The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Andrea.” Joe kissed her on the cheek. “You’ll be fine anyhow You’re gonna be just fine.”

  Andrea grabbed his hand and sadly nodded.

  ^^^^

  Dean’s eyes shifted to the illuminated alarm clock right next to his head. He saw the time was three a.m. and grinned. Sneaky like, he lifted his head, looked at Ellen, rolled over, and opened the top drawer to his night stand. Smiling, he pulled out a syringe. Gently flinging off the covers, Dean slipped from the bed.

  “Dean,” Ellen grumbled.

  “Shh.” Dean told her.

  “What are you up to?”

  “Killing Frank.”

  “O.K.” Ellen rolled on to her side and pulled up the covers.

  It was perfect and Dean knew it. Wearing only his boxer shorts, he dropped to his knees at his bedroom door and crawled across the floor, arm over arm. He made no noise and had no clothes to make a ruffling sound. Frank was in a deep sleep. He had to be. He made it to Frank and Josh’s room and the door was closed. Hoping it wasn’t locked, Dean reached up and slowly turned the knob. A minor creak emanated as he pushed the door open.

  Dean was small and he didn’t need much room, so he only opened the door slightly and crawled in. Frank was sleeping on his back with one arm above his head. Grinning with the syringe in his mouth, Dean without even disrupting the floorboards, made it to Frank’s head.

  Taking the syringe from his teeth and mouthing the words ‘bye-bye’, Dean lifted the syringe and brought it to Frank neck.

  The loud ‘Ha!’ and the quick snap of Frank’s hand grabbing Dean’s made Dean shriek.

  In the dark room, Frank grinned as he held on to Dean’s wrist. “Too slow.” He snatched the syringe from Dean and swung his legs over the bed as he sat up.

  “Shit.” Dean stumbled backwards and then saw Frank coming at him with the needle. “Shit,” he said louder, rolled to his knees, and stammered to a run just as Frank swung down and missed his backside with the diving syringe.

  Not only did Dean take off out of the bedroom, but Frank followed in pursuit.

  ^^^^

  Joe couldn’t sleep. He napped. He was restless as he dreamed of the day’s events and he woke from the dream to discover very little time had passed. On the edge of the bed with his hair mussed, Joe smoked a cigarette. Trying to relax was forefront, needing something to take his mind off of everything is what he searched.

  The first metal slam followed by three thumps caught his attention, but the second slam followed by two made Joe get up and look out the window. “What the hell.” Dean was running right by the window and across the yard behind the modular home. Not only was he just in his underwear but he was barefoot as well. Joe was about to chalk it up to something eccentric he was working on until he saw Dean look back. Dean was being chased? Joe questioned then saw the answer. Frank sped by Joe’s window, clad only in his underwear as well. Stepping back, hoping nothing was wrong, Joe sat back on his bed. The moment he did, he heard Dean scream and right after, Frank laughed loudly. Smiling and glad to see Dean and Frank were getting along, Joe put out his cigarette and tried again to get some sleep.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Bowman, North Dakota

  October 6

  In the morning’s dawn, Hal tossed his still burning cigarette as he walked the streets of Bowman. He sipped from his steaming cup of coffee. An armed Robbie walked one side of him, Elliott on the other. They neared the landed chopper.

  “You sure you’ll be all right?” Robbie asked.

  Hal nodded. “They’re still a good fifteen miles away and haven’t moved.. We’ve been here before. A few may dart in, never all, and usually they just go away when they see the numbers we have.”

  “True,” Robbie said. “You have a hundred men on the front lines.”

  “Exactly.” Hal sipped.

  “And . . .” Elliott added. “We’ve been in black-out all night, so they may also have lost sight of us through the trees.”

  Robbie stopped at the helicopter door. “Well, the only problem is, whether they see you or not, there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it until they do something. Like us, there’s nothing more me and Frank would like to do than just blow away their camps. But is it right? No. They’re animals . . .”

  “But they’re still lives,” Hal concluded. “You guys make fun of our uniform, but doesn’t it fit into the feel of this whole thing?”

  Robbie tilted his head with a smile. “Yeah, it is cowboys and Indians like, isn’t it?” He opened the door. “I have to head back and let Dad know you’re secure. He’s worried.”

  “We’re fine.” Hal extended his hand. “We’ll be in contact if we need anything.”

  Robbie shook his brother’s hand then extended it to Elliott. “Make sure you guys keep us up to date.”

  Elliott nodded. “We will thanks. Oh, Robbie . .” Elliott reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an envelope. “Could you give this to Dr. Hayes?”

  “Sure.” Robbie looked at the wax seal. “This is cute. We have to introduce you guys to this stuff we have in Beginnings. It’s called glue. I’ll give this to Dean.”

  “Not Dean. Ellen,” Elliott corrected.

  “Got it. Ellen.” Robbie stuck the envelope in his back pocket. “Hal. Elliott.” He jumped in.

  Hal and Elliott stepped back as Robbie started the helicopter engines.

  “So, Captain.” Elliott looked at Hal. “Your brother will remember to give that to Ellen?”

  “Oh, yes, without a doubt,” Hal said assuredly.

  “Do you . . . do you think he’ll read it?”

  Hal watched Robbie lift up into the air. He looked at Elliott with a grin. “Oh, yes . . . without a doubt.”

  New Bowman, Montana

  It was not a sound in the old world that Joe wanted to hear at seven in the morning, let alone hear it at all. It irritated him. The ‘bang’ of all fifteen pounds of the hard plastic ball on the alley, the rolling of it across the planks, the ‘clunking’ as it hit into pins, and the annoying shriek of victory all because someone knocked a few things over. “Christ.” Joe grumbled. “Danny! Come on!” Joe yelled to him as he sat there with his coffee and cigarette.

  Danny lifted his hand in an acknowledging wave then picked up another bowling ball as he played center alley of the Bowling Hall.

  Jason Godrichson was at the table, along with Henry. Jason snickered. “At least we’re getting the morning Council meeting out of the way.”

  “At a bowling alley. I thought we were through with these.” Joe shook his head.

  Henry pointed. “You’re talking about Danny, the man who’s determined to bring civilization back even better.”

  “Speaking of civilization, did you think about it, Henry?”

  Henry was dumbfounded. “Civilization?”

  “No, what I asked you to think about. You know, running the prosecution end of the . . .”

  “Oh, Joe.” Henry shook his head. “I can’t. I can’t do that to Andrea. I love her.”

  “Do you want to see someone else do it and possibly do it unfairly?”

  “No,” Henry answered. “But still, no matter what she says, she’ll hate me.”

  “She’s already gonna hate you, Henry,” Joe said. “You gathered the evidence.”

  Henry looked at Jason. “What do you think about it?”

  “I haven’t had time to give it any thought. I will though,” Jason replied.

  “You don’t have an immediate gut response?” Henry asked.

  “It’s never wise to give an immediate response. I’ll let you know my feelings tomorrow.”

  “Swell.” Henry tossed up his hands.

  “Hey guys.” Danny, a little out of breath, approached the table then sat down. “Whew.”

  “Bowl well?” Joe asked.

  “I suck, but it’s been a while. So what brings you guys to New Bowman so early?”

  “New Bowman,” Joe answered. “We need her up and running, Danny,
ASAP. Bowman has Savage problems. Robbie just got back. It’s best, especially with the camps being spotted here and there, that we put them under our reigns soon.”

  “Joe, we’ll be doing that in two weeks,” Danny stated.

  “Can it be done in one?” Joe questioned. “How much more is left?”

  “Well as you can see, power is up and running. We still have lots of houses to finish getting ready . . .”

  “That can be done when they get here,” Joe commented.

  “And housing distribution,” Danny added.

  “Minor.”

  “Tab’s Tavern is still in shambles.”

  “Danny.”

  “Tracking. That’s the big one.” Danny nodded. “We have the receivers set up in the circumference but we still have to put some up around the power plant and the new roadway from Beginnings to here. We need continuous safe passage. We have to link them, check their signals, and test.”

  “Can you get on the tracking today?” Joe requested.

  “Sure. I’ll have to go back to Beginnings and get supplies, but I’ll start.”

  “You’ll give me an operational New Bowman in a week?”

  “Joe, I’ll give you an operational New Bowman in six days.”

  Joe smiled. “You’re the man.”

  “But of course.” Danny stood up. “Now, I really have to get back to work especially if I have a rush on things now”

  “You go right ahead,” Joe told him. “We’re gonna finish up our meeting and head back.”

  Danny nodded, waved, and moved away.

  Henry watched Danny walk over to the alley to gather up his things. “Joe, you didn’t mention the other stuff.”

  “Nah. Not yet. I’ll hit him with it later.” Joe picked up his coffee. “One thing at a time.”

  Jason intervened, “Do you think he can handle it all?”

  With a gasp of his Bowling alley coffee, Joe nodded. “Danny thrives on being busy. Besides, what the hell else does he have to do, right?”

  Jason and Henry agreed but with some pity because they knew what all Joe had planned ahead for Danny Hoi.

  Beginnings, Montana

  Dean limped.

  The walk to the cryo-lab was just a little too long for Dean’s backside’s liking. When Ellen examined it for him, she said the bruise was huge and there was a lump. Had Dean not seen the needle to the syringe, he would have swore when Frank rammed him with it that the tip broke off and lodged deep into his fleshy tissue, waiting to get sucked into his bloodstream and cause a massive stroke.

  Frank.

  The mere thought of the name filled him with two extreme emotions, aggravation and pleasure. Not that Frank was a pleasant thought, but the thought of pay-back was.

  Dean capped the red marker at the same time the cryo-door buzzed open.

  “What’s wrong?” Frank asked upon his entrance.

  “Someone tried to get into the Brian case again.”

  “Shit. Why didn’t he alarms go off?”

  “I don’t know. I thought since, you know, you’re Security, you could take a look.”

  “Shit.” Frank moved to the back room. “Is the case O.K.?”

  “Yeah, just the lock is broken again.”

  “I’ll look.” Frank walked further away and turned into the room. He slid to a stop when he saw the case. It looked fine. “Dean, I think you’re . . .”

  Slam.

  Frank turned around, the back room door slammed shut, and the door locked. Thinking it slipped, Frank tried the inside security panel. Nothing. “Fuck. I forgot this doesn’t work.” Just as he was about to call out, he heard the tapping on the window. He turned to look and Dean was standing there.

  Dean smiled and waved. He held up a piece of paper to the window. In bright red marker it read ‘you are stuck.’

  “No shit,” Frank said.

  Dean held up another, ‘a poisonous gas will be released into the room’. He switched sheets. ‘you have thirty seconds to get out.” Another paper switch and Dean grinned widely. ‘starting now.’ He looked at his watch.

  Frank rolled his eyes and tapped on the window. When Dean looked up to him, he flipped him off then smiled with arrogance. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a screwdriver.

  “No.” Dean shook his head.

  Bobbing to the door, Frank bit his bottom lip, placed the screwdriver to the hinges, and lifted them. Looking as if he was humming something, he shifted the door enough for him to slip out.

  “No!” Dean sang out.

  “Free!” Frank gasped. “Smell that fresh cryo air.” He smiled at Dean. “Nice try though. Hey, how’s your butt.”

  “I hate you, Frank.”

  “Try something else. That was fun.” Frank started to leave the lab but stopped on his way out. “Oh, Dean. The case is fine. I don’t think anyone tried to break in.”

  Dean used inner strength to refrain from a sarcastic comment. He knew it would be mental torture because a ‘Frank-style’ comment would be made in return and a battle of half-wits would therefore ensue. “Thanks, Frank. Perhaps I was mistaken.”

  “Sure.” Frank walked out.

  Dean let out a subtle whine as Frank left. He couldn’t walk easily, he certainly lost the ability to sit comfortably for the next day or so, and with the failure he felt from not succeeding to kill Frank, Dean plopped his head on the counter in defeat.

  Quantico Marine Headquarters

  Dr. Stevenson had made the trip onto base from his special lab in former Washington DC. He wasn’t as presentable as he wanted to be for meeting the President and the gash across his left cheek didn’t help his appearance either. But he had to see George. It couldn’t wait.

  Although he was deemed as making ‘fine progress’, George looked pathetic to Dr. Stevenson. He was sitting in the high back wheelchair with his head propped up with pillows,. The side of his face looked like a extreme case of Bells palsy. In fact, with the way George’s one eye didn’t move, Dr. Stevenson found him almost scary as well.

  “They’re ready,” Dr. Stevenson told George but wondered at the same time if George could comprehend him. “Actually, they’ve been ready, both the batch we were working on and the new batch that we made especially for Beginnings.” Dr. Stevenson still waited for a response. Was George sleeping? Maybe he was and his eyes just wouldn’t close. “I know you’ve pulled in everyone. My God, I have a staff again. But even with the staff, we can’t handle them. Should we just destroy them or . . .”

  “Send them.”

  Dr. Stevenson jumped back. He really wasn’t expecting a response. “Did you just speak?”

  “Did you think . . . I couldn’t?” George asked raspily.

  “Yes. I mean, no. I mean . . .”

  “Send them.”

  Dr. Stevenson smiled brightly and sighed a sound of relief. “With pleasure. Consider them on their way to Beginnings.”

  Beginnings, Montana

  It would have been like a game of Let’s Make a Deal to Jess on picking the correct garage where Frank was located, but the music of Journey led him correctly as if it were a guiding light.

  Carrying a tool box, Jess walked into the garage closest to town. Two trucks were in there and Frank was under the hood of one. “Hey, Frank.”

  Frank turned his head at the call of his name. “Jess, hey. Thanks for coming.”

  “Robbie said you needed help.”

  “Yeah, I want to get my truck running again and I figured with me and you working on it, two hands are better than one.”

  “Four.”

  “For fixing the truck,” Frank explained. “Anyhow, you take under. She’s leaking brake fluid.”

  “Brake fluid?” Jess said shocked. “Out of the blue? What are you working on?”

  “The rods. They were knocking like a bitch when I started her this morning and then I noticed the brake fluid.”

  “Odd.” Jess set down the tool box.

  “I didn’t interrupt anything y
ou were doing, did I? I knew I didn’t have you scheduled.”

  “No. Just sleep.” Jess got on the cart and lay on his back.

  “Good.” Frank returned his full views to under the hood.

  Sliding underneath the vehicle, spot light in hand, Jess felt the drip of fluid on his nose. He rubbed it and looked. “Frank.”

  “Yeah.”

  Jess rolled out and sat up. “Your brake line has been cut.”

  “Did it tear?”

  “No, it’s cut. Someone did it on purpose.”

  “Fuckin Dean.” Frank made an adjustment. “He is loving this killing me shit.”

  “You could have been killed for real.”

  “Nah.” Frank shook his head. “I don’t drive that fast.”

  “Don’t you think?”

  “I try but it’s been hard lately. I don’t feel any different but Dean says I’m temporarily mentally disabled until next Tuesday.”

  With a slow nod of his head, Jess laid back on the cart. “I’m gonna check it out again.”

  “O.K.”

  Jess slid under the truck.

  “Frank.” The slight peeping shy sound of her voice described Denise better than any detailed description. It was tiny, soft, and young, just like Denise looked.

  Frank thought it odd she was there in the garage, very odd. Coming out from under the hood, he grabbed a towel to wipe off his hands and prepared himself in case Denise was there to try something deadly on behalf of Dean. “Hey, Denise. What’s up?”

  “I need to speak to you, Frank.”

  Frank turned his head to the rolling wheels. “Hey, Jess. Do you know Denise?”

  Jess sat up then stood. “I think we met twice.” He shook Denise’s hand. “Johnny’s girlfriend or ex.”

  “Yes,” she nodded. “You’re Robbie’s roommate?”

  “Yeah. Hey Frank, I have to run down to storage. There’s another brake line down there.” Jess backed up. “Nice seeing you, Denise.”