by Mitch
Won and the other ladies looked at Careah with astonishment? Su`lay volunteered the information because Del`o and her dad operated the Brandy Winery. “Brandy is distilled from fermented fruit juice and flavored with distilled wheat liquor. It is aged in wood containers, which helps flavor and color.”
Del`o added, “The name ‘brandy’ means burned wine.”
Won winked, grinning, “Do it.”
The other ladies replied simultaneously, “Yea, go ahead.”
She took a sharp pointed arrow and aimed, “Here goes,” not knowing what the results would be. Her shot zipped through the second-story window puncturing a spirit tank, then followed by a hot cat-tail. Burning brandy set tanks afire setting off a chain reaction of explosions. Cannibal ants in the building were cremated before they knew what hit them. These ants didn’t know brandy would be served with their last meal, no charge. Without warning, the Dinghy made a sharp right turn heading away from the fire before Won could ask the Dinghy why? The Brandy Winery building exploded shaking the ground nearly turning the Dinghy over. Within seconds, a shockwave and howling wind shoved the Dinghy forward, sending it to the river’s edge.
Won had the Dinghy circle back to the winery. When in range, Careah shot at brandy barrels on the loading dock. Cannibal ants hiding behind barrels took off running and cursing as the first barrel exploded shattering wood, a shower of sparkling brandy washed over Lucifer’s anti-saints. Horned-head cannibal ants, practicing psychotics appeared from behind crated, bottled peach brandy ready for shipment. Co`le yelled, “You cannibal ants look lonely, why don’t you join your friends? Have a brandy before you go.” The cannibal ants trying to outrun arrows and hot torches got a permanent address, Hot Street, Hades.
Two more explosions echoed through a storage bin, barrel after barrel exploded sending hot burning splinters through the air like millions of fiery darts. A cylindrical barrel exploded on the loading elevator, sending staves and hot liquid out over the area, pickling varmints by the millions. Careah sent hot cat-tails in a rapid succession, penning Lucifer’s helpers by the thousands crying for help, forcing an impressive chain reaction of curses. She thought her next shot was a lucky one hitting a Dinghy load of brandy, because she had aimed at ants under the Dinghy. Something brushed her hand as the arrow was released, the shot went high, hitting barrels on the Dinghy. The exploding Dinghy flew high in the air then jacked-knifed, hitting nose first, and rolled on its back.
Awn giggled, “That’s the first time I saw a Dinghy fly.”
Bo`nay about cracked up saying, “Get it? A Dinghy Fly.” Giggling was the name of the game.
An erratic explosion sent rivulets of red-hot ooze bubbling over the massive horde. Su`lay remarked, “You might say they were dead drunk without drinking a drop.” Horrible sounds of groaning from death row mingled with those about to enter Hades. Another powerful explosion, quite close, sent sizzling red phosphor balls high into the air. Flying ants caught in the raining hot burning grape wine, ready for shipment, were given a new address, unknown. Careah giggled, “Now I know what you mean by burnt wine.”
Without warning, they were surrounded by ringer ants. They got the name “ringer” by wearing pure gold rings in their noses, in their lips, and two on the outer side of each eye. They slowly started their march circling and moving inward toward the Dinghy. Won asked, “Do you want to play ring around the roses? If you do, you came to the right place.”
Careah flew above the Dinghy and hissed, “Elce, pitch me lit cat-tails. You ladies throw yours at the critters as the Dinghy travels in a circle.” Round and round they traveled, each revolution moving outward. The ringers never came up against this sort of fighting before. Not only was the Dinghy clobbering ringers, the ladies were pushing them back with arid heat. If there would have been two more rings, it would have been a three-ring circus. These ringed ringers were putting on a show, more than they were fighting, trying to get out of harm’s way."
All because of the poor performance of the ringers, the battle was over in two hours. It was agreed to take a needed break before moving on. The break didn’t last but a few minutes. They had a deadline to meet. Thick plumes of gray smoke trailed upward into the man-made sky, painting it as an artist would splash his paint on a canvas, showing it was ready to cast a violent storm on the country. The next ringing explosion stopped the swaying scarlet phalanx ants, scattering them all over the battlefield. Astonished ladies looking at each other heard the craziest sound they ever had heard coming in their direction. It sounded like an army of a thousand troops running out of step. Muffled sounds got louder, much louder, behind a large knoll. Several hundred galloping carrion ants, having heads like condors, large protruding eyes, and antennas vibrating were chasing a greenish-blue lizard running for its life. It was a sight out of fiction, watching charging carrion ants tearing right by cursing a blue streak, herding the lizard toward the lake.
Without a doubt, they would overtake the lizard. As the lizard got within a few feet of the water, it stood up on its two hind feet and ran on the surface as if the lake was frozen solid. It did not sink or stop until it reached the other side, then turned and looked across the lake, pumped a couple thumbs motions from its nose at the ants. It was funny, several ants thought since the lizard could walk on water, they could also. The ants went after the lizard; as they hit the water, all sank. Others following closely behind fell on their own kind, prompting a fight among themselves. Del`o looked at her sister Su`lay and uttered, “Never saw such a sight, something walking on water.” Careah and the other ladies shaking their heads in disbelief, chuckled.
Careah and Won winked at each other, “Now is the time to finish those ants.”
Without a command, the Dinghy headed into battle. Careah shot several hot cat-tails and the ladies tossed many torches and Bo-Bo’s blocking every ant’s escape.
Won remarked, “The only good ant is a dead ant.”
Everyone giggled, “Yea, yea.”
Coming over a knoll at a high rate of speed, a raging wildfire pushed many demonized, hungry smooch ants toward them. These ants, while charging, imitated the sound of kissing. Won quipped, “Those brutes need an adjustment to their diet. Let’s give them hot cat-tails to chew on.” Careah could not get all of the targets in one pass. Won had the driver make a tight right turn, coming in on the lowly degraded ants again, shooting hot arrows like there was no tomorrow. The devious ants recoiled at the concentrated fiery cat-tails which indicated the ladies were hitting the right targets. In seconds, the trapped ants staggered and dropped to their knees as if trying to pray to their fire god.
Careah turned surveying, several backfires were doing a job well done. She then turned her attention to the demoralized ants ahead. Won scratched her head, “I have a funny feeling that many of Lucifer’s troops farther down by the river are moving faster because there is less obstruction to crawl over.”
Elce agreed, “Yes, and I suspect they are planning to attack the Dinghy from all sides.”
It wasn’t long before Lucifer’s troops were charging toward them. If looks could kill with evil piercing eyes, everyone in the Dinghy would be dead.
Del`o pushed her torch in an ant’s ugly face as it tried to climb into the Dinghy. She remarked, “Now you have a pretty face.” Two other brown goons tried it at the same time but Del`o and her sister torched the goons’ bloody eyes, sending them reeling, tumbling, cursing the day they were hatched.
Su`lay spit at one, “Have a horrible day.”
Hundreds gathered in front of the Dinghy trying to block it. Won, driving, gave the Dinghy a polite command, “Up and over, please.”
Won thought she heard the Dinghy laughing, saying, “With pleasure.” It accelerated and responded to the command with ease. As it got on top of the self-assured ants, it came down buzzing through, killing a whole platoon of nearly two hundred of Lucifer’s executers. They were purged of all their treacherous crimes which they would have denied if given the chance.
>
Won scolded the Dinghy. “What if you would have become disabled…? Do not do it again.”
Another platoon of demonized bogeys appeared all around the Dinghy, attacking in full force. The battlefield was a mass of confusion; small exploding fires, and dead ants, belly-up, would soon be pushing up daisies. One of two deadly ants succeeded getting into the Dinghy and grabbed Co`le’s arm, forcing her to drop her torch, and tried dragging her out of the Dinghy. Hearing her shrill scream, Careah turned and let an arrow fly, hitting the brute smack between its evil eyes. Co`le, arm badly mangled, cringed. Su`lay quickly poured an antiseptic on and bandaged it. “You will have a scar for your bravery.”
Bo`nay took her place throwing torches. An explosion, close by, sent walls of smoke cascading, hiding the Dinghy. Several ladies, eyes blinded by the smoke, their hair singed by scorching flames, jumped out of the Dinghy. Careah saw that it was the first mistake they made. She watched the ladies stumbling and bumping into each other as they went sprawling, scurrying around the Dinghy on their hands and knees, frantically trying to see. Those that could see, even with sore red eyes, shrieked in terror seeing a mass of spider ants coming from all directions. Spider ants have a brain capable of memory for their engineering abilities. They spin a three-strands rope-like cable, stronger than steel. Thus, spinning a web over a victim from which there’s no escape. The Dinghy crew’s terror flared to anger that helped fend off the spider ants with torches. Bo`nay yelled, “We all are doomed unless we can get everyone back in the Dinghy.”
Careah flew out of the Dinghy, picking off the closest spider ants. Bo`nay, Elce, and Su`lay, each grabbed the stranded ladies and pulled them into the Dinghy. Su`lay got eye balm and washed everyone’s eyes out. Bo`nay, giggling, remarked, “We now belong to the Red-eye-ball Express.” It was as if the Red-eye-ball Express were the recipients of a frightening nightmare who had suddenly awakened only to find they were still in it. Looking at each other, seeing a sight that neither would want to be caught dead looking as they were. Makeup a mess, red eyes, straggly hair, faces dirty as a coal miner’s, clothing badly torn, and dried blood splatter on their bodies. They didn’t have the pleasant fragrance they had before the war started.
Hundreds of ants, licking their mandibles, pounced on the Dinghy to get in. The Red-eye-ball Express fought like experienced, battle-hardened veterans, handling torches like swordsmen fencing. Careah shouted, pointing to something about a mile away. What they saw took their minds off their predicament. Looking into the Dinghy’s monitor, two very young precious children were holding hands, crying and too scared to move; the little tikes were suffering from heat exhaustion. Demonized ants, seeing the helpless little girls, went into frenzy spasms, lusting for their death, headed in their direction. The Red-eye-ball Express found themselves helpless, being attacked themselves. The children would be killed or taken alive before rescued. It was a gruesome nightmarish scene; it seemed everything turned into slow motion.
Won and Careah looked at each other. Without either one saying, “What are we going to do?” The Dinghy raced at top speed toward the children, dragging several ants along from behind. As they got within fifty yards, Del`o and Su`lay shrieked above the loud noise. “That’s Te`We and Ce`De—our children!” Their screams froze the other ladies with fright. Lucifer’s troops retreated for a second and turned to see what happened.
Won screamed. “Why are they out here all alone?”
Su`lay cried, “They were staying with our mother and dad,” not knowing their parents were no longer alive.
Won gave the command for the Dinghy to act making sure it did not stop in the midst of the enemy. Without hesitating, the Dinghy swooped in, knocking several of the ants, about to grab the girls, for a loop. Dinghy AP54 turned a hundred-eighty degrees and moved in, hitting several more. Won had the Dinghy stop beside the girls. Del`o and Su`lay jumped out with torches swinging at would-be assassins, keeping them at bay. Bloodthirsty horseshoe ants, distant cousins of spider ants and the scorpions, begin howling, racing to their comrade’s aid. Careah yelled, “No use wasting time here. I’ll leave you ladies for a while.” She flew above the ranks of the enemy, trying to kill deadly horseshoe ants closest to the Dinghy.
The thick armored shell didn’t receive the arrows well. She had to aim at their eyes to stop them from advancing. Del`o and Su`lay grabbed their daughters and put them in the Dinghy, out of danger. A horseshoe ant tried sinking its claws into the scalp of Elce, instead, it grabbed her arm. In a split second, Careah had an arrow in one of its four eyes. The horseshoe ant’s three other eyes looked at the arrow sticking in its wounded eye, with a mean gaze, it turned to Careah as if to say, “You’re next.” Letting go of Elce, it lunged at Careah but decided to give up the ghost.
The sharp arrows and hot cat-tails soon put an end to the screaming horseshoe ants. Elce and Del`o took it on their own to gather Careah’s spent arrows. A sly, foxy horseshoe ant playing possum grabbed Elce as she came by. Instantly, she took one of the arrows and thrust it into its chest. It spit hot saliva on her. She huffed, “It’s bad manners to spit on someone,” giving the arrow an oscillating twist in its chest. It grabbed for her, showing deadly glistening fangs before it curled up and died. She screamed, “Never mess with mothers’ kids who loves them!”
One latched on Del`o. She fought fiercely as she took a torch, offered it free of charge, “It’s your lunch time, have a hot sandwich,” and shoved the hot torch in its face. Blinded by the hot fire, it screamed and let her go. She asked, “What’s the matter? You’re not hungry?”
Careah spotted a large band of crab ants on a small round building. She yelled for a hot cat-tail! Del`o threw one to her. She smiled, “Good pitch,” and sent the fiery cat-tail, special delivery nonstop, right in the top window.
Elce needed first aid, her arm was dripping blood. A huge weird muzzled explosion sent the building flying like a rocket into the ceiling of the man-made sky. The ceiling refused to accept it and smashed it into pieces, filling the place with green smoke and non-flying ants. A gust of wind lifted the curtain of smoke, a huge cloud of dust settled on the ants giving them a terrible itch. Su`lay snickered, “Scratch, because never in this world will you find peace or a moment’s rest, so scratch.”
With the arrow and Bo-Bo’s supply nearly depleted, Su`lay and Del`o jumped out of the Dinghy and gathered every sharp arrow they could find. Careah swooped down, grabbed the arrows still dripping with warm blood, and dropped them in the quiver, “I hope I remember to clean the quiver before the blood gets too dry.”
A green ant leading a large group of unschooled fire-spitting ants came running at the ladies from all directions. The Dinghy backed up as Careah watched madness streak from every direction. A hundred or so fire-spitting ants were laughing in their faces. It had to be more than fate, a section of Hi-Why-Ke exploded in a shower of sparks and searing heat hit with a violent cyclone force. Fire ants got a taste of their own medicine. Colored smoke clouds bellowed from the burning inferno, raining a billion dust particles ground up, brick and mortar. Visibility zero. Won tried looking through the black thick smoke.
An unearthly silence, mingled with smoke and fumes, lasted only for a moment. This part of the beautiful city was burning to the ground. Blueish-green flames dancing a crazy waltz, gave way to an explosion. The glare was brighter than a shooting star. No more fire-spitting ants. Lucifer inspired another group of his diabolic troops into a frenzy by rewarding the one with the most kill to be his second in command. Millions merged on the Dinghy to claim that reward. It was like battling angels of death; the air was thick with the smell of rotten eggs.
The ceiling lights began to dim. Del`o looked at her watch, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” Su`lay gave her a canny look. “Only kidding,” grinned Del`o.
Won called Tara’s Dinghy, AP55. “Tara, come in. Tara, please come in. Please, Tara, we need your help desperately.” No answer. Not knowing Tara’s AP55 was out of commission, a mighty despair g
ripped them; they saw no way out or a way of escape. The Red-eye-ball Express stood in silence, stunned. They were surrounded, death was certain. A large building caved in behind with a shuddering roar.
The Red-eye-ball Express faced the enemy, ladies with a torch in each hand, Careah with bow drawn. All prayed for a miracle. Was it their prayer? The unexpected happened; many figures like angels came up out of the water, Aquatic men dressed in green uniforms, Rush, Flash’s second in command, with hundreds of Aquatic men with sharp forked spears was the most welcome sight for the ladies. Careah, teary eyed, shouted, “Glory be!”
Won was so relieved, she began sobbing, smiling, and murmured, “God sent you to help.”
He whispered, “Do not fret, we’ll take care of them.” Glancing at the other terrified ladies, his men smiled, winked, and gave the victory sign.
The dreaded tactical ants pressed the assault on through dense deadly smoke; never dreaming they were about to face Aquatic men. The attackers were desperately afraid of Aquatic men. Other bloodthirsty ants cursed with guffaw, laughing and looking for revenge, tempers rising for depriving them of the two little girls. With cold snarls, the gluttons started for the Aquatic men, not realizing at the time, they would be confronted by the mightiest Warriors in the world. The nasty paranoid ants with their delusions of grandeur, got close enough to see faces, hesitated seeing their dreaded enemy and made soggy rasping sounds. They realized who they were up against and wished they were on their side. There are no better fighters anywhere in the world than the Aquatic men.
Terrified ants knew Aquatic men never lost a battle, tried retreating, but the fire prevented their escape. It was a beautiful sight; Aquatic’s touch of steel chilled the ant’s throats that no amount of gurgling would heal. After a couple hours, the battle was cut short, bringing it to a standstill, not one ant survived to tell the world about their defeat.
