Bruce drew a breath, looking at Gene and Gene raised his hand. “Bruce, don’t,” Gene sighed. “I was there six years ago and just for you, I asked about the UFO and the director of the base hit the floor laughing.”
“Conditioned response,” Bruce huffed as Jake and Matt pulled their phones out. They read the screens and looked at each other, then Jake started tapping his keyboard as Matt dialed a number.
“Trouble, boys?” Bruce asked.
Holding up one finger, Matt talked in a low voice as Jake stared at his screen. “Um, Dad, we got a message from Pennsylvania,” Jake said.
“Thought they didn’t have a network you could hack?”
“They don’t,” Jake said and tapped his keyboard. “They gave us a message anyway,” he said, turning to the monitor on the wall.
Turning to the screen, everyone saw a satellite image of the now familiar camp, and what looked like a billboard was pointed at the sky. ‘Sending a group to talk to you Bruce’ was painted on the sign.
“How big is that sign?” Paul asked.
“Thirty feet tall and eighty feet long,” Jake said as Matt hung up the phone.
“Jake, pull up the live feed from drone forty-two,” Matt said. “The group has already left.” Jake tapped his keyboard and the screen blinked, showing a drone feed of an interstate.
There were thirty vehicles moving single file along the highway. “Where are they at?” Bruce asked.
“Ohio,” Matt answered.
“Okay, best case, they will be close in twenty hours. Matt, Jake, tell your cyber ninjas to figure out their route. Have a chopper fly out ahead of them and leave a message. Gene, find a place to setup and see what they want,” Bruce said.
“I’m so proud of you,” Angela said beaming. “You’re letting someone else talk to them.”
“Well, yeah, I’m headed to Area 51,” Bruce scoffed and Angela dropped her head on the table with a thump. “Hey, I’m sure it’s going to take like a day or two to search the place. I would send Mike to meet this group, but they’ve seen he’s number two and I don’t want to risk him.”
“Bruce, baby, will you please forget about the UFO?” Stephanie pleaded.
“Like hell! This is my chance to find the damn thing!” he popped off.
Clearing his throat, “Ahem,” Mike leaned toward Bruce. “Bruce, I’m going with you,” Mike said emphatically.
“Why? You don’t believe there’s a UFO.”
“You’re right, I’m going to make sure you don’t start shooting people when you don’t find one,” Mike said, leaning back in his chair.
“Pffft,” Bruce scoffed, “Like I would.”
“Yes, you would,” everyone around the table said at the same time.
Everyone laughed as Gene leaned over the table. “How you want to handle this group? You want to offer them the choice?”
“Hell, no. Jake and Matt can pull up rapes taking place inside the camp and yes, some are US military,” Bruce said.
“Getting worried there,” Gene said nodding. “So pack up and haul ass is the only option on the table?”
“Only if they leave the hostages,” Bruce said, looking at Matt and Jake whispering and staring at their computers. “Gene, take Jake as your second in command. I would send both, but one of them really needs to be here to run their cyber ninjas.”
“Oh, come on,” Jake whined. “Let me go to Groom Lake then. Hell, I’ll build a damn UFO for you to find.”
“No, you have to learn how to deal with groups,” Bruce said.
“Send Danny,” Jake said, pointing down the table.
“Okay,” Danny said with a grin.
“She’s not ready to deal with others in discussions,” Bruce said.
Danny’s jaw fell open in shock. “Yes, I am,” she gasped.
“Danny, if they say something that pisses you off, you will find a chainsaw,” Bruce said. “You use that when everything has failed.”
Snapping her mouth closed, Danny shrugged. “Don’t do what I say? Why should I waste my time repeating it? Chainsaws get people’s attention.”
“Exactly why you won’t be going,” Bruce said, turning to look at Jake. “So you will handle this one, Matt gets the next one.”
Letting out a long groan, Jake flopped back in his chair. “How about I go with you and let Daddy Mike go with Gene?”
“Son, Mike knows how to talk to people. Hell, how many thousands did he talk to before they were allowed here?”
“This is bullshit,” Jake mumbled and looked over at Gene. “You talk, I’ll sit and observe because I’m packing a chainsaw.”
“Don’t worry, son. I promise, everything of value at Area 51 will be lifted here,” Bruce said, trying not to laugh and grabbed a pen to make notes.
“Where are you taking those you bring back?” Paul asked.
Bruce looked up from his notebook. “To that new base you just built.”
“Bruce, we just started moving people there this morning!” Paul cried out.
Looking back down at his notebook, Bruce nodded. “Then they will just fit right in.”
“Mike, pass me that bottle,” Paul said, holding out his hand.
Laughing, Mike handed it over. “Yeah, he can give anyone a headache.”
The meeting continued for another hour and Bruce headed outside with the girls beside him. “Where you headed?” Stephanie asked, leaning her head on his shoulder.
“New shop,” he said, putting his arms over their shoulders. “Want to come and sit awhile?”
“I would love to, but we are doing interviews for the noon show today,” Stephanie moaned.
Angela looked around Bruce at Stephanie, “Don’t forget, we tape the evening show also.”
“Evening show?” Bruce asked.
“Yes, everyone sent in letters wanting an evening show,” Angela sighed. “They wanted us to do a morning show, but fuck that. I’m not getting the rug rats up any earlier than I have to.”
“I can help if you want me to?” Bruce said and they both stopped, which forced him to stop.
“Ah, Bruce, you have a war to fight. We take care of you and the family. You concentrate on getting this shit over,” Angela said. “When the war is over, you can help like that.”
“There are two of us for a reason,” Stephanie said grinning then grimaced and grabbed her belly. “Stop jumping on my bladder!”
Giving a snorting laugh, Angela looked up at Bruce. “Last week, Stephanie told the stage crew to find a porta potty she could sit on, instead of a chair while we did our show.”
“I’m behind a desk, nobody would know,” Stephanie said, still holding her belly. “Uff,” she groaned and looked at her stomach. “Whichever one of you it is, get off my bladder!”
“I’ll see what I can come up with,” Bruce chuckled as Stephanie gave a sigh of relief.
“Thank you,” she mumbled, then looked up at Bruce. “Well, at least I’m discreet about it. Angela just looks at the camera during a live broadcast and says ‘I got to pee’ and just walks out.”
Laughing, Bruce pulled them both close, “Yes, I saw that last week,” he said. “She jumped over the desk and landed in a full sprint.”
“Hey, I can’t hold it,” Angela snapped.
Chapter 21
Jake was standing on the outer wall of the mobile airfield. Looking around at the lines of semis that formed the wall that were parked in a long rectangle, Jake had to admit, his Dad could think of some crazy ideas.
They were set up in northern Mississippi outside of Corinth in a large field. Looking around the rolling hills, Jake had to admit that he liked this area. Hearing footsteps coming up the stairs, he turned to see Gene.
Stepping onto the wall, Gene looked around and grinned at the enclosed airfield. “Your dad can think of some shit,” he chuckled.
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Jake said.
Walking over and standing by Jake and looking out over the fields, Gene sighed. Suppres
sed gunshots rang out and they both turned, seeing blues dropping at the tree line several hundred yards away. “There aren’t many around here,” Gene said.
“The only big city we haven’t hit around these parts is Memphis and I’m really not in the mood today,” Jake said, adjusting his SCAR across his chest. “That group still coming?”
“Yep,” Gene said. “They’ll be here soon and I told the Apaches to take off and loiter.”
“If their vehicles leave the assembly area, I want the Apaches to take them out. I don’t care if a mega horde shows up,” Jake said.
Looking over at Jake, Gene patted his shoulder. “I told ‘em, Jake.”
With a face full of apathy, Jake sighed. “I really don’t like this meeting shit.”
“Nobody does, Jake,” Gene said grinning, “least of all, your father.”
A grin spread across Jake’s face. “Yeah, Dad is more of a ‘Do what I say or I’ll break your face’ kind of person. Daddy Mike was made for this kind of crap. He can be very eloquent when he says, ‘Do it my way or I’ll beat you’.”
“Yes, Mike has that people part down pat,” Gene said nodding.
“I’ll take your lead in the meeting,” Jake said, glancing over at Gene.
“Son, I’m telling them like it is. Move your ass or we will remove it. I’m not in the mood for games. This war is going to last a long time and I’m not in the mood to talk nice to rapists.”
Nodding, Jake looked out as more suppressed shots rang out. “Gene, do you know what has Dad spooked about this group?”
Looking around and making sure nobody was near, Gene stepped closer to Jake. “Whoever is over these fuckers, knows what they are doing. Have you really looked at the satellite images?” Gene asked and Jake just stared back at him. “Jake, they are hunting blues. Not just the ones that get close to their little fort, but they have cleared a large zone around them.”
Jake thought about that as Gene looked over his shoulder as more shots rang out. “Jake, so far they are the only ones who understand, the blues are the primary enemy. The gangs just shoot any they come across, not hunt them. That group near Savannah?” Gene said, pausing and Jake nodded. “I’m surprised they can even get out of their compound. Blues are everywhere around them.”
“Yeah, they go out in massive boat convoys on that river beside them,” Jake said.
“That’s what I mean, they don’t see the blues as the true enemy and won’t until it’s too late.”
“I wish that mega horde had gotten them,” Jake sighed.
“Wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which fills up first,” Gene chuckled.
Giving a curt laugh, “Dad says that all the time,” Jake grinned.
“Who do you think I got it from?”
Both of their radios beeped. “Making contact,” a young male voice said.
“Copy,” Gene answered. “They even look at you funny, unleash hell.”
“Copy that.”
“If they are stupid enough to attack when there are four M1A Abrams on the road, then we’ll know they aren’t that smart,” Jake said, then turned for the stairs.
“Hey, I wanted to make sure we got the message across: ‘Fuck with us and die’,” Gene said, following him.
Stopping at the top of the stairs and looking to the south-west, Jake nodded. “Yeah, but I really wanted to drive that point home,” he said and Gene looked off to see several jets streaking toward them.
Six F16s flew over at a thousand feet, heading to the meeting area. “That will definitely get their attention,” Gene said, then heard more engines coming and turned back around to see ten Warthogs fly over. “I don’t know if I would even get out or just turn around seeing those.”
“Yep,” Jake grinned and trotted down the stairs. “Exactly the point I wanted.”
They walked inside Prometheus and took their weapons and vests off. “Away team has received two officers that wish to talk,” a young girl said.
Dropping down in a chair, Gene looked over at the girl. “They have any problems about being searched?”
“No sir, but they didn’t want to turn over their weapons. David told them it was nonnegotiable.”
“Damn right, it’s not,” Gene said as Jake sat down. “Surprised David didn’t just shoot them.”
“I told him not to, unless he had no choice or was scared of them,” Jake grinned.
Gene laughed, “Boy, you are your father’s son, without a doubt.”
They both sat quietly and heard the away team call to be allowed back into the perimeter. Ten minutes later, the door opened and two men wearing US Army fatigues walked in. One had the rank of Lt. Colonel and the other was a Major.
“Please, have a seat,” Gene said, waving at the chairs on the other side of the table, but didn’t get up to greet them.
Both men looked around. “We were expecting Bruce,” the colonel said, looking over at Gene.
“He’s busy, saving the world and all,” Jake said in a cocky tone and Gene glanced over at him.
Nodding and stepping over to the table, “I’m Lt. Colonel Timothy Fulton and this is Major Clarence Taltson,” he said, holding out his hand.
Gene leaned over the table, but didn’t get up nor take his glove off, and shook his hand. “I’m Gene, this is Jake,” he said as informal as he could.
Fulton’s jaw tightened up at the blatant disrespect but shook Gene’s hand and sat down, motioning to the chair beside him for Taltson. “Colonel,” Fulton said, looking at Gene. “I’ve met you before at the Pentagon.”
“Don’t remember,” Gene said, leaning back in his chair.
“Ahem,” Jake let out, clearing his throat. “I hate to speed things along, but we are busy. What did you want to meet with us about?”
“I serve under General Davenport and we want to come to agreements on areas of control,” Fulton said. “Do you have a map? Mine was taken by your troops.”
“I wanted you stripped naked, so be happy,” Jake said, leaning toward the table and tapped it, waking up the monitor that made the table top. A map of the US filled the screen.
“Impressive,” Fulton said and pointed at the state of Pennsylvania. “We declare from the southern border of Pennsylvania to Maine as our area.”
“Well, that won’t work,” Gene said, sliding his hand across the screen and moving the map to show Central America. “We declare everything above the Panama Canal.”
Letting out a gasp, Fulton leaned back looking over at Gene. “You don’t have the troops to control all of the states and fighting amongst each other is pointless,” Fulton said.
“Wrong on both accounts,” Gene said. “We’ve seen what goes on inside your camp.”
“Nothing that Omega hasn’t done,” Fulton snapped.
“Wrong, Fulton. We’ve recorded over a dozen rapes. Rape is punishable by death where we are from. Not to mention, you are holding people against their will. Yes, we kill violently, but with reason.”
“Colonel, that was just troops blowing off steam after combat,” Fulton said nonchalantly. “My wife is there and has nothing to fear.”
“Yeah, your wife,” Gene snapped.
“Any woman who is married to one of the troops is off limits to everyone, senior officers included. We believe in the death penalty as well,” Fulton snapped.
“Fulton, I’ve worked with Davenport and he’s an idiot,” Gene huffed.
“The General is by law the President, as the highest-ranking officer of the military on US soil,” Fulton said coldly.
Jake laughed, “Yeah, my Dad killed the last one.” Fulton and Taltson looked at Jake in surprise. “Yeah, Bruce is my Dad,” he grinned.
“Then I’m here to ask, what do we need to trade for your ‘magic bullets’?” Fulton asked.
Gene looked at Jake and Jake turned to Fulton. “I want an Alien UFO delivered here in the next hour,” Jake said. “Preferably the one that crashed in Roswell.”
“We are talking about the f
ate of mankind here,” Fulton snapped. “You can’t withhold that kind of information.”
“Want to bet?” Gene laughed, relaxing in his chair.
“Colonel,” Fulton said, turning away from Jake. “I must say, Bruce is a very capable commander, but we aren’t a ragtag bunch. It would be to your benefit to cooperate. We don’t have the air assets you do, but we do have eyes on you.”
Leaning up and over the table, Jake tapped the screen and sixteen individual pictures of men filled the screen. “Oh, you mean the teams you sent down to spy on Hope?” Jake asked, looking over at them. “We caught them before they even set up. We actively patrol a hundred miles out from Hope. We don’t worry that much about blues.”
Gene laughed, “I liked how you were going to get one of your men to infiltrate in as a refugee to check us out.”
“That’s not all we have watching you,” Taltson snapped.
“Oh, at Hope it is,” Jake smiled. “We don’t have the surveillance set up yet at our new base in Alabama, but I’m told they will have one of the three teams sent there in a few hours.”
“Your attack on our ADA site was without provocation,” Taltson snapped and Fulton reached over, grabbing his forearm.
“Hey, don’t shoot down my drones and I won’t knock out your air defense artillery,” Jake smiled.
Fulton squeezed Taltson’s arm very hard, making him wince. “Major,” he said in a low voice and Taltson leaned back in his chair.
“So, you are unwilling to negotiate for any compromise?” Fulton asked, letting Taltson’s arm go and turning to Gene.
“Never said that,” Gene said. “But since you are here, I get to give you the choice. Pull out, leaving any that don’t want to go, like hostages, and enjoy the pleasures of South America. You’ve seen enough of our broadcast to know what happens the other way if you don’t.”
“We’ve already dispersed against air attacks and nobody wants to use a nuke,” Fulton smiled. “A ground war will be costly to all.”
“Oh, we can use a nuke if we want,” Gene chuckled. “And a ground war will be costly to you because you will no longer exist.”
“Yes, we know about the nukes,” Fulton smiled. “But I suggest you take a close look at New Jersey. The reactor there suffered a meltdown. The infected that travel through that area are not only radioactive, but are much more violent. So, your ‘magic bullets’ won’t work on them because they have already been exposed to radioactive material.”
Blue Plague: Hope: Book Seven Page 28
