The Red Phoenix 12: Strength Comes in Numbers (51 page)

The clones watched the worms crawl along the top of the branch, side, under it and then back on top, slinking over to another branch of a neighboring tree.

“Caterpillars?” asked Five.

“Get them, Five,” One stated. “We could use their fluids.”

Five climbed a tree, shook a branch, causing the three plump worms to hit the ground with soft thuds.

“Worms up,” said Five. “Dinner is served.”

Four, Three and Six heard a rustling in some bushes nearby behind them.

“What was that?” asked Four, aiming his weapon at the group of bushes.

Three and Six crept to the rear of the bushes, still hearing something fidget under the plants. Six moved the tops of the plants to the left, using his rifle muzzle to see what was making the strange twitching, crackling sounds.

Suddenly, five oversized mutated insects raised their faces to look at Six, hissing at him with their bulgy black eyes, flat noses and sharp teeth.

“Ah!” said Six, backing away, startled.

The beetles rushed out of the bottom of the bush, scrambling in all directions around the clones.

“Got one!” Six yelled, squashing a beetle that tried to run between his legs.

Four and Three swatted one each with the stock of his rifle, knocking them hard against a tree and the sides of boulders, killing them.

“One of them is getting away!” said Six.

“I got it,” One replied, rushing to position on top of a boulder, firing his assault rifle.

The bullet flew through crisscrossing tree branches, some hanging vines, and a bush before it struck the backside of the insect’s oversized shell, kicking it into the air then onto its backside.

“Got em,” said One, leaping down.

“Nice shot,” said Five, moving towards Six who was holding the shoebox sized insect from its shell.

“What on Earth are going to do with these creatures?” asked Six. “They’re hideous.”

“Uh, beetle soup anyone?” One responded.

***

The sun was almost down. Chris and Siddoway lay on the ground, napping. Chris’ infection was getting worse. He squirmed where he lay, trying to cope with his fever. Siddoway lay asleep. Twelve, Kerry and the other clones relaxed, sitting on boulders and thick branches, waiting for Kirk One and the pack to return.

Siddoway opened his eyes like he had been asleep for three days, still feeling his heat exhaustion cause his mind to throb, gazing at the tree tops of tangled, thorny branches above. He heard whispers from the blue phantasma echo through the vines and the trees.

“What?” he gasped, rolling on to his stomach, searching in all directions, looking past Kerry, Twelve and the other clones.

The whispers sounded off again in a faint tone like they were taunting him. Siddoway struggled to climb up to his knees, determined.

“I hear you,” he said in a whispery voice. “I hear you.”

He staggered to a standing position, still searching for the apparition through the jungle.

“Are you feeling better?” asked Kerry, noticing him.

Siddoway ignored her as he looked through the trees, turning around, frantic.

“I hear you!” Siddoway shouted, panting.

Twelve took off his binocular pouch and hid it under a pile of body armor, keeping his eyes on Siddoway. He wasn’t about to expose the apparition to him, knowing of his horrible obsession.

“Who do you hear?” asked Kerry, trying to calm him down.

“It’s here, among us!” Siddoway said in a loud voice. “Taunting me with its call.”

“What is?” asked Kirk Seven.

“The apparition,” Siddoway answered. “I must have it back!”

“There is no apparition here,” Kirk Eight stated.

“Just calm down, Alex,” Twelve said, moving closer to the group.

Siddoway glared at the clones, resenting them for thinking he was crazy.

“Dr. Siddoway? You’ve suffered from heat exhaustion,” said Kerry. “It’s possible you’re having auditory hallucina—”

“Oh, shut up! Don’t speak to me like I’m an insane fool,” Siddoway stated in a harsh tone.

“Alex? You need to lie back down and rest,” said Twelve.

“Are you hiding it?” Siddoway shouted in Kerry’s face, grabbing her by her shirt, pulling her face-to-face.

Kerry cringed, trying to push away from him.

“Let her go, Alex!” yelled Twelve.

“Are you hiding it from me?” Siddoway growled.

“Take your hands off her!” yelled Kirk Nine, striking Siddoway on the back of the neck, knocking him down.

Siddoway rolled on the ground, beaten, trying to pick himself up, but collapsed face-down in the dirt.

“Guys?” Chris asked, sounding delirious, rolling to his side, panting, looking stoned from his fever. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing,” said Kerry, hurrying back to him. “Lie back down and rest, Chris.”

Twelve, Eight and Nine carried Siddoway back to his resting spot. Any aggression Siddoway had was knocked out of him by the stock of Nine’s assault rifle.

“What’s going on with Alex?” asked Chris in a faint voice.

“Nothing,” Kerry replied.

“I thought I heard yelling,” he stated in a whispery tone.

“It was just a misunderstanding,” Kerry answered.

Chris rolled onto his side and went asleep.

***

Night had come. The beautiful colors returned to the jungle. Kirk One and his group returned and started a campfire, using tree branches. The clones had skinned the mantises, and suspended their meat over the flames.

Chris’ head lay in Kerry’s lap as she rubbed his forehead with her soft touch, comforting him. He quivered and moaned in a faint voice.

Siddoway sat up, glaring at Kirk One and the others as they dragged in the carcasses of the mantises.
One of them has the apparition and they’re keeping it from me. I know it. It’s mine. The phantasma and I are one. I need it to save us and to get us out of here but somebody is hiding it from me. Damn him for hiding it from me! They will regret the day they kept from me my power. I found it. It’s mine! It’s all mine!
he thought.

Kirks One and Three cut open one of the worms and squeezed its fluids into an upside down beetle’s shell.

“How is he?” asked One, walking up to Kerry and Chris, holding the shell like it was a bowl.

“His infection is getting worse,” Kerry replied. “He needs medical assistance and fast.”

“There are still at least eight miles of jungle,” Kirk replied. “The soldiers will be here in the morning. It will slow us down if he we have to carry Father.”

“What do you have in that
shell
?” she asked.

“Here, this isn’t much but help me pour some into his mouth,” said One, placing the shell-bowl to Chris’ lips, tipping it.

Kerry held the sides of his head as the fluid drizzled onto his tongue.

“Ah!” he blurted, swallowing the fluids.

“What the hell was that?” asked Chris. “Ugh.”

“You don’t want to know but it’s fluid and it can help hydrate you,” One responded.

“Four and Six, will you help Siddoway with the other serving of juice?” One asked.

“Juice? If that’s what you want to call it, then sure,” Six replied, carrying another shell with worm fluid towards Siddoway.

Siddoway gave Six an evil stare like he hated everyone.

“Here you go, doc,” stated Six. “Open wide.”

Siddoway knocked the shell out of his hands, spilling the fluid on the ground.

“Hey, what was that for?” asked Six, angry.

“Get that freak jungle-bug juice away from me,” Siddoway growled.

Kerry and the clones tuned their heads, shocked at his behavior.

“We’re just trying to help you out, doc,” said Six.

“You want to help me? Show me where you’re keeping the apparition,” Siddoway stated in a hard tone.

“I think you need to chill out and get the
phantasma
thing out of your head, doc,” said Kirk One, moving closer. “I heard father talk to you about it. It’s clearly poisoned you.”

“Who do you think you are?” asked Siddoway, standing face-to face with Kirk One. “You think you’re some kind of team leader out here, running the show with your combat knife and rifle, giving orders?”

“I was next in command, during our training,” One answered. “The responsibility is mine and I accept it.”

“Your training? What a joke,” Siddoway stated. “Chris isn’t even military personnel or legally qualified to train anybody. It was just a cheap financial stunt that Sanders,
your creator
, pulled with the Secret Service and let Chris in on it.

“Why don’t you lower your voice, Siddoway?” asked One.

“Chris came to me to be my second lab assistant first because he couldn’t find a job anywhere,” Siddoway continued.

“Well, we’re here now and no one cares, okay?” One stated.

“He’s nothing but a recovering alcoholic with a freak show on the side,” said Siddoway.

“Be careful of your words, Dr. Siddoway,” said One. “We may be clones but that doesn’t mean we have to be nice.”

“You threatening me?” asked Siddoway.

“Are you giving me a reason?” One asked.

“Look at you with your pretended sense of humanity,” Siddoway stated. “Without the borrowed memories of Chris’
dead
family, you’d all be nothing but laboratory products on a shelf, deep underground. By the way, Chris Michaels lying on the ground over there is not your father. You’re not even human!”

“That’s it!” yelled Kirk One, charging him.

Three, Six, Four and Seven held Kirk One back from tearing Siddoway apart as he struggled to break free from their grasps.

“Blow it off, One,” said Six.

“He’s not worth it,” Three added, glaring.

“It’s not what Chris would want, One,” Seven stated.

“Well, my hat’s off to Sanders,” said Siddoway, backing away. “At least you
artificial
intelligences are able to experience petty emotion.”

“Why don’t you take a walk, Siddoway?” said Eight, gripping his weapon.

Siddoway hissed, throwing his hand down at them as he headed into the dark trees. The clones released One, who got a hold of himself. He paced around, hands at his sides, trying to calm his anger.