Robbie nodded as he bit his lip. “I won’t hit you, Henry, because I need something from you two.”
“Uh-oh.” Henry shifted his eyes to Danny. “Watch your back. Kidding. Robbie? Should I cut my hair.”
“Yes. Can I have your attention?” Robbie asked.
Both Henry and Danny nodded.
“I need you two to make . . .” Robbie stared at them then stepped back. “Never mind. It’s too much to ask.”
“Whoa!” Danny called out. “What’s too much?”
“What I was going to ask you guys to do. It uh . . . it’s probably impossible to make especially in the time frame I need it. Forget it.” He walked to the door. “Have a good day.”
“Robbie!” Henry shouted. “Tell us what you need. Let us decide.”
“O.K.” Robbie stopped in his reach to the door. He spoke as if he were delivering impossible news. “I have a problem with a large number of SUTs in this area I have to make a run too. I can only afford to send a few guys and they can’t take them out. Basically, and I know this can’t be done, but I was sort of wondering if you do could device a de-scrambling unit like the Auralnator? Something that’s not bulky and can be taken with them. It has to be effective at a distance. Close, but not directly in the ear.”
“Played through a portable speaker system?” Danny asked and turned to Henry. “Can we pump the decimals out of something portable?”
Henry thought about it. “Frequency is what we need to shoot for. Perhaps a different de-scrambling pattern.”
“But would it have the same effect?” Danny asked.
“Probably not, because it’s not directly in the inner ear,” Henry answered. “But we could stun them.” He looked at Robbie. “Would that work?”
“Can it give them enough time to pass through the region?” Robbie asked.
Danny shrugged. “Depends. We can test a time frame, adjust the frequency, and program. You’re talking a portable system so you’re not talking too big. So you’re not talking too long of a time.”
“Half hour?” Robbie asked innocently. “Nah, that’s too much huh?”
“No.” Danny scoffed. “We can do better than that. Can’t we, Henry.”
“Yeah.”
“No way.” Robbie said. “You guys can’t”
Henry was offended. “Robbie we can. Bet we can get it to at least . . . . forty minutes. Right, Danny?”
“Right. Ha!” Danny shook his head. “Why in the world would you even think that us two great minds, great hands, mechanically inclined, resourceful handsome guys couldn’t do what you want?”
Robbie grinned with arrogance. “Because I need it done by tomorrow.”
^^^^
The phone was tight to Ellen’s ear as she stood at the back counter of the clinic lab, trying to place tubes into the centrifuge. It wasn’t an easy task considering she had to keep closing her eyes. “Josh, I don’t care. Josh . . . Josh, I know you’re babysitting. But I won’t be long. Josh!” she screamed. “Clean your room!” She grunted and laid down the phone.
“My room was never messy as a teenager.”
Ellen heard Hal’s voice behind her. She smiled. “Somehow I know better.” She turned around to see him. “It’s only been a couple of days and I missed you. I can’t wait till we’re living closer.” She stepped to him as he walked into the lab. She stood on tiptoes, placing her arms around him. She kissed him on the cheek. “Where’s the uniform?” Ellen asked as she ran her hand across his white tee shirt.
“Saving the crisp one for the, well, you know.”
“To impress Frank.”
“Annoy him will be more like it.”
“Thanks for coming to see me.” Ellen stepped a foot back, leaned against the counter, and folded her arms. “Are you staying with me while you’re in Beginnings?”
“Can I?” Hal asked.
“Oh you know it. I have the big house.” Ellen looked around Hal. “So did Sgt. Ryder come with you?”
“He went to see the two babies that were born. He said he hasn’t seen children in forever.”
Ellen laughed. “Then wait until he stays at my house.”
“Is he welcome to?”
“More the merrier. Hey, how are you gonna explain us to him. Doesn’t he think that we are a couple.”
“He knows of the way it is in Beginnings and I kind of . . .” He saw Ellen stare past him. “What’s wrong?”
“I didn’t recognize him.” Ellen smiled gently. “Sgt. Ryder.”
Sgt. Ryder stood in the lab door. He too wore jeans and a tee shirt. “Ma’am, may I come in?”
“Sure.” Ellen, still smiling. walked over to him. She surprised him by hugging him and kissing him on the cheek when he walked in. “Welcome to Beginnings.”
Sgt. Ryder blushed. He touched where she kissed. “Thank you for the welcome. I have to say, Beginnings is great, what I’ve seen of it. Captain Slagel has told me he’s taking me to a place called the social hall tonight.”
“It won’t be crowded,” Ellen said. “It’s Sunday. But it’s a nice place. Hal and you are staying at my house. Did he tell you that?”
“It’s no trouble?” Sgt. Ryder asked.
“Not for you, Sgt. Ryder,” Ellen told him.
Sgt. Ryder cleared his throat in nervousness. “Thank you so much for asking for me to help out in protecting you and your children. That means a lot to me. Will you please call me Elliott?”
“Elliott.” Ellen titled her head. “Hey, we have the same nickname. El and El.” She snickered. “Anyway, I really wanted you here. I will never forget how you saved Frank’s life and I will always be grateful for that.” Her eyes widened. “Oh Hal, you should let Sgt. Ryder be one of Frank’s men. He has that edge Frank likes in his men.”
Sgt. Ryder shook his head. “I don’t quite think I have that edge I saw Frank display. I think I’ll stick with Captain Slagel.”
Hal laid his hand on Sgt. Ryder’s shoulder. “You have no choice. You’re my right hand man. Well . . . we’d better go. We have to meet with my father and Robbie in a couple hours and I wanted to take Elliott around.”
“O.K.,” Ellen said. “Josh is home if you want to drop your things off there. Just . . . stay out of his room.” She cringed. “And stay away from Cole. He’s nasty today too. He stepped on a nail and Andrea had to give him a tetanus shoot. He cried like a baby.” She winked then laughed.
“We’ll do that.” Hal walked with Sgt. Ryder from the lab. “Anyone else?”
“Um . . .” Ellen raised her eyes to the ceiling. “Yeah, Hap. He had an argument with Trish. And um . . . Fred because Lynn is premenstrual. Also avoid Ben and Todd because they’ve been fighting for a week.”
Hal was actually being sarcastic when he asked Ellen. Never did he expect a list. “We’ll make a mental note. Thanks. Oh and El . . . any news on Hank?”
“Who?”
“The man that was killed.”
“Oh.” Ellen shook her head. “No. Haven’t figured out the animal yet. Danny’s been pestering me too. He wants it to be headlines in the paper.”
“Yet have someone else write the story,” Hal added.
“How true.”
“We’d better get going.” Hal lifted his hand in a wave as he stood by the door with Sgt. Ryder. “We’ll see ya later, El.” He and Sgt. Ryder started to walk toward the main door. As they approached it, Melissa and Marcus walked in.
Sgt. Ryder stopped cold as he stared at Marcus.
“Hi Hal,” Melissa said as she held Marcus’s hand. “Is Ellen here? she wanted to see us sometime today.”
“In the lab.” Hal pointed.
“Thanks.” Melissa smiled and kept moving.
“Captain . . .” Sgt. Ryder pointed. “What . . .”
“Don’t ask.” Hal opened the glass door. “This is Beginnings. I told you something is odd about this place. You should see what Ellen has in her and Dean’s lab.”
Sgt. Ryder took one more look back at Marc
us. “I don’t think I want to.”
Hal chuckled and led Sgt. Ryder out.
^^^^
Binghamton, Alabama
“How’s it feel?” George’s voice carried into Dean’s hide-a-way lab.
Dean only raised his eyes from the microscope to the voice that made him sick to the pit of his stomach. “How does what feel?”
“To be working for the better side?”
“I worked for the better side. Now I’m . . .” Dean turned around to see George with Frank standing behind him, looking so serious. “Now I’m biding my time.”
“Working, I see.”
“Viewing what . . . what you have.”
“I see.” George took another step into his lab. “Are you finding it interesting?”
“I’m finding agents I have . . .” Dean took a breath and cleared his throat.
“Is there a problem?” George asked.
“No.” Dean closed his eyes. He didn’t want to tell George that he was trying not to laugh as Frank kept holding up ‘rabbit ears’ behind George.
“Good.” George walked by Dean and began to examine what the lab had. “We set this up just for you.”
“I appreciate it.” Dean widened his eyes to Frank to tell him to quit it.
Frank laughed silently then switched to cold looking when George turned around. “I think you’re wasting your time with this man sir. He’s been nothing but irritating since he has arrived. I think you should let me take him out and shoot him. He’s one of those Beginnings people. He told me.”
George smiled as he faced Frank, not seeing the middle finger Dean shot Frank. “Colonel, we’ll just give him more time. He’s brilliant and has a lot to offer. Isn’t that right, Dr. Hayes.” He spun to Dean and when he did, Frank flipped Dean off.
“I have more to offer than you deserve.”
“Oh!” Frank barked loudly. “Listen to this little man and his arrogance. I really think . . .” A soft subtle thump interrupted Frank’s words. He tried to cover up by fake sneezing. “Excuse me. I think we should leave him be. Who wants to be around him anyhow.”
Another thump and Dean tried to act as if he too didn’t hear it.
Thump
“Did you hear that?” George asked.
“Hear what?” Frank asked.
Thump-thump.
“That,” George said.
“What?” Frank asked.
Thump-thump.
“That. That noise. You don’t hear that?”
“Was your trip long, sir?” Frank asked so seriously.
Thump-thump
“There it is again,” George spoke excitedly. “You are not hearing that?’
“Hearing what?” Frank lifted his hands. “All I hear is my stomach growling. Man.” He rubbed his own stomach. “I need food. Do you need food? I bet you do. Let’s go.” He grabbed George’s arm.
George blinked several times, so confused. “Maybe, maybe I just need to rest. I had to chase a moving train for close to a half a mile.”
“My God.” Frank gasped.
George began to leave the lab.“The conductor left me behind.”
“Bastard.”
George stopped in his leaving. He looked back at Dean. “I’ll be in touch, Dean.”
“I won’t hold my breath.”
“You!” Frank pointed at Dean. “Are a rude man. This is the President you know.”
Dean rolled his eyes as they left. He started to deal with the thumping that came from under the counter when he noticed Frank pop his head back in, smile ,and flip Dean off again. Dean just shook his head then laughed after Frank left. He had to give it to Frank. It was really amusing to watch Frank totally mislead George. But Dean had to wonder how amused would George be if he found out, the whole time, he was being played for a fool. Hopefully George would be long gone and shriveled up somewhere before he realized the likes of Frank out smarted him.
^^^^
Beginnings, Montana
Joe was supposed to be directly on his way to Robbie’s house but instead he found himself following that weird bird sound. Like a sick canary or something, the amphibian sang loudly then went sour. It irritated Joe’s inner ear and caused it to itch. It didn’t sound right. It didn’t sound normal and Joe didn’t have to follow it too far at all. It seemed to come from Henry’s house. It dawned on Joe what it was when he heard the bird sound worsen, heard a series of thumps, and then the cheers of the two eccentric, inventive mechanical men of Beginnings. They had to be working on the stun system for the SUTs.
In his mind, Joe described Robbie and Jess’s house as strategically set up, when he walked in for their secret afternoon meeting. He was the last to arrive. Robbie, Jess, Hal, and Sgt. Ryder, along with even John Matoose ,were there. Maps were on the table and a computer in the dining room. “Sorry I’m late. I was following the sound.” He stood with the others around the table. “Robert. Why is John here?”
“Well.” Robbie hesitated before answering. “I figure we have to keep an eye out for him anyhow until this all goes down so we might as well put him to work. And we will. All right.” Robbie drew everyone’s attention to the map spread out on the table. “I have given this a lot of thought. I’m not as anal as Dean so no one gets printed copies of the plan. Take notes if you want.”
All eye shifted to Hal, who pulled out a small notebook. He looked at the faces who stared at him. “What? Oh, are we making fun? Fine. Well, don’t ask me any questions if you forget.”
Robbie swayed his head. “All right. Right here, Binghamton Alabama is where Frank and Dean are. They were spotted by John and Jess.” From under the map, Robbie pulled out another. “This is a drawing of the compound that Jess drew. It’s not to scale, but it’s relative to the plan. In the main area of the base, off the training area, are four buildings. These do not include housing or the hospital. These are the buildings where John and Jess spotted Dean and Frank, which is good because there is four of you going. Buildings A, B, C, D. See the buildings? Now here is the plan . . .” Robbie raised his eyes and began to quickly spew forth the details, using a pencil as an indicator. “Each of you will be armed with a rifle, hand gun, grenades, gas and so forth. We will not carry weapons for Frank or Dean and nothing heavy. Knowing my brother, he’ll be able to get a hold of arms. Now, we’re gonna have to do this fast and in order to do it quickly and efficiently, exhaustion has to play a pivotal part. Because of that, I will fly you down, leaving here at four-thirty the morning of the thirtieth. I’ll drop you off seventeen miles north off of Binghamton. You’ll walk the distance. I’ll return to Beginnings at approximately 11:30 which should be about the same time, if you take the hike easy, that you get to the wooded area around the base. One hour. One hour’s rest is what you take. During that time you will set up the audible descrambler and position yourselves here, about thirty yards from the side gate. At 12:30 you set off the descrambler. According to Danny, it should take ten seconds for the SUTs to stop. And that’s what they will do, just stop. Which is good because they all just stand there anyhow. They will be stunned but only for forty minutes. You will go through the side gate here,” Robbie indicated. “Most of the men at this time will be training or in the field. You should have no problem on base. You will go to building ‘A’ first and scout as a team. These buildings are not big so if you hustle you shouldn’t have to spend no more than five minutes in each building looking for Frank and Dean. Now back in Beginnings, ten minutes before de-scramble time, Sgt. Ryder and myself will take Ellen and all the kids out of Beginnings and head to Miles City. There are fifty armed UWA soldiers there and with Sgt, Ryder and myself with them, El and the kids will be safe. We won’t return to Beginnings for four hours. At that time, Sgt. Ryder will stay with El. There’s no radio contact. We can’t take a chance, so timing is everything. Four hours should secure enough time for you to get in there, get them, and meet the Bowman men.”
Joe looked up. “So basically you won’t know anything until we get
home.”
Robbie shook his head. “No. I figure you should arrive back home the next morning. Hal has two men leaving Bowman tomorrow afternoon. They will go to Gillian and camp out until you guys hike there from Binghamton. Then they drive you home.”
Jess lifted his hand. “Us walking in there seems easy but it all hinges on whether or not Danny and Henry’s altered Auralnator works. What happens if it doesn’t?”
“Plan B,” Robbie answered. “There’s only four of you. Fifty if you include Frank. But . . . there are two hundred SUTs and about two hundred and fifty Society soldiers. That’s a lot. You’ll be outnumbered so . . . if the invention doesn’t work, you’ll know right away. Plan B is simple. You place on the Society uniforms we kept from the defectors and you go to the side gate. There are only four guards there. Each of you will be armed with a pocket Auralnator and, being dressed like that, you should be able to at least get close enough to them to zap them.”
Joe waved out his hand. “The invention is going to work. I hear them cheering over at Henry’s. They’ll have it down pat.”
“I think so too,” Robbie said. “But they said the most they can do is forty minutes. Forty-five tops. The moment the SUTs come to and realize something is up or they see you, you not only could have those two hundred SUTs, but those other soldiers as well chasing you through those woods. The whole idea is to sneak in unnoticed and without drawing attention and to get back out, unseen. Now . . . everyone might want to have a seat because we’re gonna learn the base inside and out.” Robbie walked to the computer that was on the table. He pulled up a program. “Remind me to compliment Danny on his upgraded version of that digital camera. The pictures turned out really nice.” Robbie waited until everyone was seated. Standing next to the computer with his hand on the mouse, he began to show the pictures one at a time like a slide projector. “Here is the base.”
Click.
“This right here is a good shot of the four buildings. A, B, C, and D.” Another click of the mouse and Robbie kept explaining. “O.K., now here you see some of the SUTS. According to Jess and John, they concentrate mainly in the front, lining up like their own wall.” Robbie clicked again, only this time the picture caused moans. Robbie looked at the screen. “Oh.” He looked to Jess.
The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series Page 438