Them-2 - Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One – Near Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA

Moses, until recently known as Albert Byron Decker, could sense a subtle change in the mood of the ants. Although he had yet to be taken, a major portion of his congregation was missing. They were culled out by several ants and taken deeper into the warren never to be seen again. Over a period of time a slight luminescence became apparent and his eyes had adjusted to the very faint light. He retched when he first saw what the ants had been feeding them, which was a sweet sticky substance that the ants regurgitated onto the rocks. That it was the remains of human juices he had no doubt because there were small pieces of human fingernails and bones that Moses recognized as tiny foot or hand bones.
They had been given free reign of the nest and could travel without hindrance. Moses knew that a change was about to take place because the ants were becoming more belligerent and the food was rarely left on a regular schedule. Obviously, their effective use as slaves was now questionable.
Moses signaled for several of his people to attend him. “I have a feeling that those who were taken away will never return,” he whispered, holding up the severed hand of Lilly. “They have angered the ants and have met their just punishment. I believe we were brought here for a greater reason and it is now time for us to leave the nest and prepare the rest of the world for salvation.”
“Amen!” his congregation muttered in unison.
“Follow me to the surface.” Moses glanced at the dozen faces of those who remained. “We must go forth and spread the true word of God.”
They were not stopped as they made their way to a minor entrance to the nest, which was along a thickly wooded hillside. Evidently the substance that coated them, or the substance they had been eating, still protected them. Although they emerged in the dead of night, their eyes had so adjusted to the near darkness it was almost like twilight for them.
Moses led them down from the rugged hill and onto the dark surface of a two-lane highway that wound its way through the valley. The clothing they wore was turning into rags and their shoes had deteriorated days before and the asphalt was cold on their bare feet. They walked for hours until a bright light rapidly approached from behind them.
Moses motioned for Beth and another woman to stand in the center of the road and wave the vehicle down. He knew that any driver, seeing the shape the women were in, would stop to render assistance, also, despite Beth’s appearance she was still a very attractive woman.
Luck was with them. The vehicle turned out to be a large Postal panel truck with a driver and one passenger in the front cab. The driver braked quickly, threw the truck in park, and opened the cab door.
“Help you?” A short, heavyset man asked, stepping out of the truck and walking a few paces to where the women stood in the center of the highway. The remainder of the group immediately attacked him. Two men threw him to the asphalt while a third man hit him in the head with a large rock. A sound like a split melon ripped through the shattered quiet. The other person in the truck screamed frozen in fear and revulsion. She did not know the driver; having hitched a ride herself, but the man had appeared to be decent and friendly.
“Out of the truck!” Moses shouted.
The woman could not move. Shock and fear kept her from responding to Moses’ request.
“We will not harm you.” Moses moved towards the door. “Join us and God will forgive your sins and trespasses.”
Moses motioned for Beth and her companion to remove the woman from the truck. Perhaps two of her own gender will show her we mean her no harm, Moses mused.
Ten minutes later, after discarding the packages in the back of the panel truck, Moses and his driver and their cargo of believers headed down the quiet highway. The woman smiled at Beth and quietly joined them without offering resistance.
“First thing is some decent food and a change of clothing,” Moses stated, watching the centerline in the highway disappear beneath the cab. “Any idea where this road goes?”
“I think this is Highway 68,” the driver answered. “Looks familiar.” He was a young man with a red scraggly beard and sadistic eyes. Moses remembered him as a vagabond who had joined the congregation after spending time in prison.
“And where does Highway 68 go?”
“We should end up in a small town named Glasgow.” The man was studiously picking his nose and wiping the slimy boogers on the steering wheel. Moses reminded himself to wipe the wheel if he did any driving. “I lived not far from here. We used to go to Glasgow to the Wal-Mart out on Happy Valley Road.”
“Take us to the Wal-Mart.” Moses ordered. Moses had plenty of cash in his wallet. He seldom went into town but he was a firm believer in being prepared. He never wanted to be caught without the means of taking care of his immediate needs and cash was handy.
Moses believed that people would not follow you unless you take care of their basic needs. No matter how much BS you gave them, if they were hungry or cold or hot or horney, you had to satisfy those needs first. Right now, he held his little clan together with charisma and charm. The fact that he had led them safely away from the ant nest proved that he was a man of substance. He still carried the severed hand of Lilly in a pocket in his robe.
Might be a good thing to keep the hand for future use, he mused. Obviously the smell of the hand was what kept the ants from killing them. That, and the green slime they had puked on them. Might also be a good thing to prevent the clan from bathing? If they washed the slime off maybe the ants wouldn’t recognize them and they’d be fair game. Moses made a mental note to tell the congregation they could don new clothing, but bathing was a big new sin.
When they arrived in the small town of Glasgow the streets were quiet and empty. Although it was only ten PM, according to Moses’ new Rolex watch, but the place was as quiet as a graveyard. He knew that they had been away from the news for a while, perhaps word of the ants had been spread and the good people of Glasgow were locked behind closed doors. It did seem odd though that they met no cars on the road, not even a police cruiser.
At least the lights were still on. As they pulled into the parking lot of the big Wal-Mart store, the blinding lights inside made the interior as bright as day. Even the parking lot lights were shining brightly. There were no vehicles in the parking lot either, which was very unusual. These stores almost always had people shopping.
“Pull up to the door and go inside and check it out,” Moses told the driver. He got out and went back to the rear of the panel truck and opened the doors. “Everyone out.”
“Nobody in there,” the driver yelled, standing in the wide-open doorway. “Place looks a mess too!”
“I have guided you from the harsh wilderness into a place of bounty,” Moses said to the congregation. “You may take all you need, but the Lord has told me that no one is to bathe. Bathing will not wash away our sins, only the Lord can do that. He that bathes will be punished and the beasts of the earth shall devour them, so sayeth the Lord.”
Moses knew he could live with the smell if it meant he was safe from the ants. Although he was not positive that the smell would keep all ants away, it was all he had to rely on.
Inside the store was a shambles. Racks had been knocked over, clothing strewn on the floor, boxes torn open, and there were a good number of red blotches coating the floor. Moses instinctively knew what they were. All the meat from the food section was missing, and most of the food stored in box containers such as cereal, cookies, baking goods, bread and other items were torn open and their contents gone. Even the fruit was missing. The isles containing can goods were intact.
“Only one thing could have done this,” Moses mused. “The ants were on the loose.”
“Take enough canned food to last for a few days,” Moses ordered. “Canned meats in particular. You may also take several changes of clothing. From now on, God will feed and clothe us for free.”
As soon as they left the Wal-Mart, Moses ordered the driver to head directly for an auto dealership. The panel van was nice and roomy, but very uncomfortable. He preferred a large twelve or fourteen passenger van, or several vans. Moses was certain his congregation would grow with time.
They had still met no one on the streets as they pulled into a large dealership, not even police cars or military vehicles. Perhaps the town had been evacuated. Moses doubted that. More likely the town had been attacked by the ants and those few left were hiding in terror in their basements or in more substantial government buildings.
“There’s some large vans over there!” the driver yelled, pointing across the parking area. He was stuffing the last of a can of Spam into his cavernous mouth. The man had already eaten half a dozen cans of sausages.
Half an hour later they had transferred their hoard of food and clothing to the new vans and were preparing to leave. Suddenly, several ants entered the parking area, followed by dozens more. The ants rushed towards them.
“Do not move!” Moses yelled. “The Lord will protect us!”
The lead ant slowed and approached Moses more cautiously. It was obviously puzzled by the unusual pheromone smell but curious as to why this bit of food smelled protected. The ants milled around them for a few moments, taking turns walking up and smelling the creatures. One ant finally puked on one of the members, the green slime pouring down his chest and legs. As if that were a signal, other ants smelled the slime and started puking on the remainder of the group. Instead of herding them away, the ants suddenly left to forage.
“Get as many bottles as you can find and put the slime in them!” Moses ordered. “This is a message from God. Whomever we deem worthy of salvation will be saved by the green manna. As soon as it is all collected, we will leave to fulfill out holy destiny.” Moses was curious as to why the new girl passed the test, then remembered she had pulled Lilly’s hand from his coat pocket by accident when he asked her to fetch his old jacket after changing to a new one.
“Where will we go?” Beth asked, a look of sincere worship on her face.
Moses thought about it for a few moments. An idea had been forming in his mind. He was raised in a small town in eastern Tennessee and knew the area well. When he was young his father had taken him to the Greenbrier Facility located in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia. It was a not-so-secret government complex located under the Greenbriar Resort. It was built to meet the needs of Congress in the event of a nuclear war. The underground area had a chamber for the Senate, a chamber for the House and a massive hall for joint sessions. The hotel even gave tours to the public. It would make a good headquarters and place to expand his congregation.
“The Lord has spoken to me,” Moses whispered, glancing up at the stars. “He has prepared a holy place for us in the east, a place not unlike Eden. I have been selected to lead you, my children, to our glorious destiny. Henceforth, you will refer to me as Father Moses as I have been chosen by God to found a new nation. From my loins shall spring a mighty kingdom. Blessed be to God!”
“Blessed be to God,” the congregation echoed.
A real fruit cake, the new woman thought, and a certified gang of lunatics.