Blue Plague: Rage

by Watson, Thomas A

  Bruce just dropped his fork looking at Stephanie breathing heavy. For a brief second Bruce thought it was Debbie because it sounded like her, telling him, not asking him to take care of himself. Turning to Angela Bruce asked, “What‘s wrong with her?”

  “We’re pissed but don’t worry I’m next. We flipped to see who would go first, she won,” Angela told him, with a forced smile.

  Closing his eyes, Bruce looked back at Stephanie, “Stephanie, I’m sorry but I was fine,” Bruce told her.

  “Bruce, you were trying to shoot down Empiral fighters with a fifty caliber machine gun yelling at the driver to make the jump to light speed! You scared the shit out of him making him drive off the shoulder of the road!” Stephanie yelled her face turning red.

  “Damn, I’ve never been that bad,” Bruce said out loud to himself. “You’re right, I was wrong. I won’t do that again I promise,” Bruce said looking up at her.

  Stephanie smiled and leaned down and kissed him as she sat back down. “Bruce that really hurt us seeing you like that for no good reason except just trying to be a total badass. At lunch today, I’ll walk around and tell everyone how big of a bad ass you really are,” Stephanie offered.

  “That’s alright baby, I won’t push myself like that again unless I have to,” Bruce promised.

  “Thank you,” Stephanie told him.

  Bruce turned to Angela, “Okay, I have a little ass left,” Bruce told her.

  “I know, you look like you’ve lost twenty pounds,” Angela said.

  “Sixteen,” Bruce corrected her.

  “We’ll get to that later. Yesterday I carried your vest in,” Angela started and Bruce stopped her.

  “That vest weighs as much as you do,” Bruce said cringing knowing this wasn’t going to end well for him.

  “Almost and that’s my point. We cleaned your gear and everyone else’s on Omega yesterday. Your vest is twenty five pounds heavier than anyone else’s. I’ve taken your heavy vest away and it’s put up. Unless it’s needed you won’t wear it and especially for weeks at a time. Now I’ve talked it over with Stephanie. If you can’t take care of yourself for us, then one of us will go out with you each time. That way we know you’re being taken care of. Even if you throw us out one of us will stay up your ass twenty-four hours a day! I saw you grimacing when you moved around with that damn thing on!” Angela finished in a scream.

  “I’m sorry, you’re right, I’ll only wear it when it is needed,” Bruce promised.

  “Bruce, push your chair back please,” Angela asked.

  Bruce pushed his chair back, and they both jumped on his lap, hugging him and crying. “I can’t see you hurting yourself like that,” Stephanie said. “That hurts damn it,” Angela added as Bruce felt like shit for hurting them. They were mad at him for hurting himself because they loved him.

  “I won’t do that again unless I have no choice. Will you forgive me?” Bruce asked.

  They sat up wiping their faces, “Will you paint my toes tonight?” Angela asked. “Mine too,” Stephanie added.

  “I would love to,” Bruce told them pulling them back down hugging them. They got up and went to their chairs as Bruce continued eating.

  Millie came out and looked at Angela and Stephanie, “Y’all finished?” she asked hesitantly.

  “Yes Millie,” Stephanie told her. Millie ran to the front door and told those outside to come in. Bruce saw most were Omega members as they filed by the table kissing Angela and Stephanie on the head saying thank you.

  When Conner walked over, kissing them on the head Bruce looked at him, “I didn’t push y’all that hard?” Bruce stated.

  “We are thanking them for setting your ass straight. The whole fucking team was getting worried about you doing that standing and sleeping shit. Just to let you know when we pulled out of Dallas, all the squad leaders had agreed if you didn’t rest we were coming home. Since you did that yourself, we didn’t have to. There was no reason to push your body that hard Bruce!” Conner yelled.

  Bruce sighed, “I’m sorry Conner.”

  Conner smiled, “Bruce, I’ve been asked four times already if I was scared going into Houston or Dallas. My answer, like everyone else’s, is no. Bruce was leading us, why should we be scared? I just about had to tie my squad down when you announced that, they were that excited to really be taking the fight to the blues. If you keep doing this to yourself, you won’t last long nor will we,” Conner told him.

  Finishing his plate Bruce stood up and hugged Conner, “I won’t unless the situation calls for it,” Bruce promised.

  Letting Conner go Bruce noticed most of Omega standing around the table. Like him they just grabbed shorts and a weapon. They were all lean and had concern on their faces. “Boss fucked up, but I won’t do that again,” Bruce told them and most let out a sigh.

  Ted walked up hugging him, “Brother if you told me to load up, sayin’ we’re attacking hell. I’d go grab my gear just like the rest of the team. I would bring extra water,” Ted informed him.

  “The only reason I haven’t attacked hell is I can’t figure out how to get there,” Bruce told him.

  “I’m game,” Ted told him sitting down.

  Millie came over, “Omega team sit down we’ll bring your food to ya. If you ain’t Omega, snacks be on the table,” Millie said heading to the kitchen.

  Bruce looked at the door to see Buffy come in with her M-4 across her back. She had on Bruce’s flip flops, t-shirt, boxers and sunglasses with her hair going everywhere. Walking to the table in a daze she put her rifle in the rack and went to her chair beside Danny. Sitting in her chair, Buffy laid her head on the table. Then she got up and walked over to Stephanie and hugged her then walked to Angela hugging her. Turning around without saying anything she walked back to her chair and sat back down, laying her head on the table.

  Danny reached over, rubbing Buffy’s back, “Tired sissy?” she asked. Buffy just nodded her head. “You can go back to bed after we eat,” Danny told her.

  “I’m not going back to bed unless Daddy does,” Buffy told her.

  The whole table looked at Bruce, “I have to see the other kids,” Bruce said.

  “We’ll bring them to the room,” Stephanie told him.

  “Okay, Omega back to bed. I don’t care if you just look at the ceiling,” Bruce told everyone as he walked over to Danny. “I’m sorry I yelled at you for trying to get me to rest,” Bruce told her hugging her and kissing her on the head.

  “Damn, you remember that? Your eyes were glazed over then and when your eyes glaze, you don’t remember shit,” Danny informed him. “When you opened up with the M-2 at the birds flying overhead you scared the shit out of our driver and radio man,” Danny said. “And Dad your RG isn’t the Millennium Falcon, no matter how hard he tries, Ted can’t use the force, so don’t yell at him like that. You need to tell Carl you’re sorry for yelling at him for not finding Yoda. We can’t save the federation from the Empire and Wookies are the good guys,” Danny added, getting snickers from the table.

  “Actually I didn’t remember until my memory was jogged with some stern lecturing,” Bruce admitted. “I’m sorry for yelling at you guys and Danny, I think Wookies are scary,” Bruce told her.

  “I heard that stern lecturing on the patio and I have to tell Angela and Stephanie, I love you both with all my heart,” Jake said.

  Bruce shook his head heading back to his chair, “I get the point guys,” he said, sitting down. Steve walked in with a very big Tonya. As Steve led her to the table, Bruce got up and walked over to her kissing her and rubbing her belly. “That looks so uncomfortable,” Bruce told her.

  “Dad, this kid is driving me crazy. I can’t sleep more than an hour because it jumps on my bladder,” Tonya said, leaning back and sitting down with Steve’s help.

  Sitting back down Bruce looked down at Mike, “What, you don’t want to chew on my ass?” Bruce asked.

  “Nope, it’s been taken care of,” Mike said.

 
Bruce just shook his head and Millie started sitting plates down. Omega ate like there was no tomorrow. Sitting with them for a while, Bruce stood up and told everyone he was heading back to his room. Angela and Stephanie went to the school building and grabbed the kids. When they came in the room and saw Daddy awake, the lovin’ beat down began.

  Buffy walked in and joined in. Once the beat down was over Bruce got up and put in a Disney movie. Buffy ran to her room, grabbed some pillows and came back, getting on the bed. Angela and Stephanie got in t-shirts and boxers joining them in the bed as the movie started. Danny and Matt came in carrying blankets and pillows. They made a pallet on the floor and laid down watching the movie. Jake and Mary came next followed by Mindy and David all carrying blankets and pillows joining the others on the floor.

  During the second movie, food was brought in by some of the kitchen workers. The family ate as Mike and Nancy came in with Cassandra. Bruce and those on the bed made room and they joined before the third movie was started. Soon after Tonya, Nathan and Steve came in completing the family as kids moved off the bed so Tonya could lie down. Everyone was asleep before the fourth movie ended. Mike woke up during the night and changed the movie and set it to loop then climbed back in bed, falling back to sleep.

  At 0500 the next morning Mike woke up and carefully walked out of the room avoiding the mass of bodies. Heading to his room he showered and changed, then headed to mission control. Marcus was sitting at the command table watching a laptop play video. Mike stood behind him and realized it was video from one of Omega troops on the last mission.

  “What are you looking for?” Mike asked, walking around the table to the coffee pot. The morale committee requested it for those in mission control.

  “Just watching and learning,” Marcus replied.

  Mike chuckled, “Well what have you learned? Besides that Bruce can lead,” he asked.

  “He’s really enjoying the pain and suffering he’s inflicting. Bruce doesn’t hold back anyone anymore. He won’t let them join in his sessions but they’re starting to get a little rambunctious during a fight. They all believe they’re invulnerable with him leading,” Marcus told him.

  “We knew that,” Mike said taking a sip of coffee.

  “No, we guessed that, now we know for certain. But Mike, that gang that ambushed them on the road, and that was an ambush. It’s called a contact ambush but still an ambush. Omega should’ve been wiped out. They were outnumbered better than four to one, if you count the auxiliary or supply group and the attacking force caught them down. Bruce had them up and in the fight in less than twenty seconds. Two minutes later the attackers were being decimated and Omega was on the move wiping them out. That’s unheard of,” Marcus told him.

  “I know, I watched yesterday. I wouldn’t have done anything like that,” Mike admitted.

  “Neither would I, that’s the point. Bruce is either a genius or just does random shit and is incredibly lucky. I think he’s a genius,” Marcus said.

  They talked a few more minutes before heading to the center to get some breakfast. Walking inside they found the clan gathering to eat. Most of the command group was already there as they sat down and before long everyone was present. Bruce was in his chair talking with the twins, and true to her word, Angela wouldn’t let him have the heavy vest. The vest Bruce was wearing was twenty five pounds lighter. While he was talking with the twins Eric and Darrell walked over and stood behind Angela looking at Bruce. Marcus looked at his boys and nodded at them making them smile.

  Bruce looked up and noticed them looking at him, “What can I do for you two, and if it’s asking me to take a switching from Carroll forget it,” Bruce told them.

  The both laughed as Darrell said, “No Bruce we want to try out for Omega. You’re down some and we want the chance to join.”

  “Why would you want to try out?” Bruce asked.

  They both quit laughing and had anger on their face. “Bruce, if you tell us we can’t try out because we have college degrees we’re leaving, and I’m not saying the farm, I mean the state. We’ll fight on our own. We want the chance to fight with you taking back the country. If we can’t pass the qualification then that’s fine but we want the chance,” Darrell told him and Eric nodded.

  Bruce shook his head almost breaking their heart. “You misunderstood me. I only have try outs for those I don’t know, to see what they have inside. Those that I know, I already have made my choice,” Bruce told them.

  Hope filled their face as Eric asked, “Can we join?”

  “If that is your choice I’ll put you on the team. Then you must show them you belong,” Bruce replied.

  They both walked over and hugged Bruce, “We’ll do our best,” Eric promised.

  “Eric, does Darrell always act as your spotter?” Bruce asked.

  “No, we take turns,” Eric replied.

  “Danny, Conner, outfit these two with our total load outs. I want them set up as snipers. Jake, assign them to a squad and see how good they can do with real sniping gear,” Bruce commanded. They all nodded at Bruce as he turned back to the two. “Welcome to Omega, and know it’s a life of servitude. Our job is to save the world and protect the clan, nothing less than a total commitment will do,” Bruce told them.

  “Thank you Bruce,” Darrell said, as they turned to leave Marcus and Carroll stood up and hugged them.

  After breakfast Bruce set up his laptop and started downloading memory cards to his data base. Unlike everyone else he did his own and he put the entire card in storage. Later he would go back and take out the blank time when nothing was happening, but only he would do that. Stephanie and Angela took the kids to the school building and came back joining Bruce, making small talk.

  It was almost 1100 when Bruce’s radio went off. “Big Daddy Two, this is mission control, we have twenty-six blues, sixteen miles to the northwest. We think it the same group,” someone said over the radio.

  “On my way,” Mike called back over the radio.

  Bruce looked at Angela and Stephanie, “What do they mean by same group?” he asked.

  “There’s a pack that stays right inside our outer perimeter and hunts. We find them every few days but by the time we get close to them, they disappear. They’ve learned to run through the woods when we get close,” Angela told him.

  With his memory cards downloaded Bruce closed his laptop, “Come on,” he said, standing up.

  Bruce led them to mission control and found Mike looking at the monitor. “Get Gamma’s second platoon ready to roll,” Mike told Willie.

  “Hold on Mike, I want to take care of this,” Bruce said making Willie stop in his tracks.

  Mike turned around, “Bruce, you’re still on down time, Gamma has this,” Mike told him.

  “No Mike, I have this. If we don’t get them then you can go. I want to try something,” Bruce told him letting him know it wasn’t open for discussion. “Omega this is boss, squads one and two we roll in ten minutes, gear for CQB. Meet at the barn and the rest of the team be ready to roll,” Bruce called out over his radio as he turned and left the room.

  Everyone just looked at Mike. “What? I’m not telling him otherwise,” Mike let them know.

  Bruce went upstairs to grab his helmet with the face guard on it. Picking it up, he noticed someone had put a camera on the side with a new card, Bruce just took off his boonie hat putting the helmet on feeling like Darth Vader. ‘I’m going to have to watch Luke and Han to get them out of my system,’ Bruce thought to himself as he grabbed his sword putting it on his back.

  Walking outside, Bruce jogged to the RV grabbing his ‘bag of toys’ then headed to the barn. Stopping at the line of electric buggies, Bruce threw his pack on one. In ten minutes first and second squad were at the barn with helmets like Bruce’s on.

  “Two people to a cart, we have enemy contact sixteen miles to the northwest, less than thirty blues. With just two to a cart the batteries won’t take a big hit. Follow me,” Bruce said, calling Max and Buf
fy to jump on his buggy.

  “You don’t have shin guards on Daddy,” Buffy said, climbing in.

  “Don’t need them,” Bruce told her backing up. Bruce headed to the front gate with five buggies following him as they headed toward the blues.

  Back in mission control everyone was gathering to watch the attack. “Put the feed in the center!” Mike yelled out. One UAV stayed on Bruce while two more circled the blues.

  The blues were still sitting in front of a barn outside the main door around a kill. The dead animal looked like a deer but the pack was tearing it apart. On the monitor, they watched Bruce stop his group a mile away and get out to gather around Bruce.

  When his team was near Bruce whispered. “Single file and no noise, follow me,” Bruce said reaching down grabbing some dirt slowly let it trickle out of his hand. Seeing which way the wind was blowing, Bruce told someone to grab his bag as he led the group off.

  Approaching the group of blues from downwind, they had the blues in sight ten minutes later. Stopping at the edge of the field, Bruce spread his team in a firing line then lifted up his binoculars. “Ah that’s sweet, they have babies,” Bruce said seeing three females holding blue infants.

  Bruce keyed his radio, “Jake, you have the team. When you see one of the females go down start the attack. I want you and Matt to shoot the knees on the other two females. I want the two big males down if you can, take out the legs on as many as you can, we want lessons so that means wounded. If the wind changes or they see me, just kill everyone,” Bruce said backing out, telling Max and Buffy to stay put.

  Jake assigned targets to each member then called Bruce, “Dad, where are you going?” Jake asked.