“Easy.” Joe followed him. “We’ll get there, but I need to slow down or else you won’t be seeing me much longer. My heart can’t take this. I need to just take this all in before we race around and get all emotional again.” Joe grabbed his chest. “My son is alive.” He gripped Hal’s shoulder. “And look at what you’ve done. This is a hell of a community you got going. Can you show me it before we leave?”
“Aw.” Hal cringed. “It’s no big deal. I’ll show you later.”
“Hal.”
“O.K. I’ll give you the grand tour.” Hal held the door opened for Joe.
“Thank you.”
“Then we leave.” Hal moved quickly with Joe towards the steps. “Tell me Dad, is Robbie still the same?”
“Unfortunately . . . yes.” Laying his hand on Hal’s back, Joe moved with his son, looking just as proud to be seen with him as Hal was to be seen with Joe.
^^^^
Beginnings, Montana
Robbie sounded more like a children’s book than anything else, asking everyone, “Where’s my father? Have you seen my father.” Not out of concern, missing, or needing Joe, but out of the search for the possibility of getting away with a really long unscheduled break.
But Robbie figured he’d might as well get part of his job out of the way first, processing the new survivor he found out running about. Walking the male survivor to Joe’s office, because that was where the processing was done, Robbie slowed in his walk when he saw Dan outside Joe’s office, oddly enough, feeding a horse. “Dan?”
“Robbie. Hi.” Dan said nervously.
“Who’s horse?”
“Who’s horse?” Dan repeated.
“Yeah, who’s horse?”
“Joe’s.”
“My Dad’s?”
“Yeah, he wanted to start riding. Go figure. Must be a gas conservation idea he had for getting around the community.”
“Not for all of us, I hope,” Robbie commented.
“I think that’s where he’s steering,” Dan said.
“No way am I riding a fuckin horse.” Robbie opened Joe’s office door. “This way,” he told the thin man with dark hair. “Have a seat.” Robbie shut the door. “Let me just get some things.” He walked to the back of the office, to the examining room and came back out with a clipboard. He sat down at Joe’s desk. “O.K. you seem like a calm guy.”
“I am. I’m usually not quiet. Right now I’m still shaken up over what all went down.”
“What were you doing in the area?” Robbie questioned.
“Trying to find this mysterious community I heard about. See . . .” He fiddled with his hands. “I was traveling with this man. We’ve basically been scouting the country side looking for this place we heard others were searching for. We thought it was mythical. You know, sometimes people make up places to convince themselves that something better is out there. He and I were camping. We woke up to find the soldiers raiding our camp sight. They killed Tony and I took off. That’s when you found me. Thank you.”
“You’re lucky. I usually don’t go that far east.” Robbie grabbed a pencil. “O.K., we need this for the record before you go to containment. You remember that place I told you about?”
“Yes.” He nodded.
“Basics. What is your name?” Robbie asked.
“Jeremy. Jeremy Lyons.”
^^^^
Bowman, North Dakota
Joe couldn’t help it. With his coffee in one hand and a cigarette in the other, he kept looking behind him as he walked with Hal and Sgt. Ryder through town.
“Dad, something wrong?”
“Why . . .” Joe looked back again. “Why is that man following us?”
“Damn it.” Hal bit his lip, looked behind him and shouted. “Craig! Go!”
“I see you have them here as well,” Joe commented.
“He annoys me.” Hal said.
Sgt. Ryder interjected, “He lets him annoy him.”
“It’s a Slagel thing. He can’t help it,” Joe said.
Hal stopped at the police station and opened the door. “This is where we monitor your transmissions.” As he stepped in, the monitor stood up. “Corporal, meet my father.”
“Your father? For real?” The corporal extended his hand to Joe.
“Yep,” Hal stated, “and the Chief of Beginnings. You can take a break.”
“Thank you.” The corporal left the office.
Joe checked out the radio. “So you do have radio communications?”
“Yes.” Hal answered. “We just stayed silent. Now we can use them, which eases my mind if Elliott gets into trouble here.”
Sgt. Ryder looked confident. “We shouldn’t have any problems. Hell, if we do, how long would it take for Captain Slagel to get back?”
“We can fly him here in twenty minutes. Fifteen tops.” Joe told him. “Thanks Elliott for taking the reins so I can spend time with my son. We need him there for a while.”
“The Captain is good enough to be there and give orders here,” Sgt. Ryder said. “I’m very happy his family is alive. And you giving him a truck to go back and forth will help us as well. Plus sir, we do want to know more about the place where we keep sending our sick men.”
“That’s right.” Joe snapped his finger. “We have one of your men. He’s doing very well. He had tetanus. But I do have to tell you something, Hal. You think Beginnings is this big deal. We haven’t the man power you have at all. You may not be all that impressed.”
“We are impressed,” Hal corrected. “We used to watch your community. We weren’t sure if you were part of the Society or not. And . . . we may have the manpower, but you have the technology. We’re soldiers in this battle, maintaining the front lines.”
“Which is?” Joe asked.
“Basically, we drew a line. The Dakotas, Kansas straight down is the front line. We’ve been doing good. Took out five, six camps so far.”
Joe whistled. “So what do you need us for? Aside that your family is there.”
“Survival. We’re rationing now. I have the man power you need to farm your fields. You have the food we need. We can help each other in more ways than you realize. I have to concentrate on training these men to fight the Society. With Beginnings helping, I can build the army we need to eventually bring the Society down.”
“A common goal,” Joe said, “and we have more than enough food. We waste so much between what we grow in the field and greenhouse. I can use the manpower for the fields and preservation right now. The more men we have, the less we will waste. Can you give up some men within the next week or so?”
“Absolutely. Name the number.”
Sgt. Ryder leaned toward Hal whispering loud enough for Joe to hear. “Tell him about your contract.”
Hal nudged him away. “Shh.”
“Contract?” Joe asked. “What, Hal? You wrote a contract to present to Beginnings?”
“Well yeah.” Hal shrugged. “It’s pretty detailed, explaining how we can scratch each other’s back.”
“God, that is so like you.” Joe laughed as he shook his head. “You realize we don’t need a contract now.” Joe didn’t get an answer. “Hal?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.” Joe turned to Sgt. Ryder. “So tell me, is my son still over the top and dramatic.”
“Yes,” Sgt. Ryder answered. “No. Yes. Dramatic yes, But uh . . .” He snickered. “Never without flare.”
Joe grabbed on to Hal’s uniform. “The Horse Soldiers?”
Hal grinned. “You got it. And . . .” He clapped his hands together. “Let me go pack. I can’t wait to see my little brother.” Hal rushed to the door. “Elliot, keep my father company and tell him nothing bad about me.”
Sgt. Ryder gave Hal a thumbs up as he left. “I’ve never seen him so excited.”
“Well I just have a feeling that excitement is going to be nothing compared to when he sees Robbie.” Joe smiled. “Those two back together again.” The smile dropped from Joe’s face
. “Oh Christ, I’m in trouble.”
^^^^
Beginnings, Montana
Ellen had a slight smile to her face as she sat in her small office at containment, alone. “I don’t know, Frank.” She shrugged. “You can’t be threatened by this. Well Hon . . . what did you expect. I know. I know. You think? Yeah right . . . ha!” Ellen turned serious. “It’s the right thing to do. For you and for me. I feel a little guilty.” She held her fingers close together. “Just a little. But I love Dean and you know that. It’ll work out. I promise.” She leaned in to her desk more. “I miss you so much. God, how I miss you. I miss fighting with you. Touching you. Telling you I love you. This is the longest we have been apart and my heart is broken. Come back to me, Frank. Come back to me soon.” Ellen reached out her hand and lifted the picture of Frank she had setting against the pencil holder. It was the picture she classified as the best one Frank had ever taken. It was a couple years old, taken when Jonas was around taking pictures still, him and Robbie. It was an odd one of Frank. He smiled, genuinely smiled. Frank always posed in each picture like he was going to kill the world. So handsome she thought Frank looked as she ran her index finger across his face.
“El.” Robbie walked in, knocked on the door, and shut it. “Where’s my father?”
“Where’s my survivor?”
“In the security office up front.”
“In that case, I haven’t a clue where Joe is.” She noticed the frazzled look on Robbie’s face. “What’s the matter? What happened?”
“O.K., get this.” Robbie held up his hands. “I lost a Jeep.”
“You what?”
“I lost a Jeep. I don’t know how. I go to get one to bring the new guy here and there’s one less Jeep charging at the garage.”
“You’re kidding?” Ellen stood up. “Did you check the new reqs?”
“Yep and the old ones. I even looked on Frank’s desk and my Dad’s. Nothing. You know my dad put me in charge of them just this morning.”
“Oh man, Robbie. Wait, this is Beginnings. How hard is it to find a Jeep? Just make a radio call for the number.”
“Yeah right.” Robbie fluttered his lips. “And then what? Have my Dad hear? You’ll know what he’ll do. Shit, and Frank isn’t even here to blame it on.”
“You know what you should do? Talk to Henry. He’s the leader in training.”
“I thought of that.” Robbie ran his hand over the top of his head. “So I talked to him. He said I’d better find the Jeep before Joe gets real mad. Some leader. Shit.”
“Calm down. Just say a prayer to St. Anthony. Your dad said your mom always said it worked.”
“I’ll do that. How’s it go? Tony, Tony please come down . . .”
Ellen nodded. “Something’s lost and can’t be found. That’s the one.”
“Got it.” Robbie snapped. “I’ll get your survivor. Thanks, El, and if you see my Dad . . .”
Ellen zipped up her mouth. “But . . . we can always blame it on Dean. You know how he never signs reqs.”
“Good idea.” Robbie grinned. “See ya.” Robbie started to whisper as he walked out. “Tony, Tony please come down. Something’s lost . . .”
Ellen snickered as she leaned in her doorway, listening to Robbie repeat the prayer over and over. She shut her office door, returned to her desk, and put on her ‘official’ containment stern face.
^^^^
Hal seemed amazed as he rode in the Jeep with Joe. He held on with a wide smile on his face. “It’s been so long since I rode in a Jeep.”
“Well get used to it. I think I can issue two trucks to you guys. It’ll make for easy back and forth access to Beginnings.” Joe grabbed his phone and started to dial.
“So that’s why we don’t know everything? You talk on phones.”
Joe showed Hal the phone. “Henry did this . . . Dean?” Joe spoke his name.
“Joe shit. I’ve been waiting,” Dean spoke with excitement. “Well?”
“I’m on my way back home.”
“Well?”
“With my son.” Joe pulled the phone away from his ear. Dean’s excitement probably had more to do with the fact he was going to get to do more research. “Dean, listen to me. I need a favor. I want this to be a surprise so . . . get Robbie up to my office have him wait there and not move. Then hold Missy Jane at the clinic in the back until I radio we are there.”
“Got it.” Dean answered. “How far away are you?”
“Half hour tops. See you soon.”
“Oh Joe,” Dean called out. “I’m happy for you. I am.”
“Thanks.”
“Could you make mention that I want to run some tests on him?”
“Bye, Dean.” Joe hung up the call.
“Dad? Who’s Missy Jane?”
“Don’t worry about it. She’s just a friend I want to introduce you to.”
“Is she . . . is she a bearable woman?”
Joe looked quickly to his son, wondering what kind of question that was. “Well, she can be a little intolerable. Sorry.”
“Typical.” Hal slouched in his seat and stared ahead.
Joe snickered at his son’s dismay and continued to drive on.
^^^^
Binghamton, Alabama
“Sorry to pull you, Frank,” George told him as they walked into Frank’s small house on base “But Dr. Morris said one more day of rest then you can get things started.”
“I just hate doing nothing.”
“Well, you always are the do-it guy. But . . . I want you the healthy guy so give your lungs one more day to rest.”
“See I don’t get that. I was shot. How did I end up with pneumonia?”
“You laid in a stream for three days.”
“You’re kidding?” Frank asked surprised.
“Left you for dead, those Beginnings people did.”
“Bastards.”
George nodded. “Well, we have some of your clothes here. Relax and enjoy your new home. There’s food and beverages if you get hungry.”
“Thank you, George. I appreciate it.” Frank walked over and sat on his sofa. “I think I’ll just rest here.”
“You do that.” George laid a hand on Frank’s shoulder, turned around, and moved to the door. “Have a good day, Frank.”
“I will.” Frank folded his hands and tapped his fingers as he listened to George leave. “Oh this is dumb.” He tapped some more. “I need a cigarette.” Frank looked at his watch, stood up, walked to the door, and opened it. He looked out, saw George’s figure fading as it moved to the right, then Frank walked outside, shut the door, and went left.
^^^^
Beginnings, Montana
Hal sat straight in his seat when they approached the front gate of Beginnings. “Dad, I’m nervous about entering these walls.”
“Why . . . hold on.” Joe spoke in the radio, “Down the front, Steve. Thanks.” He set the radio down. “Why are you nervous about coming to Beginnings?”
“Because in the world out there, this is utopia.”
Joe laughed loudly. “You haven’t met and mingled with the residents yet. After you do, then tell me if it’s your utopia or the equivalent of sitting in the Gong Show studio audience for two weeks straight.”
Hal laughed as the Jeep stopped. He saw a man open the gate. He let out his nervous breath slowly and quietly.
Dan approached the Jeep. “Is this him, Joe?” Dan pointed. “Hey, Dan Everett, Beginnings security.” He shook Hal’s hand. “Hal right? Wow, you look like your dad. Hey Joe?”
“Yes Dan?” Joe just wanted to drive through.
“Um, he’s a Slagel right? What’s up with . . .” Dan grabbed a hold of his own long ponytail.
Joe looked at Hal’s hair. “We’re getting the warm welcomes out of the way first. He’s staying with us. We’ll see what happens before he leaves.”
As the Jeep started to drive through the gate and into the tunnel, Hal panicked. It wasn’t about entering Beginnings; it wa
s about his hair. Hal fiddled with his pony tail always so neat and thought in fear about how in his youth his father used to deal with his long hair.
^^^^
Ellen was the professional containment person sitting with Jeremy Lyons in her office. “It’s all part of the process. Joe usually explains this but right now he’s missing. That’s good, because so is a Jeep. Anyhow . . .” She slid him a paper. “These are some of the rules you have to follow while you’re in containment. Can you still read?”
Jeremy was about to be upset about that, but stopped. “A little. Will you help if I have problems?”
“Of course.” Ellen folded her hands and smiled. She heard the knock at her door. “Yes?”
Dean poked his head in. “Sorry to interrupt. I brought a substitute.”
“Substitute what?” Ellen asked.
“Containment worker.” Dean pulled in Jason. “Take her desk, Jason.”
“Ellen. Move.” Jason in his calm fashion walked over to Ellen, placed his hand on her arm, and helped her stand. “Thank you,” he said as he quickly took her seat.
“What?” Ellen looked at Jason then Dean. “What’s going on?”
“I need you now at the clinic.” Dean told her. “It’s something medically important I need to talk to you about.”
“O.K.” Ellen moved with hesitation to the door. “Jeremy, I’ll be back. Thanks, Jason, and don’t lie to him.”
Jason snickered as he stared at Jeremy and lifted his hand in a wave.
Ellen walked in the hall with Dean. “This better be good. I’m in the middle of processing.”
“I know. And it is good. Trust me.” Dean hurried her along. “I think you’ll find it absolutely fascinating.”
The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series Page 395