The Horse Soldier: Beginnings Series Book 10

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Well, what is tracking showing?” the chief asked.

  “Tracking is showing nothing.”

  “Well then we have to go with what tracking is showing.”

  “But I hear hooting.”

  “Are you absolutely sure someone isn’t messing with you?”

  “Positive.”

  “Maybe tracking is down. I’ll get a team up there. We’ll down the perimeter get the spot lights on. And let me get Danny out of bed to double check the system.” The chief instructed.

  “Wait.”

  “Wait?”

  “Aw . . . never mind.”

  “What.”

  “Listen.” There in the back ground was the faint sound of laughter. “Forget it, chief. Denny and Josh are pulling their teenage antics again.”

  “Christ. Tell that little son of a bitch to get his ass home right now before I chase him down and give him a reason to run away . . .”

  Run away . . .

  Dear Dad . . .

  Hal’s mind went back to a time he held a pen in his twelve year old hand. He looked to Robbie, eight, who stood with a blue book bag. Tears streamed down his face.

  “Robbie knock it off. Quit crying.”

  “I can’t. I don’t want to leave.”

  “We have to. We either leave or Dad kills us.”

  “But . . . but . . .”

  “But nothing. Remember when you broke Dad’s fishing rod? Huh? Was he happy? No. Did he yell? Yes. Well imagine how much he’s gonna yell when he finds out we put a baseball bat through the television. I don’t want to be around to hear it. Do you?”

  “No.” Robbie sniffled.

  “It’s better this way. Trust me. We’ll be fine. I’m close to being a teenager. Now let me write this before dad gets home.”

  Dear Dad, I’m sorry to say but we had to leave home. Please don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine. We’ll call when we’re old in ten years. I have twenty-eight dollars and forty three cents. That should hold us over for a while. I’ll take good care of Robbie. But we just can’t live here anymore. Frank said he was going to kill us if we told on him about him breaking the television. The pressure is too much for us to live with. Goodbye. Hal and Robbie.

  Hal carefully folded the note and placed it in an envelope. He set it on the key table by the door. “Let’s go.”

  Gripping his blue book bag, Robbie grabbed Hal’s hand and they walked from the house.

  Hal chuckled a silent laugh as he ran his hand down his face thinking back. Remembering about how after six hours of being gone, his father was so grateful to find him the television no longer was an issue. Of course, the next time Hal tried the running away bit, it really didn’t wash. Hal didn’t know why he remembered that incident as he wrote the letter. Perhaps it was the sense of familiarity that called to him from Beginnings. A sense of knowing something was there and he just couldn’t put his finger on it. He was filled with excitement and overwhelming feelings of wishful thinking as he began to the letter again, and it confused Hal, the feelings he had, because he just didn’t know why they were there.

  ^^^^

  Binghamton, Alabama

  Looking worn out, Lt. Merrick walked from the interrogation room to George who waited in the hall. “He’s not breaking.”

  “How much physical abuse are you delivering?”

  “Near death. He just keeps rambling.”

  “What is he rambling?”

  “The same thing over and over.”

  “Yes.” George held back snapping. “Yes, I know that. But what?”

  “Some sort of chant. He keeps repeating it as if that’s what he is supposed to say.”

  “Are you deciphering it? Maybe you’re missing something.”

  “No sir.” Lt. Merrick shook his head. “Would you like to hear?”

  “Yes.” George stepped through the door and into the interrogation room. He looked at the large black man tied to a chair. His face was swollen and bloodied. George moved closer to Link, listening to the muffled words the seeped through the beaten mouth.

  Link kept his head up, staring outward as if right through George. “I pledge allegiance to my country and for the alliance in which I stand. I will fight for my God, for my home, and for my land. And for my brothers who have lost their lives. I will defend with my honor and soul, all that I believe in. And I will fight for the freedom under which we all should live.” Link coughed blood. “My . . . my name is Charles Link. I am a private first class in the United Western Alliance Army. I serve with pride and I serve with honor under the command of Captain Hal Slagel. I pledge allegiance . . .”

  Pummeled. So struck by the name delivered, George nearly lost his balance. Link’s chanting repeated. “No.” George shook his head. “No.”

  “ . . . pride and I serve with honor under the command of Captain Hal Slagel”

  ‘Captain Hal Slagel . . . Captain Hal Slagel . . . Captain Hal Slagel . . .’

  George turned white as a sheet.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  September 11

  Beginnings. Montana

  The tender brush of lips against her own and the overwhelming smell of tooth paste woke Ellen from her slumber. Why she felt so tired, she didn’t know. Hoping it was a dream, she grumbled and rolled onto her side.

  Dean snickered. “El, come on. Get up.”

  “Oh God.” Ellen pulled the covers over her head. “It’s cold in here.”

  “You left the window open all night. Wanna get up? First day back to work.”

  Another grumble and Ellen pulled the covers down some from her head. She opened her eyes. The room was dark. “Dean? What time is it?”

  “Five.”

  “Wake me in an hour.”

  “El.” He sat on the edge of the bed. “Come on, let’s have breakfast together before we get distracted with the hecticness of the morning. Let’s be alone this morning.”

  “We were alone last night.”

  “For all of two minutes then Jenny brings back the kids and you disappear with Robbie. Please?”

  Ellen sat up. “O.K.” She ran her fingers through her morning hair. “Do I have time to take a shower?”

  “No. I have breakfast ready. And we have to talk.”

  Ellen hesitated in her stand from the bed. “About what?” She looked at him suspiciously.

  “The marriage.”

  “I knew it,” she snapped. “Fuck. You’re changing your mind.” Ellen was barely a morning person as it was and she easily got set off.

  “Huh? No.”

  “Oh. Well what do we have to talk about?”

  “How about when we’re doing it?” Dean raised his eyebrow.

  “Oh.” Ellen stumbled out of bed. “Um . . . damn it’s cold in here.” She rubbed her arms, speaking groggily. “Tomorrow?”

  “What? That soon? What about the marriage classes?”

  “We don’t need them.” Ellen grabbed her sweat pants. “We were married before.”

  “Yeah, but I wasn’t married to you before. Remember, my time was rippled.”

  “Yeah so was mine, remember, only you were dead.” Ellen seemed perturbed as she sat on the bed.. “Dean, can we not talk anymore until I had some coffee. We’ll pick a day.”

  “O.K., I’ll go get breakfast on the table.” Dean kissed her quickly and hurried from the bedroom.

  Ellen looked at the comforter, how cozy, warm looking it seemed. Grabbing the edge of it to warm herself, Ellen plopped sideways back down to the bed and fell asleep.

  ^^^^

  If Robbie would have to name the single most best thing about having Jess as a roommate, it had to be that there was always coffee made in the morning. Whether Jess had to go to work or he just came back from shift, coffee was made. Robbie often wondered what he would do about his fist kick of Java if Jess ever worked a noon till midnight shift so Robbie never scheduled him for that. Just because.

  “Morning Jess.” Robbie tossed on his shirt as he walked into the ki
tchen and immediately to the coffee pot.

  “Hey Robbie, morning.” Jess read from a sheet of paper. “Want some toast?”

  Robbie walked in the dining room and stole a piece of Jess’s toast. “Thanks.” Robbie sat down. “What uh, are you reading?”

  Jess snickered. “Check this out.” He slid it to Robbie.

  Robbie started to laugh as he read it out loud. “Beginnings’ Times, not a dinosaur reference.” What is this?”

  “Danny Hoi’s attempt at starting a newspaper again. It’s an introduction looking for people to write it. Denny and Josh are gonna be paper boys. Yeah, he stole the copy machine from the modular homes sale office and has it in his house.”

  “He’s bound and determined to make this the new old world.” Robbie sipped.

  “So . . . how are you?” Jess asked with concern.

  “I’m fine. How are you?”

  “Robbie I’m talking about how you’re doing, especially after last night in the social hall. With Ellen marrying Dean.”

  “Easy come. Easy go.”

  “Robbie, come on.” Jess tried to get him to talk. “It has to bother you.”

  “To be honest, at first it did. You know, I could have stopped El from saying yes, but . . . that would be wrong. For as much as we know, Dean is leaving. It’s just a matter of when. And her and I, we talked last night for a really, really long time. A long time and we situated some things.”

  “Good. I’m glad. Now can I have my newspaper back?”

  Robbie handed him the sheet, stopped and looked at it again. “I think I’m gonna talk to Danny about this position.”

  “Which one?” Jess leaned in, looked, and laughed. “Story teller? Robbie, he wants shorts stories. He wants to run a segment of one every day.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, I’ve read your reports. Basically, you um . . . suck. You can’t write a simple sentence.”

  “Ha, ha, ha.” Robbie laughed. “So, what’s your point?” Robbie saw Jess’s expression. “Kidding. No, I have a bunch of short stories my brother Hal wrote. He used to send them to me when I was in the service. It was with all the stuff I kept.”

  “No shit. Your brother was a writer?”

  “He became obsessive about it. Wrote thrillers, but was always so dramatic.” Robbie shrugged. “I think it would be nice because they’re good.”

  “Could I read them some time?” Jess asked. “They say you get to know about the writer by reading their stuff. I think it would be interesting to learn about your brother.”

  “Then you shall. It’s a too bad you couldn’t know him personally. Hal was one of a kind.”

  “Nice guy?”

  Robbie laughed. “No, Hal was pretty much . . . a dick.”

  Shocked, Jess was speechless. “O.K.” He took back the piece of paper and began to read again.

  ^^^^

  Binghamton, Alabama

  George ordered the UWA soldier, Private Charles Link, to be moved from his comrades and placed separately. A prisoner of war, but one that would not be interrogated any further. He didn’t reveal anything he wasn’t supposed to, but he revealed more valuable of information than he thought.

  George wrote the name down a dozen times. Captain Hal Slagel. To George it figured. Beginnings was a pain in the ass ran by Joe Slagel. It would only prove Murphy’s Law for the UWA to be run by Hal Slagel. At this point, George wouldn’t be surprised to learn the Savages were run by Jimmy Slagel. It was the family from hell, George thought. Another Slagel to battle, only this one had to take top priority a far as bringing down. His well trained forces were making a dent in George’s, even if small, they were making a dent.

  But the thought of Hal Slagel didn’t make him cringe entirely. Actually it made George smile because he was certain, at this point, he knew something Beginnings did not and that was always a bonus.

  ^^^^

  Bowman, North Dakota

  That flutter that builds within your gut built within Hal’s as he stood on the edge of town watching his messenger ride out. In three to four hours the messenger would be arriving at Beginnings and delivering the message. Hopefully to Hal, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would hear back before evening. The slight dust cloud rose up beneath the horse’s feet as the rider moved north. And Hal moved back to Bowman with high hopes of accomplishment.

  ^^^^

  Beginnings, Montana

  “Are you O.K.?” Joe asked as he sat at his desk and looked at Robbie across from him.

  “Oh yeah. I’m fine.” Robbie took a sip of his coffee, gasped at the enjoyment of the gulp, and set it down on Joe’s desk. “Let’s finish this. I want to get ready for the surveillance.”

  “O.K. What do you have?”

  “Some old. Same old.” Robbie read off a clipboard. “No unusual phone calls. No unusual visits to communications. He works his shift, goes home. Yesterday he went to the social hall for a drink after his shift in Mechanics and he sat in the chapel for his break. John Matoose is being a good boy.” Robbie laid the clipboard down on the table. “So tell me something. How are we justifying his being here still? Why haven’t we thrown him out?”

  “One, we have to show the community what he’s done wrong. Two, we do that, suspicion starts to arise about someone else working for George. Three, we haven’t drained him yet. He still knows more about George than we do. My main focus is not to start a community up roar and that will happen once people learn one person is working for George. Fingers start pointing.”

  “Valid point.” Robbie stood up. “All right. I’m heading out. I’ll be going more east today and circling my way back in.”

  “You feel up to it?” Joe asked. “I can get Johnny.”

  “No Johnny doesn’t look. I’ll do it. No problem.” Robbie stole one of his father’s cigarettes and moved to the door. “Hey Dad, here’s something I was thinking about.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Well, reading about John and his knowledge of the scientists. We knew of only what, sixty or so. So where did they get all these people?”

  “Do you have an answer or are you just wanting to make me more nuts with something else to ponder?”

  “No.” Robbie shook his head. “Actually I have an answer if . . . if Jason is the inside person.”

  “Go on.”

  “What if Jason went back in time and not only warned George of our attack on the cryo-lab for information, but his warning . . .

  “Made George safeguard and freeze more assets.” Joe leaned back and rocked. “Good thinking. Keep that in mind when we go full force into this investigation.”

  “I will.” Robbie opened the door. “See you in a hour or two.”

  “Be careful.”

  “Nothing exciting ever happens. I’ll be careful.” Robbie gave a thumbs up and walked out.

  ^^^^

  Binghamton, Alabama

  In something no one in Beginnings would ever think they would see Frank wear, Frank sported a Caceres Society uniform. Camouflage pants. Black tee shirt. He walked around the compound with George. “Big,” Frank commented.

  “Yes, one of the biggest reserve centers in the country. The squad bay alone houses most of our men and the hospital is so close by in case of any injuries.”

  “Seem like there’s a lot of training area.” Frank’s hand motioned about. “Are the men concentrating right now on reconditioning the property or are you wanting to move ahead with training?”

  “I’d like to divide it half and half right now,” George answered. “First thing I need is well trained men to guard these perimeters.”

  “I can do that.” Frank folded his arms. “I’m taking it these fences are not protected electronically.”

  “No. You can say . . .”

  “Frank!” A male voice called in the distance, sounding so happy. “Frank!”

  Frank’s eyebrow raised in oddity as he spun to the calling voice. He saw the small man in the distance running his way. “Shit.”
Frank’s eyes widened. “Oh my God!”

  “Frank.” Short in a Dean way, the dark haired man in his early thirties, caught up to Frank. Out of breath, he grabbed on to Frank’s arms. “It’s you.”

  “Soldier.” George was firm. “Salute your CO. This is Colonel Slagel.”

  “Colonel. Oh shit.” His hand ran down his own face with a wide grin of excitement. “I can’t believe it’s you. No wait, this set up. A colonel. Hell, I can believe you’re a part of it.”

  “Soldier!” George called out again. “Frank, you know this man?”

  “Yes sir.” Frank said. “Sir this is Richie Martin. Richie, this is the president. Did you know that? You’re not acting like you know that.”

  “Sorry.” Richie extended his hand to George. “Sir, pleasure to meet you.” Then Richie’s views went back to Frank. “You of all people. God it’s like seeing family alive.”

  “Yeah it is.” Frank grinned. “It’s good to see you. Man, wait till . . . wait till we get a chance to sit down and talk. Right now I’m getting the grand tour.”

  “Find me, Frank. I’m in squad bay two.”

  “You got it.” Frank nodded and watch Richie dart off. He returned to George. “Sorry, it’s just weird. Have I run into anyone I’ve known before?” Frank asked George.

  “This is a first. Who is that man?”

  “Richie?” Frank pointed back. “Get this, an old drinking buddy of mine from when I was stationed in Indiana. We’ve kept in contact though.”

  “When’s the last time you saw him, Frank?”

  “Real time or my time? Because it doesn’t seem that long ago to me. But he aged.”

  “We all have.”

  “Tell me about it.” Frank shook his head. “When I looked in the mirror, I couldn’t believe myself. However, I like the facial hair I decided to grow.” Frank rubbed his goatee. “Makes me look mean. I take it it’s not against regulations to have it.”