Pointing at the cot, Bruce motioned for Buffy to take the gang member out with her knife. Buffy smiled pulling out her knife. Moving to the side of the cot, Buffy raised her right arm up high and brought it down in an arc driving it into the side of the man’s head. When the blade hit the man’s skull, Buffy put her left hand over his mouth. All he managed to get out was a small gasp as his feet twitched. Grabbing her knife Buffy had trouble pulling it out but managed.
Buffy slowly moved to the next cot as Danny covered her and Bruce followed. As Buffy reached the side of the cot the man sat up. Seeing the man sit up, Buffy stabbed him in the throat as Danny moved closer, driving her knife into the top of the man’s skull. The man’s blood dripping on the floor made more noise than he did. Stepping back, Buffy looked at Bruce.
Bruce pointed at the last cot then at Buffy. Buffy shook her head no and Bruce just glared at her. Seeing that look, Buffy moved to the next cot and swinging her knife down driving it into the side of the man’s head and covered his mouth. The man let out a soft groan as Buffy pulled out her knife. When she turned to Bruce he gave her a thumb up. Smiling, Buffy fell in behind him as they moved past the hostages.
In the main office at the middle of the building were the leaders, nine in total. Bruce wanted them alive. Moving inside the office area with his team they each stood over a sleeping gang member and hit them on the head hard, knocking them out. Zip-tying them, they continued forward finding five more gang members sleeping. They knocked them out and zip tied them up also.
Looking at his watch reading 0406 Bruce thought, ‘Damn are we good.’ Keying his radio Bruce called, “Team one and two complete.”
“Team three and four complete,” Conner called back.
“Team five clear,” Jake called out.
“Team five come inside. Meet in the middle, team three and four move to middle,” Bruce called out.
Buffy walked up to Bruce, “Daddy, I’m sorry. I don’t know why that man sat up,” she told him.
“Don’t be sorry, you did a good job. They can’t yell if you stab ‘em in the throat,” Bruce told her walking over to the hostages.
The hostages were handcuffed to chains attached to the floor. Bruce didn’t see any men and only a few boys. “Danny, you and Buffy tell them they’re free now. If they want they can join the clan, if not they need to move out fast,” Bruce told her as he looked at another group of hostages chained together away from the others. None of them could’ve been over twelve and the youngest was a toddler.
Conner came up beside Bruce seeing what he was looking at, “We can help this time right?” he asked.
Bruce didn’t answer him as he said, “Take every gang member that’s alive to the south end. Call the farm and tell them the attack went well. Danny’s counting the hostages now, get the numbers from her and tell the farm to come and get the ones that want to go.”
“Come on boss, let us get in on this to,” Conner begged.
“No, you can’t live with it. You think you can, but you won’t be able to later in life,” Bruce told him as he keyed his radio. “Omega riders pull the vehicles up to the location and bring my bag from the RV,” Bruce called out.
“On the way,” came a reply.
Bruce looked at Conner as Ted and Carl walked over, “You don’t need to throw away your soul. I have no guilt so I’m immune,” Bruce told Conner as he walked toward the south end of the building.
“Listen to him brother. Now you can do it but later in life it’ll eat at you,” Ted told Conner.
“Okay, let’s get these pieces of shit down there,” Conner replied dragging Bruce’s playmates to the south end.
There were twenty-six breathing prisoners in total when they gathered them up. Bruce grabbed three chairs and selected three at random that didn’t come out of the office and put them in the chairs. A woman Omega driver came in carrying a large bag, dropped it at Bruce’s feet and walked off.
Bruce looked at the three in the chairs, “Two of you might get to live today. Your job is to watch my work. If you turn away or close your eyes you get to join your friends. The two that watch the best will get to live today and tell others what happens when ‘Omega’ finds you,” Bruce told them pointing at the patch on his left shoulder. “Remember, your life is in your hands, all you have to do is watch so you may tell others. The two that watch the best will be the first I allow to live,” Bruce said walking over to the bag that was dropped.
As Bruce was reaching in the bag, Danny and Buffy walked up, “Dad, there’re two hundred and thirty-eight hostages. Five don’t look good Dad and one is a nine year old girl,” Danny told Bruce as he started laying out his tools.
Bruce turned around looking at the two, “Call Mike and tell him to launch three Blackhawks to get them, I want the choppers here the same time the trucks get here to take the sickest back by air,” he told her.
“Sure Daddy, but can I ask you something please?” Danny said.
“No, Danny, you can’t help,” Bruce told her.
“I know that but will you take off your vest? I really don’t want to clean off more blood than it already has on it Daddy,” Danny said.
Bruce looked down and like them he had blood over the front of his body. “Sure thing sweet pea,” Bruce told her dropping his vest. Looking at his tiger stripe BDU’s, Bruce took them off and stood in his underwear with his boonie hat and micro camera.
“I’m so leaving,” Danny said, looking at Bruce standing in his underwear as she and Buffy grabbed his gear.
Bruce smiled watching the two walk away then turned to his audience. “They are such good girls. How much do y’all want to bet I can make you eat someone’s balls while they scream just to stop your own pain?” Bruce asked. The ones lying on the floor started wiggling trying to move and yell but couldn’t because they were bound hand and foot with gags in their mouths.
Bruce walked over to the bag and pulled out a bag of zip ties and tied his three judges to their chairs. “I take that bet gentleman and I raise you that half will eat their own balls before they die today,” Bruce told them walking back to the bag.
Reaching inside Bruce pulled out a cordless drill and pulled the trigger. “You have to love American tools guys. The uses are just too many to count,” Bruce said standing up with a knife in one hand and the drill in the other. “Let’s play,” Bruce said walking over to the first one taking the gag out of his mouth.
At the other end of the warehouse the screams could be heard and no one had any pity. The hostages wanted to go and join but the team wouldn’t let them. The screams continued for six hours until the convoy from the farm and choppers arrived. Mike climbed out of a chopper and ran to the building. The UAVs had spotted several blues in the area and Mike wanted to leave fast so they didn’t draw too much attention.
Walking inside as the hostages were moved outside, Mike asked where Bruce was. No one spoke but everyone pointed at the south end of the building. Walking down the building Mike heard the screams but wasn’t prepared for what he saw. Bruce was standing in his underwear, covered in blood, holding a man’s head in another man’s crotch yelling “Eat it!” Getting closer Mike realized that he was eating it as the other man screamed.
Feeling someone behind him Bruce stood up, “Hey Mike,” Bruce said like it was any other day.
“Bruce, you have blues in the vicinity,” Mike told him. Mike noticed three men tied to chairs with their eyes wide open watching Bruce’s every move. “What’s up with them?” Mike asked motioning to the three.
“They are my judges. The two that watch and listen the best get to live to tell others what Omega is going to do to them, watch,” Bruce said as he walked over to the three and yelled “Drink” then pissed in their faces.
Watching in disbelief Mike said, “That’s cool, peculiar, but cool.” When Bruce turned back around Mike asked him, “What are you going to do about the blues coming?”
“Kill ‘em and go find some more. I want to look over a sea
of bodies,” Bruce replied with a ghostly smile.
“Bruce, your team needs you, so get back on the clock. You can find some new playmates later. We have found two more gangs,” Mike told him.
“Eww, that’s good, more playmates,” Bruce said then looked at Mike. “Get that group back. Call for Gamma to set up on roof tops along your route back to take out any blues that follow,” Bruce told Mike.
“Okay, but hurry and get ready, you’ll have company soon,” Mike said leaving.
Bruce turned back to the few still alive on the floor, “You hear that, more playmates. I hope they are more fun than you. I’m going to move through this land with my army and kill those like you. The leaders will all be my playmates. If the group surrenders then I’ll pick half that will live to watch as I play with the other half. When I’m through with you, then I’ll bring misery to the blues,” Bruce said grabbing a bottle of lighter fluid from the bag and setting the ones still alive on fire.
Turning to the three judges Bruce smiled at them. “I really expected for one of you to turn away,” Bruce admitted. “Well since you all watched, I grant all of you freedom but at a cost of your pinky and ring finger off each hand. That way if my army ever sees you again they will play with you for days before letting you die,” Bruce said as he went to each one cutting off the payment to live and burnt the stumps with a torch. The three barely moved as Bruce cut their bonds and pointed to the north end of the building.
When they reached the team everyone just stared at the spectacle of Bruce following the three with charred hands. “Stop and kneel,” Bruce told the three and they did. “If you’re seen again you will live for two weeks in pain before dying. You will tell every gang you come across that Omega is coming and the guilty will die be they human or blue. We are the new protectors of this world and we love to kill!” Bruce yelled out. Omega joined in the yell as Bruce pointed to the three and to a truck parked outside.
The three jumped up and hopped in the truck speeding off. With two fingers missing from each hand in what would become known as the mark of shame and banishment, the three went and spread the word. In two days’ time the word of Omega had spread to the hopeful survivors and fearful predators. In a month’s time, word had spread all the way to Canada. The short wave radios started giving out hope to the small pockets of humanity left as Bruce spilled out his rage across the land.
Stepping out of the RV after his shower, Bruce looked at the vehicles parked in a line on the road. In the last hour they had killed several hundred blues. With no more in the vicinity that could be seen with the UAV Bruce keyed his radio. “Omega, we’re moving to Baton Rouge. We’ll head down to I-12 then in the early morning drive through Baton Rouge making noise. When we cross the river and on the outside of west Baton Rouge on I-10 we’ll stop, setting up a rolling firing line for the horde that will follow. I want three vehicles on each side of the interstate with the teams firing out the back of the tracks. We have to destroy this horde in fifty miles. If we don’t, we’ll get caught by the blues in Lafayette. I-10 to Lafayette is mostly a bridge so the blues will have to funnel to us. Omega drivers, your job will be to reload magazines so we can kill. Plow truck your job is to keep the road clear in front of us. Any questions?” Bruce asked and didn’t receive any as he headed to his LAV. Climbing inside Omega left to start the battle.
Chapter 8
Angela woke up with PJ slapping her face. Opening her eyes, she saw PJ looking at her laughing. Wrapping her arms around him, Angela pulled him close. Looking across the bed Angela didn’t see Stephanie. Sitting up she looked to the bathroom and the door was open with just the night light on. Glancing at the clock she saw it was 0548. Climbing to the side of bed Angela noticed Stephanie’s AUG was gone along with her tactical vest. Jumping out of bed, she dressed PJ then she got the other kids up and dressed then headed to the Center to find Stephanie.
With her caravan of kids, she walked inside to the command table as the kids took off for their seats but Stephanie wasn’t at the table. Angela put PJ on the floor and he ran as fast as he could, a shuffling walk, to his high chair and looked back at Angela.
“Well if you can run then climb on up then,” Angela told him as she walked over to PJ. Looking at the chair then at Angela like she was crazy, PJ just held out his hands to her. Reaching down Angela picked him up and put him in his chair. Sitting down in her chair she looked at the table for the first time to see who was there. Mike and the rest of the table were just grinning at her. “What?” she asked.
Mike laughed, “It only takes two of those kids to outweigh you and you control them like a little general,” he told her.
Angela just shook her head as she asked, “Has anyone seen Stephanie?”
“Yeah, she’s in mission control’s fight room,” Paul answered.
“What’s she doing there?” Angela asked.
“Watching Bruce start a fight with a horde, they hit Baton Rouge this morning at 0400 and crossed the river at 0430 killing everything. They stopped on the first part of I-10 that’s elevated and started the slaughter,” Paul told her.
Angela stood up, “Why didn’t someone wake me up?” she asked.
“Angela, no one woke me up either,” Mike told her. “I’m going over as soon as I eat.”
Angela sat back down and fed PJ real fast which he didn’t like and PJ let her know it. When she was finished shoving food down PJ, Angela took him out of his high chair and told the other kids to move it as she took them to the school. Dropping them off, Angela took off running to mission control.
Running down the stairs into mission control, Angela didn’t see anyone in the command module and continued to the flight module. There she found Stephanie looking at three big monitors with paper spread out in front of her as Stephanie made notes in her laptop.
Hearing someone come in Stephanie looked over at Angela then at her watch, “Damn, I’m sorry. I was going to help you get the kids ready. I’m not being a good mama,” Stephanie told her.
“You’re being a great Mom. Now tell me what’s going on?” Angela said walking over standing behind her.
“Well they hit Baton Rouge and started the battle at 0400. They formed a firing line on the interstate and are moving along it at three miles an hour. The blues are chasing them but Omega is putting up a wall of lead that I didn’t think thirty people were capable of. Bruce is keeping the blues at a hundred to a hundred and fifty yards,” Stephanie told her.
Angela looked up at the monitor that had Omega on it. The assault vehicles were just as Stephanie described and all the support vehicles were in front of them just creeping along. Mike and the rest of the command group came in as the two just watched the slaughter.
Mike looked at the monitor and saw miles of blues trying to get to Omega. Turning to Stephanie he told her, “Stephanie, come to the command area and give us a run down.” Gathering up her notes Stephanie followed the group into the command module. Setting her papers down at the head of the table she sat down with Angela sitting beside her. Mike sat down asking, “How many are attacking them?”
“About three quarters of a million,” Stephanie answered.
Mike sighed looking up knowing this was going to be a long day. “Okay, let’s prep the choppers to get ready to pull them out or send them reinforcements,” he announced.
“Why? They’ll be finished in an hour,” Stephanie told him.
Everyone at the table just gawked at her after her declaration. “What? They’ll get over run or they’re going to kill them all?” Jimmy asked.
“Oh, the horde will be wiped out,” Stephanie informed them.
“Stephanie, would you explain how they are wiping out a horde that’s almost as big as the one that hit us,” Nancy asked with a shocked expression.
Standing up Stephanie plugged her laptop to one of the fifty inch monitors on the wall, “First they are killing at a rate of almost two thousand a minute,” Stephanie told them as she typed on her computer then pointed at th
e monitor.
“I had the flight crew focus on several during this battle. I don’t know which one this is but I think it’s one of the new members of Omega. I know it’s not one of the kids or Bruce,” Stephanie said pointing at the screen. A figure was aiming out the back of a Stryker firing rapid single shots.
“They are just spraying out shots,” Bill said.
“No they aren’t,” Stephanie replied and typed on her computer zooming out. “Watch the highlighted box that’s where this person is firing,” Stephanie said. In the box, blues were just falling down as they climbed over dead blues joining the pile of bodies.
“Omega is averaging fifty kills a minute per person. Since their kill zone is just over a hundred yards wide that means that no more than four hundred blues can advance at a time. Every minute, seven rows are falling on the front making the blues behind them have to climb over the dead taking away their advantage of speed. With Omega on the elevated interstate the blues can only attack along a narrow front or fatal funnel. This takes away their advantage in numbers. Bruce has made a true meat grinder,” Stephanie informed them.
“Damn, Bruce has turned the team into sharp shooters like Jake and Matt,” Mike said.
“Ah no,” Stephanie said as she typed on the computer then looked at the screen. “This is Jake. He and Matt are averaging hundred and thirty shots a minute and their kill ratios almost double the others,” Stephanie told Mike. On the screen the figure was firing so fast it looked impossible to be hitting anything until you looked in his kill zone. Blues were just melting under his fire.
“Holy shit,” Nancy declared watching the screen.
“Live feed please on monitor two!” Stephanie yelled out to flight control and the monitor next to the one she was using showed Omega still creeping down the highway.
“What the hell are they doing?” Nancy asked.
Blue Plague: Rage Page 7