The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series

by Jacqueline Druga

  Joe’s voice interrupted him. “Robert.”

  “Dad, not now we have an invasion.”

  “That’s why I’m calling you. We knew we hit Tracking. It’s us.”

  “You.” Robbie stopped and lowered the microphone. “Henry, it’s my Dad.”

  Henry looked puzzled. “He’s not that big.”

  Robbie made a scoffing face. “Dad, what’s going on.”

  “Here. Let him explain,” Joe said.

  “Hey, baby brother,” Frank spoke. “Guess who’s back and gonna kick your ass right out of that number one Neville position?”

  Robbie grinned. “Frank.”

  ^^^^

  Ellen giggled as she nibbled on crackers and read Danny’s paper in the clinic lab. The head line that read ‘Killer babies seize Beginnings’ didn’t make her laugh as much as the sub-headline that stated, ‘Mad scientist Dean denies it all’. Engrossed and waiting for her blood to stop spinning, Ellen stopped smiling and crushed the cracker in her hand when she heard Dean’s voice in the lab.

  “Miss me?”

  A near silent emotional shriek escaped her as she spun around, “Dean!” She raced to him, flinging her arms around him and plastering him with kisses. “Oh . . .” She gasped out and clenched his face. “You’re alive.”

  Dean very seriously looked at Ellen. “I needed this first. O.K.?” He softly placed his lips to hers and kissed her for a long time. “I love you. I love you very much.”

  “I’m so proud of you, Dean.”

  Dean saw her mouth open again and he laid his finger on her lips. “Go stand by the window.”

  “What?”

  “Just look out the window. O.K.”

  “O.K.” Ellen agreed to the odd request and moved over to the small lab window.

  Dean unhooked his radio from his belt and spoke into it. “Now.”

  Ellen turned from the window back to Dean. “What did you say?”

  “Ellen, look out that window. It’s what you waited for.”

  Ellen’s head turned to the pane of glass. As soon as she did, she saw the small grade and every ounce of her breath left her when, rising over the top of it, she saw Frank. Her mouth opened and her fingers pressed the glass. She let out an joyful sob.

  Frank stopped on the top of the grade and waved.

  Ellen spun to look at Dean. “Frank.”

  Dean motioned his head back toward the door. “Go on. Go see him.”

  Ellen ran. She slid to a stop at the lab door, backed up, and kissed Dean again. “Thank you. Thank you.” She let her hand slide off his face as she ran in a excited stumbling manner out the double doors of the clinic, jumping down the steps, and charging toward the grade.

  Frank just seemed too far away, standing on that hill with the sun blaring behind him. Ellen’s heart pounded out of her chest as she drew closer to him. She blasted Frank so hard with the weight of her body as she flung herself to him, Frank stumbled in his balance as he lifted her from her feet. Frank dropped carefully to his knees, then to his back, bringing Ellen on top of him in the grass.

  His face pressed closely to hers then Frank kissed her, letting his hands feel her body. “El.” He breathed out her name, kissing her again. “Oh El. Let me look at you.”

  Ellen pulled back but still held on. She closed her eyes when she felt his huge hand glide across her face. His lips touched tenderly to hers and she opened her eyes to look at him. So close he was. It had been so long since she looked this closely at Frank but there he was. His dark eyes, glossed over, stared deeply into hers.

  “I’m home.”

  A single sob came from Ellen and her body shook. She pressed her lips hard and with gratefulness to Frank’s. And Frank kissed her like he had been waiting to do. Not caring who saw, he kept kissing her, rolling her over and laying his body on hers as he did.

  ^^^^

  It was uncomfortable enough for Dean to walk into Joe’s house, especially knowing why Joe loaned Frank and Ellen the house, but did that Richie person have to be there. Dean could have denied the reunion, or break his word to Frank, but he didn’t. Because if he did, he could lose all leverage he had in his marriage with Ellen. They had a happy reunion, as promised but now time was up. Dean looked at Richie, who sat on the couch. He figured Richie was new to Beginnings and probably had some sort of strange attachment to Frank. That was why he was there.

  Awkwardly Dean smiled at Richie then called out. “Frank! Time’s up!”

  “Fuck.” Frank laid on the bed with Ellen, fully dressed. “Don’t go.”

  “I have to. Dean said one hour.” Ellen trickled her hand down his face.

  “This sucks.”

  “Frank . . .”

  “No, El. I just got back. I just want to be with you.” Frank kissed her lightly.

  “It’s not like I won’t see you.”

  “I know but it sucks.”

  “So you said.” Ellen stood up from the bed after kissing him once more. “But Frank, you have to lighten up.”

  “Lighten up?” Frank got off the bed as well. “I don’t have you. You’re married to fuckin Dean. You won’t sleep with me. All this time apart and . . .”

  “And what, Frank.” Ellen tilted her head and looked at him. “All this time apart and you’d want our first hour to be having sex? Come on. You and I are more than that. I missed you. I really missed you.”

  “You’re right. We’re past that.” He kissed her. “But you’re still married to Dean and you claim you’re making the marriage work.” Frank smirked at Ellen’s gasp. “Sure you are.” He then cringed when he heard Dean yelling for him to hurry again. “All right!” Frank shouted.

  Ellen closed off her ears. “God, Frank.”

  “And stop that.” He swiped her arm down. “That’s a Dean thing. Come on, El. Tell him you’re staying with me.”

  “I can’t. I’ll be back.”

  “El, I’m having a rough homecoming adjustment here,” Frank complained. “I don’t have you. I don’t have a house. They gave it away.”

  “Well, Frank, they thought you were dead.”

  “You knew I wasn’t.”

  “There was nothing I could do.” Ellen walked to the bedroom door. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Oh!” Frank snapped his finger. “Shit. I almost forgot. I have a surprise for you.”

  Ellen smiled. “A surprise. How sweet.”

  “Yeah. Come on, you’ll like it.” He took her hand.

  Richie heard the bedroom door open and he stood up. “I’m nervous.”

  Dean raised one eyebrow and looked over to Richie oddly. “O.K.” He, too, could hear them coming.

  Frank stopped Ellen before they entered the living room. “Ready?”

  “Yeah.”

  Frank covered her eyes and led her blindly into the living room.

  Ellen giggled. “Frank, it must be big.”

  “About a hundred and thirty pounds.” Frank grinned at Richie. “Ready, El?”

  “Yeah.”

  Dean was so lost he tossed his hands up.

  Frank removed his hand from Ellen’s eyes. “Ta da!”

  Ellen screamed when she saw Richie. No sooner did Richie say her name, extend his arms, and step to her . . . Ellen had hit the floor. She passed out.

  Dean rushed to her. “Shit. Frank. What the hell?”

  “Oh man.” Frank chuckled. “Sorry, Richie.”

  “She’s out cold.” Dean grabbed Ellen’s face. “Why did she pass out?”

  “I guess it was the shock of seeing her brother,” Frank said.

  “Her . . .” Dean looked at Richie then Frank. “You didn’t tell me that was her brother.”

  “You didn’t tell me Hal was alive, so there. We’re even.”:

  “Frank,” Dean said his name with edge as he and Frank knelt over Ellen. “What the hell is the matter with you? Her brother is alive and you sleep with her first before telling her.”

  “Uh . . . yeah.” Frank said. “I missed her
.”

  Dean grumbled. “You’re an ass, Frank. Help me lift her up.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  October 2

  Beginnings, Montana

  “A brother meeting?” Hal questioned as he and Robbie walked toward the field house. “Is Frank always this odd?”

  “Yep,” Robbie answered. “He said you can’t go back until we have this brother meeting.”

  “For what? Does it have to do with the field workers we gave you guys?”

  “Who knows? It’s Frank.”

  “He hasn’t changed, has he?” Hal questioned as they neared the structure. “Before we talk to this Cole guy, is he gonna be any less a dick to me today.”

  “I think,” Robbie said. “I heard Josephine hooked him up last night because of his run in with the killer babies.”

  Hal stopped walking. “Does he get Neville points for that?”

  ^^^^

  “Johnny, pay attention.” Jason instructed in the clinic lab.

  “Where’s Andrea? Shouldn’t she see this new technique too?”

  “Who knows,” Jason commented. “She’s probably with Ellen and Jenny. Now when you administer . . .”

  “Oh my God.”

  “What?” Jason saw Johnny peering closely at him.

  “You have . . .” Johnny’s finger moved closely to Jason’s neck. “You have a purple mark right there. What is that?”

  “Oh.” Jason’s hand covered it. It was the same mark as Bev’s. “It’s from the cryogenics process. An electrode caused . . . Johnny?” Jason looked up. Johnny was leaving the lab. “Where are you going?”

  “I have to do something. Jason. Does anyone else know about that mark?”

  “No.”

  “Thanks.” Johnny took off running.

  ^^^^

  A weird happy look glowed upon Cole’s face as he rocked back and forth in his office chair awaiting the dreaded three Slagel brothers in full force. He hummed an old tune that he felt was appropriate. Rocking and waiting and then he stopped. He heard the sound of cracking wood in his office. So close. Right behind him. Cole slowly swiveled his chair to the noise.

  Robbie and Hal heard Cole’s loud scream followed by a crash from his office. Both brothers pulled out their weapons and bolted in. It looked like a fountain of blood shooting up from the floor. A muffled snarling filled the room and Hal and Robbie raced to behind the desk.

  “Oh shit.” Robbie aimed, watching the Marcus ignore him and Hal as he devoured Cole. Ripped flesh flew about like snowflakes.

  “Shoot it,” Hal said as he aimed.

  “You shoot it. I can’t,.” Robbie shook his head.

  “Neither can I. It’s a baby. You shoot it.”

  “You.”

  “No you,” Hal insisted.

  A single close range shot rang out, blasting the Marcus and sending its body flying across the room and smacking into the wall.

  Frank shook his head and put his revolver away. “Neville points.” He looked over his stunned brother’s shoulder to a dead Cole. “Aw, man. I just started to like him.”

  Robbie had a smart comment to make, but he saved it when he saw the broken floor boards. “Look.” He pointed

  “Fuck.” Frank squatted down to the floor. “They dug their way in.” He stood up. “Robbie, get a team. We’re gonna start a quiet search of this community. Hal, cover this hole.” Without saying anymore to them, Frank left the field office, barking orders into his headset as he did.

  ^^^^

  Jenny was saddened as she stood by John’s bedside. Ellen was checking the intravenous. “Will he ever wake up?”

  “Hopefully,” Ellen told her. “We’re keeping him sedated until his body strengthens.” Ellen started to leave the room.

  “Thank you for taking care of him.”

  “He saved my husband’s life, Jenny. Not that I forgive him, but I owe him.”

  “I understand. That’s why I helped Joe all this time by following him. I feel as if I owe this community.”

  “You don’t,” Ellen told her. “What he did is not your fault. O.K.” Ellen looked at her watch. “I’d better get going. I want to help Dean out by doing Cole’s autopsy.”

  “I can’t believe those things are running around Beginnings.”

  “Well Frank just radioed and said it looked good. Dean thinks he has a way to kill them. That’s where he is at now.”

  “Good luck.”

  Ellen smiled as she left the room. “Thanks. You too.”

  ^^^^

  The tunnels were still damp from the previous nights rainfall and Joe and Danny’s footstep tromped through the tunnels.

  “Joe, I’ve seen this before,” Danny said as he shined his flashlight. “In a movie called ‘It’s Alive’.”

  Joe chuckled. “Hey, I saw that too.”

  “Why are we still looking. Frank gave the all clear.”

  “Because my son has a million things on his mind and I just want to double check. Bare with me, Danny, and look down here with me.”

  “O.K.” Danny shrugged. “But if we find one, you shoot it.”

  ^^^^

  Quantico Marine Headquarters

  From a hospital bed, a pale and coughing George took the phone that Steward handed him. He fumbled to hold it to his ear. His left hand was distorted and shriveled in toward the wrist. “Go on,” George spoke weakly into the phone. “Before we speak. Give it.”

  “I hereby claim I do this against my will,” Rev. Bob stated. “I hope whatever Frank hit you with works.”

  George coughed. “You’re lucky I am obligated to family. All I ask of you is to run my meetings. I’ll take care of you if anything happens. Now . . .” George coughed again, his voice was raspy. “Did you find it.”

  “Not yet. The case is being checked as we speak.” Rev. Bob looked up as he sat behind his office desk when his door opened. Bev walked in.

  So sad Bev looked.. “Is that him?”

  Rev Bob nodded. “Hold on, George, Someone needs to speak to you.” He handed the phone to Bev.

  Bev sniffled. “Hello, Daddy. How are feeling?”

  ^^^^

  Beginnings, Montana

  The black gloved hands held a screwdriver in the dark secret lab room. Near the lock of the freezer case, the hands worked at breaking the lock. Finally with a scratch of metal, the lock loosened. The hands lifted the case. A loud audible siren went off. The lid closed and the screwdriver dropped.

  Joe quickly looked at Danny. “The freezer alarm”

  They both took off running.

  ^^^^

  Those very important notes regarding Marcus that Dean failed to label had to be in his private office at home. He had looked everywhere else. It was his last place to look. Walking into the house, he could hear music playing. “Josh, it’s just me!” Dean called out. “What is he doing home? Josh?” Dean walked toward the music, delaying his trip to his office. “Josh, you’re supposed to be at work. Josh.” Dean stood before the teenager’s bedroom door. “Josh.” He knocked and the music stopped. He turned the knob on the door and opened it. “Oh wow.” Dean grinned as he looked into the extremely neat and almost sparkling clean room. “Josh. Good job.”

  From behind the open door, Frank poked his head. “Thanks, Dean.”

  “Frank. What are you doing here?”

  “Cleaning my room.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah. Hey, I can’t live in a pig sty. Man, how did you let Josh get away with the mess?”

  “Frank,” Dean huffed. “You aren’t . . . you aren’t living here.”

  “Dean, I lost my house. You took my family. Guess what, Dean . . .” Frank grinned. “I’m home.” He nodded his head. “And I really like it here too.”

  “Oh my God.” Dean closed his eyes.

  “Yep Dean.” Frank swatted Dean’s arm as he walked out of Josh’s room and passed him. “One big happy family.”

  ^^^^

  Joe and Danny held high hopes of catchi
ng whoever it was, but they knew they were too far away to catch up to the running footsteps that had faded down the tunnels. They hurried to the open back lab.

  “Damn it.” Joe picked up the broken lock.

  “They almost got in there,” Danny said. “Good alarm system.”

  “Yeah, it worked.” Joe shook his head.

  “Hey Joe,” Danny spoke sneakily.

  “Yeah, Danny.”

  “The uh case is unlocked.”

  “Yeah so.”

  “We should peek.”

  “No, we shouldn’t.”

  Danny leaned into Joe. “You really should take a look in this case. Aren’t you curious? Huh? I mean, you are leader again, right?”

  Joe shifted his eyes to the case. “I really should know what so important that someone is breaking in there.”

  “Yeah, you should. Go on, Joe, look. Go on.” Danny edged on.

  Joe reached for the lid. “Danny, did you see what was in here when you installed the alarm? Is that why you’re being like this?”

  “Who me? No. Look, Joe. Go on.”

  “This is wrong.” Joe gripped the lid. “But what the hell.” He lifted it up and a hiss of cold white steam emerged. After it had cleared, another case was exposed in the freezer. Lights blinked on the bottom of the metal lined structure.

  “Hmm.” Danny held his finger to his lips. “What is that?”

  “It’s an animal cryogenic case.”

  “It’s frosted over.”

  “Yeah it is.”

  “You should clear away that frost, Joe.”

  “What do you know?” Joe asked.

  Danny shrugged. “Nothing.”