Blue Plague The Fall

by Watson, Thomas A.

  “That’s enough out of you,” Carroll snapped at Darrell, and he immediately lowered his head. “I have never been so happy to see you, but do you know how embarrassed we were when our two youngest college boys got arrested? Everyone at church talked about it like we did not raise you right. I love ya, but we will be making a trip to the tree later,” Carroll said, looking at the young men.

  “Ma’am, I want to take their switching for them,” Bruce said. Carroll turned to Bruce.

  “That’s a lot of hits to be taking for these two. May I ask why?” Carroll asked, studying his face.

  “When we rescued Susan and the babies,” omitting Jim, he continued, “a sniper had me, Mike, and Buffy in his sights. They shot him, saving us. If they had not been there for us, we would have died and so would have everyone in our party,” Bruce said, handing his SCAR to Marcus and undoing his vest.

  “What are you doing?” Carroll asked, watching him take off equipment.

  “Taking my vest off. Now where is this tree?” Bruce replied with apprehension.

  “Bruce, stop right now,” Carroll said, turning to Darrell and Eric. “Is this true, and don’t lie or everyone is getting a switchin,’” she asked, looking at them.

  “Yes, ma’am, Darrell shot him while I was looking through binoculars telling him where to aim,” Eric said, looking down.

  She ran up to them and hugged both of them, crying. “The good Lord put you there to help these good folks and these others. I may not like it, but I can’t go against his workings. But don’t be doing stupid stuff like that again. Drinking and driving. Do I make myself clear?” she finished.

  “Yes, ma’am,” they both said together.

  “Now go and get them ten bottles of water out of the root cellar,” she told them, and two grown men took off running. “I guess you think that’s funny with them running off like that,” Carroll said to Bruce.

  “No, ma’am, my oldest got a spanking with a belt two days after his eighteenth birthday for taking my truck without asking. I got my last spanking from my mama when I was twenty,” Bruce told her.

  “See, I knew you had a good heart. I got my last spanking when I was twenty-six from my mama, and so did Marcus,” Carroll said as Marcus handed Bruce’s rifle back. “Bruce, the good Lord has brought us together. This is too much for coincidence. I don’t know what for, but he has. We can’t know his ways. You and your family do go to church, don’t ya?” Carroll asked.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Bruce replied, almost asking about the spanking they got from her mother but deciding not to.

  “Now back to Jim. You want us to allow him here?” she asked.

  “That is entirely up to you, but he is evil incarnate, ma’am. I have him broken now, but he will fall back to what he knows, which is hurting others. I would say shoot him if he shows up,” Bruce said.

  “If he shows up here without you, we will bury him in the garden. I just wanted to make sure it would not bring hard feelings from you,” Carroll said.

  “Carroll, I would shoot his ass right here, but I don’t want to drag his ass out. Then I don’t want Cassandra to have doubts about me,” Bruce told her.

  “I think if you gave that little girl a gun, she would shoot him,” Marcus said, with Carroll agreeing.

  “Unless he forces my hand, I’m just going to cut him loose. He will be dead by nightfall,” Bruce said.

  Bruce told them to have a CB tuned to the channel they monitored at the farm, and if they needed them, they would come. He would return in a few weeks anyway to bring them better weapons. Marcus and Carroll thanked him for the pistol and patted the holster across his chest that Carroll had made last night. He told them where the farm was and that they needed to come there if it got hard here. They just needed to warn them on the radio or approach real slow with hands up as soon as they started on the dead-end road.

  Marcus said they would try to make their stand here but thanked him for the offer and told Bruce that they were always welcome here. Carroll told him get some food and get home before his and Mike’s wives worried themselves sick.

  Bruce went to get some food with the rest of the group then walked back to the packs so Alex could get some food before they left. Alex said he had sent Angela and Susan with the kids to get more food. He did not feel comfortable leaving them here with Jim.

  Bruce told him that was fine and good judgment as he sipped some real coffee, savoring it. Then he started eating, looking down at Jim, who was sitting down and looking at the ground, crying. He was covered in bruises, and his right eye was swollen shut. He would have to find out who did that. Not that Bruce cared, but someone had disobeyed him.

  “I would give you some food, but you had bad thoughts about us when the cars pulled up. I felt them,” Bruce said, looking at Jim with his tears hitting the dirt.

  “I’m sorry, Bruce, I tried to make them stop. Every time one came in my mind, someone hit me last night. How can you read someone’s mind?” he asked, still looking down crying.

  “An old Chinese man taught me where to hit someone and bring pain then where to hit them on the neck to link with their mind,” Bruce lied to him, smiling. It sounded good, though. Bruce saw his shoulders slump after his lie. He really believed it, Bruce thought, feeling that wave of rage rising up. He wanted to bring pain to this target again. He took several deep breaths to bring it under control.

  “Who hit you in the eye, and do not lie because punishment will be severe,” Bruce said.

  “The boy with red hair,” Jim answered immediately.

  Bruce threw down half a biscuit on the ground by Jim. Picking it up, Jim started eating. Drinking his coffee, Bruce kept throwing food on the ground for Jim to pick up and eat. He would deal with Ben later. Mike came back to the packs finishing a cup of coffee. Bruce said he was taking his plate back and getting some more coffee. Then they were out of here. He pointed at Jim, telling Mike to babysit. Mike gave him a thumbs-up. Bruce passed his group, heading to the packs, and told them they would be leaving soon. Eric and Darrell passed him with the water bottles. Bruce put his plate down, refilled his coffee, and headed to say bye to Marcus and Carroll.

  He approached them and hugged them bye, telling them he would see them in two weeks. He turned to Carroll. “I just wanted to tell you I still get regular tongue lashings from my wife,” Bruce said to Carroll.

  “You’re supposed to. We have to keep you men under control or y’all start doing stupid stuff,” she replied.

  “The tongue lashings stay the same, Bruce, but the lovin’ gets better,” Marcus said, putting his arm around Carroll as she reached up, kissing his cheek.

  Bruce waved bye to them and to Eric and Darrell as they walked past him, thanking him for saving them from a beating. He told them to be good because be damned if he was doing that again. They each laughed and hugged him bye. As he approached the group, he saw Jim bowing at Susan’s feet. As he got closer, Bruce could hear Jim beg her to talk to Bruce. Not seeing Cassandra, he started looking for her and found her in Mike’s arms trying to touch his teeth, and Mike was trying to bite her hand. She was laughing at his attempts and not paying Jim any attention at all.

  Bruce heard Jim plead for her to ask. He knows he did wrong, but he did provide for her and the kids. Bruce laughed; he was trying to take credit for something he was supposed to do. Strike one, thought Bruce. He promised he would not talk to her or bother her or the kids, and if everything went back to normal, he would give her half. That’s a lie, Bruce thought, and strike two. Jim just sat there bowing at her feet. From the look on her face, Susan was enjoying it. Bruce told him to stop it now. Jim, not having heard Bruce walk up, immediately curled up in a ball. Damn, he can turtle fast, Bruce thought.

  “I told him the kids and I were part of Mike’s and your family’s now. I told him I would relay his request to not leave him behind, which I am, but I don’t care one way or the other,” Susan said, walking over to the baby backpack and putting Joshua in. Then she put the pack
on and picked up the diaper bag and walked over to stand by Bruce.

  Thanks, Bruce thought, looking at Jim and seeing his pack by him. He had a thought. First Bruce turned to Ben, “Ben, did I not give you specific instructions about where and how to hit Jim?” Bruce asked.

  A look of panic flooded Ben’s face as he replied, “Yes, sir.”

  “Twenty push-ups now, non-stop. Next time it will be a hundred when you disobey my command,” Bruce told Ben. Ben dropped down and started doing his push-ups.

  Looking at the group, Bruce said, “Everyone, put the water they just gave us in Jim’s pack. Then I want everyone to take two of their bottles and add to it.” Everyone ran over, putting the bottles of water in Jim’s pack, grateful to be carrying less weight. When they finished, Bruce looked at the bulging pack, guessing the weight around hundred pounds; half was water.

  Walking over, Bruce stood over Jim. “You will carry that pack, touching nothing inside. I will make my decision in one mile. If you listen and do what you are told, I will allow you to live and stay with us. When I feel an evil thought, I will hit you. If I feel a lot of evil thoughts, I will kill you real slow,” Bruce said to the turtled Jim. Lifting up his foot, Bruce stomped on Jim’s side. “That was for the evil thought when I walked up,” Bruce told him.

  Jim just started crying as Bruce stomped him again. “I did not tell you to cry. Unless I say it, you don’t do it. From now on your name is gimp. Do you know what a gimp is?” Bruce asked. Jim nodded that he understood.

  “You are my bitch now,” Bruce said with a grin. “Now stand up and put that pack on. You will follow ten steps behind me until told otherwise,” Bruce told gimp.

  Gimp shook his head and said he understood and struggled to get the pack on and stand up. Bruce had no idea how he was going to explain this to his Debbie, but he was going to try. He felt joy when he thought about her savoring it for a moment. Then he looked at his group and led them away from the farm, across the field into the tree line.

  Chapter 39

  As Bruce led the group through the woods, it felt like they had been at the Snead farm for years instead of an afternoon and night. Bruce held up his hand for the group to stop and pulled out his map and compass. As he was looking at the map, Buffy leaned over to look. He pointed out to her where they were. Then Bruce showed her where he wanted to stop this afternoon so he could see the checkpoint and if it was a threat.

  Buffy asked, “Where is home?” Bruce unfolded the map, pointing at the farm a panel over. She whispered, “That is a long way.”

  “You have anything better to do?” he asked.

  “No, I’m just following you, Daddy,” Buffy told him.

  Bruce motioned for the group to drink water; they were moving in five minutes. He had allowed the gimp to stay, of course. Everyone was happy that their packs were a lot lighter. At the one-mile mark, Bruce had sent the gimp to walk in front of Mike. Bruce called Mike over the radio, telling him the gimp could have half a liter of water but nothing else.

  Mike called back, saying that he would see to it. Then Bruce told him to slap gimp across the head hard, telling gimp he heard that thought earlier. Mike laughed and said he would. Bruce had told Mike what gimp believed. They had four more miles to go then he and Mike would go the last one and half miles and look at the checkpoint. Motioning to move out, he realized they were halfway home, and it felt good.

  They walked for two and a half hours before Bruce called another halt. They were in the area where the group would stay as he and Mike would go and take a look at the checkpoint. The checkpoint sat on a crossroads. The only thing there was a large convenience store. After finding a place for the group to stay in a stand of oak trees with a magnolia tree in the center, Bruce called them together. Even the gimp crawled over to listen.

  “We are close to the checkpoint. No noise at all. Mike, let Paul use your 1911 with the suppressor,” Bruce said.

  “Just give him your P90,” Mike told him.

  “No, I might need it,” Bruce replied, grinning. After Mike gave Paul the weapon, Bruce looked at everyone.

  “Alex, Angela, and Paul, one of you are to be on watch at all times. If infected come close, take them out but don’t go after them,” Bruce told them. Bruce took the SAW off the side of his pack, giving it to Paul. “You know how to use it, so if a mob shows up, shoot the runners in the legs and run to the east. There is a fence. Follow it south to the field at the crossroads,” Bruce instructed.

  Bruce looked at gimp, who was breathing hard and was red faced with heat exhaustion. Gimp would not cause a problem. That’s the reason why Bruce did not let him have much water on the march. Pointing at gimp, Bruce said, “Kill him if he causes problems, but otherwise everyone leave him alone.” A look of relief came over gimp’s face then Bruce said, “We will stay in radio contact. If I feel evil thoughts, whoever answers will kill the gimp.” Gimp’s shoulders slumped back down: Bruce could feel them over a long distance.

  “No eating until we tell you over the radio when you can. We might have to leave fast, and I don’t want y’all to have to pack first. If we say run, you had better answer back with the group running behind you,” Bruce told them. Everyone nodded as Bruce and Mike stood to leave. Susan came up to them, kissing each on the cheek and telling them to be careful, as did Cassandra. Bruce ran over and kicked gimp in the side.

  Gimp curled up. “I only wanted Susan to trip,” he whimpered.

  “I don’t know what you think, only that it’s bad,” Bruce told him. Jim whimpered that he was sorry and would not do it again. Bruce looked at the group and winked.

  Then he, Mike, and Buffy left, heading to the crossroad. Without the group they moved fast, covering the distance in less than twenty minutes. They stopped before entering the field. Pulling out his map, Bruce saw a small rise in the middle of the tree line that would overlook the intersection. It was 1 p.m. as they crawled up to overlook the area, leaving their packs in the tree line.

  Bruce saw the store on the southeast corner of the intersection. There were two Hummers, a deuce and a half with a trailer, and a Stryker infantry vehicle sitting in front of the gas station. Leaning over Buffy asked about the military vehicles. Bruce explained the deuce was a six wheeled truck, used to haul heavy equipment. Stryker’s were used to move men to a fight they were 6x6 and could haul a squad of infantry. The Hummers were what the military uses as cars. They could see several people walking around the station with weapons. They had been watching the group before it hit him that they were wearing different clothes. Some were in civilian clothes with ballistic vests, and others had on army combat uniform tops or bottoms. He commented about this to Mike and told him to look at the left side of the store.

  Bruce lifted his binoculars and saw a man beating someone. When the beater ripped the top off, Bruce saw it was a woman. The man threw her up against an ice machine, raping her, then dragged her to the store, taking her inside. Several people outside hooted and hollered while the man raped her and threw her in the store. When the beating rapist went in, Mike and Bruce heard renewed screaming from the woman. They were almost a hundred yards from the store. Bruce looked at Mike then he called over the radio to tell the group it was not military but bandits with military gear. Bruce could have cared less if all of them were active military. With what he just saw, they were outlaws.

  He told Mike to start counting and he would do the same. Bruce looked down at Buffy, who had heard the screams. She was just staring out across the field with a tear running down her cheek. She did not have any binoculars but she knew what that scream was. Her mom sounded like that. Bruce pulled her close even though it was 106 degrees, telling her to be strong. They needed to find out if this group was a threat to the farm.

  After watching the group for four hours, they pulled back into the tree line to their packs to compare notes. Bruce told Buffy to get out some water and MREs. He called back to Angela on the radio and told them to eat. On a whim, he told her to get Alex to go
and hit the gimp, telling gimp it was from Bruce. Then Bruce told her that after everyone finished eating, gimp could have half an MRE and half a bottle of water. If gimp did not say he was trying to be good after Alex hit him, gimp didn’t get food, only water. Angela laughed and said okay and all was good there. Alex had been listening to the police radio, and the Air Force base had fallen yesterday, and all military and police units were ordered out to Colorado. Bruce told her to call if they needed them. She said she would and for them not to do anything stupid. Bruce said okay and looked at Mike then his notepad and started a quiet briefing.

  Bruce started his report as Mike followed in his notepad, “I counted thirty-two with an assortment of military weapons. I don’t think they are military because I have only seen three actual guard positions, one on the roof, the second on top of the deuce and a half, and east side of the store by the ice machine. I have seen them stop one vehicle with the cars that are blocking all lanes of the four-way intersection. They took five people from it as hostages: two males, two females, and a child, unsure male or female. Have seen four more hostages that have been brought out of the store, not counting one that was stabbed by the gas pumps. He was approximately fifty-five to sixty-five, male. I have only seen three of the hostiles fire shots. One was a runner, another was a hostage, unsure what guard on roof shot. Have seen over two dozen infected engaged but with only blunt weapons. Impression: Thugs that know a lot of noise draws infected. Have excellent tactics for dealing with infected but still thugs that rape and pillage. I feel they are a threat to us. Reason: Once they can’t find anyone to bully and rape, they will move on. Where, we can’t be sure, that’s why I feel they are a threat.” Bruce looked up after reading his notes, which was difficult with all the sweat on the pages.

  “Okay, tell me what you have different,” Bruce said.

  Mike looked at his pad and started, “I counted forty-one hostiles but saw two more guard positions, one on northwest corner in the back of the pickup, two guards, and one on southwest corner sitting in a Jeep. Agree with thugs and infected tactics. Seen four more hostages, three at northwest corner in back with guards: two women, one teenager, sex unsure, one more hostage in the Jeep, female, hands tied to roll bar. Disagree that they are a threat. The odds they will find us are very remote before they get overrun by infected or another gang.” Mike finished and set aside his notepad for the argument he knew was coming, and he was not in the mood for it. It was too hot. In the week since they had left home, he had lost at least ten pounds, mostly from sweating.