The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  “O.K. Maybe I said it a little coldly, but he is.”

  “Fuck that. He doesn’t want anyone to know, so he’s not treated differently. I won’t treat him differently. I’ll make his life hell when he’s with her.”

  Dean shook his head.

  “But there is a bright side,” Frank said.

  “What’s that?”

  “If they do stay together, it won’t be for very long.”

  Grumbling, Dean stood up and moved.

  “What?” Frank lifted his hands.

  Slowly they filed into the courtroom. Each person that entered added more tension to the anxiety already in the room. The courtroom was more packed than it had been the entire week of the trial.

  Andrea wore a brand new blue suit. She looked confident as she sat at the table with Danny and Trish. Joe sat behind her, Denny next to him.

  Danny kept looking at his watch. How much longer? His heart couldn’t take it. A usually relaxed and carefree Danny was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He only wished he was the one giving encouragement to Andrea instead of her giving encouragement to him.

  The ‘all rise’ seemed to play deeply and slowly in Danny’s blood filled ears as Judge Grace entered. He looked at the jury who stared ahead and not at Andrea. Danny hoped that was a jury tactic, not a sign.

  “Good morning,” Grace spoke softly. “I thought we’d do a special Saturday session so we could get this trial over with and everyone’s lives could return to normal.” She looked to her left. “Will the jury foreman stand?” She waited until he did. “Have you reached a verdict?”

  “We have your honor,” he answered.

  With a nod, Grace sent the court assistant to the jury box to retrieve the folded verdict. The court assistant brought it to Grace and laid it before her.

  Grace held the verdict in her hand. “Will the defendant please rise.”

  After getting a squeeze from Danny, Andrea stood up. She reached back behind and grabbed Joe’s hand. She stood tall, strong, and ready.

  Grace opened the verdict. “In the matter of The Untied Western Alliance state of Beginnings versus Andrea Winters-Slagel.” She took a breath “We the jury, find the defendant . . . guilty.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Quantico Marine Headquarters.

  “Approximately four hours, sir,” Steward told George. “Robbie Slagel stated he wants to get the job done before sentencing on Monday.”

  Slowly George nodded as he sat down. “I don’t understand the sentencing. Johnny hasn’t called. What did Bev say?”

  “She said he still isn’t back yet.”

  “Andrea was found guilty. She gets kicked out. What’s the choice? They can’t incarcerate her there.” George huffed. “All right. Finish preparing for the Slagel arrival then have a team get everything ready for Andrea. Also notify a transport team to be ready ASAP to pick her up. Though I hate the tension she went through. One good thing . . . she’ll be where she should be . . . here.”

  ^^^^

  Pandemonium.

  That was the word Joe would use to describe the feel of that courtroom after the verdict was read. He could still see, hear, and feel it. The rush of vocal objections. Andrea’s silent fall forward into the table as she passed out. The tears. The shock.

  Joe’s heart was broken. Twelve men who did not know the Andrea he did, in one instant, changed her life and his by finding her guilty of working for the Society.

  Joe hated the thoughts he had. Though he believed in his wife one hundred percent, he heard the evidence. He couldn’t be angry with the New Bowman jury because he knew if he too were in their position, he probably would have come up with the exact same verdict.

  “Joe,” Danny spoke sadly as he approached him.

  From his curb seat, Joe looked up. “Hey.”

  “God, Joe, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

  “No.” Joe stood with a grunt. “You . . . you did the best you could. I know that. Andrea knows that.”

  “I want to believe that. I went with every angle, Joe. I’m . . . I’m no lawyer.”

  “This isn’t the old world court of law either. The evidence . . . . well, it was pretty overwhelming.”

  Danny nodded sadly and placed his hands in his pockets. “I always look at every situation. And . . . though I prayed, Joe, I prayed that I would win this. Hell, Henry and I even tried to cheat.”

  Joe snickered. “I know.”

  “But even with wishing and praying for the good, I didn’t forget the bad. I thought about it. And I need to talk to you.”

  Hearing the seriousness in Danny’s voice, Joe was all ears.

  ^^^^

  Ellen’s lips pressed hard to Robbie’s cheek and she seemed to squeeze the life out of him.

  “El,” he grunted through the tight embrace. “I really have to . . . go.”

  “I know.” She stepped back. “Please be careful.”

  “Hey, it’s me.” Robbie looked at Frank who stood behind her. “Big brother,”

  “Little brother.” Frank stepped to Robbie and embraced him. “I’m proud of you. Come back.”

  “You bet.”

  “And remember.” Frank pointed.

  “I will be the eyes and ears of Beginnings. Call me the invited spy. God, how long has it been since I been to Quantico?”

  Ellen, horrified, looked at Frank. “You’re making him spy?”

  “Hell yeah.”

  “Robbie,” Ellen called out worried.

  “I’ll bring you a souvenir.” He grinned, moved to the door of the jet, and before he embarked, Robbie gave a thumbs up.

  ^^^^

  “Come in.” Grace looked up from her paperwork on her desk.

  Joe and Danny stepped in the office.

  “Mr. Hoi. Mr. Slagel.” Grace set down her pen. “Have a seat. Are they still getting Andrea situated?”

  “You can say Andrea’s getting herself situated. She kind of wants to be alone with the kids right now.” Joe closed the office door. “You look busy.”

  “Beginnings Domestic squabbles.”

  “Your problem now,” Joe said as he took a seat. “You decide the fate.”

  After a quick shift of her eyes to an oddly silent Danny, Grace nodded. “Is the key word ‘fate’?”

  “You could say that,” Joe said. “Monday, a lot of testimonies will be read and people will speak on behalf or against Andrea. All of which trying to sway you and the jury to make the best punishment decision.”

  “And you are not here to sway me?” she asked.

  “No,” Joe answered.

  Danny took over. “As I understand, the option to oust Andrea is not an option. She will go. The decision you and the jury jointly make will be . . . when, where, will we aid her, will we take her, and will we send her out cold . . . The whole nine yards. We just . . . we just came up with another option for you to consider.”

  “Another option?” Grace folded her hands and leaned into her desk. “I’m listening.”

  ^^^^

  Beginnings, Montana

  “Allen Boyens,” Jess said the name almost frightened.

  It still didn’t make sense to Ellen. The name. The note. The look on Jess’s face and state she found him in when she returned. He waited anxiously, almost in pain, for her. “Jess, I don’t understand.”

  “Oh, God.” Jess started to pace about her empty living room. “Help me, El.”

  “I will. Please tell me what’s going on. Please.” Ellen begged him.

  “I’m being pressured and I know what I have to do. But if I don’t do what the note says, I will lose everything.”

  “Jess, you aren’t making any sense. Do you know who wrote the note?”

  “No.” He shook his head. “Obviously someone that knows about me.”

  “Then tell me.”

  “You have to give me your word that you’ll believe me.”

  “Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Your word.” Jess stopped pacing and laid hi
s hands on her arms. “Your word.”

  “You got it.”

  Jess lifted the note and crumbled it. “My name is Allen Boyens. Jess . . . Jess was my little brother. I took his name hoping I was so far away from it I wouldn’t be traced.”

  “Traced?”

  “When I worked for the Society. I worked in their farming division. But it isn’t farming as you think. It was . . . breeding. I would herd the animals. I was one of the men responsible for bringing in the women they would lobotomize, place in hibernated sleep, and use only as breeders. Bodies for breeding. I hated it. I hated every second. But in the Society, once you get a job, you don’t get out of it.”

  “So you were stuck doing this,” Ellen said. “Understandable. You were confused. This is nothing that . . .”

  “No.” Jess shook his head. “I wanted out. I made a deal.” He lifted the note again. “My deal. My end to my life in Beginnings.” Jess lowered his hand. “For three months I was trained. Eighteen hours a day. Trained, tested, trained, retested. I had to be perfect. I was. What I was taught in those three months was . . . the layout of Beginnings. How it worked. Who of importance lived there. Their known weaknesses, their strengths. Everything. I was trained to be a spy. None of my men knew. I was supposed to defect to Beginnings right after our attack. I did. I was supposed to be trusted. I was. And then . . . I was supposed to work for the Society against Beginnings. I can’t.” Jess backed up from a silent Ellen. “I didn’t want any parts of the Society. When they told me how I would leave them and live here, I grabbed it. I figured no one here knew what I looked like, at least the person working for George. I thought I could pretend to do what they wanted and once I was in here, I would say ‘screw the Society’.”

  “But someone knows about you.”

  “Obviously. El, you have to believe me. It was never my intention to ever be a spy. It was my full intention to take my opportunity to get the hell away from the Society and run with it. How . . . How could I turn my back on this place? I fell in love with Beginnings the moment I started looking at pictures of it. The moment I learned about the lives here and the smiles on people’s faces. This place was what I was searching for when the Society found me, not what the Society offers. I want to live here. I don’t want to lose it.”

  “Oh Jess.”

  “Tell me you believe me. Please.”

  Ellen stared into the begging eyes of Jess. “I do. I believe you.” Barely did she complete her words when Jess embraced her. She felt it all right then and there in that embrace. Jess was telling the truth and he needed help.

  “What am I gonna do? If I go to Joe . . .”

  “Right now he won’t buy it,” Ellen said. “And even if he does, he’ll be pissed you weren’t straight with him. Then . . . word gets out.”

  “I no longer will be trusted by anyone. I’m gone, El, either way.”

  “Give me the note.” Ellen took it and opened it. “All right. We have one week. There aren’t many typewriters in Beginnings. We start there.”

  “I already did.”

  “And?”

  Jess closed his eyes. “Mary at the library said yesterday evening, Andrea . . .”

  “No.”

  “Yes.” Jess nodded. “She was in there using the typewriter because hers was taken as evidence.”

  “Fuck!” Ellen stomped. “Fuck! This is not good. Whoever is working for George just added another conviction knot to Andrea’s belt. They knew she was in there.”

  “El? What if . . . what if it was Andrea?”

  Ellen handed the note back to Jess. “I refuse to believe that. Anyhow, we have one week. While I’m back in New Bowman, I’ll try to think of other ways.”

  “I’ll do the same.”

  “I’ll call you tonight. I promise.”

  Jess nodded.

  “It’ll be all right.” Ellen assured. “We’ll get through this. I’ll help you. And if we find nothing out in a week, we’ll both go to Joe. I’ll stand beside you.”

  “As much as I appreciate that, I won’t let you.”

  “Why?” Ellen asked.

  “Because I don’t want people to not trust you. They’ll think your judgment is clouded.”

  Snickering, Ellen waved Jess off. “Oh that’s crazy. I’m an original.”

  “True. But in the people of Beginnings eyes, those who truly hate George, you, El . . .” Jess reached up and laid his hand on her cheek. “You are the original who’s been bonding with the enemy.”

  ^^^^

  Andrew’s Air Force Base

  The teams had worked hard to clear a viable runway for Robbie’s landing. They had also provided accommodations, food, and materials Robbie said he needed.

  George stood with Steward listening to the trailing off engines of Robbie’s plane and watching the plane that had just landed.

  “I have to admit,” Steward said. “I think this is a monumental day. A peacetime movement.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” George said. “It’s a temporary peacetime. I want Beginnings back. I need that communications set up.” He looked up to the sky. “It’s getting dark. Do we have those spotlights ready?”

  “Yes so there should be very little problem with getting started right away.” Steward didn’t want to admit to George that he felt nervous watching the top of the jet open. He actually was excited about meeting Robbie.

  “Christ,” George stated when Robbie stepped from the jet. “I forgot how big he was.”

  “I’m shocked you aren’t trying to come up with a way to keep him for us.”

  “Yeah, well, if it wasn’t in our best interest to work with him, hell I’d knock his big ass out, tap into that brain of his, and make him ours.” George put on a fake greeting smile when Robbie drew closer. He walked to meet him. “Robert. How was your flight?”

  “It was good. Wow. D.C. It’s been awhile.” Robbie looked around then down to George. He squinted a little from the setting sun. At first he thought the brightness of the beams caused it then he saw the vision before him was real. Deep down inside of him, Robbie searched for those manners he learned as a youngster. Robbie knew Joe taught him well about being polite and hiding any cringing or facial expression that could make a person feel bad. And he tried; he really tried not to let his mouth part in the pre-giggle mode when he saw George. He was tilted some and the left side of him dropped in a melted sort of way. His hand moved but it clearly showed signs of shriveling. Robbie knew it worked because George reached up and snapped two of those hideously crooked fingers in front of his face.

  “Robert.”

  “Oh. Sorry.” Robbie shook his head and snapped out of his mesmerized stare of George.

  “Is everything all right?” George asked.

  “Yeah, I was just thinking,” Robbie’s mouth lifted in a smile. “Man, did Dean and Frank fuck you up.” He whistled. “O.K., let’s go see the jet. Is that it?” Robbie pointed and walked by George and Steward to another awaiting aircraft.

  George growled in irritation and turned to follow Robbie, never seeing the snickering look upon Steward’s face.

  ^^^^

  Even though everyone was in costume, laughing, talking and dancing, there were a few things really missing from the Halloween party at the Social Hall. Robbie from the Starters, who played without him, and Danny Hoi, who worked hard to plan the party. In fact, Danny was nowhere to be found. Almost all the originals were missing.

  Except Henry. He wanted to drink. He came to the Hall because he hated drinking alone, yet he sat by himself at a table. His head was down toward the glass he kept refilling, his hand held back his hair. His head was swimming and he felt sick to the pit of his stomach. Henry was getting drunk. But he had to wonder if it was his imagination that made him think there was something else missing from the Halloween party . . . originality. It seemed to Henry, with the exception of a few men dressed in drag, every single man, even seventy-year old Hap, was dressed up as Frank. It most likely was the alcohol because even intox
icated Henry couldn’t find the logic in everyone dressing like Frank.

  “You look like you can use some company.” Hector pulled up a chair and sat down.

  Henry lifted his eyes from his drink. His blurred vision focused in on the ethnic looking Hector who sported a goatee and scar. “Who . . . Who . . .”

  “Hector.” He laughed. “Are you that drunk?”

  “Not yet. Who are you supposed to be?”

  “Aw, Henry, I’m taking that as an insult. I’m Frank.”

  “Frank?” Henry sat up and looked around. “And who is Hap supposed to be?”

  “Frank.”

  “Paul?”

  “A black Frank.” Hector made Henry look to his right. “And Ben from fabrics is a gay Frank.”

  Henry snickered and ran his hand down his face. “God. Why?”

  “It’s the Frank dress up contest. There’s supposed to be this big prize for whoever is the best Frank. A really big prize. We don’t know what it is.”

  “Who told you about the contest?”

  “Frank.”

  “And you believed him?” Henry asked. “Hector, Frank’s an asshole. He’s lying just to get all you guys to dress up like him for some stupid ego thing to brag about.”

  “No. I don’t think so. Everyone is dressed like Frank.”

  “Yeah, that’s the point. Danny arranged this party. I spent a lot of time with Danny,” Henry said then finished his drink. “Danny made no mention of a contest.”

  “Maybe not but it must be for real. Look.” Hector pointed to the door.

  Henry turned in his chair. Danny had finally arrived and when Henry saw his costume, he grunted and dropped his head to the table. He had seen it all. A Chinese Frank.

  Dean probably laughed harder than Frank when he peeked into the Social Hall as he tried not to be seen. He grabbed his stomach because it twisted in a knot from laughing. “Oh my God. Even I have to admit that’s funny.”