“Gem, get on the stage. I’ll get the lights powered up so the pipes don’t seem out of place and raise suspicion.” He keyed his radio. “Punch, fire the gen.”
A distant rumble sounded, loud at first, then it settled into a low hum. The lights dangling from the criss-crossing pipes illuminated, swaying in the slight breeze.
“Got your music ready?” asked Flex.
“Switchfoot is tuning up,” said Gem. She smiled and he smiled back.
“Love you, Gemina.”
“Love you, Flexy.”
“I’ll be in the bus two over from Colton,” said Charlie. “I’ll keep an eye on him.”
“Thanks, babe,” said Gem.
Everybody took their positions.
Through the single gap, the Mothers began to file in.
Flex, Gem and Hemp stood center stage.
Nelson and Rachel crouched behind it.
Charlie tucked into the bus opposite Colton.
Trina and Taylor remained outside to direct the timing of the deer fence.
Travis, Max, and Isis made their way to the stage where Hemp, Gem and Flex stood. At the sight of the three, all three on stage smiled.
They would need them. One way or another.
When they mounted the stage, the Mothers had not yet entered the square. Gem knelt. “Travis, come here.”
Travis walked over to her. “Where’s your mother?”
He pointed at the bus between Charlie and Colton.
“Why? She doesn’t shoot.”
“She didn’t want to be around them. She thinks they might figure her out. That she’s not on their side.”
“Okay,” said Gem. “Does she have a radio?”
“Yeah. Channel 16.”
Gem took her radio and changed the channel, pressing the transmit button. “Beauty? Gem.”
“Gem, it’s Beauty.”
“Stay alert. I’m going to have Travis go just beneath the stage behind the draping.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s going to be in my ear. If he hears anything, he’s going to warn us. In my ear. Change to channel 19 – anyone on this frequency. Do it now. Only Travis and I will be on 16.”
“What am I supposed to do?” asked Beauty.
“You have a deep connection with these things. You’re unique, so let’s put that to use. Focus. Try to read their minds. If it tires you out, keep going. It shouldn’t be for long.”
She turned to Travis. “Ready?”
“Okay,” he said. “Now?”
Gem looked up as the first of the Mothers filed in. “Right now. Hurry. Channel 16. Go!”
Travis hurried to the rear of the stage, then ducked underneath and duck walked to the front. Gem returned her attention to the front of the stage where the other citizens of Lula had congregated. They all turned to watch their guests enter, and Gem swore she could see their tensed muscles from where she stood. She squeezed Flex’s hand in her left. She squeezed Hemp’s in her right.
“Holy shit,” whispered Flex.
The line of incoming Mothers never seemed to end.
*****
CHAPTER FORTY -SIX
Nelson crouched behind the stage, just standing high enough to look over the floor.
“Whoa,” he said. “Koko, look at that!”
Koko peered over. “How many?”
“Supposed to be like 300.”
“Seems like a thousand to me,” he whispered. “Look at all those red eyes.”
“All the fuses ready?”
“Yes. The lighters, too.”
“We gotta spread them out. Hemp said they’re for the Hungerers, too. They’re not invited.”
“But they’re there. We know that. They always are.”
“Remember. 2:05. The halfway point of the second tune.”
“Once it starts, I’ll push my stopwatch,” said Koko.
Nelson fingered the stars in his waistband. He was ready for action.
*****
“I hear something,” said Wendy. “You?”
“Yes,” said Eileen.
“I wanna kill a bunch of those bitches.”
“I get the feeling you’ll have your chance.”
“Good,” said Wendy. She gripped her Uzi. She’d liked Gem’s, and they were in good supply.
*****
The Mothers filed in, filling the space. As they had planned, as the Mothers entered, the townspeople created what was almost a bowl-shaped outline with the top opening of the bowl facing the stage.
They casually formed a partial ring around the incoming Mothers, but it was far from obvious; they were not rigidly single-file and they milled about, walking through the horde of powerful, Red-Eyed females as they made their ways to their stations.
Occasionally, each would glance above, ensuring they were not beneath the thermite-filled pipes.
“Welcome!” said Gem over the public address system. “We have some cool stuff to share with you before we get down to business,” she offered.
Hurrying to the steps, she took Max and Isis by their hands and pulled them along with her. As they reached the ground level, they approached a female who appeared to be taking the lead role.
She was as raggedly dressed as all of them, but her hair was longer, thicker, and straighter – if that was possible – than the others. She was narrow but tall – at least 6’4”.
As they approached her, she spoke with a croaking voice. “Time has come.”
“The time to put all the crap behind us. The new times will have us sharing this land; the living and the dead. Hemp will never stop working on a cure.”
My father is a genius, thought Max. If anyone can improve your lives, it is him.
Rather than croak her answer, she again spoke via her mind. We are eager to understand your ideas. There are some factors created by the weather. We cannot take extremes on either side without weakening.
That’s understandable, thought Max. My father has considered that, too.
Red Eyes by Switchfoot had been set to play at a low volume in the background as soon as the first alert went up that the Mothers had arrived. It had been another layer to their distraction plan, hoping the slight noise would muffle the changing tones in the terrain as they stepped over the trenched area. As the last few notes of the first song ended, Gem stepped forward.
“Do you remember music?” asked Gem. She knew where to come in because she knew every scripted word spoken by Max and Isis.
Lilith nodded.
“She says not well. She knows what it is.”
“This song’s special to me,” said Gem. “It’s called Mama, I’m Coming Home. I thought it was the right song.”
Now all the Mothers were in the middle of the circle, the criss-crossing pipes with the dangling lights right over their heads. None looked up.
They would.
Gem pressed a button on the remote she held, increasing the volume.
The opening guitar drifted on the breeze across the makeshift town square as the Mothers all turned their heads toward the pole-mounted speakers, as though in wonder.
“Come, let’s see your feast. We’ve set the table for you.”
Gem walked quickly toward the center. The Mothers followed her faster than Flex believed they could. When they reached the table, several of the Mothers began to move in.
Not yet! said Isis with her mind. It is ceremonial, then you shall eat. You can see it is no hurry; they are restrained.
The Mothers turned their attention to the ropes that encircled all their wrists. This seemed to satisfy them.
“C’mon, c’mon!” said Gem, hurrying back to the stage. She mounted the steps with Max and Isis behind her.
Ozzy sang as the music soared, the volume slightly louder than just a moment before.
Beneath the stage Travis heard something. It was a command, coming from the Mothers. Be ready.
It could only be directed at the Hungerers.
He didn’t know if now was th
e time. The adults had a plan. He would wait. They knew what they were doing most of the time.
*****
“We have twenty seconds to go,” said Koko.
Nelson made his way over to the daisy chain of fuses. Koko made his way to the one on the opposite side of the stage.
Gem knew the song by heart, and she knew when to make her announcement.
*****
“We have another wonderful appetizer surprise for you all! We’re so happy you’ve decided to join us in sharing this world, we’ve arranged for an amazing show!”
At that moment, the phhhhtt! sounds broke through the sound of Ozzy Osbourne, and dual rockets shot skyward from both sides of the stage. Then another. Then another.
The mouths of the Mothers fell open, but not to feed. It was shock and amazement; Gem did not know if they had forgotten such things. Either way, it was hitting at least two or three of their senses big time.
Nelson and Koko watched the fireworks as the fuses on both sides burned to the next box of rockets. Overhead, they burst into stars, hearts, even a unicorn in one case. Circles, cascading, falling stars … it was a show.
Then, at the precise time Punch had been awaiting, the fireworks changed. They became one crackle shot after another. Boom. Boom. Crackle. Boom. Boom. Crackle. Boom-Boom. Boom-Boom. Crackle-Crackle.
Punch lit the torch with his sparker, then dialed it into a white-blue flame. He raised it to the magnesium ribbon.
He turned away as the ribbon ignited and began following the path toward the pipes. He prayed it worked.
*****
The Hungerers began to move. They had been summoned at least a hundred times, and the beacon drawing them was stationary; unmoving.
The outer circle widened as the Mothers stared upward, mesmerized.
“Can this be working?” whispered Hemp to Flex.
“No fuckin’ way,” said Flex. “Bucks our typical luck.”
“Do NOT jinx us or I’ll tell everyone I caught you whacking off to Brittany Spears.”
“I’ve whacked off to worse,” said Flex.
Gem glared, saying nothing.
Suddenly, the lights went out.
But it wasn’t dark. The fireworks were at a crescendo now, and the pipes overhead began to glow red. All of the Mothers’ eyes were on the fireworks, the activities behind them unnoticed for the moment.
The offerings began slowly unwrapping the rope from their wrists, sliding off the table one-by-one. So far, four had dropped into the tunnel and claimed their weapons.
Gem, Flex and Hemp watched the action behind the Mothers.
Ozzy sang.
It began to rain.
Not water from the sky.
White hot thermite.
One by one, the Mothers beneath the dripping thermite screeched a gravely, high-pitched cry before the molten metals burned through their skulls, sizzled their brains and continued searing their way through each of their bodies.
Gem saw the entire outer ring of townspeople were now gone, leaving only the Mothers.
The bait had armed up, now only ten remained on the table.
The Mothers turned. Dozens and dozens of them were on fire, but they knew now it had been a trap. Most who were able shrieked at the tops of their ravaged lungs.
Travis scrambled out from beneath the stage. “Gem! The Hungerers! They’re coming!”
Gem keyed her radio. “Deer fence!”
Wendy and Eileen stood up, automatic weapons blasting. On cue, almost all of the rest of the sacrifices disappeared below and emerged again with their weapons, and now the Mothers’ bodies were dancing in the dripping, hot steel, melting into piles of goo.
Hemp, Nelson, and Koko each grabbed two-gallon lawn sprayers with the nozzles removed, and ran along the outer perimeter, spraying the nearly pure urushiol oil high in the air, another insurance policy in case the thermite did not do what they had intended.
After one circle around, each climbed up onto the buses and ran along the line of vehicles, leaping from one to the next as they sprayed the advancing Hungerers. When greasing the tops of the buses, they had left clean spots every two feet in which to step so they didn’t go sliding off the makeshift barrier.
But the Hungerers were not advancing as the Mothers had planned. While the hundreds of shrieks filled the air, some had broken free.
“No!” cried Gem when she saw two Mothers heading directly for Wendy and Eileen, two badass women who had joined their ranks and had fit right in. Wendy turned at the last moment, firing her Uzi into the face of the first Lilith.
Eileen wasn’t as lucky; she heard the footfalls behind her and felt the cold hand around her neck before she could react.
Her head popped from her shoulders like a plucked cherry, and blood gushed into the waiting mouth of the Mother, who drank in the warm flow of Eileen’s lifeblood.
The head rolled, coming to rest at Wendy’s feet, but she didn’t see any of what happened behind her. The noise in the square was at a crescendo, the thermite sizzling, the fireworks now in their finale, and the Ozzy song morphing into the beginning strains of Back in Black by AC/DC.
Wendy had already redirected her Uzi, blasting two Mothers, partially torched from searing globs of dripping thermite, who had tried to claw their ways to the top of the row of buses, their ragged clothing ablaze on their backs.
An arrow flew as though from nowhere, penetrating the feeding Mother’s cranium and exiting out the back of her skull. She teetered there for a moment before collapsing in the dirt.
Eileen Plover’s headless body then melted to the ground beside her.
Flex charged around the perimeter to the gap in the buses and saw the deer fence had been pulled up as planned. The Mothers making their way to the edge to escape could no longer jump; they were either on fire from the thermite or doused with urushiol or both, and while the mixture did not kill them as certainly as it once had, it ravaged their outer musculature, dissolving their tendons into soft spaghetti.
Punch, having done his part, ran around the inside of the buses and met Flex. He had his DP-12 with every chamber of the 50-round drum filled with shells, and Flex slid under a bus and began blowing the feet off any Mothers or Hungerers who came near them. When there was no clear target, they continued sweeping the center of the square, now only dotted with a few Mothers still standing.
The smoke was thick now; from fireworks, dripping thermite, and gunfire. The thermite still rained down, the pipes melting but somehow remaining elevated. The last two of the sacrifices became true offerings, as Nelson charged around with his near-depleted jug of urushiol.
They had not yet had a chance to unwrap the rope from their wrists. The Mothers had escaped notice in the melee, and now they lay atop the two, chewing into both men’s stomachs with abandon – Nelson recognized them as Tom Howard and Robert Johnston – two good men of the town of Lula.
Nelson flung aside his sprayer and reached into his holster with both hands. As the first Mother sank her teeth into Howard’s neck and tore away a mouthful of tendons and veins, Nelson whipped the first star; it flew true, singing its shrill death song as the wind whipped past its razor-sharp tines, and embedded deep in the Mother’s brain.
She collapsed atop Tom Howard’s twitching body.
He quickly passed the star in his left hand to his right and flung it as well, knowing he had missed the second it left his fingers.
He already had the third star in hand and flung by the time the second one missed its mark, and it struck the feeding Mother in the base of the skull, sliding deep inside to still the monster.
The Mothers writhing in the center of the town square were ablaze, the ultra-hot thermite still raining down on their urushiol-soaked clothes, drying it and burning them into hard chunks of seared meat.
Gem’s attention turned to the bus where Colton was stationed. She did not see any activity from the bus window, and her spine turned to steel. Suzi the Uzi in hand, she ducked and ran between
the thermite-dripping pipes, firing into the heads of any Mothers still moving on the ground as she passed. She leapt atop the former sacrifice table and over, landing in a full run.
In her head, she was thinking, Jesus, Gem! You’re going to be sore as fuck tomorrow!
She hadn’t moved like that in at least a year. Her adrenaline rush didn’t let up, however, and in three more strides she reached the bus. The door was closed, which gave her some comfort.
Pushing the middle, the door folded, and she jumped inside and ran down the aisle, not seeing Colton. Stopping, she screamed, “Colton! Where are you!”
“Here, mom!” he shouted, sliding up from the floor. He had been lying flat between two seats.
“Are you okay?” she said, rushing to him. She helped him to his feet.
“Yeah, I just ran out of ammo! I killed a bunch, I think!”
“You ran out of .22 rounds?”
“Yeah! I only had like two boxes.”
“So … two hundred rounds.”
“Yeah, but I used it all.”
“Gem! The rotters are movin’ in from all sides! Where are you?” It was Flex over the radio. She looked outside. Most of the Mothers were down, and arrows continued finding their heads from the bus just two vehicles down.
Charlie was having fun.
She took her radio from her belt. “Where, Flex? It looks like their mostly dead now!”
“Not them, the Hungerers!” said Flex. “Thousands of them!”
“Well fucking relax then babe! We’re all on WAT-5!”
There was silence for a long time. Finally, Flex came back. “Well, what do you know? You’re right.”
“Flex?” asked Gem.
“Yeah,” he said. “Still works on them. Come on out. Watch for Mothers.”
Gem looked at Colton. “You ready?”
“Is it over?”
“You did good, kiddo. Yeah, it’s pretty much over.”
“I saw a lot of people get eaten,” said Colton. “I couldn’t kill them all.”
“You got some.”
He nodded.
“Come on.”
She slung the Uzi, took his hand, and they walked down the row between the seats and dropped to the ground outside the vehicle. A few feet away a Mother stirred, crawling on her belly, and Gem took three long strides and pressed Suzi’s barrel to her head. “Good night, Lilith.” She fired.
Dead Hunger | Book 10 | The Remnants Page 38