Bruce nodded his head to Debbie and stood up. “Everyone, listen up!” Bruce yelled out and the center became silent. “If it rains we train. If it snows we train. Our enemies will be out in it and they could attack us in bad weather. Everyone here young and old, boy or girl, will learn to ignore weather, hunger, exhaustion and fear.” Bruce looked around to make sure he had everyone’s attention.
“Conner, you will take over my classes from now on. I will be moving from group to group to teach each of you. Do what I say, I will never push you until you die no matter how much you think you will. Your body might tell you that but ignore it and do what is required. There will be no lunch today,” Bruce said receiving a lot of groans.
“See you counted on something. Don’t ever count on getting food or rest. When you get either cherish them as it could be your last. If you don’t want to learn how to fight then leave, we don’t need you. Everyone here has to trust each member in this clan. That is what you trust and count on, your teammates. When they falter, give them courage and the will to move on. In one month, each of you will become bad asses, by three months each of you will be warriors. Do what I do and do what I say and you will become the master of your destiny. With your team, you will be unstoppable,” Bruce said his voice echoing across the center.
“Before any ask, yes even with training you can still get killed but you will take a lot with you before you go. That level of training, doesn’t exist. Myself and my family will train you. Anyone of my family could put on a ranger tab right now. After you are trained some of you will be moved to permanent jobs but you will always stay trained. If you don’t use the training, you will forget it. Now everyone out, let’s go,” Bruce yelled.
Bruce looked at Debbie expecting to get a pissed off look but saw a smile on her face. Seeing Bruce’s expression Debbie said, “I was wondering when you were going to quit pussy footing around and train these people.” Bruce smiled at Debbie and waited on her to stand up and walk with him outside.
The rain started at dawn and continued for two days. Bruce would move from group to group making the entire group drop down and do pushups and sit ups then crawl around in the mud. The only groups that did not catch total hell were the ten through fourteen year olds but they still caught a lot. Around 1000, Bruce found a group huddled under a tree trying to get out to the rain.
Bruce ran up to them and made them low crawl a hundred yards yelling that they were tough. That evening, the clan gathered at the patio waiting on Bruce to tell them they could eat. Bruce walked to the front of the crowd.
Bruce yelled just to be heard over the rain, “When you go inside, do not go to the food line. Stay with your team and move to a table, stand behind the chair and wait for my orders. Now move.”
Bruce followed the last ones in, then moved to the front of the building. “Listen up, those of you with weapons will clean them before you eat. Your guns are your primary attack and you will treat them as such. You are the weapon, the gun is just an extension. Those of you without weapons will help those with weapons get them cleaned. You can’t eat unless your team is ready. We live together or die together. Now when I say, I want everyone to strip down to underwear. Those not wearing any will find shorts at the back of the center.” Bruce heard several gasp. He pointed to a young man up front.
“Why did I say to get down to underwear?” Bruce asked him. The young man just stuttered. Bruce yelled to the back of the hall, “Danny, why did I say strip to underwear?”
Danny yelled back, “Outside our clothes offered us some protection but in here with no rain falling on us they are just drawing away our body heat.”
Bruce nodded his head then pointed to a girl at the front in her late twenties. “What’s another reason we are all going to underwear?” he asked her.
“You told us to and we’re all teammates,” she replied with a soft voice.
“Very good, next time grab your balls so everyone can hear,” Bruce said walking back and forth along the front. Most of the people in the hall were shivering. “You are not cold, it’s only in your mind. Picture a fire burning in your body and push it’s warmth out,” Bruce said and heard movement behind him.
Bruce turned around to see who snuck off but saw the cooking ladies coming out of the kitchen pulling off shirts. Then they started taking off their boots. Millie looked at Bruce as she was untying her boots. “What? We can’t be waitin for you to tell us to strip, we haveta feed this army,” Millie told Bruce then said. “We’re part of this clan too. Each of us would’ve been out there runnin’ around in the rain but someone has ta get food ready. When they get trained, someone is takin’ our place so we can learn too.”
“You got that right Millie,” Bruce said smiling.
“You may be takin that back seein me run around in my bloomers,” Millie said kicking off her boots.
“You Millie? Some parts of my body haven’t seen the light outside of a bathroom in thirty years,” Lynn said taking off her pants and gathering her clothes up.
“What the hell are you two talking about? I see some sexy hot mamas in front of me. Lynn, I’ve seen you run around naked before and that was hot,” Bruce said making both women look at him like he was on drugs. Then Bruce winked at them blowing them a kiss.
Lynn laughed, “Keep on Bruce and I’m gonna wrestle Debbie for ya.”
“You can take her,” Bruce told Lynn.
Millie walked over to Bruce and kissed him on the cheek, “That’s why everyone follows ya baby. You can be hard but say somethin to make us feel better. All I have ta say is you better be glad I’m not a little younger,” she said heading back to the kitchen.
“What the hell does age have to do with it?” Bruce asked as the oldest cook, a woman in her late eighties come over to him.
“You made this old woman feel good again,” she said grabbing Bruce’s hand kissing it. Bruce reached around hugging her then kissed her. When Bruce let go, she shuffled to the kitchen cackling.
Bruce turned around seeing everyone looking at him smiling. “I never said smile, you’re on my time,” Bruce said. The smiles dropped off everyone’s face and they snapped their eyes forward.
“When your teams weapons are cleaned you can eat. Now strip,” Bruce said walking toward his table. Bruce could not wait to get out of his cold, wet shit but couldn’t show it. He maybe the king of boys but he had not felt his toes in the last hour.
Stopping at his spot at the table he dropped his gear to the floor then leaned toward Debbie and whispered. “Get Nancy and Danny, then all of you inspect the weapons before letting anyone eat. Tell the girls to ignore the cold, they will be watched. Each of you will have to lead by example. Now tell them quietly, I will clean yours and Danny’s weapons.”
Debbie nodded her head as she moved to each one whispering and the four moved off. Debbie stood at the front of the line as the other three moved around the room like drill sergeants. Looking at Debbie walking around in panties and a sports bra, Bruce admitted he never had hot instructors like that.
Each group had ten to twelve people in it and in most groups half were armed. The ten-fourteen year old group also had armed members, the five kids Bruce and Mike had brought out of the school. The five from the school had been checked off on weapons so they were the armed members. It was also the largest group at sixteen. The other were just sitting at the table shivering and trying to help the five clean their weapons. Bruce stripped and cleaned baby SCAR in record time then stood up and walked to the kids table.
“What are you doing?” Bruce asked.
“We’re cleaning our weapons Mr. Bruce,” Marty jumped up telling him. Bruce looked at Marty. When they had found Marty he was a very chubby boy, now he was lean with good muscle definition.
“Well, how’s it coming?” Bruce asked. The kids could strip and clean the weapons but they were slow. Several in the group were weaving back and forth in their seats wanting to go lay down.
“We will do it sir, it just may take us
a little while,” Marty admitted.
Shaking his head, Bruce looked at everyone at the table, “This is my team and I would like to eat sometime tonight. I know you know how to clean them. Now weapons on the table and sit up straight. Watch my hands,” Bruce said moving to the first weapon. They had given the kids civilian versions of the M-4 from the checkpoint.
Bruce’s hands flew over the weapon stripping it down then drying the gun off. Bruce cleaned it then reassembled the gun moving to the next one. The kids tried to follow his hands but they moved to fast. When Bruce had the second M-4 reassembled Jake walked over to help. When Bruce looked at him Jake just said, “This is my team also.” Together they had the group done in ten minutes.
“Those with weapons to the front of the team, let Debbie inspect your weapon, if they are good you can eat. Once you have finished eating you are off duty, I would advise you to get some sleep,” Bruce said heading back to his table.
The kids filed through as Debbie checked the weapons. Bruce could tell by Debbie’s face even if their weapons would have had been caked in mud she would’ve let them through. Bruce sat down and finished his weapons then started on Debbie’s. Bruce looked at the first adult group heading toward Debbie. Bruce smiled as Debbie dropped the group doing pushups after inspecting the weapons. As the group headed back to the table, Bruce started on Danny’s weapons.
Mike stood up after finishing his, Nancy’s and Mary’s weapons, “I’m going to help them,” Mike said heading to the closest table joining Matt. Bruce nodded as he finished Danny’s weapons. Walking over to Buffy, Bruce saw she was finished. He checked her three weapons and each was spotless.
“Buffy, Danny has taught you very well,” Bruce said.
“Don’t forget you taught me too Daddy,” Buffy replied.
“You clean just like Danny does. The total opposite of me, but thank you. Will you go help those that are having trouble?” Bruce asked her.
Buffy stood up in her chair, hugged Bruce, then headed to the groups. It unnerved several as the little blonde headed girl grabbed their gun and took it apart but they took any help they could. Bruce walked over to Angela to help her.
“I can do this Bruce,” Angela said not wanting help.
“Angela, I want to eat tonight so stand up please,” Bruce told her. Angela stood up but she didn’t like it.
Bruce sat down in her chair. “Sit on my lap,” Bruce told her. Not understanding Angela sat down. “Put your hands on the back of mine,” Bruce said.
“You can’t see the gun Bruce,” Angela said.
“It doesn’t matter little foot,” Bruce said as he moved over the gun taking it apart and cleaning it by touch. When Bruce was finished Angela got out of his lap.
“So that’s how you do it so fast,” Angela said and Bruce just nodded.
Bruce moved over to Stephanie. She had her M-4 broken down and was cleaning it. Bruce asked her to stand up and sit in his lap. After Bruce sat down Stephanie got in his lap unlike Angela, Stephanie did not learn anything new. She was just in a dream state sitting in Bruce’s lap. When Bruce asked her to get up, she did, reluctantly moving slowly. For the first time, Bruce noticed that Stephanie took a long time to stop touching him. Needless to say this made Bruce a little nervous.
Bruce smiled at her kissing her on top of her head. Then Bruce grabbed his, Debbie’s and Danny’s weapons to take them to get inspected and get some plates for them. Millie yelled across the center. “Bruce, you come up here to this line and I’ll get my wooden spoon,” Millie threatened Bruce. In midstride, Bruce spun around and headed back to the table laying the weapons down on the table. Millie and Lynn brought plates over and sat them down.
“You can’t be pullin one over on me that easy,” Millie said. Bruce just looked down at the table afraid to look at her in case she brought that damn spoon. Bruce started formulating a plan to steal the damn thing and burn it. When Millie left, Bruce looked up to see everyone was eating and the family heading back to the table.
Millie and Lynn were bringing more plates and glasses of tea. When they reached the table Bruce asked Millie, “Where are the little kids? They were in here earlier today.”
“Susan, Pam and one of the older ladies moved ‘em to the house this afternoon and continued school’n over there. I didn’t think they needed to be here when you finally got this army in here,” Millie told Bruce.
“That’s good Millie,” Bruce said missing the twins and PJ. Bruce looked up at Millie, “I want you to tell Jim to get the three stooges in here and clean this place top to bottom every night after supper. I want that to be put on the work list for them everyday. When I come in the morning, I want to be able to eat off this concrete floor. You are to check them off everyday and you will carry a radio from now on. If they do not do the job right, call me. Next if they eat any food that was not for them, you are to break a broom handle over their head,” Bruce told her.
“Oh hell yeah,” Millie said trotting toward the door. Reaching it, she threw it open and yelled, “Jim gets in here now.” Bruce was pretty certain they heard her in New York.
Bruce started eating and saw Debbie looking at him. “We don’t have time to babysit them, Millie does. I don’t want them to think of any ideas. Mitch and the trooper are the only ones that’ll need a lesson or two,” Bruce told her.
Bruce yelled out across the center that when they were finished eating they were off duty. Roll call was at 0500 in the center. When the family finished, they headed to the house. Bruce asked Stephanie and Angela to check on the kids and that he and Debbie would follow shortly. Bruce told them he wanted to make sure the stooges did not cause any problems. They nodded and left, both to worn out from the day to argue when they walked out only Debbie and Bruce were in the center.
Bruce looked at Debbie and said, “Ok, I think you’re right. Stephanie’s in love with me.”
The shocked expression on Debbie’s face would have been no different if Bruce would have told her he was really Elvis. When she regained the power of speech, she asked, “What finally made you see?”
“When I was showing her how to clean her gun fast, she was not paying attention and when I asked her to get up she did it real slow, like she just wanted to touch me,” Bruce admitted a little concerned.
“Over four years and it took the end of the civilization for you to finally see that,” Debbie said laughing.
“I really don’t think it’s funny Debbie,” Bruce told her.
“Yes it is baby, you’re the only one here that hasn’t seen it,” Debbie replied giggling.
“Well, what’re we going to do about this?” Bruce asked.
Debbie stopped laughing when she saw a look of uncertainty, panic and a little fear on Bruce’s face. Debbie reached and held Bruce’s hand asking, “What are you talking about ‘do about this’?”
“Hello in there,” Bruce said looking at Debbie, “she’s sleeping in our bed. Stephanie has even taken a shower with me and saw me naked.”
Disbelief hit Debbie and she fell back in her chair letting Bruce’s hand go, “Modesty, from you?” Debbie said not believing she was using modesty with Bruce in the same reference. Shaking her head to get her brain working again, “Bruce, you walk around butt naked without giving it a second thought. Hell a few years ago at the nurse’s convention in Las Vegas, you stripped naked on the dance floor if memory serves me correctly.”
“That was different, I was drunk and those women weren’t in love with me,” Bruce said defending himself.
“Bruce you made over four hundred dollars stripping on a fucking dance floor. There were over three hundred women there and ninety percent of them would have jumped your ass in a heartbeat. I told you I had to threaten to kill several people that night,” Debbie told Bruce in a serious voice.
“Did that embarrass you?” Bruce asked out of curiosity.
“Embarrass me? I thought it was funny as hell. If you remember correctly, I was the first one yelling take it off. You’re
mine, I don’t mind showing you off. Especially since you do not have a shy bone in your body,” Debbie said then continued. “The only time it has embarrassed me was when we came home to visit my parents that first year we were married. You come out of the hallway bathroom drying your head off, butt naked, meeting my mother in the hallway. I thought my mom was going to die on the spot.”
“I told you I was sorry about that. I was still used to showering in the barracks,” Bruce reminded Debbie.
“I know that baby. So what’s the problem here then?” Debbie asked.
“Stephanie loves me,” Bruce said as if that explained it all.
“And?” Debbie asked wanting more.
“There’s no ‘and’,” Bruce replied not understanding this void of reaction.
“So, you want to throw Stephanie out because she loves you?” Debbie specified.
“No just get her to sleep somewhere else. The kids have told us they are couples now, your plan worked,” Bruce told Debbie.
“That will be a big, NO,” Debbie snapped.
Startled Bruce just looked at Debbie saying, “Debbie this is really freaking me out. I’m telling you a woman who’s sleeping in our bed loves me more than a friend and you aren’t freaking out.”
“Bruce, I have known since the first time I saw Stephanie that she loved you. Hell everyone in this house knew it,” Debbie said.
“Knowing that, how could you let her sleep in our bed?” Bruce asked.
“Yeah like what have I got to be scared of? Are you going to leave me for her?” Debbie asked waving her hand in the air. Bruce tilted his head looking at Debbie like she was stupid. Debbie asked, “Well?”
Bruce took a deep breath replying, “Debbie you really think I could leave you? I really don’t think I could function without you.”
Debbie smiled grabbing Bruce’s hand again, “I know that baby. Bruce, don’t get mad when I say this. You love me so much you don’t notice how other women act towards you. Girls do see that better than boys.”
“No they don’t. I have seen guys hitting on you since we have been together. You are so fine it’s not funny,” Bruce informed Debbie.
Blue Plague Survival Page 46