Frantic Read Free

passengers,” Judd told Sam. “If you see locusts, don’t open the door. We can’t let those things in here.”
    â€œMan, we’re fighting a losing battle,” Lionel said, grabbing fire extinguishers and following Judd. They blasted several locusts that had flown in while Judd was gone.
    â€œStand there,” Judd said, “and when I knock on the door, blast your extinguisher around the hole. If I’m right, those things will head straight for these people.”
    Judd rammed his extinguisher into the plane door twice. It opened a few seconds later as Judd and Lionel sprayed around the opening.
    â€œGo! Go!” the pilot screamed.
    A dozen people darted through the spray, whimpering and screaming. “Keep running!” Judd yelled. When the final person was through, Judd rammed the door closed and ran backward, calling Lionel to follow. They sprayed the extinguishers in the air, hoping no locusts would follow.
    The group reached the terminal and collapsed on chairs, coughing and sputtering.
    â€œSo far so good,” Lionel said. “Let’s get the next group.”
    Judd went through the same routine, but this time more than a dozen streamed out of the plane. People shoved through, ignoring the pilot’s instructions.
    Lionel’s extinguisher emptied first. As he reached for another, a wave of locusts poured through the opening between the plane and the jetway. A few flew into the plane. Passengers screamed and ran toward the back, scrambling to get away.
    Judd backed up, his extinguisher pointed toward the ceiling. He ran past the last few people scrambling toward the terminal door. “Close it now!” Judd yelled to Sam.
    When the last person was through, Sam slammed the door shut. Judd and Lionel raced down the jetway and found the plane door open. Judd rushed in first. What he saw would stay with him the rest of his life. People lay on top of each other in the aisle, writhing in pain. Locusts flew at people’s heads and arms as they flailed to keep the beasts away. One woman toward the back knocked a demon away with her purse, only to have another fly at her from behind and sting her neck.
    Judd opened the cockpit door and found the flight crew slumped over and moaning. The normally calm and collected flight attendant was hysterical. She had been stung on the arm and pushed through the sea of bodies screaming for the first-aid kit.
    â€œWhat do we do now?” Lionel said.
    Judd shook his head.

    Vicki ignored the pain in her hand and helped Shelly and Darrion plug the hole by the door. Lenore and Tolan huddled in the corner.
    Vicki took the piece of wood and the baby’s blanket and opened the door to the room above them. The locusts clicked and buzzed around. Melinda sat on the floor in the middle of the room, and Charlie cowered in the corner. Vicki stunned the three locusts and wrapped them in the blanket. She called for Conrad. “I’m holding three trapped demons. Can you open the door?”
    The locusts inside the blanket were awake now and trying frantically to bite through. Finally, Conrad opened the door, grabbed the bundle, and threw it in the next room.
    â€œThanks,” Vicki said. “Get a couple of beds ready.”
    â€œWhat happened to your hand?” Conrad said.
    Vicki waved him off. She closed the door and ran back downstairs. She rolled Melinda over and found she had been stung on the leg. Vicki tried to make her comfortable, then moved to Charlie.
    Charlie scooted back into the shadows when Vicki came close. “Are those things coming after me again?”
    â€œIt’s OK,” Vicki said. “They’re gone now.”
    Charlie looked around the room. He still didn’t have the mark of the believer, but he wasn’t in pain either. “I’m sorry about opening the door,” he said, “honest. I just wanted to see what was happening. Before I knew it the three of them flew in, and I