Debbie woke up as he was situating PJ. “Is it time to get up already baby?” she asked.
“Yeah first team goes out at 10a.m. then one team each hour after that. Wake the girls, it’s going to be a busy couple of days,” Bruce told her as he went to the door. When he reached the door, he turned and saw Debbie waking the girls. After three plus decades with her, Bruce was still struck by her beauty as he just watched her.
Feeling eyes on her, Debbie turned to the door and saw Bruce staring at her. “What? I’m getting them up,” she told him.
“Just looking at the most beautiful girl in the world baby,” Bruce told her.
Debbie laughed, “I don’t feel beautiful right now. I think I have fur on my teeth, PJ spit up on me and one of the twins peed on my side of the bed.”
“You’re always beautiful sugar mama,” Bruce told her walking back to kiss her as she put her hand on his chest.
“The rules haven’t changed, no kisses until I brush my teeth. Thank you stud muffin,” Debbie told him as she kissed his cheek and PJ on the head. She turned back to the bed and not seeing anyone moving she yanked the covers off the bed. This woke everyone up, maybe not in a good mood, but they were up.
“I love you sugar mama,” Bruce told her as he turned to leave which she replied, “I love you to stud muffin.”
Bruce walked down stairs waking up PJ in the process. When Bruce walked into the kitchen PJ told everyone he did not like to be woken up, he liked to wake others up. Bruce ran for a bottle to shove in his mouth to stop the crying. Bruce sat his rifle and pack down which took a lot of coordination holding PJ.
Sitting down at the table, Bruce pulled out his notepad and started going over notes. Mike, Nancy, Debbie and he were the team leaders. Bruce put at least two experienced people with each team leader except his team and one inexperienced person. He would have Stephanie and Buffy as his experienced team. Maria and Mindy were his inexperienced team members. Bruce had been told by Danny that Mindy was the best of those training and was ready to go out. He knew Maria was ready. Bruce did not notice everyone else sitting down for breakfast. Nor did he notice Paul standing beside the table looking at him. Mike coughed to get Bruce’s attention. Hearing the fake cough, Bruce looked up at Mike then noticed Paul.
“Something on your mind Paul?” Bruce inquired.
“Why am I not on a team?” Paul asked looking at Bruce.
“I have to leave someone here that can run the farm and protect it. The garden needs to be tilled for the fall crops. If something happens to us, you’re in charge here. After the Strykers leave we will have no other back up. You’re to seal the gate and ride out the storm. You can turn over responsibilities to Jake and Matt when you feel they’re old enough to take them,” Bruce told him in a flat voice.
Shocked to the core, Paul just looked at Bruce with his mouth open for several seconds before speaking. “I really don’t want that kind of responsibility. Why not let me take one of the wives places,” Paul asked.
“You run this farm better than we do and you have military training. You’re our best bet if something happens to the teams. The clan needs you here just with your farming knowledge alone,” Bruce replied looking at Paul.
“At first I thought I wasn’t good enough to go out,” Paul said looking down.
“Far from it, I would have to take two team leaders off and we still wouldn’t have the farming and architectural knowledge you have. So I really didn’t have much of a choice. Everyone in the family has been trained as a sniper and to speed shoot,” Bruce told Paul the facts.
“I’ll do my best, you just make sure that everyone comes home,” Paul said heading to the dining room table.
Mike spoke up next, “Bruce, I think we need to take more ammo and each person needs to have one other assault rifle. If the mobs get pretty big we’re going to have to worry about the barrels overheating.”
“Good idea with the extra rifles, but you do realize that each team will already be moving ten ammo cans,” Bruce pointed out.
“We’re staying in one place and a truck will drop us off, we don’t have to haul it in by hand. They will stay as we climb up the roof of the house we are assigned. If a team has to run, leave the shit behind. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it,” Mike replied with determination.
“How much more are you talkin’ about?” Bruce asked Mike, afraid of his answer.
“Double at least. I really want thirty thousand rounds,” Mike answered back.
“May I ask why?” Bruce requested, observing Mike. He wanted to know what was bugging him.
“Bruce, we are going out to draw in blues. They come out of the wood work and if you add the population of the little villages and small towns close to us in a twenty mile radius it comes to over sixty thousand. That means over forty thousand infected easy. The large group that is still to the south of us is that many alone. I just don’t want a team stuck on a roof and only using bad language on the blues,” Mike told Bruce. Mike did not want to scare people too bad but he could see this going bad real easy, but he knew it needed to be done. Better to fight the blues in a place of their choosing.
Studying Mike, Bruce then glanced around the table before speaking. “Alright, we take thirty thousand rounds per team, not counting basic load. It’s not like we’re saving them for Christmas,” Bruce told everyone as Mike let out a huge sigh.
Nancy looked at Bruce saying, “I’m not one to critique your plan but your team is the least experienced yet you have taken the south. Care to explain why?”
“My team has five. I know I don’t list Buffy but she goes where I go. I really think if I would leave her somewhere without me, she would go into convulsions. Stephanie is very good with a weapon as is Maria. Danny says Mindy will be ok. This is a sit and wait hunt, not a running gun battle. My only concern is one of us getting hit by a gang as we’re laid out on a roof. If that does happen, drop your ropes and get the hell out of dodge. I want my team out back so I can go through equipment and get the truck loaded. Remember you’re not to make noise until the drop off team has been gone for twenty minutes,” Bruce said standing up kissing Debbie and PJ then the twins as he headed outside.
Bruce went to the barn grabbing several rolls of rope, then, headed to the ammo storage in one of the buried storage buildings. He pulled out thirty cans then tied them together leaving ten feet between each one. This way, when he pulled them up to the roof, he was only lifting two at a time. Matt drove Bruce’s new pickup around back with Mike in the passenger seat. When Mike saw how Bruce had the ammo cans, he smiled thankful that they weren’t going to make a shit load of trips up and down the ladder.
After loading the truck, they drove it back to the house with Bruce riding in back when it hit Bruce he had not even drove his new truck. When Matt pulled up to the back patio, Bruce jumped out and grabbed the keys from Matt and climbed in the truck driving it around the property.
Paul had put a shroud on the bottom of the engine and made the muffler quieter. It amazed Bruce just how quiet it was. Looking around the cab he smiled. This truck had it all. There was no way Bruce would ever pay what the sticker had for the truck though, unless it came with several free stays at the Playboy mansion. He pulled back up to the patio where everyone was watching him.
“I never got to drive my new truck,” he told them calling his team over as Conner drove the beast over.
Conner got out of the beast asking, “What on Earth possessed y’all to build this?”
“We wanted an armored car and that’s the best we could do,” Bruce replied stopping and looking at him.
“Oh I’m not complaining I feel safer in that than I do a Hummer. This thing has some serious power. I went over it and fuck a duck, does it have some armor. Y’all even put a V bottom on it,” Conner said looking at the beast.
“Yeah, we like the beast. It has almost a ton of half inch steel on it. The engine has aftermarket twin turbo chargers giving you almost eigh
t hundred little horses,” Bruce answered proudly as the family came outside.
“How much money do you have tied up in this?” Conner asked still looking at the beast.
“Not much,” Bruce answered quickly seeing the wives taking an interest in the conversation.
Walking over to his team, Bruce went through everyone’s pack making sure they had packed what was needed. Next he looked over each one. Only Buffy had her hair in a ponytail and he told the others they needed to do the same. Everyone except Bruce had two M-4’s with suppressors and night vision. Bruce was carrying his SCAR with the sixteen inch barrel and the grenade launcher plus his AR-10. He was only taking twenty-five hundred rounds for it. He had his night vision and his thermal mount. Bruce had an extra thermal that could be clipped on and would rotate it through the team. Everyone had twenty magazines on them and twenty more in each pack. Bruce only wanted two days’ worth of food in each person’s pack.
They had two duffel bags with enough food and water for the three days they were spending out. As he was going over Mindy’s gear, Bruce noticed she did not have a knife. Bruce called over the radio for Jake to bring one up from the armory. Jake came running out and gave him a Marine K-bar which Bruce put on Mindy’s vest. When Bruce looked up he saw Danny, Matt, Jake and Mary talking on the patio. Bruce reminded them they had work to do. They hugged each other and it occurred to Bruce they were saying goodbye, making him grin. Bruce keyed his radio and everyone stopped.
“This is big daddy one, remember your training, don’t do anything stupid and listen to your team leaders. If you follow these rules you’ll be fine. I want a copy from everyone,” Bruce said as everyone replied back.
Bruce looked at his watch reading 9:30 a.m. He grabbed the ladder and put it in the back of the truck. The truck was going to back right up to the house and they would climb the ladder from the back of the truck with the security team riding in the beast. Everyone came out to tell the first away team goodbye. Debbie had PJ and the twins were walking toward Bruce. The twins took off running to Bruce crying.
“Don’t go,” they said in unison hugging his legs. Bruce kneeled down on the ground by the twins.
“I have to go and kill monsters you two. Debbie will be leaving later today and I’m counting on both of you to help Lynn take care of PJ while we’re gone. If you go to the room with the radio we will tell you good night every night ok,” Bruce said looking at the girls.
Emily looked at him, “The monsters are mean.”
“I’m meaner than they are Emily and I have taught the family how to be just as mean,” Bruce told her pointing to everyone around them. Emily and Sherry wrapped their arms around his neck.
“Who will protect us at night? Ms. Lynn can’t,” Sherry asked crying.
“Jake will protect both of you while we’re gone. He is my son,” Bruce told them as the twins pulled back looking at Bruce.
“Really,” they said together.
Bruce looked up at Jake. “Jake, the girls will sleep with you while we’re gone,” Bruce said in a tone that implied compliance.
Jake looked at his Dad in disbelief mumbling, “Yes sir.” The twins ran over to him hugging his legs. Jake looked down at the girls hugging his legs with some of the agony leaving his face.
Bruce walked over to Debbie who was still holding a happy PJ. Bruce hugged and kissed her then looked at PJ. “You better know how to use the bathroom when I get back and get a job too,” Bruce told PJ kissing and hugging him. PJ just laughed and slapped Bruce on the face.
Bruce walked over to the truck as Buffy, Maria and Stephanie came back from goodbye hugs. Mindy was still beside the truck looking at the ground. Bruce’s heart hurt looking at Mindy seeing tears fall from her face to the ground, she thought she didn’t have anyone to tell her bye. Bruce walked over to her and stood in front of her until she lifted her head. She still had tears running down her face.
“They’re waiting on you to hug them bye Mindy,” Bruce told her as shock appeared on her face. Mindy looked behind Bruce not knowing who he was talking about, there were over thirty people there. Bruce turned her face to his and said, “Mike, Nancy and Debbie are waiting on your goodbye hug. They were going to come over here but since you didn’t hug them, they thought you did not want one.”
Joy spread across Mindy’s face with the thought someone cared and loved her. Mindy took off at a dead run and almost knocked Mike on his ass as she hugged him. A shocked Mike returned the hug from the teenage girl crying in his arms. Then Mindy ran to Nancy hugging her then moved to Debbie and PJ as Bruce walked over to them. Mike looked at Bruce with a questioning look. Bruce just dragged his index finger across his throat telling him no questions.
Bruce was standing behind Mindy when she let Debbie go and kissed PJ. Mindy turned around to see Bruce standing there. Bruce looked at Mindy, “We’re your family here, your clan. We will love you, fight for you, kill for you and die for you if need be. This is your family now let me show you.” Bruce turned to Paul, “Paul, will you fight and die for Mindy?”
“Yes I will,” he replied without hesitation. Bruce was looking at Mindy as she realized that she was loved and not alone.
Everyone now understood why Mindy came over to hug them. She had thought she was alone in this group. Mike came over and picked her up squeezing her tight followed by everyone else in the clan. When everyone was finished, Mindy looked at Bruce and ran at him with open arms hugging him.
Bruce lifted her face up to look at him, “We have to go and protect the ones that love us now. Danger is out there threating them.”
Mindy stepped back wiping tears off of her face and said, “Let’s go and kick something’s ass.” Then she took off to the truck jumping in the back.
Bruce motioned Debbie, Nancy and Mike to him and whispered, “Make sure everyone knows they’re part of this clan. I don’t want anyone out there thinking if they die nobody will care.”
Nancy promised, “That’s going to be taken care of right fucking now.”
“Wait until we leave please,” Bruce said running for the truck.
Bruce jumped in the back as Matt drove off. Conner was driving the beast in the lead and had two others to help guard while the team got in position. Bruce told Jake to get a UAV up as they pulled around the house. Before the truck’s cleared the gate, Jake replied he had eyes on them and was moving forward.
When the team was halfway to the house they were going to set up at, Jake told them he counted an easy thousand within a mile. Bruce replied that was good because he was not in the mood to sit on a hot ass roof and wait a long.
When Matt reached the house, he pulled into the driveway and backed up to the front of the two story house. Conner and his crew got out to protect the team as they climbed to the roof. It took less than ten minutes to get all the gear up. Bruce was the last one up as Conner and his team jumped into the beast after helping Matt lower the ladder back down. The two vehicles slowly pulled away leaving the first team out.
The roof was not steep and had no windows that opened to it. Bruce told everyone to move the gear up to the crest of the roof as Jake called over the radio. “Have a mob of several hundred moving down the road toward you. I think they heard the trucks,” Jake reported.
“How far away and how long until contact,” Bruce asked.
“Two miles, I figure you have four to five minutes, they’re not running,” Jake replied and Bruce told him to keep the UAV close for now then turned to his team.
“If that group gets past us, they’ll hear the trucks when they take off with the next group, and find the farm. It’s time to get some,” Bruce replied. He took off his pack and laid it on the roof then took out a knife driving it into the roof. He then put one of the straps around it so it could not slide off. Then he took out his extra magazines.
The rest of the team seeing what he had done copied him. Buffy was trying to stick her knife in the roof but was not having much luck. Bruce grabbed her knife and drove it in t
he roof for her then he turned around. It was only eighty nine degrees today but the roof made it a lot hotter.
Bruce turned to look down the road hearing roars coming toward him. The house they were on sat a hundred yards off the road. With the exception of a few trees in the back yard, they could see at least four hundred yards in every direction. Lifting his rifle up and looking through the scope, Bruce could see movement about three quarters of a mile away on the road heading toward them.
“Remember, they can’t get us here, unless a shit load come, just don’t fall off. I was going to make us some safety lines but we have business to attend to. When they’re four hundred yards away I’m goin’ to hit them with a grenade to get their attention,” Bruce told his team and they all nodded. Buffy was just looking down the road waiting. The other three were shaking badly.
When the group was four hundred yards away, Bruce brought up the grenade launcher and sighted on the leading edge. Bruce pulled the trigger and heard the PLUMP as the grenade left the tube. A few seconds later, he was rewarded with a small explosion and a few on the front row went down. Then they were run over by those behind as the group broke into a run.
“That’s all that damn thing does?” Stephanie blurted out.
“Yeah,” Bruce replied with his feelings hurt. He liked his grenade launcher.
“In the movies that damn thing blows up buildings. It’s just a wimp,” Stephanie said looking at the grenade launcher with disappointment.
“It can blow up buildings, if it hits a box of dynamite inside,” Bruce replied in a wounded tone that Stephanie caught.
“Bruce I was just saying-,” Stephanie started as Bruce held up his hand.
Blue Plague Survival Page 15