Mike let out a long breath as he picked his chair off the floor and just flopped down in it. “Don’t ever do that to me again,” Mike told them.
“Well why are you treating us so tenderly? No one else who lost someone is getting this treatment,” Angela told him.
Mike looked up at her, “Angela, I have known Bruce for a long time, but he’s like a different person. Don’t get me wrong, I want to go out and wade in blood with him but he is getting actual joy out of it. Debbie told me, Bruce could save mankind or let it go. Right now I don’t know which he is doing and to be honest with you I don’t care except he is making it safe for my family, which includes you two. How am I supposed to know when I should try to pull him back?” Mike asked.
“Mike, Debbie said several times in my letters that you would know the time without a doubt,” Angela told him.
“I know, she said the same in mine,” Mike said.
Stephanie sat down looking at Mike, “Mike, how many times did you talk to Debbie about her knowing she was going to die?” she asked.
“Several,” Mike admitted.
“What did she say about Angela and me?” Stephanie asked.
“She told me not to say, it was in the red notebook,” Mike told her.
Angela sat down with them, “Mike, when did Debbie know?” she asked.
“The morning Bruce called us down before the virus exploded in America,” Mike answered.
“Why are we getting the special treatment?” Angela asked again.
“Because you two are my lifeline to Bruce, without you I know we have no chance to bring him back. I can see it when he looks at you two. Don’t get me wrong, he loves the kids and would hang on long enough to see them grown before going off the deep end. He cares about you two almost as much as he did Debbie. Debbie loved you two so much, at times, I thought Bruce should be jealous,” Mike told them looking down at the table. “Debbie told me that with you two in her life she felt truly whole. That she knew you two would love and protect her family. The day she died Debbie admitted to me that she thought she had cheated death and would get to live the rest of her life with you two and Bruce. Then that fucking blue bit her, sealing her fate,” Mike told them still looking at the table. Looking up at them Mike said, “So that is why I don’t want to risk you in any way. If I can save Bruce, you two will be there for him, to keep him happy.”
“Okay Mike, I can live with that,” Stephanie told him.
“Mike what about me? I just threw myself into this family,” Angela said.
Mike chuckled, “Debbie told me about it and tells you in the red notebook,” he said.
“Really?” Angela said.
“Yes, she saw you too,” Mike told her.
Angela laid her head on Stephanie’s arm as Stephanie asked, “What is Bruce doing now?”
“What he set out to do, kill. He ran out of big cities in the south so he is starting on the little ones. He found several survivors at a farm several hours ago. Omega is just driving real slow letting the blues come to them and they cut them down,” Mike told them.
Stephanie stood up and walked over to the monitor as Angela followed. They could see the RG Bruce was in and could see him behind the M-2. They both smiled watching him lead the convoy down the road into a small town. Blues would charge out only to be cut down with a bullet to the head.
Stephanie turned around to Mike, “Okay Mike, we’ll just hang around here,” she told him as she turned back to the monitor.
A hundred miles to the south Bruce was rolling into the small town of Oakdale. Bruce stopped Omega at the main cross roads in the small town forming a circle with the attack vehicles on the outer ring. Bruce lifted up his SCAR as the RV operator came over the radio. “We have several thousand coming,” he said.
Bruce keyed his radio, “About time, keep your fields of fire clear. If blues breach the perimeter we’ll button up and drive off, do all squads copy?”
When all six replied Bruce saw his first blue and it was bringing friends. Sighting in, Bruce squeezed off a shot taking off the blues head at two hundred yards. Moving his rifle from blue to blue Bruce cut them down. With the diesel engine’s running you couldn’t hear the suppressed rifle shots but you could hear the roar of the infected even with the CVC helmets on. Twenty minutes later no more blues could be seen by the RV surveillance crew.
Then the RV came over the radio, “We have survivors to the northeast in front of the prison coming out of a house.”
“Okay, everyone fall in behind me, let’s move,” Bruce called over the radio as the driver slowly drove the RG down the road. Pulling into the subdivision the driver followed the directions of the RV team.
“Stop, they’re to your right, behind that shed. It looks like four kids,” the operator called out.
Bruce climbed out of the RG and walked toward the shed that was sitting beside the house. The windows were boarded up, Bruce noticed as he strolled down the driveway. Hearing footsteps running up behind him Bruce smiled, “Buffy, you’re getting slow,” he told her.
“I’m not jumping off that truck! It’s nine feet off the ground! I have farther to fall than you do,” she told him.
Bruce stopped in front of the shed and called out, “We know you’re behind the shed and we’re not here to hurt you, as you probably figured out already. We just want to make sure you’re all right and see if you want to come with us.”
A few seconds went by and Bruce saw a head peeking out from behind the shed. “Guys it’s too hot to play these games. We have food and water but if you don’t come out I’m leaving and you can fight the blues we haven’t killed yet!” Bruce yelled out as sweat ran down his face.
From around the corner came four kids who looked like walking skeletons. The oldest was a girl but Bruce couldn’t even guess her age. The three others were little boys, and like the girl, Bruce couldn’t guess their age. They slowly walked over to him and stopped.
“Are you the Army?” the little girl asked.
“We are the ‘good guys’ Army. We kill bad people and blues,” Bruce told her and all four had relief fill their faces.
“Where are your families so we can get them and get you fed?” Bruce said.
“It’s just us, the motorcycle men took everyone else,” the girl said.
“Come with me so we can get you some food and water. This is my daughter Buffy, she’s twelve,” Bruce told them.
“She has a gun,” the girl said pointing at Buffy.
“Yeah and she can use it too,” Bruce told her as he led them to the RV. Keying his radio Bruce called out, “We’re holding here for a while, a gang may be near and I’d really like to say hello.”
Over the radio Bruce heard, “Bruce, do you think they’d mind if we just dropped by? I mean isn’t that rude?” Ted asked sarcastically.
“I’m sure it would be okay,” Bruce said as the door to the RV opened and Bruce led the kids inside. One of the Omega crew had set up at table with some simple food on it. Sadly the clan had a lot of experience of feeding malnourished people back to health.
As the kids sat down Bruce told them, “Eat slow and chew your food thirty times before you swallow and take a drink of water before and after you swallow. Now, little girl what’s your name and how old are you?”
“I’m Rachel and I’m fourteen,” she said taking a small bite of bread and drinking some water.
“Rachel, my name is Bruce. Do you know where these motorcycle men are?” Bruce asked.
“Ville Platte,” she told him.
“Do you know where in Ville Platte?” Bruce asked hopefully.
“At the train yard,” Rachel told him confidently.
“Be on target in a few minutes!” one of the UAV operators yelled from the back of the RV.
“Where are your Mom and Dad?” Bruce asked.
“Daddy died fighting the blues and the motorcycle men took my Mama and sister,” Rachel said.
“How long ago?” Bruce asked.
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p; “I don’t know but it’s been weeks. Mama told me to run when they came to the house and I meet the little boys the next day hiding under a bridge. We sneak into houses to find food, but please don’t tell on us, we were hungry,” Rachel pleaded.
“Rachel, if anyone asks, you had my permission to go into those houses to get food. I’m the boss here and no one goes against my word so forget about that,” Bruce told her making Rachel smile. “How many bikers have you seen?” Bruce asked.
“When they took my mom and sister I counted fourteen,” Rachel said.
“Have you seen anyone else besides the bikers?” Bruce asked.
“Yes sir,” she replied.
“Why didn’t you stay with them?” Bruce asked.
“Most didn’t want us to, but I really didn’t want to because if I move around the motorcycle men can’t find me,” Rachel told him. Bruce was actually shocked she was more scared of the gang than blues.
Bruce stood up, “Rachel, we have killed millions of blues and over a thousand bikers. You are safe with us. We will take you to our farm where we have over two thousand people now who fight to protect each other,” Bruce told her. “Do you and your little friends want to come?” Bruce asked.
Rachel looked at the little boys, then at Bruce nodding her head, “Yes sir.”
“Then you must do what I say without question. You will listen to this man right here,” Bruce told her pointing at the cook. “He’s going to feed you and take care of you until we get back to the farm,” Bruce told her. Looking at the cook Bruce said, “If something happens to them you had better be dead.”
With tears coming out of his eyes the man replied, “Sir, I might die but I swear nothing will harm these kids.”
Bruce looked back at Rachel, “Do you think you could tell us where you saw the other survivors?” Bruce asked.
“Yes sir, most of them anyhow,” Rachel replied thinking about it.
“Get a map and start working out the locations, we’re going to get the bikers,” Bruce told the cook as Rachel jumped up.
“Will you rescue my Mama and sister? I’ll do anything you ask,” Rachel begged.
“Rachel, you’ve already said you’d join us. That makes you family now. Your family is our family and we kill to protect our family. This man will die protecting you. You are now part of our clan, our family,” Bruce said pointing to the cook. “So will every other person here. If your mother and sister are alive, we’ll get them,” Bruce promised as he walked to the back.
“Did you hear that Mike?” Bruce said into his radio.
“Yeah, I heard it and we have the rail yard on the monitor. And we don’t see much of nothing but each of those building is a hundred yards long and thirty yards wide. The main building is over a hundred yards long and fifty yards wide. They might be there or they could’ve left,” Mike said.
Bruce looked at the monitor studying the facility. “Mike, the fence is intact all the way around and Rachel said she only counted fourteen when they took her mother. We were searching this area real hard for a long time. I think this is a small group, around thirty or so. They could put a lot in that building and only have to come out to get supplies and hostages,” Bruce told him.
“Hold it Bruce, we saw someone in the widow on the main building,” Mike called over the radio.
“We’ll hit them tonight,” Bruce told Mike.
“Bruce, you’ll be going in blind,” Mike replied.
“Doesn’t matter, they have no lookouts outside. Keep it under surveillance and get me some locations. We’re going to pick up some survivors,” Bruce told him.
“Let’s just blow the damn thing up,” Mike declared.
“Can’t, Rachel’s mom and sister might be in there,” Bruce replied.
“Okay Bruce, I leave it to you but Ville Platte is still full of blues so if you make noise, the gang and the blues will hear you,” Mike informed him.
“Wait till you see my plan,” Bruce said.
“Bruce, don’t do idiotic shit,” Mike moaned and whined.
“I can’t or Angela and Stephanie will drive down here. Now, we both have work to do, let’s get to it,” Bruce told him.
Bruce walked back to the front and saw that Rachel had marked six locations on the map. Smiling Bruce keyed his radio, “We have more survivors and found a gang. Let’s get the survivors then the gang. I really need more playmates.”
Conner came over the radio, “You played very gentle with your last playmates. If we get you some more, will you play a little rougher with them?” he asked.
“I did pick up that new nail gun,” Bruce told him.
“Let’s get Bruce some more playmates,” Conner called over the radio and everyone joined in agreeing.
Bruce led the convoy to the areas that Rachel had marked on the map, of the six, only five held people. They found twenty-four more survivors and Bruce questioned the adults and they confirmed what Rachel had told him. The gang only leaves to grab people and supplies then goes back to the rail yard. One of the adults told him that there were at least thirty-seven gang members. That was how many she saw when the gang fought the police in Oakdale.
It was 2000 when Bruce called the squad leaders to the RV to go over the plan. Only the kids were in the RV, the rest of the survivors were in the semi that the team used to sleep in. The cook wouldn’t let the kids out of his eyesight. As Omega picked up survivors, the kids sat and listened to Bruce and when he talked the three little boys hugged Rachel feeling the hate radiate off of Bruce.
“I’m taking first and second squad with me. We’ll hotwire a truck and move up to within five miles of the rail yard. Mike has seen several come out during the day and all of them are coming from the main building on the north end. We’ll enter in the south end and work our way to them. When we get close, I’ll call and Ted will lead the rest of Omega into Ville Platte killing blues and making noise. The rail yard is only a mile and a half from there so they’ll hear it. Let’s try for a kick off time around midnight, I really want them to be rested before I play with them,” Bruce told everyone as they grinned. “Any questions?” Bruce asked.
“Why not take a bigger team with you? The rest of us are in armored rides, it’s not like blues can do that much to us, especially the number that are in that town,” Ted pointed out.
“This group turtles, meaning they just stay in place. They try to remain invisible and have done a pretty good job staying that close to a small town. I really want them occupied looking to the north, at you, when we hit them,” Bruce told him.
Ted nodded as Bruce looked at everyone. “So let’s do this,” Bruce told them.
Jake found a truck and hotwired it with squads one and two piling in. Stopping five miles from the rail yard Bruce led them through the fields up to the rail yard. Everyone had on their monocular and a thermal scope on their rifle. It was 2230 as Bruce knelt down outside the fence and looked in the rail yard.
Mike called over the radio, “No one in sight.”
“I can see that,” Bruce told him motioning for Jake to cut the fence.
“Just helping,” Mike replied.
Bruce didn’t answer as he headed through the fence to the side door. He didn’t even try it and motioned for Jake to pick the lock. When Jake finished he moved back and Bruce slowly eased the door open and stopped. Bruce caught a reflection of something as the gap widened. Easing his finger through the gap he ran it up and felt something through his glove.
Reaching up Bruce turned on the IR flashlight on his monocular and was almost blinded in his left eye with the monocular. His right eye couldn’t see shit. When his left eye could see again, Bruce looked at the gap and saw a string tied to the door. Pulling out his knife, Bruce cut it and checked the opening again. Not seeing anything else he eased the door open.
Easing inside Bruce saw the string was tied to a bucket with a shit load of bottles in it. Bruce pointed to it then led the team inside. They found several more poor man alarms along the hallway
leading to the north end. When they reached the door at the end of the hall Bruce stopped and tried the door and was surprised to find it unlocked. Easing it open, Bruce wasn’t surprised to find another string tied to it. Cutting it, Bruce eased through and found himself inside a large shop with a light coming from the other end.
Bruce motioned for the rest to come in and line the wall facing the shop as he eased forward. The shop was an easy fifty by fifty yards, Bruce noted as he moved from table to table. When he reached the middle, Bruce stopped. There was a small electric lantern in the middle of the floor with people laying everywhere. Then Bruce noticed the whiskey bottles lying on the floor and heard the snoring. Moving his head slowly right to left, Bruce counted thirty-one bodies around the lantern. Easing around the slumber party, Bruce found a group of people chained together at the back of the shop.
Looking around Bruce couldn’t find anyone awake. He could see the window that they had seen someone looking out of during the day. ‘They are all asleep, this is too good,’ Bruce thought as he moved back to the team. Moving over to Danny, Bruce pulled her close whispering in her ear.
“They’re all drunk and asleep. We’re going to move up and tie them up with cover. If anyone wakes up kill everyone. Now pass that along,” Bruce whispered.
When the message was passed along Bruce led the group over. Then one by one, someone would stomp on the sleeping person’s head and they would roll them over tying them up. The only sound heard were stomps and clothes rustling as the person was rolled over. In fifteen minutes the whole lot was tied and gagged. Bruce eased over to the hostages and put his hand over her mouth of a woman who was handcuffed to a table.
She tried to pull back but Bruce held her tight as he whispered, “I’m here to rescue you and the others so please be quiet.” When she stopped moving Bruce whispered, “Are the ones in here all of them?”
The woman shook her head no. “Where are the rest?” Bruce whispered.
The woman pointed at the hallway they had come out of. “How many more?” Bruce whispered.
Looking at Bruce the woman held up three fingers. “Are they alone?” Bruce asked and the woman shook her head no and held up three fingers then pointed at herself.
Blue Plague: Rage Page 11