“Selective amnesia.” Frank pointed to his temple.
“Selective amnesia?”
“Yeah, can’t remember anything past the plague.”
Dean laughed. “And they bought it?”
Frank fluttered his lips. “Hook, line, and fucking sinker. George too. I should win an academy award for this shit. I still can’t believe this. Man, my heart.” Frank grabbed his chest. “I thought for sure they’d see the shock on my face . . . and, hating to admit it, happiness when you walked in this office.”
“You were good. You had me worried for a second. Just a second.” Dean, with a smile still on his face, stared at Frank.
“So Dean.” Frank held out his hand. “What the fuck are you doing . . .” Frank’s office door opened. “Pivotal and strategically placed. Easy access for our troops that are working the country side. We’re right now . . . Oh, Leonard, I was just giving Dr. Hayes the basic concept of our community.”
“You’ll have to fill him in later,” Leonard said. “Dr. Hayes and I have business to conclude first and then I take him to his lab.”
Dean was surprised by this. “But he was just . . .”
“Later this evening.” Leonard stopped Dean. “Come, Dr. Hayes.”
Dean picked up his duffle bag, took a step to the door, stopped, and faced Frank. “Thank you for the talk. We’ll speak later. It was . . .” Dean held out his hand. “Nice meeting you.”
Frank grabbed his hand, shaking it. “Same.”
There was something strong and reassuring about the grip Dean felt Frank deliver in that handshake. It made him feel good and safe. As Dean left with Leonard, he knew all those bad feelings, all the hurt he went through the night before when he left his home and family, was all worth it. He had done the right thing. His heart told him everything was going to go as planned and work out, just as Joe promised. And love or hate, worst enemy or best friend, whatever Frank meant or was to him, nothing was ever going to touch that moment, that ‘feel good’ emotion, that rushed through Dean the moment that he saw Frank.
^^^^
Beginnings, Montana
She was scratched from the corner of her left eye to the corner of her mouth. One long thin scratch that barely bled, but Ellen was happy because she had obtained the blood cultures she needed from Marcus. She smeared them and had them running through the analysis program in the cryo -lab. She waited impatiently, very impatiently. Actually, Ellen grew annoyed when the phone rang and it drew her attention away from watching the indicator that told her the percentage on analysis ran. Leaning on the counter, injured face point blank at the computer screen, Ellen turned on the phone. “Lab, Dr. Hayes speaking.”
“I love you,” Dean spoke softly.
Ellen shrieked, nearly dropped the phone, and spun around so much in surprise, her back was now against the counter. “Oh my God.” Ellen embraced the phone as if she were embracing Dean. “You’re all right.”
“I’m fine. I arrived safely.”
“Are you sure, Dean? Tell me they aren’t holding a gun to your head or something.”
“No El. They aren’t.”
There was something about Dean’s voice, no fear, calm, soothing, and with a tint of happiness, that told Ellen he was honest. “Oh Dean, I’m so glad you called.”
“I thought for sure you’d ask right away. You didn’t ask.”
“Because I know you’ll tell me.”
“Frank’s fine, El. He’s alive and strong.”
Ellen closed her eyes tightly. Her face tensed up as a tear ran down her face. She tried to hold back the tears of hearing the news.
“He needs a haircut. God I don’t recall seeing Frank with this much hair on his head in years.”
Ellen laughed. “It gets curly.” She sniffed. “Will you tell him I said hi?”
“You know I will.”
“Will you tell him something else?”
“Anything.”
“Are you sure?” Ellen asked.
“El, anything. Anything.”
It was soft, but heard, a small sob and then Ellen sniffled again. “Will you tell him that I miss him and that I love him?”
“You know it.”
“Dean. I am so proud of you for doing this. I love you so much. You don’t know how proudly I claim the name Hayes right now.”
Dean was quiet and emotional at first. “El, thank you for saying . . .” He stopped talking when he heard the warning siren. “What are you analyzing?”
“Oh.” Ellen wiped her eyes. “Um, you know how we were connecting the structure of that tooth you found in Marv.”
“Yes.”
“Well . . .” Ellen turned and looked at the screen and the results. Her mouth dropped open and the phone slid away from her lips.
“El? Talk to me. Is something wrong? Can I help?”
“Oh Dean,” Ellen spoke softly. “We have a problem.”
CHAPTER
TWENTY-NINE
Bowman, North Dakota
Hal felt like singing the song, ‘oh what a beautiful morning’ as he walked out of the mess hall after dinner. He had plenty to eat, no indigestion . . . no Craig. It was a wise decision on his part to make Craig one of the building crew. It gave him responsibility and got him out of his hair, but the happy thought of being ‘pain in the ass’ free had to be replace with more serious ones. It was time for major decisions on Hal’s part. He had talked to his father just prior to dinner and found out he was to be back in Beginnings in two days and would be gone for what could end up being a week. Now Hal had to pass out the authority in Bowman, not to just Sgt. Ryder, but to someone else as well because during that conversation with his father, Hal found out Sgt. Ryder was going to be a part of the plan as well. Hal prepared every one of his top men to be able to take the authoritarian position in Bowman. His decision would be difficult, not because he had no one qualified enough, but because he didn’t want to slight any of the men he had handpicked and trained himself. Unlike Beginnings, the deciding factor on who would lead Bowman was not placed on a popularity vote. Hal saw enough of that in the old world and Hal was seeing it in Beginnings. Not that he didn’t like Henry, he did, everyone did, but Henry was too nice and not quite the leader material Joe was or even Robbie for that matter. Hal didn’t want all his hard work and building of a strong community to go to waste in the event something happened to him. Though Hal was confident the rescue mission to get Dean and Frank would go off without a problem, there was still that chance and because of that chance, he had to give even more thought into who he placed in the leadership line. With that heavy on his mind, along with the latest Neville Stats, Hal walked home to do some serious thinking.
^^^^
Beginnings, Montana
Robbie grabbed a few more items, tossing them into a duffel bag. They were things he needed if he was going to be staying over Ellen’s. Just as he reached for his front door, it opened and Jess walked in.
“Robbie.”
“Hey, Jess. You get John all situated at holding?”
“Yeah.” Jess stepped into the house, slowly running his hands through his hair. “Are you leaving for El’s.”
“Yep. See ya in the morning . . .” Robbie took a step to the door and stopped. He looked back at Jess who had wandered, almost sadly, to the table. “You O.K.?”
“Yeah.” Jess waved his hand at Robbie. “Go on.”
“You sure?”
Jess looked up from his stare at the table. “Actually, I hate to admit this, I’m a little . . .”
‘Nervous about tomorrow.”
Jess only gave a closed mouth smile.
“Need to talk?” Robbie asked.
“No, that’s O.K., Go on over to El’s.”
“Jess, come on. We’re friends. If you need to talk about this, I’ll hang and talk.”
“Really?” Jess asked. “I just need to get over this anxiousness. The pressure. Not that I can’t handle it, but . . . you know what I mean?”
; “Yeah I do. I can remember in the old world when I was in the Army, anytime I was getting shipped out, no matter how confident, I got that knot in my stomach.”
“Same here.”
“Hey. Why don’t I take my bag over El’s, tell her I’ll be by later and you and I can have a drink and hang.”
“Take my mind off of it?”
“Hell, we’ll have fun.” Robbie moved through the door. “I’ll be back.”
“Thanks, Robbie.”
“No problem. You’re helping my brother, Jess.” Robbie turned serious. “For that I am very grateful. Be right back.” Robbie nodded with a smile to Jess, stepped backwards out the door, and closed it.
^^^^
Binghamton, Alabama
Debating on whether it was actually food they stuffed in his cupboards, or old unpackaged M.R.E.’s, Dean walked out of his kitchen leaving food to be an option for when he was so hungry that he didn’t have a choice. He checked out his watch again. Where was Frank? They had let him call home, talk to El about her test results, and then when he was finished with his very monitored call, he was rushed away to a lab. They placed folder upon folder in front of him. Did they actually expect he would willingly begin solving their problems? Dean knew they were smarter than that, but smart enough to figure if he wasn’t going to help them, he would still be locked in that lab until they came for him. When they did, they brought him to his house. Dean’s mind swarmed with thoughts that they had shipped Frank out and it was a onetime visit thing and no more. Seeing that it was early evening, Dean would wait a little more before making any final deductions.
He picked up his duffle bag and decided to take his things upstairs and find the bedroom that he would sleep in. No sooner did his foot hit the second from top step that Dean heard a banging and shuffling. It jarred him some and made him wonder if he should race back down the steps or investigate. Figuring what did he have to lose, he followed the noise to his bedroom.
It came from his closet. Hangers were moving and he heard grunting. As Dean set down the duffle bag, the closet door opened. Dean laughed. Frank walked into his bedroom. “You couldn’t use the front door?”
“Fuck no. Can’t let them see us talk.” Frank looked back at the closet. “Fuckin secret passage is built for someone your size.”
“Thanks. Good to see you again.”
“Yeah, I heard they had you in the lab.”
“Locked in the lab. I didn’t hear from you. I didn’t know if we’d see each other again. Frank? Why is there a secret passage in my closet?”
“Oh.” Frank smiled. “I thought you were going to be some bigwig Society scientist. Thought I’d snoop, you know. But you’re you, and . . . Dean, what are you doing here?”
“I’m here for you, Frank.”
Frank laughed. “You’re my rescue?”
“Asshole, no. It was part of a deal. George called me and offered a trade. Me for you. I join the Society, you go home.”
“Dumb.” Frank scoffed at him. “You think I’m stuck here?”
“Well, uh, yeah, Frank, since you failed to come home.”
“How can I come home, Dean?” Frank asked. “I have to find El first. As soon as I do, I’m out of here.”
Dean laughed.
“What?”
“Frank, Ellen’s home. She’s fine. The UWA rescued her and brought her home.”
Frank’s eyes widened. “You’re shitting me? Fuck this. Let’s go.” He reached for Dean’s bag.
“What are you doing?”
“We’re getting out of here.”
“We can’t go anywhere, Frank.” Dean grabbed for his bag, struggling with Frank over it.
“Yeah we can, Dean.” Frank tugged. “I’m not staying. I didn’t leave before because I was afraid for El. She’s home. Let’s go.”
“No. We can’t.” Dean pulled in a losing bag battle. “You should still be afraid for El and our kids, Frank.”
“What?” Frank stopped fighting and let go of the bag. “What do you mean?”
“George has someone else besides John Matoose working for him in Beginnings. This person lets him know everything. You’re not the only reason I came, Frank. El and the kids are. If I backed out, he said he’d kill them.”
“I’m killing him when he gets back here.”
“Well, you’re gonna have to wait until the rescue takes place. That way El and the kids are placed under protective custody. Until we synchronized it, we don’t know who it is, where it will come from, or when so we hang tight.”
“Fuck. He blackmailed you into coming?”
“Yep. With their lives and yours.”
Frank walked closer to Dean, nodding his head. “He must want you bad.”
“Yeah, he does. I think his technology has stalled. I don’t know. But he thinks the combination of my leaving, you being dead, and Joe’s retirement, Beginnings will weaken.”
“My Dad retired?”
“As a cover up.”
“Don’t even tell me fuckin Henry is leader.”
“Yep.”
“Uh!” Frank hit himself in the face. “No wonder George is confident. Fuck. When they coming?”
“A few days.”
“And they think I’m dead back home?” Frank asked.
“Convinced of it. We had to convinced them. We had a really nice funeral for you. Trish taped it.”
“Oh yeah?” Frank nodded. “Is that how you convinced them.”
“That and Ellen.”
“She grieved huh. Big time,” Frank grinned. “Was she emotionally distraught? I know she had to act, because she wouldn’t think I was dead.”
“You’re right. She didn’t think for a second you were dead. But, she grieved and . . . and for the final convincing straw, she . . . brace yourself Frank.”
“What.”
“She.”
“What!”
“She got married to someone.”
Frank lost his balance, but only for a second. “O.K.,” He held up his hand. “I can handle it. It was a plan to make the community think I was dead. She moved on. I’m the love of her life.”
Dean rolled his eyes.
“I know it’s not Henry. Robbie. She married my brother. I always said . . .” Frank saw Dean shaking his head. “No? Who?”
Dean held up his left hand.
Frank waved back. “Who?”
“Frank.” Dean stepped closer nearly shoving his hand in Frank’s face.
“Who?” As Frank lowered Dean’s hand, he saw the band. “No.”
“Yep.” Dean smiled. “Mr. and Mrs. Dean Hayes.”
“Fuck.”
“Yep.”
“O.K.” Frank held up his hands. “It was a cover up. Right.”
“Um. . . . sure Frank.”
“The plan was she gets married, and when I get back, she gets annulled from whoever she married.”
“That was the plan.”
Frank cringed. “You have no intentions what-so-ever of getting annulled. Do you?”
“Nope.”
“Fuck.”
“Married Frank.”
“Dean.” Frank pointed at him. “Don’t.”
“Mr. and Mrs. . .”
“Dean!” Frank blasted.
Dean laughed. “Had to rub it in. But uh . . . don’t worry, Frank.” Dean swatted him on his arm. “I know you guys. El says hi and she loves you and misses you. Being the swell guy I am, and knowing this, when you get back, I’m gonna give you your happy little reunion.”
“Thank you.”
“For an hour and then . . .”
“Dean.” Frank stated his name like he always had. “Shit. I want out of here. We should just say screw the plan, you and me grab a Jeep, and take off late tonight. We’ll be home by dawn, protect El and the kids before they even know we’re missing.”
With his arms folded, Dean raised an eyebrow to Frank. “How in the world do you think we’re making it home by dawn?”
“Drivi
ng.” Frank placed his hands on his hips.
“Yes, you said that. To Beginnings?”
“Yep.”
“In a few hours.”
“Yep.” Frank looked certain.
“Frank, last I heard, the speed of light has yet to be achieved by motor vehicle. How do you suppose we make it to Montana from Alabama in a few hours?”
“We’re in Alabama? No we aren’t.” Frank tossed his hand at Dean.
“Yes Frank. We are.”
“I thought we were in Colorado.”
“Binghamton, Frank.” Dean said.
“Yeah. Binghamton, Colorado.”
“No! Binghamton, Alabama.”
“Oh my God! I’m in Alabama?”
“I cannot believe you didn’t know this.”
“Shit.” Frank walked in small circles. “Oh man and I sent them UWA soldiers walking seventeen hundred miles.” Frank snickered. “And here I thought Richie was just really bad at math” Frank continued to laugh.
“Who’s uh . . . Richie?”
“Me.” Richie stepped out from the closet.
Dean’s eyes shifted and he gave a weird look to Frank then to the stranger who mysteriously appeared in his room. Dean walked behind Richie, peering into the closet then back to Frank. “Anyone else you’re expecting, Frank, or am I safe in closing this?”
^^^^
Beginnings, Montana
“Oh my God.” Ellen exclaimed with such disgust in her voice when she saw Josh’s room as she passed it on the way to the living room. “Did Dean or did Dean not tell you to pick up this room?”
Josh peeked from behind the door. “Huh?”
“Clean your room.”
“O.K.” Josh closed the door.
Ellen grunted and walked to the living room. “Sorry, Henry.”
“No problem.” Henry sat on the couch. “You want to have dessert now or later when Robbie gets here?”
“Let’s wait a little bit and see if he shows soon. I don’t want him to miss your Beginnings first recreation of Jell-O.”
“He’s seems like the Jell-O type of guy.”
“Actually Dean is the Jell-O guy. He told me when he was in college, he lived off cherry Jell-O.”
The Horse Soldier: Beginnings Series Book 10 Page 49