Free Nemesis 1: Revenge Is Best Served Hot by Saxon Andrew Page A

two giant creatures and said, “Well, let’s go see if we can find out.”
    Iggy said, “What are you going to do?”
    “I’m going to take a look at them and see if I can understand the dynamics of what’s going on.”
    Iggy shook his massive head, “I don’t know if I’d do that.”
    “Why not?”
    “I’ve seen those critters strip a huge animal bare in less time than you can imagine.”
    “What was the creature doing at the time it happened?”
    “It had wandered into this area.”
    Grant stood up and looked at Slick, “Where are they?”
    Cinny looked at Grant, “Perhaps you should listen to them.”
    Grant looked at Cinny and repeated, “Where are they?”
    Iggy snorted, “They have the area around this lagoon surrounded. Just start walking into the forest and you’ll find them.”
    “Grant, don’t do this!”
    “Cinny, relax. These creatures are not acting normal. We need to see what’s going on.” Grant stood up and turned toward the forest. A few moments later, Cinny jumped up and followed him.
    Iggy watched them walk away and after a moment came out of the water and followed them. He looked at Slick, “Well, aren’t you coming?”
    “Are you crazy?”
    Iggy continued behind the two humans and Slick was left behind going up and down on his long legs. “This is asinine!” He scrambled after Iggy but stayed twenty yards behind him.
    • • •
    Grant walked three hundred yards into the forest and stepped through a row of trees and heard a loud rustling noise. He looked in front of him and saw them. The area in front of him was covered in ants that were over a foot long and there appeared to be millions of them. They extended to the left and right as far as he could see and they were moving over the ground and bunching up in front of him. The stack of ants grew to more than ten feet off the ground and appeared to be growing. The stack grew in both directions as millions of ants came rushing forward. Cinny arrived beside Grant and said, “Oh my God!”
    Grant looked at the ants and said, “Does this mean I can go no further?”
    Cinny looked at Grant, “What are you doing?”
    Grant stared at the growing wall of ants and said, “These creatures also lived on Earth. How did they get here?” Suddenly, the wall collapsed and a corridor appeared through their ranks. Grant looked at Cinny, “I guess we’re going to find out.” The corridor cleared in front of them as the huge army scrambled out of their path. Suddenly, more than a thousand of them moved into the center of the cleared path and seemed to move into some kind of formation. Grant stared at it and in a moment it resolved into a giant arrow pointing into the forest ahead of them. Grant shook his head and yelled, “May I bring my two friends with me?”
    Slick said to Iggy, “He’s crazy if he thinks I’m going out there.”
    The ants began moving and the corridor widened more than thirty yards on each side. Grant looked at Iggy, “Come on. We can ride you where they want us to go.”
    “This is crazy. They could close in on us and we’d be dead in less time than you can imagine.”
    “Not really, Iggy. Your hide is too tough for them to bite through.” Grant pressed his left index finger under his right ear and said, “Ana, could you cover us in a force field if they move in on us?”
    “Yes.”
    “How long would it take for you to do it?”
    “Less than a second.”
    “Keep us on your scanners and cover us if they make an aggressive move.”
    “Scanners are locked on you.”
    Grant looked at Iggy, “Well?” Iggy walked forward and extended a leg lifting Grant and Cinny to his back. He looked over his shoulder at Slick and said, “Come on you big baby!”
    Slick was going up and down on his legs so fast he appeared to be a blur. He turned two circles and then ran forward and leaped on the middle of Iggy’s broad back, “I know I’m going to regret this.”
    Iggy said, “What now?”
    Grant looked at the huge