The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series

by Jacqueline Druga

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Henry just stepped back from her.

  “Joe.” Michelle nervously called to him. “Please. I need to know.”

  “Don’t you dare sit here and tell me you don’t know what’s going on. We have a witness. This person saw you in the security room.” That’s all Joe needed to say. The expression on Michelle’s face said it all. “That’s what we thought.” Joe spotted a radio sitting on the table. “Is this how you’re communicating with him? Are you?”

  “Yes.”

  Joe picked it up and placed in front of her. “Get him on whatever channel it is!”

  Michelle knew she was busted. There was no lying. She picked up the radio, turned it on, and spoke into it. “Robbie . . . Robbie?”

  There was a few moments of silence, then Robbie’s voice emerged. “I told you not to radio us.”

  Joe grabbed the radio from Michelle’s hand, never moving his aim from her, as he stood above her. “I guess you’re not getting into this community anymore. Are you?”

  “Son of a bitch.” Robbie responded.

  “That’s what I thought.”

  “Do you think this bothers me Dad? I expected you to find her out sooner or later. She’s a stupid bitch. She’s expendable. Do with her what you want. I’ve no use for her anymore. Because the next time I walk in that community, it will be under your invitation.”

  “Never. End this now Robbie. You are warned.”

  Robbie made no final comments, no final speeches. He had to disconnect the transmission. He didn’t want to take a chance on his anger being heard or felt by his father.

  Joe pointed his gun closer to Michelle. “I want to know everything.”

  “Are you gonna shoot me?”

  “I’m going to give you a chance to live. You tell me everything. What you know of their plan. And I will oust you to them. Tell me!” His aiming hand remained steady.

  Michelle had nothing loose. But she did have her life to gain if she told the truth. “I’ll tell you. It was a few weeks ago. He . . . he came to the gate. Frank turned him away. Robbie didn’t give up. He kept checking the perimeter until he found someone. He found me. He told me he had a plan. He said what was happening here, the oustings and such, weren’t fair. He asked for my help. Saying if I could just get a key to the perimeters, I could turn the gate off long enough for him to get in and out. He only wanted to borrow a few people. He wouldn’t hurt them. He said that you would see the errors of your ways and let them back in. He promised he wouldn’t hurt anyone. He promised”

  “Did you tell him Frank is alive?” Joe asked.

  “No.”

  “The truth!” He shouted.

  “No!” She covered her head.

  “Why Michelle? Why did you do it?”

  “I just wanted things to be fair.”

  “Fair?” Joe shook his head. “Five children are gone from their families. Our life line is kidnapped. My son is fighting for his life after taking a bullet. Ellen lost my grandchild she was carrying. This is due on part to you. None of this would have happened if you didn’t let him in. This community is suffering greatly and you sit there and speak to me about fair?”

  “I’m sorry Joe. I’m sorry.” Michelle began to cry. “Are you still going to let me go?”

  “I will.”

  “Thank you.” Michelle breathed in relief. She had been holding her breath since Joe stormed in. Though she knew she was leaving the community, she knew at least she’d be alive. She felt relieved that Joe would keep his word. Her security in that soon vanished when she heard the clicking of a gun’s chamber not far from her ear. Michelle slowly turned her head to Joe, only to face the barrel of a gun, and the vision of a finger firmly on the trigger. She lifted her eyes to him. “No. You said you’d let me go.”

  “I am letting you go. Straight to fuckin’ hell.” With all his rage, Joe depressed the trigger. He fired one deadly, close range shot into Michelle’s forehead. Like a burst water balloon, everything above Michelle’s neck sprayed in bits and pieces about the room.

  Henry jumped back with the discovery that he was now covered with Michelle from head to toe. “Jesus Christ Joe.” He held his hands away from his blood saturated shirt.

  With the back of his gun-holding hand, Joe wiped the blood from his own eyes. “Let’s go, Henry.” He placed his gun away. “We’ll deal with this mess later.”

  Without looking back at what he did, Joe left the house with Henry. He had to get back to the clinic. He had to get back to Ellen. He also left Michelle’s house with peace. The peace in knowing that He, Frank, and their men didn’t fail the community. Michelle did. And the community could now sleep in peace knowing that Robbie and his band could not sneak in again. Once again, Beginnings was safe. It was time to move on. Time to reclaim what is theirs, and take it back. Joe would begin that plan, and if it took everything in him, he would see that plan through. In Joe’s mind, he wanted nothing less than to see the fall of Robbie.

  It was quiet in the clinic as Joe made his return. Joe was so bitter, bitter that his very own flesh and blood could bring about as much pain and suffering as was happening. Joe tried telling himself, his true son, Robbie, died in the plague five years before. And the Robbie that lingered outside the gate was a different man, a man that Joe no longer knew.

  He had been gone longer than expected. And as Joe entered Ellen’s room, he knew the instant he walked in, that it didn’t matter when he returned. As he laid his eyes upon the empty bed, Joe realized that no matter how close to her side he was, he was not what she needed. He knew exactly where Ellen would be.

  Turning the corner into Frank’s room, Joe saw that his instincts were correct. Ellen was there. A chair pulled closely to Frank’s bed. Her head tucked deeply between Frank’s chin and shoulder. So still, it was obvious Ellen was sleeping. How desperate for Frank she must have been, Joe thought. How much she probably wanted to share her pain.

  Joe moved slowly into the room, Ellen didn’t budge. He gently picked her up into his arms, lifting her from the chair. With his lips lightly pressed to her forehead, he carried her back to her bed and stayed by her side the rest of the night.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  June 22

  The commotion just outside his door, the loud voices shouting back and forth, made Dean jump straight from the bed. What was going on? It was early morning, the sun was beginning to shine, but not too bright. His head was feeling better, and though he had just awakened, he didn’t seem quite as much in the fog as he had been the day before.

  Stumbling to the door, and knocking over the wooden chair as he did, he alerted those outside his closed door to the fact he was awake. Dean pulled the door open. Robbie and Moses were facing off. They both turned at the same time, as Dean stood there looking up at them. Dean smiled. He loved the dissension. “Whenever you two are done arguing I’d like to see the children.” He closed the door and headed back to his bed, Not a foot away from the door, he heard Moses yelling.

  “Your plan is failing, Robbie. They got your person.”

  Springboard action, Dean lept back to the door and flung it open. “Who?” Dean asked. “Who was it?”

  Robbie shook his head as if it didn’t even bother him. “Michelle.”

  Dean gasped. “Michelle? Frank’s, ‘bitch took the van’ Michelle’?”

  “One and only.”

  There was a little bit of relief for Dean in his kidnapping situation. A part of him was glad he wouldn’t be around for the gloat feast Frank would throw in town. “Wow.”

  “Wow?” Moses shook his head and looked back to Robbie. “They aren’t letting you in. Send a warning, send a drastic warning now.”

  “No.” Dean interjected. “You can’t do that. No.”

  “You stay out of this.” Moses instructed strongly.

  “I will not. Robbie.” Dean pulled Robbie’s views away from Moses. “A drastic warning means the kids. You send one of those kids you
open yourself up to total annihilation from Beginnings. I know how you can get in. Don’t use the kids.”

  “Why should we listen to you?” Robbie asked. “It could be a trap.”

  “It could,” Dean said. “But it could be my sincere way of protecting these kids here. How can I go home and face their care givers if something happens to them. I will trade the way for their safety.”

  Moses saw the debate on Robbie’s face. “Robbie, no. Don’t listen to him.”

  Robbie still held eye contact with Dean. “Go on.”

  “Your word.” Dean insisted. “You’re a Slagel. Give me your word.”

  “If I like what you have to say and go with it, I give you my word not one of the kids will be harmed. Talk.” Robbie stepped in the room, and shut the door leaving Moses outside.

  Dean did a double take at the just shut door then he readied himself to talk to Robbie. He was in a catch twenty-two. He knew Beginnings needed time. Time for Frank to get strong to pull a rescue operation that only Frank could. But that time meant not only losing contact with Beginnings but risking the health and welfare of the children held captive. So Dean gave it his best shot. “You have to play the waiting game.”

  Robbie laughed. “This is not a news flash, Dean. You said something like this before.”

  “I know. I know. But I’m very serious. Waiting is the only way. Right now, they’re pissed. They’re not going to budge at all. They may even retaliate and take a chance right now, just to eliminate you. But . . . if you make them wait, they start to lose. Health-wise, I’m not there. I make the meds. What they have won’t last. The care givers, they’ll want their families back. The first survivor who violently tries to get in will do more damage then he would have had Frank been alive. These are all factors that will happen. They will play a role in them getting desperate enough to let you in. They will emotionally be spent and willing to listen.”

  “I don’t know.” Robbie said indecisive.

  “I do.” Dean kept trying. “But aside from what you hold, you have to show them your final intentions are good, whether they are or not. If they see that maybe they were wrong, and that you can be trusted, they will eventually, in a few weeks, let you in.”

  Robbie laughed. “Um, Dean? I took you and the kids. I don’t think I can get their trust.”

  “If you show that you don’t want us harmed, you will. Ask Beginnings for the supplies I told you. Set up a meet. Your men meet two of theirs midway somewhere. Peaceful exchange. They won’t risk harming your men. Not with us under your thumb. Keep in contact. Set up an every two or three day update.”

  “How are they going to believe I’m not just keeping the supplies? How they gonna know, I’m not actually harming you guys.”

  “Let me be the radio contact. Let me be the contact person.”

  “No way.”

  “Yes.” Dean nodded. “I will give the updates. They’ll hear in my voice if something’s wrong. I’ll give the list. You monitor the transmissions. And . . . I speak to only Ellen. OK? Ellen.”

  “I get it.” Robbie grinned. “Dean, I’m impressed.”

  “Thank you,” Dean spoke in relief.

  “You sold out for purely selfish reasons.” Robbie gave a swat to Dean’s arm. “You told me how to manipulate Beginnings. You made it seem like it was for the sake of the kids, when actually it was so you can talk to Ellen. Very good.” Robbie nodded. “O.K., I’ll give it a shot. I was gonna wait anyhow, but with this little Dean thing. No pun intended to your size. It can work. Thanks.” Brightly, Robbie smiled again and tall he walked from Dean’s room.

  Dean was left alone to wonder. Did he do the right thing? He had to keep telling himself ‘yes’. Had he been in Beginnings and someone else was kidnapped, he’d expect the same. He had to keep Beginnings updated, as he hoped they’d find away to update him as well and convey their intentions. And he hoped that one of the messages Beginnings conveyed to him was they had intentions, but none of them were about giving in to Robbie.

  ***

  Ellen finished dressing, and brushing her hair. She sat weakly in a chair next to her hospital bedside and stared down at her folded hands as she clasped the brush tightly. She just wanted to get rid of the sadness. The sadness opened her up to feeling pain she would rather not. So many years she had kept pain and heartache away. In doing that, she was protected from everything. But the moment her walls came down, everything went wrong. She thought of the baby she lost. How much pain that was causing her. It was nothing compared to the heartache she felt every time she remembered that look on Frank’s face when he heard his baby’s heart beat merely five days before. That look, Ellen couldn’t even recall anything ever causing his face to light up like that. His eyes to be happy instead of mean, and that I’m-so-proud-of-you, look he gave her. All of that happening the moment Frank looked up at her when Andrea placed the fetal monitor across her stomach, and the sound of a beating heart was heard loud and clear. . . Now it was gone.

  Joe didn’t want to do it, but he had to. Especially when he saw her sitting there, head down, staring. Disturbing Ellen was the last thing she needed. But the community needed her. She was the only one who could help. With Henry, Joe walked into Ellen’s room. “Ellen”

  Ellen turned to him. “Hey Joe.”

  “I hate to bother you but . . .” He held up a hand radio. “We’ve got a situation on our hands.”

  “What is it?”

  “This is Robbie” He showed her the radio. “They want some things from Beginnings for the children. He said Dean will tell us what they are. The only thing is, you’re the only one Robbie will allow him to talk to. I need you to do this. I also need you to tell him we need time.” He snapped his finger back to Henry. Henry handed him a notebook and he relayed it to Ellen. “I wrote down what I need you to say.”

  Ellen took a deep breath as she read over the words and nodded.

  “And . . .” Joe knelt down before her. “Whatever you do, don’t mention the baby. I don’t want Robbie to know we suffered another blow.”

  Ellen reluctantly took the radio Joe handed her, she looked down at the words, and called to Dean. “I’m here, Dean.”

  “Ellen.” Dean nervously fiddled with his own list. “Before I tell you what we need. How are you?”

  “I’m fine,” Ellen said sadly then paused and lifted the note. “No, I’m . . . I’m weak with worry? Worry.” She quickly looked up to Joe and mouthed the words ‘I am not weak’.

  Joe nodded and waved his hand to hurry her along.

  Ellen continued. “And I need to tell you something. I need you to listen.”

  Dean was still stuck on the fact that Ellen called herself weak. It had to be a clue that whatever she said were just words. Dean hoed there was some sort of message in them. “Go on.”

  Ellen began to read. “With Frank gone now, I just wished we had the time to work things out. We need time to do that. Start to cry right. . .” Ellen stopped, she quickly realized she wasn’t supposed to read that. She caught herself and covered. “I mean I start to cry right away when I think of what I did. When you get back, can we take that time we need to work this out? Can you understand why I’m asking this?”

  “Yes, Yes I do.” Dean spoke soft. “You need time. I’ll give us that. Just so you know I understand, I want you to know that I totally forgive your affair. I don’t blame you. I was never around.”

  Robbie heard enough mush to last a lifetime. “Dean, move on with it. Cut out the love talk.”

  Dean released the button. “You said I can talk to Ellen. Give me that. I need this to move on.”

  “All right, but enough right now, give them the list!”

  “Ellen, I have to go. Do you have a pencil to write this down?”

  Ellen held out her hand to Joe. She began to write down the items Dean told her. Things ranging from clothes to medicine. All of them to be placed in two days, at noon, at the highway’s intersection not far from the back gate. Dean told Beginn
ings that they would contact them every three days. And they weren’t to try anything when they dropped off the supplies. Ellen finished with the list and gave Dean Beginning’s agreement to it all. The list told Ellen and the others that at least the children were safe and Dean had some sort of control, even if minor, over the situation. After saying her goodbyes to Dean, Ellen handed the list to Joe, who looked pleased. “Did we do it?”

  “I’m certain we did.” He kissed Ellen on the cheek. “Good job.”

  “Are we sure though, Joe?” Ellen asked.

  “Oh, I’m positive. Besides this list.” Joe smacked the small notebook off his hand. “He said he forgives you. That alone tells me everything.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  June 24

  The three days had passed and injections into Frank’s intravenous to keep him unconscious had stopped. Time would awaken him, and Ellen spent that time, right next to him waiting. A part of her wished he would sleep a little longer. Not that she didn’t want to see Frank, she did. But he needed time to heal and Ellen knew what would happen the moment he woke up. Frank would want to push it, get well, get out of bed fast and end the Robbie crisis. Especially when he found out, the more time, how everyone in town anxiously awaited his awakening, as if he were some sort of second coming.

  It angered Ellen. The same people who ridiculed Frank in the beginning of the crisis for over reacting were the same ones who talked about him as if he were going to be the big hero. The same people who used to imitate Frank when he cringed and grunted about Michelle, praised him for his keen insight. All of the sudden Frank wasn’t dumb, jumping the gun, or immature. He was the man they awaited on to charge in and save the day. The thing that worked in Ellen’s favor was Andrea’s adamancy to keep Frank calm and in the dark for a few days. And when Andrea complained or ordered, people listened.

  She prepared Frank for his resurrection into the land of the non-sleeping. Washing him from head to toe, combing his very short hair and shaving him and it was all while Frank laid totally oblivious to the fact he was like a baby doll to her. Ellen fussed over him, he couldn’t argue. She spoke to him and he couldn’t tell her to shut up. She even griped about things to him that he had done years before, just because he couldn’t argue back.