Blue Plague (Book 7): Hope

by Thomas A. Watson

  “I so feel sorry for Marty,” Danny sighed, dropping in the back. She saw Buffy looking at the driver, Randy. “Buffy, what’s going on?”

  Buffy looked over at Danny smiling. “I put the blocks on the pedals that Daddy made for me. I’m driving today.”

  Letting out a groan, “Buffy,” Danny whined.

  “You said I could drive one day and I can follow a map,” Buffy said.

  “I know, but you get sidetracked very easy,” Danny chuckled dryly.

  “Oh come on, you promised,” Buffy whined.

  Danny looked at her and couldn’t help but smile. “Okay,” she said and Buffy started pumping her fist. “But no chasing blues through houses,” Danny said, raising her voice over Buffy’s cheering.

  Freezing with her fist in mid pump, Buffy looked at Danny in shock. “Nobody’s pregnant in here,” she said, raising her eyebrows at Danny. “Are they?”

  Sitting down on the bench, Danny shook her head, “No, but I don’t want to knock off the Mk19. We worked too long to have you run through a building and hurt it.”

  Dropping her fist with a dejected look, “Okay,” Buffy mumbled.

  Taking her SCAR off, Danny set the rifle to the side. “So I take it, you don’t want to sit in Randy’s lap?” she said.

  “Hell, no,” Buffy snapped. “Daddy’s taken me driving several times and I went out with Carl and Ted. Dad made me some blocks for the pedals so I can reach them. Steve said someone flew them out from the house.”

  Danny grinned at Buffy, “He didn’t make them for you, Buffy. He made them for Steve and we’ve all used them.”

  “Cool,” Buffy grinned.

  “I will say, you got to learn on more vehicles than any of us did,” Danny laughed.

  “I like the M1,” Buffy laughed. “Everybody moves out of your way when you’re driving a tank.”

  Taking her helmet off, Danny grabbed her CVC and checked the intercom switch. “I take it you want to lead our squad?” Danny asked.

  “Hell, yeah! If I’m not first, I can’t run over the clown wankers,” Buffy said with a very serious face.

  Grabbing her rifle, Danny looked at Buffy, “Buffy, I don’t like clowns and you know that.”

  Taking her helmet off, Buffy nodded, “I know and maybe you’ll let me chase one into a house, if you think he’s a clown.”

  “Crank up,” Danny chuckled and looked at Randy. “You’re on a gun today.”

  Nodding, Randy grabbed his rifle and plugged his CVC into the intercom system. “I don’t mind her driving, I just haven’t had a chance to check out this rig,” he said as Buffy started the engine. “Not to be rude, but Buffy is very hard on a vehicle.”

  “Randy, she broke Dad’s tank,” Danny chuckled.

  “I didn’t break it!” Buffy yelled over the intercom. “The track just came off,” she said in a low voice.

  “Buffy, what were you doing when the track came off?” Danny laughed, climbing into the cupola.

  “It’s not my fault they all ran into that building! How was I supposed to know it had a basement?!”

  “What about the Ferrari that Dad brought back?” Danny asked, checking the GAU and Mk19.

  “Hey, I just wanted to show that blue I was faster,” Buffy huffed. “I told Daddy I would find him another one.”

  Standing out the back, Randy looked over at Beth on the other side. “No, I was thinking about Bruce’s truck,” Randy said, racking the slide of his M4.

  Over the intercom, everyone heard Buffy suck in a breath. “I really thought the truck would knock over the tree,” Buffy cringed.

  “All I can say Buffy, is when Dad goes to the shop to work on it, your little ass better be in there with him,” Danny chuckled. “I wrecked Mom’s suburban and spent a month helping Dad fix it.”

  “You just wrecked it and he made you help?” Buffy asked shocked. “That doesn’t sound like Daddy.”

  “Well, um,” Danny hesitated. “I sort of chased a deer into a ditch and ran him over. It’s kind of hard to explain it was an accident, when there were trees stuck in the winch housing on the bumper.”

  “Oh,” Buffy said laughing. “You did get the deer, right?”

  “Yep, it’s the one mounted over the pool table,” Danny said proudly. “Man, Momma was some kind of pissed.”

  Shoving her backpack behind her with the seat pulled forward all the way, Buffy looked ahead and could barely see over the steering wheel. Crawling to the back, she grabbed hers and Danny’s pillows and stacked them in the seat. Sitting on them, Buffy smiled able to see much better. With her feet on the blocks attached to the pedals, Buffy looked over at Heath beside her as he arranged the six microphones for the different radios.

  “It’s going to be a fun day,” Buffy grinned and Heath nodded nervously as he grabbed his seatbelt, buckling in. “Ew, good idea,” Buffy said, grabbing hers. If Buffy would’ve turned around and looked in the back, she would’ve seen everyone tying themselves to the rig.

  Heath grabbed a microphone and listened for a second then hit his intercom switch. “That was Bruce clearing all units to move out,” he said, hanging the microphone up.

  “Second battalion, this is Bravo One,” Danny called over the radio, since it was her turn to run the battalion today. “Form a line and move to first position.”

  “Move your ass!” Buffy screeched at the rig in front of them as the MRAPs of Bravo Company slowly pulled out of the box they had formed. “I will run your ass over!”

  “Buffy, he’s just as big as we are, so don’t,” Danny called over the intercom and released the switch. “This is going to be a long day,” she sighed.

  As the rig in front of her slowly pulled away, Buffy glanced at the map beside her. “I’m going to get to my area first,” she said, stomping the pedal. The rig lunged forward as the diesel engine roared with a small foot stomping the pedal to the floor.

  Yanking the wheel, Buffy weaved around the other rigs as they slowly pulled out in line, heading for the road beside the field. In the cupola, Danny hung on to the GAU as Buffy played Pole Position with the twenty-ton 6x6 vehicle.

  Seeing a line of rigs ahead and Buffy wasn’t slowing, Danny fought to keep her eyes open as Buffy weaved around them. “Pussy, step on the gas or get out of my way!” Buffy screamed as the RG continued picking up speed.

  Knowing the others couldn’t hear Buffy, Danny was shocked to see them pulling out of her way. “Very smart on your part,” Danny said, looking over her shoulder and saw the other two rigs in her squad following close behind. Then Danny laughed, hearing a call over the company net saying Buffy was driving.

  The rig lurched as Buffy pulled out onto the road and yanked the steering wheel right. With the rig on the road, Buffy reached down and flipped the flood lights on. Suddenly, the area around them was bathed in light with two massive lights pointed straight ahead. “Where are you, blues?!” Buffy sang out.

  “Running away if they are smart,” Danny mumbled, looking down at her computer tablet. Seeing the red triangles of Bravo pulling out, she widened the view and saw all of her battalion was pulling out. Memorizing her route, in case Buffy made a mistake, Danny tapped the screen, turning the tablet off.

  Putting it in a padded case beside her, Danny looked ahead. “Shit,” she mumbled, bracing herself after seeing a small Hyundai on the road.

  “Yahooooo!” Buffy cheered as the RG hit the front of the small car, sending it flying off the road.

  Looking back, Danny saw the small car on its side in the ditch. Feeling the rig lurch to the right, Danny grabbed the GAU and Mk-19 to keep from slamming into the lip as she turned back to the front. A blue was charging out of the ditch heading right for them.

  The blue jumped in the air as Buffy aimed the rig at it and Danny cringed as the body met the front of the rig with a crunch that could be heard over the engine and road noise. “That’s right, I’m bad!” Buffy shouted.

  “Buffy, no faster than fifty M-P-H,” Danny called over the ra
dio and saw another blue charging them. Spinning the cupola, Danny squeezed the trigger, sending out a burst from the GAU. The fifty-caliber rounds hit the blue, vaporizing the torso and only the legs dropped to the ground.

  “I am doing fifty and that one was mine!”

  “Buffy, I don’t want those fuckers jumping up here with me, so deal with it,” Danny snapped as gunfire erupted behind her. Glancing back quickly, Danny saw the other rigs behind her shooting the blues charging them from the tree line.

  “It’s play time,” Danny said, turning around as Randy and Beth started shooting. Off the right side of the road was a house and a blue was standing on the roof. “Bullshit,” Danny huffed, spinning the cupola.

  Pressing the trigger on the Mark19, Danny sent a dozen grenades as the automatic grenade launcher sounded out with its lazy ‘thump, thump, thump’. The rounds impacted, blowing a leg off the blue and destroying the roof.

  “That’s telling the panty slime, sis!” Buffy yelled.

  Swinging the cupola back, Danny pressed the GAU, cutting down three blues. Glancing up, she pushed her back against the lip of the cupola, seeing their turn ahead and bracing herself as Buffy slowed, swinging wide.

  When the rig was pointed down the road she wanted, Buffy stomped the gas, powering out of the turn. “Buffy, it isn’t a race,” Danny said, looking back to see the other two rigs slowing and taking the turn much gentler.

  “Bullshit,” Buffy snapped. “If we get there first I can drive around, running over blues.”

  “Buffy, how much did you slow for that turn?”

  “I never even rocked the rig!” Buffy shouted.

  “Buffy you do have passengers. Yes, the rig didn’t sway, but you are throwing us around,” Danny snapped, pressing the trigger of the GAU and cutting down five blues and a matrix kid.

  “I slowed to forty,” Buffy said and Danny could tell she was grinning and looked around quickly.

  “Buffy,” she said, swinging the cupola as Buffy darted into a parking lot for a gas station on the right side of the road. Two blues that charged out of the building exploded as Buffy yanked the steering wheel, guiding the rig back on the road and barely missing the ditch.

  “Did you see that?” she called out laughing.

  “Thank you for not going into the store,” Danny said as the rigs behind her opened up on the building when more blues charged out.

  “You said I couldn’t,” Buffy sassed.

  Spinning the cupola, Danny cut down a group of blues charging them, “And I won’t change my mind on that,” she shouted back, moving the GAU to the right and cutting down another blue.

  “Heath, has the battalion formed the line?” Danny called out, shooting another group of blues.

  “Yes, but I should tell you, we are four miles ahead of them.”

  “Buffy, slow down,” Danny said, lifting her rifle up and shooting a single blue.

  “You just had to tattle, didn’t you?” Buffy growled at Heath, but did slow down.

  “Buffy, I’m letting second squad take the lead for a minute,” Danny said then waved at the rig behind them, giving them the hand signal to lead.

  “Oh, come on,” Buffy moaned.

  “Buffy!” Danny snapped, pulling up her tablet. When the screen came on she saw Heath was correct, all her battalion was spread out in a line behind her. Zooming out on the tablet screen, Danny saw both regiments stretched out in a hundred mile line, moving southeast.

  Turning the tablet off, Danny pressed her mic, “Bravo company, first platoon, I need squad three and four to form up at my position at each stop,” she called out.

  When they both called back, Danny put the tablet up. “We don’t need anyone else,” Buffy said. Danny saw the other rig in front of them and Buffy was in the opposite lane, ready to charge past.

  “Beg to differ, sis,” Danny mumbled, lifting her rifle and shooting two blues.

  They roared into the town of Dublin and Buffy kept whining about getting back in the lead. Pulling into a small mall, Danny pressed the mic, “Squad one and two, set up here and wait for three and four to join. Form box defense. I’m going to let Buffy ride around town.”

  “Yeeeesssss!” Buffy shouted, stomping the pedal.

  “Beth, Randy, close the troop hatches,” Danny called over the intercom, dropping down and closing the cupola hatch.

  “Can I go through that building?!” Buffy shouted.

  “No,” Danny said, moving over to the monitors. As she watched her other companies form up in small clusters, Buffy drove around chasing blues.

  Talking to the other companies, Danny reached out, grabbing the bench as the rig gave a violent shudder. “Hide under another car, dumbass!” Buffy shouted.

  “Bravo One, this is Alpha One,” Matt called over the radio.

  “This is one Matt,” Danny said as Buffy cheered.

  “I got that little turd!”

  “Danny, why are you driving all over that small town? If you stay put, the blues will come to you,” Matt called back.

  “Matt, Buffy is driving and doesn’t feel that way,” Danny sighed.

  “Oh,” Matt said. “Um, you did tell her not to drive through a building, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, Matt and she promised she wouldn’t.”

  The rig yanked to the right and Danny’s hand shot out, grabbing the bench as the rig kept turning right. “You little bitch, come here!” Buffy shouted as the rig did a complete circle.

  “That is a very tight circle for a vehicle that size,” Matt called out when the rig suddenly yanked to the left, turning sharply.

  Danny reached up tapping the screens till she saw the view from the drone over her. She saw the rig make a wide turning circle and a blue just stopped and looked back as the rig stopped chasing it. It realized rather quickly, Buffy didn’t stop, she just changed her attack.

  She felt and saw the front of the rig hit the blue, sending it sailing as Buffy hit the brakes. Waiting on the blue to come to a stop in its roll, Buffy eased over laughing. “Aw, did I hit you, poor thing?” Buffy said.

  Watching the monitor, Danny saw Buffy drive the rig over the blue’s legs, but didn’t feel the massive vehicle move when it ran over the blue. “Oh sorry,” Buffy said, stomping the gas and turning around, driving back up to the blue.

  On the screen, Danny was watching the blue trying to crawl away with both its thighs flat. Buffy drove over the blue’s chest, “I’ll come back and check on you later,” Buffy sang out, stomping the pedal.

  “Matt,” Danny said, pressing the radio. “She knows how to drive. How long until we can move out?”

  “Don’t know. Jake is south of Macon and is reporting a lot of blues, so we won’t move until that dies down.”

  Tapping the screen the drone was on, Danny looked around and saw blues charging the small town. “I’m going to need fuel around noon with the way Buffy’s driving,” she called over the radio. “We will hold here until cleared to move.”

  “Copy,” Matt said laughing.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Switch over to regiment channel,” Matt said. “Call if you need anything.”

  Stabbing the radios with her finger, Danny pressed the regiment channel. “- did you see her chase that one down?” Steve shouted.

  “Yeah, like he should talk,” Danny huffed. “You were the one with Buffy when she wrecked Dad’s truck.”

  “What the hell did Danny tell Buffy? She didn’t chase that last one into that building,” Ted called out.

  “Leave her alone!” Stephanie shouted over the radio. “Buffy drives very good, thank you.”

  Danny changed back to the battalion channel. “If I remember, Stephanie. You were the one threatening to spank Buffy when we drove through Jackson,” Danny said as the rig gave a lurch to the right with the sound of crunching metal.

  “Buffy, you break my rig and you will be the one pushing us back to the rear,” Danny said, looking up at the cab.

  “That matrix ki
d jumped in that minivan,” Buffy shouted, yanking the wheel hard to the right. “I know this is his momma,” she grunted and Danny saw a blue female running from them.

  “Buffy, watch your fuel level,” Danny said, looking back at the screens.

  Randy leaned back on the bench, “I’m so glad she doesn’t have to sit in my lap anymore.”

  ***

  It was two hours later that Bruce called for the line to advance and Danny was sitting between Buffy and Heath, watching Buffy’s game. “Buffy, pull over to the others and let them see if any blues are on us.” Danny said, stretching out.

  “I shook them off,” Buffy said, turning into the parking lot.

  “I just want to make sure,” Danny said, scooting back under the cupola hatch. “I really don’t want to open up and find a blue up there.”

  Buffy glanced back nodding. “Yeah, that would really suck.”

  Driving over to the other four RGs, Buffy slowed as they looked at the blood covered vehicle. “Roof is clear, but you have a body hanging out of the grill,” they called back.

  “I want to take a picture,” Buffy said, looking back at Danny.

  Danny pressed her radio switch, “Will one of you take a picture?” she called out and Buffy gave her a grumpy look. “Buffy, the outside is coated in gore. I’m not in the mood to head back for decontamination.”

  Turning back in her seat, “At least they let me keep my bra and panties on now,” she mumbled.

  “Bravo, move out,” Danny called over the radio and looked back at Beth and Randy. “Open up and let’s get some.”

  She opened up the hatch for the cupola and stood up. “It’s clean up here,” Beth called over the intercom.

  “Buffy didn’t run over any with the roof,” Randy said, looking at all the bodies in the parking lot as Buffy pulled out on the road. “I’m sure the front and sides are covered.”

  With the other four rigs following Buffy through town, they saw the destruction she’d wrought on the land. Passing an intersection that used to be clogged with stalled cars but was now cleared with cars thrown in the ditch or flattened, Danny grinned. “Have to admit, the girl can drive,” she mumbled.