“What name did you use so I can play along. You know, come back from New Bowman and say ‘Dean, so and so, says hi.’.”
“Margie,” Dean stated.
“Margie? What kind of name is that?”
“You said pick something feminine. Besides, Ben picked it.”
Taking another chip, Frank bobbed his head from side to side. “I guess that’ll be O.K.. Hey, at least it worked.”
“It worked,” Dean nodded.
Standing in the hall with her back against the wall, Ellen pulled out the Margie note. She peeked around the bend at Frank and Dean at the dining room table, then reread the note. With a pleased smirk, she crinkled it up and headed to her bedroom, feeling even less guilty than before about wrinkling all of Dean’s clothes.
CHAPTER FIVE
November 6
Beginnings, Montana
Day two. Skill started to play into his thoughts and Frank knew in no time at all he would be the master. Determination returned him to the back gate region. Concern for the community’s safety played some into the factor, but mostly boredom, with the lack of fall activity, was the main reason Frank had to get that bear. That and the fact that it was just something really cool he wanted to do.
Dressed in fatigues, he was the perfect soldier or rather, in Frank’s eyes, the perfect bait. A little dirt to add that ‘been working hard’ look, some blood for the scent of it along with Frank’s newest and best touch. He had to break down and get some help from Robbie with it because Robbie was good in that field but basically Frank designed the ‘catch’ of the trap himself.
It couldn’t go wrong. He was just a Beginnings soldier hanging out in the woods having his breakfast. The bowl rested on his lap, resting just upon the hair pin trigger underneath. And then from a bag, Frank poured oatmeal into the bowl along with the Beginnings equivalent of a half a stick of dynamite. Frank knew porridge would work much better, but since he hadn’t a clue what porridge was, he stuck with hot mushy breakfast food figuring if he didn’t know the difference, neither would a bear.
The only problem with the trap was the face. Frank did the best he could do with color sticks and a canvass sack, but it lacked that realistic facial look. But again Frank thought, it was a bear. He would be clueless. That bear would smell the blood and the porridge, get hungry, reach for the bowl, and . . . boom.
No more bear. Or at the very least, if the bear wasn’t dead, he would be crippled enough for Frank to easily find. The best part Frank thought of his brilliant new bear trap, was the fact that he didn’t even have to be there. He could go about his business until he himself had time to be the sitting duck. And as it pushed six a.m., Frank had to do just that. Work.
Fixing the stuffed dummy against the tree with the porridge bowl perched on him as the hidden ticking time bomb, Frank stood up. He smiled at his creation and the ingenious behind it then Frank headed to the back gate. He had a good feeling. It wouldn’t be long, not long at all, until the grizzly situation was under control.
^^^^
New Bowman, Montana
“Have you packed enough underwear, Elliott?” Hal stood in Elliott’s bedroom watching his right hand man get ready to go to Beginnings.
“Funny. Want to ask if I have my toothbrush as well?”
“Do you?”
Elliott shook his head and zipped his duffle bag. “I don’t like being away for so long.”
“It’s really not that long and the treatments are needed,” Hal explained. “Besides, what will you be missing? Preparations for winter? Nothing big. What you are going to do is big. And that, my friend, requires all of your attention and energy. So lay off my sister.” Hal held up a finger.
“Captain, honestly, even if Ellen and I were intimate partners, I wouldn’t dream of crossing that boundary in Beginnings nor would I do so with her living with her husband again.”
“Elliott, must you go into such long winded speeches? I was kidding you.”
“Oh,” Elliott exhaled.
“But while we’re on the subject, I need to ask. What’s going to happen with you and Ellen? I mean, with Dean back in the house.”
Elliott shrugged. “I don’t know. Ellen says she wants to keep what we have going.”
“But you feel funny.”
“In a way, yes,” Elliott stated. “I wouldn’t feel funny about partaking in a normal ‘understanding’ as they call them in Beginnings, but Dr. Hayes, the male Dr. Hayes, hates me.”
“And rightfully so.”
“What?” Elliott laughed.
“Kidding, but I’m willing to bet Dean won’t give his blessing to make it an official understanding.”
“Absolutely not. No.”
“Would you like my opinion?” Hal asked.
“With a lot of fear behind this answer . . . Yes.”
“O.K., here it is.” Hal paused for a second. “Don’t worry about it. If you want to be close to Ellen, then you allow Ellen to call it. If she wants to continue, you continue. I believe you are a good man and you deserve some happiness.”
Elliott smiled. “Thank you. That means a lot.” Taking a breath, he reached for his bag. “Well, I guess this is goodbye for a week.”
“Are you kidding? No,” Hal said. “I’m going with you. Then you’ll see me all the time.”
“Why?”
“Beginnings isn’t that far and, mind you, I have my issued electric Jeep so I can make the trip with little time expended. I want to go and check on you.”
Elliott chuckled. “I’ll be fine. You don’t need to do that.”
Very serious, Hal looked at him. “Yes. Yes, I do. Granted I have my family back, but you have been my family and best friend for many, many years. I want to stand by you through this. I worry. So allow me to check up on you like a concerned brother.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“Good. I’ll need some support as well. Aside from my concern for you, I have to be available to go to Beginnings should they need me for this investigation.”
“Are you helping?” Elliott asked.
“No. I am a suspect. My father unofficially told me I was one.”
“You?” Elliott seemed shocked. “That’s ludicrous. You of all people. I should hope they don’t waste their time investigating you.”
“Why do you say that?” Hal asked.
“Why wouldn’t I? You hardly have means, opportunity, or motive.”
“I wouldn’t exactly say that. Look at the facts. My father gets a call to go to Beginnings. I fail to wake him and go on my own. I attend this meeting. Means? I was in Beginnings. Motive? Well . . .” Hal shrugged. “Look what she did to my family, Ellen especially. I’ve made no bones about hiding the fact that I defend Ellen. Ask Dr. Hayes.”
“All right. I’ll give you motive and means. What of opportunity? They say the girl was killed around three a.m. The fact that the Tracking guard can verify your return to New Bowman is alibi enough.” Elliott saw Hal shake his head. “No?”
“We had problems with Tracking that night. They received signals, not documented time. The guard can say what time I radioed. Whether that would be good enough, who’s to say. My father and Johnny were sleeping when I returned.”
“So are you worried.”
“Not in the least,” Hal stated. “Why should I be? Elliott, there is no rush of madness about this investigation. No outcry of the citizens for resolution. No one cares. I believe my father and Frank will take their time. There will be no wrongly accused. When the shooter is named, and trust me, they will name the actual shooter. No mistakes. Even if I were the one who killed Bev, or even if you were the one there would still be no worries because when justice is served, I feel the punishment will match the crime. And what was the crime? The elimination of a traitor against our state.” Hal slightly smiled. “When you think about it, it really isn’t a crime at all, is it? Here . . .” He took Elliott’s duffle. “I’ll carry your bag.”
Elliott’s head spun. Hal had ended the conversation
as quickly as he grabbed the bag and left the room. Before he followed Hal, Elliott thought for a second about what was said. Hal made a lot of sense but Elliott had to disagree on the punishment issue. He himself had a different way of thinking on it. The reality of it was the world of Beginnings and New Bowman were worlds of playing favorites and the severity of the punishment would depend, in Elliott’s opinion, not on the crime, but rather on who was the actual murderer.
^^^^
Joe came to the realization as he stared down at it in his hand, that when it came to a new toy, children would play no matter how old the child was, even thirty.
Over Joe’s shoulder, Danny Hoi spoke with his usual upbeat enthusiasm. “What do you think?” He pointed to the object Joe held. “That is pretty good quality from such a small one.”
“Why does Containment need one?” Joe asked.
“Robbie and Ellen asked me to pick one up.”
“I see. Why?
“As Ellen put it, since they are dealing with mentally unbalanced individuals, some parts of Containment are clinical and for clinic files, records of medications given are needed. Joe, do they really medicate these people in here?”
“Some. What about supplies for it.”
“We do the toner. It’s a small machine. It won’t get used much.”
“Really?” Joe said with sarcasm looking down at the copy machine replica in his hand. “So what about this?”
“Ask your son.”
“Ask me what?” Robbie asked as he walked into Ellen’s office where the machine was. He stopped by his father and looked at the copy he held in his hand. “Cool, huh?”
“Robert, why am I holding a copy machine version of Richie Martin’s face?” Joe looked down at the copy. It was Richie with a near horrified look.. His one eye was centered and wide open, his cheek smashed to the glass, and hands were next to his face. “An autographed one, none-the-less.”
“It’s instant photography. Richie wants to be popular so he’s handing them out.”
“Them? He made more than one?” Joe asked. “It’s a piece of office equipment, not a toy.”
Robbie pointed to Danny. “He said we had to try it out.”
“So you stuck Richie’s face in there?”
“Richie wanted to do it.”
“Really?” Joe questioned then showed Robbie the copy. “Then who’s goddamn arm is this holding his head down?”
“Danny’s.”
“No. No,” Danny snickered. “I don’t have that much hair on my arm.”
“Gee, Dad.” Robbie looked at the copy. “That is a lot of hair.”
“You’re right,” Joe agreed “Asshole Frank. He ought to grow up.”
“What?” Frank asked as he walked in.
“Frank.” Joe turned to him, waving the photo copy as he did. “For crying out loud. Just because you knew Richie long ago, it’s wrong to take advantage of him so knock it off.”
“O.K.” Frank shrugged. “Hey, what’s that?” He took the picture of Richie. “Oh, my God.” He started to laugh.
Robbie laughed also. “Isn’t that hysterical?”
“I have to show El.” Frank rolled it up.
“She will get the . . .” Robbie saw Joe looking at him. “What?” He grunted when he was backhanded in the gut.
“Hal Junior,” Joe quipped. “Blaming it on your brother. Frank, why are you here?”
“It’s not to stand in a crowded office. I tell can you that. Bub’s here.”
“Who?” Joe asked.
“Bub,” Frank huffed. “You said it’s O.K. to bring him here. The lobotomized Savage?”
Danny sneaked into the conversation. “There’s a Savage in Containment?”
“Yep,” Frank nodded, “but he’s missing some of his brain so he’s safe, I think. Then again Dean removed some of his mind when he wasn’t really in his right mind so . . .hey.” Frank tossed his hands up when Danny left. “Where’d he go? Fuckin rude.” He moved to the door. “Anyhow, I’m heading back down to my Frank corner of the cryo-lab for the investigation.”
“Where is Bub?” Joe asked.
“He’s mingling,” Frank said. “He’s now the intelligent one of the group. See ya.”
Joe shook his head after Frank left. “He’s an asshole.”
“He’s Frank.”
“I am.” Frank’s fading voice called out from the hall.
Still shaking his head, Joe moved to the door. “Robbie, you’re sure you’re fine with the Savage being here?”
“Oh, yeah. No problem. I’ll buddy him up with Richie.”
“Good.” He stopped walking. “Robert, you have to find someone to work here in Containment for you. Those hands of yours are needed in Mechanics.”
“I don’t have a problem working Mechanics, Dad, but there’s no work.”
“What do you mean no work? I was up there this morning. There’s a stack of requisitions.”
“Yep.” Robbie nodded. “But bet me they’re done by Henry himself. He’s just throwing himself into everything and not talking to anyone.”
“Do you think something is wrong? Maybe something is bothering him,” Joe asked.
“Who cares?”
“Thank you, Mr. Compassion. I’ll talk to him.”
“I think it’s a mistake.” Robbie walked over to Ellen’s desk. “Let him go. He’s not bothering anyone. Most of us are quite happy that Henry is mental now. Hey maybe we can lock him in Containment.”
Grunting, Joe walked out.
He snickered to himself for a moment then Robbie took some papers off the desk. He stopped to stare in awe at the new copy machine. Then after laughing a moment at the vision of a screaming Henry being forced to take self portraits in the copy machine, Robbie went to greet his newest resident in Containment.
^^^^
“Negative,” Ellen reported the results. Wearing what appeared to be goggles, she stood beside Dean at the long cryo-counter. A clear flat case lay before them and she peered into it.
“Number seven?” Dean asked.
“Negative.”
“Eight.”
Ellen hesitated in answering. She lowered her head to look into the case. “My guess is it will be a negative tomorrow.”
“That can’t be right. Adjust the magnification on the Hoi vision goggles. Yesterday it was attached fine.”
After shrugging, Ellen reached up and turned a dial on the side of her round goggles. “Boy, do I get nauseous when I do that.”
“Try living with auto focus.”
Snickering, Ellen looked at Dean. “That’s funny.”
Dean laughed at her eyes that seemed to bug out in the lenses. “Check that again.”
Ellen did. “Detaching.”
“Shit.” Dean moved closer. “I thought I had something in this batch.” He held such a look of disappointment.
“Dean, don’t be so dejected. It is sort of working.” Ellen lifted her goggles to on top of her head. They made her hair stand straight up.
“Yeah, I know, but . .. I was hoping, as a Christmas present this year, I could tell you we would be moving ahead and making an entire uterus.”
Ellen smiled. “Ah, that is really sweet. Thank you.”
“Premature thinking or hoping I guess.”
“The thought’s there.” She exhaled. “Anyhow . . . the bright side to this failure is obviously you’re doing something right with number eight. Just go with that. I mean, the embryos are attaching. You have to figure out why they’re aborting and not developing. Maybe it’s because they’re partials.”
“No. I did the calculation for blood flow and such.” Dean shook his head. “Maybe it’s in our procedures.”
“Cloning or implantation?”
“Both perhaps.” Dean shrugged. “I don’t want to say it’s with our gene cloning, because look at the success we had with the new skin and such. I’m betting the embryos are defective.”
“We can try it again. I mean, now’s the time to do i
t since we’re working with animals. Once we move on to human embryos, our supplies will be short.”
“You’re right. O.K.. How are we fixed for rabbit sperm?”
“Good.” Ellen looked up when the cryo-lab door buzzed and Frank walked in. “Hey, Frank.”
“El, that’s a lovely look for you.” Frank carried a small box. “I’m gonna be in the back organizing the investigation stuff.”
“O.K.” Ellen nodded then returned to Dean. “But we need more eggs.”
Frank stopped in his reach to unlock the back door. “That might be impossible.”
A little curious, Dean looked at Frank. “Impossible? What is?”
“Getting eggs. Remember? It was bad this week. Distribution is limiting them. How many did you get this week?”
Dean tried not to laugh. “Frank, we . . .”
“I have about a half a dozen. My Dad has some. Will that help?”
Ellen interjected. “Um, you know what, Frank? That would be great. Thanks.” She smiled and returned the thumbs up that he gave her as he walked to the back. Then she looked at Dean who stared at her. “What’s wrong?”
“Why did you do that?”
“Telling him what the truth means Frank questions.”
“You have a point.”
“I know.” She exhaled. “All right. Let me clean this up then I have to go on to the Clinic. Elliott should be here soon and I want to have things ready for his first treatment.”
“And I want to explain things to him again.”
“I was hoping you would.” Ellen pointed backwards. “I’ll go get things put away.”
“Sounds good.” Folding his arms, Dean watched Ellen go to the other backroom then he walked to the room where Frank was. He stood in the archway for a minute, watching Frank load things onto the freezer. “Hey.” He knocked on the archway. “How’s it going?”
“Good. I’ll be situated soon,” Frank said. “You’ll hardly know I’m here.”
“I doubt that. Did you get Bub settled?”
“I dropped him off. He’s gonna be the popular guy.” Frank moved his last item and stood up straight. “So . . . how are things going with the . . . Margie situation?” He raised an eyebrow.
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