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

by Jacqueline Druga

  “No, not at all.” Jess looked around. “Great place.”

  “Thanks.” Dean lifted a box to the dining room table. “I’m a little nervous about it being unfair though. You know how everyone else lives in the townhouses.”

  “Not everyone. Some others will be lucky. Not this lucky but you know what Danny says.”

  “No, what does Danny say?” Dean asked.

  “He says you saved the life of the community and ancient Chinese secret dictates the people of Beginnings repay you.”

  Dean laughed then stopped laughing when his front door opened.

  Henry walked in, kicking off his shoes. “That wasn’t very nice, Dean. Hey Jess, you didn’t take off your shoes.”

  “Whoops.” Jess hurried to the door to remove his.

  “See Dean.” Henry nodded. “You should put a sign out front. Ellen will get mad if this carpet gets tracked.”

  “Let’s just hope Ellen comes here to live.”

  “What do you mean?” Henry asked. “Of course she’ll come here. Why, because she’s still mad at you?”

  “That and Robbie.” Dean opened the flaps to a box. His tone changed to a serious one. “Come on, Henry. You’ve seen the way she’s been with him.”

  Henry lowered his head. “O.K., granted El’s a little wrapped up in Robbie right . . .”

  “A little?”

  “Yes,” Henry said, “but don’t you think that’s to be expected? My God Dean, Frank’s gone. When we lose someone we love, we search and want a piece of them back so badly, that we reach for the closest thing to them.”

  Dean nodded. “Robbie. Frank’s brother.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Henry’s right,” Jess interrupted, “if you don’t mind my opinion.”

  “No.” Dean shook his head. “Not at all. An outside opinion may be what I need.”

  “Then my opinion is what you’ll get. This is what I see happening, especially over the past couple days. Robbie’s being over protective of Ellen, taking on his brother’s role. That's natural. He should look out for her. That’s what Frank would want, right?” He saw Dean's agreement. “Ellen, like Henry said, is looking for a little bit of Frank. Robbie is Frank’s brother. Your fears are founded about worrying about Ellen being with Robbie.”

  Dean tossed his hands up. “Here I thought I would feel better.”

  “Wait.” Jess held out his hand. “Hear me out, O.K.? Ellen very easily could turn to Robbie but Robbie’s no Frank. When she sees that, she’s gonna slip back into the history she has established with you. I haven’t been in Beginnings very long, but from what I hear, you are always a part of her life. It’s Robbie I’m worried about.” Jess saw the sudden surprise looks of Henry and Dean. “I’ve become friends with him. We’re getting close. Don’t you guys worry about his feelings at all? You should. Yeah he’s the upbeat guy, making jokes and having a good time but he’s also one of the many men in this community who does not have that closeness we all need. Here’s the problem I see. Robbie loves Ellen. Is Robbie smart enough to look past what Ellen’s doing? Look past her search for Frank? Or is he gonna get so wrapped up in it, he’s going to be crushed when it’s all said and done.”

  Dean’s hands hesitated in his grip of a knickknack. “Whoa, I didn’t think of Robbie at all.”

  Henry helped unpack as he talked. “Why would you? You don’t like Robbie.”

  “I like Robbie,” Dean said. “You’re the one who doesn’t like him.”

  “Oh.” Henry set down a knickknack. “You’re right.”

  “Jess.” Dean looked to him. “Thanks for your view on things.”

  “You’re welcome. I don’t want you to worry Dean. I live with Robbie. If I have to, if I see him not seeing what’s going on, I’ll speak to him about it, or to Joe.”

  “Thanks.” Dean smiled slightly. “He’s really lucky to have made a friend in you.” Slowly Dean’s eyes shifted to Henry who was snickering. “What is so funny?”

  “Oh nothing.” Henry caught that after-laugh breath. “I was just thinking back to something Joe said the other day. Ignore me. I get like this.” Henry giggled again.

  Dean shook his head. “I can’t imagine what Joe could have said that was that funny. Anyhow . . .” Dean let out a breath and started to unpack again. “....getting back to why I needed to talk to you.”

  “Shoot.” Jess said.

  “O.K., when the plague first hit, I was very wrapped up in not only finding a cure, but finding a common denominator that played a factor in our all surviving.” Dean explained. “For years I tested everyone’s blood. Broke it down and did all that for years. After I found it, this was only after we started taking survivors. I stopped. Why go on? But . . .” Dean held up his finger. “Everyone I tested was different. Except for the Slagels. See they had this mutated strand and I attributed that to the fact that the immunity spanned through half the males in the family.”

  Jess nodded as he listened. Henry played with the winder on the musical statue he unpacked.

  “I thought it was a fluke,” Dean said, “because most cases I saw were one father, one son, never more until you Jess. How many of your brothers survived the plague.”

  “Two plus my father.”

  Crash! Henry dropped the statue. “Shit.” He grabbed the pieces. “You had brothers and a father that lived. Oh my God. Where are they?”

  “My father died of high blood sugar. The insulin went bad. My brothers were killed by what you call savages.”

  Dean looked stunned. “That’s what Robbie told me. He told me about your family. I needed to hear it from you.”

  “You’re hearing it. I was in the service. When I went home to my father’s farm, they hadn’t a clue the plague was so wide spread. Why would they? They had all lived.”

  “Well . . .” Dean finally noticed what Henry had broken. “Henry, you’d better put that statue back together. That’s Ellen’s Scarlet O’Hara. She’ll kill you.”

  “I’ll fix it so she’ll never know.” Henry tried not to show how worried he was as he gathered all the pieces.

  “Anyway,” Dean continued, “I’d like to run some tests on you. I want to see if you have a similar gene to the Slagels. It’s merely out of my curiosity and for my records. You don’t have to but, as a scientist, I’d like to know.”

  “Sure.” Jesse agreed. “Just tell me when.”

  “We can start tomorrow. Simple specimens that’s all.” Dean heard Henry snicker again. “What now, Henry?”

  “You’d better tell him now before he agrees fully.”

  “Tell him what?” Dean asked.

  “What you need.” Henry looked at Jess. “He needs sperm. He didn’t tell any of us when he first asked. Just handed us a cup and said enjoy.” Henry’s voice dropped to a whisper. “He never did have a good sense of humor. Of course he could say enjoy. Back then there were five women, two were in their sixties. One was Ellen, Andrea the other, and Jenny was jail bait. Not too mention she was Jenny. And Dean, he had Ellen. He was getting . . .”

  “Henry.” Dean shut him up. “Please.”

  “Just warning him, Dean. And . . . “ Henry went on. “Better drop a lot or he’ll make you give more. How embarrassing.” Henry fiddled with the broken pieces, rambling on. “He made some of us feel incompetent because we supplied too little. Do you know how much he . . .”

  “Henry.” Dean stopped him. “Shut up. Jess, back then . . .”

  “He’ll make Ellen play with it.” Henry kept going on, not paying any attention to Dean. “Well she’ll work on it. But still, he makes her touch it. He has turned her so cold about some things in the name of science. You should see what they do to rabbits.”

  “Enough.” Dean handed Henry a cloth that had been wrapped around a knickknack. “Take those pieces somewhere and fix them now. O.K.? Before Ellen has a fit.”

  “O.K.” Henry dumped the pieces in the cloth and wrapped it up. “You don’t need me to help set things up?”


  “No,” Dean said. “Jess you busy?”

  “Not at all,” Jess answered.

  “See. Henry.” Dean pointed to Jess. “Jess will help me. Fix the statue.”

  “All right.” Henry carried the cloth, walked to the door and slipped on his boots. “I’ll be back.” He opened the door. “Oh Jess. Dean’s not a nice guy. He redefines the meaning of mad scientist.”

  Jess laughed as Henry left, and looked at Dean who appeared frazzled. “You know Dean, I’ve never experienced the effect of being in the same room as Henry and Danny. Is it . . .”

  “It warrants an alcohol induced state.” Dean returned to unpacking. “And worse, if you ever see Ellen with those two . . . run.”

  ^^^^

  Anderson Farm

  Robbie drank a glass of water standing in the living room while he stared at the long table with the abundance of photographs.

  “I loved those too,” Ellen said softly as she walked in the living room.

  Robbie turned in surprise. “I didn’t hear you. Shame on me. I guess I got kind of caught up in those.”

  “One of the things I want.” Ellen reached around him and picked up the photograph of the Anderson couple.

  “What are you doing?”

  “This,” she showed him. “I love this. These people were married before the plague and they survived the plague. They had such a long history and a long life together Robbie. Look at all their family. These two people are the meaning of soul mates.”

  “Like you and Frank,” Robbie stated.

  “Yeah.” Ellen looked in awe at the picture. “Lovers or not, he and I are connected and will always be that way.”

  “What’s this?” Robbie reached to the cloth in her hand.

  “Me being silly I guess. This was in the bedroom. This was the cloth I used to clean up Frank when he was sick.” She brought it to her nose, closed her eyes and smiled. “You can still smell him on this.”

  Robbie grabbed her hand, lowered his head, and brought this nose to the cloth. “Frank.”

  “Frank.” Ellen’s eyes filled with sadness. Her hand dropped. She stepped back and tuned away from Robbie.

  “El.” Robbie moved to her. “We’ll find him. He’s out there somewhere and we will find him.” He laid his hands on her shoulders and brought this lips near her ear. “I promise you.”

  Ellen leaned back into Robbie, letting him hold her. “Even when I went to Colorado, I wasn’t away from him this long. He’s so far away from me, Robbie. So far. I don’t know how to feel, how to act, or what to do. I miss him so much.”

  “I miss him too. I never realized how big a part of my life Frank was until now.” Robbie closed his eyes tightly. “I want my big brother back too.”

  “I just . . .” Ellen turned around and faced Robbie “I worry. How hurt is he? What are they doing to him? It crushes me to think of what they could do to Frank.”

  Robbie swallowed in pain.

  “Even though we believe he’s alive, he’s still out there somewhere, taken and lost.” Ellen saw Robbie turn his head. She laid her hand on his cheek and made him look at her. “I know you are doing all that you can do. Frank would be so proud to see you. Especially since . . .” Ellen snickered slightly.

  “What?”

  Ellen smiled. “He’s always worried about you being head of security.”

  “Don’t I know it.” Robbie smiled too. “Man, did he pound shit into my head. I would blow him off and he’d get so pissed.”

  “But look at you.”

  “I remembered it all and . . . I can’t believe myself lately. When I hear some of the things I say, I sound like Frank.”

  “You’re doing a great job for him.”

  “Thanks.” Robbie spoke with relief, wrapped his arms around her, and held her tight. “Hearing that come from you is the closest I can get to Frank saying it.”

  “And getting this hug from you is the closest thing I can get to Frank giving it.” Ellen closed her eyes. “Robbie, just . . . just tell me everything is going to be all right. I need to hear that.”

  “Everything is going to be all right.” Robbie released the embrace slightly.

  “Thank you,” Ellen spoke softly. She stood on tip toes and softly laid her lips to Robbie’s. “Thank you.” She pulled away only a little. Her hand touched gently to his face.

  Robbie closed his eyes and tilted his head into her hand. Rubbing the roughness of his cheek against the softness of her palm, he got lost but only for a moment. He lifted his head and opened his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” Ellen pulled back her hand. “Maybe we should be going.”

  “Yeah.” Robbie grabbed his M-16 which laid by the photograph table. “Anyhow, it turned out to be a good day, right?”

  “Right.” Ellen took his hand.

  “We found evidence that they took Frank or at least we think we did. And we have a lead.” Robbie walked to the door with Ellen.

  “Robbie.” Ellen stopped him in the doorway. “You’re a very special part of my life. I want you to know that.”

  “I do.” Robbie kissed her quickly then winked. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  90 Miles east of Binghamton, Alabama

  “I know I’m never getting there.” George tossed his hands up when he felt his train start to slow down. “What the hell is going on?” He stood up and walked from his cabin and looked up and down the hall. No one was there. Heading to the front of the train, George moved with haste. Finally he saw one of his soldiers. “Soldier, why are we stopping?”

  “People on the tracks ahead sir. We’re checking to see if they’re savages.”

  “We’re stopping? Why would you even think about stopping?” George asked. “Christ. Back this thing up then go full speed ahead. Run them over.”

  “Sir?”

  “Run them over and get me to Binghamton now!”

  “Yes sir.” The soldier raced off to the front of the train. As he made it to the conductor, the train slow to a near stop. “Bart.”

  The conductor, gray, and tall, wearing an old fashion conductor’s uniform, turned around. “What’s up?”

  “The president says back it up and hit them.”

  “Hit them?”

  “Hit them.”

  “All right.” Moving his hands on the controls, Bart backed up the train. He could see the figures of the people standing on the tracks ahead. They faded as the train made room then with a switch of the controls, the train left out a loud whistle and the engines churned. Picking up speed, the train moved down the tracks faster and faster, closer and closer.

  The soldier stood at the window with Bart as they rolled forward, moving with a charge to the people who wouldn’t budge.

  “Bart, they don’t know we’re gonna hit them.”

  “They think they can stop us. Little do they . . .”

  At the same time, Bart and the soldier cringed, hunched, and tossed their head sideways when the train plowed into the people with a ‘thump’ against the front, a splatter of blood to the window, and a rapping as the train rolled over them.

  Bart pointed his finger to the window with irritation. “I’m not cleaning that up.”

  ^^^^

  Bowman, North Dakota

  Hal felt like he did when he was a kid. He remembered racing to the television when he would hear the previews for a movie he wanted to see. Now he did something similar as he raced to the police station to listen the Beginnings transmission he wanted to hear. Hal would drop whatever he was doing and run when he heard his name called. Of course he started to catch on when he realized a lot of those wasted trips were Craig being facetious.

  “It’s him?” Hal burst in the station out of breath.

  “Yes,” the monitor said. “He just radioed for the Chief.”

  “Is that what we’re waiting for?” Hal asked.

  “Yep.”

  Hal caught his breath, leaned on the counter, and stared at
the radio. The chopper noise that followed the hiss made Hal smile.

  “This is Eagle one. Anyone there?”

  “I’m here.”

  “Hey Chief. We’re about twenty minutes from home. Found the location.”

  “Anything?”

  “Nothing there. From the scene description we were given, someone cleaned up.”

  Hal snapped his finger and smiled. “We were right. I’ll bet he was at the Anderson farm.”

  Robbie continued, “So as soon as I land I’ll search you out. I have something to discuss but I wanted to let you know we were fine, in the air, and no sign of Mathias’s men.”

  “Glad to hear. See you soon.”

  “Eagle One out.”

  Hal stood upright. “There’s that name again. Mathias.” Hal drew up a thinking look and laid his hand on the monitor’s back. “Let me know if that name comes up again. I’ll be with Sgt. Ryder.” Hal got agreement from the monitor, gave a light pat to his back, and walked out.

  Hal walked toward the homes and to where Sgt Ryder lived. They had a meeting to discuss sending out scouts to search for the Wildcats but Hal knew that meeting would now have to include something else, the third force out there Hal knew nothing about. One Hal would make sure he found out about. If they were as big of a threat as Beginnings made them sound, Hal would definitely have to learn all that he could about Mathias and his men.

  ^^^^

  Beginnings, Montana

  The curio cabinet fit nicely in the corner of the dining room section of Dean and Ellen’s new home. It was quiet. The smell of dinner filled the home. The house was impeccably neat and the kids waited patiently as they played in their rooms. Like Dean, they were waiting on Ellen.

  Dean stood side by side with Henry in front of the curio. Both of their heads tilted to the right as they stared at the knickknacks they worked so hard to arrange geometrically appealing.