“Team stay beside me and if Ted gets a funny look in his eye, shoot him in the knees,” Bruce told them as he walked to the front entrance of the hall.
Ted was standing outside as the rest of first platoon was dragging out bodies from the mess hall. They all snickered anytime they walked past Ted who was pissed. Bruce walked over to Ted pulling Buffy in front of him.
“Well we can call that even,” Bruce told Ted.
“How in the world can we be even?” Ted asked.
“I will count that as payback for hurting Buffy’s feeling’s the first time we went out,” Bruce told him.
Ted shook his head, “Bruce, she made me scream like a bitch coming at me with that damn switchblade. That debt was paid,” Ted informed him.
“From her, not her Dad. I was going to prank your ass but I’ll let it slide if we count that as even,” Bruce offered.
Ted involuntarily grabbed his balls. “Dude, you leave my balls alone! They aren’t much but they’re mine,” Ted told Bruce. “You know what kind of shit I’m going to put up with for that,” Ted stated.
“If they give you shit, have Buffy demonstrate proper knife care to them,” Bruce offered.
“Deal then,” Ted accepted and shook Bruce’s hand.
One of first platoon came over to Bruce, “Bruce sir, we wanted to know, what did the big guy in there do to piss you off? Your Taser is still shocking the shit out of him,” he asked.
“Oh I didn’t do that Buffy did. He stood up and charged her. Well as everyone knows she is on my left all the time. She grabbed the Taser and lit his ass up like a Christmas tree. She only did it show him that she wasn’t afraid of him because she could’ve shot him but saved him for me. Buffy really loves her Daddy,” Bruce told him.
The young man smiled thinking Bruce was kidding and waited on Bruce to grin, but Bruce didn’t. “Yeah right,” he finally said.
“I’m serious, ask the others or her,” Bruce told the man who dropped his smile. The man looked down at Buffy.
Buffy looked at him with her little smile, “Yeah he pissed me off trying to act all ‘bad’ but he’s just my bitch now. Sometimes I wish I had a real tally whacker so I could strangle people with it,” she told the young man. The young man backed up from the smiling girl.
“Buffy, I want you go and play with your knife, you haven’t talked to it in a while and it’s getting lonely,” Bruce told her putting his arm around her shoulders.
Buffy reached up and pulled her switchblade of her vest, “Hi Herman,” Buffy said to the knife as she pressed the button snapping the blade open. She pointed the knife at the young man, “You want to say hi to Herman?” she asked. The young man just shook his head no.
“Ted is my friend and my teammate. If his feelings get hurt I’ll get sad and Herman gets mad. I don’t like it when Herman gets mad, he tells me to do weird things,” Buffy said walking toward the trooper.
“Ted, I swear I’ll never hurt your feelings,” the young man said and took off running.
Ted smiled and looked down at Buffy, “Thank you Buffy, but what’s scary, I know you can do most of what you just said,” Ted said.
“Some,” Buffy exclaimed. “Daddy says never boast about something unless you can do it,” she let him know.
“That’s what I mean,” Ted replied walking over to her and hugged her. Ted looked up at Bruce, “I know she’s your daughter,” he said walking away.
“You doubted it,” Bruce laughed as Stephanie came over the radio.
“Bruce, that was real stupid. Advancing on a fixed gun emplacement like that, head on,” she told him.
“From your perspective it may have been but from mine it was the right thing to do. I’m not in the mood for a lecture. I didn’t use my sword and quit pinching Angela’s nipples so hard. You can’t pick her up with them,” Bruce replied over the radio.
Shock hit Stephanie like a cold wave making her drop the mic from numb fingers, not believing Bruce had said that over the radio. Angela was fixing to grab the mic but decided not to as she saw the blush spread across Stephanie’s face. Then over the radio Angela heard, “Little Foot, I know you’re there, you two are never more than two feet apart. Quit pulling Stephanie’s hair. It’s not a steering wheel, a gentle nudge maybe, but just tell her right or left okay. I swear I saw a bald spot on the side of her head where you pulled out some hair,” Bruce told everyone.
Angela started blushing a beet red looking around the room at the people grinning at her. Stephanie was still standing with her hand out like she was still holding the mic, looking at the radio with a pretty red face and neck. Angela walked over to Stephanie grabbing her arm and guided her towards the door as everyone in the room was fighting not to laugh.
Stephanie looked down at Angela, “He just told everybody,” Stephanie mumbled. “That was just for us to make him smile,” she babbled.
Angela put her finger on Stephanie’s lips, “He thought we were hurting each other,” Angela told her.
“But-,” Stephanie said moving Angela’s finger and Angela replaced it.
“It’s okay,” Angela told Stephanie and looked at all the grinning faces. “I’m sorry, I wish Bruce wouldn’t have let everyone know. But Stephanie won’t move where it feels good and I did pull out some hair and Bruce really loves her hair. But in my defense, she did pick me up last week by my nipples. Granted it was only an inch and that might look good in a porn movie but that shit hurts like hell,” Angela told the group in mission control. Every face went from smirk to astonishment as the two left.
They all heard Stephanie repeating, “He told everyone I pinch your nipples hard. He wasn’t supposed to tell everyone.”
“It’s okay Stephanie, I’ll put some more ice on them and the swelling will be gone in no time,” Angela told Stephanie leading her up the stairs out of mission control.
Chapter 23
It was dawn when Bruce walked back to the mess hall where the prisoners were. The compound was a little over thirty acres square and he walked over it with the squad leaders. They discussed the areas that needed work and how to set up the best defense.
Bruce headed over to the RV to get some food since all the hostages had been fed. Like all the others they were skin and bones and had to have a strict diet to turn their bodies around. With the diet the clan was improving more with each rescue. Downing his food Bruce headed to the mess hall to get the report from the squad leaders.
The squad leaders were all standing outside the mess hall talking. It was only 0700 and the temperature was already climbing. When they saw Bruce heading toward them they walked over, meeting him at the front doors. Carl held the doors open and they went inside and were hit with a wall of stank. The prisoners were all lying on the floor at the back of the hall and most had used the bathroom on themselves. Standing orders were once the ties went on only the judges got them cut off while they were alive.
When they were all at one of the tables, Carl looked at Bruce as he set a radio on the table that was on so the command group could listen. Then Carl read his note pad, “We counted one hundred and eighty six hostiles total, one hundred and forty-two dead and forty-four alive. We were unable to get a count in the main barracks after the Apaches blew it up. You caught all the command crew here in the mess hall. The big guy that loved the Taser is number one, the ones in the office were the top five. There are two hundred and eleven hostages most are women and kids. The kids you found in the back office were the kids of the trouble causing women. They kept them separated so the mothers would remain compliant,” Carl closed his notebook and sat down.
Ted stood up, “We had four wounded, one when he jumped from the top of the wall spraining his ankle real good. The others are cuts and one bullet wound. Believe it or not, the ankle is the worst but she refused to be flown back. This group had some pretty awesome weapons and even AT-4 rocket launchers. But they were kept in the leader’s office and couldn’t be reached. We’ve collected all quality weapons and ammo. They had
only a ton of food but we took it. Now get this, they had meth operation that’s huge. Don’t smoke near the north wall. That we didn’t blow up the compound when we took it is a miracle. They had a radio here and even a radio operator. They had a notebook compiled about us but I don’t think they believed it,” Ted finished and sat down.
Conner stood up, “We used very little ammo, barely over twenty thousand rounds. We replaced that with what we took from them plus some. They had some fuel but I really don’t want to trust it. They have some nice bikes but that’s it. They had the hostages carry water here every day dumping it in a large tank on the east end of the property. Unfortunately Steve put about a hundred holes through it so we will be using our water truck. The troops are in good spirits and morale is high. I had each squad do thirty minutes of PT this morning,” Conner said then sat down.
Jake stood up next, “Well in the twenty mile radius around us we have about a thousand blues. Now outside that the numbers start to get interesting. Right before the attack started, we saw the blues in Dallas grouping. They were doing that roaring relay thing they do. When we wiped out the group to the north we took out the radio beacon. In a hundred mile radius we have about a million blues and most of those are to our south and west. We have no sizable group close,” Jake said sitting down.
“That was a good report men. I’m going to start playing with my playmates in a few hours. I want the girls to come in and choose the judges. Then I’ll pick out twelve for bait. I want the short wave brought in and get Gopher on the line. I want the same watches again. Let the judges tell the story of their downfall then I will start. I want the brands on everyone before any are separated. Ted, see to that,” Bruce said looking up.
“I’ll brand our bitches sir!” Ted shouted.
“Good man, now squad leaders, I want four squads out each day in two groups killing. That’s what we’re here for so let’s make the world happy,” Bruce told them.
“Bruce, sending out ten men in a group seems a little risky,” Mike said over the radio.
“Not with the numbers we have around here. The rest of Omega will be out by tomorrow afternoon. Then we can start killing again on an industrial scale,” Bruce told him.
“You’re giving your playmates thirty hours, I’m impressed,” Mike said.
“Oh those I don’t get to will come with us, and Mike get your own toys don’t kill mine. I could have used them in cages before we got here just to slow down the horde. If you want to play with my toys you have to go by my rules,” Bruce said looking at the radio.
On the other end Mike felt crushed. After the banter Bruce showed, he had such high hopes but it was the bipolar Bruce. Just the old Bruce showing his self and now the evil Bruce was back. “Bruce, I was justified in that. You can’t let the kids follow you down that path,” Mike said looking at the radio.
“Well to let you know, I had to stop the kids from finding some real interesting ways to deal with my wounded playmates. You stopped and didn’t explain your actions. You should’ve carried out her wishes so she could have seen it wasn’t that great. I stopped them and made them watch me deal with the wounded and problem was solved. I’m not worried about the kids Mike. Their sins pass to me until I tell them otherwise. Then they’ll have to deal with the guilt but I’d rather them see the pain delivered through me. Me, I don’t have guilt, it gives me the tingles and funny fuzzy feelings,” Bruce told Mike.
Just staring at the radio Mike broke out in a cold sweat as did most in the command group. “Okay Bruce, I handled it wrong I’m sorry,” Mike said just to make Bruce leave the subject.
“Thank you Mike and last night I didn’t know the radio was on. I was just poking fun at you and you know it but if I hurt your feelings I’m sorry. I really need you there for me brother,” Bruce told him.
Mike and the others couldn’t take their eyes off the radio. “Brother, I know that. I was just havin’ fun back at you,” Mike said not believing Bruce had apologized or admitted he needed Mike to everyone.
Just then the door burst open in the front of the hall. Bruce along with all the squad leaders were aiming an assortment of weapons at the door when it crashed open. A woman was fighting with several members of Omega trying to get in. Danny, Buffy, Mary and Mindy walked around the crazy yelling woman and sat down at the table.
“What the hell’s going on?” Bruce yelled.
The woman stopped struggling with the guards and looked at Bruce. “It’s you!” she yelled.
“Yeah, the baddest motherfucker on the planet, what about it?” Bruce challenged.
“You murdered my baby!” she screamed trying to get at Bruce as the guards held her arms.
Looking at her closely, Bruce remembered her from the other office holding a bleeding kid. “So what, I rescued a lot,” Bruce told her wanting the bitch to go away.
“How can you say that? You just shot through the wall bastard! There was nothing but women and kids in there!” she screamed.
Danny stood up and Bruce motioned her back down. Turning back to the woman, “Ma-am, I didn’t know what was behind door number two. Door number one had a bunch of bad guys behind it and they shot at me. Granted it was after I shot at them but that’s a moot point,” Bruce told her.
“Motherfucker, you can’t even say you’re sorry!” she screamed.
That time both Buffy and Danny stood up and Bruce snapped his fingers for them to sit down. “Listen stupid bitch, I’m not sorry. If I had it to do over again I’d do the same thing. It wasn’t worth one of my troopers lives to knock first and see who was home. Did I receive little tingles, no, it was just bad luck,” Bruce told her.
“He was only seven!” she screamed trying to get away from the ones holding her.
“You’re beginning to irritate me woman,” Bruce told her in a low voice.
The woman looked at the group at the table and noticed the radio. “Hey you on the radio, one of your soldiers killed my baby and I want him punished!” she yelled.
“Ma-am, I’m sorry for your loss but not the action. We risked our troops lives to free y’all and kill the gang responsible for your torture and imprisonment. If you can’t see that the gang is responsible then there’s no hope for you,” Mike told her. ‘Damn’ thought Bruce, ‘that was smooth’.
“You must be some chicken shit politician. I want justice! I want the shaved head fucker shot!” she screamed at the radio.
Danny jumped up with Buffy on her heels. Bruce snapped his fingers for them to sit down but Danny just looked at him. “That’s enough Daddy, if she disrespects you again she spits teeth,” Danny told him as she walked over to the woman.
The woman heard Danny and looked at her with a sneer. “Your Dad is a coward,” she told Danny.
Danny looked at the three holding the woman, two men and one woman all Omega members. “Let her go,” Danny told them. The guards looked at Bruce and he shook his head no. Buffy pulled out her switchblade and popped the blade out. The three guards let the woman go and stepped away.
“Are you kidding me? You disobeyed me because Buffy pulled out Herman!” Bruce asked the three in disbelief.
“Thank you Buffy,” Danny said looking at the woman. Danny was just ignoring dad for now.
“Sir we’ll stand up to one of your daughters but not both,” one of the guards hollered out.
“Whatever,” Bruce said brushing them off.
Danny moved in front of the woman, “Did you call my Daddy a coward?” she asked.
“That’s what he is, a piece of shit coward, just like you,” the woman told Danny.
The woman never saw Danny move. Spinning around Danny lashed out with a round house kick catching the woman in the jaw sending her to the floor. Danny just stood over the woman as she raised her body off the floor and spit a mouth full of blood on the floor. Looking at the blood puddle everyone could see a tooth.
“Damn, she warned her, then made her spit teeth. That’s too cool,” Carl said, nodding in admiration.
The woman slowly pulled herself up into a sitting position. “You think I haven’t had that before little bitch,” the woman told Danny. Danny and Buffy started moving toward her.
“Stop!” Bruce yelled. Danny and Buffy looked at Bruce. Danny could see on Daddy’s face it was to the point she had to listen. Turning around Danny headed back to the table, Buffy just followed Danny after watching Bruce put his hand on his pistol.
“I’m going to kill you. Maybe not today but I’ll kill you,” the woman said standing up.
“You’re so wrong. Lady, you’re dead and don’t even know it yet,” Bruce told her pulling out his pistol shooting the woman in the knee.
She let out a scream as she fell to the floor holding her leg. “You shot me! You can’t do that, you said you were here to save us!” she wailed.
“Oh I am, just not you,” Bruce told her feeling the hate course through him.
Screaming in pain the woman looked up at Bruce. “You’re the good guys you can’t just shoot people. I never did anything to you!” she wailed.
“You threatened me,” Bruce corrected her.
“I didn’t mean it, please, help me!” she begged.
“Damn then, I guess I can’t say jokes on me can I,” Bruce told her raising up his pistol. Squeezing the trigger, Bruce shot her in the other leg.
The woman screamed trying to hold her shattered knees, “I’m sorry please stop, have mercy please,” she pleaded.
“Oh, I’m sorry, mercy is out of town and we don’t know when it’ll be back. You could’ve lived and your child’s memory would have lived through you. Now you’re going to die and only a few will remember you but in a few months you’ll be forgotten,” Bruce told her as he shot her in the stomach.
Back in mission control Nancy was going to say something but Willie grabbed her and the radio pushing the mute button. Willie looked at Nancy and shook his head no not wanting to trust the button. Holding his finger up to his lips Willie looked around the table telling everyone to stay out of it.
“Any last words?” Bruce asked.
Blue Plague: Rage Page 30