Blue Plague The Fall

by Watson, Thomas A.

“Well,” Mike continued, “Bruce did not feel the need to stop. He had Warren in a wrist lock and was kicking him in the ribs and stomach and stomping on the younger brother that was lying on the ground. Several of the deputies started running for Bruce and the two he was fighting. I yelled for Bruce to stop, and he did. He lets Warren go and turns to the deputies, raising his hands. That is when Warren pops him in the mouth good with a right hook. It knocked Bruce back a few steps, and Bruce flew at him like a man possessed. Bruce grabbed Warren’s arm as he was throwing another right punch, breaking it at the elbow. When Warren went to grab his broken arm, Bruce grabbed his left arm, breaking it at the wrist. That was when the younger brother tried to tackle Bruce. Bruce did a judo roll with him, and Bruce was on top with his knees on his chest. Then Bruce punched him in the face, breaking his jaw.

  Mike started to smile, “That was when a deputy sprayed Bruce with pepper spray. I have to say that is the only time I have heard Bruce yell in pain. I went to go help him, but all of a sudden I’m looking down the barrels of three guns. Bruce staggered off to the side with his hands over his eyes, yelling at the deputy to stop or he was going to be sorry. I was trying to tell Bruce to lie down, but I don’t know if he heard me or if he was ignoring me. Knowing Bruce the way I do, I think it was the latter. It was like I could read his mind; he was going to beat the shit out of that deputy that sprayed him. Well, it seems that I was not the only mind reader out there. The deputy that sprayed him had a look of terror on his face like he knew he had just pissed off a 280-pound giant that knew how to fight. So he pulled out his Taser and gave a warning. Before the words had left his lips, he pulled the trigger, and Bruce fell like a ton of bricks. One deputy held me at gunpoint, and the other five dove on top of Bruce, handcuffing him.

  “This is when Pam came running out of the house in shorts and what was left of a shirt,” Mike continued his tale. “Let me tell you, she had been beaten like a rag doll. Her face was a mess, and bruises covered her arms and legs. She told the deputies that Bruce and I had only came over to save her. Pam told the deputies that she was okay as one took her off to the side. I asked her if she was all right, but she did not answer me. I told the deputy that had his gun still pointed at me that I was a doctor. He informed me that he knew that and his name was Andrew. It turns out he knows Bruce as a nurse and as a deputy for Caddo parish. That was why he held me at gunpoint and did not take on Bruce. He had seen him fight several times and did not want any part of it. I asked him if I could take a look at Pam and see how bad she was hurt. He told me I could but if I tried anything I would get tazed also. I informed him I had no desire to ride the lightning. As I was examining Pam, they cuffed Warren and the brothers. Pam’s jaw was broken, along with a few ribs, and her left shoulder was dislocated. I set her shoulder and made her a sling with my belt. Now as I was examining Pam, Bruce was informing everyone that hell was coming their way. Let me tell you, he was being very descriptive. I asked if I could go over to check on him, and they let me. I grabbed the water hose and started rinsing the pepper spray off of his face. That is when I told him to shut his fucking mouth before he got us in more trouble than we were already in. He actually looked at me like he was going to hit me. That’s when I said I was going to call Debbie over here. He looked up at me and said, ‘You wouldn’t dare.’ I told him I was as I took out my cell phone. That’s when he said he would be good. That’s when the sheriff, Terry Mitchell, drove up with more deputies.

  “Terry walked up to me while I was talking to Bruce, asking if it was safe to let Bruce out of handcuffs yet. I told him to hold on while I continued talking to Bruce. He said okay, walking over to the other deputies to get the story while EMS was en route. I finally convinced Bruce that if he did not behave that not only was I calling Debbie but Nancy also. He promised to be good, and I called to Terry to let him out. The five young deputies were terrified of letting Bruce go, and one actually pulled his pistol out of his holster. Terry yelled at the young deputy to holster his weapon before he came over there and did it for him. Terry looked at Bruce as he stood up and asked him, hadn’t he been sprayed before? Bruce told him of course he had but not sprayed then tazed and had five deputies jump on his back, hitting him, putting him in handcuffs. Terry looked at Bruce, telling him that Bruce did not leave them with much of an alternative. Bruce looked at Terry and apologized for his actions. He then walked over and apologized to all of the deputies, shaking their hands. Bruce then told them his side of the story. Every deputy and the sheriff said if they had known the story, they would have helped Bruce out, letting him continue the beating. Bruce laughed with them, tears still coming out of his red eyes. Bruce asked Terry if he could go home. He was very sore, not from the brothers but from the deputies. Terry laughed and said I could drive him home. Terry drove Pam to Minden for her to get seen at the hospital. Terry said he doubted any charges would get filed against us but from now on let him handle stuff like this or Bruce could be a reserve deputy for him. Bruce told him he could not be a deputy here because it did not feel right policing his neighbors. Terry told him that’s why he needed to be a deputy in Bienville parish. Bruce told him he would think about it, and we got in the truck and drove home.

  Mike started giggling, “That’s when Bruce asked me if I was going to tattle on him. I told him I would have no choice with the way we looked. He sulled and said, ‘Well, that’s it. I’m in trouble. Debbie will be disappointed in me for not acting civilized.’ He then turned and said he was sorry for getting me in trouble as well with Nancy. I told him that it was okay. There was no way I was going to let him get in a fight without me.”

  Mike turned to look at the family. The boys were all smiling, and both girls were laughing. Nancy and Debbie were just looking at him. Nancy asked, “Why would you be in trouble? You were attacked going to check on Pam.”

  “Well,” Mike responded. “We did have a lot of cops with guns pointing at us, and everyone in the parish will know about this by tomorrow, and we thought it might be embarrassing for you two.”

  “Embarrassed,” Debbie said. “Both of you kicked ass and took names. You kept your head and talked Terry out of arresting the dynamic duo. I couldn’t be more proud of both of my husbands,” she said, hugging Mike. Then she took off running into the house to find Bruce, with the rest of the family following, to tell him that everyone was proud of them.

  Warren and Pam had stayed together after he was released from jail. He was still an asshole to everyone, but he never again touched his wife or daughter. Mike was wrong about one thing, though: Everyone in the parish knew about it before daybreak the next day. That Sunday the priest even addressed it during church.

  Everyone expected Steve and Tonya to announce their engagement at any time now. They were taking the same classes at college. Pam came over all the time now to spend time with Debbie and Nancy. She said that was the best thing to ever happen to her because she never could have friends before. Pam did not want to leave Warren; it was her farm they lived on, but it did not seem right to leave him now that he would not hit her again. He was Tonya’s father, after all, so she stayed with him. But when he acted like he was getting mad, all she would say was, “Bruce and Mike want to come over.” That would shut him up, and he would go outside until he cooled off. Warren did work the farm well and brought home a paycheck from the glass factory. He would be on parole for another two years, but that was okay. Pam said her life was good, and she loved coming down seeing the family and could not wait to be a part of it.

  Steve looked at his dads and laughed.

  “What?” Bruce asked.

  “Just remembering when my dad’s went and had a talk with my girlfriend’s dad,” he laughed. “It’s usually the girl’s dad that has the talk, but when you have two dads taking up for you, not many people have a chance.”

  “You got that right,” said Mike. “Nobody messes with our kids. We know where the alligators live.”

  “You know, I do feel sorry for Mary and Dann
y,” Steve said. “I just don’t know how a guy can come over here with two dads that look like bodybuilders and have a very large arsenal of guns and explosives and ask permission for their hand in marriage.”

  “You think they should just fear us, son?” Bruce asked his son. “If I remember correctly, when Mary got attacked at school, several brothers got in a large fight the next day with a lot of the boy’s friends when they said she brought it on herself.”

  “Well, you do have a point; I don’t know why Mama and Mama Nancy grounded all of us for getting suspended. They would have done the same thing we did,” Steve said.

  “They were just being mamas, son,” Bruce said, walking up and putting his arm around him. “That was not the way to handle it in their eyes, but what is done is done. All of you protected family, and that is what we are supposed to do. We,” Bruce said, motioning to Mike, “we’re proud of you.”

  Steve smiled, and the three started to walk up to the house. Steve stopped, looking at both dads, and asked, “Why couldn’t we wait until everyone got home from school to do all of this work?”

  “Too much on the schedule,” replied Mike. “Don’t think I did not think about it. We have shooting today, paintball tomorrow, and church Sunday, and we have to cut the grass from the property fence after church. You had to help us out today because you are the oldest and have more responsibilities. Like we have always said, the older you get, the more that is expected of you.”

  Steve looked down, dejected. “Getting old sucks,” he informed them.

  Mike and Bruce both laughed. “Yes, it does, son,” replied Bruce. “But it does have its rewards. It never gets easier, but seeing your family working and playing together makes it worthwhile.”

  “Come on, let’s get cleaned up and start getting everyone’s guns and ammo down to the range,” Mike told them. “The rest of the clan will be home soon.”

  Just then they looked up, hearing the dogs start barking and taking off running in front of the house. They only did that when they heard a car pull up the driveway.

  “Who is that?” Bruce asked. “It’s too early for the kids to be home.”

  Steve grinned, “It’s probably Tonya. She had to help her mom today do some canning, and I asked her to come over so she could go shoot with us. All of you have said she could come over when she wanted.”

  “Well, she can,” Bruce told him. “It’s about time she got her own weapon to shoot every time we go down to the range. She has been shooting with us for over five years.”

  “She told me she likes Mom’s old M-4. It fits her hands well and does not have all the accessories on it like mine does. She only likes the red dot scope and the forward hand grip,” Steve told his dad with pride in his voice.

  “Well son,” Bruce put his hand on Steve’s shoulder, “when we get down to the range, let’s welcome her into our family. Let’s give her Mom’s old M-4.”

  Debbie had given up her M-4, a shorter version of the M-16 with a collapsible stock. Debbie, at only five feet tall, found the M-4 was big even to her. Bruce had found her a Steyr AUG. The AUG was a bull pup design and shorter than an M-4, with a sixteen-inch barrel. The magazine was moved behind the shooter’s hand and fit Debbie perfectly. After seeing the AUG, Nancy wanted one also; being only five foot two and not much bigger than Debbie, she also fell in love with the short weapon. The overall length was a little over twenty-seven inches. Compared to the M-4, even with the stock collapsed, it was over twenty-nine inches long. The AUG was a little heavier, but they did not care. Bruce did not like the AUG because the ejection port was on the opposite side of the butt stock where the shooter rested his or her head. So once configured for a right-handed shooter, which both Nancy and Debbie were, it could not be shot left-handed without having hot brass hit the shooter. To Bruce, it was important to be able to shoot a weapon off of each shoulder, especially from behind cover. He told both of the wives this, but they told him that is what they married big strong guys for. It would be Mike’s and Bruce’s job to shoot off the left shoulder. Mike, in his infinite wisdom, kept his mouth shut––something he could not teach Bruce–– and complimented the wives on their new weapons. Mike told Bruce later that he should not worry about it because both women would have pistols as backup in a situation like that. Bruce just snarled at him and let it be.

  Mike started laughing. “What?” both Steve and Bruce asked him in unison.

  “You have to admit this is a unique family. We don’t give jewelry or anything like that to welcome someone in. We give them an assault weapon. The liberals just love people like us,” Mike told both of them.

  “The liberals can kiss my ass,” Bruce said. “They are the first ones to start crying when the shit hits the fan for someone to protect them.”

  Steve looked at his dads, because he loved them both as a dad. “I’m willing to bet she will be excited and jump for joy when we give it to her,” he predicted.

  “Well, come on, lover boy,” Mike told him putting his arm around Steve, Mike was proud to be referred to as dad by this fine young man.

  Just then Steve looked up at the house, and around the house came Tonya, with dogs around her begging for attention. Tonya was a country girl with brown hair and green eyes. She was five foot six and built like the sports star she was––a little over 140 pounds and solid. To say she was pretty was an understatement. Steve ran up and gave her a hug; she could have cared less that he was covered in sweat. Steve was six foot one and an easy 220 pounds, with dirty-blond hair that he kept cut short. Mike could not help but think those two would make some pretty kids. This thought he kept to himself because he had to admit it sounded pretty girly.

  Bruce turned to Mike. “We have a good family,” he said to him.

  Mike just replied, “Yes, we do. Let’s get cleaned up and get ready for the rest of the family.” They walked past the two lovebirds and into the house to get cleaned up and ready for family range day.

  Chapter 11

  Mike set up the last table and shooting chair while the kids were pulling out ammo boxes and setting them on the three tables he had set up. The shooting range was on the back side of the property outside of the fence. The front of the property faced south; the hay field was on the east side, with woods along the back of the hay field where the creek ran. They made a huge mound of dirt for a bullet stop, and the hole had since filled in with water, making a little pond. It had lots of snakes and at least two gators that they had seen. The kids had found several eggshells, so they knew it was a breeding pair. The scrap pond, as it was called, was at the very corner of the east edge of the property behind the shooting berm.

  The creek had wound to the edge of the pond from the back edge of the property. The entire property was on a small rise, with the creek at the north base and the parish road on the crest. Creek was a misleading term since in places the banks down to the water were five feet down and some over ten. The water was only a foot deep, with several deep pools along the creek, but when it rained, the small creek turned into a small river, staying that way for weeks at a time. With the gators in the scrap pond, Mike knew gators were in the deep pools of the creek. He was glad his wife wanted the ten-foot chain-link fence around the property. They had harvested a gator out of the creek this year when they drew a tag. He and Bruce had gotten alligator boots made, and the wives had handbags made. They had told the kids that next year they would harvest some more, and they could get something made. The kids loved this since they all hunted.

  The range was a little over a hundred yards long with some targets set up on cables that ran down the range. There were over two dozen metal popper targets set up starting at fifty yards. The berm at the end of the range was over thirty feet tall, a hundred feet long, and at least eighty feet thick at the base. Even standing on the top of the berm, you could not see the house because it was at the bottom of the slope. Bruce had been adamant about this because he did not want an area from which someone could shoot at the house with good co
ver.

  Everyone was waiting on Bruce and Steve to come down from the house. Mike and the rest of the family had taken three of the four electric utility vehicles loaded with kids, guns, and ammo down to the range. Like everything else, they did not buy the 4x4 electric buggies new; they got them used and then learned how to work on them. They had four that were in use and one that they had just bought and were repairing. The batteries had to be replaced, and the front end needed work. They also had seven four-wheeler ATVs, two side-by-side ATVs, and six dirt bikes of various sizes. None were ever bought new, always used then repaired. All it took was time looking for a good deal then some elbow grease. The kids and wives always helped with the restoring of the ATVs. The property, at times when all the vehicles were out, looked like a redneck parking lot. But at least four were usually in a covered garage that was not attached to the house.

  Both Nancy and Debbie had SUVs. The one area where the family differed was Mike was a Ford man and Bruce was a Chevy man. Mike’s family had Fords, and Bruce’s had Chevys. Mike had a F-250 to Bruce’s 2500. Both quad cabs were diesels and 4x4s, and they had restored them. The only three compromises were the kidmobile, the Mini, and the beast. The kidmobile was a GMC Suburban 4x4 diesel with mudding tires and a front bumper that could take out a tank, with a huge winch. They wanted to make sure if the kids were in a wreck, they would be fine; the other car probably would not be, but that was their problem. The beast was a 1992 turbo-charged Range Rover.

  The beast was a project of Mike’s and Bruce’s. They wanted to make a private tank after seeing a program on the Discovery Channel about armored cars. They put quarter-inch steel around the engine compartment and around the body inside the doors. They put an extra fuel tank like the ones they put on all the family vehicles, but then they surrounded it with steel. On the underside of the body, they put a V hull for blast purposes––not that they expected one, but it did look cool. A problem was seen by Danny after they welded the V hull on. She asked them how could they change the oil now? After they ran Danny off, they cut the hull off and welded brackets so they could bolt it on. They could not afford the bullet-resistant glass, and this really pissed them off. As they were talking about working some overtime to pay for some glass, Mary came up to them and said, “Why don’t you just put metal over the window and put a camera on the roof to drive by?” After they ran her off, they put bolt studs along the windows and cut steel that would fit over the window that could be bolted on. Then they put three cameras forward: one an infrared, one color, and one black and white. Then they put one camera on the back and two more looking left and right. Then they put an extra alternator and spare battery with fifteen-inch LED monitor that would fold down for the driver and two monitors that folded down from the roof for the passenger. Next were the tires, forty-inch mudding tires with a run flat core, and the 650-pound front bumper with a winch and 300-pound rear bumper with a winch.