Blue Plague (Book 7): Hope

by Thomas A. Watson

  Almost hyperventilating after hearing Danny, Bonnie grabbed the handles of the minigun and waited for the flood of blues to start.

  “Max,” Bruce called and Max jumped out of the back and up to the roof. Walking over the roof to the front, Bruce dropped to the hood and then to the ground. Max bounded after him, landing beside him and giving a growl looking around.

  “Your damn dog knows they are everywhere,” Danny said, jumping down immediately and bringing her rifle to her shoulder.

  “Oh, I do too, and I want to know why they won’t come out and play?” Bruce said bringing his own rifle up.

  Ted led the rest of first platoon up with everyone on edge, rifles pointed at the houses off the road. “You have set a new level for Neanderthal actions,” he said and lifted his left hand for the others to stop.

  “We are moving to that two-story brick house,” Bruce said pointing. “I’m clearing with first squad.”

  “Hey, bitch,” Ted snapped, stopping Bruce. “I’ll clear the fucking house with third squad if you want it cleared. You get your ass back in that rig.”

  “No, because you’ll see something you like and stop and look at it, taking forever,” Bruce said, calmly moving toward the house and aiming at the front door with Buffy on his left and Max in front.

  “It was a Ferrari,” Ted said in a breathy voice, “and I only did that once.”

  Danny, Jake, Matt, Mary, David, and Mindy followed behind Bruce and Buffy. “I’m finding you a hobby,” Jake said in a low voice.

  “Don’t have time for one,” Bruce said, easing up the front steps to the door. Several of the front windows were gone and Max was starting to growl louder. “Max,” Bruce snapped and Max lowered the volume of his growl.

  Easing over to the closest broken window, Bruce looked inside and stumbled back, waving a hand in front of his face. “Oh shit, that’s rank,” he said in a regular voice almost making the others run off.

  “Why don’t you be a little louder and they will bring the stink out here?” Jake whispered.

  “Son, they know we’re here. Those trucks are making so much noise, I feel the porch shaking under my boots,” Bruce said somewhat loudly, making them cringe.

  Looking over at his Dad, who was aiming his rifle at the broken window, “We can still be quiet,” Jake said quietly.

  “Why? I’m looking at two right now,” Bruce said calmly and the kids all swung their rifles at his window. “I have them. You really need to aim at the other fucking windows,” Bruce shouted, scaring them and Max who let out a yelp, then started growling again.

  “What are they doing?” Danny asked feeling something she didn’t like; fear.

  “Cuddling next to a wall,” Bruce shrugged, slowly taking his left hand off the fore grip and pressing his radio. “Ted, contact. Spread your team in a V with the base toward the convoy. We have the house, so don’t shoot here.”

  “Mother!…. Fucker!…. I see three looking out a window right now!” Ted shouted behind them.

  “We are having a class on maintaining tactical sound discipline when we get back home,” Jake said.

  “Let’s see what they do,” Bruce said, gripping his rifle and squeezing the trigger twice, hitting each blue in the chest. Both jumped up, making Bruce adjust his aim then both crashed down to the floor. “I’m having sex with my magic bullets tonight!” Bruce shouted.

  Seeing movement at his window, Jake squeezed the trigger and watched a shadow drop. “Yeah, Mary, we have got to bring the magic bullets into our sex life,” Jake said then moved his aim, seeing another shadow moving away from the window, and squeezing the trigger.

  “Stack up!” Bruce shouted moving to the front door and raising his leg to kick at the handle. The door flew open and Bruce moved in with Max. Seeing it was a small hallway with a room on each side ten feet in, “Taking left!” Bruce shouted, moving into the room where he’d shot the two from outside. Buffy moved behind Bruce on his left. As Bruce scanned right, she scanned left.

  “Holy shit,” she said, squeezing the trigger twice after seeing an infant literally walking and knocked it off its feet as the bullets hit. Moving her aim over her area, “Clear,” she said as Danny moved into the room on the right.

  “Taking right,” Danny called out, sweeping the room and seeing two bodies that Jake had shot. “Room clear, entrance door to the rear left and closet back right.”

  “Holding center,” Matt called out in the hall. “Hear movement upstairs,” he said, aiming up the stairwell.

  “Left room clear no entry, one closet, clearing,” Bruce called out, moving to the closet. “Buffy, open it,” he said, aiming at the door.

  “You aren’t supposed to stand in the doorway,” she said moving over.

  “If these fuckers can shoot, we are fucked anyway,” he said as she reached for the knob and opened the door.

  Seeing only clothes Bruce barely lowered his rifle. “Max,” he said then pointed at the closet. Looking up at the second floor, Max eased over to the closet then looked back at the roof.

  “Room clear,” Bruce said coming out as the others moved past the doorway. Mary peeled off behind Danny.

  “Moving for backup in the right room,” Mary called out.

  “Moving,” Danny said heading for the door that leads into another room. Easing in, she saw it was a dining room. Keeping her aim on her side, she moved down the room as Mary moved into the other side.

  “Hold,” Mary said leaning down to look under the table. “Clear.”

  “Room clear, entry point back wall center,” Danny called out.

  “Moving hall,” Matt said, turning the light on his M-4 and seeing a door on his left with a dark interior and swung his aim in as he stepped. He found a bathroom as Danny called out she was moving.

  Shining the light around, Matt stopped at the shower and saw movement. “Contact!” he shouted, squeezing the trigger and watched the bullets hit the shower curtain then heard something hit the floor. Just for good measure, Matt squeezed the trigger a few more times, raking the shower. Easing up, he used his gun barrel to move the curtain to find a male blue on the shower floor, clutching his chest and already dead. “Clear!” he shouted.

  “Contact,” Mary shouted as they entered the kitchen and a matrix kid bounced over the kitchen island. When her crosshairs met the flying kid, Mary squeezed the trigger, watching the kid’s head explode. The body sailed past her, hitting the wall.

  “Contact,” Danny yelled, squeezing the trigger as two females stood up at the other end of the kitchen. They both scanned their area and didn’t see any more targets. “Room clear, closet back left, outside entry back right.”

  Not having to worry about Danny and Mary shooting him, Jake moved past Matt. “Moving hallway,” he said, heading to the last door on the left. Stepping in, he scanned the room to see it was a den. “Room clear.”

  “Stack up,” Bruce said, keeping his aim up the stairwell. The others came back as Jake moved up the stairs first.

  “Taking left,” he said, seeing the hall ran across the stairwell.

  “Backing left,” Matt called out.

  “Taking right,” David said as Jake and Matt headed left.

  “Backing right,” Mindy said, following David and seeing only two doors in their hallway, one on each side.

  The first thing Jake noticed were two doors on his right and one on his left and all the doors were open. Reaching the first room, he swung in, seeing movement coming at him.

  “Contact,” he shouted, squeezing the trigger and watching a male blue drop in front of him.

  “Contact,” Matt shouted, coming in and squeezing the trigger, shooting another male.

  “Holding hall left,” Danny shouted, stepping out of the stairwell followed by Mary.

  “Contact,” David shouted, going in the door on the left and seeing a bunch of blue bodies. Squeezing the trigger as fast as he could aim, “Multiple contacts!” he shouted as Mindy came in shooting.

  “Fuck a duc
k!” Mindy shouted, squeezing the trigger not able to even get a count.

  Danny and Mary moved down the hall toward David and Mindy. “Taking right,” Danny said seeing movement. “Contact.”

  Mary was about to move in with David and Mindy who were still firing when she heard Danny yell out and moved past and into the room with Danny. “It’s a fucking slumber party,” she gasped, squeezing the trigger as bodies moved toward her.

  Bruce took off running up the stairs with Buffy as the four continued shooting. “Buffy, hold hallway left,” Bruce said, running to the right. He swung in behind Mary and David and raised his rifle, squeezing the trigger at the bodies moving toward him.

  “Empty,” David yelled, ejecting his magazine and grabbing another as Mindy yelled.

  “Empty!”

  “Pull to hall,” Bruce shouted, squeezing his trigger and sweeping his aim across the room. Mindy and David backed up, passing Bruce slamming in new magazines.

  “Up,” they cried out together.

  “Empty,” Bruce shouted, stepping back between them as both started shooting.

  Changing magazines, he looked at the bodies covering the floor and shook his head. “Moving,” he said, stepping into the hallway and heard Danny yell out empty.

  When he heard unsuppressed gunfire coming from the room, Bruce took off in a run. He stepped in to see Mary shooting blues coming at the two with her pistol as Danny reloaded. “Moving right,” he said, coming up beside Mary as her pistol emptied.

  Bruce started shooting as Mary changed out magazines in her pistol and holstered it as Danny brought her rifle up squeezing the trigger. Grabbing her rifle, Mary dropped the empty magazine and slapped in a new one. Bringing her rifle up, she saw a blue woman crawling toward them. Before she could aim, the woman’s head exploded.

  “Clear,” Danny said panting.

  Dropping his magazine, Bruce slapped in a new one as Mary yelled out clear beside him. “Clear,” David yelled from across the hall.

  “Contact,” Matt and Jake shouted followed by rapid suppressed shots.

  “Back out,” Bruce said. Danny and Mary both backed out followed by Bruce. Before they reached the stairs, the gunfire had stopped.

  “Clear,” Jake shouted.

  Glancing at his watch, “Took us five minutes and forty-five seconds to clear this house,” he said as Jake and Matt backed into the hallway.

  “This shit will wake you up,” Danny said as her body trembled from adrenaline. “How did you know the ones in other houses wouldn’t come out?”

  “Didn’t,” Bruce said, reaching down to pet Max, who wasn’t growling anymore. “I was hoping it would, then we would’ve pulled back into the rigs and killed them as they came to us.”

  Letting out a huff, Danny walked past him down the stairs. “You better not tell anyone that was your plan because that’s the stupidest shit I’ve ever heard. Momma would punch you.”

  “It’s a good plan,” Bruce said following her.

  Leaning over to Jake’s ear, Matt whispered, “I’m agreeing with my wife.”

  “Danny and I don’t agree on much but this time, she is right,” Jake said following everyone.

  When they stepped outside, Ted was on the porch. “What the fuck?!” he screamed. “We are surrounded, outnumbered, and you want to clear a house! There are blues all around us, one stuck his head out the window next door!”

  “You didn’t shoot it?” Bruce asked calmly.

  “What part didn’t you understand? They are all around us! I didn’t want to piss them off!”

  “Ted, we are here to kill blues,” Bruce said, walking off the porch.

  Looking at the kids, Ted shook his head in disgust and followed Bruce. “Why this house? What the hell happened in there?” he shouted and many of the others in first platoon were shushing him.

  “They fucking know we’re here, dumb asses, because Bruce and his psycho kids just shot the shit out of that house!” Ted bellowed at them then turned to Bruce. “Well?” he asked breathing hard.

  Letting out a sigh, “Ted,” Bruce said shaking his head. “They were having a slumber party in there and didn’t invite the girls. The girls wanted payback and we agreed. So we killed everyone.” Narrowing his eyes, Ted started mumbling at Bruce as he walked away.

  Turning around to the kids, Bruce smiled. “Who’s ready for another house?”

  “I want to go first,” Jake shouted, raising his hand.

  “Bubba, that’s not fair,” Buffy whined.

  “Jake, you lead the stack,” Bruce said then looked around at first platoon. “Keep your formation and move to the next house,” Bruce said pointing at the house next door.

  Everyone in the rigs watched as they calmly walked across the yard to the next house. When first platoon was set, Jake kicked in the door, calling out and moving into the first room, shooting a matrix kid that was flying at him.

  The body hit him in the chest, but the kid was already dead. “Dude, stop playing with the kids,” Matt said, walking past him.

  Kicking the body, Jake swept the room. “Fucker tried to kiss me, I told him I was married.”

  “Kinky,” David said, moving past him down the hall.

  “Contact,” Matt shouted down the hall.

  “I’ve never been prejudiced but I have to say, I am now against blue fuckers,” Jake said, checking a closet and Matt called contact down.

  When he stepped out in the hallway, he found Mary keeping cover. “Babe, I told you we weren’t bringing another girl in, so what made you try for a boy?” she asked, jerking her head at the body.

  Shrugging his shoulders, “I don’t know, but hey, I’ll try it,” he said nonchalantly.

  “Contact,” Buffy yelled out.

  “I wouldn’t,” Bruce said walking past them. “I asked for that once long ago and got stuck with two damn wives that are driving me insane.”

  Hearing Buffy yell clear, Jake glanced at Mary as Danny yelled contact. “You do that to me, I swear I’ll kick your ass,” Jake said as Bruce moved into a room.

  Lowering her weapon, Mary looked over at Jake grinning. “I love both of them to death, but I like watching them drive your dad crazy. It gives me good ideas,” she said as Danny yelled clear.

  “I’m talking to Dad about getting a divorce,” Jake said, raising his rifle and moving into the house.

  “You better not,” Mary said following him. “Momma Debbie could handle him. Stephanie and Angela are learning how to. They are just driving him crazy figuring it out.”

  “Yeah, and giving you ideas,” Jake said as Buffy yelled out contact again.

  “God damn it, Buffy, use your fucking gun!” Danny screamed.

  “Ahhhh, you can feel the love emanating from Danny,” Jake said with a grin, moving down the hall.

  “Back out,” Bruce shouted. When they were outside, Danny walked over and grabbed Buffy by her combat vest, lifting her off the ground.

  “You shoot them, not stab them!” Danny screamed in Buffy’s face.

  “She was running away,” Buffy said, not liking the rabid glint in Danny’s eyes.

  “And you chased her, jumped on her back and shanked her in the head!”

  Looking down meekly, “Sorry,” Buffy mumbled.

  Putting Buffy down, Danny took a deep breath. “Buffy, I know we are having fun, but don’t get carried away.”

  “I promise,” Buffy said and heard a belt being pulled rapidly through belt loops. She turned to see Bruce coming at her with a belt in his hand.

  “Don’t even think about running because he can catch you,” Danny said and Buffy moved behind her. “Oh, you think I can stop him?”

  “Buffy,” Bruce snapped and she peeked out from behind Danny. “Here,” he said pointing in front of him. As she slowly walked over, Bruce looked at first platoon. “Setup next house, second squad will be breaching.”

  As the others moved off Bruce grabbed Buffy, pulling her to the RG. “I warned you,” he said.

 
; “Dad,” Danny said, running after them.

  Stopping, Bruce spun around facing Danny and raised his hand that was holding the belt. “If you follow, you get one.”

  “You’re on your own, sis,” Danny said spinning around.

  The team stacked up on the door as Ted moved up on the porch. “Never thought I would see the day Buffy would get a spanking,” he mumbled.

  “Ted, that’s her second, that I can remember from Dad,” Jake said, staring at the door.

  “Momma gave her one,” Danny said, moving up on the porch and Matt snorted.

  “And you,” Matt added.

  Not taking her eyes off the door, “Matt, that spanking hurt,” Danny huffed.

  “You talking about the kitchen?” Mindy asked.

  “Sh,” Danny hissed and looked over her shoulder making sure Bruce wasn’t close. “No, that was a beat down, not a spanking and I earned that one. You better not mention it again.”

  “Oh,” Mindy said, pulling her rifle tight into her shoulder.

  “What are you waiting on, Jake?” Danny asked looking at the door.

  “Uh, Dad,” he answered.

  “You know as well as I do that a speech follows spankings from Daddy, I’m not waiting that long.”

  “Breach!” Jake shouted, kicking the door in. “Contact!” he shouted as a blue ran down the hallway away from him. Squeezing the trigger, Jake yelled clear and moved into the first room.

  Every room they entered had at least one blue with an upstairs bedroom filled wall to wall. When they stepped outside, they saw Buffy walking over rubbing her butt and Bruce putting his belt back on.

  “I hate the speeches worse than the spanking,” Jake mumbled.

  “Yep,” Danny said, walking past him over to Buffy. “I would rather have two more spankings than the speech afterward.”

  Buffy looked up, wiping her face off. “I’m sorry, Danny,” she said tearfully.

  “You have to remember, you’re still small,” Danny said, reaching out and hugging her.

  Ted walked out of the house as Bruce told the first platoon to set up on the next house. “First time I’ve seen a spanking with a belt given in combat,” Ted said as Bruce put his belt back on.

  Jerking his head up, Bruce narrowed his eyes at Ted. “I can take this belt off again and give another one.”