Heart of Darkness, Ruby Tuesday, Book 2.

Ruby Tuesday Chapter 9 - Forces of Nature.

We turned into the street that would take us by the Superdome and onto the Ponchetrain Expressway, we would then take the next exit onto the Atchafalaya Swamp ExpressWay, from there Baton Rouge was less than an hour and a half away. From there we would pass by Houma and Hammond, then I would be home. Pierre Part, I was beginning to feel the tug of desperation, for home. Was my family okay? Grandma Jeannie? My parents, my brothers. Uncle T-Bear and JayPaul? Our neighbors? But for now we had more immediate problems.

Ruby was creeping through the rising waters, all of us were on guard, Bascoe had a steady rumble issuing from his chest. Salina was stock stiff, and Jake had his shot gun across his knees. We were maybe three quarters of the way passed the Dome when we saw him. A figure in a long black standard issue bad guy's coat, sloshing across the submerged car park of the dome making for the road he was waving at us.

"Like hell my friend!" Said Ruby.

"That him Sal?" I asked, Salina was green and holding her head. She nodded.

"Yes, the same energy, toxic, malevolent!" She gasped.

The guy ran onto the road, pushing his hood back to show us he was uninfected, revealed was a bald head, nerd glasses and a Rasputin beard. Standard issued mad scientist.

"I should have known!," Jake exclaimed, squinting through the hammering rain. "That's Dr Walchen."

"As in Christopher?" I asked.

"As in Raiffe!" Jake replied.

"We were introduced to him once when dad and I went to spend the Fourth of July with Carter. I must have been about ten at the time. Guy gave me a serious case of the creeps back then. Dad was always telling me stories about him from Carter. He was always wondering whether or not to fire him. He was brilliant but Carter was worried about his sanity. Looks like he had reason to be!"

"Hang on kiddies!" Yelled Ruby. She floored the excellerator and sent water flying up from the wheels like wings.

We sped passed the figure in the road, who jumped back in surprise. Jake, Salina and I looked back to find him jumping up and down in the road.

"Shit!" Squealed Ruby from the driver's seat, as she slammed on the breaks.

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Walchen jumped down the fire stairs two at a time and raced toward the parking lot. The ATV was moving slowly throughout the rising water. It was equipped with a snorkel, but caution was still required in case of submerged objects that could undermine the undercarriage or bust the tyres.

The ATV was almost past when Walchen threw himself out of the car park and staggered onto the road. He pushed back the hood of the long black rain coat he was wearing to show the people in the truck he was not infected. Instead of slowing down the big vehicle gathered speed, and rushed by, soaking him even more with the wake from the tyres. Before jumping back out of the way, he saw who was driving the car. Two women sat in the driver and passenger seats, two women with pale skin and long red hair.

It was them! That meant the two goofy boys were riding in back.

Storm or no storm, Walchen wanted the women. His dream about them had been prophetic, here was his cure, here was his destiny. If he could take out the boys, the women would be a sinch!

He raised one side of his coat and withdrew a double barrel shot gun. Trying to line up,the shot before they got too far away. They were moving at a good clip despite the flood water on either side.

As he took aim the bitch driving the ATV obliged him by suddenly coming to a screeching slide inducing halt in the middle of the road.

What happened next almost defied belief.