Unravelling Point

Final Chapter.

     Once they were all ready they walked past the wrecked buildings and around the bug’s body. As the road wound its way up the hill high verges on either side formed a kind of chute. It made Trakker nervous but they continued onwards expecting something to roll down and flatten them.

      At the top a broad lane led to a once grand entrance. The black gates now lay twisted on the ground, surrounded by dozens of scattered red bricks from the wall. To the side of the gates was a gold plaque proclaiming the headquarters of Mega4 Industries.

      Inside the compound were two long laboratory blocks and an old style, yet obviously new, mansion. Foxcroft and Gama quickly explained that the place was so secretive that the government had banned internet providers from showing it on their online maps.

They crept along a line of bushes and trees to one side and entered the house through a side door. The interior was plush and filled with expensive furniture much like his boss’s office in Knoxville. Trakker was surprised as Foxcroft picked her way through various offices and lounges then up a flight of stairs to the archives room. “Wait here.”

Moments later she emerged and they returned to the grounds. It was Gama’s turn to lead them. “We managed to turn one of the in-house cleaners brought over from the Philippines. They all live on site but we found one of their relatives back in Mindanao.”

He led them round the back of one of the labs and up another hill. Beyond the autumnal trees the hill top was a barren plateau. Thin waves of grass separated themselves from three more giant bugs. All three had horns on their heads; though smaller than the one Trakker had just taken out. One lay on its back with its legs twitching. Sometimes it would rock itself a little. The other two sluggishly locked horns. Sitting on the lip of the plateau, down a barren edge leading to a dirt road, sat a single remaining dung ball.

Jo had turned his camera back on. He grabbed Trakker. “What are we gonna do?”

“Put your hands up,” a deep voice commanded.

They looked round to see a single man dressed in a black suit with a white shirt. He was a tall broad man. The man pointed his rifle at them. “Who are you?”

They introduced themselves. Trakker watched as Foxcroft sauntered over to the man and had a quick word with him. In no matter of time the man lowered his rifle and joined them.

“This is government property,” he pulled out a badge.

“Officer Lee Bent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation at your service. The boys call me ‘Broad Lee’, you can too if ya’ll likes.” He looked at them all. “Now I suppose that Trakker here is racing home, well over the speed limit, when some kind of massive bug jumps out and attacks him. He sees the thing off, maybe kills it, then curious he comes up the hill to take a look. On the way he finds scientist, Heather Foxcroft, on her way to expose the malpractices of Mega4.”

“Something like that,” Trakker mumbled.

      “Well, these bugs do not exist. Read my lips; they do not exist. You got that? Foxcroft tells me you’ve promised to help us keep them secret’ destroy them.”

      “Do you have any big weapons?” Jo asked.

      Lee locked and loaded his rifle. “Well, we can’t nuke this s**t so it’s time to get traditional on their asses, right Foxcroft?”

      She nodded. “Take them out and set fire to them.”

      Trakker did not know what to think of Lee. He wondered if there were other FBI officers around; but he could not see any. Then man had turned quickly; what had Foxcroft said to him? What promises did she make? He then realised he was feeling a twinge of jealousy and quickly turned his attention back to the bugs. They quickly homed in on the bug on its back. When within distance they fired off a few rounds into its head. Hemolymph, insect blood, oozed out as the bug stopped its movement.

      They moved round to the two fighting bugs. Trakker lifted up his pistol once more. He had only one full clip’s worth of shots left. He decided to divide them half and half between each dung beetle. Before he could fire, guns locked and clicked all around him. He dropped the gun and turned to see dozens of FBI officers surrounding them.

      A moustachioed man with a southern drawl swaggered over to them. “Hold up; don’t shoot them.”

      “Why?” Trakker turned to face him. “Those things cannot live; they just ain’t right.”

      The lit a cigar and took a few puffs. “I suppose you are right. But, I am following direct orders from the President and he says, ‘don’t shoot’ coz you see; the President is a bug loving kind of guy. Besides, the bugs are dying.”

      “Dying?” Trakker turned around. “The two scientists, Foxcroft and Gama, told me they needed killing.”

      “Well they would; as would their paid man here,” he gestured at Lee. “The bugs cannot breathe properly because their anatomy is not adjusted to their size. Did you ever wonder why bugs are so small?”

      “No.”

      The man pressed his face against Trakker’s. “Well from ex-marine to ex-marine; you’re about to find out in your debriefing.” He turned to the other officers. “Tag them, bag them and send them off.”

      The officers grabbed Trakker and took him away. They bundled him into a plain black SUV along with Jo and Junko. Their two FBI companions were stony quiet. Junko now clung to Jo. He wondered if it was all she ever did. Trakker leaned over to his friend and whispered. “Where’s your camera?”

      “Safe,” Jo winked. “Hey, why didn’t you ride one of those bugs off to escape?”

      “Couldn’t, it’s a long time till sunset. Were you thinking of Rawhide?” Trakker smiled. “Rollin’ rollin’ rollin’, keep those dung balls rollin’, rawhide.”

      “You know, if your Camaro was a transformer he’d be feeling pretty dumb right now.”

      They laughed and joked as the FBI officers drove them into the dawn and a long day of brainwashing. There are no giant bugs.

 

Author's Note

As you might guess...i had no idea how to end the story.