Ellen hurried to room two. She opened the door without knocking. “Dean.”
Dean walked from behind Bev. “Just finishing up and then we can go.”
“Oh really?” Ellen tilted her head.
“What’s that supposed to . . .” Dean remembered. Bev was naked. “El.” He chased her from the room. “Ellen.”
“We have to be there. Are you done playing with your toy?”
“Ellen.”
“Did you get excited, Dean?”
“No. I didn’t even notice she was naked.”
Ellen stopped walking. “We have to go.”
“El, I am really getting tired of fighting with you over this.”
“And I’m getting tired of finding you in compromising positions with her.”
“El.” Dean tossed his hands up as he followed her of out the clinic. “I was examining her.”
“Her neck, Dean. Why was she naked?”
“O.K.! Enough!” Dean rushed to Ellen and physically stopped her. “Enough, El. No more fighting over this. This is stupid and I want it to stop.”
“You want it to stop?”
“Yes.” Dean nodded.
“Is this the Dean ‘big’ stand?”
“If it needs to be.”
“Fine. Then hear the Ellen big stand.” She moved face to face with him. “Innocent or not, I catch you in one more compromising situation with her, you, Dean, will become a Eunuch.” Flinging back her head, Ellen folded her arms and stormed off to Reverend Bob’s.
^^^^
“My God.” Hal’s mouth stayed open as he looked at Johnny before him in Joe’s office. “My God, do you look like your father.”
Johnny ran his hand down his goatee. “I think it’s the facial hair.”
“Frank had a beard?” Hal turned to Joe. “Frank hated beards.”
Joe shrugged. “Says it makes him look mean. Go figure.”
“What is his obsession about looking mean?”
“He’s Frank.” Joe held out his hands. “When you talk to people, you’ll get a good picture.”
“Amazing. Do you remember me, Johnny?”
Johnny scratched his head. “Would you be mad if I told you barely?”
Hal chuckled and stood up, laying his hands on Johnny’s shoulders. “Not at all.” He had to raise his eyes some to make eye contact. “Look how tall. A nephew.”
“One of many.” Johnny nodded. “My dad was like the father of the community. Even the kids El had with Dean, Dad called his own. Pap is their pap.”
“No kidding.” Hal smiled. “I have a big family?”
“And let’s not forget Nick?” Joe pointed. “So, Uncle Hal. You have one niece. And . . . Five? Nephews. Wait. Josh, Billy, Joey, Brian and Nick.”
“Pap.” Johnny said his name slowly and sad.
Joe let out a slow breath. “It’s still not sunk in yet.”
“What?” Hal looked confused. “What hasn’t sunk in?”
Johnny’s head lowered. “The Society hit us with a plague last month. Dean cured it, but not before we lost lives. Brian died. He was only one.”
“Frank lost a son?”
Joe sadly nodded. “He was Frank’s pride and joy. How badly he and Ellen wanted him. It crushed him. That’s why Frank took Ellen beyond the wall, to get time alone to grieve.”
“Kidnapped her, Pap. Dad kidnapped Ellen. Duct taped her and everything. Ask her.”
Hal’s eyes shifted about. “And . . . you’re sure Frank was all right?” Hal pointed to his own temple.
“Eh.” Joe waved his hand out. “That was Frank. And . . . here’s Jess. Your escort for this afternoon while Robbie and I finish our work.”
Hal spun to see Jess walked in the office.
“Hal?” Jess smiled. “Wow, it is really nice to meet one of Robbie’s brother’s. I’m so happy for the both of you.” He shook Hal’s hand.
Joe sat down at his desk. “Jess, here, is Robbie’s roommate.”
“Oh yeah?” Hal grinned. “How can you stand him?”
“Oh Robbie’s great. I see him differently than others do.”
Joe grumbled as he rummaged through his desk. “I bet.”
“Huh?” Jess questioned.
“Nothing.” Joe pulled out a requisition. “Fill this out Jess before you take a Jeep. Leave it in the bin at the garage. Keys are there.”
“Got it.” Jess took the requisition. “Ready, Hal? I’m showing you the industrial section. Joe said something about you having some men to work there.”
Hal looked in question to Joe. “I did? I thought it was food preservation.”
“Plastics, metal, food. Same difference.” Joe waved his hand at him. “Get going, Andrea’s gonna want you back and that’s a long ride out there.”
Jess, who was usually more serious, was upbeat and chuckling. He opened the door for Hal. “After you. Wow, all of you Slagels are huge.”
“And handsome.” Hal added as he walked out.
“Of course.” Jess followed and shut the door.
Joe’s eyes looked above his glasses. “Oh, brother.”
“Pap.” Johnny had an odd smile as he pointed. “Is he . . .”
“Clueless. Yes, my sons are clueless.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Think about what I meant.” Joe peered up at Johnny. “And are you just gonna stand there or is your skinny ass getting back to work?”
“Man, Pap, you’re tough. I’m going.” Johnny walked to the door.
“And Johnny. Bev. Get a move on it. I mean it.”
“Patience Pap. Patience.” Johnny held up his hand, fingers spread, and shifted it side to side.
“What? Is that some sort of new retarded hand shake? Why are you waving like that?”
“It’s not a wave. Just showing you my hand.”
“All right.” Joe took his glass off and leaned back. “I’ll bite. Why Johnny, are you showing me your hand?”
“Because soon Bev will be eating right out of it. Trust me.”
“Awfully sure of yourself.”
With arrogance Johnny nodded and opened the door. “I’m a Slagel.”
The door shut and Joe placed his glasses on and leaned into his desk. “Yeah. you are, and what an arrogant, smug, cocky, egotistical bunch you all are.” Joe huffed out a breath. “Where do they get it from?”
^^^^
In Reverend Bob’s office, Dean and Ellen sat on the ‘marital’ couch as Reverend Bob called it. It was a red flowered thing given to him by Danny Hoi. Danny had found it in the office of a church. He called it ‘Godly’ and Reverend Bob called it his own.
“El.” Dean spoke to her while they waited. “I won’t repeat this again.”
“Look at you being all forceful.”
“This is stupid. Now listen to me.”
Ellen began to sing. “Just what makes that little old ant . . .”
“Ellen, I hate . . .”
“Think he could move that rubber tree plant . . .”
“I hate that song.”
“Every one knows an ANT.” She placed her face close to Dean’s. “CAN’T. Move a rubber tree plant.”
“Ellen knock it off.” Dean grew irritated.
“Frank words!” Ellen looked away and sang different words to the melody. “He’s got attitude! Little man attitude. He’s stands, four feet tall and wears geek shoes.”
“You’re not gonna listen are you.”
“So any time you’re feeling low, I want you to know, things . . .” Ellen’s paused.
“ . . . could be worse, yes they can.” Dean shrugged as he sung the line.
Ellen giggled and looked at him. Then they both sang Frank’s made up line together.
“You could be another Dean attitude man.”
Dean laughed. “God, Frank is weird.”
Ellen sat back on the couch. “Things aren’t the same without him here.”
“No. No one picks on me. Of course I cannot wait to get him
home to kill him.”
“For real?” Ellen asked. “Really kill him?”
“Yeah.” Dean nodded. “He stole you out of Beginnings.”
“It’s against the law here Dean.”
“You don’t think I can do it without it looking natural?”
“Yeah, I guess you can.” Ellen nodded. “Just forewarn him. He’d think it was fun, like a game.”
“He would, wouldn’t he?” Dean swayed his head with a smile, then looked up when the office door opened and Reverend Bob walked in.
“Look how happy we look.” Reverend Bob grabbed a folder from his desk. “Just what I want to see.”
Ellen leaned into Dean whispering. “I’m not happy with you at this moment.”
Dean whispered back. “When are you ever?”
“O.K.” Rev. Bob spoke perky and walked to the front of his desk, sitting on it. “Let’s get a relaxed feel shall we? Good. First let me say I’m glad you two decided to get married again. I didn’t perform the last ceremony, but I have an idea on this one and I see no reason why you two should wait to get married. You have children.” He opened up the folder he held.
Dean’s eyes shifted to Reverend Bob’s left hand. It was wrapped in a bandage. “What happened to your hand?”
“Oh.” He held it up, a small spot of blood came from his palm onto the bandage. “I was opening the church relic box Danny brought back and the screw driver slipped.”
“I should take a look at it. When did we last give you a tetanus shot?”
“I think that was two years ago when I stepped on that nail. Remember?”
Dean nodded. “Yes. Sorry. Just curious.”
“No big deal.” Rev. Bob waved his injured hand and began to read the wedding plans and arrangement to Dean and Ellen.
^^^^
Binghamton Alabama
“I trust your opinion, Dr. Morris.” George said to him.
“I realize that and I don’t know how much more I can convince you. I had all that information you gave me about his life. I tried tripping him up. He’s clueless. I believe this may be permanent, Mr. President. Frank may not have the mental capacity to return to normal. His brain, I’ve noticed, is a bit slow intellectually. What you see is what you get with him. His memory is gone.”
“Excellent.” George smiled and he walked to his door. “Frank, come in.”
Frank walked inside and nodded in acknowledgment to Dr. Morris. “You wanted to see me, George.”
“Yes, Frank. I was going over your condition with Dr. Morris. He thinks you’re doing just fine.”
“I am.”
“Yes, I know and the reason I was checking is because I have to leave for a couple weeks. I’ll be back, but important business further east calls me. Dr. Morris, could you . . .”
“Certainly.” Dr. Morris walked to the office door. “Frank, if you need anything, find me.”
“Thank you, sir.”
George waited until they were alone. “There’s problems with these Beginnings people again.”
“I don’t understand why you don’t let me prepare a ground troop to storm in.”
“It’s not that easy. The land is scientifically enhanced. They have a communications center we can’t chance losing. They have capabilities they aren’t aware of. We need Beginnings intact and if we storm in, we can chance losing that.”
“I should know this, huh? Forgive me I’m . . .” Frank pointed to his own head. “Not all there.”
“I completely understand. Now as I said I’m leaving so your CO position takes full effect this evening. You don’t need a memory to run a regiment. You know how to do that and you know what you have to do to rein my men into the best soldiers they can be.”
“You want them tough and skilled, right?”
“Yes.”
“Got it.” Frank closed one eye and nodded.
“And one more thing Frank. We have these men here, prisoners of war you can call them. They are part of this United Western Alliance as they call themselves. They are responsible for killing close to a thousand of our men.”
“Mercenaries? Gorilla type.”
“Exactly. Interrogations are not going smoothly. We need information. You must check on that progress daily. Can I trust you with that?”
“Absolutely,” Frank said with certainty. “I’m your man. Before long, they’ll be talking.”
“Good.” George grinned. “That’s what I wanted to hear.” George saw at the confident look in Frank’s eyes, but they were eyes that were missing something. Memory perhaps. A life he forgot he had. But that worked in George’s favor. Frank still had the qualifications George needed from him. He was skilled, obedient, strong, and strategically smart. Plus one more thing, Frank’s loyalty to the Society.
^^^^
Beginnings, Montana
“Part of your job Danny as head of Mechanics is being trusted doing this.” Henry led him down the tunnels to the cryo-lab. “This is your job, no one else.”
“How often.”
“Every three to four hours,” Henry answered. “I’m usually up pretty late so if I can, I do the check in the middle of the night. If I can’t, Dean does. In emergencies, when where I can’t or he can’t, security does.” Henry stopped at the cryo-lab door. “Do you have that mask I gave you?”
“Yeah, but why.”
“This is Dean and Ellen’s work and it’s very scientific down here. They’re getting worse. They do shit down here they can’t do upstairs. I wished they would do it at the mobile, but I understand that’s too far.”
“What kind of science shit?”
“Gross scientific shit I can’t figure out the meaning to.” Henry set down his tool bag and opened it. He pulled out a spray bottle.
“What’s that?”
“Smelly stuff I made. It helps. You don’t want to put on your mask?”
“Nah.” Danny shook his head. “I’m tough.”
“O.K.” Henry picked up his tool bag again and punched in his code to the cryo-lab. He opened the door and immediately started squirting. He grunted when he walked in and flipped on the light. “God, can’t they clean up in here?”
“Neat.” Danny looked around. It really was a mess with folders and papers everywhere. Danny walked more around. On a counter Petri-dishes spread out. They grew something in them. He heard the metal banging and he looked to the noise. Across the small lab were six rabbit cages. The rabbits inside bounced high and banged off the cage. They squealed also. “Henry? When, uh, did rabbits start sounding like pigs?”
“Since Dean and Ellen got a hold of them. Don’t ask me. I don’t know what they do to them.”
Danny chuckled as he followed Henry. “Where we going?”
“To a place that used to be my world. They took it over, moving more of their stuff back there. Like they need the . . . aw I told him to move that out of my view.” Henry paused in his walk to the back door. He shuddered at the large jar on the counter.
“Oh my God.” Danny neared the jar with a pink fluid inside.
“They put it there so I can see it.”
“Oh shit.” Danny peered closed to the joined small objects inside the jar. They were about three inches big each. Rabbits conjoined at the head, facing each other, fur-less. Their eyes open as they floated.
“Siamese rabbits. You would have thought Dean hit the lottery when they were born.” Henry pressed numbers into the keypad. “The mother died giving birth to them. Dean wasn’t even experimenting on her at the time. Everyone said he did something to her. Ellen says no.” The door buzzed to the back room and Henry opened it. “This way.”
Danny took one more look. “Did Dean kill them?”
“Oddly enough, no. He tried to keep them alive. He did good for two weeks and they died. They never grew much. It was a funny thing watching them try to move.” Henry shrugged. “So he kept them. That’s his version of formaldehyde.”
Danny followed Henry into the dimly lit back room. The fluore
scent light gave some hint.
Henry pulled out his flashlight. “Never turn on a light in here because you never know what Dean and Ellen are growing or making. This way.”
“What are we doing here then?”
“What Dean has in this case is very important. I don’t know what’s in here, but this case gets top priority. There’s two more cases in the other room. We check those twice a day. But this one, we check all the time.” Henry walked behind the case and move it out a foot.. He removed the black cover some and squatted down. He turned on his flash light. “Temperature gauge is here. It’s marked if the temp goes up. See. Can’t go passed this line” Henry showed Danny. “It’s good. Just check the power. Make sure it’s running. It is and then . . .” Henry lifted the clipboard that hung on the back. “You mark the time, initial it and that’s it. Any power problems or temp rises let Dean know immediately. This case has a back up coolant that lasts five hours.”
“Hence the reason for the checks.”
“Exactly.” Henry stood up. “Then just move it back and cover it.”
“Henry?” Danny called as Henry grabbed for the cover. “Is this locked up?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Who has keys?”
“Dean and Ellen.”
“Did they lose them?” Danny asked.
“No why?” Henry pushed the case back.
“Look. Someone was trying to open this lock.”
“Shit.” Henry swallowed harshly as he shined his flashlight on the case and his fingers moved against the scraped metal by the lock. “Shit.” He closed his eyes and shook his head.
CHAPTER TEN
Beginnings, Montana
Paul had to often wonder if he was chosen for the job because he was a loner or because he was good at it. He debated on it being the latter because it seemed everyone had something to complain about every time he was the disk jockey at a Beginnings occasion. But if they didn’t complain, it wouldn’t be Beginnings. Hal seemed to like it though. He waltzed around with a certain cockiness to him, bobbing his head to the beat as he bounced around, talking to everyone.
The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series Page 398