Honeybee

Chapter 37

They drove the flatbed truck into the city centre to look for a suitable spot to set the trap. The city was empty and silent, but that wasn’t the first thing that they noticed. All around, the buildings were being consumed by nature. Vines grew around all the buildings, wrapping them up like a constrictor snake, and eventually crushing them into rubble. They could already see a few buildings that were beginning to crumble. Some smaller buildings were completely covered in growth, converted from red brick into a green mass of vines, leaves and undergrowth.

‘This isn’t good.’ Jason thought, but actually said out loud.

‘What’s happening?’ Amanda said.

‘It looks like nature is taking over.’ Jason said.

They continued driving. The Doc was silent, staring blankly at the city but obviously in deep thought.

‘I think you may be right.’ The Doc finally said. ‘The virus hasn’t just affected humans and animals. I think the plant life has mutated too.’

Looking at each other, Jason and Amanda once again thought that the Doc was crazy.

‘What are you saying? We’re going to get swallowed up by a Venus flytrap?’ Jason said.

‘No, no. Nothing like that… I don’t think.’ The Doc replied. ‘But I think the growth has been accelerated by the virus.’

‘So how do we stop that?’ Jason said.

‘I don’t think we can.’ The Doc said. ‘It’s beyond my expertise. It would probably require a vaccine to be spread nationwide. Like crop dusting, only on a much bigger scale.’

‘Great. Now I need to learn to fly as well.’ Jason said.

‘Of course, it might settle down on its own. A bit like a grow spurt, it will burn itself out and return to its normal growth rate.’

‘I hope you’re right, Doc. I really do.’ Jason said.

They drove to the outskirts of the city and decided on the perfect spot to set the trap. Jason pulled the truck up at the edge of a public park. The area was open on three sides, the road continuing north to south, a small town square to the east with buildings bordering it and then the park to the west. The door to the cage was facing the park with a long ramp leading up to it.

Each person had been assigned a task and wasted no time in preparing for it. Picking up the rope, Amanda uncoiled it as she walked, pacing out the metres with long strides. She had walked almost twelve metres up the road when she settled on a spot behind an abandoned car. With only three metres of rope remaining, the spot was as good as it was going to get. She settled herself into a comfortable position and patiently waited.

Jason took the syringe of anaesthetic from the Doc and moved into position behind the cage door, which they had blacked out with a tarpaulin to create a hiding place. Gripping the syringe in his fingers, he gave it a light squeeze to double check it worked. It squirted a thin stream of liquid and he was satisfied that it was operational. He backed into the hiding place as far as he could and found the spy hole that they had cut into the tarpaulin. And then he slowed his breathing, taking long deep breaths as he relaxed.

The Doc placed a small pile of food at the back of the cage and then opened a smaller cage to release the monkey that Jason insisted they needed. The monkey, a chimpanzee, the same chimpanzee that had amused Jason just the other day, eagerly ran toward the food and began to examine it. The Doc exited the cage and moved around to the rear of it, ready to pull the chimpanzee through the bars to safety.

‘Give them a blast Doc.’ Jason shouted.

‘Ok.’ The Doc said nervously, as he picked up a megaphone and sounded the siren.

The siren wailed and whooped and echoed around the square and into the park. The Doc winced at the noise and then after a few more seconds he gave in and turned it off. All three of them stared deep into the park, waiting for any sign of movement. There was nothing. Flicking the siren on again, The Doc waved the megaphone around, pointing it in all directions and then he turned it off. Again, there was nothing.

Jason left his hiding place behind the door and strolled out a few metres from the cage. He stopped and surveyed the park in front of him. It was still and silent so he continued on, a few metres at a time. He was almost among the trees when he stopped mid-step. He had that feeling, the feeling he had had many times before, like he was being watched. Looking around at the trees and bushes in front of him, he confirmed that he was indeed being watched. Blending in perfectly with a group of evergreen trees, was a Screamer, its eyes staring directly at Jason. He could just make out its outline, it wasn’t moving, just staring. Then he became aware of another pair of eyes staring at him from another tree. Backing away slowly, he looked from one set of eyes to the other for any hint of movement. They didn’t move and he continued to back away slowly and carefully.

And then they did move, and all hell broke loose.

The Screamers left the cover of the trees and charged at Jason. Not just the two that Jason had spotted, but four of them in total. He didn’t know how to react. For a moment, he stared in shock and then he did the first thing that came to mind. He turned around and he ran.

Amanda and The Doc watched in horror as the four ugly beasts gained ground on Jason. One was on his heels and the other three were about ten metres behind. Knowing that there was nothing she could do, Amanda stayed in position and waited in the hope that Jason would led them into the cage. The Doc however, had other ideas. He sprang into action and started the truck and then he jumped out a picked up the megaphone and, on a hunch, he flicked the switch. The siren blasted in the direction of the Screamers and The Doc watched in satisfaction as they stopped running and reached their hands up to hold their heads.

‘Keep running.’ The Doc shouted at Jason. ‘I bought you a few seconds.’

And a few seconds is all he had. The initial shock had worn off and the Screamers we once again on the move. Jason was metres away from the cage when he shouted to the others.

‘Get in the truck.’

Amanda wasted no time and left her concealed position. Within five seconds she was in the driver’s seat and The Doc was climbing into the passenger side. They watched as Jason ran up the ramp and stood in the doorway to the cage. The approaching Screamers were moving fast, one of them still in the lead and the other three trailing behind.

‘Get ready to go.’ Jason yelled.

The Screamer at the front was in a frenzy, its eyes wild and its legs moving in a blur. It charged up the ramp towards Jason, who waited patiently until it was inches away, and then he sidestepped and the lead Screamer stumbled into the cage.

‘Go!’ He shouted, as he slammed the door shut.

The truck lurched forward and Jason gripped onto the side of the cage. And it was then that he remembered the monkey. He watched in horror as the Screamer slowly approached the chimpanzee who was happily chomping on the food.

‘Hey! Over here.’ Jason yelled.

The Screamer paid no attention but the little monkey looked up and saw the hideous beast approaching.

‘Climb through the bars, little man.’ Jason said, willing the monkey to understand.

Nodding as if in understanding, the chimpanzee dropped the food and quickly swung out of the cage as the Screamer shot a vine towards him. It wrapped around his left leg just as he left the cage. Jason opened the door and lunged at the Screamer, jumping on its back. He had an arm around its neck, more to stay on its back than to try to strangle it. The vines around its body and neck would make it almost impossible to harm it with bare hands. Jason used his other hand to pull the syringe out of his pocket and he quickly stabbed it into the Screamers neck. He slowly injected the tranquiliser into the Screamers bloodstream and a second later, they were both on the floor. Jason pulled out the syringe and the vine released its grip on the monkey’s leg.

‘Try to hurt my little friend,’ Jason spat, ‘Look what happens.’

The Screamer was still conscious but its body was paralysed. It looked directly at Jason, its eyes evil but there was also a hint of satisfaction.

‘DIE.’ It said, as a vine punched into Jason, piecing his chest just below his left shoulder.

He couldn’t comprehend what had just happened and his face was a mixture of shock and anger. The Screamer smirked at him, satisfied that it had caught its prey, and then the smile faded as the tranquiliser took effect and it fell unconscious. Blood soaked into Jason’s shirt and he felt his own body go numb. A moment later his vision faded and he collapsed in a heap on the floor next to the Screamer.