Henry stopped him. “Dean. Come on. You can’t be serious. You can’t . . . you can’t in a society like this have her all to yourself. No one does.”
Dean only responded with a closed mouth and raised eyebrows.
“You’re really serious.”
“I have to go.”
“You’re not even going to consider it?”
“Henry.” Dean stood up. “If . . . if I allow an understanding. If Ellen choices to have one. I think, I think in light of all that’s gone on, I’m going to encourage her to let the understanding or secondary relationship go to a Slagel. It should be a Slagel.”
Henry was stunned. But his shock only hesitated him for a second. With Nick in his arms he jumped up and stopped Dean again. “Dean . . .”
“Henry I have to . . .”
“No.” Henry stated strongly. “No.” The wind whipped his hair around and Henry’s face was stern and angry. His voice stayed at a low volume but rasped in his emotions. “Dean this fucked up.”
“Henry, I’m not going to discuss this any further.”
“Yeah you are.” Henry strongly told him. “You are. It’s fucked up Dean.” Henry lowed his face close to Dean’s. “Do you realize that? I shared her with you.” Henry’s neck muscles clenched and every word he spoke was sharp and with angry hurt. “I shared her. I had an understanding with you when you needed her. I gave you so much freedom with her. I nearly lost my best friend over it all. There was never a doubt in my mind what was right. It wasn’t fair to have her all to myself. Don’t you think I wanted that? Huh? I did. But it wasn’t . . . it wasn’t right. This isn’t right.”
“Even if Ellen was all fine and dandy with you. I’m not obligated to share her with you.”
“I know you’re not.”
“So why are you acting as if I owe you.”
“You do.”
“What!?” Dean had a hint of laughter to his tone. “I owe you nothing.”
“Bull shit!” Henry’s voice raised. “You owe me the chance to at least try with her. You owe me the opportunity I gave you. If Ellen doesn’t want me that’s one thing. But you telling her she can’t be with me is a whole other thing. It’s wrong.”
“It’s the way it is.” Before anymore words could be said between them, Dean walked away.
The warm wind picked up some and Henry held Nick close to his chest, covering the baby’s ears as he watched Dean walk away. His heart beat so strong in his anger that he didn’t respond to the tap on his shoulder until he no longer saw Dean. Henry turned to the tap. “Bev.”
“I heard.”
“It’s none of your business.”
“I can make it my business. And you know it.” Her eyes shifted to where Dean was. “I messed it up for you Henry. I did that before I realized that Dean was a bigger asset to have. And guess what?” Bev looked at Henry again. “I’m gonna make it up to you.” She giggled. “I may need your help. But I’m gonna ruin Dean and Ellen.” She winked. “Just you wait and see. Prepare to pick up the pieces Henry.”
Henry said nothing, he stared at her, then Bev grinned, rubbed Nick’s head and walked away.
^^^^
Bowman, North Dakota
“You are gonna have to just stop the whining,” Ellen instructed Grace. “You act like it’s the end of the world.”
“My ear is ten times bigger.”
“Than what?” Ellen leaned into Grace, examining her ear.
“Than it was before.”
“Well, you shouldn’t have carried me.”
“You should not have punched me in my ear.”
“Toughen up.” Ellen stood up straight and took off her gloves. “I’m not whining.”
“Why would you whine?”
Ellen shook her head and rolled her eyes. “I’m dealing with this stuff coming out of your ear. All done. Take the medication I prescribed and wait it out. That’s what Dean says.” Ellen walked over to the other side of the examining room and to Grace’s chart. “I’m leaving tomorrow. If it gets worse, we’ll have to bring you up to Beginnings.”
“Are all the women as crass as you?”
“Nope. I’m the top bitch.” Ellen grinned and grabbed the chart. “You’re done. I’ll check it tomorrow before I leave.”
“Doctor,” Grace called out.
“Yes?”
“Could you retrieve the guards to escort me back.”
Ellen snickered as she walked out. “No. Walk back alone. What is wrong with you?” She stepped out into the other room pulling the door closed. Ellen handed Grace’s chart to Blue. “All done.”
“I’ll call for a guard,” Blue said.
“Why is that?” Ellen asked.
“Why will I call for a guard? Women do not walk the streets alone.”
Ellen snickered “Did you see her? She has the ‘Elephant Man’s’ ear. Who’s gonna get her.”
“You think you’re funny. Laugh again.” Blue instructed and pointed. “Or do you need me to call you a guard?”
Ellen turned around and looked at Craig who stood by waiting. He waved and Ellen turned away again and faced Blue. “Why is he still here?”
“Following you. He wants to talk to you. Do you want a guard?”
Ellen looked over her shoulder back to Craig, then again to Blue. “No, he’s harmless, just annoying. He reminds me of my brother Richie.”
“So you’ve said.”
“Did I tell you my brother owed me two thousand seven hundred and thirty-six dollars? Never paid me a dime back.”
“So you’ve said.”
“I have to leave.” Ellen grabbed her bag. “I have processing to finish.” She facially winced as she stepped to the door.
“Last chance,” Blue called out. “A guard?”
Ellen shook her head and walked by Craig. She stepped out the door and he followed her. “Swell.” She walked a few steps, spun around, and barked at him. “Why do you keep on following me?”
“You do.”
“I do what?”
“Get as upset as him.”
“Who?”
“The Captain.”
Ellen fluttered her lips. “Yeah but there’s one big difference. The Captain won’t kick your ass. I will. Either that or I inject you with something really lethal.” Ellen winked and walked again.
“Hey.” Craig trotted to catch her. “Can I go to Beginnings?”
“No.”
“Come on. I hear we’re a part of it. Can I go?”
“No.”
“Why?” Craig asked.
“Because we don’t let just everyone in. And we won’t let you in.”
“Why?”
“Why?” Ellen said. “I’ll tell you why. You’re lazy.”
“How can you tell?”
“I haven’t seen you do anything remotely related to work around here. You have done nothing but follow me around since the crack of dawn and for no reason.”
“I have reason.”
“What is it?” Ellen neared Hal’s apartment building.
“I want to know about you and the Captain.”
“Why do you want to know about me and the Captain?”
“Curious.” Craig stood waiting for an answer. “Please?”
“If I tell you what you want to know, will you leave me alone?”
“Yes.”
“Ask.”
“Thanks.” Craig looked up and thought. “O.K. tell me why the Captain?”
Ellen huffed out. “Hal is sweet, sensitive, kind, and attentive. O.K.?” Ellen reached for the apartment building door.
“The Captain?”
“Yes. And.” Ellen hesitated before going in, lifted both her hands up, spread them far apart, raised her eyebrows with a smile, and left.
Craig scratched his head and curled his lip in wonder. “The Captain?”
Seldom did men ever get under Ellen’s skin, but there was something about Craig that did. She didn’t know why. He seemed nice enough. She merely chalke
d it up to the fact that Hal had her brainwashed about Craig before Ellen even stepped foot in Bowman.
Hoping that she got rid of Craig--at least for a little while--Ellen walked into Hal’s apartment, wanting to relax before she had to dart off to processing the men that would return with her and Danny the next day.
She shut the door to the apartment that felt cold. Seeing the reason for it, she moved to the open window and closed it. Ellen laughed to herself when she thought how typically Slagel it was for the apartment to be cold. Frank hated being warm and never did their home exceed the temperature of sixty-five degrees unless Ellen made it that way.
Wiping the chill up and down from her arms she saw what she and Hal were looking at the night before. It sat on the coffee table, the small oak box, still open, still exposing the pictures inside. Ellen moved to the sofa and sat down. She pulled the box closer to her and picked up a handful of pictures. She smiled as she shuffled through the Slagel memories and her smile stopped and fell when she reached a picture of Frank. She hadn’t seen it in there when she and Hal viewed them There were so many pictures. Setting down the stack of photos, Ellen held on to the one picture, leaning back on the sofa, and propping her legs on the coffee table.
Frank.
His eyes stared back in that picture as if he were actually looking at her. Her heart pounded looking at him and an ache filled her throat. “Oh God, Frank.” The emptiness and hurt she tried to keep buried came flooding back to her. Worry. Sadness. Missing.
She breathed slowly out through her slightly parted lips, wanting so badly for the picture she held in her hands to be Frank in her arms. Her life’s best friend was so far away from her, yet a part of her felt him calling her every minute of the day. And there wasn’t a minute of the day that Ellen’s mind didn’t drift to Frank. If wishing him back would do it, Frank would have returned long before. Wishing for him back so badly that she still found herself--though she let no one see her--staring out the window while she worked in the clinic, looking for him, waiting for him to walk over that grade.
She hid her feelings well. She had to. That was the only way to bring him back and she would do anything, no matter what, to help bring him back to her. But the truth was, no matter how much Ellen pretended to move on, acted the part for the big ‘plan’, she would never move on until Frank came home. She would never be the same.
She slowly brought the close up shot to her lips, kissed the picture gently, and stared at it again, letting her mind imagine, letting her mind feel, that somewhere, wherever Frank was, at that exact moment he was thinking and missing her.
^^^^
Binghamton, Alabama
Frank’s frustration and hurt carried in his breath vocally from his throat as he snapped forward in his chair, ran his fingers through his hair, and stood up. “Ellen.” He closed his eyes. His face held pain. “I can’t keep doing this.” Harshly he rubbed his hands over his face as if he were trying to rub his thoughts away. His mind had to be elsewhere, focused, but at that moment, it wasn’t. Too many moments were spent with his mind in places it shouldn’t be, searching for Ellen, imagining her, hearing her voice. His inner soul told him that wherever she was, she was fine. Frank believed that. He had to. She was too much a part of him that even the distance of many miles could not hinder him from being able to feel her. And Frank swore he did.
He was so tired of waiting. He just wanted to walk out the door of his office and straight off that base. He could make it home. He knew he could and then he would find Ellen. But his gut told him that his every action, every move with the Society somehow effected Ellen. She and his children were top on his list of priorities, protecting them. Frank now was in a position where he could do his best to help his family. Like John Matoose was for George. Frank was now the unsuspected insider. He could gain the knowledge needed to start bringing down the insurmountable force that everyday seemed to beat against his people, his home, his family. Frank’s family was his top priority. Ellen was a top priority. Frank knew what he had to do. In order to do so correctly, he would use the thoughts of his family to make him stay put, to stay in the control. He had to be. Frank would use those same thoughts of his family to go on and make each day he was away from them, though painful, more tolerable.
^^^^
Bowman, North Dakota
“I’m exhausted.” Sgt. Ryder answered the question Hal posed to him as they stood side by side on a street corner in Bowman, looking up.
“Me too.” Hal said. “Do you suppose it’s him?”
“Most definitely. You saw him at that switch station.”
Hal nodded slightly still peering his views upward. “It doesn’t seem quite fair though. We should have him here. In Bowman.”
“I don’t know about that, but then again, we don’t have anyone like him. Beginnings has a carbon copy.”
“True. But . . . what do you think about training him?” Hal asked.
“If I wish to keep any sanity, I refuse, absolutely refuse to place that eccentric man on a horse with a long, lethal, sharp object.”
“I uh . . . I see your point.” Hal lifted his hand up in a wave. “Danny! How’s it going?”
Danny, strapped to the top of a telephone pole, looked down, grinned, and gave thumbs up to Hal and Sgt. Ryder who watched him.
^^^^
“O.K., what’s going on?” Joe asked out as he walked into a noisy tracking. He saw both Henry and Mark looking at the monitors. “Sector thirty-two again?”
Henry tossed his hands up. “Joe, I’m lost. I can’t figure it out.”
“Yes, you can, Henry,” Joe told him. “Keep trying.” Joe stepped closer to the monitor. “Christ.” He watched the tracking and the flash of light seemingly go crazy. Flashing, beeping and dots of light flew across the screen. “Looks like whatever it is isn’t taking in the whole area.”
Mark shook his head. “Instead of the one mile radius, it’s pretty much stuck to twenty square feet. That’s why it’s going nuts. Too many rabbits.”
“Or one kid.” Joe looked at Mark. “Call you wife and find out where Marcus is. Got it?”
“Joe.” Mark laughed in ridicule. “That is not my son up there. I know he’s the Bam-Bam of Beginnings, but he would definitely show a much larger life signal.”
“You have a point.” Joe patted Mark on the back. “But still, call her. Humor me. Thanks.” Joe shifted his eyes to Henry who watched the tracking signal. There was a look upon Henry’s face that Joe seldom saw, a look of confusion on what to do.
Henry saw Joe staring and he didn’t know why Joe had such a huge grin on his face. “Joe?”
“Huh.” Joe shook his head and removed the smile. He had gotten lost momentarily in the enjoyment of Henry’s confusion.
^^^^
Painfully, with one eye closed, Dean shut off his ear with his finger. “God.” He cringed at the high squeal that came from his daughter as she dove onto Josh while they had a free for all wrestling match in the living room. “Quiet!” Dean commanded as he neared the ringing phone. “Josh! Keep them quiet.”
Was Dean actually in his home? He thought he was. He felt like he was yet not one person heard him. Hoping that the noise would stop, he picked up the phone. “Hello.”
“Hey Dean!” Danny excitedly said.
“Danny?” Dean chuckled.
“Yeah, guess where I’m calling from?”
“Uh . . . Bowman. Hold on . . . .” Dean covered the mouth piece of the phone. “Knock it off!” he yelled to the screaming maniacs. “Now!” Finally silence, less a few agitating giggles from the crew. “Sorry, Danny, go on.”
“Dean, you really shouldn’t do that. Not when I’m like fifty feet from the ground on a telephone pole. You could have startled me down to my death.”
“Why are you on a telephone pole?”
“That’s where the first working phone is. Guess why I called you? Your number was the only one I remembered and I wanted to tell you Ellen’s doing great, aside fro
m that little physical confrontation with Gergerace. I got the phones up and running here, sort of. I’m getting there, but we have a problem. No one knows their telephone numbers.” Danny started to laugh. “I have this great game planned for tonight. Imagine. A silent town. A single phone ringing out.”
“Sounds like the a scene from the Omega man.”
“Oh! Dean!” Danny shrieked with excitement. “You’re the man. Thanks. I bet I get Neville points for that.”
“Under what category?”
“Recreation of Neville moments.”
Dean laughed. “Well you may want to recreate Neville’s coming to the rescue. Call Henry on his phone. Tracking is all out of whack.”
“No way.”
“Yes way.”
“No Dean, I’m not saying that as ‘boy am I surprised’,” Danny said. “I’m saying that because I invented that and there’s no way it’s out of whack.”
“Call them.”
“I will.” Danny paused. “Uh . . . Dean. What’s the number.”
Just as Dean started to tell him he was told by Danny to hold. Dean pulled the phone away at Danny’s loud yell.
“Hey Sarge!” Danny yelled out. “Write this number down! Go on, Dean.”
Dean took a second to snicker in amusement and then gave Danny the number.
^^^^
“It’s gonna have to be done,” Joe told Henry while in tracking.
“No Joe, I can’t.”
“Well, we can’t wait until Danny gets here.”
“Joe please . . .”
“Henry, I’ll send Robbie up there with you. O.K.?” He saw the hesitation on Henry’s face. “They’re rabbits for Christ sake.”
“Killer rabbits, Joe.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Joe heard Henry’s phone ring. “Answer that.”
The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series Page 415