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"Next one's mine," Nick said.
"Sorry, guys," I said as I stood. "As much fun as rat-punting might be, we--"
I stopped and inhaled. Another rat appeared in the doorway. Nick drew back his foot. I flew forward and knocked the rat back into the room, then slammed the door.
"What, only Clay gets to punt rats?" Nick said.
Clay shrugged. "With me, it's not animal cruelty. It's my nature. You don't get that excuse."
Nick sputtered and took a swipe at Clay with his foot, trying to hook the back of his knees. Clay grabbed Nick's foot and Nick started toppling backward, but I grabbed him.
"Are you guys trying to make sure Rose will hear us if she's here? I closed the door because there's something wrong with those rats. Can't you smell it?"
Nick only shook his head, but Clay walked to the dead ones, hunkered down, sniffed, then made a face.
"Disease-ridden vermin, like I said." Another sniff. "What is that?"
"I don't know, but--"
A floorboard creaked down the hall. Clay let out a silent "shit." Nick automatically reached for the nearest door--the one to the rat room--but stopped before we had to say anything.
Jeremy and Antonio turned the corner, coming down the hall.
"Find something?" Antonio whispered. "We thought we heard sounds of a scuffle."
I shot a covert glare at Clay and Nick, but only said, "Clay found a nest of sick rats. They gave us a start. Sorry."
Jeremy knelt beside the dead pair of rats.
"They smell diseased," I said. "What is it?"
"Nothing I recognize. You said there's--"
Claws scrabbled against the closed door. Jeremy pointed. I nodded. He waved for us to step back, then eased the door open a crack and leaned into it for a better look.
At the base, tiny teeth and claws flashed in the opening. Beside me, Clay rocked forward onto the balls of his feet, tensed, ready to spring if the rodent somehow managed to squeeze through the half-inch crack. After a moment, Jeremy pulled the door shut.
He turned to us. "I'm going to get a better look in there."
Jeremy motioned Clay to the door, to act as rat-punter, then gestured for Antonio and Nick to stand guard on either side of the hallway, in case Rose was still in the building. I backed up Jeremy's nose...from the hall.
Clay swung open the door and drop-kicked the first rat that lunged at him. The next two rats fell back, hissing and chattering. From where I was, I caught a glimpse inside--a small room with a blanket and a few boxes. They took two steps into the room, then Jeremy tapped Clay's shoulder, telling him to retreat. A last kick and squeal, and Clay went to close the door, but Jeremy stopped him.
"What's that?" he said, pointing at the floor. "Here, hold them off and I'll grab--"
Clay darted forward and snatched up whatever was there.
"Or you could do it for me..." Jeremy said as Clay backed out and slammed the door.
"What is it?" I asked.
Clay held up what looked like a half-chewed cocktail sausage. Then the smell hit me.
"A finger," I said with a small shudder. "A chewed finger. Isn't that--" I fought my revulsion and took a deeper breath. "It's Rose's."
"Think the rats got her?" Nick said.
When we all turned to look at him, he said, "What? She smells like she's rotting, right? And rats are scavengers."
