Joe

by Jacqueline Druga

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  “So this is what you’re thinking?” Hal asked Frank.

  “It makes sense,” Frank replied. “Robbie and I want to look for this thing.”

  “But you aren’t sure what it is.”

  “All I know is I caught the scent of it.”

  “That’s some scary, shit.” Hal turned to Robbie. “What do you think?”

  “I think it’s scary shit, but we can’t rule it out.” Robbie said. “If we do, what if something really bad happens.”

  “And if this thing,” Frank added. “Is from 1500 years in the future. They evolved and have technology, who knows what they are capable.”

  “Hold on.” Hal raised his hand. “How? If they evolved that means they took over the world. How did they get that out of control?”

  Robbie answered. “When Dean went through the Aragon window he said they were battling them. Maybe him or Roy knows why they were out of control, how they got that way.”

  “Simple. They repopulated and beat us,” Hal said. “Let’s face it, Frank discovered that nest. They reproduce at astronomical rates.”

  “Perhaps it’s time, we stop this now.” Robbie suggested. “Like Dean suggested, kill the Killer Babies.”

  “Uh!” Frank shrieked. “You can’t kill them. Kill the Pubes, yeah.”

  “Maybe it’s the Pubes that start it.” Robbie shrugged. “Or this evolved thing that came through.”

  Hal shook his head. “We don’t even know if that’s true.”

  “Captain Slagel! Captain Slagel!” Bartley rode full speed directly into town.

  “Something’s wrong,” Hal stated.

  “How do you know?” Frank asked.

  “I sent him and the others on a search party.”

  Bartley arrived, and dismounted his horse with haste. “Captain.”

  “Did you find Private Williams?”

  Bartley nodded. “Sgt. Ryder sent me back with this to get help. He is pursuing.”

  “Pursuing what?”

  “Whatever did this to Private Williams.” He handed Hal the sack.

  Hal opened the sack, he winced and grew pale. “Sgt. Ryder is pursuing whatever did this to Williams?”

  Bartley nodded.

  Robbie and Frank looked in the bag.

  After a shift of his eyes to Robbie, Frank grabbed the reins of the horse. “Hal, where were they searching?”

  Bartley answered. “The field two miles north. Just stay on this road.”

  Frank nodded. “Mount up Hal. Robbie get the truck. Get weapons. Two more men, no more.”

  “Frank?” Hal questioned. “Do you think . . .?”

  “Yeah, and Ryder’s out there.” With a quick mount of the horse, and a snap of the reins Frank rode off.

  “Robbie, did our brother just ride that horse?”

  “I believe he did.”

  “A single nod and a ‘Let’s go’ from Hal, both brothers were quick to initiate Frank’s instructions.

  ****

  Frank wasn’t really catching any scent until he almost at full speed, passed the puddle of blood. He jumped from the horse, crouching down some to examine the blood. As his eyes scanned and saw the path, he sniffed.

  Slowly rising, Frank caught the sound of arriving horses.

  He lifted his hand to halt them.

  “Good God.” Hal arrived. “I’ll assume that’s the path Elliott followed.”

  “I would.”

  “Frank?” Robbie asked. “Smell anything?”

  “Yep. Past scent. It was here.”

  Hal spoke of the blood path. “Whatever dragged Private Williams wasn’t a Killer Baby.”

  “Or Toddler,” Robbie added. “Or even Pube. Maybe two of them, but that grass is stained. It moved him fast. Faster than two of them can carry him.”

  “I don’t feel right about making my men go into this,” Hal said.

  “Neither do I,” Frank replied. “Tell them to stay back. You, me, and Robbie, will go.”

  “Can we handle it?” Hal asked.

  “Sure.” Frank said. “I don’t see why not.”

  “Me either,” Robbie added. “I mean, Frank’s one of them. Or part.”

  “Maybe it’s not a cannibal,” Hal stated. “Won’t eat its own kind.”

  “Yeah, it will.” Frank said. “We aren’t its own kind, just a variation. Let’s go.”

  Hal instructed his men to stay back and wait, while he and Robbie went with Frank on the same path that Elliott Ryder had taken earlier.

  They were nearly at the campsite when Frank stopped his brothers.

  “Is it here?” Robbie asked.

  “No. But it was. Scent is here. Not fresh.” A nod of his head and Frank pushed forward. He didn’t need to instruct his brothers on what to do. He also didn’t need to say anything more than a simple, ‘Fuck’ to alert what he saw.

  Hal rushed forward ahead of Frank to his downed man. “Oh My God.” Stuart’s throat had been slashed open in a grisly manner. The young soldier lay motionless in a puddle of blood.

  “Why didn’t he eat him?” Hal questioned. “He simply killed him. Two?”

  Frank shook his head. “Threatened, defense, who . . . Ryder.”

  Hal saw the turn of Frank’s head. He didn’t see Elliott, he saw Holmes.

  Robbie was the first to respond. “Dead. Neck broken.”

  Hal closed his eyes. His heart dropped.

  “Ryder’s fine!” Robbie called out. “Ok, maybe not fine. Fine. But not dead. Dude, your head is fucked up.”

  With Frank, Hal hurried to Robbie, where he stood checking out Elliott.

  “Elliott,” Hal crouched down. “Can you hear me?”

  “The other guy, no blood.” Frank called out. “Looks like he was thrown.” He walked over and joined Hal. “Ryder.”

  Elliott’s eyes fluttered. “I’m not dead.”

  “If you are,” Hal smiled. “And you see my brother, you’re in hell. No, you aren’t dead.”

  “I failed.” Elliott closed his eyes.

  “No, you did not. You’re alive. How you managed that, I don’t know,” Hal said. “Right now you need medical attention.”

  “Ryder?” Frank lifted the sword. “Did you try to kill this thing?”

  “Yes,” Elliott answered weakly.

  “Well, you may not have killed it, but whatever it was . . . you got it good.” Frank showed him the sword. The first four inches covered in blood and a thick substance.

  ****

  What was that weapon, Chaka wondered. It was sharp and long, and ancient. It was like nothing he had ever seen. They had weapons like that in his world, similar. But it was unique.

  And the primal who used it on him was strong and skilled.

  As if he knew exactly what to do.

  For a creature that moved slowly, the male primal was quick and Chaka couldn’t stop it.

  He wanted to kill the primal, behead it. But not only had the injury stopped him from doing so, but the warrior ethics did. A code set forth by his forefathers.

  When an enemy ran, showed fear, did not fight, he is no opponent. He has no right in battle.

  But when an enemy smaller and weaker shows might, courage and fight, one must battle the enemy without disadvantage.

  Meaning fight for fight, but if you are beginning to lose, pull out all stops.

  That was what Chaka was taught.

  Right now, Chaka’s midsection bled badly. His second set of organs were damaged and for repair he had to stop. Stop. Rest. Heal.

  Three rising moons.

  His stomach was full from his feast the evening earlier, although he’d still need nourishment, he’d make do with the foliage and small creatures.

  Until he had healed. He needed to hide out.

  Before doing so, he made sure he no longer was losing any blood, blood that would leave a trail to him.

  He could not take a chance in his weakened state.

  He was certain, the small but fearle
ss primal, upon awakening would seek him out. Chaka would do the same if it were he.

  ****

  It was a meeting, small, and held in Bowman for once, in regards to the incident in the field.

  Hal placed a ‘Gag’ order on all his men until he could sort things out. Panic surely would ensue and that wasn’t what he wanted.

  Only a few people knew about what occurred, and Hal would know exactly where to go to finger the blame.

  Even Elliott’s injury was being labeled a ‘fall’.

  Hal, Dean, and Roy waited on Frank’s return.

  He didn’t seem hopeful when he arrived.

  “The blood trail stopped,” Frank said. “It was pretty steady. He obviously didn’t want us finding a trail. Scent gets thin, too. I can try to track it, my guess its hurt pretty bad. How’s Elliott?”

  Dean answered. “Fractured skull. Will be fine though, no damage to the brain or swelling that we can see. He said he stabbed it in the gut.”

  Roy winced. “If that is the case, then it will heal in a few days. You know why Dean.”

  Dean nodded. “They have two sets of internal organs.”

  “Fuck.” Frank bit his lip. “But he got it. So that tells me this thing can die. How was he able to penetrate the skin if this is a LEP?”

  Dean shrugged. “Probably evolution made them less vulnerable to the elements. My God, Frank, we’re talking a thousand years.”

  “Ok.” Robbie held up his hands. “Let’s go over what we know and we can assume through knowledge about this thing. Now, Roy, you said a few days to heal? Does that mean it’s vulnerable?”

  Roy shook his head. “No. It will hide to heal. It will still be able to fight. Vulnerable to an extent. Then again, Robbie, I know nothing about the LEP’s that far into the future. The LEP’s I know of are only a hundred years from now, they were just beginning to think, and were mostly instinctual.”

  Hal added. “This one is intelligent and civilized.” He shunned the surprised looks. “I’m very serious. Elliott said, from what he recalled it wore clothing. This thing hunted my man. Gutted him, dragged him, built a fire pit and roasted him on the pit before eating him.”

  “With seasoning,” Roy stated.

  Dean backhanded him. “Why did you bring that up?”

  “It’s part of the story. It is true.”

  “They seasoned him?” Frank asked. “With what?”

  “What does it matter?” Hal asked.

  “I guess it doesn’t.”

  “It does,” Dean said. “Just that fact that they seasoned him tells me this thing is very civilized. Perhaps doesn’t even have the means to survive outside too long. Keep in mind, the LEP of our time and twenty years from now, didn’t roast its dinner, they ate it raw.”

  “As did the LEP of my time,” Roy stated.

  “This is fucked up,” Frank said. “How the fuck did this happen. How did they get so civilized?”

  “A thousand years of practice,” Hal said. “What is very scary is if this thing gets a hold of our Killer Toddlers and Pubes, what can it teach it?”

  “Not much,” Roy stated. “I don’t believe their brains have evolved enough to learn and comprehend for too long. I may be wrong. “

  “You’re not,” Dean said. “The Killer Pubes. LEP’s a hundred years from now. They aren’t too far on the family tree from the Killer Toddlers of now.”

  Hal tilted his head. “How is that possible?”

  “The Aragon Window reason,” Robbie whispered.

  Dean nodded. “Exactly. I mean, I can speak for my experience. The LEP’s were out of control because an LEP had sex with a human woman, causing a virus which made them sterile.”

  “Same here,” Roy said. “The virus was passed to partners through body fluids. Problem is, thank you to the House of Lesbians, woman to woman relations were very common early on. Before the female population increased, women found solace and comfort in another woman believing they were true in their intimacies. Hence, the spread of the sterile virus.”

  “Which led you, Frank,” Dean said. “Or some scientist to uncover the old embryos. They weren’t marked enhanced and you impregnated women.”

  “Another population explosion of LEP’s.” Roy said. “Dean cured the virus in the Aragon Window, but he did not cure it in my history. Billy did. Dean had died during the Great War. But the virus was the same, and Joe authorized the embryo implantation. Your Killer Babies Frank were killed in the Great War. Poisoned.”

  “Wait. Wait.” Hal interjected. “If Frank’s Killer Babies were killed in the Great War. How did an LEP have sex with a human woman?”

  Frank answered that. “Marcus. It had to be Marcus. So now we have more trouble. My Dad is not around, the Great War will not take shape the way it was. My babies live, breed, population out of control, and ahead of the game because you, Roy, know the cure to the virus.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Holy shit,” Robbie murmured. “Do you guys realize what bringing Dean to the future did? He halted his own death, therefore saving my dad, therefore, eliminating Frank as president during the Great War, Killer Babies don’t die, Roy comes through the time machine, the time machine brings... never mind this is far too confusing for me.”

  Hal suggested, “Can’t we just kill the Killer Toddlers, and Pubes, won’t that just make the 1,000 year old LEP vanish.”

  “Fuck, Hal, this isn’t Back to the Future.” Frank said then turned to Roy. “Would that work?”

  “It’s probable. Jason could theorize better.” Roy said. “The LEP’s obviously get so strong in numbers and intelligence that they replace us as the higher species.”

  “You know what?” Frank asked. “We need to all sit back and watch Planet of the Apes.”

  Robbie chuckled. “Good idea.”

  Hal crinkled a brow. “Watch Planet of the Apes. What an idiot. Has it occurred to anyone that these LEP’s were meant to bring extinction to man? They may be strong, fast, and at times indestructible, but they were naturally equipped with a weapon to wipe us out.”

  “Sterilization.” Dean nodded. “It crossed my mind. But that’s not a fear now. We need to concentrate on finding this future LEP before it finds our Killer Toddlers, Pubes, and possibly our women.”

  Robbie turned to Frank. “Can you work on finding its scent?”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Speaking of scent,” Hal said. “What is that smell.” He sniffed. “I’ve been smelling it all afternoon.” He walked around to each man. “It’s coming from you.”

  Robbie snickered. “You have gas, Frank?”

  “Not that I know of. Maybe it escaped me. Oh! Wait. Is this what you smell?” Frank reached into his pocket.

  Everyone groaned when he pulled out the pickle, smashed, crinkled, and near white.

  “Good Lord, Frank.” Hal stepped back. “You still have that?”

  “I was saving it.” Frank smiled at the pickle. “I forgot I had it? Want some?” He showed it around the room, everyone shouted ‘No’. “Fine.” He shrugged. “More for me.” He put the final bite of the pickle in his mouth and smiled pleased at the sounds of disgust in the room.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  On the other side of the country.

  Tigger stood on the desk, in order to deliver the kind of kiss he wanted to give to Callahan. After all, she was two feet taller than him. They were a moment away from being considered in a make out phase.

  “All right, enough,” Mike barked upon entering into the office. He was dirty, looked tired and his entire appearance spelled out that of a man who had worked all day in the heat.

  He dropped a folder on Callahan’s desk. “No making out in uniform, you know that Callahan.”

  Finally, Bertha, with a chuckle, turned. “Oh my God. You cut your hair off.”

  True. Mike’s long ponytail was gone. He sported a typical military buzz cut.

  “Although Frank’s regulation do not stipulate short hair, I want all men in this
army to follow old world stands. We can’t get them regimented any better than if we do that.”

  “Agreed.” Callahan said. “I like it. It looks sexy.”

  Tigger cleared his throat. “That’s my Dad.”

  Bertha smiled. “How was it?”

  “Those,” Mike pointed to the stack of folders he dropped on the desk. “Are soldiers I want examined by our medical staff. They seem to be dragging and my gut tells me it’s medical. We can utilize them elsewhere, but I want them checked out.”

  “Right away.” Bertha said. “Everyone became a soldier, no screening.”

  “Well, we can’t have an effective army. We’re only as good as our weakest link. We have little time to train tens of thousands of soldiers and ship them out. Tig, did you and Callahan work on the list of battalions ready to go.”

  “Yep.” Tigger climbed off the desk. “They’re ready to start training other Battalions. I started a travel schedule. Speaking of travel. Doyle arrived today with 850 men that are Beginnings trained.”

  “Jimmy Slagel?” Mike asked.

  “Here as well. He and Doyle are all getting settled. Jimmy is moving south to our subs, though.”

  “Well, I would like to meet him.”

  Callahan spoke, “Housing area 17. Unit Fifty-four.”

  Mike nodded and walked to the door. “Carry on.” He opened the door and paused. “Forget I said that.”

  ****

  “Weird to be back, isn’t it?” Doyle said to Jimmy as he plopped down on the couch.

  “We’re lucky to get a house to ourselves, beer? He extended a bottle to Doyle.

  “Thanks, don’t mind if I do. So have you contacted Beginnings and let them know you arrived?”

  “Nah, Callahan is doing that. I’ve been on the phone with down south, trying to calculate what we have in subs, and nuclear potential, so I can get it up and running.”

  “Quite a task.”

  “You bet.”

  The doorbell rang, and as Doyle started to rise from the couch to answer, Jimmy held up his hand. “I got it.” He walked to the door and opened it.

  Mike removed his cover. “Jimmy Slagel, right you look like your brother Robbie. Mike Manis.”

  “Oh, hey, Mike, how are you, come in. I’ve been waiting to meet you.” Jimmy opened the door. “Do you know Sgt. Tim Doyle?”