Doomsday Man Ch. 01: Primal Scream

She cringes at the idea of being inside an atom bomb on a chassis, "Really?"

He nods with a sly grin, "Wring out your panties Sister, it's safer than it sounds. Just don't touch anything. Weapon loaded rig. Stay here and I'll be back with Momma Superior. We can give her a proper burial once the Doc's back at Fort Apache do an autopsy."

She shivers, "What about Father Timmons? Should he not get a proper burial as well?"

Hector points to the steps to note four rats devouring the Priest. She whimpers, "Dearest God!" Hector in turn nods respectfully and pats her leg.

"Let's just hope these bastards didn't raid the refrigerator." She nearly puked at the thoughts of all of the decay and bloodshed.

"Please hurry."

Flipping a switch to his left offered a low hum coming from behind the truck. When the noise stopped she felt the trucks weight ratio bounce twice. Her eyes marveled at the feel when Hector opened his door reminding her again, "Don't touch!" She thought the same of his hand on her leg but kept it to herself. He did rescue her.

Mary Valentine in turn shakes her head in understanding his worry, he not knowing her. Hopping down Hector stepped toward the staircase when she noticed two large White Tigers with extraordinary bones protruding through the outer fur like uniformly aligned spikes join him, both snarling and scanning the grounds for movement. She starts to panic and hit the horn when he turns to crouch and pet both cats on the head. She could tell how much they loved him, obviously his pets. With a wave at her to relax he stands up and moves back up the stairs.

The rats over Father Timmons corpse squealed and darted away at the roar of the male tiger. Hector stopped to look at Father Timmons then reached down to drag the remains of his carcass inside. "Harriet guard the door. Ozzie follow me." The female tiger stops at the threshold and turns to face outward sitting down as if intimidating the world. She was definitely beautiful and well poised. Queen Harriet, regal in every way!

Inside the Church Hector drags Father Timmons to the altar and abandons him back into the baptismal sealing the floor panel over him. "Best I can offer, Father. God be with you." Brushing off hairs Hector then scans about to find the kitchen which was located in the basement area. Spotting the stairwell down from the east side he heads down into the gloom.

The upside down fridge found he hurries to it and rolls it over. Opening the door inside he found the decayed remains of Mother Superior. Wincing at the odor and waving it away he reaches in and lifts her beneath cradled arms then moves her to a covered table. Wrapping her in a tablecloth then rewrapping her with yet another, he goes about using ripped electrical cords and blind strings to tie her up tightly to Ozzie's back. His bone spines were useful to hold her in place.

"Truck bed. Go!"

The tiger swiftly moved out and up the stairs to join his sister Harriet at the door then bypasses her to walk to the truck. Sister Valentine on her knees in the drivers seat watched the cat walk by, then felt him leaping up into the bed. Harriet remained vigil at the doorway.

Hector turned the dials up on a gas stove and let the smell reach the basement before scaling the staircase. At the top of the stairs he reached behind him to a belt pouch recovering a road flare. Tossing it down into the basement he shuts the door and moves quickly through the Church. Reaching Harriet he motions for her to join Ozzie in the truck bed. He no sooner than reached the bottom step of the Church he heard a loud roar. The Church ignited as basement windows shattered outward in flames. The Church would honor it's dead. Termites included!

Moving to the truck bed he heard screeches as Termites the size of fists scurried out embracing the daylight in herds. Quickly, he orders the tigers to lay down as a remote button he carried on his choker sealed the canopy over them. Jogging swiftly he opens the truck door and rejoins Sister Valentine.

Reaching a worried hand over to touch his on the steering wheel she shared an expression of gratitude, "Bless you! Father Timmons deserved a proper goodbye. Even if cremation is not how it should be."

Hector smiles discreetly at her hand which shocked even her. "I'm sorry if I overstepped any boundary." He winks at her, "No line is worth keeping a soft soul away. Let's go home."

"Home? That sounds delightful wherever that is. Please tell me there's running water. I feel so very barbaric." He hadn't noticed her stench until then, "Soap even." She blushes in complete embarrassment, "It's been difficult the last year. Running water has become obsolete out here unless it rains."

He smirks, "At least the gas still flows. Bottled up in the lines I'm sure. Enough to cremate the good Father." He turns RAMROD to leave when he just as swiftly halts his brakes to stare down the street at an oncoming mob. "BNEG's!" He recites as she chokes up, hand over her mouth in terror.

"Hundreds of them. What do we do?"

He shrugs, "Run them over."

Flooring the gas pedal he roars over the terrain at the speed of sixty miles an hour smashing over them like roadkill. Some of the BNEG's manage to hold on and crawl up the front grill on to the hood as Hector rolls his eyes, "Hey! No hitchhiker's!" Another trigger switch sends voltage through the outer shell of RAMROD, the interior including the bed insulated from the voltage. Defying pain the BNEG's merely sizzle and burn away until their limbs fail and they fall away. In moment's the road was clear again.

"Ashes to ashes! Dust to dust!"

Sister Valentine felt very comforted by this man. He knew how to beat the odds. The long ride to her home required a nap! Hector serenaded her with a hum of Bringing in the Sheep! She didn't even need to count them.

"Rest well Sis!"

He truly hoped Ozzie and Harriet wouldn't eat the Mother Superior.

That would be bad!