Let Sleeping Dogs Go

Let Sleeping Dogs Go

The door opened and the animals shifted uneasily. The first man in looked around and stepped inside the room, turning to make sure he was being followed. He was, and he stepped aside to let his partner enter before him. The first man, the taller of the two, walked slowly around the room. He gave a wave to the security camera, safe in the knowledge that with his face covered he couldn't be recognised. Safe, also, in the knowledge that the security guard who was supposed to be watching the screens was fast asleep. This was too easy.
"We just have to let them out? asked the smaller man, whispering, though he didn't need to.
"That's what the man said.
"No mess? No message?
"Just let them out. Make sure they get outside, that's the orders.
The smaller man just shrugged, and looked at one of the cages. There were a dozen or so cages, but half of them were empty. All the occupied ones were padlocked. He took a lock in his hand. "It's too easy. Where's the catch?
"We're working evenings and not getting overtime. That's the bloody catch. Look, our man says we come in here and let all the little furry animals out.
"Why?
"Ours is not to reason why, my friend. Ours is but¦
"¦to do or die.
"Do and die. We're all going to die.
"Eventually. I thought it was 'do or die'.
"No, you'd say 'This is a do-or-die moment', if something was, well, you know, do-or-die. Anyway, that's not the point. What do we care why he wants these animals releasing? Maybe he's gone soft in his old age.
"Maybe he's fallen in love with a hippie.
"Not likely. Do you want to know what I think? I think he's getting into the animal trade. Release all these animals, he's got a bunch of well-qualified rats to replace them. He's breeding rats.
"That explains a few of the people I've seen round the office recently.
"What, vets?
"No, rats. It was a joke. Never mind. Give me the crowbar.
The man in the middle of the room opened his coat and handed a long metal bar to his partner. The man at the cage pushed the bar under the padlock and smashed it open. "Too easy, said the man, shaking his head.
"Well, get a move on then.
"Are you watching the door?
"It's okay, there's nobody coming.
"They're not doing anything.
"Who?
"The rats. They're not running away. They're not trying to escape.
"Maybe they're happy here.
"What? Trapped here in these cages? They'd rather be running around the sewers, digging in my rubbish.
"Do you think? Think about it. Here, they're fed, looked after, probably get all the drugs they could ever dream of. It's that or swimming in rivers of shit, looking through the leftovers of your cooking. I know where I'd rather be.
"The little bastards are probably high right now. He laughed and turned to the cages. "Drugs screw you up. Just say No. Oh, fuck 'em. It's not my problem, is it?
The other man approached the cage to take a closer look. "They're not rats, he said. "They're mice. Rats are bigger. Like this. He held up his hands a rat-sized distance apart.
"It's the drugs, stunting their growth.
"No, they're mice.
"They're still fucking dopey.
"Here, said the rodent expert, pushing past his colleague. He put a gloved hand into the cage to try to take out one of the mice. "Ow! Little bastard bit me! He pulled his hand out and examined it. His colleague tried to look. It was too dark for either of them to see anything. "Leave them.
The two men moved in silence around the other cages, stopping to break open any locked cages. At the back of the room they found some more cages with larger animals. "Hey! Look at this one! The man holding the crowbar called his partner over. "Isn't it cute? My niece would love a rabbit like that.
"Set them free, he said, not adopt them. Open the cage. When the cage was opened the rabbit stood at the door and looked out. The cage door stood at the edge of a shelf, with a drop of almost two metres if it stepped out. The man tucked the crowbar inside his coat and lifted the animal down. He held it out at arms length. "Aren't you beautiful?
"What are you going to do with that?
"Set it free. He put the rabbit into one of his coat pockets. Fortunately it was a big pocket. And a small rabbit. "It's a domestic rabbit. What's it going to do if we let it out? Do you see many wild rabbits out on the streets? Look at the size of him. He'd be eaten alive as soon as he gets outside. There's rats over there bigger than he is.
"They're mice.
"Aren't there any guinea pigs?
"Why, does your niece want one of them too?
"No, but when you test something, you say you need a guinea pig.
"Don't be stupid. Guinea pigs are too expensive for this kind of thing. Mice are easier to breed.
"Really?
"Yeah, they breed like rabbits.
"Look. Over there.
"What?
"A dog.
"Come on, then.
"I can't.
"Why not?
"I'm allergic to dogs.
"So don't stroke it. Just break open its cage.
The dog woke and sniffed at the two intruders, and started to growl. It barked once, but once it realised they weren't going to harm him, he was quiet. He left his cage and walked slowly across the room. "Let's get him outside.
"How?
"The window. Open the window.
"We're on the second floor.
"Dogs can jump. Throw the mice out too.
They picked up a cage each and carried them to the window. They opened the window as wide as it would go, and tipped the cages up. The mice tried to hold on, squealing, but succumbed to gravity. "Do you think they'll be okay? asked the man with the rabbit in his pocket.
"I think so. Anyway, isn't a chance of freedom better than a lifetime trapped in here. Get the dog.
There was a roof a short distance away from the window, about one floor down. With a push, the dog would make it. It gave a startled yelp on seeing where it was going to have to go, and tried to fight its way back in. The two men were too strong for the animal, though, and gave it the required shove. They watched to see the confused dog land and get to its feet. Work done, they turned to leave, making a final check that all the cages were empty.
"Job well done, said the first.
"Let's get a drink, said the other. "I'm thirsty.
They headed for the stairs and out of the building into the cold night.