The guard walked over to Bruce expecting to get hit but Bruce only held out his wrist showing the guard the wrist band every member in the clan wore. At the bottom was Bruce’s name and bar code. The guard looked up, “Please sir, don’t hit me,” he begged.
Bruce laughed, “I’m not going to hit someone who was doing their job. My wives have some burns on them and it’s my fault. So just continue on your patrol and tell the watch commander that it’s me in here and leave me alone. I’m nice this time, next time I won’t be,” Bruce told him.
“Yes sir, I hope they feel better,” the young man said and took off running.
Bruce climbed back in the pool and swam with the girls until Mike came to get them for the meeting. Mike handed them some towels saying, “You scared the shit out of one of the guards.”
“I was very nice,” Bruce replied.
“I know you were, he didn’t wet his pants,” Mike said leading them into mission control. Bruce sat down with everyone else as Mike started the meeting. “Okay, I’m bringing Bruce up to speed real quick. The new runway is completed and we expanded the storage area to house some more planes and ordinance. We now have over a thousand head of cattle and we cleared out five hundred acres to the east of us for crops. The second twenty acre garden is now holding helicopters. The new barracks are finished and we can take a total of five thousand people here,” Mike said as Bruce stopped him.
“What is our population here now?” Bruce asked.
“Three thousand nine hundred and sixty two,” Mike told him.
“Don’t build anymore barracks,” Bruce said.
“We weren’t until we filled up what we had,” Mike said.
“No, five thousand is our cut off. That’s a viable population base,” Bruce replied as Stephanie looked at him in shock.
“Bruce, we said that we were restarting the human race here,” Conner said.
“We are but we’ll either have to expand or start another site. That’s too many people in such a small area,” Bruce told them.
“Okay Bruce we’ll jump off that bridge when we get there,” Mike said. Then he continued, “The fighting positions have been fully completed and twenty more towers have been set up, we put in eight more mortar pits each with a 120mm and an 80mm. The trench around the outside has been re-dug to ten feet. We have four kill patrols out every day going out thirty miles. Since the horde hit us they have only killed seventy-one and only two of those were runners,” Mike told Bruce.
“That sounds good, but just to let you know we will fight a horde long before it gets here. I want us ready for another gang attack. The road coming here needs explosives laid on it and the entire tree line needs to contain drums of fuel set to blow. The way Omega is killing gangs I’m sure one or two will try to talk to us about that,” Bruce told them.
“Bruce, I wanted to ask you about that. Why are you letting some go?” Paul asked.
“If I kill all of them, no one can tell the others that they should be afraid. I want everyone, blue and human alike, to fear this area like it’s possessed. Next, all patrols out need to be heavy in case a gang wants to capture them alive. I’m telling everyone here now, we will not bargain for hostages. I don’t care who they are so let’s not provide any,” Bruce said.
Mike grinned, “You listened to the short wave didn’t you?” he asked.
“No,” Bruce replied and everyone started laughing. “What?” Bruce asked.
“Bruce, everyone is talking about Omega. They say how y’all are ninjas, sneaking in killing some and capturing others. How y’all torture the gangs and kill them for their punishment leaving three alive to carry your message. I don’t know how they know, but they know how y’all killed the hordes in the south. Omega is now a legend,” Mike told Bruce.
“That’s not what I had in mind,” Bruce admitted.
“Bruce, you be givin’ hope to people who didn’t think any hope was left,” Carroll said.
“Yeah and I also put a big ass bulls eye on us for gangs and refugees, they know where we are. So, from now on anyone coming into the clan has a six month probation and they cannot take guard duty, see mission control or go into any storage area. I want them to have different colored arm bands. Two members of the command group can override that,” Bruce said standing up and started pacing making everyone nervous.
“Jake, I want you to figure out where we can get some more UAVs. I want one up at all times to the North, East, South and West. Then I want to send some to the major military bases to see if they’re occupied or have been hit,” Bruce said as he paced.
“Bruce, you’re freaking me out,” Mike told him.
Bruce ignored him as he asked, “Have you sent UAVs to check around us?”
“Yeah, except to the south of us but everywhere else is crawling with blues. A lot thicker than they were here,” Mike told him.
“Are you shitting me?” Bruce asked.
“Pull up the Dallas flight!” Mike yelled and soon monitor one was showing Dallas three days ago. Blues were everywhere. Mike would yell out another city and it was the same.
“We have a wall of blues protecting us at least,” Bruce said. “I want you to put one team together to find back roads that can be traveled long distances. Those are the ones we have to monitor for gangs and the interstates for blues. Bill, I want you to put together a long range scavenging group. I’m talking a hundred trucks,” Bruce said.
“Bruce, we have enough shit here to fight five wars,” Stephanie said.
“I want to be able to fight a thousand,” Bruce said. “We need to be able to store more fuel,” Bruce added.
“Well if you would’ve let me finish. Paul took it upon his self to start a huge project in the south field. He is putting in an underground tank that will hold just under a million gallons. Paul already put one that holds fifty thousand back with the planes,” Mike said.
“Hey you told me no one was using that metal so I found a use for it,” Paul said.
“Paul get a group together and take Gamma to New Orleans to treat the storage tanks there,” Bruce told him.
“Bruce, we’ve treated the twenty-nine storage tanks here. You do realize that’s over a billion gallons,” Paul told him. Bruce just looked at him in shock. “The fuel will only last for five years, that means we have to use over half a million gallons a day before it goes bad,” Paul told him.
“Shit I didn’t know we had that much. Cancel the trip Paul,” Bruce said then started pacing again. “I’m bringing the strength of Omega up to one hundred for strike and fifty for support. I’m moving my teams out of Strykers and LAVs. I want them in RG-33Ls and Cougar 6x6s. We can fire out of them better. The Strykers and LAVs we have will stay with us just for support. I also want the Stryker that has the mortar. Joe, I’ll need support vehicles for the additional people and will you please get someone to put some more showers in the semi with our bunks. That one shower for sixty people just isn’t cutting it,” Bruce told him.
“I need one week,” Joe told him.
“I also want gun racks and storage areas in the RGs,” Bruce told him.
“I need one week,” Joe repeated.
“How about a plow on two of the RGs?” Bruce asked.
“One week,” Joe repeated.
“I want a flame thrower on one,” Bruce challenged.
“Eight days,” Joe said.
“Ha! I knew I could overload you,” Bruce said grinning.
“I just said eight days to make you shut up. It’ll be ready in one week,” Joe told him. “That’s why I wanted to upgrade while he was out,” Joe mumbled to everyone.
“What was my fuel usage down range?” Bruce asked.
“Twelve hundred gallons a day,” Angela said.
“That’s it?” Bruce asked.
“Baby, you weren’t fielding a tank division,” Angela told him.
“Okay, anybody want to ask a question?” Bruce requested.
“Yeah, can I start the meeting now?” Mike a
sked.
“Shit brother, my bad,” Bruce said as he ran for his chair. The meeting ended two hours later as Millie brought in the food.
Chapter 13
Bruce woke up Saturday morning with both twins on his chest and Cade across his legs. Looking around Bruce didn’t see PJ until he lifted his head up and PJ rolled down from above his head. Bruce looked at the clock and saw that it was almost 0700. Extracting his body from the bed, Bruce kissed everyone and grabbed some workout clothes and headed to the gym.
Since everyone else went to the new one, Bruce went to the old gym. Finishing his workout Bruce stepped outside and breathed the fresh air. Looking back at the cemetery, Bruce saw a huge tent and wondered what that project was. ‘Oh well I’ll find out later,’ Bruce thought as he headed inside. Bruce stopped in the game room looking at the mantle over the fireplace at Debbie’s urn.
It was hard for him to believe that it was months ago. Bruce walked over looking at the urn. “I’m watching over them and loving them. It’s not my fault that they jumped in the shower getting burned. As always I miss you, I hope I’m doing what you asked,” Bruce told the urn and headed upstairs never shedding a tear.
When Bruce opened the door Angela sat up, “What?” she asked.
“Nothing Little Foot, I have the day off so we’re having a family day,” Bruce told her. “Now get everyone up, let’s shower and start the day,” Bruce said.
Angela shook her head. “Ah Bruce, I don’t want to take another shower,” Angela said.
“Get your butt up,” Bruce told her as he turned on the shower.
Angela leaned over waking Stephanie up, “Bruce wants us and the kids to take a shower with him.”
“Send the kids, if they don’t get burnt I’ll be in there,” Stephanie replied groggily.
“We can’t burn the kids, so, go and test the water,” Angela told her.
“Me! You’re the spider monkey,” Stephanie said sitting up.
Angela looked at her, “You said you almost had figured out how to levitate, so you go,” she told her.
Stephanie got out of the bed and ran into Bruce as he was coming out of the bathroom. “Please turn some cold on. I don’t want the kids to feel that, we can make them tough some other way,” Stephanie pleaded.
“Oh that was good,” Bruce told her. “Don’t worry, I reset the control’s, it won’t get that hot again,” Bruce told her as he went to the bed waking the kids up.
Stephanie just stood there watching Bruce then said, “Bruce, you never turned down the temperature of the water before.”
“Well without Debbie here to warn y’all I don’t want you two to get burned again. I felt really bad,” Bruce told her as he carried PJ into the bathroom followed by the twins and Cade.
When they got in the shower Stephanie turned to Angela, “He never did that for Debbie and she asked him to. She was afraid the kids would get burned,” she said.
“Well, Debbie said he would make changes for us and I’ll take this one. Holy shit, I didn’t think water could get that hot,” Angela said walking past Stephanie. They joined the rest of the crew in the shower and then got dressed. Walking downstairs they ran into Buffy who was heading to the Center to eat, dressed in Bruce’s boxers and t-shirt.
“BB, get dressed you’re spending the day with us,” Bruce told her.
“Alright,” she replied drearily, turning around heading back to her room.
After breakfast Bruce led them to the barn and grabbed fishing poles, then took them to the catfish pond. Buffy, the twins and Cade had never been fishing and were enjoying the day. Paul brought over a drum telling them Millie wanted it full so they could feed the clan catfish tonight. PJ was having trouble with the concept of using a fishing pole when he could see the fish. When he would see the catfish moving in the water he would run in trying to catch them with the help of Max. After Max bit one and got a fin stuck in his mouth, he just barked at the fish.
When Bruce pulled PJ out of the pond for the ninth time, he went to the barn bringing back a life jacket and put it on PJ. Bruce still had to go get PJ when he floated out to the middle of the pond. The second time PJ floated out to the center, Bruce threw Buffy in after him. At lunch, Paul came back to grab the full drum of catfish taking it to the Center where Bruce showed them how to clean a fish. Buffy and the twins thought this was too cool. PJ just played in the guts laughing. Stephanie took him outside and hosed him off and wouldn’t let PJ back in.
When they went in and sat down for lunch Danny looked at Bruce, “Daddy, we might have wanted to go fishing,” she told him.
“Well go then,” Bruce told her.
“It’s no fun without you,” Danny said in a pouty voice.
“Don’t take PJ, he chases the fish in the water and Daddy threw me out to get him,” Buffy told Danny smiling.
“See that’s what I mean,” Danny said slapping the table.
“Well, we’re playing softball this afternoon, would you like to join us?” Bruce asked.
“If I can be on your team,” Danny said.
Mike looked up with a hurt expression, “I wanta play.”
“Tell you what Mike, my family against yours. Just like old times,” Bruce said grinning.
Shaking his head, “Yours is bigger now,” Mike objected.
“You can have Conner and Susan,” Bruce offered.
“I want Paul’s family too,” Mike said.
“Only if I get Ted and Carl,” Bruce countered.
“Deal,” Mike said.
They met up in the east field setting up a baseball diamond between the UAV runway and the road. After the coin toss Mike’s team got to bat first. Little Cassandra came up to the plate and Danny was pitching. Danny threw the ball real slow and Cassandra missed so Danny rolled the next one and Cassandra hit it. Danny over threw first and first overthrew second as little three year old Cassandra made a homerun.
When Bruce’s team came up Emily led off followed by Sherry, both got singles. PJ was up next and when Mary rolled the ball at him, he jumped on it and started biting it. Bruce came over and talked with PJ then Mary rolled the ball again and PJ kicked it. Bruce yelled, “I’ll take it!”
Danny was at first yelling for PJ to run to her which he did, right into her arms. Mary over threw first and Danny put PJ down. Bruce ran out on the field for PJ to run to him at second. Seeing Daddy, PJ took off running to him. Mike grabbed the ball and started walking up to PJ telling him to run. Well PJ thought that meant run to Daddy Mike. PJ turned around holding out his arms and started running to Mike. Mike pointed at Bruce but PJ started laughing, running at him. Turning around, Mike trotted to second with PJ in hot pursuit.
When PJ rounded second, Mike turned around to tag him out as Mary yelled, “Dad, you can’t do that!”
“He over ran the base,” Mike said holding out the ball walking toward PJ. Mary threw down her glove on the pitcher’s mound and ran jumping on Mike’s back.
“Run PJ!” Mary yelled knocking the ball out of Mike’s hand. PJ saw it and was heading for it to give it back to Daddy Mike.
“PJ!” Jake yelled from third. PJ turned and saw bubba and let out a squeal running to him. Mike reached down grabbing the softball with Mary on his back. Mary was trying to pull him down but couldn’t by herself. That problem was solved when Matt ran over tackling Mike. When Mike had both Mary and Matt pinned down David jumped on his back.
“Damn it, he over ran the base I can tag him out!” Mike yelled as David pulled him down.
“Run PJ!” David yelled. PJ made it to third breathing hard and when Jake wouldn’t pick him up he sat down on the base. Angela and Stephanie were at home plate yelling for PJ to run to them. PJ just looked at them like they were crazy, he had run forever.
When Angela and Stephanie got down on their knees holding out their hands, PJ took off at the thought of someone carrying him. Mike had gotten up with Mary and David on his back and Matt holding on to one of his legs. Mike was carrying them and dragg
ing Matt heading for PJ.
Paul ran from short stop, “I’ll get him Mike!” he yelled as Mike tossed him the ball.
Catching the ball Paul never saw his own wife and son bowl him over. Cheryl and Chad dove on top of Paul holding him down yelling for PJ to run. When PJ crossed the plate Angela and Stephanie picked him up cheering. PJ didn’t know what he did, but he liked it.
By now they had several hundred members of the clan watching the game as Buffy came up to the plate. Mary threw the ball real slow and Bruce let out a yell, “Don’t swing at that!” scaring the shit out of everyone. Matt, who was catching, dropped to the ground on his butt.
Looking at Mary, Bruce yelled, “You put smoke on that damn ball girl! I want Matt to cry when he catches it Mary.” Mary looked from Buffy to Bruce and nodded as Matt threw the ball back to her.
“Buffy, watch that ball and hit it,” Bruce told her. Mary wound up throwing the softball fast. Buffy jumped back from the missile Mary had threw at her.
The ball went right down the middle of the plate. “Buffy, you don’t jump back from the ball. That was a strike, I don’t care if that ball is going to take your leg off, you stay at the plate!” Bruce yelled at Buffy.
“That was a ball Bruce!” Mike yelled from second.
“That was a strike!” Bruce yelled back.
“No Daddy Bruce, that was a ball!” Mary told him.
Bruce just looked at Mary then walked over picking up a softball. “Mike, catch this!” Bruce yelled. Bruce threw right at Mike’s chest. The slap of the ball into the glove could be heard from a long way off. Mike dropped the ball taking his hand out of the glove shaking the sting out.
Bruce looked at Buffy, “If you jump back from a pitch again, I’m throwing a ball at you. Don’t be afraid of a pitch. I want you to knock the cover off that damn ball Buffy,” Bruce told her as he prepared to throw at Buffy.
Buffy looked at Daddy knowing he was going to throw at her if she stepped back again. To confirm her fears Danny yelled, “Daddy will do it, hang tough.” Figuring Mary couldn’t throw as hard as Daddy, she was just going to stay put. Mary wound up and released the ball. As the ball went over the plate, Buffy swung just a little early.
Blue Plague: Rage Page 14