Chapter 411: Chapter 411: Rat Hole
Rain was nowhere in sight, but the weeds Taylor Vance had mentioned soon sprouted up in dense patches.
The wind remained strong over the past few days. Outside the fence, refugees occasionally lurked about, trying to climb over. However, as long as they weren’t vicious, the farm wouldn’t resort to lethal force.
Evelyn Ford went to check the water cistern. It was always kept sealed except when they were drawing water, so airtight that not even dust could get in.
The only problem was the increasing number of dead rats outside the farm lately. Evelyn Ford had everyone put on masks and gloves to go out, collect the dead rats, and then burn them all together.
The rat problem at Fairgate Farm was already out of control. Ethan Dawson came over, carrying a rooster, to trade for some rat poison from Evelyn Ford. The poison was made from dough balls coated with a red toxin. The color was also a warning to any refugees outside to prevent them from accidentally ingesting it.
"Evelyn, you don’t think these rats will become a plague, like the cockroaches before, do you?" The moment Wyatt Vaughn said it, everyone else felt their skin crawl.
"It’s possible. The number of rats has been increasing lately. I suspect there’s a nest nearby. Tomorrow, everyone gear up and come up the mountain with me. If we find their main den, we’ll burn it to the ground."
"Yes."
After tossing hundreds of dead rats into a pit, Evelyn Ford poured a bowl of gasoline over them and lit a match.
The next day, Evelyn Ford led Ronan Kendrick, Quincy, Miles Vaughn, Peter Owens, Raymond Shepherd, Nathan Xavier, and Drako up the mountain. They split into pairs to search for rat nests. Rather than letting them breed and multiply, it was better to exterminate them as early as possible.
"Ronan, can you sense where the rats are gathered?"
Ronan Kendrick shook his head. "I don’t smell anything particular yet, and I can’t hear any of them squeaking."
The sounds rats made were peculiar—similar to squirrels, but sharper.
"Rats like dark places," Evelyn said. "Caves or shaded burrows could be their habitats."
Evelyn Ford had given everyone a bucket of gasoline. If they found a rat hole, they were to pour the gasoline straight in and set it on fire.
Evelyn Ford grew worried. "I hope the nests aren’t too far away. Rats are pretty fast. They’re showing up at the farm, probably because they can smell our grain."
"It’s fine," Ronan said. "We’ll just take our time. We’ll find them for sure."
The words had barely left Ronan Kendrick’s mouth when he fired his crossbow. On a tree nearby, the bolt pinned a massive rat firmly to the trunk.
Ronan Kendrick retrieved the bolt, and the rat dropped to the ground. Evelyn Ford picked it up with a pair of fire tongs and tossed it into a bucket. Once the bucket was full, they would burn the contents.
"There are still a lot of rats in the mountains. They’re active day and night. It seems like they aren’t afraid of the harsh sunlight or the stench."
A question suddenly occurred to Evelyn Ford. "The blood blisters on the rats... could they be burns from the intense sunlight?"
Ronan Kendrick shook his head. "I don’t think so. It looks more like an infection, like they’re rotting."
The two continued to roam the mountains, and soon they had shot enough rats to fill their bucket. After Evelyn Ford burned the carcasses, she was about to head deeper into the mountains when she heard a whistle coming from a nearby ravine.
"I think that’s the area Quincy and Miles Vaughn are searching."
Evelyn Ford’s expression changed. "They’ve probably run into trouble. Let’s go check it out."
Before the two even reached the ravine, they caught the scent of burning gasoline. The smell was so strong it overwhelmed the ever-present stench, assaulting Evelyn Ford’s nostrils.
Miles Vaughn and Quincy stood a short distance away, frantically swatting at scattering rats with their shovels.
"Evelyn! Ronan! Quick, help us! There’s a rat hole here, and it’s full of them! Ahh, rats! I’ll get you—"
Evelyn Ford was speechless. "Didn’t I tell you? If you find a rat hole, you light the fire and then block the entrance with a rock."
Quincy quickly apologized. "It’s my fault. I forgot."
Evelyn Ford found a large rock and blocked the hole first. Then she unslung the long blade from her back and started hacking at the approaching rats, cleaving one as fat as a piglet clean in two.
Miles Vaughn was somewhat afraid of rats. While everyone else was hacking and slashing, he just dodged and weaved out of the way.
The others arrived one after another and began to surround and kill the fleeing rats.
Once all the escaped rats had been eliminated, Evelyn Ford walked up to the hole. Listening as the sounds from within gradually faded, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"We’ll leave once it’s burned itself out to avoid starting a forest fire. When we get back, all protective suits need to be disinfected and washed together. Keep your masks and gloves on."
"Oh my god, I heard this SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK sound and found this hole. I got down on the ground to try and see what was inside, and a rat crawled right out. Miles and I panicked and poured in the gasoline, but we were in such a hurry we forgot to block it with a rock. You have no idea how horrible it was in there. Anyone with trypophobia should never look at a sight like that. They’d probably die of fright."
"About how many were there?" Evelyn Ford asked.
"At least a thousand. They were all crammed together, and it looked like they were sharing a piece of rotting flesh."
"Rotting flesh?" Peter Owens asked, confused. "You mean they’re cannibalizing each other?"
"It could have been human flesh," Miles Vaughn said. "After all, plenty of refugees hide out in these mountains. It’s not uncommon for them to starve or die of thirst." After he finished speaking, he ran to the side and threw up.
"Looks like it’s burned out," someone said. "Let’s go."
Evelyn Ford glanced at the gas can in Quincy’s hand. "Any gasoline left?"
"About half a can."
"Gasoline is highly flammable. You only need a little bit."
The group split up again to search for more nests. Evelyn Ford looked at her blood-drenched blade, and her stomach churned uncomfortably.
The pair had just headed deeper into the mountains when they encountered several more rats. The creatures were fast, but Ronan Kendrick’s aim was faster, and he quickly dispatched them.
An idea suddenly struck Evelyn Ford. "I remember seeing a collapsed cave when we were in the mountains before. Let’s go check it out."
Ronan Kendrick nodded. "All right."
Based on Quincy’s earlier description, the number of rats in the nest was clearly out of control. If they weren’t eliminated soon, the entirety of Immeasurable Mountain would likely become a rat’s paradise in another week or two.
The ground in the mountains was severely cracked. Whenever the wind blew, it would whip up the sand and dirt, plastering it all over them.
Fortunately, they were bundled up well, and Evelyn Ford was even wearing goggles.
When they reached the cave they’d seen before, Evelyn Ford started to step forward to investigate, but Ronan Kendrick suddenly pulled her back.
"Stay back. I’ll go check it out first."
Evelyn Ford quickly retreated several meters. Ronan Kendrick moved forward, then stood perfectly still, listening for a long time. He then made a hand signal, and Evelyn quickly brought the gasoline can over to him.
"The cave is pretty deep, and there are a lot of rats inside. I’m going to shoot a flaming bolt in there. You go find some rocks. We need to block up these smaller holes. Oh, and hand me some of the Poison Powder. I’ll sprinkle it inside first."
Evelyn Ford immediately did as he asked. Ronan Kendrick soaked the arrowhead in gasoline, then attached a gasoline-drenched cloth bundle to the bolt. The instant he fired, the flare of light became a hurricane of deadly flame.
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