Free Bug Man Suspense Bundle (3, 4, 5) by Tim Downs Page B

ants don’t live in no trees.”
    “Neither do people, but you’re up there. The ants are trying to escape the water—they don’t want to drown any more than you do.”
    “What’s he talking about?”
    “Look—other Solenopsis species just bite and then spray the wound with formic acid. Not invicta . They only bite so they can hold on while they inject an alkaloid venom. The venom burns like fire—thus the name.”
    “I don’t like the way he talks,” one of the men said.
    “Guys, I’m not kidding. Invicta can kill small animals. Come on down now.”
    Neither of them moved. Nick and Jerry just sat there, staring up at the two men, wondering what to do next.
    “We don’t have time for this,” Nick grumbled, then called up to the two men: “We’re leaving now, but we’ll swing by again a little later to see if you’ve changed your minds. At least climb down from there and get onto a rooftop. I know it’s hot, but believe me, ‘hot’ is better than ‘on fire.’ By the way, you’ll feel them bite first. Try to brush them off before they sting—otherwise you’ll get little white pustules.”
    Nick revved the motor and steered the boat away.
    Jerry waited until they were well out of earshot before he said, “ Pustules? Are you out of your mind?”
    Nick shrugged. “I’d want someone to tell me.”
    “Those guys would rather sit in a tree with a bunch of fire ants than be rescued by us. Man, we suck .”
    “We just need practice,” Nick said. “We’ll be pros by this afternoon.”
    A few minutes later they spotted a man standing on a rooftop between two gables with open windows; he was flagging them down with a red towel.
    “Easy pickings,” Nick said. He eased off the throttle and brought the boat up alongside the house. As they approached, they saw a woman step out one of the gable windows and onto the rooftop; she turned and reached back inside, and someone handed her a small child. An older woman climbed out after her, followed by a girl of about eight or nine, then a younger boy . . .
    Soon there were nine people crowded together on the roof.
    “Thank the Lord,” one of the women said to the sky.
    “The Lord needs a bigger boat,” one of the boys mumbled—earning him a swat on the back of the head.
    “We sure can’t take all of you at once,” Nick said. “We’ll have to take you in shifts.”
    “We go together or we don’t go at all,” the woman holding the child said.
    Jerry looked at Nick.
    “It’s physics, Jerry,” Nick said. “Even if I left you here, this boat wouldn’t carry ten people—not safely, anyway.”
    Jerry turned to the group. “Folks, listen to me. We can take all of you to safety, but we can’t take all of you at once. We can take the women and children first, or you can divide up any way you want. We’ll take a group of you over to the levee, then come right back for—”
    “We go together or we don’t go at all,” the woman said again. “Ain’t no use talkin’ about it.”
    “Ma’am, be reasonable,” Jerry said.
    “I am being reasonable—don’t tell me I’m not. This is my family. You boys got family back home? A wife? Babies?”
    “I’m not married,” Jerry said. “Neither is he.”
    “Then you don’t know. Lots of folks, they headed off to the Superdome —they say they got buses there to take people to other places—Houston and Baton Rouge and such. What if the bus is like your boat? What if they can’t take us all at once? Then we get split up, that’s what. Maybe we don’t find each other again.”
    “Ma’am, that doesn’t have to happen.”
    “Don’t have to, but it might. Where you want to take us?”
    “To a rescue shelter—a safe place with food and water for your kids—maybe a place to sleep too.”
    “Where is this place?”
    “I honestly don’t know.”
    “Have you seen it? With your own two eyes?”
    “No, ma’am, I haven’t.”
    “Who are your people, young man?”
    Jerry looked confused, so