Blue Plague The Fall

by Watson, Thomas A.

He moved down the aisle taking them out one at a time then he got to number six, who had a hostage with his arm around her. As he drove the knife into the man’s skull, he must have grabbed her hard because she sat up and saw Bruce and tried to scream through the gag. Bruce let go of the knife, punching her in the jaw, knocking her out. Bruce heard laughter from at least two hostiles at the front of the store. Shit, they were waking up. Then, taking a deep breath, he thought, Ride the wave. He backed down the middle aisle and moved to the front aisle. Bruce was getting tired, so he sheathed his knife, pulling up the P90.

  Mapping his targets on the floor and running it through his mind, he watched a hostile stand up front and walk to the door. He wanted tell Mike so bad that one’s on the way. As the hostile walked through the door, Mike called, “One outside.” Then he called, “One down. Five o’clock.”

  As Bruce was getting ready to start, he heard from the front, “What the hell are they doing out there?”

  “I’m telling you, Jack scored some weed off one of those cars today. I smelled it on him.” Bruce sat listening to the conversation.

  Then Nosey said, “Well, I’m going to get me some.”

  And Tattletale replied, “Wake Luther up, or Jack won’t give you any.”

  Nosey replied, “Fuck Luther, and I will shoot the jackass if he doesn’t give me some weed.” Nosey stood up and headed to the door.

  Tattletale said, “Hold on, I’m coming.” As Tattletale got up and followed, Bruce kneeled down and whispered in his mike, “Two coming.” As the two walked out the door it was time to see just how good Mike was. Bruce swore he heard a round hit the wall on the other side of him.

  “Two down,” called Mike.

  Fuck it, thought Bruce, time to put up or shut up. He walked down the front aisle. As he passed each man, he put one in his head. Bruce had made it to the end; as the last hostile sat up, Bruce put one through his forehead. Coming around the counter, he flipped to full auto and started firing two- and three-round bursts into the hostiles waking up from the suppressed shots. Bruce was trying not to hit the hostages but had already clipped two. Seeing movement on his left down the middle aisle, he sprayed the rest of the magazine through the rack, hearing several cries of pain. Turning back to the front of the store, dropping the P90, and pulling up his SCAR, he saw a man stand up with a woman, holding a gun to her head, yelling, “Drop it, or she is dead.” Yeah, like that was going to happen, Bruce thought, as he lined up the holographic dot on the man’s head.

  Then he heard metal scraping the floor behind the rack he had just shot through. He pulled the trigger and started turning, hearing a shot coming from the front of the store then a three-round burst from behind the rack. Bruce felt his left leg pushed out from under him and sharp pain erupting from his thigh. Bruce started pulling the trigger until the bolt locked. He dropped and slammed in a new magazine. Bruce heard from the area in front of the back aisle, “Hey, quit shooting, man. We give up.” Bruce turned toward the voice and could hear several others whispering.

  He tried to bluff. “This is the state police SWAT team. You are under arrest; we have orders to shoot on site anyone who resists us. Throw out your weapons and come out with your hands up, and you will not be shot. To prove my point,” Bruce keyed his radio and said out loud, “Sniper number three, fire five rounds through the front window.” Five rounds went through the front window, hitting the far wall.

  “Okay, man, tell them to quit shooting. We are coming out,” the voice said.

  “Either all of you come out, or we rush you and kill you all,” Bruce said, feeling his BDU pants getting soaked with blood and hearing the debate at the counter.

  “Man, it’s the cops, or we would be dead already. Come on, man, we get a good lawyer, we be out in two to three years,” the voice said.

  “Five seconds. Prepare to rush, alpha team,” Bruce yelled to the back of the store.

  “Okay, we coming out, don’t shoot,” the voice said.

  “How many so I can tell the snipers not to shoot, and any weapons seen will be seen as an act of aggression,” Bruce yelled back, hearing stuff hit the floor.

  “Seven of us are coming out,” the voice said.

  Keying his radio he said, “Seven coming out with hands up. Sniper three and Charlie team, do not fire unless you witness a hostile action. Alfa team will secure the prisoners after the building is secure. Do you copy?” If you bluff, you bluff big, Bruce thought.

  “What the fuck are you talking about, and who the fuck are you talking to?” Mike said over the radio, demanding an explanation for Bruce’s insanity. “Oh,” Mike said over the radio, seeing the hostiles walk out the front door with hands up. Mike did not know how Bruce had bluffed that many, but he was impressed.

  Bruce got in a kneeling position, tracking the men walking by with his weapon as they went out front and kneeled down in front of the door. Getting up, Bruce saw several wounded hostiles moving, but he had other things to do. Walking to the small hardware section, he grabbed two packs of zip ties; his were in his pack. Walking to the door, he made fourteen loops and put the rest in his pocket. Then calling Mike on the radio, he said, “Alfa one coming out. Rest of team is securing building, and Bravo is chasing two by back door through woods. Have caught them but are using Tasers to make compliant.” He finished as he walked out to the seven and started placing cuffs on them.

  “Yeah, mighty Alpha one, Buffy is at fourteen now, and I have killed three blues. Move your ass. We are too spread out,” Mike said.

  “Copy, Commander,” Bruce said, bending down and tying another’s hands.

  “Commander, l like that,” Mike said in a cocky tone.

  “Don’t let it go to your head, Commander. Call the camp up here now, sir,” Bruce said into the radio after he tied the last one. Pulling the ties out, he connected three together to make leg ties and went back down the line tying legs. He had not searched them but couldn’t yet.

  “Don’t move, or my snipers will kill you. I know I have not searched you yet, but one of your partners that ran ‘accidentally’ just got shot so I have to go back there,” Bruce said, going back inside.

  “Told ya, man, you don’t run from the police,” the talker said.

  Looking down at his leg, Bruce saw the entire thigh was covered in blood. Well, it’s working, I have to move, he thought. Taking his knife out, he shoved it in the brains of the three hostiles he found moving. Rolling both of the hostages he clipped over, Bruce found both of them dead. Moving around the store gathering the five women out of the rows, Bruce cut their bonds, telling them to free the people in the cooler but not to come outside and not to shoot a gun because runners were around. That seemed to frighten them a lot. They ran off to the cooler. He started gathering weapons, placing them in a pile in front of the door.

  “Camp group is five minutes away. Do you want me to meet up with them?” Mike asked.

  “I want you and Buffy here now; I’m getting mad,” Bruce said, feeling the wave grow, but he was too tired to ride it.

  “What’s wrong?” Mike asked.

  “I got shot, but don’t do nothing stupid getting here. Take your time,” Bruce said.

  “Oh my God, are you okay, Bruce?” Angela cried out over the radio, out of breath.

  “I don’t think this operation is over, and you are breaking radio silence,” Bruce snapped at her.

  “Fuck you, asshole,” she said in between breaths. Then Angela repeated, “Are you all right?”

  Damn, they must be moving, “I’m fine, little foot, but I need you here ready to engage blues, unknown number,” he said, stepping outside to frisk the hostiles.

  “Blues, man. You need to hurry and get us somewhere, or I’m calling my lawyer,” a voice said.

  Bruce turned and looked at the voice. He was a white man about forty, with tats over his body. Then, looking at the other hostiles, he saw four were Hispanic and two black. He walked to the voice.

  “Are you telling me how to do my job a
nd threatening me?” Bruce asked in a pissed off tone.

  “I’m just saying, man, you need to move us; blues are getting thick here,” Tats said, looking around.

  “You’re telling me how to do my job,” Bruce said, pulling out the XDM, placing it against his head, and pulling the trigger. The front of the voice’s face disappeared, and his body hit the pavement as one of the Hispanics turned around, looking at him.

  “Did I say look at me, motherfucker?” Bruce said as he aimed, pulling the trigger and hitting the man in the throat. He fell down making sucking sounds at the entrance and exit wounds. It took several minutes for him to die. While the thug was dying, Buffy ran up to Bruce, hugging his leg and sending pain through him.

  “Buffy,” he pulled her back, looking down at his leg, and she followed his look. When she saw it, he put his finger on her lips.

  Bruce looked up and saw the group crossing the road with Angela in the lead. They had never moved that fast for him. Well, she was prettier than him; that must be it, Bruce thought. Hearing movement behind him and turning, he saw people digging through the pile of weapons he had gathered. Telling them to stop and get out of here, the hostages moved outside as he heard footsteps run up behind him. He waved his hand to the right, and his group formed a firing line.

  “We need to get my aunt to the hospital,” a cry came from behind the counter.

  “She is dead. Get out of here, please,” Bruce said, trying to keep the rage in check.

  “Please call an ambulance. You are cops. I heard you yell about teams and snipers. Someone can take her,” the female said.

  “If I come in there and get you, it will not be pretty,” Bruce growled.

  “Cindy, come out here now,” one of the girls said.

  A nude teenage girl came out of the store and walked over to the hostages. Bruce looked at the hostages. There were three soldiers, four women, five teenage girls, one man, and one teenage boy, plus the two women and teen boy in the truck; that was seventeen rescued. With the four that were killed in the shootout, that meant there were twenty-one hostages here, half the strength of the hostiles. Bruce pointed at a soldier then at Angela.

  “Soldier, take that lady over to the Stryker and show her how to lower the door then come back over here,” Bruce said.

  “I just spent two days getting the shit beat out of me because that is what these assholes here wanted me to do for them. Teach them how to drive the military vehicles and use our gear. I didn’t tell them. What makes you think I’m going to tell you?” he said, looking at Bruce.

  Bruce walked closer to the soldier and stopped in front of him, looking at his torn shirt. “Listen, Corporal Conner, I can walk over there and do donuts in the damn thing then take it apart. I’m tired, hungry, and pissed off. If I walk over there and do what you were told, then you will walk from here without anything. Do I make myself clear?” Bruce told the corporal.

  “Then I walk,” Conner replied as Bruce started walking toward him. Angela and Mike both grabbed him.

  “Jesus, Bruce, you are covered in blood,” Angela said. Bruce looked down, and he was covered in blood everywhere he could see.

  “Where are you hit?” Angela asked.

  “Leg,” Bruce replied. Angela started looking at his right leg, feeling it up and down. “The other one, Angela,” he said, annoyed.

  “How the fuck was I supposed to know? Your pants are soaked in blood,” she said, annoyed with him also. She went to the leg and started feeling around as Mike stood in front of him.

  “Let me handle this, Bruce,” Mike said.

  “No one leaves until they are checked for bites. If they don’t want to get checked, they get a weapon with one magazine and sent on their way. As usual, we both have to agree on who comes with us,” Bruce said.

  “Who the hell do you think you are talking to? I know the rules. Remember, I’m the commander,” Mike said, smiling at Bruce.

  “Only you go inside. There are three wounded I left,” Bruce said, not in the mood. The wave wanted to be fed but his body could not deliver, and it was making him mad.

  “No, they are dead, and you left two. I stomped their heads in,” Conner told him as a challenge.

  “Listen, you little snot-nosed brat. I just killed nineteen men with a knife then shot fourteen more,” Bruce told him, walking to him, almost knocking Angela over. Mike put his hand out on his chest to stop Bruce as Connor took a step back from this man that was covered in enemy blood. Then Bruce looked at the two on the pavement. “Sorry, sixteen shot. What have you accomplished today besides taking the ones out that I shot?” Bruce said to him.

  “Easy, Bruce,” Mike said, feeling Bruce’s heart beating in a rapid tempo.

  “Easy, my ass. I like this trooper. We might be able to use him. You may ride yet, son,” Bruce said to the corporal. “I’m going to open the Stryker,” Bruce said, turning to the vehicle.

  “Hold on, sir, I will open it,” Conner said as he jogged ahead. Bruce motioned to Susan, who had all three kids to follow.

  The corporal jumped on top and jumped down the driver hatch then opened the rear ramp. By the time Bruce arrived, he was showing Susan how to raise and lower the ramp. He then walked out the back to Bruce and started heading back to the hostage group. Bruce stopped him.

  “Conner, we can use you, but you have to be checked out. I cannot risk my family or my crew. If you are not infected, you have a place with us,” Bruce told him.

  “I cannot go without my troops,” Connor said, motioning back to the other soldiers.

  “If they are not infected, they can come, but I’m in charge of this little army,” Bruce said.

  “Then I guess we will be seeing each other. We have not engaged blues yet,” Conner said.

  Bruce took off his SCAR and held it up. “Do you know what this is?” Bruce asked him.

  “SCAR-light 5.56 assault rifle…” Conner started to recite until Bruce held up his hand.

  Bruce told him to come over, take off his uniform, and just pull down his pants, leaving his boots on. Conner complied, and Bruce looked him over, seeing no bites and that he was in great shape. After he redressed, Bruce handed him his SCAR. He told him to report to Mike for orders and to assist him. Bruce told Conner to ask Mike to have his troops checked first. Conner looked at Bruce and said, “Your troops, sir.” Bruce told him to go, and he ran to Mike.

  Mike looked at Conner holding Bruce’s rifle and knew a new member was coming. He told Conner to get his troops out and undress like he did for Bruce then go and get the people out of the truck. He told the soldiers, a private and a specialist, to come forward and undress, and Alex gave them a clean bill of health. Mike told Connor to get them armed, but only he could fire unless they were hit hard. They took off to do as they had been ordered.

  Bruce, with Buffy at his side, walked back to the hostage area as the inspections continued. As they got closer, the man that was one of the hostages did not want to take his shirt off. Bruce said he would only get a pistol with one magazine then he could leave, but if he came back, he would be shot on sight. The man said that was fine with him as Mike told Marty to get him a pistol. One of the teen girls said he was a gang member that had attacked this gang three days ago. The man called her a liar as Bruce came up beside Mike. Then one of the men being held said the girl was right; they tried to raid to take the bitches. As the man turned to run, Mike shot him in the back three times, and he fell to the ground crying and coughing up blood. Mike told the girl thank you and continued.

  Bruce stepped back and sat down on a garbage can and started keeping watch. Buffy stood in front of him.

  “Daddy, did these bad people do rape to those women over there?” she asked.

  “Yes, baby, they did,” Bruce said. He was not in the mood for an inquisition right now.

  “Did those women do something bad to them?” Buffy asked.

  “I doubt it,” Bruce said. Buffy walked up to one of the teen girls and asked her if she had done any
thing bad to those men, pointing at the tied-up hostiles. The girl said no, she was going with her grandparents to a safe zone when they attacked them, killed her grandparents, and took her.

  Walking back to Bruce and stopping in front of him, Buffy said, “These are bad men, and they need to be punished.”

  “They will be, baby,” Bruce said.

  “They are bad people that just like to hurt and make people feel bad like my mama,” Buffy said, looking up at Bruce.

  “That is why I’m teaching you and taking you with me. You will be able to stop them from hurting you if something happens to me,” Bruce told her. He wanted the wave back, but he was tired. He loved this little girl but just wanted her to be quiet.

  “Nothing can happen to you, Daddy. Mama is watching us, and you are the greatest,” she said, hugging him. He hugged her back but did not answer. She let him go, looked up at him, and smiled. She walked over to one of the Hispanic prisoners.

  “Why do you hurt and do rape to girls?” she asked him.

  “I rape girls and boys, little puta. Leave before you find out,” he said, then he spoke Spanish and laughed at her.

  Buffy turned to Bruce, looking at him for an explanation, and Bruce said, “He said he likes doing it and would do it to you.”

  Buffy spun around, raising her UMP, and fired a shot in his belly. Mike and everyone spun around to see what was attacking them. The shell tore through the self-proclaimed rapist above his navel and exited above his pelvis. He fell screaming to the ground, and Buffy reached down and took the bandanna off his head, shoving it in his mouth. She pulled out the knife Bruce gave her, pushing the button, and the blade popped out. The man was screaming into the rag in his mouth, not realizing he could push it out. Buffy looked at Bruce, and Bruce just nodded his head.

  Mike turned to Bruce, and Bruce shook his head no to leave her alone. He could tell Mike did not like it, but he could care less. Looking at Buffy’s face, Bruce could see the wave had found her, and she was riding it, enjoying the rush as she turned back to the man.

  Chapter 40