“What?” Frank asked.
Dean looked confused and tossed his cigarette.
“You . . . what . . .” Robbie was frazzled. He sniffed loudly. “You two are getting high.”
“Huh?” Frank looked at the last of the homemade cigarette. “Yeah. We were sulking. Paul made us.”
“Yes,” Dean agreed. “Peer pressure.”
“Fuckin Paul.” Frank tossed the joint. “He gave us instructions on how to do it right.”
Robbie was flabbergasted. “I cannot believe you two old men . . .”
“Hey!” Frank yelled.
“No,” Robbie sounded so parental. “You two are getting high. You two! Mr. Scientist and Mr. Security. Straight and narrow.”
“So?” Frank sounded smug. “We’re trying something new. Neither of us ever did before.” Reaching into his pocket, Frank pulled out another joint. He showed it to Dean. “Want your other one?” When Dean shook his head, Frank placed it in his mouth.
Robbie snatched it up. “You ass. They aren’t like cigarettes. You won’t be able to handle them.”
Frank tried to flutter his lips. He couldn’t. He tried again. “Man.” He smacked his lips together. “Man.”
Robbie shook his head. “Dad is going to be so pissed off. You know that.”
“Oh!” Frank pointed. “Dean.” He pointed at Robbie. “Robbie! Him! Bet!”
“You think?” Dean asked.
“Has to be.” Frank stepped to Robbie. “Are you sleeping with Ellen?”
“No.” Robbie stepped back.
“Yes, you are,” Frank insisted. “Someone is. In Dean’s house.”
“In my bed,” Dean said then laughed.
“God,” Robbie said, disgusted. “You two are pathetic. Ellen isn’t sleeping with anyone. I would know. I can tell you it’s not me. If it was I . . .I probably wouldn’t tell you, but it isn’t.”
“Oh yeah?” Frank lifted his chin. “Stick out your tongue.” When Robbie did, Frank nodded. “O.K., no ‘L’.”
Dean laughed, high and squealing, turned his body away, and laughed harder.
Frank started to laugh as well.
Robbie again shook his head. “You don’t take this as a setback, Frank?”
“To?” Frank asked.
“Your problem with alcohol?”
A burst of laughter precluded Frank’s response. “Robbie, it’s not alcohol.”
“But it’s a feel good mechanism. You don’t think that’s gonna make your body want that escape again.” Robbie looked at Dean. “And you’re letting him.”
Dean looked in thought. “I didn’t think of that.”
“Dean!” Frank snapped. “You made me fall off the fuckin wagon. Thank you very much.” Frank began to look around. “Where is my other little cigarette?”
“Go home,” Robbie directed. “Frank, what happens if we have an attack.”
“No Savages in sight.” Frank winked. “I checked.”
“But you never know,” Robbie said. “What then?”
“I fuckin take them all out,” Frank spoke dramatically. “All of them.”
Dean nudged him. “I’ll go with you.”
“Yeah.” Frank smiled. “You and me, Dean.”
“Oh my God,” Robbie breathed out. “Go home. It’s a good thing Jess is filling in tomorrow for you.”
“Jess!” Frank spun to Dean. “Jess!”
“Jess?” Dean questioned. “You think?”
“Maybe. Robbie?” Frank asked. “Jess. Is Tinkerbell . . .” He laughed. “Maybe he’s disguising himself as a homosexual when actually he isn’t. What a great cover. Maybe, maybe it’s him.” Frank looked at Dean then Robbie.
A moment of silence entailed and then right after all three of them simultaneously shook their heads with a assured ‘nah.’.
^^^^
“Until then, who knows?” Jess read from the paperback he held in his hand. Pillows propped him up in a sitting position on the bed. He and Ellen lay on top of the covers, him fully dressed with the exception of shoes, and Ellen in her night clothes. “Right now we’ll just keep going. That’s all we can do. Tomorrow’s another day. I know that sounds cliché but . . .” Jess went to turn the page. He noticed Ellen hadn’t moved or said anything in the form of a complaint about his story choice then he saw the reason why. She was sound asleep. Taking his bookmark from a few pages before hand, Jess marked the spot and laid it on the night stand.
He checked out the clock and the lateness of the hour. It was time for him to slip out and go home. Just as he started to do that, he changed his mind. He was comfortable and settled where he was so figuring where was the harm, Jess pulled the quilt over him and Ellen more, slid down, reached up, and turned out the light.
^^^^
Bev had put it off long enough. She actually read six chapters of the ‘Helen and Bobby story’ just to avoid watching something as drab as the disk image of Ellen’s bedroom boredom. At her desk, before her laptop, half asleep, Bev sipped her tea and watched the fast forward images of nothing. She occasionally saw the whizzing images of Ellen and the kids darting in and out . She only hoped that the last bit of the disk didn’t have anything important. It would be her luck that something would transpire and then the auto-protect would kick in, erasing the last section to preserve the identity of Johnny going in and out of the bedroom.
Bringing a sip of the extra sweet steaming beverage into her mouth, Bev began to sulk, watching and wondering if she would even take notes. Just at the point when she was about to swallow, the beverage ejected from her mouth and sprayed the screen.
Bev shrieked. “Oh my God.” She literally stumbled in shock from her chair, stopped the playing disk, and raced to the phone.
Her fingers shook as she bounced with excitement. “Johnny. Johnny, get over here. No, don’t yell. This . . . this is good.” Hanging up the phone, she focused on the wet laptop and moved back to her desk. She viewed the frozen image on the screen. “This is too good.”
Johnny was just as shocked as Bev was to see the image on the lap top. He didn’t know how well, if at all, they could use it but it was worth placing a phone call to George.
“Not enough,” George said.
“Yeah, well there’s nothing there other than Ellen hanging out with Jess all the time.”
“What was his name again?” George asked. “I’m sorry, it’s just late here.”
“Jess Boyens. He’s Canadian,” Johnny answered. “he’s big, tall, older, Special Forces in the old world. I don’t know. He fillls in occasionally here for my Dad. He could be valuable for us but I don’t know if this is good enough.” Johnny waved his hand in annoyance to Bev who was whispering something. “Yeah and he was a defector but everyone knows that.”
“Jess Boyens. Jess . . . Boyens.” George paused. “Shit.”
“What?” Johnny asked.
“I’m not sure but if I’m right, this could absolutely work in our favor,” George said,
“I don’t think blackmailing his hanging out with Ellen is big enough,” Johnny stated. “I don’t. People know.”
“They don’t know this,” George responded. “But if I’m right, trust me, he’ll work for us before he wants this to get out. Now let’s just hope . . . I’m right.”
^^^^
Henry’s hair stuck up on all ends, not from only pulling it, but from being literally dragged from bed during a sound sleep. He couldn’t figure out what was so important that Frank and Dean had to come to his house and he also couldn’t figure out when he got so funny. Everything he said and bitched about cracked the unlikely allies up. Not to mention, Henry grew increasingly annoyed with how they began to consume everything in his house.
Frank shoved another rice cake in his mouth. “I never knew these were so good.”
“I never liked them before.” Dean ate one. “Henry, these are good.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Henry propped his face in his hand. “Guys, when are you leaving? It’s two in the morni
ng.”
“We have to know, Henry,” Frank said. “Consider this an official interrogation.”
“I told you I don’t know,” Henry snapped and grabbed the remaining rice cakes from them. “Leave,”
“No,” Frank insisted. “Who? You know you know. Tell us.”
Frustrated, Henry leaned back. “All right. I promised I would say anything. If I say, will you leave?”
“Yes,” Dean answered.
“Fuckin knew he was holding out. Who?” Frank asked.
Not that Henry had anything against him. In fact Henry liked him but seeing how Frank was his friend and he deserved years of payback, Henry grinned. “Hal.”
Frank shrieked. “Uh! I knew it.”
“Hal?” Dean asked.
“Hal,” Henry stated. “Any chance they get, El and Hal sleep together.”
‘Fuckin Hal.” Frank stood up. “Let’s go, Dean.”
“Where?” Dean questioned.
“New Bowman.” Frank moved from the table.
“Frank,” Henry called out. “Robbie’s in charge. He won’t issue a Jeep.”
“We’ll walk. Right Dean?”
“Right.” Dean agreed, standing up. He started to leave, stopped, and grabbed the rice cakes from Henry’s hand. “Snacks.”
“Good idea.” Frank opened the door. “Because . . .” After a brief chuckle ,Frank began to sing. “The road is long.”
Dean followed behind him. “With many a winding roads.”
Henry hurried from the table, flew to the door, slammed it shut, and locked it. He could hear them going off in the distance, their voice fading as they made up their own words to ‘He Ain’t Heavy. He’s my Brother’.” He debated on calling Hal to warn him, but opted against it. It was late. New Bowman was a good eight miles and there was no way Frank and Dean would attempt to really make it there. So Henry shut out his lights and went back to bed.
CHAPTER NINE
October 28
New Bowman, Montana
Clean, shaven, and surprisingly wide awake, Hal spoke on the phone even before the sound of ‘Reveille’ rang out in New Bowman. “Nothing, Dad?”
“No,” Joe answered, complaining. “They are totally denying I, but I wouldn’t put it past Robbie to help, just to have the problem out of his hands.”
“What should I do?” Hal asked.
“Let them be. They both have to be there anyhow to testify for the trial. I’ll bring fresh clothes. Christ,” Joe grumbled.
“What are you going to do about reprimanding?” Hal asked. “I mean, their little speed trip to New Bowman, waking me up, and harassing me is one thing but, Dad, they had drugs on them. They were under the influence of marijuana. They even had to more of those rolled cigarettes. I don’t even know what they’re called. I never dabbled in the stuff.”
“I’ll handle it. We don’t . . . we don’t have any rules concerning drugs. They aren’t a problem. But Frank’s dumb enough, so I’ll pretend we do and he just forgot.”
“Good idea.”
“I’m sorry about this, Hal. I don’t know what possessed them to go there.”
“Drugs, Dad. Drugs make you do things which would explain their recent behavior. Hell, they may have had the problem for some time and now the masquerade is up.”
“Yeah, that’s all I need. A couple of middle aged Beavis and Buttheads. All right. Go do what you have to do. And again, I’m sorry.”
“Not a problem. I’m not even angry.” Hal peered down to his floor to where Frank and Dean lay sleeping. He hung up the phone. “But eventual and unexpected Hal Slagel payback is a real bitch.” Biting his bottom lip with a grin, Hal stepped over the oblivious two and headed to the Mess Hall for an early cup of coffee.
^^^^
Former Washington, D.C.
The horse’s head seemed to stick out like a flag amongst the mound of regurgitated unviable horse remains that lay in the concrete pen. One Genetically Enhanced baby still picked at the horse, trying to find a good piece or two.
“That . . .” George’s finger tapped on the window. “Is disgusting.”
“Feeding time.” Dr. Stevenson moved with a clipboard. “So Mr. President, what brings you here? A problem with the neck?”
“No. No. It’s fine. How are the other levels of genetic reproduction going? I see the, uh, Ogres are flourishing.”
“Well they are the only ones if they have a problem during the gene sequence in their growth, we really can’t tell.”
“Well, the weapon of the future.”
“Barbaric weapon. With huge appetites. Control is a problem.”
“Like I said before, Beginnings and their little mutant Marcus proves they can be trained. Patience.”
Dr. Stevenson stared for a moment at George. “Risking sounding very sarcastic, sir, but it’s hard to have patience training something that can devour a large animal in less than forty-five seconds.”
George had a hint of snicker at that sick thought. “Sorry. The others?”
“The others, the mentally superior, are still aborting. The ten coming to term are pretty much showing signs, again, of abomination. We are not copying the original splicing right. The Norms, we still have one overdue, but the care takers are saying they show no signs of being anything other than normal children.”
“Good. Now, the reason for my visit, aside from showing my genuine concern over these children.”
Dr. Stevenson grumbled.
“I’m going to say a name to you. Something is telling me you know this name. Perhaps you can make mention to Harold and the other assistants. Boyens.”
Dr. Stevenson thought for a minute. “Boyens? First name.”
“Jess Boyens. It rings a major bell to me and I can’t place it. Something is leading me here.”
Dr. Stevenson shook his head. “Let me check records and ask the team that works with the hibernators. I’ll get back to you.”
“Thanks.” George started to leave the observing section of ‘The Zoo.’ “Today.”
“Yes.”
“Real time today, not scientist time.”
“Yes.” Dr. Stevenson slipped into thought as George slipped out. Familiarity engulfed the name he was given. He knew he had to figure it out. Like he had done with any puzzle he set out to solve, Dr. Stevenson set out to solve the question of why he knew Jess Boyens.
^^^^
New Bowman, Montana
The quick, painless but audible ‘slap’ made Hal snicker, but Frank looked clueless and annoyed up at his father.
“What?”
“What the hell’s the matter with you?” Joe scolded. “You got to be out of your goddamn mind, getting high like that.”
“What?” Frank stood up from the couch. “I’m not a kid, Dad. Don’t treat me like one.”
“Don’t act like one!” Joe yelled, glad that at least Dean said nothing. “Do you realize you committed an offense punishable by Beginnings law?”
“No way,” Frank scoffed.
“Yes way.” Joe followed a pacing Frank. “Article 112398Bl-F67. Huh? Remember? Huh?”
“No.”
“Well let me refresh your memory. Any abuse of the substance called marijuana is punishable by hard labor for a period of up to three months.”
Frank looked in debating thought. “Why don’t I remember that law?”
“When’s the last time you got stoned?”
“Never.”
“There you have it.” Joe held out his hand. “When Paul first brought the shit to Beginnings, I said I’d allow it as long as it was used for recreation, in moderation. and no one got out of hand. I don’t need a bunch of people seeking something better when the marijuana doesn’t cut it. Got it?”
“I guess.” Frank scratched his head. “So what’s that have to do with me?”
“You violated the law, you idiot. Now, I could make it totally illegal in which the men who indulge occasionally without abuse would probably jump your big ass for say . . . gettin
g stoned. But I’m not. I’m just handing down a hard labor punishment to you and Dean.”
Dean had enough. He stood up. “Frank, there isn’t any law about that.”
Joe spun around. “You wanna test it, Dean? You want me to let your kids know that their forty year old father is running around with a six-foot-three imbecilic man, getting stoned ,and abusing innocent leaders of neighboring communities?”
“Joe,” Dean chuckled, “you make it sound so exaggerated.”
Slowly Joe walked to him. “Think about what you did. Think about. Now that you aren’t under the influence, think about.”
Dean tilted his head and sat back down.
“Now. The hard labor . . .” Joe continued. “Because Hal was a victim, the punishment will be at . . . Hal’s discretion.”
Both Frank and Dean looked at Hal.
Hal looked almost embarrassed to have been given that responsibility. He took a deep nostril breath. “It’s a big task. A burden, Dad, but . . .” he gasped out his breath. “I’ll be fair.” He nodded to Frank and Dean. “I’ll be fair.”
“Good.” Joe patted Hal on the back. “You always have been my sensible son. Now, let’s head over to Sgt. Ryder’s to get Andrea for trial while these two get ready.”
“Let’s,” Hal said. He walked to the door and opened it. “Dad, wait until you see what he’s done with his home for Ellen when she is in town staying with him.” When Joe walked out, so did Hal, but not without pulling the door closed, waiting a split second, opening it back up, and popping in his head with an arrogant, shitty grin to Frank and Dean.
^^^^
Beginnings, Montana
Crinkling her nose, Jenny held her arms close to her body as she leaned over Jeff’s hospital bed and watched Ellen. “They look really good.”
Ellen raised her eyes with a smile. “Thanks. Dean and I are proud of these lips. We worked hard on them.”
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