183 Warehouse Rumble by Franklin W. Dixon

Author:Franklin W. Dixon [Dixon, Franklin W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

9 Rat Rampage

* * *

A wave of dirty-furred rodents swept out of the underground and across the wooden floor. The rats’ eyes gleamed red in the semidarkness of the warehouse. Their tiny voices squeaked and chittered, building into an awful cacophony.

Missy shrieked, but her cry was nearly drowned out by the noise from the pack.

“Everyone, outside! Quick!” Frank yelled.

The fake wreckage strewn through the warehouse hindered their progress as all four contestants, plus the mutants and Willingham’s crew, scrambled to get out of the way of the ravenous horde.

The rats scampered forward like a hideous moving blanket covering the ground. The obstacles that blocked the humans’ exit did little to impede the vermin’s progress. The rats squeezed under rusting chicken wire and scrambled over corrugated pipes.

A cameraman stumbled and fell in the path of the rampaging swarm. Frank and Joe grabbed the man’s arms and scooped him up. The rats nibbled at his shoes as the brothers dragged him to his feet.

As quickly as they could, they dodged through the set’s obstacles and toward the nearest emergency exit.

The rats kept coming, though the swarm was less coherent now. The rats spread out, trying to find places to hide. The fake rubble set up by Willingham’s crew presented plenty of concealment.

“They’re almost as afraid of us as we are of them,” Frank said, though no one but Joe and the cameraman heard him. The three of them kept running. The rats came right behind, nipping at their heels, threatening to overtake them.

Joe turned and toppled a big corrugated drainpipe into the path of the scurrying rodents. The rats squealed and scattered out of the way, buying the Hardys a few precious moments.

“Good work, Joe!” Frank said.

The cameraman stumbled again, but the brothers grabbed him under either arm and carried him out the emergency exit and into the parking lot.

Many people, both contestants and crew, were already outside. Stacia Allen stood across the unpaved street near her news van, filming the sudden exodus. Clark Hessmann was standing near Allen, and it appeared she might have been interviewing him before the commotion started.

“Allen and Hessmann are digging this,” Joe said.

Frank nodded. “They both have something to gain from all this trouble.”

The Warehouse Rumble cameraman thanked the brothers and joined the rest of the game crew. Moments later Chet and Daphne exited another area of the warehouse. They looked pale and shaken, but otherwise unhurt.

“Suddenly there were rats everywhere,” Daphne said breathlessly, going over what had just happened.

“Our event was located in Rat Central Station,” Joe replied.

“Ugh!” Chet said. “Where did they come from?”

“We heard a loud bang, and then they just started swarming up out of the underground,” Frank said.

Ward Willingham emerged from the old warehouse looking angry and shaken. Stacia Allen and her crew rushed over to him. “What can you tell us about this latest setback to the trouble-plagued Warehouse Rumble?” Allen asked.

“There were rats in the warehouse,” Willingham replied. “Is that my fault? We’ve had some bad luck, is all.”

“You’ve had more than your share of misfortune,” Ms.

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