“They have three hostages with them?” Bruce asked and the woman nodded her head. “Are they on the right or left side of the hall,” Bruce asked and the woman held up both her right and left hand. “On both sides?” Bruce asked and the woman nodded. “They’re in separate offices?” Bruce asked and again the woman nodded.
“Do they have stuff tied to the doors like everywhere else?” Bruce asked and the woman nodded. ‘Shit this was going so good,’ Bruce thought then grinned. ‘Well it still is,’ he thought keying his radio.
“There are three more in the offices we passed. I’m staying here and everyone else move back to the wall. When the rest of the Omega starts making noise they’ll come out. Then you nine jump ‘em. They have hostages with them so watch your fire. If you have to, take the shot, but not unless you have to,” Bruce told them as they moved to the wall.
When they were in place Bruce keyed his radio, “We’re ready, start the party and make it loud.”
“We’re rolling,” Ted called back.
Ten minutes later Bruce could hear the big diesel engines roaring soon followed by the 25mm cannons on the LAVs along with the M-2s and Mk-19s. The explosions were rattling the windows and Bruce heard bottles crashing in the hallway as the door flew open into the shop. Grinning Bruce watched three men come in dragging three girls. They never saw the group come up behind them.
Jake ran up behind the last one hitting him with the butt of his rifle dropping him. David hit the next one like Jake did dropping him. The man in the lead had to deal with Danny, Mary and Buffy. Danny swung a piece of pipe like she was trying to knock a ball out of the park. It hit the man in the head making him turn a complete flip before he hit the floor. Buffy ran over and was trying to put the butt of her rifle through the back of his head and she pounded away. Mary ran up to him showing the man her powers as she kicked the man between the legs. It was then that Bruce found out, Jake was right; a man can still puke if they’re knocked out.
When the three were tied up, Bruce led the three girls over to the table where the other women were tied up. Looking at the one he had whispered to Bruce asked, “Is that all of them?”
“Yes sir,” she answered.
“That’s good. My name is Bruce and we’re here to rescue you but please be quiet. Blues are coming, but the rest of my army is out there killing them,” Bruce told them. They all smiled showing relief as Bruce asked, “Is the mother and sister of Rachel here?”
A young girl no more that sixteen raised her hand, “I’m Rachel’s sister,” she said.
“Where’s your Mama?” Bruce asked.
“They shot her several days ago,” the girl told him crying.
“I’m sorry, but Rachel is okay, she’s with us,” Bruce told her.
They untied the women and girls and waited an hour for the rest of Omega to wipe out the blues in Ville Platte. When Ted called telling Bruce the town was clear, Bruce called the RV for his bag. When the convoy pulled up, the cook brought in Bruce’s bag, dropping it at his feet. The cook looked at the hostages then at the gang and grinned as he looked at Bruce.
“Take the hostages to the convoy and get them fed. Take Rachel’s sister to her and bring me some lights. I can’t play in the dark with my friends, they might get scared,” Bruce called over the radio.
Danny ran over to Bruce, “Oh hell no, I’m getting in on this,” she told Bruce.
“No you’re not. This is all mine, but I tell you what? You can choose the lucky three, it just can’t be the leaders,” Bruce told her.
Dejected at first Danny perked up smiling as she walked around looking at each man now all awake. “You need to scream,” Danny told one then moved to another giving them little words of encouragement. “I want Daddy to cut it off and make you eat it.” “I want you to see what your insides look like before you die.”
Mary and Buffy came over to help her encourage them and Danny let each of them pick one. When they had three judges, Conner led a group over and tied them to some chairs as Danny stood in front of them. “My Daddy’s going to show you a cool game. All you have to do is watch. Two of you will get to live because one always turns away or closes their eyes like a little bitch. That one gets something real special. Daddy makes one of your friends chew your balls off and they do it just to stop the pain they feel. All your friends are going to die, but two will get to live, it’s up to you if you do. If you are the ones you have to tell others what you see here. If you don’t and we catch you again we keep you alive for weeks, it’s really neat. Daddy doesn’t like me watching because I get blood in my hair and I just hate that. I see Daddy’s in his underwear so it’s play time for you,” Danny told the three who were crying but watching.
Danny walked over to Bruce grabbing his gear and clothes, “I get to mark them then,” Danny announced and Bruce nodded his head.
Danny skipped off and Jake came over, “I get to pick next time. You always let Danny get what she wants,” Jake accused.
“Okay son, now give me until noon,” Bruce told him.
“Take your time, you won’t be disturbed,” Jake said looking at Bruce in underwear and boonie hat with the camera.
When they walked outside Bruce looked at the group, “It’s play time, now remember, there are no timeouts or bases. This game just keeps on going, let me show you,” Bruce said opening the bag. The screams started and didn’t stop until 1330.
Chapter 12
When Bruce walked out he was covered in blood and body fluids. Ted and Carl walked over to him carrying a bucket of water. Bruce took off his hat as they poured it over him. “Shit! That’s cold,” Bruce told them.
“Well, we’ll warm it up next time,” Ted told him.
Bruce looked up as the kids came over, “Danny, Mary and Buffy go and mark the ones you picked out. David, get the torch and burn the stumps. Jake and Matt lead them outside, make them kneel and tell ‘em the rules,” Bruce told them. They all ran inside and everyone heard Danny yell, “Daddy really made him eat it!”
“You spoil your kids to much, always giving them what they want,” Willie told him hearing Danny yell.
Drying off Bruce just grinned, “Yeah, you’re right but they’re good kids.” Bruce looked at Conner asking, “Well what’s going on?”
“Mike’s a worry wart. He keeps coming over the radio telling us blues are coming and we just keep killing them. I mean we can see them and I told him that’s what we’re doing out here. Then he wants to know when we’re leaving,” Conner told Bruce.
“He’s just jealous that he’s not here,” Bruce told him. “What’s the area like?” Bruce asked.
“Bruce, the closest blues we’ve found are ten miles away,” Ted informed him.
“Well, let me get cleaned up and let’s go say hi,” Bruce said walking to the RV as screams were heard inside.
Matt and Jake led the three outside making them kneel. Jake walked over to them and asked one, “What do you have to do?”
“Tell others what I saw,” he replied.
“That’s a good boy. You’re marked now so any Omega team member will notice. If we catch you again you’ll last for weeks. Remember to tell the other gangs that the leaders will die but if they surrender half the men will live, after they have been marked of course. If you see other survivors don’t hurt them because we will hunt you down. I mean, we found you in a little town hiding in a building. We have so many UAVs up and satellites looking down, it’s hard to run from us, unless you leave the continent. You have two hours to leave the state. If you’re still here, a missile off a UAV will blow your ass up. Now leave,” Jake told them. The three jumped up and ran to the truck Jake had hotwired and sped off.
“They didn’t even say thank you,” Conner said watching the truck disappear.
“We need to work on their manners,” Jake told him laughing.
Bruce came out of the RV dressed and ready to go as the cook came out of the building carrying his bag. The cook stopped and looked at Bruce, “They�
��ll be cleaned and ready for your next group of playmates,” he told Bruce.
“Thank you. Are you the one who cleaned them from last time?” Bruce asked.
“Yes sir, a man can’t work with dirty tools,” the cook said walking in the RV.
Omega mounted up and for the next ten days rolled through the land of south Louisiana killing blues wherever they found them. They found two more gangs but they were small, neither being over ten members. Bruce only let two judges go from the first group and one from the second group. The other man closed his eyes.
The team found another fifty-one survivors in small groups before they rolled back into the farm on the eighteenth day, just as Debbie had wrote.
It was 1100 and the whole farm was out waiting on the return of its warriors. Over the last eighteen days they had watched them battle blues and gangs. They had watched the blues come in waves at Omega and just get wiped out leaving miles of bodies. Gangs were hunted down and taken out with the judges sent out to tell other gangs what was coming for them.
Only those on duty weren’t in the crowd which started at the front gate and formed a corridor to the barn. When Mike had told Bruce that morning that the clan would be waiting, Bruce had stopped the convoy and washed the vehicles off with bleach and water one last time.
When the clan heard the diesel engines coming down the road they broke into a loud cheer. When the front gate opened Bruce was in the lead in his RG sitting in the cupola with the rest of the team behind him standing out of the roof hatches. A large American flag and the Omega flag were attached to the roof blowing in the wind as the RG slowly pulled through the crowd. The rest of the convoy followed with every team member hanging out waving at the clan.
Angela and Stephanie were at the barn with the kids waiting on the convoy. Angela leaned over to Stephanie, “Now remember, we’ll tell Bruce later about Wade flirting with you,” she said.
“Okay,” Stephanie replied her body shaking as she held PJ.
“Stephanie, relax, you act like you had an affair. Shit, I don’t even see why we need to say anything,” Angela told her.
“He has to know,” Stephanie protested.
“Okay but later, now you promised,” Angela reminded her.
Nancy came over and put her arm around Stephanie, “Relax and listen to Angela. Bruce isn’t going to think anything of it,” Nancy told her.
Stephanie just nodded as Bruce’s RG pulled through the crowd. When Stephanie saw Bruce she stopped shaking as panic set in. “Shit! He knows!” Stephanie cried out.
Angela looked at Stephanie in disbelief, “Are you insane? How could he and what if he does, it doesn’t matter, now be strong?”
“I’m trying,” Stephanie said, trying to convince Angela and herself.
Angela just shook her head smiling at Stephanie then turned to Bruce. Seeing Bruce waving at everyone and when Bruce saw them he grinned and Angela smiled bigger. Seeing that Bruce was fine with her own eyes, Angela relaxed some herself. It was at that point that Angela realized just how much she loved Bruce and Stephanie.
When the convoy stopped, Bruce climbed off the RG to be mobbed by the crowd. As the rest of Omega got out it was the same for them. Pushing his way through the crowd Bruce headed to his family. Angela and Stephanie held on to the twins and Cade, not letting them go with that many people around Bruce. As Bruce emerged from the crowd they released the kids and Stephanie put PJ down so he could run to Daddy.
The twins reached Bruce first and he knelt down as they wrapped their arms around him covering his faces with kisses. Then Cade jumped on all three wrapping his little arms around the twins as he kissed Bruce. PJ just stopped, looking at the three kissing Daddy, and he couldn’t find a place to kiss Daddy. Tears welled up in his eyes and his bottom lip started poking out looking at them. Bruce looked over Cade and saw PJ with his pouty face.
Moving Cade over some, Bruce looked at PJ, “You going to give Daddy some love or what?” Bruce asked PJ. Letting out a squeal, PJ ran at Bruce. Bruce wrapped all four kids in his arms and fell back laughing as they bombarded him with kisses.
Danny stopped and watched the little ones kissing Daddy as she fought off a wave of jealously, not doing a good job of it either. Jake walked over to stand beside Danny, “Kind of makes me feel jealous,” Jake said.
Danny looked at him, “What do you mean ‘kind of’?” she snapped.
Hearing Danny the four looked up and saw Danny and Jake with the other kids walking over. They jumped off of Bruce and ran to them giving out hugs and kisses. Lying on the ground Bruce watched the little ones giving love to their brothers and sisters. After giving Danny, Jake, Mary, Matt, David and Mindy love the four saw Buffy walk over to Daddy still lying on the ground.
The four took off running at Buffy who was looking at Bruce fixing to help him off the ground. Buffy never saw the three little bodies running at her. They hit her knocking her down wrapping their arms around her followed by a smaller body. PJ just jumped on the pile trying to give Buffy kisses. Max ran over barking wanting to join in the fun.
“PJ, you’re slobbering on me!” Buffy yelled out trying to move the kids off of her.
“That’s good baby kisses, Buffy!” Jake yelled at her.
“It’s still slobber bubba!” Buffy yelled back.
Jake set his weapon down, undoing his vest and dropping it, “Guys let’s show Buffy family love, Daddy style,” Jake said as he took off running at Buffy who had just managed getting PJ off her chest. Jake leaned down over Buffy licking her face.
“That’s gross bubba!” Buffy screamed as the other five joined in licking Buffy. Steve ran over as the others pulled off Buffy’s vest and started chewing on her little belly making her laugh. The twins, Cade and PJ saw the other kids licking on Buffy’s face and belly and joined in.
Bruce, still lying on the ground, watched as Buffy laughed as her brothers and sisters licked and tickled her. Smiling, Bruce was proud of his family as he watched along with the rest of the clan, Buffy just laughing away.
Angela leaned over to Stephanie, “Should we help her?” she asked.
“Be my guest, if I go over there I’m tickling her so they don’t do that to me,” Stephanie admitted.
Thinking about it for a second Angela decided that Stephanie was right. Buffy would have to survive this one on her own. Bruce stood up brushing the dirt off him and turned to Angela and Stephanie.
“Be strong,” Angela whispered.
“I will be,” Stephanie replied as Bruce headed to them.
When Bruce was five feet away Stephanie flew at him wrapping her arms around his neck wailing, “I’m sorry Bruce, I didn’t mean it. I tried to stop it but I couldn’t. It’s not my fault!”
Angela shook her head and looked at Nancy, “She so needs to chill.”
“If that’s strong, I’d hate to see weak,” Nancy admitted.
To say the least, Bruce was caught off guard as Stephanie wailed with tears on her face. Bruce wrapped his arms around her trying to figure out what was going on. Looking down at Stephanie all she kept saying was she was sorry. Nancy and Angela walked over rubbing Stephanie’s back.
Bruce looked up at Mike. “What the hell is wrong?” Bruce asked.
“Some guy hit on her,” Mike replied.
“You let some motherfucker hit her!?” Bruce yelled at the top of his lungs. The whole farm became silent waiting for the storm.
“You know damn good and well I wouldn’t let someone hit her! If anyone would’ve touched her I’d be handing you their balls in a silver box!” Mike yelled back just as loud. Then Mike replied in a normal voice, “Some guy flirted with her.”
Bruce stumbled back blinking his eyes, “Huh, what, uh-,” Bruce stuttered. Stephanie took a breath to explain but Bruce put his finger on her lips.
Bruce looked back at Mike with a baffled expression. Mike just shook his head explaining, “Some guy flirted with her. She thinks you’re going to be mad at her, not stay with her and throw her ou
t. I tried talking to her but she won’t listen.”
Bruce just stared at Mike as he leaned toward Nancy asking, “Am I supposed to be mad about that?”
“No,” Nancy told him. Stephanie was trying to talk but Bruce still had his finger on her lips.
“Are you sure? It’s been a long time since I was a newlywed?” Bruce asked Nancy.
“Well maybe act a little jealous but not mad,” Nancy replied.
Bruce kissed Nancy on the forehead and wrapped his arms around Stephanie and Angela. Looking up at Mike, “I’m sorry brother,” Bruce told him.
“No need to apologize. But remember you’re not the only newlywed here. Nancy and I are with you in this marriage and they’re great for this family. Now I’m going to tell you one thing, if those two or Nancy bring another person in this marriage, I’m leaving. I’ll pack my bags and I’m gone,” Mike informed everyone.
“I’d join you but they would find us, so I’m just going to do what they say,” Bruce replied. Bruce looked down at Stephanie, “Why should I be mad?” he asked.
“I’m yours,” Stephanie told him.
Bruce waited for more of an explanation and when none came he asked, “And-?”
“That’s it,” Stephanie said.
“I know I talked about this in that damn book you have,” Bruce told her.
“You don’t follow that book all the time damn it,” Stephanie pouted.
“What book?” Mike asked.
Nancy put her hand on his arm, “You’re not old enough yet,” she told Mike.
Bruce looked at Angela, “You didn’t set her straight,” Bruce asked.
“Hey don’t look at me. It took everything I had just to keep her together. I even threatened to stab the man in the dick,” Angela told Bruce.
Bruce laughed looking at the two, “That’ll do p-.”
Reaching up, Stephanie put her hand over Bruce’s mouth. “I swear if you say pig, I’ll punch you,” Stephanie warned, cutting Bruce off.
Millie came over to them and grabbed Bruce’s face kissing him on the cheek, “Bout time you getten back, food’s ready,” she told him.
Blue Plague: Rage Page 12