Blue Plague Survival

by Watson, Thomas A

  “What the hell else would you get paid in? You can choose drugs because the boss grows a lot but I need to keep my edge,” Bruce told the sniper.

  “Damn man lets go and see Boss, I’ll work for him,” the sniper said picking up his pace to the road.

  “Hold on you don’t work for boss yet,” Bruce told him as they walked out onto the road. Then Bruce led him to the ATV. Bruce took all the equipment and put it on the front rack strapping it down. The M82 stuck out on each side of the ATV.

  Bruce grabbed the sniper and laid him on the back rack and zip tied him to it. Then Bruce zip tied his ankles together. “That is not necessary,” the sniper said.

  “Shut up, I’m tired of talking to you,” Bruce told him and called Jake on the radio. “Call Marcus, I’m moving. Let me know when you get a reply,” Bruce told Jake.

  “Already did that Dad. Your voice mic was still on and let me tell you Dad, I think you could sell ice cubes to an Eskimo,” Jake told him.

  “Thank you son,” Bruce replied to the comment.

  “They’re waiting on you Dad,” Jake said.

  Bruce jumped on the ATV and headed to Marcus’s house. Bruce approached the gate slowly looking at the log fence that surrounded the house and barn. Jake came over the radio and told Bruce that two people were lying in the ditch beside the gate not moving. Bruce stopped twenty yards from the gate and pointed his SCAR where Jake said they were at.

  “If you two aren’t part of this farm, Carroll’s garden is fixin’ to get fertilizer,” Bruce said.

  Darrell stood up from the ditch, “Bruce is that you?”

  “Who, the fuck you think it is? The Easter bunny?” Bruce asked.

  “I thought you were a trick or treat-er, it’s almost that time,” Darrell said as the log gate opened and Marcus and Carroll came out.

  Marcus and Carroll walked over to Bruce each carrying one of the M-4’s Bruce had given them. “It’s good to see ya Bruce. What’s goin’ on?” Marcus asked.

  “Marcus, I don’t have long, a very large group knows about ya. This asshole was on the edge of your field watching you. They thought my supply patrol today was your people and hit it. We lost several including Alex,” Bruce told them as the sniper yelled, “You fucking lied.”

  Spinning around, Bruce rained down blows beating the man unconscious. Satisfied and feeling better, Bruce turned back around and handed Marcus the radio and thermal scope. “This radio is hard to listen in on and the case holds a thermal scope so you can catch anymore peeping toms. I need to get back. If I was you, I would stay in a few days. Let me talk to our new friends and find out where they live. I’ll pay them a visit,” Bruce told them.

  Carroll came over and hugged him, “You tell little Angela my prayers be with her -n- Cade. When this’s over, we’re comin’ visitin’.”

  “I would like that Carroll but now I need to go. Just another thought you may want to keep half of your people awake at all times,” Bruce told them as he sped off down the road.

  Driving like a bat out of hell, Bruce headed back to the farm. The monocular eye piece made it very interesting. It was like driving with one eye closed the other looking through a soda straw. Bruce called for the gate to open then he drove to the shop and just left the ATV parked in front. Before he went inside, he taped the snipers mouth shut. Then Bruce pulled out his pistol and shot the sniper in the foot. The sniper woke up screaming but not doing a good job with his mouth taped shut.

  “Just making sure you’re awake. I wanted you to know, I’m a liar and an asshole,” Bruce said as he walked to the house carrying the M82.

  “Hurry Dad! They’re heading to your presents,” Jake called over the radio. Bruce ran inside the house and people were everywhere. They parted like the red sea for him.

  Bruce walked into mission control and Jake pointed at the 50 inch screen. Bruce counted twenty one bikes moving down the road with one in the lead and the others riding two by two. It was going to be close but Bruce thought they all might like his presents. The bikes started to slow as they approached the houses. When they were forty yards away the screen went white. Then Matt panned out with the camera.

  Several fires were burning in the road but Bruce had gotten all the bikes with the claymores. Bruce smiled as the screen changed and Bruce realized he was looking at the group to the north. People were running for bikes, heading toward the present area.

  “Oh this is too good,” Bruce said. He couldn’t count the number of bikes as they sped down the road. Several stopped at the explosion site then moved toward the second house pulling into the back yard. A few moved toward the first house pulling around back. “House one just got turned on,” Bruce said to himself smiling.

  At house number two where Bruce threw the grenades someone entered the house and the screen went white for a brief second then they could see the carnage. The bikes at house one attempted to leave and the screen went white again, then explosions started going off along the road. When the explosions stopped, Jake started panning around. They could see a few crawling but none walking. The screen switched again to the group up north. They saw everyone hop on bikes or pile in trucks and sped off leaving the dead and wounded behind to the east.

  “Jake, later, slow that down and tell me how many got away,” Bruce asked.

  “Sixty seven motorcycles and four trucks,” Stephanie said from beside him.

  “Hey hot stuff. How many did I get with my presents?” Bruce asked really wanting to know.

  “Twenty one in the first group and thirty six in the second,” Stephanie told him not expressing any emotion.

  “Son, make me a copy of that. I may want to spank the monkey to that later,” Bruce told him.

  “I was going to do that Dad. You’re married,” Jake shot back.

  “Make two copies and here I brought you a present,” Bruce said handing him the M82.

  “Oh, hell yeah! Thank you Dad,” Jake told him grabbing the sniper rifle others called a cannon.

  Bruce left mission control heading to the shop. Outside the shop, Bruce stopped and closed his eyes taking deep breaths. Bruce locked his heart and reminded himself that they were not human just targets. Bruce cut the sniper off the ATV and threw him over his shoulder and walked into the shop.

  One of the four from the wagon had gotten out and inch wormed over to the shop tables. He had a piece of metal and was trying to use the edge to cut the zip ties and success was evading him with his thumbs tied. Bruce dropped the sniper on the table and walked over to the inch worm.

  Bruce took the metal rod from him and looked at it then leaned down to the inch worm. “You need a knife for that,” Bruce told him shaking his head. “Here you can use mine,” Bruce said as he drove his knife through the front of inch worm’s right thigh leaving the tip sticking out the back of his thigh. “All you had to do was ask dumbass. See, now ya have a knife,” Bruce told inch worm.

  Walking to the far side of the shop, Bruce hummed a tune as he grabbed some ratchet straps. Moving to the table, he strapped the sniper to the table from head to feet. Bruce looked up to see Mike standing in the bay door. “How long have you been there?” Bruce asked as he took the snipers boot off of the foot he shot.

  “Since you let that asshole borrow your knife. Bruce, he never told you thank you,” Mike said walking over to the table.

  “You’re right, I will talk with him about manners later,” Bruce told Mike as he went through the snipers pockets.

  “This guy’s foot is bleeding pretty badly. He’ll probably pass out before long. I can fix that,” Mike said.

  Reaching back, Bruce grabbed a blow torch and lit it. Then he held the flame over the top of the man’s foot, then the bottom. The sniper tried to scream and move but couldn’t. Bruce turned the torch off and put it back after cauterizing the wound.

  “It’s fixed,” Bruce smiled.

  “I want to help,” Mike requested.

  “No Mike,” Bruce told him walking around the table grabbing his a
rm and leading him out the bay door.

  When they were outside, Bruce looked at his best friend. “Mike, this is on me. I know you think you want to, but trust me, you don’t. That won’t make Alex come back and it’ll only make the hurt worse. Take these packs inside and go through ‘em, they belong to the sniper and spotter. There’s a radio in one, so go away, I have work to do,” Bruce told him.

  “Why do you always get to be the hero?” Mike asked.

  “Hero Mike? I’m fixing to go in this shop and destroy a piece of my soul. With the shit I’ve done in this life, I have no hope of ever seeing heaven. But, I can make sure this family can plus I can make sure the family remains safe while here on this farm,” Bruce told him.

  “Bruce, everyone looks at you like you are a God. You always do what needs to be done. Let me help,” Mike begged, and Bruce studied him.

  “Mike you lie for shit,” Bruce told him. After studying Mike’s face, Bruce knew Mike was saying anything so Bruce would let him help. “I miss Alex too but I can’t think about that now. You’re bringing me down Mike and making this harder for me. I can’t let the anger rule me, if I stay out here much longer, I’m going to have to use anger to do what needs to be done. Now, I’m begging you, leave me alone please,” Bruce pleaded to Mike.

  Mike turned and headed to the house. Before Bruce turned for the shop Mike called back. “You’re wrong Bruce, you’ve done more than any of us to get into heaven. You’re willing to sacrifice your soul for this family and clan. If that’s not good enough to get in heaven, then I don’t want to go.”

  Bruce stopped and wished he could believe Mike. Taking deep breaths and pumping the wave up. You can do this, you’ve done it before and you can live with it afterwards, Bruce told himself. His breathing picked up and the tightness spread across his back. Bruce smiled as he crested the wave stepping into the bay door he closed it. Walking back to the table and looking at his targets.

  “Where did we leave off, I have so much to show you,” Bruce said smiling rubbing his hands together.

  Chapter 21

  The next morning, Mike was sitting at the table trying to eat breakfast. Two of the wounded had died last night but the other five should make it if they didn’t get an infection. Mike chuckled with that thought. Infection had a totally different meaning now and the only joy he felt were the screams coming out of the shop.

  Looking around the table, Mike stared at the chair where Alex used to sit. Angela was still in Debbie’s room with Cade who would stay with her for a little while but would leave then come and ask Angela where Daddy was. Then, Angela would try to explain again to a two year old, that Daddy was gone. Cade would cry with Angela then leave, an hour or so later come back and it would start all over.

  Hate was in Mike’s heart like he had never felt before. They just wanted to live in peace and living humans had killed good people. Hundreds of millions of infected wanted to do that but no, it was living humans who had killed members of the clan. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he thought about it. He wanted to barge into that shop and make Bruce let him help. Then a part of him was glad Bruce had made him leave.

  Stephanie walked in and sat down across from Debbie. “How is she?” Nancy asked. Stephanie just looked at her with a blank stare.

  Stephanie turned to Debbie, “I want to help Bruce,” she told Debbie. Before Debbie could answer Mike did.

  “No, leave him alone. Bruce is taking care of it,” Mike said as Paul came in the back door letting in a scream from the shop. Paul closed the door cutting off the scream.

  “Let’s give everyone a day off Mike,” Paul suggested.

  “We’ll talk about it later Paul,” Mike replied as Angela walked in carrying Cade.

  Mike jumped up pulling out her chair. “Thank you Mike, Cade wanted to come down and eat,” Angela told him.

  “What’s that boy wanna eat?” Millie asked.

  “Cakes,” Cade said clapping his hands.

  “Pancakes baby?” Millie asked causing Cade to jump up and down in Angela’s lap. The cook staff went into high gear to make the baby some pancakes.

  Mike sat back down in his chair as Paul came up beside him. “Mike the night crew is going out of their minds out there. They have worked twelve hours listening to those screams,” Paul said.

  “I want to hear the screams,” Angela said. Paul went to the back door and opened it up letting the screams come in. Angela closed her eyes listening to the screams. Debbie saw the look on Angela’s face. It was pure hate and anger but filled with joy hearing the screams.

  “Paul, close the door please,” Mike said and Paul closed it.

  “No, leave it open,” Angela said.

  “No Angela, I need to talk to you. We need to bury Alex today,” Mike told her.

  Angela looked at Mike and tears started rolling down her face as she answered, “Alex wanted to be buried in the evening. He said he wanted to go down with the sun and when the sun came up the next day, he would be watching over us.”

  Mike looked at Angela as tears rolled down her face. Looking at her Mike could tell she was fighting the tears and losing. “We will bury him at sunset today then. Father Thomas will perform the service,” Mike told her and Angela nodded her head as Millie sat down a plate of pancakes for Cade.

  Everyone turned to the back door hearing heavy metal music getting louder. Bruce opened the door and walked inside shirtless carrying a ghetto blaster playing AC/DC. Bruce closed the door and turned the volume down but not off and sat the boom box by the door. The smell of burnt flesh and blood filled the room. When Bruce turned around, they could see he had dried blood over his body and noticed the front of his pants were soaked in blood as he sat down in his seat.

  “Hey woman, what’s for breakfast? I’m hungry,” Bruce asked Millie.

  “What’cha ya want Bruce?” Millie asked smiling.

  “Food, as long as I don’t have to catch it, I don’t care,” Bruce said as Millie fixed him a plate. Bruce looked around the table bobbing his head to the beat of the music coming out of the radio. Everyone was gazing at him with blank stares. Millie sat a plate of food down in front of him and Bruce just shrugged his shoulders and started eating. Bruce looked up at Angela, “Little foot, we will talk tomorrow,” Bruce told her. Angela smiled and nodded her head.

  Then she asked Bruce, “We’re burying Alex at sunset, you’ll be there won’t you?”

  “Yes, I’ll be there,” Bruce promised.

  A man came out of the dining room and stopped behind Mike. “Bruce is that really necessary?” he asked.

  “Dude, this is AC/DC. If you don’t like it, I will have to kick your ass, just on principle,” Bruce threatened him.

  “Not the music, the screams?” he asked.

  Bruce looked down at his plate as he slammed his palms on the table. Then slowly he pulled his fingernails across the table top leaving groves in the surface. As his hands rolled into fist as he fought the urge to beat the shit out of this man. When Bruce looked up his eyes were filled with pure hate. “If you mean, do I have to get information from those sacks of shit before the rest of that gang finds us and kills worthless motherfuckers like you, then the answer is yes. They were almost three hundred strong before yesterday but I got me some and it was good. Watching those fuckers die like that gave me serious wood. You can go and wipe your pussy off now. Ask me another stupid question and I’ll cut your balls off and feed them to you. Do you want to ask me another question to see if it’s stupid?” Bruce asked the man. The man shook his head and ran back into the dining room. Bruce turned to Angela, “Don’t worry they’ll pay.” Then Bruce looked at Stephanie, “I need you to do something for me and it’ll be hard,” Bruce asked her.

  “I’ll do whatever you need me to,” Stephanie said.

  Bruce reached into his pocket and pulled out a digital recorder laying it on the table. Bruce grabbed both sides of Stephanie’s face. “Those aren’t people on there. Now say it,” Bruce told her.

&nb
sp; “Those are not people on there,” Stephanie repeated.

  “Again, like you mean it!” Bruce yelled at her. Stephanie repeated it stunned at the yell.

  “I want you to type it up and one of them, the sniper, gives a very detailed description of the base. I want an accurate drawing,” Bruce told her.

  “I will have it done by this afternoon,” Stephanie promised.

  Bruce looked at Debbie, “Get me another recorder please.” Debbie went to go get another recorder.

  “Where are the twins and PJ,” Bruce asked Stephanie.

  “Upstairs with Danny,” Stephanie answered.

  Bruce nodded his head as Millie put another glass of tea in front of him. Bruce drained the glass and stood up heading to the door. Grabbing his radio, he turned to Mike as Debbie walked in handing him another recorder. For a brief second everyone saw the rage leave Bruce’s face, leaving a look of sorrow and guilt. “Mike, be happy I made you leave. It’s worse than I remembered, but thank you for wantin’ to help me,” Bruce told him as he walked out the door.

  Paul looked at Mike asking, “You wanted to help him?”

  “Yes I did, and would be out there now if he would let me,” Mike yelled. “Everyone get in here,” Mike yelled at the top of his lungs.

  There was not enough room in the kitchen but everyone did their best to get in. Mike cleared his throat, “I want everyone to hear this so there is no misunderstanding later. That gang that attacked us yesterday, want the women and kids. They’ll rape and torture them just for pleasure then kill them. They sometimes do the same to men but usually torture and death is what a man can expect. We have to kill them before they kill us. Not only do we have to fight infected, we have to fight these assholes. I only saw a few that wanted to follow Bruce yesterday to protect us. Now some of you are even questioning Bruce as he is doing what needs to be done. He is finding out about them, where they are and how many. You can’t ask them ‘please’. These are hardened criminals, not Girl Scouts wanting to deliver cookies you stupid mother fuckers. If you don’t like Bruce’s methods then go take over for him or fucking leave.”