“I’m not talking to you right now Stephanie, you hurt big SCAR’s feelings. The mob is almost here. Engage when they hit two hundred yards. My wimpy weapon and I are moving to the end of the roof,” Bruce said walking off loading another grenade. There are just some things you just don’t do, like call a man’s weapon wimpy. Bruce raised his rifle firing another grenade when the mob was at the two hundred mark. Bruce turned to his team. “Are y’all going to send them invitations or something? How about shoot’em like my wimpy gun here,” Bruce snapped.
The four were sitting on the peak of the roof with their weapons on their knees as they opened up with single shots. The mob quit running in front of the house. They just stopped looking around as the team continued dropping them. The mob could hear the suppressed shots and looked at the house but did not come toward it.
Bruce swore he saw several blues look right at him but then just kept looking around. He lined up his sights and dropped two dozen with thirty rounds. He changed magazines and the mob just kept standing there looking around. Moving his scope from head to head Bruce continued to drop blues until his bolt locked back. Then several started taking off down the road. Bruce yelled as he replaced magazines and the one’s leaving stopped. Then as one the mob turned, moving to the house.
Lining up his sights, he started squeezing the trigger as his crosshairs settled on a head and continued firing quick single shots. As his bolt locked back, he dropped his magazine and loaded another one. There was only eight left in the mob and they were just looking around the house sniffing the air after stopping halfway down the driveway. Bruce yelled, “Cease fire.” As soon as the words left his mouth the remaining infected started running toward the house. Bruce raised his rifle and fired a grenade at the group. It hit right in front of them showering their legs with shrapnel causing six of the eight to fall. Bruce snapped off eight shots smiling at his weapon. “You’re not wimpy,” Bruce said patting his rifle.
“Buffy, ask Stephanie why they acted like that,” Bruce said over his shoulder and Buffy relayed the question.
“I’m right here Bruce and I’m not sure,” Stephanie said as Bruce just sat there. Stephanie and Buffy looked at each other. Then Buffy turned back to Bruce and replied, “She’s not sure.”
“Buffy, tell her I think that the heat off of this roof confused their vision. Since man is a predator and sight is our primary sense next is hearing. They could not see us since they have a type of thermal vision. We made a noise that they understood and connected to prey, like voice and locked on to us,” Bruce stated and Buffy relayed.
“Bruce you are acting like a five year old, but I think you are right about your conclusions. But, I think you are acting immature, taking offense with me disrespecting your weapon, it’s an inanimate object,” Stephanie yelled and Buffy relayed every word.
Bruce called the farm over the radio, “Spook one this is big daddy one come in.”
“This is big daddy two, what went on there, over?” Mike asked.
“I do believe that the blues couldn’t see us on this roof because the heat up here masked us. I have relayed this to Stephanie and she agrees. We dropped almost two hundred and they never charged until they heard us talking. I fired several 40mm grenades but they didn’t even try to follow the sound down,” Bruce reported. Then he heard Mike yell for someone to go and get him some 40mm rounds he was shooting some too.
“This is mama one what do you mean ‘relayed with Stephanie.’ She’s right by you on the roof, I can see her,” Debbie said.
“I’m not talking to her right now,” Bruce replied with a sullied up voice.
“Bruce, what the hell is goin’ on out there? You’re in the middle of a war zone and acting like a child,” Debbie stated harshly and Bruce wouldn’t answer her.
“Mama one, this is Stephanie, I called his weapon wimpy,” Stephanie said.
“Why in the hell would you do that Stephanie?” Debbie yelled at her over the radio.
Stephanie jerked back from the comment. “After he shot a grenade, it made a little bang but on TV they blow up whole buildings and I said that it was wimpy,” Stephanie replied.
“Baby you don’t do that, it would be just as bad if you pissed on his car. When we get back here, you and I are goin’ to have a talk about boys,” Debbie told her.
“They get mad if you pee on their car?” Stephanie asked, not understanding the opposite sex at all right now.
“Stephanie, don’t say anything else. Bruce I love your grenade launcher on big SCAR. When we get back and you’re on guard duty, just you and I will clean it together ok,” Debbie replied.
“Really?” Bruce inquired over the radio perking up.
“Yeah stud muffin, now you have more coming. Mike is fixin’ to leave so the UAV is moving off. Stephanie didn’t mean it baby, you and big SCAR forgive her for me. I will meet’cha in the fort for guard duty,” Debbie finished.
With a grin on his face, Bruce was thinking about calling and asking someone to put him on guard duty Thursday when he got back in three days. Then he heard Mindy asking a question. “Who’s big SCAR Mr. Bruce?” Mindy asked.
Bruce held up his rifle, “This is big SCAR it has a sixteen inch barrel and little SCAR is at home and it has a fourteen inch barrel,” he replied.
“Do all of your weapons have a name?” Stephanie asked Bruce and he never even turned around. Stephanie walked over and sat down beside Bruce. She reached over patting his assault rifle saying, “I’m sorry big SCAR.”
“See that’s all you had to do. Now come here,” Bruce said picking her up sitting her between his legs and putting the rifle up to her shoulder.
Stephanie was caught off guard. As soon as Bruce pulled her close to him, he showed her how to aim the grenade launcher. It was heaven to her, feeling his arms around her, holding her close. When Bruce put his chin on her shoulder, pulling her face next to his, showing her how to aim down the site, Stephanie almost stopped breathing. It was over a hundred on the roof but Stephanie felt chill bumps on her arms. Bruce told her one was coming down the road and to take it out. He wrapped his legs around her so she wouldn’t slide down the roof.
When he did that Stephanie’s heart almost stopped. If she died now she would be happy, as she smiled to herself. Bruce moved with her, aiming down the road at a lone blue walker. When the blue was two hundred yards away, he told Stephanie to pull the trigger and she did, having no idea what she was shooting at. The grenade arced toward the blue hitting it in the chest, blowing him apart.
“Holy shit! You blew him apart. Now that’s rock’n,” Bruce said kissing her on the cheek.
“That was fucking awesome,” Stephanie said in a dreamy voice as Bruce helped her stand up. When she got to her feet she wobbled around drunk with excitement.
“You ok little red?” Bruce asked.
“Just got a little hot, I need some water,” Stephanie said walking to the supplies trying to cover her emotions.
“I’m sorry. I forgot how hot it was, lay down for a second. I’ll set up the tarp,” Bruce replied. Stephanie wanted to tell him it could have been below freezing and she would still feel this way but kept her mouth shut.
Bruce set down his rifle and pulled a tarp out of one of the bags with several poles. He took out a hammer and nails and made a tent on the back side of the roof in front of the chimney. Bruce then nailed down a blanket and made Stephanie lay down. Then Bruce took her boots off, loosened her vest, wet a towel and placed it on her neck. She smiled at him as he went over to shoot several more blues coming down the road.
Stephanie lay on the blanket reliving the experience. She had loved Bruce from the moment she first saw him. He treated her like a person, picking and joking with her making her laugh. She was a little annoyed about the wedding ring, then she met Debbie. Debbie was just a female version of Bruce. Stephanie liked her and grew to love her knowing she would never hurt Debbie. That would kill her soul. Not that Bruce would ever cheat on Debbie. Stephanie had
seen many women try but none ever succeeded. Bruce belonged to Debbie and Debbie alone. Stephanie would watch Bruce stare at Debbie like a kid in school day in and day out. This only made Bruce better in Stephanie’s eyes. Stephanie would just follow along. Being close to him was enough for her.
Another large group came down the road and was wiped out like the last but this time Bruce threw a hand grenade after making everyone get on the opposite side of the roof. The explosion almost made Stephanie run off the roof. The girls agreed the hand grenade rocked. Bruce taught each one how to shoot the M-203 grenade launcher, letting each of them fire several shots. Bruce even got to fire a thermobaric grenade and even he was surprised by the explosion. In between mobs, he taught them how to throw grenades. Since each one had four, over the next three days, he let them each throw them which made noise to bring in more infected.
At 6pm, Bruce was showing Mindy, the last one of the group, how to shoot the M-203. When Bruce put the weapon on her shoulder and pulled it back Mindy turned around. “Mr. Bruce, am I ugly and dirty now?” she asked. The question caught Bruce totally off guard not knowing what she meant.
“Mindy you’re not ugly and you have sweated some up here, but we all have. If it will make you feel better, you can wash off. I’ll stay on this side of the roof,” Bruce replied looking at her.
“That’s not what I meant Mr. Bruce. Those men you rescued me from did things to me, so am I ugly and dirty now?” Mindy asked. Bruce jumped back in shock at the question, but Mindy took it the wrong way. Seeing that, Bruce leaned forward and hugged her tight as she quietly sobbed. Bruce pulled her face to look at him.
“Mindy, your question caught me off guard baby. You’re not dirty or ugly. Now I’m going to tell you some secrets about boys. You have to promise to never say anything I’m about to tell you to any man ok. I will get in trouble,” Bruce looked at her as she nodded her head. Bruce turned around and seen the other three looking at him. “That goes for you too,” Bruce told them and they also shook their head.
“First those were not men who took you. They were subhuman cock sucking pieces of shit and each time I drove a knife into one, I almost had an orgasm,” Bruce said as Buffy interrupted.
“Daddy, what’s an orgasm?” Buffy asked. Stephanie turned beet red and almost put her hand over Buffy’s mouth not wanting the information to stop. This was classified info Bruce was fixing to give.
“Ask your mother, when you two are alone,” Bruce told Buffy as she sighed. “Now before I start, why do ya think that you’re ugly and dirty?” Bruce asked.
“In high school, all the boys would ask me out and hang out with me. But now at the farm they act like I’m not even alive. They just play with guns, lift weights, and train to fight,” Mindy told Bruce looking at him for an answer.
“Ok hold that thought. First, when you asked me how did I respond? I thought you were talk’n about here and now, not the past. This is how boys think. I jumped back because boys don’t like talk’n about stuff that will make us sad or cry. We think it makes us weak, I know it’s stupid but this is boy stuff. I’m being honest, even if you think it’s stupid, I don’t,” Bruce said and continued.
“Now, let me say you’re beautiful Mindy. I’ve seen several of the boys lookin’ at you back at the farm. You don’t see it because they are doing it out of the corner of their eyes, reflections off a window, things like that. Because if we get caught looking directly at a girl we get embarrassed and boys don’t like being embarrassed. Next, what happened to ya, every boy at the farm would love to kill those people again. They care that those men hurt you but could care less what was done. By that, I mean boys don’t think less of you. No one sees ya as dirty Mindy.”
“Now when boys are together and have lots of toys we do tend to be single minded. I know guns’n and stuff aren’t toys but to boys they are because, we’re very simple. Now remember that, boys are simple. We love our toys and they’re important to us. I’m not saying girls aren’t important to boys but girls are a mystery to boys, because y’all are very complicated. Toys are very simple,” Bruce continued through the night stopping only when blues came around and they would cut them down.
If Bruce would have been paying attention, he would have noticed the girls were shooting the blues at incredible distances. Just to put them down so Bruce would keep talking about the male half of the population. He talked all through the night and even during engagements. In the early morning, a huge mob showed up and could see the team fairly well since the roof had cooled down and took most of two hours to put down.
Each girl would ask a question to make sure Bruce would keep the information coming. No one was tired the next day as Bruce kept answering questions about boys. It was late the next evening that Bruce told them he needed a nap. The girls let him take a nap as they gathered in a circle going over what had been said, then, coming up with more questions. They would stop and shoot blues when they showed up, pissed off that their conversation was interrupted.
They woke Bruce up at 1am when a large mob showed up. After it was put down the girls took a short nap in shifts. At least one was up asking questions, usually Stephanie, and the days flew by. Thursday morning, the last day, the house was surrounded by bodies on every side and the road was clogged with bodies for over two hundred yards. The smell was beyond bad but they had become accustomed to it now.
Looking around the house in a daze, Bruce did not remembering killing so many. They used over twenty- four thousand rounds, all the hand grenades, 40mm rounds and no more ammo for the AR-10 sniper rifle. The girls could clean a rifle in record time and clearing a jam was now second nature. They all loved the hand grenades and each one wanted an M-203. Bruce could only guess at the count but he was sure it was around sixteen to eighteen thousand bodies around the house. Bruce was very glad they had brought more ammo looking at the bodies. He told the girls to keep watch as he took down the tarp and for them to pick up what brass they could, putting it in the empty ammo cans.
The girls went to the other end of the roof picking up brass and decided to keep this information to themselves. It was too valuable to just tell everyone. Then Stephanie pointed out if boys found out girls knew that much about them they would probably change. Everyone agreed that they would only tell their daughters.
As the little group broke up to grab their equipment Stephanie stood up. She did not believe she would ever have kids, so the information would stay with her. She smiled to herself understanding Bruce now in a whole new light. She knew she would never disappoint him again. Stephanie would tell Debbie because she did love her and Debbie needed to know this stuff. Stephanie figured Debbie knew most of it anyway but she would make Bruce happier and that would make Stephanie happy.
Bruce called over the radio telling them to bring the RG and that, even it, might not make it through the bodies. Bruce turned to his team. “I’m very proud of each of you,” Bruce told them. “Remember, no talk’n about what we talked about on the first night ok? Boys would really hate me for that,” Bruce told them.
“But Daddy-,” Buffy started as Mindy yelled, “Is that a blue running?” This caused Bruce to turn around to look where Mindy was looking. Leaning over, Stephanie whispered in Buffy’s ear not to say anything. Bruce never realized that he talked about boys the entire time. Buffy understood and shook her head as Bruce turned back around.
“Probably one we wounded. Now remember, ya promised,” Bruce reminded them.
Maria answered, “We have sworn to each other, never to tell anyone but our daughters.”
Bruce liked that answer. He had really enjoyed the time up here with the team. When he heard the big diesel, he told everyone to grab their stuff. Then Buffy looked up at Bruce. Stephanie had to fight the urge to put her hand over her mouth. That would draw to much attention and she was just a little girl. Stephanie really did not think she should have the information now and would talk to her in private later.
“Daddy, does Mama know that stuff about
boys,” Buffy asked him.
“BB, I’m a boy and your Mama knows more about boys than I do,” Bruce told her watching the big truck just head into the field driving over piles of bodies. It pulled up to the house and they just stepped onto the top of the RG then climbed down into the back.
Stephanie smiled to herself as she sat down beside Buffy. She left just enough room for Bruce to sit between them. Boys were creatures of habit and this was her first chance to test her information. Bruce had said over and over boys were simple. Stephanie just shook her head in disbelief that boys were so simple, they were complicated. Bruce walked back from the front and sat down between Buffy and Stephanie.
Stephanie laid her head on Bruce’s shoulder smiling. He had told them the truth. She did feel a little guilty that Bruce did not realize that he talked about the male half of the species for three days but she pushed that thought from her mind. Stephanie closed her eyes and had to be woken up when they reached the farm.
Chapter 11
Bruce was sitting in his chair in the game room rocking PJ waiting on Mike to finish with his shower. All the teams were in and reporting huge kill numbers. Bruce was very optimistic about getting the other survivors and supplies for the upgrades. Bruce looked over on the couch watching Jake play with the twins. Jake feeling his Dad stare at him looked up.
“What Dad?” he asked.
“Noth’in son, just watching you play with your sisters,” Bruce replied smiling.
“Let me tell ya they may be little but they beat the hell out of me every night when we went to sleep. Then Ms. Lynn brought me PJ to see if I could make him shut up. That little turd can scream but he finally shut up and then I was stuck with him too,” Jake told Bruce while looking at PJ then continued. “He may not walk but he can get into anything. I had to pull’em out from under my bed several times. Everyone here tried to help with PJ, Emily and Sherry but they had to stay up my butt,” Jake replied not happy with the situation.
“That’s what I call stepping up to the plate son. Words cannot describe how proud I am of ya for that.” Bruce told Jake.
Blue Plague Survival Page 16