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

by Jacqueline Druga

  “I can’t believe I let you take a drink.”

  “I did real good all night.” Frank finished off what was in his glass. “It’s just a shot. That’s all I need.”

  “Well if didn’t know the adverse effects of a deprived alcohol-dependent bloodstream ...”

  “Dean, knock it off.” Frank looked up to the kitchen ceiling. “Ellen’s coming down.”

  “Thanks for helping us out tonight.”

  “Thanks for coming to me about it. I appreciate ...” Frank’s head jolted back to the cellar door and the shriek that came from below. “What the hell are they doing now?” He walked to the basement door and opened it. “Are you guys all right down there?”

  Henry yelled up, “Fine, Frank. I burned Danny by accident. We’ll be quiet.”

  With rolled eyes, Frank shook his head. “Let’s go in the living room, Dean. If they keep on making noise like that, Ellen’s going to find out they’re down there.” As he made his way to the living room, he was stopped by Ellen who held his radio. Frank could hear all kinds of noise coming from the speaker. “What’s going on?”

  Ellen handed it to him. “You left this upstairs, Dan is calling you.”

  Frank pressed the button. “Dan ... Dan, come in. What’s going on?”

  “Frank, we need you at the Social Hall. Big ...” Dan shrieked. “Big fight. We can’t control it. Lots of damage. Hurry ... shit ... duck!” A loud crash replaced Dan’s voice.

  An utter look of being perturbed took over Frank. “What the hell? Can’t they control anything?” Grabbing his shoulder harness off the back of the chair and his headset off the table in the entranceway, in his stride through the living room, Frank placed them on. “I’ll be back.”

  Ellen chased him to the door. “Oh, can I come with you and see the fight? Dean can wait here. He won’t be able to appreciate it.”

  “No, El, stay,” Frank told her.

  “Please, I love when you rush in and do that macho thing.”

  Frank looked at her, his mind racing with thoughts of how Ellen could possibly get. “Come on. Dean, do you mind staying here?”

  “Nope, not at all.” Dean walked to the couch and plopped down. “Don’t take advantage of her, Frank.”

  “Yeah right.” Frank grabbed Ellen’s arm and brought her out. “Keep up with me.”

  “I am.” Ellen nearly ran to keep up with Frank’s fast pace.

  Hustling through the Living Section, Frank radioed Robbie for backup for the out-of-control situation, monitoring the crashes and screams of the Social Hall all the way there.

  It was perfect timing. Just as Frank hit the last row of houses, not far from the Social Hall, Robbie ran around the bend, harnessing his revolver. “Frank, what’s the situation?”

  “Sounds like all hell is breaking lose at the hall.” Frank neared the hall.

  “What’s Ellen doing here?”

  Frank shrugged. “She wants to see.” As he approached the Social Hall door, he could hear even more noise. “El, stay back. It could get dangerous. Robbie, if they are that out of control, knock ’em out, deck them. OK?”

  “Got it.” Robbie grinned.

  Frank opened the door to the Social Hall—prepared—but then stopped in his storm in when he saw the ruckus and the cheering crowd. “Fuck.”

  Robbie walked up next to his brother. “You still want me to deck them.”

  Ellen shrieked with excitement when she watched Jenny, hand on the back of Bev’s hair, ram her face-first onto the rail of the bar as if Bev was a wrestler going face-first into the turnbuckle.

  Bev bounced backwards and fell to the floor. Just as she tried to get up, Jenny pounced on her and straddled her legs. Her skirt was now raised above her green underpants, with her knees on both sides of Bev. As Jenny grabbed hold of Bev’s throat—banging Bev’s head repeatedly on the floor—Bev’s hands reached up to Jenny in a defensive, clawing motion.

  Ellen clapped and moved into the cheering circle of men. “Get her, Jenny, get her. Jenny, your underwear is showing.”

  Jenny grunted and banged Bev’s head, again.

  Frank had seen enough. “Knock the shit off!” he screamed loudly. “Robbie, let’s go.”

  “I’m not decking them, Frank,” Robbie stated.

  “We aren’t decking them. El?” Frank looked at her. “Wanna help?”

  “No,” she said. “Don’t break them up, Frank, let them ... Frank!” Ellen yelled as Frank charged in, “Frank, no!” Ellen raced toward the two barreling women.

  Reaching his hands in, Frank repeatedly was hit and scratched. “Knock it the fuck off!” He placed one hand on Jenny, the other toward Bev, knowing he couldn’t pull a usual Frank-break-up of the fight. “Ladies!”

  Ellen, watching Bev’s hands grab the skin of Jenny’s face, figured it was time to help Frank out. She ran up behind Jenny, bracing her under her arms. “Jen ... nee.” Ellen grunted. “Stop it. You’ll ... kill.” She gave a hard tug. “Her!” As Ellen gave another hard tug, Jenny released Bev and with the force of Ellen’s pull, coupled with Jenny’s strength—both women flew backwards. Jenny ended up back-first on top of Ellen.

  Ellen’s arms flung about helplessly under the heavy weight of Jenny. Trapped! “Frank,” her voice was muffled. “Help.”

  Bev got up from the ground and saw that Jenny was down. She dove for her, but as she did, Frank reached out his arm, bringing it around the front of Bev and snatched back the fighting, kicking woman. “Settle your ass down!” Less then gently Frank set her back. “Now!” Almost with a smack of disgust, Frank ran his hand down his face. “Robbie, take this woman to Holding. Jenny ...” Frank saw Jenny. How odd she looked with that extra set of arms and legs beneath her. Then he realized that Ellen was trapped beneath the flesh of a woman twice her size. “El, quit fooling around. Get up.”

  John Matoose reached out for Jenny, lifting his wife to her feet then straightening her skirt.

  Watching Robbie remove the wiry Bev, Frank turned to John. “What the hell, John? Why didn’t you break it up? This is your wife.”

  “She wasn’t losing, Frank,” John said. “I would have, if she was.”

  “Get her to the clinic to clean up those scratches. God!”

  “Come on, Jenny.” John put his arm around Jenny who at that instant started to cry. “What’s wrong?”

  “I-I-I am-am just-just worked up,” Jenny sobbed.

  One more time Frank called out, “John, she has to go to Holding for three hours. You know the rules.” Seeing John’s ‘yeah-yeah’ wave back, Frank covered his eyes with his hands. As he slid his fingers down across his nose, he saw Ellen was still on the ground. “El?” He rushed over to her and dropped down to one knee. “El.”

  “I think I’m part of the floor now, Frank.”

  Frank chuckled then slid his arms under Ellen, lifting her up as he stood to his feet. He smiled at her as he placed her back down on her feet, sliding her against him when he did. “Thanks for the help.”

  “Anytime.”

  Giving a ‘hmm’ while biting his bottom lip, Frank took a step to her, cupped his hands on her face and kissed her quickly. “Let’s go home.”

  “That’s it?”

  “That’s it, what?” Frank grabbed her hand and started walking out with her.

  “That’s my kiss?”

  “That’s it.”

  “My God, Frank, I pulled Jenny off that person. I got pinned under her and it wasn’t fun, Frank,” Ellen bitched as they walked. “It really wasn’t fun, Frank. I could barely breathe and I get a simple peck of a kiss like you’re my dad.”

  Frank still walked, smiling the whole time.

  Ellen was ready to bitch more, but she stopped when Frank slowed his pace down, and the hand that held hers went from leading to joining, when his fingers slipped between hers. Ellen smiled, looking down at their locked hands. Walking back home with Frank, she took in the peacefulness of the evening. “That was pretty great though, Jenny beating Bev up
. Huh?”

  “Funny stuff but aggravating. I think that was the first fight we had between two women. I mean an all-and-out fight.”

  “I think so. It was worth being suffocated. How about that underwear Jenny had on?”

  “I didn’t notice.”

  “It was green, Frank. Now where do you suppose she got green underwear?”

  “Don’t know.”

  “You did good. You didn’t punch either of them.”

  Frank only turned his head to look at her.

  “You did good helping Dean and I out, too. Thank you very much.”

  “Like I told Dean, I’m glad you came to me.”

  “I owe you.” Ellen held tighter to his hand as they approached his house.

  “You really mean that?” Frank asked as he reached for the door.

  “I mean that.”

  “Then there is something you can do for me.”

  “Anything.”

  Frank cleared his throat, let go of her hand, and stepped to face her. “You have to do this for me.”

  “I promise.” Ellen held up her hand only to have it grabbed and kissed by Frank.

  Frank returned her hand. “Tomorrow when you see Henry, I want you to say ‘hi’ to him, just ‘hi’.” Frank flashed a smile. “It would mean a lot. Thanks.” He kissed her on the cheek and opened his front door. “You coming, El?”

  “Yeah.” Ellen stood there in oddity for a second, pondering Frank’s request. Of all the things he could have had, he asked for a simple greeting to his friend. To Ellen that said a lot, and she promised herself right there if the opportunity arose the next day, she would oblige Frank’s request. What would it hurt?

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  AUGUST 3

  The chopper engine noise, the static, and the calm of Robbie Slagel’s voice filled the radio. “Home Base, this is Eagle One. Do you copy?” Robbie leaned toward the side window of his helicopter as he flew and peered out below through his dark sunglasses. “Home Base, this is Eagle One. Do you copy? Over.”

  “Yeah, Robbie,” Frank responded.

  “Frank,” Robbie spoke in a whine, “come on. You promised.”

  “All right,” Frank paused, “Eagle One, this is Home Base. We copy. What’s your position?”

  “Heading in southeast towards Home Base. We’ve got a small ground troop thirty miles northwest of Home Base.”

  “Fuck, you’re shitting me. How many?”

  “Uh ...” Robbie counted. “Twelve no wait, one just came out from taking a leak, thirteen. Odd.”

  “Can you identify them?”

  “Most likely. Hold on.” Robbie lifted his binoculars. “Got the big ‘C’, Frankie-boy. We got ourselves some SUTs.”

  “What’s it look like, Robbie? Are they mobile?”

  “Could be. Two trucks. Pretty settled right now. They’ve spotted me. I’m flying outward and away. They may move but they don’t look like they are with tents and such.”

  “Can you take them out now?”

  “Negative on that, Frank. If I start firing on them, I’m alone up here and they’ll scatter into the trees.”

  “Ground maneuvers.”

  “Could do that.” Robbie tilted the helicopter as he flew taking his last look back. “We’ll let that be your call, big brother, ground or air. Either way, I’m heading home to head out. Get the Big Cheese on it will ya?”

  Frank snickered over the airwaves. “Yeah, I’ll get Dad to Armory to suit up a team for ya. See ya in a few, Robbie.”

  “Call me ... Eagle One.”

  “Yeah, yeah, Eagle One, this is Home Base, over.”

  “Love ya too, Frank.” Robbie grinned, thinking of the excitement ahead and flew onward, back to Beginnings.

  <><><><>

  “Henry, hurry up!” Danny yelled up Henry’s steps. He fumbled with a box, tossing things in it.

  “I knew it.” Henry flew down the stairs putting on a shirt and running his fingers through his wet hair. “I knew I shouldn’t have taken time to get a shower.”

  “You have to get clean, Henry. Besides ...” Danny looked down at his watch. “We have time. How long once he gets back.”

  “Ten minutes, maybe.”

  “Got the papers?”

  Henry gathered the stack. “Got them.”

  “Will he do it?”

  “Oh yeah, but it’s not Robbie who gives the go-ahead, it’s Frank and Joe.”

  “It’s for the good of the community. Could mean ... how many did he say there were?”

  “Thirteen?”

  “Yep. Thirteen more soldiers for Beginnings.” Danny rushed to the door. “Let’s go.”

  Hurrying and dropping things, running back and picking them up, Henry raced with Danny toward town then to the hangar.

  <><><><>

  Ellen would have made a mad rush to the clinic, but what was the point? The injections would still need to be given. The blood would still need to be taken, no matter how carefree she walked from Containment. She took her time, knowing full well she promised Andrea she would be there fifteen minutes earlier.

  Walking slowly, thinking about how she was the displaced worker, always going from one place to the next, she was nearly barreled over by Danny who ran by her.

  “Hi, Ellen, bye, Ellen. Henry, hurry up!” Danny yelled back to Henry who had stopped twenty feet back to pick up the papers that blew from his hand.

  “Hi, Danny.” Ellen smiled at Danny’s rushing, then walked again.

  “Excuse me.” Henry walked by her.

  “Hi, Henry,” Ellen said as he passed her.

  Henry’s heart dropped at the same second his feet stopped. He quickly spun, to look back at her. “Hi, El.” Henry wanted to smile but feared it.

  Danny tugged at Henry’s shirt. “Henry, come on.”

  Spinning quickly back to Danny, Henry stuck all his papers into Danny’s chest. “Go on up without me. I’ll be right there.”

  “Henry, the helicopter is ...”

  “Please,” Henry whispered. “I’ll be right there.”

  “Hurry up.” Clutching the papers and his box, Danny took off running.

  Henry took a second to run his fingers through the grain of his wind-blown hair as he walked to Ellen. “How are you today?” Henry asked, begging in his mind that Ellen would answer him.

  “Good. How are you?”

  Henry hid his shocking gasp well. “I’m ... I’m good.”

  “Where are you running to?”

  “We have this invention we need Robbie to try. It’s pretty neat.”

  “That’s nice.” Ellen began to walk away.

  “You?”

  “Me what?” Ellen stopped walking.

  “Where are you headed?”

  Ellen’s eyes shifted to the clinic. “Here. I have blood to take and it’s beginning of the month so we have the Birth Control Hormones to inject. Boring stuff. I ... I really have to go.” She pointed with her thumb.

  “OK, so do I.”

  “Bye, Henry.”

  “El?” he called out to her. “Thank you. Thank you for saying ‘hi’.”

  “Thank Frank, Henry.”

  “Frank?”

  “Yeah. It was his doing.” She gave a half smile and walked to the clinic, not looking back.

  “Frank,” Henry spoke with a grin. “I have to really thank ... shit. Robbie.” With that thought, hearing the helicopter, he picked up speed and raced to catch up to Danny.

  <><><><>

  Henry saw the helicopter landing as he made it to the hangar building. With enthusiasm and a bit of nervousness, he ran inside. Danny was already there waiting. Frank and Joe stood with weapons and a team of four men, waiting for Robbie to come in. “Frank.” Henry smiled as soon as he saw him. “Frank.”

  “Yeah.” Frank looked up only in enough time to see the vision of Henry racing at him. Before Frank could say anything, he was greeted with a hug and a kiss to his cheek. “Uh! Henry, what the fuck?” He wiped off his che
ek. “Why are you kissing me?” He heard the snickers of his men. “I don’t know what is up with the men in this community. First, Dean holds my hand last night, and now you kiss me this morning ... You guys want all that from me but both of you get mad when I’m near Ellen.”

  “Frank, thank you.”

  “For what?” Frank asked.

  “Ellen said ‘hi’ to me.”

  “No big deal, Henry.” Frank tried to walk by him.

  “No, Frank, it is a big deal. It is. Thank you.”

  “So did you come up here to kiss me or is there another reason for your and Danny’s visit?”

  “Oh yeah.” Henry grew even more excited. “We have this invention. In fact it will help you build the Beginnings Army.”

  “Great.” Frank nodded. “Share it with me later. I have an attack about to happen.”

  “No!” Henry stopped him. “I have to share it with you now. Now, Frank. Joe!”

  Joe, who had been eavesdropping and avoiding getting involved, was forced to when he was called. “What, Henry, and don’t kiss me.”

  Henry snickered then started to explain, but before he could, Danny’s summon to him that Robbie was there, made him stop and run over to Robbie.

  Robbie expected to be pummeled when he walked in. He expected to hear Frank rambling on about the plan of action. He didn’t expect to be approached by two fast-rambling—talking at the same time—mechanically-inclined men, who really didn’t look alike when they stood side by side.

  “Hold it!” Joe shouted out, unable to take the un-interpretable chattering. “What the hell are you two up to?”

  Henry, out of breath, turned to him. “We have this thing, Joe, an invention of Danny’s and mine. We were working on the Dean thing. You know, and we came up with this. It’s amazing. It’s taken us longer than the Dean thing but it works, huh, Danny?”

  “We think so,” Danny added. “We need Robbie to try it. What it is, Joe ...” Danny pulled it out.

  Joe looked at it. “An aural thermometer.”

  “No. It’s called the Auralnator.” Danny laughed. “Great name. Anyhow, we just used the shell. It’s a stunning, descrambling device for the SUTs. You place it in the ear, press this button and it deprograms the SUT immediately, makes them drop like that.” Danny snapped.