The Third Ten

by Jacqueline Druga

  “To irritate the rest of you.” Joe placed his hands in his pockets.

  “That’s not fair.” Hal switched the channel.

  “Hey!” Jimmy grabbed the remote. “We’re watching HBO.”

  “There’s nothing on.” Hal grabbed for the remote.

  Jimmy tugged. “It’s still HBO.”

  “Dad.” Robbie whined out. “Tell them I was watching.” His little body jolted from the struggling two teenagers on both sides of him. “Dad!”

  “Boys!” Joe screamed out. “Knock it off.”

  “Give me.” Jimmy pulled bringing Hal over Robbie.

  “No.” Hal tugged, yanking Jimmy.

  “Dad!” Robbie screamed.

  “Boys!”

  “Jerk!” Hal tugged.

  “Asshole!” Jimmy yanked.

  “Boys!”

  Crash! The tug-of-war between Hal and Jimmy ended when the remote control flew up in the air, sailed across the room and smashed into a shelf knocking over and breaking a small cheap vase.

  “See.” Hal pointed. “Your fault.”

  “My fault?” Jimmy snapped back. “Yours.”

  “Boys. Clean up the mess. Son of a bitch Bastard.” Joe bent down and picked up the remote. “You boys are lucky you didn’t break this.” He showed them. “See. Property of the cable company. And don’t think I wouldn’t have turned you in.” Joe handed the remote to Robbie. “Here, watch HBO.”

  “Thanks.” Robbie grinned.

  “You show favoritism.” Hal complained as he walked to the broken vase. “I get my ear ripped off, Robbie gets control of HBO and I get blamed for everything when it was all Jimmy’s fault. I didn’t do anything.” He sneered at Jimmy as they bent down to the floor.

  “My God Hal, when do you ever do anything wrong.” Joe said with sarcasm. “You know, some parents, they love when their kids are small. Me, I wait for the hassle free days when you boys are grown up. And you Hal, finally stop blaming everything on everyone else.”

  Hal ended that memory with a smile. The guests at the wedding chuckled at his rendition. “That’s where I believe we all started as one. I... planned to talk about that today anyhow … now, it just seemed a fitting story even more. God bless you Big Brother and Ellen. I love you both.” He leaned down and kissed Ellen on the check and hugged Frank when he stood.

  Frank took the microphone. “Somehow I remember that story just a bit different. But then again, it’s Hal. Hal always took creative license and we love that. Some of us aren’t that creative. Especially when we don’t have time to prepare. I’m one of them. I just … I want to thank all of you for coming. It means a lot. Thank you for caring so much about my dad and for sharing your stories. We all needed that. So before we move on to the festivities that my father wanted us to hold, I’d just like … I’d just like us all to raise our glasses to a great man.” He waited until everyone stood and raised their glasses. “Here’s to you, Dad.” Frank lifted his glass of water. “You’ll always be missed and never be gone. We love you.”

  ****

  The reception only lasted a couple hours, and Andrea asked if they could withhold from clean up until the next day, when it would be needed to occupy their times.

  But none of the Slagels were ready to be alone. Frank and Ellen weren’t ready to privately celebrate. They just needed alone time together.

  Elliott Ryder poured them all coffee. “Anyone else need anything.”

  Hal rested his hand on Elliott’s wrist. “Thank you for this.”

  Elliott nodded.

  Andrea shifted her eyes about the table. Watching the brothers sitting there, making eye contact with one another. She sighed out. “I feel like checking on the children and I feel …as if you boys have something you need to discuss.” She stood up. “Ellen will you join me?”

  “Sure.” Ellen stood as well, kissed Frank and walked to the door with Andrea.

  “We’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  All of them. Frank, Hal, Robbie, Jimmy, Elliott watched the door in silence.

  The moment it closed, they returned to looking at each other at the table.

  Frank nodded. “What do you got?”

  Robbie lifted a bag from under the table. “Pretty easy.” He unzipped the bag. “Actually, easy meaning, not complicated at all and our perpetrator didn’t care whether or not we knew it was an accident or homicide. This was a homicide.”

  He pulled out a cloth and unwrapped it. Pieces of metal blackened were in there.

  “C-4 explosion placed in a thermal mug. Not enough to cause massive damage but enough to achieve its desired effect. I’m willing to bet Darrell was off in a corner somewhere and was merely blown by the force.”

  Frank touched the pieces. “So, Dad never even suspected it.”

  “Our person is trusted.” Robbie said. “Without a doubt. This person walked in Dad’s office, set down the mug, had a conversation and left.”

  Frank sat back. His eyes shifted to Hal.

  Jimmy ejected from his seat. “This is my fault. Why did I leave the program? Why didn’t I just try the software? If I would have, ten minutes... Ten minutes we could have saved Dad.”

  Frank gave a single nod to Hal.

  “Do you even realize what you are saying, Jimmy?”

  Jimmy shook his head.

  “Ten minutes,” Hal said. “Frank would have gone to the office. He would have stayed by Dad’s side without leaving him. We had no idea it was going to be an explosion. No, Jimmy, if you wouldn’t have taken a break, we’d be sitting here tonight not only mourning our father, but our brother as well.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  Hal nodded. “Yes we do. Our little future boy Fort? He assumed that Frank was dead as well, because in the future Frank died in that explosion with Dad.”

  “So,” Frank said. “You saved my life.”

  “Holy fuck,” wisped Robbie. “When did you guys learn this and why wasn’t I informed?”

  Hal replied, “Today right before we had the wedding rush. We were going to tell you all tonight.”

  Elliott joined then at the table. “Frank? Where is the list Ellen and Dean brought back from the future? The future where they had died in an explosion.”

  “I carry a copy on me always.” Frank reached into his back pocket.

  “Why?” Hal asked.

  “As a reminder.”

  “Reminder of what?”

  “What could have been?” Frank said and laid the paper flat on the table. “Here it is. Why do you need it?”

  “All right,” Elliott explained. “We diverted a few deaths on that list. Actually we, by knowing about the explosion diverted all the names on that list. That list contained the names of those killed in the original explosion. When we diverted those deaths what changed? Everything, because those who lived effected the future. Take a look at the list Take a look at how their death, led us to the future we are in now. Led us to the future containing Invisi suits, farmed babies, and time machines. Ready?”

  Everyone nodded.

  Elliott read the names off the list.

  Dean Hayes

  Ellen Hayes

  Robbie Slagel

  Henry Kusakari

  Jenny Matoose

  Hector Ramirez

  Jess Boyens

  Danny Hoi

  Trish Koenig

  Josephine

  Jason Godrichson

  Elliott Ryder

  Then he explained, “Let’s look at the big impactors? Ready? First and foremost, Jason Godrichson. The godfather of time. Without a doubt, the time machine would not have progressed had he died that day. Danny Hoi, inventor of the invisi suits. Had he died … no invisible soldiers? Jess Boyens.” Elliott looked at Jimmy. “Without him, you would have never made it back to Beginnings. You would have never gotten to know your father and brothers were alive. Me, Trish, Henry, Hector. We were all instruments in bringing down Johnny. Had Johnny not been discovered, he would have left Beginnin
gs and went to the Society on his own. We know by this future he didn’t kill Frank. He just left. Ellen, she’s a big one. If she died in that explosion it would have never been known she killed Bev. Well, Frank knew. No Ellen. No ousting, no game, no kidnapping, no Creedville. Without a Johnny trial I wouldn’t have shot him, he wouldn’t have gotten steroids; the tumor would have crushed his brain. Johnny would be dead. And let’s not forget George would have eventually hit Lodi.”

  “One name,” Hal said. “Dean.”

  “He’s the biggest,” Elliott said.

  Robbie interjected. “He was the one who started the farming in the future. He started the clones. Him being alive kept Billy on a level of intelligence. No Dean. No Fort. No souped up time machine. No Clone sending shit through.”

  “Man,” Frank whispered.

  “Most importantly,” Elliott said. “Is how we all discussed this with Joe? He never was murdered in the ‘Dean and Ellen dead’ future. So it goes to figure someone on the list is our killer.”

  Jimmy pulled the list forward. “All these people are trusted. Any one of them could have walked in with that coffee mug and Dad wouldn’t have thought twice.”

  Frank said. “O.K., so let’s eliminate the obvious. Jenny has about twelve kids who can witness she wasn’t there.”

  “But,” Hal added. “She was there earlier. Could have left the mug.”

  Frank shook his head. “No motive or experience. Josephine and Trish out. No explosive experience. El, too. She was with the kids. Hector was in the hospital with that knee. Danny and Henry all night in the communications room. Jess Containment. Robbie with us. That leaves …” Frank laid the paper down. “That leaves two names. Both could have calculated the explosion. Both could have been there and we weren’t able to find either of them to tell them about Dad’s death.”

  Hal took the sheet. “Though I can’t find the motive, they had the means.”

  Robbie looked. “I think we have our suspects.”

  “It doesn’t make sense,” Frank said as he rubbed his chin. “They are the difference in time. They are trusted. They had means. But why would Jason or Dean want to kill our father?”

  ****

  It wasn’t the night of passionate lovemaking that Frank looked forward to. Lovemaking filled with the knowledge that he and Ellen were man and wife. Instead of crumbling into bliss, they crumbled into bed, carrying a sadness not even a good night’s rest would lessen.

  Frank couldn’t sleep. He dozed off for about two hours and was up, wide awake, a lot on his mind.

  He thought a lot about the time machine and the effects it had caused. He himself never realized the implications of rippling time. Then he looked at it. At all the changes the machine had done. The good and the bad. For as much as Frank wanted to have that machine fixed, jump in it, go back and change time, he knew he couldn’t.

  Somewhere it all had to stop. The use of the machine had to be put to an end. It wasn’t fair to those who were being effected without knowledge.

  Frank was going to make that suggestion to whomever became the next leader. Allow Jason to experiment, but time machine use would be strictly illegal.

  With that thought came another.

  The leader.

  In the old world, there would be much time between a leader passing away and a new one taking over. But there really wasn’t anything set in stone.

  Four in the morning or not, Frank picked up the phone and called Danny Hoi. Danny didn’t mind the phone call, or at least that was what he told Frank. They spoke for a while, laid out a plan and set things in action.

  After that, to Frank felt it was time go home to get some rest. After calling Dan from Security to see if he could run things until he and Robbie arrived it the morning, Frank took a different route home.

  Lit by the spring moon, with no need for the street lights, Frank stopped at the Joe Park.

  He didn’t need to look around to see if anyone watched him. Everyone was still in bed. He opened the Joe Board and posted the sign. Handwritten neatly and in block form. ‘Joe Slagel ran a democracy. We voted on everything. This should be no different. Emergency community vote for new leader. Tuesday. All communities will have the chance to vote. All will have voting stations. Voting will commence from 3PM – 7PM.

  You may fill in your own choice. But the following names are the ones Joe had recommended for his replacement and are on the Council...

  Hal Slagel

  Elliott Ryder

  Danny Hoi

  Jason Godrichson

  Pass it on.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  March 24th

  Back to routine. Admittedly, Andrea wasn’t ready, but she knew it was time to get back to her routine. Joe wouldn’t want her to hang around the house any longer.

  Lars had kept up on patience and trouble. She stopped in to check on the progress of Darrell, he was still unconscious. Then Andrea went into her office.

  There were stacks of folders that she saw upon entrance. After closing her door, she went to her desk. She turned on her computer and sighed out an ‘Oh, Joe,” as she sat down.

  She stared off in thought, listening to the sounds of the clinic, knowing it would get busier as the day went on. Booted up, she immediately checked her email. It had been days like everyone else, since they checked and the note from Danny asking people to download their mail to help the server, prompted Andrea to do that.

  She was sitting back when the four message arrived. It wasn’t the ‘ding’ that caused her to snap forward, it was the first message. An email, three days earlier, sent from Joe. Twenty minutes before he had died.

  Lifting her glasses, Andrea read his brief note…

  Andrea,

  How do you like this? Me using email. The biggest complainer of the bunch. Yep. Just talked to you. I came in to do work, but also to pass some time. I’m nervous about the wedding. Big events do that once and a while. I just don’t want anything to happen that would screw this up. Chances are by the time you read this, the wedding is done and it went off without a hitch. Hopefully, huh? Well, keeping this short, trying to email everyone. Everyone meaning my family. Bet you look good in that cream colored dress you’re gonna wear tonight. Can’t wait to see you. You make me very happy, Andrea. I love you. Joe.

  Andrea closed her eyes, sat back and took in the feel of that email.

  ****

  How many people were there? Frank didn’t count, nor did he want to. All he knew was that the viewing line for his father’s coffin extended out of Lincoln Hall and around the block. They delayed the memorial service an hour because of it. At that point, Frank was pretty much numb to it all. Except one visitor.

  Did he think Frank was dumb?

  Did he think no one would notice, or at least the Slagels?

  Hal whispered, “Would you like me to get rid of him?” into Frank’s ear and Frank just shook his head.

  Johnny.

  Johnny showed up, dressed in black from head to toe, like a Creedvillian. But not only did his height and build give him away, but the fact that he stayed by the coffin and cried.

  Frank let him go.

  Johnny looked his way, and Frank didn’t say a word.

  Not yet.

  He couldn’t deal with that issue yet.

  Beginnings and all its running had Frank consumed. He was glad that Trish had a copy of all the division reports, because the empties in Joe’s desk were destroyed. The file cabinets and files remained intact.

  Joe had been doing it so long; he and Trish invented the worksheets to make the job a bit smoother.

  A calculation work sheet used for estimating per person consumption helped predict what would be needed for distribution. Distribution inventory from all provinces were due in to Joe by Friday so he could subtract or adjust as needed.

  Industry was run on demand and per need. Any need request such as glass or metal had to be in to Joe by Friday as well.

  Monday mornings, Joe visited each and e
very division and gave them their output expectations for the week. Each day he’d visit each division, check on progress, problems and output.

  It was Tuesday. Frank was a day behind. He picked up the calculation sheets Monday after the service, along with inventory reports, and spent most of the evening into wee hours of Tuesday getting the projections ready. After a few hours of sleep, he was out making those rounds, delivering the sheets. He was a bit nervous presenting the first one to Hector. Expecting maybe Hector to chuckle and say it was way off. Hector would know. He dealt with those projections every week.

  He took the form, reviewed, nodded and said, “This was what I was figuring, too, Frank, thanks.”

  A confirmation that he had done agriculture correctly.

  He got all the divisions done in Beginnings, hit the provinces to drop off their projections, met with Creed to discuss the tailoring needs his town would meet, and managed to grab a quick bite to eat with Hal at the mess. Hal, behind in what he had to do, wasn’t going to be able to attend the voting meeting, so Frank wanted to discuss the details of that.

  It was all before 7:30 in the morning, and he was headed back to Beginnings. He had to get it done. There was still security to get situated, the late meeting with Danny and Henry, along with everything else.

  He had been going and going so much he forgot about the fax.

  “You got a fax, Frank,” Trish told him. “It’s odd. It’s from George.”

  “Did you read it?” Frank asked.

  “No.”

  “I’ll get to it later,” Frank shuffled it to the back of his work. Figuring if it was important, George would call. When he finally had a moment to stop with a cup of coffee, Frank looked at it.

  A letter of condolence?

  Frank had to read it twice to make sure he was reading it right. George was expressing sympathy. There was something a bit hypocritical about that note to Frank. But he took it at face value.

  The fax shocked him, but not nearly as much as when he opened his email and saw a letter from his father.