The Uninvited (14 page)

“Is this what you both saw last night?” Al Little asked Jimmy and Sheriff Ransonet.

A dead bug lay on the desk; a horribly misshapen, very ugly mutant. A full seven inches long, the bug and a few of his friends had taken some deep bites into one of the prisoners. The prisoner was in a mild state of shock. His bites were painful, but did not appear to be serious. But had not the jailer and others reached him when they did, the man might well have lost an eye—or worse.

“That's it,” Vic and Jimmy said.

“And there were thousands of them?”

“At least, Al,” Vic said. “I'd say hundreds of thousands. The ground on either side of the house was moving with them.”

“When I saw them,” Jimmy spoke, “the whole house was covered with them. It was black with them, as was the yard.”

Al was reflective for a moment. “How many head of cattle were eaten up in Baronne?”

“Fifty. In one field.”

“That we know of,” Jimmy added.

Yeah,” Vic said. “There is that to consider.”

“Have you spoken about this to your Parish agent?”

“Tried. He's on vacation.”

“What about the agent in Baronne. What's his name? Tommy Sabatier?”

Sheriff Ransonet shook his head. “No, I haven't. But Mike did. Let's see if we can get him. If the phones are back in working order.”

Sabatier's office said they had not seen him since late the day before. He had not called in. Vic shared that news with Al.

“I don't like that,” the FBI man said. “Let's get on the horn to Sheriff Grant, ask him about Tommy.”

But Sheriff Grant had not seen the agent since the day before. In the middle of Barnes' cow pasture. Surrounded by the bare bones of cattle. Mike sounded tired.

You all right, Mike?” Vic inquired.

“Yeah. Hell, no! Are you?” he snapped at Sheriff Ransonet. “Sorry, Vic,” he said.

“More people missing, Mike?”

“About a dozen today. Housewives and their husbands, mostly. All of them living out in the country. I can't call the FBI in on this. No signs of foul play, no signs of kidnapping, no ransom notes, no sign of anyone traveling across state lines to commit a crime. These people are all adults. They can take off if they want to. I'm gettin' shook about this thing. I mean, I'm gettin' shaky.”

So am I, Mike. But let's not let this problem get the best of us, huh? Have you told your Chief in Barnwell?”

“No, not yet. It's all happening out in the Parish, so far. Jesus, what could I tell him? To be on the lookout for giant bugs?”

“Highway Patrol?”

“Yeah, they're in on it—all two of them. So we sit on it till . . . when?”

“You know Al Little? Right. He's here and helping us on this—on his own time. He's driving over to Alex shortly, taking some hard evidence. We'll sit on it till we hear from him.”

“Let's keep in touch say every two-three hours until this thing clears up or we know which way we're going.”

“Good. We'll do that.”

After Vic hung up, he reflected for a moment. He was as worried as Mike, but he would not—could not—let the others see that worry. He thought of his wife. He would send her to visit her sister down in Thibodaux. Whether she liked it or not. If she kicked up too much fuss about it, he'd hogtie her and put her in a patrol car and have a deputy drive her down. He'd see she left this very afternoon. Just as soon as Al left.

Vic?” Al said.
Your repeater communications system working?”

“No.” Vic shook his head. “Ran out of money—government did. They're spending too much to help the poor unfortunate criminals to worry about us lawmen having decent equipment. Don't get me started, Al.”

“Then no one up here has that hookup?”

“Not to my knowledge.”

“Okay,” the FBI man said. “I'll take these dead bugs.” He looked at the box of mutants on the desk.
I'll need the pictures of the victims and both coroner's reports. I'll head out for Alex. I'll try to be back by noon tomorrow.” He met the sheriff's eyes. “This could be very, very serious, you know? If the people in the Parishes find out.”

Yeah,” Vic sighed. “I know only too well. Panic!”

 

 

Vic,” his wife said, “now, you tell me what is going on around here.”

Her husband shook his head. “I can't, Carol. I just can't tell you. You'll have to trust me on this one.”

“Well, then.” She got her back up, anger on her face.
I won't be going to visit my sister.”

Vic looked at her with a light in his eyes she had never before seen. “Yeah, Carol,” he spoke softly, the softness tinged with steel.
Yeah, you'll be going.”