stopped next to him. “How is she?”

  “Not good.” He brushed some hair from her face. “She’s really hot.”

  “I got food.” Lee handed him the bag.

  “Did you see any Guards?”

  “Yeah. They’re all over. Some are sleeping but others are still on the hunt. We need to leave soon.”

  “Okay.” He’d figured as much. He dug in the bag. There was a roast, steaks and bread. “Where’d you get this?” This was food, real food, not scraps.

  Lee sat down on the other side of Prin and shook her gently. “Wake up, lazy girl. We got food.”

  “Lee?” She blinked.

  “Yeah, it’s me.” Lee took her arm, helping her to sit. His gaze landed on her stomach before darting to Rufus.

  He didn’t know what to say. She’d gotten even bigger in the little time Lee had been gone. It wasn’t normal. Rufus slapped a steak between two hunks of bread and handed it to her. “Here. Eat. You’ll feel better.”

  “I am hungry.” She snatched the sandwich and nibbled on it, her lips moving fast as she chewed off chunks and stuffed them into her cheeks.

  He handed another sandwich to his brother before tearing into his. He was halfway through before he realized that he was eating just like Prin and so was Lee. They’d never eaten like that before—using only their front teeth to tear and storing the food in their mouths. Of course, he’d lost most of his molars.

  “This is fabulous.” Lee grabbed the bag, making another sandwich.

  Prin snatched it from him. “Thanks.”

  “Hey, that’s mine.” Lee playfully protested as he made another one.

  “Mine now.” She stuffed part of it in her mouth.

  “The rest is yours.” Lee tossed the remaining bread and steak to Rufus.

  “Thanks.” He snatched it from the air without thinking and shoved hunks into his mouth.

  When he’d finished, he leaned back. “How are you feeling, Prin?”

  “Better.” She smiled but her face was still pale.

  “Good.” He’d love to let her rest longer but they couldn’t take the chance. “We should move before it gets any lighter.” He hopped to his feet.

  “Okay.” Prin stood and swayed.

  He and Lee grabbed her arms, steadying her.

  “Sorry, lost my balance for a moment, but I’m fine.” She tugged free from them.

  “If you need help...” He struggled not to suggest she lean on him.

  “I don’t.” She’d always fought to be as strong as they were.

  “Okay. This way.” He slipped out of the copse of trees, heading away from the closest Guards. “Where did you find all that food?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer. Food like that wasn’t in any trash container.

  “Yeah, it was great.” Prin’s voice faltered. “Too good. That didn’t come from the dumpster at Manny’s Meats.”

  “No, it didn’t.” Lee grinned. “But it did come from Manny’s.”

  “Tell me you didn’t break into the store?” He was going to kill his brother for taking that chance.

  “I didn’t break anything.” Lee laughed.

  “What do you mean?” He didn’t find this near as funny as his brother did.

  Lee glanced at Prin. “I think we all know that Bob wasn’t lying.”

  “About what?” There was a warning in her voice.

  “That we’re changing.”

  “I’m not changing into something like Bob.” Prin clutched her stomach protectively.

  “No. Even he said that, but we are changing.” Lee stared them both down. “Admit it. We’ve been losing teeth and growing new, different teeth. The hair on our bodies and heads isn’t the same and our hearing and sense of smell are a lot better than they used to be.”

  “Okay. Yeah. Some things are different but that doesn’t mean we’re becoming something else. There are medications and stuff that can do everything you said.” He didn’t want to believe any of this. These things were not possible.

  “Can they also make our bones more...I don’t know, rubbery?”

  “Rubbery? My bones are not rubbery,” said Prin.

  “Mine either.” Although, he’d been surprised at how flexible he’d become, squeezing through small areas between trees and rocks. He’d tried to tell himself it was because he’d lost weight, but he’d been skinny before and hadn’t been able to do these things.

  “Then more bendable,” said Lee.

  “What are you talking about.” He didn’t want to admit it but this excited him. Except for their teeth and hair, everything else that had changed had been enhancements.

  “You know that window Manny leaves open,” said Lee.

  “Yeah.” He didn’t like where this was going.

  Manny liked to hide from his wife for a smoke. He’d nailed a back window open a few inches and told her the whole thing had to be replaced in order to fix it.

  “When I got there, the dumpster was already picked clean. I could smell the scent of meat through the window. It was calling to me. I don’t know why I thought I could get in that way. I know a lot of Guards and Servants have tried over the years and they all failed...until tonight.”

  “You went in through the window?” He shook his head. “That’s impossible.”

  “That’s two stories up. How did you even get up there?” asked Prin.

  “I climbed.” Lee held out his hands. “They’ve changed too.” His fingers were longer and there were sharp claws at the tips.

  Rufus and Prin looked at their hands but they were still the hands of a Guard.

  “This happened on the way into the city.” Lee stared at his fingers. “My hands hurt like crazy for days. I didn’t say anything because there’s nothing we can do about it. Then the pain stopped and when I looked at them, they were like this.”

  “You climbed the brick wall?” He took Lee’s hand in his. It was his brother’s bones and skin, but it was different too.

  “Yeah. It was easy and then I slid through the window.” Lee pulled his hand away from Rufus.

  “The window was opened wider or the nail gave and it moved upward.” Prin stared at her twin, her eyes pleading. “That was what happened. Right?”

  “No.” Some of the excitement left Lee’s gaze as it dropped to her stomach.

  “Then how did you get in? That opening isn’t big enough for a little Guard let alone an adult male,” said Prin.

  “My body...adjusted. Watch.” He squeezed one hand with the other and it squished together as if there were no bones at all under the skin. “My whole body can do that.”

  Lee seemed so proud of this but Rufus didn’t trust it. They wouldn’t only improve. They’d lose something too. It was how the world worked. Everything had a cost.

  “Have either of you noticed any of these changes, yet?”

  “Yet?” Prin covered her abdomen with her hands. “I’m not changing like that. I can’t be. What will happen to...” She moaned as her fingers clutched at her stomach.

  “Are you okay?” Rufus grabbed her arm, steadying her.

  “Yes.” She nodded but then shook her head. “No. It hurts. Bad.”

  Her knees buckled and Rufus picked her up, cradling her against his chest as he and Lee hurried through the forest.

  CHAPTER 24: RUFUS

  “It’s going to be light soon.” Rufus nodded toward an area of thick brush and trees. He sniffed. “There’s water nearby. We should rest.”

  Lee sniffed in short little snorts. “I can still smell the Guards but they aren’t too close. As long as they don’t head this way, we should be good.”

  Rufus bent, placing Prin on the ground. She moaned and he brushed her hair away from her face. A large clump stuck to his hand and pulled from her head. His eyes met Lee’s as he flung the hair aside. “Rest, h
oney. We’re going to make a nice bed and we’ll all get some sleep.”

  “Cold.” Her lips had a purplish-hue.

  “You’ll be warm in a minute, snuggled between me and Lee.”

  “Okay.” She closed her eyes, shivering.

  Lee was already working on piling up some of the brush. He bent to help his brother.

  “She needs more than sleep and food,” whispered Lee.

  “I know.” He also knew what that meant. His stomach had been twisting about what he had to do for hours.

  “You have to go to her. Ask for help.” Lee straightened. “I’m sorry, Rufus.”

  “Yeah. Me too but”—he looked at his sister—“I’d do anything for her. Anything.” He bent and picked up Prin. She wrapped her arms around him as he placed her inside the little nest they’d built.

  He crawled in next to her and Lee took the other side, pulling brush up and over them. They both stretched out, wrapping their arms around Prin.

  “Better?” he asked.

  She snuggled closer to his chest. “Yes. Getting warmer.”

  He closed his eyes but didn’t even try to sleep. As soon as her breathing had steadied, he whispered, “I’ll take first watch.”

  “No. You carried her—”

  “I’m not going to be able to sleep anyway.”

  “If there were any other way...”

  “I know, but Pepper is the only one we know who lives with a doctor.” Not to mention, she also assisted the doctor with seeing patients of all classes. “I’ll go see her after we find a safe place near the city to hide.”

  CHAPTER 25: RUFUS

  Rufus kept to the shadows as he made his way through the city. It was easier being unseen than he remembered. Of course, he was quieter and quicker than he’d been before the shots. Like his brother, he was beginning to appreciate what’d been done to them. They were better, improved, except for Prin.

  It’d taken them several days to get to the city and find a place to hide. He and Lee had taken turns carrying Prin through the forest. The trip had been uneventful. From the smells, the Guards had already searched the area of the forest closest to the city. They must’ve figured nothing would head back that way. They’d figured wrong. He and Lee had made a wide circle around the Guards before doubling back to mix up their scent. They hadn’t even seen a Guard. If it weren’t for Prin, they’d be home free.

  Once in the city, they’d checked out some abandoned buildings and had chosen the one closest to Pepper’s home.

  He stopped at the edge of the doctor’s property. He prayed Pepper still lived there while his heart hoped she was gone. He didn’t want to see her. She’d used him and left him, but Prin needed help.

  Every day, his sister got worse. Her body was hot to the touch, burning with fever. She didn’t want to do anything but sleep. They couldn’t get her to eat and she barely drank any water. When she did, she’d throw most of it up. If they didn’t get her help soon, she’d die.

  He started to step out of the shadows of the trees into the yard when the backdoor opened. His breath froze as Pepper walked outside. She was still beautiful, with long brown hair that was tied back and large brown eyes in her tiny face. Araldo, it hurt to look at her. She moved to the garden and his eyes drifted down her body, stopping on her extended abdomen. Pepper was pregnant.

  The door opened again and a young, male Guard, about four years old, ran out. “Mommy, can I have some cookies. Grandma made them.”

  Pepper wasn’t only pregnant; she had a son. She’d left him because she hadn’t wanted to be bothered with young Guards like Lee and Prin. He wanted to grab her and shake her. Find out why she’d lied. Discover the real reason she hadn’t loved him.

  “Did you finish your breakfast, Dee?” Pepper stroked her son’s hair.

  “Yes, all of it.” The small male grinned up at her.

  “Okay. Go ahead.”

  “Thank you, Mommy.” The boy raced into the house.

  As Pepper turned toward the garden, Rufus stepped into the yard.

  “Did you need to see the doctor?” Her voice quavered and she took a small step backward.

  She didn’t recognize him. He shouldn’t be surprised. On the journey into the city, his fingers had elongated like Lee’s and his body had gotten more streamlined and not just from lack of food. His shoulders were smaller and his legs longer. His hair was a mix between what it had been and something else, something sleek, shiny and soft like rabbit’s fur. It made the hair he’d been born with stand up in rough patches all over his head. He had more hair on his face and arms, the rest of his body too, but that was covered by clothes that were torn and in need of a good cleaning.

  “I’m hurt that you’ve forgotten me. Although, apparently you also forgot your aversion to caring for offspring...or younger siblings in my case.” It was the wrong thing to say when he needed her help, but the pain had spilled past his lips.

  “Rufus?” Her pretty, brown eyes widened. “What happened to you?” She took a step toward him.

  “I changed.” That was an understatement. He was becoming something else, something quiet, fast and deadly.

  “Are you okay? You don’t look well. Doctor Kalper isn’t home but—”

  “I need your help.” This was the moment when he’d throw away his pride and beg.

  “Pepper, is everything okay?” A large, male Guard came out of the house and walked to her side, stepping partially in front of her.

  So, this was her mate. The one she’d chosen over him. The male wasn’t anything special—big and strong but he’d been like that too. She should’ve chosen him.

  “Yeah, Jimbo. This is Rufus.” She glanced at him. “We used to be friends.”

  Friends? They’d been more than friends, much more. Her eyes pleaded with him not to say anything. He wanted to ruin her relationship with her mate like she’d ruined him, but he wouldn’t. He needed her help.

  “Oh. Hi.” Jimbo put his arm around her, letting his hand rest possessively on her hip. “Can we help you with something?”

  “You can’t but she can.”

  Jimbo opened his mouth to argue but Pepper shook her head and said, “What do you need, Rufus?”

  “It’s Prin. She’s sick. Really sick.”

  “The doctor isn’t—”

  “I don’t want to see the doctor. I need you to help her.”

  “If she’s that sick—”

  “You Pepper, not an Almighty.”

  She sighed, exasperated. “You need to get over your mistrust of Almightys.”

  He laughed. “That’s funny. That’s really funny.” He stepped closer, letting them get a good look at him. “Who do you think did this to me? To us?”

  “What in the...” Jimbo pushed Pepper behind him. “You need to leave. We can’t help you.”

  “Please, Pepper. Prin’s pregnant and sick. She needs help.” He’d kill the male if he had to and drag Pepper with him, but he couldn’t force her to help.

  “Jimbo, stop.” She stepped away from her mate.

  “You are not going anywhere near them. What if they’re contagious?” Jimbo’s eyes darted to Rufus. “Think of our offspring.” He rested his hand on her abdomen.

  Rufus’ fists clenched. That should be his offspring inside her.

  “Rufus,” she turned to him. “Do you think you’re contagious? How did you get...like this?”

  “Shots, Pepper and no, we’re not contagious. The only way to get what we have is if that Almighty injects you with the poison.”

  “Poison? No. You aren’t doing this.” Jimbo crossed his arms over his chest.

  Rufus almost laughed. Telling Pepper no was the fastest way to get her to do exactly what you didn’t want her to do.

  “Can you bring her here or do you need me to go with you?” asked Pepper.

  “Pepper, you are not going anywhere with this male.”

  “Stop it, Jimbo. I’m going to help them. I don’t—”

  “Prin can’t tra
vel. I need you to come with me. It’s not far.”

  “I’ll get my bag.” She went into the house.

  Jimbo sent him a glare and followed her.

  There were raised voices from the house. Pepper was more than mad and Jimbo was losing the argument.

  “Dee, stay here with your grandmother,” said Jimbo as he followed Pepper outside.

  “Lead the way,” said Pepper as she walked toward Rufus a small satchel in her hand.

  Jimbo followed behind her, grumbling about disobedient females.

  Rufus wanted to take her in his arms and thank her, beg her to stay with him but he didn’t. He wasn’t a Guard anymore and she deserved better than what he was becoming.

  CHAPTER 26: RUFUS

  Rufus’ temper rose every time he had to slow down for Pepper and Jimbo. Araldo, there’s no way he’d ever been that slow and that loud. There’d been no sneaking through the city with these two. Every Guard they passed looked their way. He and his siblings were going to have to find another place to hide after Pepper and Jimbo left.

  “We’re here.” He prayed Prin would be better, wouldn’t need help, would still be alive.

  The three moved into the dark, empty building.

  “About time you got back.” Lee’s eyes fell on Jimbo. “Who’s he?”

  “Her mate.” Rufus’ gaze went to Pepper’s stomach. His brother’s eyes met his and were filled with sympathy. He shook his head. He didn’t need to discuss Pepper’s pregnancy now, or ever. “How’s Prin?”

  “About the same. Fever still high. Not able to hold down much water,” said Lee as they walked to the corner where Prin rested on a bed of dirt and grasses.

  “Hi Prin,” said Pepper as Jimbo took her hand and helped her to kneel at Prin’s side.

  “Pepper? Is that you?” Prin’s eyes fluttered open.

  “She’s here to help you.” Rufus knelt on the other side of his sister and took her hand. He didn’t need her mouthing off to Pepper. Prin hated the other female for what she’d done to him. “She’s going to make you better and save your babies.”