The sound of a helicopter flying overhead brought her mind back and she looked up as two streams of red shot from the chopper. “They better not be shooting any on the fucking road!” Buffy shouted.
Bringing her rifle up, Danny shot a group of blues charging them. “Buffy, don’t run off and leave the line. Keep your speed at forty MPH,” Danny called over the intercom as she changed magazines.
“The blues can run faster than that,” Buffy moped.
“Well, they always seem to run toward us, so it doesn’t matter,” Danny said, dropping her rifle and grabbing the GAU as a large group of blues charged out of the woods outside of town.
Sending out a stream of red, Danny hosed the group down and glanced ahead. “Buffy, that is a semi. If you hit it, you aren’t driving with me anymore,” Danny said, swiveling the cupola and cutting down two more blues.
“Duh,” Buffy droned, weaving around the semi.
Not seeing any blues to her front, Danny grabbed her tablet and tapped the screen. When she saw all her companies had formed in a line moving south, she put the tablet down and looked ahead.
Two blues charged out of the woods in front of them and stopped on the road. Shaking her head as the two charged them, “Not smart,” she said, lifting her rifle. Buffy stomped the pedal and the RG lunged forward as the two jumped.
The first hit the windshield as Danny squeezed the trigger, hitting the second in the chest. Its legs hit the windshield as the upper torso folded on the roof. The blue gave a growl then collapsed, sliding off the roof and onto the hood.
“Oh come on, why can’t you fall off?!” Buffy shouted and started weaving across the road, trying to get the bodies off the hood. “I see you moving, bitch!” Buffy screamed and stomped the brakes.
Everyone was thrown forward and Danny let out a groan as she crashed into the GAU. She saw both bodies tumble off the hood and sure enough, one was moving as it landed on the asphalt. “Should’ve played dead,” Danny said as Buffy stomped the gas.
A shiver ran up Danny’s spine, hearing the pop as the huge tire rolled over the head of the female trying to crawl away. “I think I got her head!” Buffy cheered.
“You did,” Danny mumbled as the rig continued building up speed.
The next stop for them was a small field and thankfully, they didn’t have to stay there long because there was nowhere for Buffy to drive around.
Pulling into the town of Eastman, Danny held on as Buffy drove over a Camaro. “Buffy, that was a ‘67 Camaro. Dad would spank you for that,” Danny said as Buffy drove past a school.
“It was a car in my way,” Buffy said, swinging wide and taking a turn.
She drove through town to Walmart, pulling into the parking lot. “Squads, form a box while Buffy plays,” Danny called over the radio with no enthusiasm. She dropped down, closing the hatch and turned to see Beth and Randy had already dropped down with the hatches closed.
“Alright,” Buffy grinned as blues poured out of the building like water.
Never slowing, she plowed straight through them as Danny looked through the window, getting worried as the front doors got closer. At the last second, Buffy yanked the steering wheel to the right, driving along the front and met the crowd coming out the other door.
Plowing through them, Buffy spun the wheel and Danny was shocked to see the blues charging them and not the other rigs set up in a box. “Don’t hit the light post,” Danny said calmly as Buffy drove straight into the crowd.
“Maybe later, but that would slow me down too much,” Buffy grinned, reaching the end of the group and spun the wheel, turning around. Danny was amazed that Buffy’s speed never dropped under thirty.
Completing the turn, Buffy squealed, driving back through the crowd that was chasing them. Thumps sounded outside as bodies flew away and Danny saw several jump up on the roof. “You need to swing by the others, so they can shoot them off,” Danny said as Buffy reached the end.
“Why?” Buffy smiled, yanking the wheel to the left. Out the passenger window, Danny saw several bodies tumble off the roof. One hit head first and didn’t move. For ten minutes, Buffy made passes through the parking lot until none were standing. Or more precisely, none could stand and run.
Seeing two hobbling away with obvious broken legs, Buffy drove toward them. She slowed before reaching them and tapped them with the bumper, knocking them down. “Sorry,” she said, stopping and Danny saw one was a male who looked back growling.
“I said I was sorry,” Buffy giggled and slowly drove over him. “Oh, let me check on your girlfriend,” she said, looking at the female trying to stand up.
Pulling over as the blue stood up, Buffy tapped her with the bumper and knocked her over. “Are you okay?” Buffy shouted leaning up and looking at the female trying to crawl away. “Your leg looks broke.”
Danny shook her head as Buffy crept forward onto the female’s legs. Buffy stopped, looking out the window. “Did I stop on your legs?” Buffy feigned shock. She turned to look at Danny with a huge grin. “I think she’s going to call the cops.”
“We have guns,” Danny laughed.
A high-pitched roar sounded outside and Danny actually felt the huge truck vibrate as the female under the tire roared. “What the fuck?” Buffy said, turning back and looking down at the blue trapped under the tire.
The blue roared again and everyone in the rig started panting hard.
“Bitch,” Buffy said, backing up. Turning the wheel, she drove over the female’s chest as she started to roar again.
“Getting reports they heard that fifty miles away,” Heath said, listening to the radio.
Scrambling into the back, Danny grabbed her microphone. “All Alpha and Bravo elements, pull to my location and set up in box formation. Female roared and need to set up fast,” she called out.
“How in the fuck did you get a female to roar?” Matt called back.
“Matt, just get your ass here,” Danny said, looking at one of the screens. One showed a drone overhead and blues were swarming over the countryside, heading for them.
“Command, I need immediate air to my location to buy me some time, so units can set up,” Danny called over another radio.
“Danny, I have choppers inbound,” Angela called back.
“God’s Mower will be there in three minutes,” Stephanie called. “I’m sending it to your west. A large cluster is west of Savannah and heading your way.”
“Buffy, drive in a loop around the store,” Danny shouted and called over the radio. “Squads, follow me until the company gets here.”
The four rigs pulled out as Buffy sped off, heading to the back of the store. “Do I have any blues on me?”
“Negative,” one called back and Danny popped the hatch, climbing in the cupola. When they passed the front to the store, Danny squeezed the trigger on the Mark19, sending a long burst into the front doors.
As the explosions sounded off destroying the doors, Danny just hoped it was enough debris to slow anymore from coming out. Choppers zoomed overhead as explosions sounded back toward town.
Feeling the rig lean, Danny looked ahead to see Buffy was in a turn heading toward the back of the store. Spinning the cupola, Danny sprayed outward toward the charging blues.
The rest of Bravo joined in the driving circle, making the line so long it almost made a complete circle around the store. “Alpha’s here,” Matt called out.
“Alpha, pull in the parking lot and form the south and west end of the box. When we come around, Bravo will form the north and east end,” Danny said, reloading the minigun.
Like a ballet, Alpha pulled through Bravo as it continued in a circle around the parking lot and store. When they came around from the back, Danny grinned seeing the line of MRAPs forming a large L. “Bravo, close the box and let’s get to killing,” she called over the radio.
On I75, Bruce looked at his map, “Louis, slow down for a second,” he called over the intercom.
“Bruce, everyone is reporti
ng the blues are running past them, heading for Danny,” Ted said behind him.
“Shit, I can see it,” Carl exclaimed. “I thought that sounded like a female roar.”
“Carl, you have your CVC on and those headsets seal your ears off very good, not to mention we are sitting in a loud ass RG,” Ted snapped.
“Hey, they said they heard it further west,” Carl popped off.
“That was a mortar battery and they are shut down,” Ted said.
“Children,” Bruce said, studying the map. “I’m not separating you again. Ted, you stay on your side and Carl, you stay on yours.”
“He’s looking at me,” Carl shouted with a grin.
“Alright, no Sponge Bob tonight,” Bruce said, grabbing his tablet.
“Damn,” Ted chuckled.
“Steve, I need you and your flight to the south,” Angela called over the radio and Bruce swore he heard a toilet flushing.
“Boss,” Carl said slowly. “Um, was that a toilet flushing?”
“I don’t know and I’ll never ask,” Bruce said, looking back at the rest of his company. “We are moving to this field to the east. It looks like there is a power substation there.”
“Fine with me, boss,” Ted said, checking his minigun mounted on the side. Bruce called over the radio, giving the company the coordinates.
“Louis, take a wrong turn and you walk,” Bruce said over the intercom. “Now step on it.”
The rig pulled off the interstate and sped west. They passed two companies that had set up, but the blues were running past them. Granted, the troops mowed many down, but it was unnerving shooting at blues as they ignored you.
“Bravo One, this is Big Daddy, I’m pulling to your west and setting up defensive area,” Bruce called out, then gave the coordinates.
“Copy,” Danny called back and Bruce cocked his head to the side.
“Uh Danny, why do I hear your engine whining in the background?”
“Buffy’s driving up and down the road,” Danny called back calmly.
Gripping the minigun, Bruce shook his head. “Those damn girls are going to give me a stroke,” he mumbled.
Speeding through the town of Eastman, Bruce could see some of Buffy’s destruction. “RG to our right,” Ted called out, shooting a group of blues.
Turning, Bruce saw the RG coming to a stoplight and head south. “Danny, was that your rig that just headed south?” he called over the radio.
“Yeah, Buffy is making a loop. She’s doing a good job of mowing them down.”
“Please tell me you’re buttoned up,” Bruce groaned.
“Well, duh,” Danny droned as Bruce’s rig turned hard. “I’m not stupid.”
“Buffy is a bad influence on Danny,” Carl said, pressing the trigger of his minigun and shooting the blues that were running past them.
“Nope, it’s the other way around,” Bruce growled, pressing his trigger. A stream of red shot out, hitting a group of blues as Louis turned right and stomped hard on the pedal. “Very good, Louis. You have made six correct turns without being told,” Bruce called out.
Bruce grabbed another can of ammo as Louis pulled off the highway. “Set up close to the road,” Bruce yelled out, throwing the empty can to the ground.
When the company formed up in a box, Bruce watched the blues running down the road, trying to pass them by. Very few made it as the bodies started piling up on the road. “I know they can see us shooting them and they are jumping over the bodies,” Ted shouted. “Are we just not important to them?”
“I think they know Buffy is driving and want to give her a ticket,” Carl chuckled.
Spinning his cupola toward the road, Bruce shook his head. “Well, if I saw thousands of naked blue bodies running at me, be damned if I would pull over.”
Chapter 30
The sun was setting as Bruce looked out over the field to the road that led into Eastman. Bodies, stacked several feet high, filled the road for a quarter of a mile. For the most part, the blues ignored them, heading toward Eastman where they’d heard the female roar.
There were bodies all around the perimeter the trucks formed, but most blues came running down the road. Even when the road was clogged with bodies, they just ran over them. Hearing only scattered shots now, Bruce looked back at Ted, “Get ready to move,” Bruce said, dropping down in the back.
“Where are we heading, boss?” Ted asked, grabbing his radio to tell the company.
“To find out how Buffy made one roar without building a bonfire,” Bruce said, looking at the screens in the back. “Stephanie, are you on the air?” he asked over the radio.
“I’m here,” she answered.
“What is the status on the rest of Omega?”
After a pause, Stephanie came back on. “Bruce, everyone else is reporting minimal contact. The only ones the blues actually attacked were second battalion Alpha and Bravo companies. I don’t know what Danny and Buffy did to piss them off, but the blues didn’t like it.”
“They made a female roar, I thought you knew that,” Bruce said.
“I do, baby, but they ran past others to get to Danny and Buffy.”
Thinking for a minute, “Well to be honest, we’ve never set up like this using bait. We’ve always been where the female roared,” Bruce said.
“It still doesn’t make sense,” Stephanie huffed.
“Tell me about it,” Bruce laughed, “Where is Little Foot?”
“Bathroom,” Stephanie replied. “I swear if she drinks one cup of water, she pees a gallon.”
“I’m heading to Matt and Danny now. Call all battalion commanders for briefing at the command truck,” Bruce said, hearing the trucks around him starting up.
“We’ll be here,” Stephanie said and Bruce dropped the mic then climbed back up in the cupola.
The rigs drove through the field paralleling the road to avoid plowing through the bodies. After taking out several trees, Bruce gripped the minigun as Louis drove them through the ditch and onto the road. “Louis, take me to Alpha and Bravo,” Bruce called over the intercom.
“Bruce, I have to say, I’m really loving the magic bullets,” Carl said over the intercom. “I really like getting a kill no matter where I hit the blue devils.”
Nodding as he looked around, “Carl, I’m so happy I didn’t nuke those fuckers,” Bruce said. “That one discovery was more than worth the risk.”
Driving into town, they once again saw the crushed vehicles of Buffy’s driving. Heading south, Bruce saw the road to the Wal-mart was packed with crushed and mangled bodies. Seeing some moving, he lifted his rifle and started shooting.
“Louis, slow the convoy so we can hit these blues,” Bruce called over the intercom, shooting a hobbling blue. The massive rig slowed to a walking pace and the rigs behind Bruce opened up.
Bodies were flattened in the road, but others were mangled, wiggling masses on both sides of the road. “Rig ahead,” Louis called over the intercom.
Looking up, Bruce saw an RG rolling toward them pretty fast. “Everyone, behind me and leave the other lane open,” Bruce called over the radio quickly as the RG swerved off the road at a group of blues staggering. The bumper hit the group and they went flying, but the rig never slowed as it swerved back onto the road.
As the rig got closer, Bruce saw several bodies in the grill with a small pile being shoved along with the small plow on the front. From top to bottom, it was covered in gore. The rig barely slowed as he looked in the driver’s window and saw Buffy and Danny waving as they flew past.
“Boss, that was an arm hanging off the side mirror,” Carl called over the intercom.
Letting out a sigh, Bruce grabbed the microphone. “Angela or Stephanie, have the decontamination crew set up for Danny’s rig,” he called over the radio.
“Do we need to decontaminate them?” Angela asked.
“I doubt it. They appear to have buttoned up, but tell the mechanics I want them to have a look at that rig. It was making funny noises,”
Bruce said.
“Okay, Bruce,” Angela called back and Bruce just hung the mic on his vest.
Driving very slow to shoot the broken blues, it took Bruce an hour to drive the mile to Wal-mart with Buffy passing them two more times in her loop. Stopping on the road in front of the store, he shook his head at the mound of bodies filling the parking lot. “Carl, get the plow truck up here and clear us a path,” Bruce shouted.
He looked ahead to see Buffy turning on the road they were on. As the plow truck passed him heading into the parking lot, Bruce watched Buffy swerve side to side hitting blues. When she went into the ditch Bruce cringed, seeing the massive RG sway.
After hitting her targets, Buffy swerved back to the road and flew past him. “Boss, that rig sounds really rough,” Ted shouted, looking down the road as Buffy passed the rest of the convoy.
“That child will never drive one of my cars again,” Bruce mumbled then told Louis to pull up to the perimeter. “Ted, tell the rest of the convoy to drive this loop my daughters are making and kill the wounded,” Bruce said as the rig pulled into the parking lot.
Pulling in, he saw a figure kneeling on a roof holding an AR10. “Pull up, that’s Matt,” Bruce called over the intercom.
When the rig stopped, Bruce climbed out of the cupola and looked over his shoulder as his company drove past slowly, killing the wounded blues. Turning back, he saw Matt walking along the roof toward him, cradling his rifle. “Seems like a lot of bodies for you to be breaking out the sniper rifle,” Bruce said, stepping off his roof to the roof of the MRAPs of Alpha and Bravo.
“I’m using it to clear off Danny’s rig when one jumps on,” Matt said with a flat expression. “Danny thinks it’s a fun game, telling Buffy not to slow down as they drive past while I try to clean off the blues.”
“As long as you don’t use a bigger gun, that 7.62 won’t puncture an RG,” Bruce said.
Taking a breath to reply, the radio on Matt’s chest went off. “Matt, we have a matrix kid on us,” Danny called over the radio.
Giving a groan, Matt grabbed his radio. “Can you at least slow down this time?” he huffed. “I’m getting tired of shooting at targets that are moving past me at fifty miles an hour.”
Blue Plague: Hope: Book Seven Page 40
