Chapter 15
The master plan had been changed. The details of the modified agenda were now shaped in Calvin Phelp’s mind and firmly locked in place. There was no longer time to release the ants, a few at a time. A low-pitched whine in his ears assured him that time was of the essence. Calvin began to sweat once again. It was a reminder that he had better follow the instructions to the very last letter. Failure of the mission meant Calvin had to accept the blame for any blunders. He knew there was no room for bargaining with the powers that be.
The message was crystal clear to Calvin. The children must be swiftly silenced to enable the completion of his assignment. There was no time for them to simply fall under control as easily as the complex management employees had.
Calvin pushed in the key, and his car trunk yawned widely. He could hear the sound of angry rasping metal as thousands of ants raged against one another in the sealed two-gallon glass jars. He unscrewed the lids and dropped small scraps of Sarah’s and Billy’s homework inside of each jar. The ants converged on the paper and burned it to ash. But in unison, the ants now knew the scent of their primary victims. Each jar was alive with thousands of squirming, thrashing ants that were impatiently awaiting the opportunity to attack their two new targets.
Calvin became immersed in the sensation of escalating pressure inside his head. His brain began thrusting to expand in every direction. The pulsing rhythm increased to a deafening pitch. The jars began to vibrate as the ants rallied and responded to Calvin’s brain waves, which broadcast the message to the ants from their Queen. Calvin staggered under the intense pain. He could feel an unstoppable surge of bile rising from his stomach and stumbled toward the bushes to release the bitter fluid.
Calvin drove back to the complex with his entrusted cargo secure in the trunk of the Volvo. His head was throbbing, and his body was still weak and shaking. He cut the engine, turned the car lights out, and silently rolled into the parking lot near buildings “A” and “B”.
The evening had begun. It was nightfall, and the residents were home and tucked inside the safe haven of their cozy apartments. The Queen was anxious to take charge of her new domain. Each building was a fortress. Calvin’s job was to penetrate them one by one and secure them under the command of the Queen.
Calvin had arrived in time to observe the four of them hurrying down the sidewalk from Billy’s building towards Sarah’s. Calvin realized that it would certainly save time and simplify things since the two children were together. Sarah’s building was the first on the list to be conquered. The whole complex would be under the Queen’s control by the end of the evening.
Tomorrow was the prime shopping day. Ants would be deposited in supermarkets and forge their way into the homes of the Town residents. On Sunday, Calvin would disperse the ants at the churches where they could tag a ride back to the homes of the worshippers. By Monday, at the end of the last lunch period, the school students and teachers would be hers. She would have control of all their families by Monday evening. There would be no stopping the Queen’s grand plan as it silently spread until the Town was thoroughly infiltrated and had become her center of command.