Vermin 2.0 by Lee Gabel

Author:Lee Gabel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Frankenscript Press
Published: 2020-06-30T00:00:00+00:00

The elevator groaned and creaked under its load as it descended towards the basement. Sam and Bradley stood in back, O’Connor and Washington in front, shoulder to shoulder. A little too close for comfort. Any more than a few floors and this arrangement would get awkward.

Washington’s wandering gaze stopped on the capacity sign posted above the call numbers.

“It says this elevator can carry a maximum of eight people,” he said. “Can you imagine four more of us in here?”

“One more of you would be a nightmare,” O’Connor said. “I don’t even get this close on a first date.”

Sam leaned in close to Bradley’s ear. “These two are like an old married couple.”

“Enough from the peanut gallery,” O’Connor said. “I may be old but I got ears like a cat.”

Washington raised his eyebrows. “Wait. Since when do you go on dates?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but there’s this guy in my car club that’s a primo hunk of meat, let me tell yah.” O’Connor pulled the memory to the top of her mind. “His name is Jack, or Joe, or somethin’. Recently widowed and one-hundred percent beefcake. I got plans to ride his engine, if you know what I mean.” O’Connor pumped her fist back and forth.

“Gross.” The thought of O’Connor being sexual in any way gave Bradley a shiver up his spine.

“Bah.” O’Connor sucked on her stogie and released a Cohiban miasma. “Youth is wasted on the young.”

The elevator hit bottom, jerked and bounced before the doors creaked open.

“Finally,” O’Connor said. “I thought we were in hell for a second.”

The smell from O’Connor’s cigar overpowered the mustiness of the basement, an unexpected but pleasant surprise for everyone. Sam clicked on his penlight and led Bradley, Washington and O’Connor into the darkness.

“The foundation of this building is in serious need of repair.” Washington held a GoPro modified for night vision in his hand. He moved the camera in sweeping arcs. The video image appeared on a phone in his other hand.

“Cool,” Bradley said in awe. “You can see so much more.”

“Gotta love technology, eh Brad?” Washington winked at him.

O’Connor scanned her surroundings with her UV flashlight combo, and uncovered fluorescing areas in the darkened corners of the basement.

“Smell that?” O’Connor sniffed.

“What?” Sam inhaled.

“Rat shit. It’s everywhere.”

“I don’t smell anything except that cigar.”

O’Connor put her arm around Sam’s shoulder and grinned. “That’s why you’re paying us the big bucks.”

“Look.” Washington raised the phone’s video screen and followed a rat’s path with his camera. “There goes one now. No, scratch that. There goes three.”

“Make that five.” O’Connor focused her flashlight in the same direction as Washington’s camera and tracked the five rats as they scurried along a wall.

Sam looked away, grabbed a overhead pipe and tensed up, shutting his eyes tight. In his head, he imagined hundreds of starved rats as they emerged from the darkness and made a beeline for his legs. He struggled against his urge to run.

O’Connor sensed Sam’s apprehension and dropped her arm from his shoulder. “What’s up with you, bub?”

“He’s afraid of rats,” Bradley said.

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