Blue Plague: Rage

by Watson, Thomas A

  “Whoa, we’re hitting them in broad daylight?” Willie asked in disbelief.

  “Yeah, I want to see with my own eyes when my bullet hits them. The NVGs just don’t relay the feeling I’m looking for,” Bruce answered. Ted and Carl just looked at Bruce in shock.

  “Well boss tell us how we’re going to knock them off so you can see the pain,” Willie said not really liking the prospect of hitting them during the day.

  For the next hour Bruce gave out assignments and moved the platoons up to the gang’s perimeter. It was under an hour after the first shot was fired that it was over. The fight had been fast and furious. Bruce called the farm for a medevac for his wounded.

  Walking inside the main building Bruce looked around. The prisoners were all outside waiting on him. On the far wall was a table with a short wave radio sitting on it. Walking over Bruce turned up the volume and could hear people talking. On a whim he pressed the transmit button.

  “This is Omega here. We just knocked over another gang, is anyone out there?” Bruce asked releasing the key.

  “This is Gopher, and sure this is Omega,” Gopher answered with a flat voice.

  Bruce laughed, “Gopher, I sure hope you aren’t a gang, then I’ll have to find you and show you justice.”

  “I ain’t with no gang it’s just me, my family and friends,” Gopher replied.

  “That’s good Gopher. Do you have the ability to record?” Bruce asked.

  “Yeah, why?” Gopher asked.

  “In an hour I want you to record what I’m about to do to the gang members I captured here in Mississippi. I want the world to know what justice is now,” Bruce answered.

  “I don’t think you’re Omega but I’ll be here in an hour,” Gopher replied.

  Bruce grinned and walked outside keying his radio. “Third squad I need a fire by the front door here. Cook, bring the toys for my playmates. You girls play rock, paper, scissors to see who gets to pick the judges,” Bruce called out.

  A fire was started and the branding irons were placed in it to heat them up. Bruce stripped down as the prisoners were brought inside one at a time. Mindy and Mary won and chose the judges who were tied in the chair. To Bruce’s amazement they recited the rules as he walked over. When they finished Bruce laughed. “How did you know that?” Bruce asked.

  “We heard it on the radio several weeks ago,” one of them said.

  “Well today I’m adding something new. We’re going live over the air,” Bruce said holding out his arms. The two judges looked up at what they thought was a man gone insane, and weren’t far off the mark.

  Bruce walked over to the radio keying it, “Gopher are you there?” he asked.

  “I’m here,” came back the reply.

  “Now I don’t like being interrupted when I play with my playmates so I’m only transmitting,” Bruce told Gopher.

  “Let’s see what you got. Well you know what I mean,” Gopher answered then added, “We’re recording.”

  A grinning Bruce turned around looking at the prisoners holding the transmit key. “Hello America this is Omega Team and I’m the leader. My name is Bruce, and me and my team, kill blues and gangs that oppress the good people of America. Thanks to the pieces of shit that use to be in Washington, there’s a lot of shit out there. I have two judges who I’ll make give you a play by play narrative of the action when I start. Since I’ve started this new concept, that’s part of their responsibility to tell you as it happens or join the crowd. Now, if you have kids present, I’d suggest you get them out of the room,” Bruce said into the mic.

  “The judges are to witness what punishment is dealt out and to take the message across the land. I’m pissed off and want to show the world how much I’m pissed off. I’ve heard the reports on the radio and first as you can tell, we are real. The pain and suffering you’re going to hear is real also. The guilty and oppressors will be punished. If you’re wondering, I video all my play sessions and if I could, I’d give out copies,” Bruce said looking at the prisoners, all were crying.

  Bruce walked over to a man zip tied on the floor, “Sir, why are you crying?” Bruce asked.

  “Please, I had no choice, don’t do this to me,” he begged.

  Standing up, Bruce spoke in the mic, “Well he said please but didn’t answer my question. That’s not polite and I’ll start with him. First you’re going to hear a new addition that we started a few days ago. We brand everyone that fights us and mark the judges. They have the pinky and ring finger cut off both hands to leave no doubt they’re guilty.”

  Bruce turned to the door, “First squad, brand ‘em. Second squad, hold ‘em I still want them to look pretty. If anyone moves too much brand each cheek then I’ll make them pay in pain for hours on end,” Bruce said.

  They filed in holding the branding irons. Those listening on the radio could tell the screams were real filled with pain and grief. Over the air they could hear the pleas for mercy that fell on deaf ears. One of the judges moved when his forehead was branded and got two more, one on each cheek. Watching the branding was close to ecstasy for Bruce.

  When the branding was done and the screams died down Bruce spoke, “Well as you can tell, they really enjoyed it. For the gangs out there listening to this, don’t think you can intimidate Omega. We’ve lost loved ones and we’re coming for you. Any deed you do to others will be paid back to you tenfold. Just to prove my point Mr. Impolite will be my playmate for three full hours and will thank me for everything I do. The next man, if he’s polite will only be my playmate for one hour. If Omega comes for you and you surrender, I’ll let half leave but none that are in charge. The half that is chosen to leave will have to watch me play with their friends and be judges. We attack in daylight or darkness when we get to you, and we will, you will feel the wrath of punishment,” Bruce said walking over to the judges.

  “We found thirty-four women and children here at this camp all who have been put through hell. Now hell is here and talking on the radio. We’ve saved the innocent and I’m fixing to punish the wicked,” Bruce said stopping in front of the judge on the right with Omega symbols on his cheeks and forehead. “What is your name buddy?” Bruce asked.

  “Jason sir,” he answered.

  “Man, manners, they make the world such a nice place to live in,” Bruce said. Then he asked, “Did the branding hurt much Jason and don’t lie?”

  “Yes sir a lot and still does,” he replied crying.

  “Did you deserve that?” Bruce asked.

  “Yes sir I did. I don’t know why I was chosen but I’ll do what you asked,” Jason promised crying.

  “So you’ve raped, murdered, tortured and hurt good people,” Bruce asked.

  “Yes sir, we all have here,” Jason replied.

  Standing up Bruce smiled, “See he admits his crimes and accepts his punishment. This is the way of the new world. All stupid fuckers will not be allowed to breed to tell us to rehabilitate criminals. Punishment is swift and justice will be served!” Bruce bellowed out.

  “You’re no better than we are,” one of the prisoners yelled out.

  Bruce spun around looking at the group. All the other prisoners looked at the guilty man who was trying to hide. “Talking out of turn, now that wasn’t polite, you will last five hours. Before you die you will be able to tell the world what your asshole taste like,” Bruce told him.

  “Now before I begin, I want to warn others that if you try to impersonate Omega even if you’re true survivors, you become our enemy. Our enemies are shown no mercy. We’ve trained hard and suffered a lot to become Omega ‘The last guardians’,” Bruce said. “I’m not saying don’t fight, just don’t say you’re us. We have air assets and can find you anywhere. Gangs will be after us and I don’t want innocents hurt. We can take all gangs, we are that good. We have taken gangs of over five hundred then wiped out a horde of over a million. Omega wiped out two more hordes that big just a few weeks ago and let me tell you I got a hard on with that much killing. Killing i
s our business and-, business is good!” Bruce finished in a yell. Other members of Omega standing around let out yells with Bruce.

  Looking at Jake, Bruce said, “Same thing as last time. Rotating watches on the judges this time holding the mic for them so they can tell the world what justice is coming to the evil in America. When the screams stop two men to remove the bodies, I don’t like my play area cluttered.” Jake grinned and walked over grabbing the mic.

  Walking back over to Jason, Jake said, “Try to be very articulate for our crowd. Let the innocent know there’s still hope and the guilty know hell is coming.”

  Bruce went over to Mr. Impolite, “I promised you were first. I know being first is scary but I’ll be with you. Cheer up the world is listening,” Bruce told him dropping him in front of the judges. Grabbing his bag Bruce reached inside and play time started.

  Four hours later Bruce stopped when the second man died, but not before he told Bruce thank you. It was Mindy now holding the mic in front of the judges and he motioned her over taking the mic. “Gopher, you still there?” Bruce asked.

  “Hell yeah! I’m sorry I doubted you Bruce. You and Omega are the last hope for a lot of people,” Gopher answered.

  “That’s okay Gopher, but I’m fixing to sign off I have more playing to do,” Bruce told him.

  “Wait Bruce, can you stay on the air? You’ve made each one admit to everything they’ve ever done in life. The people need to hear this please,” Gopher begged.

  “All right Gopher, but I hope you have lots of tape,” Bruce told him.

  “I can record for years,” Gopher replied and Bruce started again. Bruce wouldn’t stop again until dawn.

  The tape was played over the air and then requested to be played again. Some found it too brutal and others not brutal enough but all survivors were filled with hope. Someone was fighting back against the blues and gangs, how they did it, most didn’t care. Bruce signed off and Gopher told Bruce he would always monitor this frequency for Bruce. Bruce then asked Gopher what frequency they were on. Jake and Ted marked the judges and let them go as Bruce went to shower.

  Stephanie along with the command group watched the monitor as Omega pulled out of the gang’s camp in south Mississippi. The gang was only sixty strong and Bruce had hit them at 1100 the previous day. Mike almost passed out when he saw Bruce attacking in broad daylight.

  Omega stormed the walls after the sentries were taken out. The entire battle lasted only twenty minutes with Omega suffering its first casualties. The worst, a young woman, was hit in the thigh. They stabilized her and a Blackhawk left to get her. Mike and Angela worked on her stopping the bleeding and setting the leg.

  Of the sixty gang members, only twelve made it out of the battle alive. The lucky ones died in battle. They picked up Bruce’s transmission an hour into the playtime with his ten playmates. When Bruce was finished the two judges were released before Omega pulled out.

  Stephanie looked at Mike who looked tired. “Mike, what are you thinking about?” she asked.

  Mike looked up at her, “Bruce has run out of large blue targets. It won’t be long until he hits a large city. Most of them have tens of millions of blues and I think that’s just a few too many for them,” Mike told her, putting his head on the table.

  “What the hell does Bruce want with this list?” Paul asked again.

  “I have no idea,” Mike told him again, getting tired of the question.

  “We have four hundred shipping containers which he wants us to set up in super storage areas but outside the wire. Bill has cleaned out every construction supplier in Louisiana. I now have enough concrete to pave most of the state. I thought the last time we went out we come back with shit. Thank God we are storing it around us and not inside the wire. There’s not a barn in ten miles that’s not full of shit,” Paul told everyone again.

  “We know Paul, shit, give it a rest! You’ve told everyone here this a dozen times!” Angela yelled.

  “I’m just saying,” Paul mumbled.

  Jimmy looked around the table, “I agree with Paul, ‘what for’?” he asked.

  “This is not preparing for a horde. This is supplies, unless you count the hundred containers he wants in the east field for ammo. Shit Mike, that’s eight million cubic feet of storage. We have enough ammo now to kill everything in the states,” Paul almost yelled.

  “He’s setting us up for the future,” Stephanie said, adding up the pieces.

  “Why the rush?” Nancy asked.

  “I don’t know. Maybe he wants us to build better protection,” Stephanie grasped.

  Carroll stood up, “He’s preparin’ us to be without ‘im,” she stated. Everyone fell silent as that hit home.

  Stephanie stood up yelling, “Give me the fucking radio, I’m calling his ass home!”

  “That won’t work Stephanie,” Carroll told her.

  Stephanie looked at Angela, “Pack some shit for the kids, we’re going to Bruce!” she yelled at Angela. Angela stood up heading to the door but stopped when Carroll called her name.

  Angela looked at Carroll then at Stephanie as Carroll spoke, “What will you do or say that he don’t already knows? This be a fight Bruce has to fight on his own. We can offer assistance lettin’ him know we be here but he’s the one that must make the choice. Hate or love, God or Satan, good or evil it all be meanin’ the same. If you two go to ‘im and somethin’ happens to one of the kids or you, I can assure ya which path he’ll be takin’.”

  “I can’t lose him,” Stephanie said crying and ran out.

  “Mike, if Bruce doesn’t come back to us as his old self, I’m leaving with Stephanie to go to him with the kids. I know Bruce would never let anything happen to the kids. We all will just follow him being killing machines,” Angela said with tears running down her face as she ran out.

  Mike looked at Paul, Cheryl, Joe, and Jimmy. “Will you three go to the guards and tell them not to let those two leave. They are to call me if they even see them headed to a gate. Don’t use the radio and tell them to pass that on to each shift. Steve, make sure we have air ready to back up Omega. I’m sure Bruce is going to start some shit somewhere,” Mike told them. They all nodded and left. There was only Mike, Nancy, Carroll and Marcus left in the room.

  “Before I left Bruce, Buffy came and told me Bruce looked up at the sky and talked to Debbie saying he loved those two but they were driving him crazy,” Mike told them.

  “He’s learnin’ over again that love is hard and hate be easy,” Carroll told Mike.

  “Carroll, Bruce was married to Debbie for over two decades. They were childhood sweethearts. Bruce knows about love,” Mike told her.

  “Mike, Bruce was just a boy then an growed into that love,” Carroll replied.

  “Well what do we do?” Nancy asked with tears in her eyes.

  “Just what we’ve been doing,” Marcus told her.

  “I want my kids back here,” Nancy told Mike.

  Mike sighed, “Nancy, they’re safe for now,” he told her.

  “Just to let you know Mike if they go with Bruce on this killing spree, I’m riding with Angela and Stephanie. I’ll be a killing machine with them,” Nancy said crying as she left.

  “That’s how I go. If Bruce chooses that path then we all follow,” Mike said.

  Carroll shook her head, “No Mike, I can’t follow y’all on that path,” Carroll told him.

  “I go with her,” Marcus said.

  Mike stood up, “If it comes to that, I’ll give you the farm and it’ll be up to you to keep it going,” he told them then left.

  Carroll grabbed Marcus’s hand and smiled at him, “Now that’s true love. They’ll all follow Bruce into the abyss just to be together,” Carroll said.

  “If you want to follow ‘em, I’ll come with ya,” Marcus told her.

  “I know you would sugar but we needin’ to stay here, just in case they finds a way back home,” Carroll told him.

  Omega entered Arkansas two weeks later sto
pping on a bridge several miles from the state line. It was day twenty of this outing. Bruce could see that the troops were getting tired. They had killed blues in all the small towns in eastern Louisiana as they moved north.

  In one small town they found a gang of eight, holding a family hostage. One of the UAVs had spotted one driving back to the house they were hold up at. Bruce took first squad and entered the house at night. When they found the family tied up they took the eight while they slept. When one of the gang members woke up and saw the Omega patch on Danny’s arm, he started crying.

  Crossing back over the Mississippi River, Omega ran into another gang that was camping in a campground. They hit them at night taking over twenty more playmates. Continuing his new tradition Bruce called Gopher and held playtime live on the air. All the hostages were sent back to the farm when Omega was resupplied.

  Standing up in the RG cupola Bruce put second platoon on the north end of the bridge and first platoon took the south. Bruce went and unhooked the truck from the RV pulling up to the semi that had the cages tied to the side. With the hoist arm Bruce put the cage in the bed of the truck.

  Bruce opened the cage and the prisoner didn’t look good. The nights of being used as bait were taking its toll on him. With the last gang Bruce had added three more playmates tripling up in some of the cages. Grabbing the prisoner, Bruce lifted him up zip-tying him to the back of the cage. Bruce had found a trampoline spring at the last farm they were at killing blues with the ‘super gang’ bait.

  Attaching the spring to the door and the cage Bruce let it go. The door slammed shut locking. Smiling, Bruce drove to the south of the bridge and set the cage on the road a hundred yards from the bridge. Then Bruce opened the door and tied it open with a slip knot. Setting the ghetto blaster radio beside the cage Bruce lead the rope back to the bridge. It was times like this that Bruce was so glad they had rope in hundreds of yards.

  Getting out of the truck, Bruce tied the rope to the front bumper. Pulling the remote to the radio Bruce pushed play, filling the air with heavy metal.