The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

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  In a coy, yet funny way, speaking a little deeper than his usual tone, Dean, sitting on the couch, tilted his head, raised one eyebrow and stared down at Ellen, who laid there. “In my professional physician’s opinion, quiet is essential.”

  Ellen’s face tensed up as she held back her laugh. “Which we have.”

  “Which we have. Relaxation is also important.” He pointed his hand down to her. “Which we have.”

  “Cozy and comfy.”

  “And the most vital physician’s recommendation I can make is, elevation of the legs.” He turned his body. “Which ...” He flashed an ornery grin. “We’re gonna have just about now.” Parting Ellen’s legs, he lifted them some, bringing them to his waist as he lowered down to Ellen. Through her laughter, he began to kiss her until a knock on the door stopped him. He lifted his head. “I swear if this is Frank, I’m hitting him.”

  “Go ahead.”

  Dean slid his body from Ellen’s, straightened his hair, waited for her to sit up, and opened the door. “Robbie?”

  “Hey Dean.” He peeked in. “Hey El.”

  “What’s up?” Dean asked.

  “I know it’s late, well not too late, but I was sort of wondering, can I just spend some time with El?”

  “Something wrong?” Dean opened the door wider for him.

  “No. I just kind of need that companionship right now. The friend thing. Do you mind?’

  “No, not at all. In fact ... I’ll run down to the clinic, I have some things to get ready for Joe’s meeting tomorrow.”

  “You don’t have to leave. It’s nothing personal I need to discuss.”

  “Nah.” Dean opened the closet door and took out his jean jacket. “I should get this done anyhow.” Placing it on, he moved to the sofa, bent over the back of it and kissed Ellen. “I’ll be back.”

  “See ya.” Ellen grabbed his hand and felt it slip away as Dean backed up.

  “Night, Robbie.” Dean moved to the door.

  “Thanks Dean.” After he saw Dean had left, Robbie walked over and sat on the other end of the couch. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting.”

  “No, not at all. Is something wrong?”

  “No. Really there isn’t. I just need to talk to you.”

  “About anything in particular?”

  Robbie shrugged. “Somewhat, but there’s nothing weighing me down if that’s what you think. I wanted to know if you would help me with something.”

  “Sure, if I can.”

  “It might take a lot of your time.”

  Ellen snickered. “Not like I can’t spare it. What’s up?”

  “Remember ...” Robbie inched his way to her. “Remember when you lived with me and we got into that one conversation about when we pick up survivors. We kind of exaggerated.”

  “I remember.”

  “Remember we came up with a plan on what should be done.”

  “Yes.”

  “I think we should really examine that joking idea and present it seriously to my Dad.”

  “Robbie.” Ellen shook her head in disbelief. “It’s a bit extreme.”

  “We’ll tame it some, but it’s a good plan and I’d like to do it. But it’ll take your help and we’ll have to show him we’re serious by doing a lot of prep work or it.”

  “You mean setting up schedules, activities ...”

  “Processing and ... reading up on things.” Robbie finished her sentence. “The whole nine yards. What do you say?”

  “You think Joe will go for it?” Ellen asked.

  “I think if we tell him seriously about it, he will. Plus you know, getting some things ready will take a few hands. Winter’s coming.”

  “It can be something for us to do,” Ellen agreed. “I’m up for it. We should detail it out before letting him know. And we should detail it out tonight if we want him to ponder on it before the meeting.”

  “My thoughts exactly. That’s one of the reasons I’m here.”

  “And the other?”

  “To see you.” Robbie winked.

  Ellen smiled and stood up. “Thank you. I’ll get some paper.” She moved to the dining room. “Robbie ... I’m glad to see you too.” The way he lowered his head in a blush as if he had never been complimented, Robbie looked so young and innocent to her at that moment. Maybe, Ellen thought, he just hadn’t been complimented enough lately, or because he was always so upbeat and smiling, Robbie just was forgotten about as someone that needed that attention. If Robbie needed attention, whether it be through the survivor project or just couch conversation, Ellen was going to give as much to him as he called for, because Robbie was the only person in Beginnings that was completely positive about everything. With the world the way it was, Beginnings couldn’t lose that, not a single ounce of it.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  November 28 - Beginnings, Montana

  “Surviving.” Joe stated the word as he dropped three filled folders to the long table in the Social Hall. “That is what this whole Garfield project was about, surviving and building a tomorrow. But people, the truth is, we may have had the birth of the twins, and Jenny could end up knocked up, but it’s not building. We have to do what we are meant to do. Build.” Joe paced a little as he spoke. “I spoke to Dirk and Stan and they are spreading out the crops. We want to get people in here so by next harvest we have people to help. Right now, where we’re at, we have too much food. It’s time to share. Now I know some of you are apprehensive about opening our protective world and letting outsiders in, especially those who have been in that world for what will be two years by the time we start searching. We have a plan. When Robbie and Ellen approached George and myself this morning with the fact that they had an idea, we were a bit apprehensive until we heard it. They’ve worked some on it and will continue to work on it. It’s ...” Joe winked at them. “It’s a good plan. It will be their baby, the survivor thing, and because of that, Robbie, give it to them in a nutshell.”

  Robbie stood up. “Basically the ground rules for survivors will be set down right before we start to look for them. And we will look for them. The ones that approach us, well, we’ll handle them as they come. But we’re calling it the survivor process. First we search them out. We then bring them here. They will be processed in my Dad’s office, through paper work then they will be given an examination there complete with blood work. If they are sick in anyway, they will go to the clinic. If not, then they go to a place we will call Containment. It will be a place El and I work that will house, feed and teach those people about living in our world. We’ll watch them, observe them and when they’re ready, we’ll let them into Beginnings. It will be a secure building, so no one gets out on their own.”

  Andrea raised her hand. “What happens if you have someone in this Containment and they just can’t handle living in the civilized world?”

  Robbie hesitated but only for a second. “Then as cruel as it seems, we have to take them from Beginnings.”

  Frank had his questions too. “You said examine them at Dad’s office. Containment? Where will this be?”

  Joe took over. “That’s where all of you come in. We need to build a few places. Remodel. There are two rooms adjacent to my office. They both will need to be done, one as a waiting room and one as the examining room. Storage building ‘J’, next door, is big, hollow and has plumbing. Miguel, you mentioned you have some carpentry experience and I know Frank can do a hell of a job with dry wall. I want both of you to take that building, make me some plans, and come up with a way to make it into what Ellen and Robbie want. It has to house both men and women. We can use the next couple months to get the supplies, then instead of twiddling our thumbs waiting for a heavy snow to fall so we have something to do, we’ll build and remodel all winter.”

  Frank turned his head to Miguel. “I’m up for this. We can make that building into a sort of squad bay. That will work.”

  Joe nodded. “I know last winter was bad with the boredom and it’s already started since harves
t is over with. This should keep us pretty busy.” Joe saw Henry’s hand was raised. “Yes, Henry?”

  “What about runs, Joe?” Henry asked. “When will we make the runs?”

  “We’ll have several types,” Joe answered. “I think most of you will be up for this. I’d like to schedule the first round of runs in two weeks, one of them being a Christmas run and the other a supply run. We shouldn’t need to go far for the building supplies. Off route 2 there’s that home warehouse that should have all that we need. But Dean has given me a bunch of data.” Joe lifted a huge folder. “Of things we’re gonna have to deal with when these people come in, health wise that is. So Dean, over the next two weeks, you and Ellen and your father, come up with what we’ll need to stock up for this and figure out some places close that we can get it.”

  Dean nodded in agreement, but he was short of words.

  “All right.” Joe looked up. “Looks like we got ourselves a plan to follow. We can do this people if we all work together, keep the lines of communication between us open, and establish a common goal and vision. With a lot of hard work, we can eventually make this place into what it is supposed to be ... the Beginning of the new world.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  December 12 - Miles City Mall, Miles City

  “Momma, comb my hair.”

  Henry snickered as he held the baby doll and his fingers pressed the tummy. He sat center of an aisle, dolls spread everywhere around him. The toy store was just disrupted some, hardly looted if at all.

  “Momma, feed me.”

  “O.K.” Henry laughed again. “This is so neat.”

  “Attention Toys R Us shoppers.” Robbie’s deep voice rang over the intercom of the store. “For the next ten minutes only you can purchase the life size Frank action figure guy for only nine-ninety-nine.”

  A blast of a toy machine gun rang out as Frank turned the aisle and aimed at Henry. “Hey check this out. Real M-16 action.” He laid fake fire on Henry who sat on the floor. “Look at you playing with dolls.”

  “She talks.”

  “Just like a female. Henry, why the fuck are you playing with dolls?”

  “I’m picking some out for Katie and Alexandra.”

  “Both of them still drool. You should be in the un-eatable toy aisle.”

  “But they won’t drool in a couple years, Frank. What happens if we can’t go out and get any of this stuff in a couple years?”

  Frank scratched his head. “That might be true. O.K., you’re in charge of the female stuff, Henry, and make sure you get Barbie Dolls.”

  “Got it, Frank.”

  A motorized small car zipped around the bend of the aisle and Robbie followed it. “Frank, we have to get some of these for ourselves.”

  “Oh yeah.” Frank bent down to it. “We can hook explosives up to them.”

  “Like when we were kids.” Robbie grinned. “Hey, is that the Commando Man Mutants of War with real M-16 fire power action?”

  “Yeah.” Frank fired. “Check it out.” He tossed it to Robbie.

  “Whoa.” Robbie fired it. “It kicks. Kind of light though.”

  “Robbie, they have to draw the line on real.” Frank was so serious. “You can’t expect a two year to tote around a fuckin’ toy as heavy as he is.”

  “You’re right.”

  “Frank?” Henry held up another baby. “This one pees.”

  Robbie motioned his M-16 down to Henry. “Why does it not surprise me Henry is playing with dolls?”

  “Henry probably always played with dolls,” Frank said. “We should be getting back. Let’s start loading up.”

  Henry stood up. “I hope Joe lets me be Santa. I asked if I can be Santa. He grumbled at me.” Henry played with a doll’s hair.

  Frank rolled his eyes. “Wanna know why? You’ll give it away who you are.”

  “Why?” Henry asked.

  “Henry, when’s the last time you saw a Chinese Santa?”

  “I’m Japanese, Frank.” Henry followed Frank through the store. “All my life every Santa I saw growing up was Japanese.”

  “Then you witnessed some lame Santas. Santa is not Asian.”

  “How do you know?” Henry asked.

  “I know.”

  “No Frank. No one knows. Have you ever seen the real Santa?”

  “Henry!” Frank spun around. “Shut the fuck up about Santa. Even if I never saw the real Santa, I know he’s not some oddball, six foot, lanky, long haired Asian man. That’s for sure.” Frank found his cart full of toys and began to push it.

  “You are so mean, Frank. You aren’t nice at all. Not at all.” Henry pushed his cart as well. “And racist. You’re very racist.”

  “I never claimed to be a fuckin’ saint, Henry.” Frank stopped pushing his cart as he approached the double glass door. He paused as he pushed them open.

  “Hey Frank!” Robbie raced forward. “You forgot to pay for ... what’s wrong?” He saw Frank staring out.

  “I thought we closed the back gate of the truck the last load we took out.”

  “We did,” Robbie said.

  “No, we didn’t.” Henry added. “I don’t think we did.”

  “Did we? Or didn’t we?” Frank asked.

  “Obviously we didn’t,” Robbie commented, “because it’s open now.”

  “But what if we did?” Frank asked. “It shouldn’t be, if we did.” From around his back, Frank swung his real M-16, opened the door, and shoved the cart out with one hand, shifting his eyes about, moving slowly and toward the truck.

  Henry whispered to Robbie as they walked out, “I think your brother has been playing Commando Man too long today.”

  Robbie stepped outside of the mall-plex with his cart. “Frank?”

  “You guys load up.” Frank stepped away from the cart and pumped his M-16.

  “What is it?” Robbie asked.

  “Listen. A fluttering. It’s in the distance.”

  Robbie listened. “A motor?”

  “Yeah. Load up.”

  Henry moved into high gear. “Oh I can see it.” He started to just throw things into the truck. “It’s like a bad episode of Mad Max. You know John Matoose ran into trouble when he went east last time.”

  “I know.” Frank still stared out. “That’s why I’m telling you two to load.” Frank’s eyebrow lifted. “And in double time gentlemen.”

  Close, but echoing, a raspy male voice rang out at them. “Oh, will you look at how clean they are. I knew the military would be up and running. They are all healthy. They don’t look starving at all.”

  Frank raised his weapon. “Load it up. Get ready, Robbie.”

  “Let’s just get out of here Frank,” Robbie said. “Load up and out. What’s one man going to do? It’s not worth the trouble.”

  “I know. Just be pre ...”

  A short scream preluded the diving of six men from the roof of the toy store building. They dove like savages onto Frank, Robbie, and Henry. As soon as the one landed on Frank’s back, he flipped him with ease, turned to the one who had jumped on his brother, stole any reaction time Robbie had, lifted the man from him, and tossed him out ward as if he weighted nothing.. Re-gripping his M-16, Frank fired out, shooting the two men he downed. He pivoted his body just in time to grab one that Robbie spun in a punch. Frank grabbed him, threw him, and shot him.

  Three left.

  Instead of firing his weapon, Frank swung it out, nailing one so hard he literally flew back ten feet. Seeing Robbie was holding his own, Frank went after the last one who went for Henry. Frank gripped him by the back of the throat and lifted him. He held the man at arm’s length, dropped him, then shot him.

  “Shut the gate!” Frank yelled in an order to Henry. “Robbie, get in the truck. Now!”

  “But Frank we can take ... these ... .shit.” Robbie’s eyes widened when he saw twenty more on motorcycles riding their way. “We can lay these guys out, Frank.”

  “Or we can just go.” Frank hurried and helped Henry.
“Enough people are dead in this world. They don’t need our help to drop. Let’s just book.”

  With a slam of the truck’s gate, and the motorcycle’s nearing, Frank raced to the driver’s seat and jumped inside the cab at the same time as Robbie and Henry. Frank turned the ignition, shifted the gears, and pulled out before his door or the other was even shut.

  “Frank.” Robbie could see the reflection in the side mirror. “They’re still on us.”

  “Fuckin’ assholes. Are they armed?”

  Robbie looked again. “I believe so.”

  “You wanna drive or me?”

  “You choose.”

  “What?” Henry was horrified. “Frank’s already behind the wheel of the truck.”

  “You drive,” Frank told him. “I’ll end this happy fuckin’ pursuit”

  “No.” Henry shook his head. “Look, just drive faster. Drive faster. Guys I don’t ... Uh!” Henry shrieked, hunched and covered his eyes. Peeking through his slightly spread fingers, he watched as Robbie hurried across the cab of the truck, switched feet with Frank on the gas and then, like a well rehearsed ballet, Frank lifted up, slid to his left, and Robbie took the driver’s position.

  “Floor it!” Frank yelled, then out the door he went, laughing and thinking ‘bonus;’ when the door whammed a cyclist in its fling open. Frank swung his body to the ladder on the side of the cab, gripped the rungs and, wind whipping, he climbed up.

  He was careful not to stand when he reached the top of the cab. Crawling on the roof with a good hold, Frank scooted on his belly at the same time he removed the revolver from his shoulder harness. He braced his hand and his aim, lowering his head to see his mark.

  “Oh I can’t see.” Robbie peered closer to the windshield and Frank’s long legs that dangled over. “Frank, move your legs!”

  “He’s busy, Robbie.” Henry told him so nervously. “Oh my God. Oh my God.”

  Robbie swerved the truck and unwound the window. Henry screamed.

  “Fuck!” Frank yelled. “Easy.”

  “What?” Robbie yelled back. “Frank, move your legs.”