“What about the gang in Oak Grove, they’re over four hundred strong behind strong walls?” Mike asked.
“Whatever, Omega will take them out,” Stephanie told Mike. “I don’t mind Bruce killing to protect us like Debbie wanted him to, but he is fixing to slaughter more, for fun,” Stephanie added as she turned to leave with Angela in pursuit.
Omega rolled into Monroe in a wave of destruction. The convoy stayed on the interstate but slowed to a crawl, making sure the blues could make it to them.
Bruce was in his position looking over the front of the RG running through a magazine in twenty seconds covering his area. Buffy, Danny and Mindy were behind him sending out hate cutting the waves of blues attacking them. Unlike the large hordes down south they could see the individual blues in the waves. Remarkably this cut down the kill rate per minute because the targets were a little more spread out and of course there weren’t as many targets. Omega’s accuracy remained the same and very few blues made it within twenty yards of the convoy.
Willie called Bruce over the radio when the convoy made it over the river. “Hey boss, this is Willie. I hate to admit it but I really like massive hordes better,” Willie told him.
Bruce keyed his radio, “Makes no difference to me. I can still kill some,” Bruce replied seeing a pregnant blue run up the exit ramp at them. Lining up his rifle Bruce blew the back of her head off swinging his rifle to drop sixteen more.
“Dad, this is Jake, I have to agree with Willie. This is really boring,” he called over the radio.
“It would suit me just fine if they would form a single line so I could shoot them one at a time. But I’ll take what I can get,” Bruce answered.
In less than an hour the convoy was just sitting waiting on blues. The volume of fire coming from the convoy had drastically fallen now, it was only one or two shots every few seconds. Bruce dropped down into the RG.
Keying his radio Bruce called Mike, “Base, this is Big Daddy One. What do you see because my UAVs don’t see much?” Bruce asked.
“Same here, you may have a few thousand heading to you in small groups but other than that nothing. Anything in range of hearing the trucks is heading for you or is already dead,” Mike reported.
“Anything from the gang up north?” Bruce asked.
“No, they’re still operating like they started last week,” Mike answered.
The UAVs had watched the gang add more guard towers and increase the guards around the perimeter. When Bruce saw this, unlike the rest of the command group, he smiled. The gang was scared. Not scared enough to leave or release the several hundred hostages, but Bruce figured he could fix that.
This gang was located on a large farm surrounded by fields measured in miles with semi-trailers forming a wall around the farm. The enclosed encampment was about two hundred yards across by three hundred yards long. The hostages were in several trailers in the northeast corner. The gang was over four hundred strong and since the upgrades the guard shift went from five to twenty-one on duty.
After figuring out how Warren would use the boom microphone to listen for UAVs Bruce had moved them to ten thousand feet. Each gang they had found was watched and a lay out of the site was made. The Oak Grove gang was the second biggest with the gang in southeast Texas being a lot bigger.
Watching the Oak Grove gang, they had found out they had infrared devices that the guards used and had military weapons. There were even several Hummers with M-2s and Mk-19s. What Bruce did not know was if they had thermal capabilities. Unlike IR which used ambient light and emitted IR, thermal read the environment detecting heat difference. Just in case this gang did have thermal Bruce had designed the attack to take that into account.
This was running through Bruce’s mind as he watched the girls shooting at blues. They had started a game of who could take out the most with one thirty round magazine. Buffy was letting the blues get within a hundred yards before she shot them as was Mindy. Danny was just shooting them when she saw them.
After another hour they were shooting walkers and joggers so Bruce keyed his radio. “Okay we’re heading to the gang, remember the attack and go over it in your head. I want this attack to go like clockwork,” Bruce called over the radio then told the driver to roll out.
Omega rolled to a small farm ten miles away from the gang’s camp. Seven micro UAVs were launched as the team got ready for a different kind of battle. Bruce called the squad leaders over to his RG to go over the attack again.
“Now they know we’re active and killing gangs but they don’t want to leave. My guess is they think they’re big enough to fight us. I really want to show them the errors of their thinking,” Bruce said. Then he pointed at the map. “Okay we have always attacked in the dead of night so we will hit them at 0500. They change guards every eight hours and that gives us two hours to get inside and kill before the 0700 shift. Squads four, five and eight will provide sniper coverage on the east side. Squads one and two will pull to the top of the wall and kill the other towers. Then cover squads will move up and take over watch on the east wall. Squad nine and ten will cover the hostages. Then squads will take out assigned buildings,” Bruce said looking around. Then Bruce grinned, “I would really like some playmates but don’t endanger yourself or your men to get them,” Bruce said and the others grinned with him.
“Remember, they put the hostages back in the trailers at dusk only keeping a few out. Also we have seen female gang member’s here so just because it’s a woman don’t think she isn’t a hostile,” Bruce reminded them.
“Boss, when was the last time they were seen out?” Willie asked.
“We’ve had a UAV over them for the last ten days and the last time they left was two days ago,” Bruce told him.
“From our previous surveillance they were going out once every week, is that still holding true?” Willie asked.
“Have no idea and I’m not assuming anything. I try to plan for everything,” Bruce said.
“Got it boss,” Willie said making notes in his notebook.
“Has enemy count changed?” Ted asked.
“No, still over four hundred,” Bruce answered. Ted nodded as he continued making notes. “Okay gentleman, let’s get the troops fed and catch some shut eye,” Bruce said ending the meeting. Bruce walked over to the RV to see what the UAVs had found and Max feel in beside him.
“You ready to fight Max?” Bruce asked. Max just looked up panting with his tongue hanging out. “That better be a yes,” Bruce said rubbing Max’s head.
Heading to the RV, Bruce walked in and wasn’t surprised to find Jake and Matt running the UAVs. “Well what have you found?” Bruce asked.
“Well they have suppressed weapons,” Matt replied not even turning around.
“We knew that,” Bruce said.
“No, I mean they have a lot of suppressed weapons. Just about everyone I’ve seen has at least one,” Matt said.
“Yeah and the guard towers have suppressed weapons also. We just watched them take out three blues. On the rifles I saw, it was IR, a PVS-2 scope, no thermal,” Jake added.
“Well, we still attack like they have thermal,” Bruce said.
“Blues coming from the south, across the fields heading for us,” one of the operators said.
Bruce went over to stand beside him. “How far and how many?” Bruce asked.
“Six and two miles out and closing fast,” he replied.
“Call base and ask if they see more coming. Those damn diesels make enough noise to wake the dead,” Bruce said.
“Want me to send out a team Dad?” Jake asked.
“No, I’ll take care of them. I want the troops to catch a few z’s,” Bruce told him. “That means both of you as well,” Bruce said.
“All right Dad, we will. I’m just rechecking some distances,” Jake said.
Bruce stepped outside, and headed south. Adjusting the sling on his SCAR until it was across his back. Jumping over the fence, Bruce looked at Max and said, “Quiet.” M
ax pulled his tongue in and looked around. Patting Max on the head, Bruce headed out across the field and soon saw the six blues.
‘Holy shit they can move,’ Bruce thought looking at the dust they kicked up running at him, drifting off in the breeze. Reaching behind his head, Bruce pulled out his samurai sword and twirled it in his hands. Max just looked at the six running at them with his hair standing up.
“You’re kidding right,” Jake called over the radio.
“I told you to go to bed,” Bruce snapped.
“Dad, I know you’re bad and so does everyone else, just shoot the fuckers,” Jake pleaded.
“Shut up, they’re almost here,” Bruce said watching them close the distance.
The six were in a loose staged line one behind the other growling as they ran. When they were a hundred yards away Bruce charged them with Max following. Holding his sword up, Bruce ran directly at the first one. When the blue was less than ten feet away Bruce swung at its neck taking the head off. Continuing his momentum from the swing Bruce spun around completing his circle, the next one had closed the range losing its head.
Reversing his swing Bruce caught the next one on the right side of the abdomen and continued through cutting it in half. Bringing his sword back across his body, he caught the next one above the hip on the left side sweeping the blade through, cutting it in half. As number five reached for Bruce, he spun to the side, causing the blue to miss him. As the blue went by, Bruce sliced across the blues back cutting the spinal cord. Number six was coming at him as Bruce reversed his swing bringing the sword up then down chopping off number six’s right leg.
Bruce looked down at his body and didn’t see any blue blood. Then looking on the ground he saw some but nothing like what the wounds should be putting out. The two Bruce had cut in half were crawling around but very little blood was coming out. He was shocked seeing the two that lost their heads, their bodies had kept running for another twenty yards. Walking over to each body, he stabbed it in the head then just the severed heads that were still alive. When he got to the last one missing a leg Bruce found it crying. Fighting the urge to leave it and let it suffer, Bruce stabbed it in the head. With an ear to ear smile, he pulled out a handkerchief wiping the blade down, and then pulled out a bottle of alcohol and poured it over the blade wiping it down again.
Max had stopped at the first body looking at the blues and at Bruce like he was asking, ‘What the hell did you need me for?’ Bruce walked back to camp letting his sword air out.
“Dad, we have guns for a reason,” Jake told him over the radio.
“Just wanted to make sure I still had it, son,” Bruce said climbing over the fence to find an audience watching him.
Willie came running up to him with a spray bottle spraying Bruce down, “That was stupid as shit! What if you would have gotten covered in blue blood?” Willie shouted.
“Then I put on more clothes,” Bruce said feeling the hate course through him. Seeing that blues could feel pain and cry made Bruce light headed.
Chapter 16
Omega left their position at 2300 and reached the rally point one mile from the gang’s location at 0230. On the way to the rally point they killed nine blues, making everyone nervous, except Bruce. The covering squads and snipers moved up with Willie as the rest of the squads protected them from blues.
Not able to resist, Bruce crawled up to the tree line and looked out across the field to the gang’s base. He could see the trailers surrounding the base and the towers above the trailers. Bruce started toying with the idea of letting Jake and Matt take out the towers as the whole attack depended on those going down fast. The idea of running across a mile of open field with someone shooting at him made Bruce uneasy.
‘Oh well if they miss we just call in air,’ Bruce thought to himself. Pulling back to his squad, Bruce checked his weapons again. Tonight they were going to shoot and not stab. Every shooter had a forty five caliber with a suppressor, they were quieter than a 9mm. Bruce pulled out his XDM checking it over and making sure the extra pack of magazines were still in place on his vest. Putting it back in the holster Bruce leaned back to wait.
Feeling someone grab his arm Bruce opened his eyes and saw Danny looking at him. Seeing Bruce open his eyes she leaned over whispering. “The snipers are reporting that the towers are asleep,” she said.
Bruce looked at his watch reading 0421, looking up at Danny grinning he said, “Let’s play.” Danny grinned with him as Bruce keyed his radio, “This is Big Daddy One to Wild Willie. Let’s move up and you can start the dance,” he said.
“Copy Big Daddy,” Willie called back.
“All squads acknowledge,” Bruce said into the radio. When all squads reported up Bruce led squad one and two to the tree line. “In place,” Bruce called over the radio.
“On the way in thirty seconds,” Willie said. Willie and the snipers were twenty yards to Bruce’s right and Bruce heard at least half a dozen suppressed rifle shots go off at once. Then Willie called, “They’re down.”
That was the signal for Bruce to haul ass. Jumping up, Bruce led his group across the field in a dead run. With full gear that was hard enough but six people were carrying two ladders complicating things. They reached the trailers and put up the ladders, careful not to make noise. Bruce sent up Jake and Matt first, and then he followed with the others. When he reached the top they were already lying down sighting in on the furthest towers. Bruce laid down sighting in on the tower by the front gate sixty yards away and felt Buffy lay down beside him.
Looking through his thermal scope, Bruce saw two figures sitting in chairs with their head tilted back looking up. ‘Damn they did all this work to stay protected and then just go to sleep,’ Bruce said to himself. “I have the right, you take the left,” Bruce told Buffy. Then keyed his radio, “Five seconds start now,” Bruce said and slowly counted to five and squeezed the trigger watching the man’s head disappear. Moving over to the left guard Bruce didn’t see his head either. “Towers down, move up,” Bruce called over the radio.
The rest of Omega moved up as squads one and two covered the area. When the snipers with Willie took over, Bruce led the squads down the stairs. Bruce’s building was the main house. It was a big two story house and Bruce figured that was where the bosses would be. As they moved closer Bruce heard a generator running and then noticed two men sleeping on the front porch.
Holding his hand up as he stopped and knelt down, Bruce pulled out his XDM and motioned Buffy forward. Buffy had her UMP 45 that Bruce had given her on the trip to the farm. Bruce had replaced the suppressor with a better one. It made it heavier but much quieter, which Buffy didn’t mind. Like Buffy, Jake had a UMP, he would lead one team through covering the halls while others went in clearing rooms.
Bruce put his hand on Buffy’s shoulder and gently squeezed it. Buffy stood up slowly moving toward the house as Bruce followed aiming at the sleeping men. When they reached the porch Bruce squeezed off two shots hitting each in the head making sure they didn’t wake up. With the team in single file behind him, Bruce looked through the window on the front door and saw the staircase.
Holding up his left hand, Bruce held up one finger then pointed up saying first squad was going upstairs. Putting his hand back on Buffy’s shoulder, Bruce squeezed it feeling her body tremble as she opened the door moving the UMP from side to side heading to the stairs. Reaching the stairs she aimed up as Bruce aimed over her head. Waiting just a second they led the team upstairs.
Reaching the top they found a hall leading right and left. Sounds were coming from both ends of the hall. On the right Bruce saw three doors, two on the left hand side and one on the right. Glancing to his left, he saw two doors one on each side of the hall. Squeezing Buffy’s shoulder and pointing to the left for Buffy to cover the doors as the team moved to the right.
Pointing at Mindy then the other two doors on the left hand side of the hall Bruce let her know to cover them. Grabbing the door handle, Bruce slowly turned it ea
sing inside followed by Danny and David. On a dresser a TV was playing a movie and Bruce saw two figures lying on the bed. Sweeping the room Bruce didn’t see anyone else. Pointing at the woman, Bruce made the motion to hit her as he moved over to the man.
Raising his pistol over his head, Bruce swung it down hitting the sleeping man in the temple as Danny did the same to the woman. They zip tied and gagged unconscious forms, pulling them on the floor then moving back to the hall. Bruce pointed at the far door on the left for Mindy to cover.
Bruce, Danny and David moved to the near door as Bruce eased inside and found two men and two women lying on the bed and another woman lying on the floor all asleep. The smell of pot was so thick in the room it was really making Bruce hungry. Bruce pointed to the man on the far side of the bed first then the woman. David eased around the bed as Danny stood over the sleeping woman on the floor.
Bringing his gun down on the man’s temple, Bruce woke up the woman with the violent hit. Before she sat up, he brought down his arm again breaking her nose. David had hit both on his side as Danny stomped on the woman’s head on the floor. Zip-tying and gagging the five they eased back to the hall. Bruce pointed to Danny, Mindy and David then to the door on the left side of the hall past Buffy.
When they nodded, Bruce moved up to Buffy putting his hand on her shoulder he squeezed it and steered her to the door on the right. Stopping at it Buffy slowly opened it. As they eased inside Bruce saw a man sitting on the side of the bed putting on boots. Without thinking or hesitation, Buffy pulled the trigger putting a bullet in the man’s forehead covering the wall and bed with blood and gray matter. Bruce eased forward seeing a door on the right side of the room. Before he reached it, a man came out and Bruce punched him in the throat then the side of the head.
When the man hit the floor Bruce eased around to the door looking inside and found a bathroom. Not seeing anyone Bruce swung back to the bed as a woman was sitting up pulling the blood soaked blankets around her.
Blue Plague: Rage Page 18