Rathole

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to kill you.

Rathole

I collapsed like two-day-old pudding left out too long — narrowly avoiding a tragic dive into the remnants of the chocolate cake.

If a stranger set foot in the apartment, he would have found everything in the best possible order. Order reigned, there were no scattered things, and the inviting smell of deep-fried meat wafted from the kitchen. Everything was in perfect order, but something was missing from the picture. Alex.

I knew he wasn't in the apartment, he hadn't been for almost an hour, because his scent started to fade — like the other wolves' awful stench. I stared at his shoes, which were placed under his coat hanging on the hanger. Not to mention, he forgot to take the jacket with him — but then again, who leaves home barefoot?

I heard nervous footsteps behind me. I didn't move, I didn't even turn around, but I knew that Alice was behind me just by his worried smell.

"I was late?" His question seemed more like a statement.

I stood up. I have no idea how I got the strength to do it, but I got up.

"What did you see, Alice?" I turned towards him, my voice sounded dangerously calm. "What happened here?"

The seer was wringing his hands nervously, under his arm was his usual, huge chessboard, which he sometimes carried with him. He probably left his bag at school.

"I don't know exactly," he said quietly, "I fell asleep in Russian and only managed to look into the future for a few minutes before the teacher woke me up".

He closed his eyes while recalling his vision again. "Lunch was just ready. Alex took off his apron and hung it up. They knocked. Alex opened the door. I couldn't see the visitor, but Alex's face looked at first surprised, then horrified. Then all of a sudden everything went haywire and the world went black as he was knocked down after a little scuffle."

I clenched my jaw so hard that my teeth made a sharp noise.

"It's not much," I said.

Alice's face reflected so many emotions. He was worried, terribly worried, but at the same time he felt a little guilty for being late.

"I'm going with you."

He didn't ask, he simply announced the matter, and I just nodded. I wouldn't have been able to stop him anyway — and I didn't have time to either.

"First we need to find Rolo," I stated.

"Who is this Rolo anyway?" he asked.

"Someone who will help us," I answered and fished out my phone.

We were lucky, we could catch a taxi which went back to the city. We sat in tense silence while I beat myself up because I didn't have a license or a car, moreover, I couldn't even steal a car. I cursed transportation for its slowness. I cursed the people crossing the street. They could really wait for the next green, can't they see that we're in a hurry?! I cursed the red light. I cursed the driver because the radio was too loud. I cursed the whole world that something always had to happen.

We got off at Arcade, and I almost ran towards Széchenyi Square, with Alice in tow. Arriving at the square, armies of high school kids walked towards me and I couldn't afford to avoid all of them so later, disregarding their offended looks, I simply pushed them away. I was seriously hoping the damn gremlin kid was still in school because if he wasn't, I didn't know what I should do. 

Alice didn't ask, he just silently followed me, then stopped like me when we reached the building in question. I tried to isolate the kid's scent from the other humans. I stomped nervously, drumming my feet and massaging the bridge of my nose, trying to figure out if it was stronger towards the school or the bus stop.

"What are you doing here?"

No hello, no greeting but I was still happy to hear this sarcastic voice. In that instant, I spun around on my axis and found myself face-to-face with Rolo. He looked at me with his usual sour face, although he couldn't hide the curious glint in his eyes. With one hand he grabbed one of the straps of the backpack, which he slung over his shoulder, and put the other in his pocket.

"You have to help me," I stated with poorly disguised nervousness in my voice.

The boy didn't ask, he simply nodded and then approached three boys of his age, who were apparently waiting for him. C'mon, does this little brat really have friends? Miracles do happen. The wretched humans stared at me as if I were a deity descended among men. I sent them a charming smile, then grabbed Rolo's arm and started pulling the boy behind me.

"There is no time to say goodbye," I stated coldly. "This is important."

The gremlin kid did not hiss or talk back this time but obediently walked beside me.

"Alice, this is Rolo, Rolo, this is a friend of mine, Alice," I quickly introduced them to each other, thus settling the matter.

The shapeshifter blinked in disbelief at the seer, who smiled kindly.

"I'm Benjamin, but feel free to call me Ben," he added.

"What's all this?" the kid didn't seem too happy about the situation.

He didn't trust Alice. Firstly, he didn't know him, and secondly, Alice was human.

"Alex is gone," I said.

I managed to surprise Rolo, he would have stopped for a moment if I hadn't pulled him along.

"What do you mean he's gone?" he asked.

"He's got kidnapped," I stated, sending him a meaningful look.

We didn't have time for confusion.

"What do you want to do?"

I was seriously getting tired of the questions, but Alice also seemed quite curious, so I decided to outline the plan quickly. At least I won't have to waste any more time on their fussing.

"Have you ever heard of Ruben?" I inquired, and both of them looked at me rather stupidly.

I sighed deeply. 

"He is the most wanted informant around here, he knows everything that happens in the city. We're going to him," I explained.

"Where do you know him from?" Alice asked.

"I am also an informant and sometimes I help the hunters with this and that" I answered curtly, "In any case, my network is not as extensive as the rat's, so I once had to ask him for a little help. I caught him, and finally, with great difficulty, got the info out of him. He's not so cool as to take revenge on me but believe me since we met, he's become so paranoid that he's accompanied by at least three goblins outside, and only sends them away when he returns to the rathole. Of course, he doesn't go out on sightseeing tours very often, he gets his information in other ways, so Alice stop making that face, we don't have to fight three goblins to catch him."

The boy swallowed hard.

"And where does this Ruben live?"

"Well, not far away," I answered, then glanced at Rolo, "You said if I needed anything stolen, I should let you know. It's a bit different, but I'll hold you to that. Your job will be to get us in. However, be prepared, security is very tight."

Rolo nodded, and then an excited grin spread across his lips. "Leave it to me!"

After a hurried ten-minute walk, we arrived at the rat's villa — because to call that building a house would be a mockery. Behind a high concrete fence stood a two-storey, grey, cube-shaped building with a staircase leading up the side. It looked quite like a bunker, with tiny windows — shatterproof and bulletproof, reflecting tiny bits of the sky.

Although the entrance looked nothing special; a simple wooden panel, in fact, another steel door was hidden behind it. When I was surveying the building years ago, I immediately gave up on ever getting in — of course, I didn't know Rolo back then.

The apartment also had a small garden where, if you accidentally stepped on the wrong place, a mine would blow you up — Ruben spares no money for his safety. Since I had been last here, he installed a few cameras, so his sick obsession with protection seems to have only gotten worse.

Rolo also peeked out from behind the wall and surveyed the area. We hunkered down in a small side street between two houses, which overlooked a garden gate and housed two huge containers of rubbish.

"Can you do it?" I asked.

Rolo looked at me as if I had gone mad. "What do you take me for? I'm not just a pickpocket..."

"I thought as much," I rolled my eyes.

"Wait here, I'll open the gate and the door for you, but you won't have much time to get in. I suggest that when you see that I have succeeded, you run at full speed. If the defenses are really as serious as you say, I shall only be able to distract it for a moment."

I got another sly smile from him, and then he began to undress. In my surprise, my eyebrows rose almost to the hairline on my forehead.

"What are you doing?", I questioned.

"Isn't it obvious?" he looked pleased with my expression.

"Wait, let me clarify: Why the hell are you undressing?"

"There-there, dear Shay, you can put together a sensible question the second time around."

I seriously hate this kid.

"Don't worry, next time, I'm sure you'll get it right the first time."

"You'd better answer before I bite through your throat," I growled.

Rolo seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the situation and the fact that he could annoy me without any consequence. He knew I was in no position to beat him to death for it. He carefully folded the navy blue sweater, the shirt he was wearing underneath, and the jeans, and pushed them into my hands along with his bag.

"Take care of these," he said, then retreated in his pants into the cover of one container.

By this time, my jaw was beginning to drop. Especially when a black kitten found its way back from behind the container. He glanced up at me with his huge green eyes and then stormed off towards the informant's house.

"So, a cat?" Alice asked.

I nodded.

"I thought you hated cats," he said, just to say something.

"Well, I'm not exactly fond of the kid," I snapped, then stuffed his clothes into his bag.

The cat easily jumped onto the concrete fence and disappeared behind it. We waited and waited and waited. Somehow the minutes ticked by at a snail's pace, and according to Alice's watch, it was half an hour since Rolo had snuck in. I was just beginning to think that fuck it all, I'm going to break the door down when the iron gate suddenly opened.

I ran as fast as if I'd been shot out of a rifle, with Alice following about a meter behind me. I ran straight to the door and yanked it open, one after another, and then almost jumped into the apartment.

The kid was leaning against the opposite wall with his arms folded across his chest. I had no idea where he'd gotten his underwear, but he was wearing a different pair, not the one he'd left behind the container.

Alice slammed the doors shut, then after a few seconds the lock clicked and the latches snapped into place.

"Just in time," the kid smiled, "The system is reactivating."

I didn't ask how he got in. I didn't care how he'd disabled the defenses, even if only for a moment. All that mattered was that he succeeded.

"We should hurry, the guy's not stupid. He knows we're in," he added, then with a few steps he got in front of me and grabbed the bag off my shoulder.

Contrary to his words, he dressed up rather slowly as I watched in amazement.

"How old are you?" I asked.

He looked up at me. "Fifteen."

Fifteen, hm. A short, fifteen-year-old with a severe inferiority complex and behavioral problems outwitted Ruben. That's something.

"I'd rather not think about what you're going to be like in ten years," I said and started for the stairs.

I heard the boy chuckle softly.

The spiral staircase occasionally buckled under my weight, but other than that I didn't sense any traps — Ruben probably never dreamed even in his worst nightmares about anyone getting in.

When I reached the second floor, there was only one door. I turned the handle but it was locked — he really knew we were there. Anyway, I remedied the problem with a swift kick.

In the vast room, the smell of ammonia and rat droppings greeted us. On the left, all the blinds were down, and the only light was provided by three huge monitors, but the screens were blue. Below the monitors was a desk with a keyboard and a pile of crumpled bags of chips and in front of it a cushioned gaming chair.

Cables snaked everywhere, hanging from the ceiling and running around the walls. To the right of the room, cages were lined up on top of each other, with nervous whines and squeaks. Rats.