Chapter 13
"I saw a pale horse and a pale rider upon it. The name of the horse was pestilence. The name of the rider was death."—Gary Sinise as Stuart Redman quoting a reference to Revelation 6:8 from the TV mini-series "The Stand"
Two hands reached out from the bars. Larry's hand met Ralph's. They heard the gun shots. How couldn't they? The prison was virtually empty so the shots bounced off the walls in an eerie echo. They held hands as they recited The Lord's Prayer. Glen was dead and they knew it, which meant that their time was short.
Tom made his way out of Nevada and it was easier for him to move around during the day. He had a hard time shaking the image of Darien in that cage, the noise the crowd was making and the way they seemed to party. "Why do grown ups have to act so stupid?" He asked out loud as he sent a rock sailing through the air when he kicked it.
By morning Darien was close to the middle of New Mexico when the bike he was riding ran out of gas. His head still hurt from the fight with Hobbes yesterday, "Bet Robert isn't hurting," he said with a chuckle. Darien got off the bike and started to walk. No sense in waiting for road side service. He'll find another bike or car and he'll be on his way again. The problem was he was hungry, thirsty and tired. But he felt like he was being pushed along, the voice in his head kept him going.
Darien walked for miles. He didn't know how far he had walked in the gleaming hot sun. The sweat on his brow mixed with the dry blood gave the impression that he was sweating blood, his white shirt now a grayish color with streaks of red on it. The sun was behind him now.
I didn't come to ask you to stay all night
Or to find out if you've seen the light
I didn't come to make a fuss or pick a fight
I just want you to tell me if you think you can
Baby, can you dig your man?
Dig him, baby---
Baby, can you dig your man?
Darien sang as he walked unsteadily along the side of the road. "'Didn't come to make a fuss or pick a fight'…yeah, sure. How wrong you are you, my friend." Darien laughed and he nearly lost his balance.
"Oopsie, almost fell down. If you wanted me to walk a hundred miles you could have at least sent me some food and water…you horny-head red eyed freak!" Darien yelled into the darkening sky. The early evening stars were twinkling at Darien, he glared back with his own haunting red eyes, "Stop laughing at me!" Darien pushed his tired body on and sang.
Hey baby I came down here tonight
And I didn't come to get into no fight
I just want you to say if you can
Tell me once and I'll understand
Baby, can you dig your man?
He's a righteous man,
Baby, can you dig your man?
"Wonder bread, get your pale ass up," A voice called into Larry's cell.
Larry looked between the bars and saw a grinning black man staring back at him. Behind him were Dorgan and a few other men. "What is it, I'm busy?"
"Real funny," Rat-Man continued, "It's the end for you and your friend."
"Oh, okay," Larry got up from the bunk and walked towards the cell door.
The door opened and Larry walked out. Ralph stood there looking at Larry and then turned his attention to Dorgan, "Who was shot yesterday?"
"Glen Bateman was killed," Dorgan said, "Trying to escape."
"Trying to escape?" Larry laughed and held out his wrists, no sense in trying to resist. Dorgan put the cuffs on. Larry looked at the black man, "You know Ratty, one of these days you're going to be shot trying to escape too."
"One less Rat-Man in the world," Ralph mused.
Rat-Man raised his rifle to hit Ralph with it. Dorgan stopped him, "You're going to be an ass again?" Dorgan looked intently into the black man's eyes, "Flagg knows that you hit Fawkes, don't make the same mistake again."
Larry and Ralph looked at each other in confusion, "Wait, you mean Darien Fawkes?" Larry asked with a hint of confusion in his tone.
"Yeah, that's right we caught the invisible man the other day, he and his fool friend. Thought they could get by when the Rat-Man is on the scene." Ratty said. "I even have the skin off that leopard," Ratty showed off the black leather jacket.
Ralph and Larry recognized it, "Where are they?" Ralph asked.
"That's no concern of yours," Dorgan said. "You should be concerned about what's going to happen to you two."
"Hey, did you say invisible man?" Larry asked.
Rat-Man smiled, "He kept it a secret," He paused, "Man, the things I would do if I could turn invisible, rob banks, and sneak peeks at naked women." The other men laughed and high-fived Rat-Man.
"Looks like the government was working on something other than the flu," Ralph said.
"Yeah, no wonder Tom could never find him," Larry chuckled at the thought.
Larry knew that Darien didn't do that to be mean to Tom, just trying to make Tom forget about the situation. Tom loved it; he was so determined to find Darien that the games made his day. Larry had never seen Tom so happy as when they played hide and seek. Darien must have known how excited Tom was when he took time from his day to play. Nick and Darien had become Tom's big brothers and Larry felt suddenly sad for Tom.
Stu dreamt of the old black woman again. This time she was telling him to get up and watch, to witness something and bring back the news. When he woke he had no idea what the dream meant but he knew he had to get up that slope, somehow.
Stu struggled, he was terribly sick and weak. Kojak could only stand by wagging his tail wondering what the human was up to. Stu crawled to the edge of the slope and looked up. It seemed higher from his position on the ground. "God, help me," Stu quickly prayed and started his ascent up what appeared to him to be a mountain.
Stu tried his best to get his footing. At one point he went another two inches and slipped back down five inches. He nearly gave up halfway up when Mother Abigail's words rang out in his head, "Move, East Texas!"
"I can't," Stu panted. He looked down at Kojak, "I'm stuck." Kojak scampered up the slope and stopped next to Stu. Pebbles were falling to the ground below. Stu reached out and grabbed Kojak's collar. "Okay, boy, go on," Stu commanded and Kojak's big paws dug into the dirt.
Stu's hand reached over the ledge and he let go of Kojak, "Almost there." Kojak was barking support, his tail wagging so hard Stu thought it might fall off. He was almost over the edge when a huge hand grabbed his. Stu looked up.
"Stu!" Tom grabbed Stu's other hand and pulled him up.
Stu looked up, 'Is that Tom?' he thought to himself. "Are you Tom?"
"Laws yes, Stu. M-O-O-N that spells Tom Cullen!"
"Tom," was all Stu could manage before he passed out.
Larry and Ralph were placed in a prisoner transport van. "You think they're going to crucify us?" Ralph asked.
"Or something like that," Larry said. He turned to Dorgan, "What happened to Darien and Hobbes? Did you crucify them too?"
"I imagine they were," Dorgan said uncertain of their fate.
Larry smiled, "Aren't you the security chief? You should know what happens to your prisoners."
"Oh they're dead alright, just like you two fools will be." Rat-Man said with his gun pointed at Larry and Ralph. "But you two have something special waitin' for you," he smiled as he leaned back up against the side of the van.
"You're lying," Ralph said, "They got away and you're too embarrassed to admit it. Looks like you couldn't keep the invisible man after all."
"They're scared, Ralph, can you feel it. It's almost over for them now." Larry said. He did sense it and so did Ralph. Somehow, their deaths would bring about the end of Flagg.
Rat-Man stood up, "You shut yo mouths, don't give me that white voodoo talk!"
"This has nothing to do with voodoo, Ratty." Larry noted. "You're looking awfully pale now Ratty."
"Are you scared, Larry?" Ralph whispered.
"Yeah, I am. How about you?"
"I hate pain, didn't like going to the doctor when I was younger and still don't," Ralph mused.
"Well, whatever they're going to do to us, they are going to make a big show of it. Guess Flagg wants to prove he's the head honcho around here. Is that why we came out here?"
"I don't know, but it won't be for nothing," Ralph commented dolefully. They both sat in silence as the van made its way to the center of the city.
Stu woke up and saw the stars in the sky. He looked around and wondered if he had dreamt that someone found him.
"Stu! You woke up!" Tom's voice was loud.
Stu turned his head in the direction of the voice and smiled, "Guess I wasn't dreaming."
"You hurt your leg. I hurt my leg one time, jumped off a haystack. It hurt real bad, I broke it too. My daddy whipped me hard, laws yes. But that was before he ran off with Miss Packalotte."
Stu looked at the young man sitting next to him. Tom had grown a beard, hardly the boy that left Boulder. Tom did real well as a spy. "I broke my leg too, Tom. You wouldn't happen to have any water with ya?"
"Water…laws yes, all kinds of water, M-O-O-N that spells water." Tom handed Stu a water bottle. "I need to get you somewhere, like under a tent or something."
"No Tom, we have to stay here. Something is gonna happen and we need to see it." Stu coughed hard.
"Oh Stu, you're sick too. That's not good."
"How'd you find me Tom?"
"Nick told me in a dream. Laws yes, Nick can talk isn't that the limit? He told me to come back this way. He tells me where to go and what to do. But when I try to talk to him he disappears. Is Nick okay?" Tom asked.
"Not now, Tom. I can't talk about that," Stu said.
"And what about Darien? I saw him in Las Vegas, I think the dark man crucified him." Tom looked down at the ground, "Hobbes was there too."
"I don't know, Tom, I don't know." Stu watched the sky. He didn't know what he was looking for, but he figured he would know when he saw it.
"A is for apples. B is for bacon. C is for cheeseburgers. D is for donuts. E is for éclairs. F is for fried chicken. G is for grapes…" Darien continued his long trek. There were no vehicles of any kind in sight. He was not only tired, hungry, thirsty, delirious, but he was cold and in stage 4 madness.
Darien looked up the night time sky. There wasn't a cloud in sight. The night air was cool and the wind called to him to continue. "Yeah, yeah, I hear you. But can you at least ask Flagg to send me Golda or something," Darien chuckled.
Darien heard the Official's voice in his head, "This was never about you."
"You were going to kill me you fat bastard! Now look, huh? Who has the last laugh now?" Darien held out his arms, "Do you hear me? I'm still walking and you…you are nothing!" Darien said with venom in his voice. "Well, it's about me now and I'll get my revenge…oh yeah, all those damn needles…I've got something sweet for little Miss Keepy and it ain't a needle. Woohooo! It's party time!"
The van came to a stop and the doors flew open. There was roar from the crowd as Larry and Ralph were pushed out of the van. People pushed forward trying to get a good look at the new spies. Five spies caught in a week was cause for celebration. The crowd didn't seem to mind that only two were going to be executed in public.
Julie Lawry came up to Larry and grabbed his face, "Hey, aren't you famous?" She spit in his face, "Now I'm famous too."
Larry and Ralph were pushed towards a giant stage. There were two large horseshoe shaped apparatus on either side of the stage. There were two steal beams in the center of each horseshoe that resembled a cross. Larry's wrists were cuffed and his ankles in like manner. An executioner adjusted the chains and Larry's arms and legs were stretched out. Ralph received the same treatment. "Isn't a horseshoe supposed to mean good luck?" Larry asked looking at Ralph.
"I don't feel very lucky. They're going to pull us apart, Larry."
Larry yelled at Dorgan, "Did they teach you this at Santa Monica PD?" Larry looked out at the crowd, "Remember what you see here today. It could be your turn next."
There was a murmur in the crowd then a loud cheer as Randall Flagg appeared center stage. He was still wearing his blue jeans, his jacket and his rundown cowboy boots. His smile was charming as usual. He walked down the steps and stood between the two men. "Lloyd," he called out and was handed a scroll. Flagg stood at the microphone and read off the charges including the false charge that they were responsible for the explosion at the airfield that killed all the pilots.
The sentence for the spies was death by dismemberment and the crowd erupted in large cheers. Flagg excused those with small children.
A man jumped on the stage and started yelling, "Hey you people!" Whitney cried out, "This isn't right, this isn't how Americans act!" Whitney had been one of the men that left under the cover of night, but he had come back in hopes of stopping Flagg. "We have to stop this!"
"Whitney, you should have stayed quiet." The hauntingly calm voice said.
Whitney slowly turned around and faced Flagg, "You're not a man you're the…the…devil."
Flagg smiled, "I would have let you go, Whitney. I don't need a sniffling coward like you." Flagg raised his finger and small ball of blue light radiated from it. There was a soft sigh from the crowd as the fire ball grew bigger. The ball engulfed Whitney sealing his mouth shut and he fell to the ground.
"Anyone else that doesn't agree with this sentence speak now or forever hold your peace," Flagg looked around and no one moved. "Didn't think so," he looked at the two executioners and motioned for them to continue.
The chains were pulled tighter on Ralph and Larry. They both groaned at the tension in their shoulders and hips. But as soon as it started it ended. Larry opened his eyes to see the crowd parting, "Ralph, you see that?"
"Who is that?" Ralph asked.
"What is that is more like it," Larry commented.
A man riding on an ATV was making his way through the murmuring crowd. His face was in hideous disarray. Most of his teeth were gone. There was no hair on top of his head and his skin looked as if it had been melting like butter in the hot sun. When he removed his goggles it peeled away from his skin like it had been glued on. His whole body reeked of radiation sickness.
Fear spread across Flagg's face as he took in the sight before him. He grabbed Lloyd, "Get him out of here," he commanded.
"My life for you…I brought you the big one!" Trashcan Man said with a raspy voice.
Lloyd made his way down the stage and approached Trash, "What you got there Trash?"
"Is that you Lloyd? I can't see very well," Trash said looking around.
"Yeah, it's me, Trash…what is that?" Lloyd deep down inside knew what it was.
"It's the big one…the A-bomb," Trash started to laugh.
Julie Lawry placed her hands to her face and screamed, "He's got a BOMB!!!!" She ran and tripped over Whitney, she died instantly.
"Trash, get it out of here!" Lloyd yelled.
"Make him take it away!" Flagg said. He became concerned and his features changed.
The blue fire ball floated into the air from where Whitney and Julie lay. Everyone gasped. Flagg stood there watching almost hypnotized by the sight. "Larry look! It's the hand of God!" Ralph's face turned from fear to joy and his eyes sparkled like the stars in the sky.
"Amazing Grace," Larry looked up at the giant hand that formed from the ball of fire. They watched as it gripped the bomb.
Flagg was breathing hard, "Noooo!!!"
There was a voice in the sky, "The promise has been kept as God has willed it. Amen." Larry and Ralph recognized the voice as Mother Abigail.
The hand sent an electrical charge through the bomb. Both Larry and Ralph were smiling. "You done good boys, come on home," Mother Abigail announced.
Larry looked up, "Take us home, Mother."
Flagg turned into a crow just as the bomb exploded.
Stu and Tom looked west and saw the night time sky light up. To Tom it looked like the sun was rising in the west instead of the east. They both looked at each other. "It's the end of Randall Flagg," Stu announced.
"What about, Larry, Glen, Ralph, Darien and Hobbes?" Tom asked.
Stu could only shake his head. Tom cried.
Darien stopped when he saw his shadow and he turned around quickly. A huge fireball lit up the sky, "Whoa…what was…" Darien's hand grabbed the back of his neck as he stumbled across the road. He lost his balance and fell to his knees, he squeezed his eyes shut and fell over backwards. Darien slipped into unconsciousness.
TBC...