The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Huh?” Dean straightened his hair. “It’s getting cold out. Is it gonna snow, Henry?”

  “No.” Henry’s eyes shifted again. “Why . . .” He twitched his head to Bev.

  “Huh?” Dean looked in wonder. “Oh, she walked in at the same time as me. Stop that.” He looked at Henry’s glass. “What are you drinking?”

  “Wine.”

  Dean took the glass.

  “Why are you here?”

  “Joe kicked me out of my own house. He was feeding your son. Henry, when are you coming over to get him?”

  “I was thinking tomorrow if I’m not too busy.”

  Dean nodded.

  “Excuse me.” Bev, smiling, leaned her face to the two men. “Henry, where’s the sign out sheet for booze?”

  Henry pointed backwards with his thumb. “In the storage room.”

  “Thanks.” Bev walked off.

  Henry rolled his eyes. “I’m glad you’re here, Dean.” He tapped his hand on the bar. “I want to talk to you about something.”

  “Sure.” Dean sipped on Henry’s glass of wine.

  “I was wondering . . .” Henry shuddered at the outburst of screams that came from Robbie and the gang playing darts a few feet away. “I was wondering if enough time had passed for you and I to talk about an understanding.”

  “Henry.” Dean closed his eyes.

  “I know you aren’t in the share mode yet. But, Dean, come on. It’s a way of life. In order to not be a target and for things to not be so tense. You are going to have to.”

  “I know.” Dean let his fingers trail the glass. “And I probably will. But, Henry, I’m sorry, like I told Frank, when and if I have an understanding, it will be with Robbie.”

  A clatter of glasses, a rattling ashtray, and a stool falling over were the noises that precluded Robbie’s hands slamming down between Henry and Dean. With a grin and out of breath, Robbie faced Dean. “Tell me I just heard what I just heard.”

  “Robbie.” Dean shook his head with a snicker. “I was just telling Henry . . .”

  “You’re having the understanding with me.” Robbie nodded. “Yes? Right?”

  “When the time comes . . . yes.”

  “Yes!” Robbie shrieked out with a jump. “Oh man.” He laid both hands on Dean’s face, pulled him unexpectedly to him, and kissed him hard and fast on the lips with a smack. “Yes!”

  Dean laughed. “Robbie calm down.”

  “Oh man. This is great. Dean, I’ll make it work with you. I will. This is great. Thank you. Oh wow. Wait . . . family solace time.” Robbie lowered his head. “Poor Frank.” He lifted it with a grin. “Oh well.”

  Dean couldn’t help but laugh. “You have to calm down. It may not be for a long time.”

  “Still Dean, my position is secured. I know El won’t have a problem with it. I know it,” Robbie rattled. “Wait, I’m gloating.”

  Dean nodded.

  Robbie cleared his throat and swiped the smile from his face. His voice deepened. “Can I ask what made you come to this fine decision?”

  “To be honest.” Dean raised his eyes to Robbie then to Henry. “You are the only man ever involved with Ellen that has never hurt her.”

  Robbie nodded. “That’s true and I never will.”

  Henry’s hand slammed down. “Dig taken.” He stood up, violently screeching his stool. “This is bullshit, Dean. It’s fuckin bullshit!” He pointed at him. “You don’t play by the rules that everyone else does. It was fine when you wanted one and me and Frank gave her up for you.” Henry began to storm away.

  “Henry.” Robbie called out. “Dean’s not doing anything wrong.”

  “Fuck you Robbie.” Henry with another spin barged from the social hall.

  Robbie whistled. “Temper. Oh, well. I’m going back to play darts.” He let out a shuddering breath “Thanks Dean.” With a swat to Dean’s arm, Robbie returned to his game.

  Dean lowered his views down to his drink. In his peripheral vision he saw Robbie leaving and Bev as a blur running out of the Hall.

  “Henry!” Bev called out running down the street, holding her bottle of whiskey. “Henry! Wait!”

  “Damn it.” Henry cringed and turned around. “Bev back off.”

  “I heard.” She walked to him.

  “So what..” Henry started to walk again.

  “It’s all my fault, isn’t it.”

  “Uh, yeah, Bev, you helped.”

  “I can make it up to you.” Bev scurried to keep up. “I can. Henry. I can help you get Ellen back.”

  Henry stopped, his look of irritation and anger predominant. “How in the world can you do that.”

  “Because I know what’s gonna happen ahead of time. I know something. You can use it.”

  “I don’t play games.” Henry started to walk along.

  “Neither do I.” Bev grabbed his arm. “O.K., I do. But this isn’t a game. It’s real. It’s very real and works to your advantage. If you use the knowledge wisely.”

  “Another set of lies?”

  Bev grinned. “Hardly. Can you keep secret?”

  Henry’s attention was caught and even momentarily he was all ears.

  Bowman, North Dakota

  Ellen shook her foot trying to shake the tickling she felt as she turned the page. She was enjoying reading about the early years of The Brady Bunch and inner secrets unofficially released. But that annoying twitch in her foot drove her nuts as she lay on the bed. “Frank!” She yelled. “Knock it off. I’m trying to read.”

  Frank laughed as he climbed up from the floor at the bottom of the bed. Sneaky-like, on his hands and knees, he climbed on the bed and crawled to Ellen.

  “Go away.”

  “El, you’re killing me.”

  “You’re killing me” She turned a page.

  Frank took the book from her hand.

  “Hey!”

  “You don’t read.”

  “I enjoy the pictures.”

  “You can enjoy me.”

  Ellen laughed and rolled on to her back. “Is Hal sleeping?”

  “Yeah, so we can fool round.” Frank tried to kiss her.

  “Frank.” Ellen covered his mouth with her hand. “Don’t O.K.?”

  “Why?”

  “You know why.”

  “Because you’re married to Dean?”

  “Um, yeah.” Ellen said.

  “El, it’s not real.” Frank lay on his side, facing her.

  “Frank, it is. As much as you hate it, I married him. I can’t divorce him. I won’t. I wanna try to make it work. We have to be platonic until you and Dean sit down, set up an understanding, and we do this you and me thing right.”

  “You’ll have an understanding with me?” Frank asked.

  “Yes.”

  Nodding, Frank ran his fingers down her face. “So if you’re gonna have an understanding with me anyhow, why can’t we fool around?”

  Ellen let out a breath. “I wanna do things right. O.K., You and I have never done things right by Dean. I don’t want to hurt him, Frank. I would appreciate it if you were good.”

  “I’m always good.”

  “You know what I mean.” Ellen rolled on her side to face him. “You are my weakness.” She watched Frank grin. “You’re also my best friend. You can make me fold and I’m asking you not to.”

  “Only if this request is contingent on the fact that we will eventually be together somehow.”

  “If Dean allows it.”

  “O.K.” Frank nodded. “I’ll be that best friend. I’ll be good.” He stole a kiss. “Can we at least sleep in bed together?”

  “You’ll behave?”

  “El, please.” Frank scoffed. “But I must warn you, I will not be good if you attack me in the middle of the night.”

  Laughing, Ellen grabbed the book from his hand. “Give me that.”

  “Is that book really that interesting?”

  “It has me being literary,” Ellen stated.

  “True.”


  “Here look at the pictures.” Ellen opened the book.

  “Oh shit.” Frank started to laugh. “That brings back memories. I remember this episode.” His huge finger pointed down to the picture. “This is cool.”

  “Yeah. Informative reading.”

  “With great pictures”

  Ellen smiled and laid the book between their two bodies. Together they looked it over and, like many things, shared it.

  Beginnings, Montana

  Huffing, grunting, and panting mixed in with the sound of Johnny’s clinking ice. He swished the liquid in his glass as he walked to his bedroom. He shook his head and opened the door. The noises were louder. Bev, engrossed sat at the laptop, was wearing only the tee shirt again. Her eyes were wide. She stared at the screen of the computer as she slumped in the chair.

  “Bev, turn it down.” Johnny took a swig of his whiskey, set the glass next to the computer, and leaned over her shoulder. “God.” He cringed. “Are you at least getting anything valuable from this?”

  A soft, ‘mm-hmm’ came from Bev.

  “Something is not right about watching this.” Johnny reached for his glass. “Of course . . .” He tilted his head. “It could have its advantages.” With a smirk, he drank and watched the bedroom scene. The camera angled down to the bed. “Can you zoom in?”

  Bev reached up and controlled the mouse. The shot of the two people making love came in closer. It was Dean and Ellen. “This is the best one. This is right before he left.”

  “Are there many on here?”

  Bev nodded. “Not much, but. . . interesting.”

  Johnny let out a slow breath “What exactly are we . . . we watching for?”

  “Routine. Consistencies.” Bev spoke soft. “Technique.” She reached her free hand back and laid it on Johnny’s crotch.

  “Stop that.” Johnny pushed her hand away. “You’re sick. She’s like my mother.” Shaking his head, Johnny brought his drink to his mouth and walked out, leaving Bev to her research.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Bowman, North Dakota

  October 5

  Frank dropped Hal’s bag less than gently in the back of the pickup truck. He walked around to the passenger door and opened it for Ellen. “No. Don’t ask. You’re not getting the window seat.”

  “I’ll get car sick,” Ellen complained.

  “Tough. Puke. I’m not riding a hundred miles smashed next to my brother.”

  “You’re only being like this so you can cop a feel when you shift gears.”

  Frank smiled. “Get in.” He walked over to where Hal stood talking with Elliott. “Hal, let’s go. I wanna be in Beginnings by seven.”

  “All right.” Hal took a step back. “And if they aren’t back by ten.”

  Elliott nodded. “I’ll send a four man search party out.”

  “Good.” Hal nodded “I’ll be in touch.”

  Elliott saluted.

  Frank widened the door for Hal with rolling eyes. “Why do you make those men do that to you?”

  “Frank, it’s called respect of authority. I should make you salute me.”

  “Yeah, right. I outrank you.”

  Hal paused from getting in. “How do you figure?”

  “I’m older, I’m better, and I’m Frank.”

  Shaking his head, Hal made an attempt to get in the truck, but stopped when he heard the call of his name.

  “Fuck.” Frank stomped. “Can we possibly leave this place?”

  Hal stepped away from the truck and saw Len coming his way. “What’s wrong?”

  Len caught his breath. “I just heard from our Kansas men. They radioed. They aren’t returning.”

  “They’re supposed to be back today,” Hal stated.

  “Sir, they said something is up and they are investigating further. Seems the Society camp they stumbled upon . . . yesterday the soldiers packed up the entire base and moved on.”

  Hal quickly looked at Frank in worry. “Which direction. North?”

  “No.” Len shook his head. “Get this, east. Due east.”

  “Home?” Frank questioned.

  Hal returned to Len. “Tell our men to track the movement another hundred miles then head back. This is unusual. No Society base ever goes east.”

  “Will do, sir.” Len saluted and stepped back.

  Hal walked to the truck with Frank. “What do you make of it?”

  “Odd. It’s one base.”

  “True.”

  “How many are out there that you’re aware of.”

  “Many.”

  “That’s a fuckin vague answer.” Frank nodded and walked around the truck. “When we get back to Beginnings, let’s talk to Dad about getting a plane up and running for Robbie. We can scout by air for any other bases.”

  “That’s a good idea. We can see if anyone else is moving.” Hal got in the truck.

  Ellen looked to her left and to her right when both Hal and Frank got in the cab of the truck at the same time. Immediately she felt her air and physical space leave her when both big Slagels got comfortable. “Swell.”

  Frank looked at her, turned on the truck, shifted gears, and grinned.

  Beginnings, Montana

  Nervously, Johnny looked up and down the hallway of the clinic then flew back into the main lab. Bev stood there.

  “Johnny, if I’m going . . .”

  “You’re not. Not yet.” Johnny breathed out. “I’m glad I caught you. I spoke to your Dad. He said wait to see what happens today. He’d rather hit them daily than all at once. I agree. So hold off until we get the O.K.. O.K.?”

  “O.K.” Bev stated apprehensively. “I was all ready.”

  “I know, but it’s just a few days, maybe even tomorrow. I’ve got to run. Update me later on your Dean notes.”

  Nodding, Bev’s mouth dropped open when she didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye. Johnny was out the door.

  Reading off a chart, walking blindly down the hall, Dean turned into the lab.

  “Hi Dean.” Bev waved.

  Dean closed his eyes and his shoulders dropped.

  ^^^^

  “Hey, Johnny.” Henry watched him whiz by him. “Bye, Johnny.” He looked and smiled at Johnny’s wave and then walked into the clinic. He checked out the time on his watch and moved to the lab. As he hit the door, Bev was walking out. “Bev?”

  “Just . . . seeing Dean.” She winked and kept on walking.

  Watching her walk away, Henry’s bright look for the day left and he walked into the lab. “Dean.”

  “Oh, hey, Henry.” Dean popped his head from the fridge.

  “I’m heading to Containment. Do you have that batch of meds? Robbie says he needs them.”

  “I’m getting it now. I was busy.”

  “I bet.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  “I’ll bring it right over.”

  Henry didn’t even say goodbye. He just turned and left the lab.

  Mumbling ‘I guess he’s still pissed’ Dean went back into the fridge.

  ^^^^

  Standing in the Skills Room door with Robbie, Joe looked oddly inside at Ellen’s brother Richie. He watched as the survivors in Containment bowed as they passed him. “What in Christ’s name is he doing to them?”

  Robbie shrugged. “He told them he was the prince of Egypt.”

  “Christ.”

  “He’s bored. He wants out.”

  “Ellen says he’s not ready and I have to agree.” Joe pointed.

  “Ellen’s making him pay for all the money he borrowed off of her all his life.”

  “Oh, that’s ridiculous. As petty as she is, she wouldn’t stoop that low. That’s her brother.” Joe turned from the door. “Anyhow, what do you think?”

  “About the plane idea?” Robbie started walking with his father. “I’m game. Movement could be a bad thing.”

  “Especially if they’re pulling all troops in.”

  “Regrouping?” Robbie suggested.r />
  “Or worse. They could be planning to hit us with something . . . . something I don’t want to think about it.”

  Robbie paused before he headed into the office. “Scary shit.” He moved in and sat in a chair. “So when’s the Rev. Bob thing going down?”

  “As soon as Frank and you get back from scouting the Savages. Last radio report said they were close to home. Another fifteen minutes or so I guess.” Joe sat behind Ellen’s desk. “I’m not looking forward to this.”

  “This or Andrea?” Robbie asked.

  “Andrea.”

  “Hey, Joe.” Henry came into the office. “Sorry. I’m trying to get everything in today so I’m free and clear for this afternoon.” Henry looked at a small notepad. “Which appliance needs fixed here? Ellen just put appliance.”

  Robbie looked up. “The fridge is not staying cold.”

  “Can’t Danny help today?” Joe asked.

  “Danny’s in New Bowman for another hour. He’s been there since dawn situating the power. Robbie, Dean will bring that . . .”

  “I’ve got it.” Dean walked into the office. “It crowded in here.” He laid a bottle in front of Robbie. “Give that to him four times a day. Do you need me to check on him?”

  “No.” Robbie shook his head. “It’s just a cold.”

  Joe looked at Dean. “Make sure you clear time for today. I need you up there. You’re a part of this suspect thing.”

  “Sure.” Dean nodded.

  “Joe,” Henry spoke up. “I’m out of here. See you there.” He backed up and left the office.

  Dean hurried and left as well, waving as he did. “Henry.” He hurried down the hall. “Look. I don’t want you to still be mad at me all right. We shouldn’t let this come between . . .”

  “Dean.” Henry was cold and hard when he stopped walking and shut him up. “I’m really not wanting to talk to you.”

  “I can’t believe you’re this mad at me. And realistically Henry, you have to think. After what went down with you and El, how much would Ellen respect me if I gave the understanding to you.”