Bitten (Book 1 - Book 4) novel Chapter 87

Natalia trotted back down the stairs. She could now see that the many different groups of people in the living room were conducting meetings. Most of the topics she heard consisted of repairs and costs.

Back in the kitchen, tea and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies were being passed around. Nadine and Harold’s children were there looking happy to be snarfing down the cookies. Becky’s face was smeared with chocolate.

‘You stay out of trouble,’ Harold said to Michael in a stern voice. ‘Watch over Becky.’

Michael towered over his father.

‘No one will pick on her with me around,’ he said, standing straight.

‘I’ll help,’ Loden said, taking a napkin from his mother to wipe Becky’s face.

‘Stay in the house. You have games and books.’

‘Yes, sir,’ Michael said.

Natalia could see that Harold was the boss over the children. Nadine seemed content to stand there and nod. Natalia felt as if she was more concerned about her husband’s behavior than that of her children.

Natalia chugged her tea and ate three cookies.

Moralis joined them, wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

‘Ready, you two? We don’t want to let Gussy get too much rest.’

He also grabbed a handful of cookies.

‘Ready,’ Uri said.

Harold nodded that he was ready.

They turned to the door only to have it opened by Grazie.

‘Hey. Hi, Harold.’

‘We’re heading to the sewers to flush Gussy,’ Moralis said.

‘Where do you need me?’ Grazie said.

Behind him, Tia came in carrying Grace. Behind her were the other children.

‘Mirren will tell you. We have to go.’

‘Okay.’ Grazie turned to Harold’s children. ‘Hey, Michael. Loden. Is that Becky?’

Becky giggled.

‘We’ll get the kids together and keep them occupied,’ Grazie said to Harold.

‘Thanks,’ Harold said, looking pleased.

Tracy was the last in the door.

‘Oh, my, you are so cute,’ Tracy said, picking up Becky.

Harold smiled big, showing all his teeth. Even Nadine, who had been so stone faced, smiled.

There was controlled chaos while the children filed from the kitchen to the other rooms. However, this didn’t delay them. The delay was when Moralis and Uri stepped over to Grazie, and there was a whispered conversation. Natalia wasn’t able to pick up on what was being said.

‘Let’s go,’ Moralis said, heading out the back door.

Natalia followed Uri. They all went out to the street.

‘I’m predicting a lot more walking and running,’ she said with an exaggerated groan.

Uri smiled while his eyes ogled up and down her body. She knew what he was thinking.

‘He’s on foot, so should we,’ Moralis said, staying serious with his eyes on the street.

‘Can’t sniff him out in a car,’ Harold said.

Despite his size and pudginess, he trotted along with ease, keeping up with them.

There were few signs that Viperia had been invaded. The only obvious sign that something had happened was the storm drain. Someone had replaced the grate, but there was still one ladder nearby.

Uri slid over the grate while Moralis got the ladder. He motioned for everyone to go down, while he stayed topside. Once everyone was down, he pulled the ladder up.

Natalia wondered if he was going to jump down.

However, he didn’t. Instead, he felt over the edge for the hand holds. Once he was hanging on the wall, he pulled over the grate, then he climbed down.

Natalia wondered what that would do. The grate wasn’t locked. Anyone could climb up and slide it over and be out.

Moralis seemed to know what she was thinking.

‘Looks secure,’ Moralis said in a quiet voice. ‘Enough to put Gussy off. I don’t think he’s in any good shape to make that climb. We hope.’

‘Viperians, that don’t eat our diet, get weak,’ Uri said.

‘He’s been gone long enough,’ Moralis said.

Harold took the lead, trotting down the sewer.

‘What about you, Harold?’ she said.

‘We get supplies of grubbies and sanguine tea. The Council makes sure of it,” he said.

They trotted along until their sewer line joined up with the main line. Harold motioned with both of his arms flailing backwards for them to stay back. He paced up and down the area sniffing.

‘He passed this way. Didn’t go up to the storm drain. I can’t tell if he passed this way multiple times. He could have come up and then back down the main sewer line.’

‘Uri. Nattie. Stay here. We’ll go down and see if he went the other way or if he took any other turnoffs.’

Moralis and Harold disappeared down the sewer.

Natalia slowly sniffed the air, then bent down. There were a lot of scents, and most of them weren’t pleasant, but she wasn’t picking up Gussy’s.

‘He’s got an awfully good nose,’ Natalia said about Harold.

‘Bloodhound,’ Uri said.

‘I heard you three got into a lot of trouble together.’

‘Actually, Harold kept us out of a lot of trouble. His nose often warned us when someone was on to us. Gave us enough of a lead to get the hell out of wherever we were.’

Natalia’s ears tuned in to a noise. She held her breath. It was coming from the other direction. Uri seemed to have heard it as well. They both watched.

Natalia felt a shiver go up her spine.

‘I hate rats,’ she said when two appeared.

‘Watch them,’ Uri said. ‘If they don’t seem to be in a hurry then they weren’t flushed.’

The rats didn’t seem to take any notice of them while they sorted through the garbage. Then they scurried up the wall and were gone.

Natalia felt the heebie-jeebies as she looked up. She didn’t see them, but there was the sound of scurrying feet.

‘Regular rat highway up there,’ Uri said.

‘I didn’t want to hear that,’ she said with a shiver.

‘They don’t jump,’ he said with a soft chuckle. ‘But… they might push each other off.’

She eyed him with displeasure on hearing that.

There was the faint sound of footsteps coming from the direction Moralis and Harold had gone. Uri pulled her back, but it was just the two men returning.

Harold trotted past, motioning for them to follow. He bent low, then slowed to a walk, weaving back and forth.

‘He’s not doing so well,’ Moralis said in a quiet voice.

Natalia thought he meant Harold since he was weaving.

‘Looks like Gussy nearly drowned himself coming up the pipe. Threw up his last meal. We figured he only passed this way less than a few hours ago.’

‘Bet he lost consciousness for a while,’ Uri said.

Moralis nodded.

‘He’s hardly Viperian anymore.’

Harold picked up the pace and stopped his zigzagging.

Natalia wrinkled her nose to a new scent. It wasn’t pleasant. There was a pile of vomit. The smell almost caused her to retch.

‘He tried to eat a rat,’ Harold said.