Ellen laughed. “That is so typically Slagel. The big leader of his community and now he wants to be the only man with a woman. Make all the men envious until they get to know me.”
“Yeah . . . I mean . . . I . . . you’re wonderful El.”
Ellen closed her eyes with a slight smile and swayed her head. “I have to go.” She kissed him quickly and stepped back. “I love you.”
“Love you too.” Dean winked, grabbed her hand then let it slide from his as she walked away to join Hal by the pickup truck.
Dean stepped closer to Henry and Joe to watch them leave. Hal was back in his uniform, looking so . . . cavalry, as Ellen correctly described, with the exception of the red bandana on his head. They got in the pickup truck. Ellen waved as she slid in then Hal shut the door for her. Dean still was teetering on whether Hal was actually a blood line relative of Frank’s and he stood there feeling a little lost, a little more empty as he watched them pull safely from the gate.
^^^^
“Combination.” Joe stated as he watched over Mark’s shoulder in the tracking room, watching the beep and flash of light. “Rabbits and trouble. You know we’re infested with the rabbits and squirrels in that area. Tracking probably isn’t picking them up completely. Got two or three in that little field and they’re confusing our electronics.”
“You’re probably right,” Mark said.
“We’ll find out soon.” Around Joe’s neck was the headset. He lifted it to his head. “Henry? You there?”
“Yep. Leaving the secure perimeter now.”
“How much longer until you get there?”
“I’m at the end of the road by the cliff.” Henry shut off the Jeep. “I’ll let you know what I see when I climb up there.”
“Check back.” Hating the feel of the headset in his ear, Joe lowered it again and waited.
“Danny’s job,” Henry complained to himself as he walked though the beginning of the woods that lined the cliff behind the underdeveloped section, the only section of Beginnings that had no perimeter fence. The cliff seemed to be nature’s safeguard. “Danny’s job.” Henry kept bitching, walking the fifty yards across the small grassy area and to the tree that he had to climb. “Danny’s job. Probably a wire lose or something.” He stopped at the tree and grabbed the rope ladder. As his foot stepped to the first rope rung, he heard a ripping sound and felt his foot hit the ground. “What?” Henry looked down. The rung was so frayed it broke the second Henry had stepped on it. “Swell. Looks like something chewed on this.” Hoping it was an animal and not poorly made rope, Henry began to climb.
He huffed, caught his breath and braced himself in the ‘V’ of the branch and looked at the tracking dish tightly secured to the tree. “Joe.”
“Yeah, Henry.”
“I’m up here. This is way too high. I can’t breathe.”
“How’s the dish look?”
“Good.” Henry visually examined the wire connection. “It doesn’t look like anything is wrong.”
“I think it’s a programming problem, Henry. The computer tracking is getting confused.”
“I think you may be . . .” Henry stopped talking when he heard a loud rustling sound in the grass below.
“Henry?” Joe called him.
“Wait a second.” Henry heard it again. “Joe, did you just get a beep there?”
“Yeah.”
“Shit.”
“What?”
Henry heard the movement but couldn’t see. Safely he shifted his body to get another view. He looked to his left at the larger field with an abundance of brush and high weeds. He was well above it. “Shit!”
“Christ, Henry, What?”
Henry’s eyes widened. What it was he didn’t know. He watched the grass move, a fast parting zipping across the field. It was if God himself took his huge finger, reached down, and drew a line quickly from one end of the field to the other. But what made the movement, Henry didn’t know. “Joe.” Another line,, then another, it was like watching an Etch-a-Sketch in the grass. “Joe.”
“Henry, what’s going on up there? I’m getting like ten little flashes and beeps.”
“Something is in the grass, Joe.”
“Rabbits? What?”
“I don’t know.” Henry had a frightened tone to him. He watched the grass stop moving. “I’m getting down. I don’t like this.” He fumbled as he reached for the ladder and kept his vision peered to the area. Nearly falling, Henry climbed down, missed a rung and swung on the rope ladder. He didn’t like the feeling he was getting.
“Henry, you O.K.?”
Henry’s feet planted firmly on the ground and as soon as they did his body filled with horror when he heard a long, high-pitched animal squeal in the distance. To him it sounded like a warning cry. His head swayed to it and as it did, the loud rustling of grass and weeds began. Henry could see the tops of the stocks moving and moving toward him. Then Henry took off running. He flew as fast as he could the fifty yards to the Jeep. The moving foliage sound grew closer but Henry focused on his Jeep, his heart racing, pounding hard. He stretched his lanky legs to the limits, leaping over whatever got in his way. Something or some things were following him and he didn’t know what. He dove into the Jeep, not even taking time to toss his tool bag in the passenger’s seat. His shaking hands reached for the keys in the ignition as he heard the noise drawing near. Finally, he started the Jeep.
BANG!
Henry shrieked when he heard the crash against the rear side of the Jeep. He pressed his foot to the peddle, shifted the gears, and screeched off as fast as the Jeep would move on the rough road. He kept on driving through the secure perimeter, ordered it back up and never looked back to see what it was that chased him.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Beginnings, Montana
There was something very red about Joe’s face as he sat in his desk looking up to a very frazzled Henry. But the red disappeared as soon as Joe released the laughter he contained. Loud and roaring it was. Joe slapped his hand hard to the desk, leaned to the side of his chair, laughed harder, and rubbed his eyes.
“It’s not funny, Joe.”
“Sorry.” Joe blurted out more laughter. “You were running from bunnies?”
“Killer bunnies, Joe.”
“They chased you, Henry?”
“Yes, fast too. That’s what’s on the screen, Joe. Killer rabbits.”
“Like Night of the Lepus?”
Henry was so frustrated, he stomped like a child. “Listen to me, Joe.”
“No Henry, listen to yourself. Do you hear how ridiculous you sound? You tell me you were in the tree. You saw the grass move but you couldn’t see what it was. And then you tell me it chased you, or rather they chased you. These rabbits. And you believe yourself. Just like you believed Frank.”
“What?”
“Remember that one Easter he was telling the kids about how Peter Rabbit forgot to take his Prozac and went hay wire Easter Eve attacking Robbie in his bed. You believed him.”
“He sounded believable, Joe. And this is true. I’m not exaggerating here. They squealed.”
“They squealed?” Joe asked with ridicule.
“Squealed like . . . like . . .” Henry slapped himself in the head. “Dean!”
“Dean squeals? Is there something you aren’t telling me, Henry?”
“Huh?” The light bulb went off in Henry’s head. “Oh Joe no.” He shook his head. “When you were in the cryo lab the last time, did you see those six rabbits on the counter, or rather hear them? Danny and I did.”
Joe stopped laughing. He stood up. “Let’s find, Dean.”
^^^^
“Oh Hal, we can have so much fun with this,” Ellen stated as she sat in the truck, riding with Hal.
“You really will do this?” Hal asked.
“Oh sure, I’ll play along. I’ll do it good too.”
“El, I appreciate this. I’m hoping that maybe if the men see how you are, perhaps we can stop fearing any woman we run i
nto.”
“But Hal.” Ellen held up her hand. “You guys are such gentleman compared to our Beginnings men.”
“Really?” Hal was shocked. “They don’t treat you with respect?”
“Some do, but for the most part, they treat us like expectations.”
“You have got to be kidding me.” Hal was offended. “My brothers too?”
“Not Robbie. Frank does. Snaps his finger at me and expects me to run.”
“Do you?”
“Well, yeah. It’s Frank.”
“You’re gonna have to stop that, El.” Hal was disgusted. “And wait until we get my big brother back. I think I’ll sit down and have a word or two with him.”
“Won’t work.”
“It won’t?”
“No, he’s Frank and I’m Ellen. He’ll never change the way he treats me. You can try though.”
“I will,” Hal stated strongly.
“O.K. . . . Hal, this is so much fun, this ride. I want you to know I’m enjoying this immensely.”
“Thank you. Me too.”
“I feel very safe with you and I don’t feel safe with many people.”
Hal smiled. “Thanks again.”
“And . . . that uniform and bandana.” Ellen gave a thumbs up. “Kicks ass for your sex appeal.”
Hal blushed some, but he blushed with arrogance.
“I wonder if Danny and Herb are having this much fun?”
Herb tried to pretend he was sleeping, but that didn’t work, nor did it stop Danny.
“No, no , no Herb. Didn’t you hear me?”
“I’m sleeping.”
“Oh no you aren’t.”
“Danny, I am.”
Danny peered at Herb closely, swerving the truck and causing Herb to scream. “Sorry.”
“Just . . . Just drive.”
“Sing with me.”
“No,” Herb said annoyed.
“Just one song. Sing with me.”
“No.”
“O.K.” Danny tapped his hands on the steering wheel. A bright smile then hit his face. “Hey, I know.” He reached down and grabbed the radio.
^^^^
Dean had just finished checking on Jeremy in his post -release from the clinic exam and then found himself in Ellen’s office, grinning from ear to ear, laughing softly as he listened to the radio. He laughed at what he heard, but most of all he laughed at the thought of Hal’s face, Herb’s face, and just about anyone else that tuned in to listen to the nonstop duet between Danny and Ellen.
Danny’s voice led the song. “Mock . . .”
“Yeah.” Ellen sang.
“Ing.”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah.”
“Mocking Bird.” Danny went off singing like he was some sort of super star. “Now everybody have you heard . . .”
“Dean,” Henry called to him.
Dean, who was deep in listening, jolted at the call and shut the radio off. “Joe, Henry. Wasn’t that funny?”
“A killer,” Joe stated, “but we need to talk to you. We need a favor.”
“What’s wrong?” Dean stood up looking at Joe and Henry.
“Nothing really.” Joe pointed to the door. “Feel like taking a walk with us?”
“Sure,” Dean said. “To where?” he asked as he followed.
“Your little cryo -lab.”
Dean stopped walking. “Why?”
“Dean.”
“Joe.” Dean grew firm. “It’s my lab.”
“And it’s my community, Dean.” Joe snapped back. “I’m not demanding here, I’m asking. If this was the old world you wouldn’t get away with one tenth the shit you do here. Now instead of the FDA, animal rights, human rights and any other goddamn organization breathing down your neck, you have me. I barely bother with what you do there. Today there’s something I need to see. Now do you take me or do I just go check it out?”
Dean shook his head as he walked by Joe. “Fine, but let me get in there first. O.K.?”
“That’s fine. If I don’t see what I need then I’ll ask. It’s nothing that you did, Dean. It’s just something I need to see.”
Dean had a sort of pouting storm to his walk. “It isn’t right, Joe. What we do in that lab is really Ellen and mine’s business.”
“Yes it is,” Joe agreed, “until it becomes something that affects the community. Then it’s my business. You are way too defensive about this. Why is that?”
“It’s just . . . it’s my work.” Dean lead the way across the street and to the entrance if the tunnels. During the whole walk, he kept wondering to himself what it was that he was doing that actually effected the community. On that, Dean was baffled.
Joe stared at his watch, then at Henry, and then at the closed cryo-lab door. “What is he doing in there?”
“Hiding evidence.”
“Of the killer bunnies?” Joe asked.
“Joe you shouldn’t joke around like that. Really, what if they are?”
“Henry, for crying out loud,” Joe scolded and the cryo-lab door opened.
Dean ran his fingers through his hair and opened the door wider. He looked frazzled. “All yours.”
Joe’s first step into the lab was slow and with shifting, suspicious eyes. “Dean, what took you so long?”
“I was uh . . . cleaning up.” Dean tried to hide the long breath he let out.
A slight gagging sound came from Henry. He spoke muffled as he pulled his shirt over his nose. “Joe, just ask him so we can leave.”
Joe sniffed outward harshly. “What is that smell, Dean?”
“Smell?”
“You don’t smell it? It smells like rotten flesh.”
“Yes.” Dean said. “It is.”
Henry gagged. “Joe, why does he have rotten flesh down here?”
“I moved it to the back,” Dean explained. “It’s something me and El are working on.”
“Rotten flesh?” Joe questioned. “May I ask whose?”
“Um, yeah. Robbie got it for us. It’s a piece of a deer. We’re trying to work on skin surface infections and we need some big tissue samples. We can’t get any human volunteers.”
“Gee, I wonder why.” Joe looked around. “Is that what you were hiding?”
“No. I mean, yes.” Dean took another breath. “What is it that you wanted to see?”
Before Joe could answer, he heard the bang of the cage. He looked to the counter to the six cages. “Them.”
“My rabbits?” Dean smiled. “Why?”
Joe moved to the cages. “They make noise, do they not?”
“Um . . .” Dean scratched his head. “Yeah. Oddly enough, yeah.”
“Can I ask why?”
“Yeah.” Dean answered. “But I can’t tell you exactly. We’re working on that. We’re kind of working on so much we can only do so much at a time.”
Henry nudged Joe. “Tell him Joe, Tell him.”
“Shh.” Joe silenced Henry. “Dean, are you doing something to these rabbits?”
“Of course,” Dean replied. “That’s why they’re down here.”
“What?” Joe asked.
“Well, these babies . . .”
“Babies?” Joe was shocked. “How much of babies are they?”
“Three weeks.”
“Christ!” Joe exclaimed at the six of the rabbits that looked full grown. “What did you do to them?”
“While their mother carried them, I injected this serum I’ve been working on that speeds up the metabolism. It really doesn’t work well. We have a lot of bugs to work out.”
“And that’s all you’ve done to them? This is how they got this way?” Joe questioned further.
“No.” Dean shook his head. “We created this high protein feed to help their weight, make them bigger. That’s sort of working. That’s what they eat. Is this why you’re here Joe, about my rabbits?”
“Yes. How loud do they get and do they squeal all the time?”
Dean was a bit surprised by Joe’s line of questioning but he didn’t mind answering it. Obviously someone besides him and Ellen found some interest in his ‘special’ work. “They squeal loudly when they are upset. Actually, making noise isn’t new to rabbits. It’s just usually not that loud. Their vocal chords do seem to be larger. That’s what my best guess is on the sounds.” Dean tossed his hands up. “Is that it?”
Again Henry, with his nose still covered by his shirt, nudged Joe. “Go on, Joe.” A bang at the cage startled Henry. “See Joe.”
“Henry!” Joe yelled. “Dean, how big will they get if they’re that big now?”
“Not very,” Dean explained. “They probably won’t live another week.” He saw the shocked expression on Joe’s face. “See, no matter how much we change the serum, the outcome is still the same. Their hearts are huge and they are growing faster than their bodies. I’ll show you what I mean.” Dean walked to a small fridge, opened it, and pulled out a cloth covered tray. He carried it over toward Henry and Joe and set it on the counter. He lifted the cloth.
Henry screamed in disgust when he saw the large rabbit without its fur. The rabbit’s chest was open and spread apart. “Dean, put that away.” Henry began to gag.
Dean snickered as he showed Joe. “See the heart? It’s nearly the same size as his body. It gets too big and eventually it explodes from within. Too much exertion will cause premature cardiac arrest.”
Joe nodded. “I’ve seen enough.”
Dean shrugged, grabbed the cloth, and carried the tray to the fridge. He stopped to show Henry the rabbit before covering it and placing it back.
Joe rubbed his chin, peering up at Dean. “So was the serum that caused the heart condition? What about just the feed?”
“The feed makes them heavy. See, we’re trying to get more meat on the rabbits for better food consumption.”
“I see. Dean, any chance any of that feed got outside this community.”
Dean didn’t answer.
“Dean?” Joe raised his voice along with an eyebrow. “Any chance.”
The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series Page 408