“It’s about Ellen. A girl thing.”
Johnny nodded. “I’m sure it will be O.K., just knock.”
“O.K., thanks.” As Jenny moved down the hall, she could hear growling the closer she got to the examining rooms. She snickered as she determined it came from room three. She knocked once and opened the door. “Dean?”
Dean looked up, a syringe clenched between his teeth. A thrashing and growling Marcus was on the table. Melissa and Dean tried to hold him down.
“You busy?” Jenny asked.
“Yes!” Dean said through the syringe, trying to control Marcus.
“This will only take a second,” Jenny walked into the room. “Hi Marcus. Dean, do you think . . .”
“Jenny.” Dean bounced around as Marcus thrashed more.
Jenny ignored the scene. “Dean, do you think I can lock Ellen’s door. I’m reading Gone with the Wind to her and I want privacy because I’ve been acting it out.”
Dean grumbled.
“I know you think it’s petty, but yesterday Henry came in and made fun of me. Can I lock the door?”
“You can lock the door if you help us settle him down,” Dean said through his struggle.
“All right.” Jenny stepped closer. “Marcus?”
Dean’s face turned red. “Jenny, are you gonna help?”
“I am, Dean.” Jenny looked down at the thrashing boy. “Marcus? Ready?” Jenny cleared her throat and began to sing. “Sunrise, Sunset. Sunrise, Sunset . . .” As she sang Marcus immediately stopped thrashing. He opened his mouth wide exposing his fanged teeth and his head swayed back and forth. He tried to sing but all he made was a loud squealing sound, his attempt at carrying a tune.
Dean stepped back amazed. “Oh shit.”
Jenny stopped singing for a moment, but Marcus didn’t. “He loves show tunes. That’s how I calm him at school. Go on Dean, do your thing.” Jenny continued to sing.
“And . . .” Bev spoke in a taunting manner to Ellen. “This little thing you have going is the best thing that could have happened to you. They say you can hear everything. That’s good because it’s my intention to keep you in there. Dean and I really don’t want you to come out. Yes, you heard me, Dean and I. Seems he was a little mad at you when you left with Frank, and well, I showed up and things happened. He was lonely, sad and yes . . . we fucked.” Bev giggled. “I can seduce him in here if you’d like. That way you can listen to his every moan.” Another giggled came from Bev. “There’s talk that you shut yourself in your own world because you saw Frank die. Pity isn’t it? Did you see him die Ellen? Did you? How did they do it? Did they shoot him? I bet it was painful to watch the love of your life, a man you have known nearly as long as I’ve been alive . . . die brutally, violently, bloody and . . .
WHAM!
Bev’s words were never finished. Her face was greeted harshly with the fifth edition hardback version of Gone with the Wind. Her body flew back off the chair at the same time blood shot from her now broken nose. The moment she hit the floor, Jenny dove on her, straddled her body over Bev’s, and began to pulverize her with punch after punch.
Joe was walking with Henry and Dean when they heard the screams coming from Ellen’s room. All three of them took off running only to see Bev trying to defend herself against an outraged Jenny.
“Christ.” Joe flew to the two women, grabbing on to Jenny who braced Bev’s throat. “Dean.”
Dean raced to help Joe but the more they pulled Jenny, the more Jenny pulled Bev’s neck. “Joe.” Dean spoke quickly. “Hold tight, I’ll be right back.” He raced from the room.
Henry smiled and walked over to Ellen’s bed. “El.” He shook her. “El, wake up. You’re missing this. Please get up. You’re missing this. Jenny’s beating the hell out of Bev. I wish I had a camera.”
“Henry!” Joe yelled. “Do something here.” Joe took an elbow shot from Jenny in her attempt to get him off of her. He went flying back. “Do something.”
“I am Joe. I’m trying to wake up Ellen. I can’t believe this didn’t bring her out. El.” Henry shook her again. “Come on.”
Dean flew back into the room. He actually paused to snicker as he saw Jenny over Bev. Uncapping a syringe with his teeth, Dean aimed at Jenny’s rear-end which was high in the air. He jabbed the needle into the flesh, plunged in the sedative and stepped back. “Five, four, three, two . . .”
Jenny fell over.
“One.” Dean smiled.
^^^^
Bowman, North Dakota
The feeling of utter annoyance upset Hal’s breathing and caused the vein in his left temple to protrude. He tried to ignore Craig who followed him as he inspected the food preparations in the kitchen. “Gentlemen, this is looking great. I want a celebration because I feel all went well in Kansas.” He lifted a pot lid and stopped. His head turned sharply to his left. “What!” He blasted at Craig.
“You do that on purpose don’t you?”
“Do what?” Hal asked.
“Flex your muscles when you do things.”
“I do not.”
“Yes you do. You try to make it look real big, don’t you?”
“Go away.” Hal put down the pot lid.
“There it is again.” Craig pointed. “Can I touch it?”
“No.” Hal walked across the kitchen.
“I bet when you were younger you were into professional wrestling.” Craig followed him. “Weren’t you?”
Hal growled at him.
“Did you pose in front of your mirror?”
“Craig! The next time I need a sparring partner, you’re it.”
“O.K.” Craig raised his fists and danced. “I’m ready for you. I must warn you, I’m tough.”
“Sure you are.” Hal moved to the door and stopped when Sgt. Ryder walked in.
“They’re approaching town” Sgt. Ryder said.
“Did you count the men?”
Sgt. Ryder smiled and held up a clenched fist. It was the signal for ‘zero’ losses.
“Oh yes!” Hal said with excitement and ran from the kitchen.
Sgt. Ryder chased after him, catching up with Hal at the edge of town. The men drew closer on their horseback. “No losses. Must have been an easy victory.”
“You know.” Hal looked proud. “Now that the Kansas site is out of the way, you know what is next.”
“Yes I do.”
“Good. Then tonight, you and I will sit down and work it out. In a day or two we go out and search for the Beginnings man along with our own. They’re together; I feel it. But for now . . .” Hal took off again this time to greet his men before they even made it to town.
^^^^
Beginnings, Montana
Even though Bev’s nose was bandaged, her eyes blackened, and her neck red, she still held attitude as she sat in Andrea’s office. Andrea sat in a chair, humming softly and swinging her crossed legs. She seemed as if she couldn’t care less being there. Henry paced, and Joe sat behind Andrea’s desk.
“Leader or Father?” Bev said snidely.
Joe heard Henry groan and he held up his hand to him. “Listen to me, Bev. You are this close to being ousted.”
“On what grounds? I know the rules,” Bev asked. “What did I do? I got beat up.”
“Community disruption,” Joe told her.
“Who am I disrupting?” Bev asked. “I was visiting your daughter. Jenny was the one disrupting. Since when was it against Beginnings rules to visit a sick patient in the clinic?”
“Since when do you care about Ellen?”
“I care.” Bev said. “I care about all my sisters here. There aren’t that many of us and you know it. Want the population to grow Joe? Is throwing out one of the few women the way to do it?”
Henry, who had paced himself into a corner, turned around. He had enough. “I want her out, Joe. Kick her out of this community.”
Bev laughed arrogantly. “Listen to you the jilted lover. Don’t want one of your women with the other? Oh, I f
orgot, it’s your precious Ellen we’re talking about, and Joe’s precious Ellen who does no wrong. You alone can’t throw me out, Henry. You’re only a council member.”
Henry saw red and an anger swept over him that he had never shown before. He raged to Bev, slamming his hands hard on Andrea’s desk as he placed his face close to hers. “Well then you listen to me, you little bitch. When the day comes that I take over this community, rules or no rules, if you’re still around, I will see you gone. Gone! If you go near Ellen again, I swear by my soul I will personally find a way to get you out of here. Don’t test me. Don’t.”
Andrea just calmly looked up from her hands that she had been staring at.
Joe choked. “Henry?” He placed his hands on Henry’s chest moving him back. “Calm down.”
Using his grip on the desk, Henry pushed himself back and turned away. He ran his hand down his face and tried
to get his anger under control.
Joe looked at Bev. He spoke calmly. “I want you to hear what I’m saying, O.K.? This is the leader of this community talking, not Ellen’s father. Rules can be seen in many different ways as you are aware. Just like the criminal can test the law, the lawmaker can conform it. Got that? My suggestion to you, little girl, is watch your step around here,” Joe leaned back in the chair, “because you are close to reaching the point where I don’t think a single person in Beginnings would miss you if they woke up one morning to find out you decided on your own to leave in the middle of the night.” Joe reached into his pocket and grabbed a cigarette. “That’s all. Now wait in the hall until someone comes to take you to cool down. Rules are rules.” Joe smiled.
Slowly Bev stood from the chair. She looked at Joe, at Andrea who said nothing, and then to an angry Henry who had his back to her. She said no more as she left.
Joe slowly let out the breath he held. “Henry, bring Jenny in here.” When Henry moved to the door, Joe turned to Andrea. “Why in God’s name are you so quiet?”
Andrea just looked up. “I’m not wasting my breath on her. Why? Let it go. Let her stay. Say no more, because sooner or later someone is just going to kill her.”
Joe’s mouth dropped open at the same time Henry came back with Jenny and John Matoose. “John, what the hell are you doing here.”
John had one arm around a sobbing Jenny. He led her in then shut the door,. “I’m not leaving my wife’s side.”
“We need to talk to her,” Joe said.
“No Joe,” John argued as he helped Jenny sit down. “This is wrong. Jenny was defending your daughter. She shouldn’t get into any trouble at all over . . .”
“John!” Joe raised his voice. “Shut up and calm down or I’ll make you leave.” Joe looked at Jenny. Her face was red and blotched. She hyperventilated through the tears that streamed down her face. “Now Jenny . . .”
Jenny interrupted with a loud burst of sobs, “Oh Joe.” She shivered her breath. “I . . . I went in there. She was saying terrible things to Ellen. Terrible. I . . . I couldn’t help myself. I don’t know why I did it. I’m sorry, Joe. I was out of control. I was premenstrual. Check my schedule.”
Joe winced and held up his hand. “Jenny calm down.”
“I… I…I…can’t.”
Joe tried not to laugh. He looked at Andrea who had stood up and placed a comforting arm around Jenny. “Andrea, could you?” Joe pointed to her seat. Andrea sat down. “Thank you. Now Jenny, we have fighting rules here. You know they say three hours in holding to cool down.” Joe held up his hand to John before John could say anything. “As community leader you have to go to holding, But . . . I’m letting the protective instincts of a father kick in here. You’ll say you went to holding and no one will be the wiser. Go . . . go up the stables or something. Cole won’t spill his guts. Spend some time up there. You like the horses. O.K.?”
Jenny nodded.
“For the record, I cannot condone what you did. Off the record, thank you for defending my daughter. Now . . . there is a price to pay for this lack of holding thing I’m doing here.” Joe looked at Henry, Andrea, and John. “Could I just have a moment with Jenny alone, please. Thanks.” He waited until they all left the office, leaving him alone with Jenny. “I have a favor to ask.”
“What’s that?” Jenny almost looked frightened.
Joe stood up and walked around the desk. He sat on the edge of it in front of Jenny. “I want Bev out of this community. As a woman, she’s protected by rules I made and I have a feeling she’s gonna lay low for a while, so . . .” Joe clapped his hands together then rubbed them. “If she’s going to stay, she’ll stay. But you are in a position to help me silently.. Staying in the realms of Beginnings rules, while Bev is in Beginnings, I would like you to make her life a miserable living hell.”
First Jenny was silent then she smiled. “With pleasure, Joe.”
“Good girl.” Joe patted her cheek, reached out his hand, grabbed Jenny’s, and helped her to her feet. He walked her to the door and opened it. They waited in the hall “Henry,” Joe called and winked, “take our Jenny to holding.”
Henry nodded and walked up to Jenny.
Jenny stopped before leaving, kissed Joe on the cheek, then John. She moved down the hall with Henry, flipping off Bev who was still there, and happily kept on walking.
^^^^
Birmingham Alabama
The room was dark. A little of the fading day cast a small amount of light into the mid-size room. No blankets, no beds, no food, just a toilet. The floor was concrete, dirty and hard. Four UWA soldiers sat against the wall. They too were dirty, bloodied, and beaten, yet not one of them showed the signs of wearing down. Kyle, Link, Ted, and Jeff were determined to remain that way.
“Fuck with them,” Link said, a black man, whose always shaven clean head was starting to grow hair. “Fuck with them.” He touched his lip that bled.
“How?” Kyle asked then saw Ted snickering. “What’s up with you?”
“Nothing.” Ted smiled and shook his head. “Can you imagine if one of us broke . . .” He paused to laugh. “Just one of us spilled our guts?”
Jeff pointed to his own temple and twirled his finger, looking at Ted.
Link huffed heavily. “Man, what is up with you? That’s really fuckin funny, one of us breaking and spilling our guts about where we are.”
“It is if they get all their men together and head off to Tijuana.” Ted laughed and rubbed his nose. It trickled blood. “Can you see it?” He dramatically held his hands up. “No, no, I can’t take it anymore. Please. Please. I’ll tell you where our base camp is.”
Kyle quickly looked to Link. “We’re all dead anyhow.”
Link nodded. “Yes we are, so why not go out with a laugh. Besides, the minute they move across Kansas, our border scouts will spot them and . . . chances are The Captain will head them off and take them out. They’re so weak.”
Jeff shook his head. “They got us, didn’t they?”
Kyle nodded. “True. O.K., I say we go with Ted’s crazy idea. Three of us will continue to give the pledge, name, and rank. One of us will break. Before we decide which one of us will do that, let’s decide where we’re sending them.”
The four of them gathered closer and began to discuss the goose chase they were going to send The Society on. It was thinking and thinking helped them keep their wits, anything at that moment that could do that. It was better than sitting in silence waiting for the next wave of interrogation.
^^^^
Beginnings, Montana
With her knitting draped across her lap, Andrea sat, her bible on Ellen’s bed. She’d knit and read to Ellen, then stare into Ellen’s blank, open eyes. Andrea spoke sweetly and motherly, trying her hardest to be comforting. She knew within her soul that Ellen needed to be pulled out, more so than come out on her own. Andrea felt the love of her family and the love of God were the only things that would help. “Didn’t like that one?” Andrea shook her head. “You know, I remember when my father was ill. He wasn�
�t afraid of dying; he was scared of living. He kept on telling me that my mother was holding out her hand to him.” Andrea shook her head with a remembering tsk. “The Good Lord took him fast and brought him home. But see Ellen, the Good Lord did not take you. He spared you. You have to keep asking yourself would Frank want you like this. Would he? You cannot be afraid to face life.” Andrea’s hands dropped to her lap as she stopped knitting. “I have a little song. Would you mind if I sang it for you?” Subtly, Andrea cleared her throat and hummed first. Slowly, softly and gospel-like, the way that Andrea always sang. “You can cross the barren desert, but you shall not die of thirst. You shall wander far in safety though you do not know the way. You can speak to men in foreign lands and all will understand. You will see the face of God and live . . . Be not afraid. I go before you always. Come follow me. And I will give you . . .” Andrea’s singing slowed down more as she looked at Ellen. “You . . . Oh Sweet Jesus.” The knitting fell from her lap and onto the ground. She sprang up and raced out of the room to get Dean when she saw--from Ellen’s open lifeless eyes--a single tear fall.
Dean barreled in the room. He was so full of hope at that second he could barely catch his breath. He dropped to his knees at Ellen’s bedside.
Robbie and Henry raced in, followed by Joe. They were all around the clinic since the recent Jenny episode.
Joe shifted his eyes. “Andrea, what’s . . .?”
Andrea held up her hand to silence the three and stop any questions they could ask. She just watched a quiet Dean.
On his knees, Dean folded his hand over Ellen’s hands. He placed his face close to hers. He looked into the eyes that didn’t blink then to the tear that had rolled down and welled on the side of her nose. “What are you trying to tell us?” he asked softly. “El, please.” Dean closed his eyes and lowered his lips to Ellen. Gently he touched them down to her and kissed where her tear had fallen. Pulling away, he brought his lips into his mouth and tasted the saltiness of Ellen’s tear. Dean clenched Ellen’s hands tighter then dropped his head forward to the bed almost in a defeat. At that moment, everyone else left the room.
The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series Page 368