They were a gang from above Dallas and were joining the gang outside of Jasper with the threat of Omega. There were hostages in the gang’s convoy but Bruce told Omega everyone was to die. No one was to risk trying to save a hostage. Mike could live with that decision but when Omega started walking down the highway spraying people with fuel and lighting them up like birthday candles. Mike had a problem with that. Some of the people Mike could tell weren’t gang members but Bruce was not taking chances so they joined their captors. Omega lost four troopers in the battle and had to fly three critical wounded back with some other minor wounded.
When the battle was over Omega had to battle several hordes of tens of thousands. When Bruce thought the area was clear he caught another female blue and made her roar. When only a few joggers showed up Bruce told Omega to mount up.
Mike sent out a supply run and Bruce told Mike they were hitting Jasper. Mike almost called the supply convoy back to make Omega return. The three critical wounded members all died on the helicopter ride to the farm and Bruce wanted blood. Mike and the command group sat down and figured out each member of Omega was running on three hours asleep a day.
By the time they hit Jasper, Stephanie was putting Omega’s blue kills at six million plus. From one hundred miles outside of Houston to Baton Rouge were strung out four of the six million. The rest were stacked in piles where Omega had made a stand and just let the blues feed the grinder.
The first UAV over Jasper had showed them the gang had grown. They were over twenty six hundred now with seven hundred hostages. Bruce called Mike and told him he was calling for another scorched Earth. Everyone was to die. Mike had tried to convince Bruce otherwise but Mike knew he was right.
If they attacked a group that size Omega would take heavy casualties at best. Bruce spread out Omega and called in air. Those that tried to leave where shot and Mike watched in horror as entire families wiped out. He had watched his own kids do it standing beside Bruce’s.
After the A-10s had made two runs and the Apache’s made one. Bruce moved Omega into the camp and killed anyone the bombs missed which turned out to be quite a few. With the wounded and those hiding killed, Bruce pulled Omega in the circle and waited on the blues. They killed another hundred thousand turning it into a game.
Mike had been expecting Bruce to come home after that but Bruce called for a resupply. Resupplied Bruce wiped out the blues in Beaumont called for another resupply, then for reasons known only by Bruce he ordered Omega to roll on Dallas. Omega rolled down I-20 right through the center of Dallas. When they rolled in they had over nine million rounds, coming out the west side of Dallas they were down to two hundred thousand.
Bruce just told the drivers to floor it which only meant sixty miles per hour. The supply group would roll up beside a RG and pass over bags of loaded magazines as empty bags were handed back. Only the size of the vehicles had saved Omega on the Dallas run in Mike’s eyes but Bruce told Mike that was horse shit.
Sitting at the table, Mike wanted to forget everything else that had happened. Stephanie’s final tally for Omega was just under seven million blues, almost four thousand gang members, they had saved over six hundred hostages but lost seven team members with another eighteen badly wounded.
Bruce circled north of Dallas and called telling Mike they were coming home. When Mike had heard that he wanted to cry. He was fighting the urge to punch Bruce in the mouth when he saw him. They were less than two hundred miles from home and the clan was ready for its warriors to come home.
Mike looked around the table wanting someone to speak but everyone just sat in a daze. “Well what does anyone have to say?” Mike put out on the table.
“Spank me and roll me flour, I’m done and I haven’t even left the farm,” Joe said.
“Yeah, I’ve no idea how the team managed it, counting the two days at the first compound they were out almost a month and in combat almost every minute of every day. I want to make sure that Omega is not put on any schedule for two weeks. If anyone has earned some down time it’s them,” Mike said and everyone agreed.
“Who’s going to take Bruce’s spurs off?” Bill asked.
“Why would we want to do that?” Stephanie asked.
“Please tell me you’re kidding,” Jimmy asked her.
“No, I’m not. That hundred man army averaged killing seven hundred thousand blues a day. They took out six gangs all of them bigger than they were,” Stephanie snapped.
“It’s not a hundred man team anymore,” Bill reminded her.
“Oh that’s a cheap shot, pussy boy. I’d like to see anyone here go out fighting those kinds of battles and only lose seven!” Stephanie yelled at Bill, as she stood up wanting to fight.
Mike put his hand on her shoulder to rein her in as Bill held his hands up in surrender. “He didn’t mean anything by it Stephanie,” Mike told Stephanie as she sat back down.
Mike looked at Angela, “Well Angela, you have anything to add?” Mike asked.
“No, I agree with Stephanie, no one here could’ve done what Bruce did with the man power he had and only suffered those loses. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to lose anyone but Debbie herself told us this was a war and losses would happen. If you add up for everyone we lost: the blues lost over three million and the gangs lost almost a thousand for everyone we lost. It may seem harsh but we can suffer losses at those ratios,” Angela told Mike.
Mike just looked at Angela never expecting that out of her. “Angela, he can’t keep pushing Omega like that,” Mike replied.
“Mike do you really think Bruce doesn’t know how hard he can push them. He’s returning now because he knows they need down time,” Angela responded.
“Mike, just admit it, you didn’t like it when your kids were wiping up after Bruce called for scorched Earth,” Marcus challenged.
Mike slammed his hands down on the table as he stood up. “I can take it as a military action but they were enjoying it. They pulled several on the road and ran over them with one of the RGs. We aren’t going to talk about the rest of the shit!” Mike yelled down the table.
“I knows how ya feel Mike but they was there, you weren’t. Don’t judge from a distance,” Carroll warned him.
“Those are my babies down there and I mean all of them!” Mike yelled.
“Yes Mike, I know and our two boys just signed up to take the place of two of those that died,” Carroll told him.
Mike stumbled back, “Carroll, those boys have knowledge that we need,” Mike said.
“I told them the same thang and so did Angela. Angela what they say to that,” Carroll asked never looking away from Mike.
Angela looked up, “They said they wanted a chance to join. If Bruce told them they weren’t capable then they’d accept that but if they weren’t given the chance because they went to college they’d leave. Not just the farm but the state,” Angela told everyone.
“They wantin’ the chance to fight fur us and I can’t be denyin’ ‘em that, they be grown now. I’ll pray for ‘em,” Carroll said with conviction.
Marcus stood up, “What I’m going to say has nothin’ against ya Mike, I love ya like a brother. When the boys told me what they wanted to do, the only way I’d give my approval was if they joined with Bruce. They’ve no military training but they have heart. You want to know why Bruce lost those troops? He relied too much on technology. Watch the tapes of all his other stops. He pulled his group in a defensive position and had watches out, with several micro UAVs. That one time he relied on the base’s UAVs he just pulled his convoy in and had just a few micro UAVs up, no men out on watch. Look at Bruce now when he stops. We had four UAVs over him four days ago and he still wouldn’t let down his guard again,” Marcus pointed out.
Mike shook his head, “Marcus that was just a mistake with the UAVs. One was supposed to stay overhead but they both got called back,” Mike explained.
“That’s when Murphy sticks his dick in your ass,” Marcus told him. “Mike, you remember
when we played paintball with Bruce, I told you that you don’t think fluid enough for an attack. In a defense you almost always win. That’s your strength, that’s why you’re here. Me, I’m old and would be a handicap in the field so I’ll teach what I know,” Marcus proclaimed.
“Marcus, I never even put myself on the same level as Bruce when it comes to tactics,” Mike replied honestly.
“Never said you would, but have more faith in him. I’m not going to lie, the first time I watched Bruce attack was on Toledo Bend and I thought he was going to lose half his force. Risking so much to get a man that I thought was foolish. But Bruce stacks the field so far in his advantage it amazes me,” Marcus informed Mike.
“Marcus, the next thing you’re going to tell me that Bruce didn’t make it out of Dallas with luck,” Mike challenged.
“Do you ever watch the recordings?” Marcus asked.
“Sometimes,” Mike admitted.
“I have three times. The Dallas run went just how Bruce wanted it to. He wanted to know what it takes to hit a major city, in a major city, now he knows,” Marcus told Mike.
“Just how in the hell could he take on a major city with a hundred man team?” Mike demanded.
“I have a couple of ideas how he could do it but only Bruce knows now. Now the recordings from that little camera he wears would be a treasure to watch,” Marcus stated.
“He won’t let anyone watch them,” Stephanie informed Marcus.
“I know, I asked, Bruce said after Steve’s baby was born he’d sit down and edit out the personal stuff and let me watch ‘em,” Marcus told her.
Mike was just staring at Marcus trying to comprehend what Marcus had told him. Sitting down in his chair Mike never took his eyes off Marcus. “Watch the videos Mike. When Bruce entered into Dallas they kept slowing down and speeding up. When they jumped off the interstate, that was planned Mike. I think Bruce was testing the blues sense of direction, tracking noise inside a city and to see if the blues could figure out how to flood them with bodies. If he’d have been worried about being overrun, he would’ve just sped off when they entered, that was when they were in the thickest bunch. The last ten miles he was already ahead of the major pack,” Marcus educated Mike.
“Yep, that’s how Bruce operates,” Willie chimed in.
“So you don’t think it was luck either?” Mike asked Willie.
“Not really, more of avoiding bad luck, like a truck breaking down. What he wants to know Bruce will figure it out. I’m with Marcus, if Bruce wanted to attack a major city he knows how now,” Willie told Mike.
“Alright, I see your points but I want to talk to Bruce about pushing the attack group so hard for so long. I want some reserve in case we get in some shit here,” Mike said.
“Now that’s a valid argument Mike and thought out by a defensive mind which is the one area Bruce is lacking. I think he’s too impatient, that’s why he’s just a fair sniper,” Marcus told him.
Mike grinned, at least he was better than Bruce at something. Looking up at Paul, “Paul in one month we have added over a thousand people, how’s the farm holding up?” Mike asked changing the subject before someone figured out that Bruce was better than him in defense.
“We have room with the new barracks and even the six hundred Omega saved, but Mike we’re at the five thousand mark Bruce didn’t want to go over. The power and water are fine. We have fifteen foot fences around two five hundred acre fields. With that we can feed the clan and put up a year’s supply. We now have a thousand plus head of cattle. Next year we’ll have enough to supply the clan,” Paul advised Mike.
“How many more empty rooms do we have?” Mike asked.
“Two hundred more and that’ll put us at fifty five hundred,” Paul answered.
“Okay when Bruce is rested we’ll call a command meeting to see where we need to go,” Mike told them.
“When are you going to talk to Bruce about pushing the team?” Nancy asked.
“I’m going to give him a few days of rest, then I’ll talk to him,” Mike told her.
A young girl came in from flight control, “Omega is twenty minutes out,” she announced.
“Let’s gather the clan and welcome home our warriors,” Mike said standing up.
They left the command bunker and the call went out over the radio and PA system that Omega was almost home. For the last few weeks the clan had watched in wonder as they battled hordes that just boggled the mind. Then attack groups three and four times their size wiping them out to the last man except the judges. The Gopher show was played in the center at supper. It was a two hour long program every other day, of Gopher talking to others on the radio about Omega. Hearing the small pockets of people spread across America, beg for Omega to come and help them, made the clan feel safe but sorry for others out there. The members of the clan knew they had it good.
When the trucks pulled in the clan cheered and waved at the team members but they noticed the men and women of Omega were barely waving back. They all had bags under their eyes with long tired faces that could be seen by those on the ground. When the trucks stopped and the first team members stepped out the cheers died on their lips.
The men and women that stepped out of the trucks were haggard and filthy. Their faces were covered in face paint, grease, gun residue and other unfriendly skin irritants. Most had tears over their uniforms from the sharp edges of the vehicles. The only thing clean on each member was their weapons.
Angela and Stephanie were holding the kids and even they stopped fighting to get free when they heard the crowd fall silent. When PJ saw the first member of Omega, he wrapped his arms around Stephanie’s neck, not wanting to get down anymore.
When Bruce stuck his head out of the top of the RG, most didn’t know who he was. His goatee was hidden in a beard and his normally shaved head was covered in inch long stubble showing Bruce’s bald spot on the back of his head. Bruce climbed up on the roof of the RG and looked at the silent crowd wondering what the problem was. His team deserved cheers and praise from the clan.
Bruce cleared his throat looking at the crowd. “We may look like hell but let me tell ya, Omega kicked ass every day in the field. We drove through Dallas and killed blues like it was a video game. Let this clan know Omega can take on a horde of six million long before they get close to the clan. We can fight a gang ten times our size and win. This team made you proud, they held the line and pushed it back,” Bruce stated.
The crowd just stared at Bruce then someone yelled out “Omega!” Then it was repeated until the crowd of thousands plus was chanting “Omega!” This gave the team the energy to raise their hands and smile. Watching their heroes getting motivated, the clan started chanting louder.
Bruce jumped down to the hood and his knees told him not to do that again. Walking to the edge of the hood Bruce was getting ready to jump down but his knees felt his action and really started to protest. Bruce decided that he didn’t want to bust his face so he climbed down.
Reaching the ground, people started to pat his back making dust fly in the air. Pushing through the crowd Bruce smiled politely unbuckling his vest until he reached the edge. Bruce looked around and didn’t see his welcoming committee. Looking up Bruce found them by Angela and Stephanie. Putting one foot in front of the other with a determined effort, Bruce headed to them.
Bruce stopped in front of them smiling. “Hey guys, Daddy’s home,” he said.
Angela and Stephanie lunged forward hugging Bruce. PJ started yelling that Daddy’s vest hurt him. When they backed up Bruce dropped his gear and this time the twins and Cade joined the hug. PJ then started to tell everyone that Daddy’s stickers hurt him.
“PJ still bitches a lot,” Bruce said hugging them.
“Yeah we tried to get rid of him, but nobody would take him and he won’t fit in the toilet anymore. He tried to flush himself. Angela denied any involvement,” Stephanie said returning Bruce’s hug.
“I wouldn’t teach him to flush himself. I just
left PJ in the center hoping someone would take him but they just brought him home,” Angela said squeezing Bruce’s waist.
“Well I guess we’ll have to keep him them,” Bruce said.
“That’s what we figured,” Stephanie said as Bruce released the hug.
“Guys don’t take this the wrong way but I don’t want to sit and talk. I want to shower, like right now,” Bruce told them.
“Bruce, don’t take this the wrong way, but go now,” Angela told him.
“We’ll help you,” Stephanie told him.
“I’m good girls,” Bruce said reaching down for his gear.
“Bruce, you’re wobbling on your feet,” Stephanie snapped.
Leaving his gear on the ground Bruce stood back up. “I still have ten hours left in me,” Bruce informed them.
“I don’t give a shit if you can go another fifty, you’re taking a shower and going to bed,” Stephanie said stomping her foot.
“I’m good,” Bruce tried to convince them but was wobbling and slurring his words.
“What hallucinations did you see?” Angela asked.
“Nothing really,” Bruce said looking down.
“Don’t listen to him, for the last hour he was talking to Wookiee’s!” Danny yelled walking over to them. Danny looked like total hell. Her normally beautiful hair looked like hay. Her face was covered in dirt and was breaking out very bad from all the dirt and grease.
“She’s exaggerating,” Bruce said with his head rolling on his shoulders.
“Like hell, pull his camera card. The driver almost ran into the ditch when Dad yelled out ‘Empiral fighters coming in!’ Daddy opened up with the fifty cal shooting at birds in the sky.” Danny said with a straight face. “Mama told me I couldn’t reprimand Daddy, that’s your job so I’m telling you. He made everyone get at least four hours of sleep a day but not G.I. Joe here. Daddy slept for one hour a day, we kept a log if you want to see. Mama wouldn’t let this go easily,” Danny told them, narrowing her eyes looking for the real commitment from these two for her dad.
Blue Plague: Rage Page 32