The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Dean,” Ellen spoke in a daze. “Hold on. I found something.”

  “Me, too.” There were three things that had caught Dean’s eyes and made that football note look different. One, it wasn’t on notebook paper. Two, it wasn’t dated on the outside fold. And three, it was thick. It ended up being two sheets of paper folded together. Dean’s hand sprung up to his mouth when he read the note . . . from Billy.

  –‘If your eyes are upon this, then I succeeded in the task my father and I set out to do. I want to apologize first for keeping you in the future. I know obstacles and mistakes held back an experiment that should have been finished. However, I knew if I caused mishap, and the experiment took longer, the more relaxed the watch would be, therefore increasing my chances to get you this note. The reason why will be obvious especially after you read the attached list. It had to be done. We had to try to stop it. We pray that you do. There are so many ways to do so . . .’

  Ellen’s hand trembled as she held the two pieces of paper that she had just unfolded. She lost her breath as she continued to read the words Frank had written on the note he had slipped into her purse. It was a plan he and Billy had worked out in hopes that one of them would succeed in giving her and Dean the warning. In Ellen’s hands was Frank’s achievement.

  ‘At first we thought just Dean and Ellen, then we decided why not go with the whole ball of wax?’ Frank’s words said. ‘On November 29th, in the year that you read this note, the Bev Hadley investigation is in full swing. My father suggested a series of group suspect meetings. It is during the first meeting that an explosion takes the lives of every single person from Beginnings on the attached list, including yours. I wish I could tell you who it is that does this, but I cannot. If you stop this person ahead if time, you will stop a good deed that they do, not long from now and that will ripple time just as tragically. There are other ways to divert this nightmare. Find a way. For when all of you died, that was the day, that Beginnings passed away as well.’

  Her hand, still clenching the note, went down and Ellen sped from the bedroom. “Dean!”

  “El.” Holding Billy’s note, Dean charged down the hall. They met midway. He held his letter “Check this . . .”

  “Look what I found.” Ellen lifted up her note.

  “Billy must have put this . . .”

  “Frank put this in my purse.”

  Dean stopped. “Frank left a note? What does it say?”

  “Dean. Dean, we die. You me, a whole lot of us on this list. We die in an explosion.” Ellen said panicked. “Wait.” She looked curiously. “We didn’t have that one on any of our guesses. Look at all these people.” She handed Dean the list.

  He compared it with the one Billy sent. “it’s the same.”

  “What are we going to do?” Ellen asked. “We have to stop this.”

  “And soon.” Dean took a breath. “Warn people. Warn everyone. Obviously someone wants one, if not all of us, dead.”

  “We’ll get everyone together as soon as possible, show our evidence and maybe as a group, we can think of what to do. We have two weeks.”

  “Yeah, but let’s not wait. Let’s do this today. I have to go to New Bowman to distribute meds. I’ll tell Hal and Elliott to be here. You get in touch with the rest. Tell them . . . tell them, Joe wants us together.”

  “Good idea. Everyone knows he’s going to do one of these meetings that kills us. Dean, do you think they’ll believe us?”

  “Let’s hope.” Dean looked down to the long list of names headed ‘death list’. “Oh, God, let’s hope.”

  DEATH LIST

  Dean Hayes

  Ellen Hayes

  Robbie Slagel

  Henry Kusakari

  Jenny Matoose

  Hector Ramirez

  Jess Boyens

  Danny Hoi

  Trish Koenig

  Josephine

  Jason Godrichson

  Elliott Ryder

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Johnny lifted his hands in confusion at the array of folders spread before him on the cryo-lab counter. “Is Dr. Dean nuts?”

  Ellen shrugged. “He says he needs those reviewed in the computers. He has me doing stupid shit too and I have important things to tend to.”

  “I’ll be in the cryo-lab all day,” Johnny complained. “I have forensics to do for the investigation.”

  Ellen looked up brightly. “Johnny.” She walked to him. “Wanna hold off on this work for a few minutes?”

  “Sure. Why?”

  “I can use your help. Can I trust you?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “All right. Dean and I are trying to get all the suspects together. And . . . seeing how you’re on the investigation team, you’ll be able to spread the word to them and they’ll believe Joe is setting it up.”

  “My Pap doesn’t know?”

  “No, it’s a secret.”

  Johnny tried not to smile. “Sure. I’ll tell some people.”

  “Oh, great. Thanks.” Ellen heaved out a breath of relief. “Two mouths are better than one.”

  Johnny looked so happy to oblige. “Just tell me who, where, and when.”

  Ellen did.

  ^^^^

  It was perfect. The fetal tissue sample Dean obtained from Bev’s uterus was perfect. The computer beeped and spewed forth the DNA gene sequence of the unborn child. Dean was grateful he wouldn’t have to do the matchup manually. Aside from taking too long, the computer matchup sheet would be better evidence. Knowing that he would be the only one in the lab, behind a locked door, Dean programmed the computer to find a match.

  He knew it wouldn’t take long and he hoped it would be done before he had to go to the special meeting in a couple hours at Warehouse Seven. While waiting for the computer to do its job, Dean went to work on the letter to Joe and Frank that he would attach to those results.

  ^^^^

  In what was becoming a typical smug and annoyed fashion, John Matoose walked into the cryo-lab. “You rang, Master?” he said to Johnny.

  Johnny laughed. “Oh, yeah. Hey, John.” Scratching the bridge of his nose, Johnny lifted a large cage. “Just thought I’d inform you since you are in Maintenance and you’re running around. I’m giving you a head start notice.”

  “Whatever. What?”

  “See this cage?”

  “Yeah. It’s empty.”

  “Guess what was in it?” Johnny waited for John’s ‘who cares’ shrug. “One of those killer babies Dean has. Anyhow . . .” Nonchalantly, Johnny put the cage on the floor. “He got out and he’s running amuck somewhere. I thought you’d keep your eye out. I’d hate to see it show up at the . . . I don’t know, what does Uncle Robbie call it? Oh, yeah, his TNT shelter. I’d hate to see it show up there. I heard Uncle Robbie is working on perimeter traps all . . .” Johnny snickered when John Matoose flew from the cryo-lab. “. . . day.” With a breath of his arrogance, Johnny shook his head. “Man.” He picked up the cage and headed to one of the back rooms. He stepped inside and looked at the chained up killer baby sleeping heavily under sedation. “I love setting people up. Hey you.” Johnny kept his distance from the baby as he spoke to it. “It’s time to put you back.”

  ^^^^

  It took him about six times whistling it while he walked, but Robbie finally put his finger on the tune that was stuck in his head. It was the theme from Maverick. Why he even knew it was beyond him. He checked his clipboard as he moved to his shelter. Robbie made a mental priority list of what he wanted to accomplish before the meeting in Warehouse Seven that his dad had called.

  Stepping inside his TNT shelter, Robbie stopped when he nearly walked into him leaving. “John.”

  John Matoose looked frazzled. “Hey, Robbie.”

  “What are you doing in here?”

  “Oh.” He let out a breath. “I heard a rumor that one of those killer babies flew in here. I was just checking. Sorry. But . . . all clear.”

  Giving an odd look to John as he left, Robbi
e shrugged and closed the door to the simple shack. Moving to the table Robbie had deemed as his desk, he paused to close the lid to one of his explosive boxes. Not thinking much about it, Robbie sat at his desk to work.

  ^^^^

  Dean checked out the time with a loud, ‘shit.’ He was really hoping to have the paternity test result before he had to go to the meeting, but that didn’t look like it was going to be a reality. Pacing faster may have helped the gut he acquired, but it didn’t help the computer matchup any faster. Taking off his lab coat, Dean walked to the computer to put it on pause until he returned. He heard the signal beep.

  “Yes.” He clenched his fist and ran the rest of the way there. He looked at the flashing message. ‘Match found’ and then the glee of the moment vanished when Dean saw who the father was. “Oh, my God.” Not having time to dawdle over the shocking news, Dean hit print and flew to the other computer where the letter to Joe and Frank was complete with the exception of the baby’s father’s name. Dean, with trembling fingers, filled in that single blank. He would make two copies, one for his records and the other for the investigation. Knowing he could spare a few seconds, he grabbed a folder while the documents printed. He’d place the letter and results in the folder and then before he heading off to the ‘warning’ meeting, just in the event something would happen, Dean planned to leave those results on Joe’s desk.

  ^^^^

  Jason Godrichson, cigarette dangling from his thin lips, paused in the doorway to Warehouse Seven. He gave a queer look to Ellen who stood by the door. “Why are you playing hostess?”

  “Joe asked,” Ellen answered.

  “Uh-huh.” Jason nodded and peeked inside. He looked at the people who sat in a circle of chairs. “Where’s Joe?”

  “He’ll be here. Go inside.” Ellen gave him a slight push.

  Huffing out some irritation with his cigarette smoke, Jason stepped inside.

  Ellen looked at her watch. “Come on, Dean,” she spoke softly. “The longer this takes, the less secret this will . . .” She smiled when she saw him running her way.

  “Sorry,” he said. “Is everyone here?” Dean caught his breath.

  Ellen pulled out the list, looked into the warehouse then back to Dean. “There all here.”

  “Good. Let’s do this.”

  “Dean. What took you so long?” Ellen asked.

  “El . . . Bev’s baby’s father. Wait until I tell you but this is more important.” Taking Ellen’s arm, Dean led her all the way inside.

  The door to Warehouse Seven closed.

  ^^^^

  Joe let out a taunting moan as he stepped into his office with Frank. “Christ. And you believed her?”

  “Dad, why not?” Frank shut the door. “Why would she lie?”

  “I don’t know but it sounds unbelievable.”

  “Not as unbelievable as this.” From his coat pocket, Frank pulled out the picture Ellen gave him the night before.

  If Joe didn’t know the impossibility Beginnings still had of developing a good picture, he wouldn’t have believed what his eyes laid upon. “My God.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “Did she say why Billy came back and snatched her up?”

  “No,” Frank answered. “She was very vague. It’s a mystery.”

  “Yeah, like the mystery of how people got the idea we were holding a group suspect meeting today.” Shaking his head while still looking at the picture, Joe sat down. “There has to be a reason why . . .” His eyes caught glimpse of the folder on his desk with the huge black lettering that read ‘Joe, Urgent!’ “What is this?”

  “Open it.”

  “Thank you, Frank. I didn’t think of that.” Setting down the picture, Joe flipped open the folder. “Christ.”

  “What?”

  “Christ.” Joe lifted the letter.

  “What!’

  “I don’t believe this.”

  “What!”

  “Will you hold your goddamn horses?” Joe blasted. “Listen to this. It’s from Dean.”

  “A letter from Dean? What? Is he resigning?”

  “No, Frank. Listen, you idiot.” He cleared his throat and began to read. ‘Joe and Frank, I know you may get angry for this, but I feel it was something vital in the investigation that you overlooked. Enclosed is the proof. A removal of Bev’s Uterus was done secretively. Since I was not the father and Kevin was concluded to be out of town, I felt the paternity played importance. I’m sorry, Joe but the baby’s father is . . .” Joe handed the letter to Frank.

  His lips barely moved when he looked down at the name. The stock word slurred from his lips as Frank dropped to the chair. “Fuck.” He closed his eyes for a second before reading the letter again. “I can’t believe this. The father of Bev’s baby was . . . Henry?”

  ^^^^

  All thirteen of them gathered in Warehouse Seven. Dean and Ellen seemed to stand center of a wave of ridicule. How long did Dean try or Ellen for that matter? Almost an hour had passed and still no one wanted to buy it. Ellen only wished she had the picture as a backup proof but she had given it to Frank.

  Robbie didn’t say much. He kind of chuckled and enjoyed the break whether founded or not.

  “Please.” Ellen held her hands out to everyone. She felt so at a loss and wanted desperately, like a child, to cover her ears. “Listen.”

  “I’m sorry, El,” Dean told her quietly. “I am really sorry but it was worth a shot.”

  “I can’t believe they think we’re joking,” Ellen said.

  Henry overheard them. “Why not? El, this sounds so . . . so stupid.”

  Hector, not wanting to sound snide, tried to give his feelings. “What proof do you have? Notes your own hand took and a picture Danny Hoi could have doctored up.”

  Danny stood up with a firm point to Hector. “I resent that. If there is a photograph of sixty-two year old Frank, I didn’t create it.”

  Jess shook his head. “This is a Danny and Ellen practical joke. What about the coin? Your face is on it.”

  “I obviously made an impact on the future,” Danny said. “I did not create that coin.”

  His arms unfolded and when Hal spoke, he seemed to silence everyone. “I have a question, just a simple one.” He tapped his finger on his lips. “There are twelve people on that death list including yourselves. There are thirteen people in this room. The reason for the difference in numbers is because I am not on that list. Why, Ellen, why in God’s name am I here?”

  “You’re Hal,” Ellen spoke like a child. “You could help. Everyone always believes you.”

  Jason Godrichson spoke up. “If I may just interject?” He sat with his legs crossed in the chair, one arm draped across his waist while the other held his cigarette. “Let’s just say Ellen and Dean are very serious. Say there is a photo. The coin is real. They went to the future for over a month. Now they have warned that all of us, excluding Hal, will die together. When does this happen, Ellen?”

  “Two weeks from today.”

  “How?” Jason asked.

  “I told you. The first group suspect meeting of Joe’s.”

  “I see.” Jason nodded and hit his cigarette. “Isn’t this the first group suspect meeting?”

  Ellen snickered. “No. It’s a fake one.”

  “Really,” Jason said calmly. “When do you ever know any of us to all be in the same room together?”

  Robbie’s loud, ‘shit’ rang out as he jumped to his feet and raced to the door. His hand tried the knob that wouldn’t budge. “Shit. It’s locked.”

  At that instant, squealing chairs and vocal worries filled the room.

  Hal rushed over. “Maybe it’s stuck.”

  Robbie shoved on the metal door. “No.” He grunted as he shoved again. “I think it’s secured from the outside.”

  “Damn it.” Hal turned the metal knob as everyone hoarded behind him and pelted him with questions.

  “What’s going on?” Trish asked with panic.

  �
�I’m sorry,” Ellen said.

  “Did someone trap us in?” Danny asked. “Should we all try?’

  “Can’t it open?” Hector asked. “It has to be a mistake.”

  Dean grabbed on to Ellen. “Please tell us we didn’t just cause this.”

  Henry, with anger, faced them. “You did! I can’t believe how stupid you are.”

  “Fuck you, Henry!” Dean screamed. “We were trying to help!”

  “By what!” Henry yelled back. “Killing us!”

  “Knock it off!” Hal blasted. “Fighting isn’t going to help. We have to get this door open. Now let me think,” Hal said as he tried to block out the questions and noise.

  “Robbie!” Jess called out in a horrid cry over the noise.

  Silence.

  Robbie zoomed a focus view to Jess who was huddled in the corner in a squat with Elliott.

  Jess looked up with panic. “I found it. It’s one of yours. We have a minute.”

  Amongst the screams, Robbie’s heart sank. His ears filled with blood. “Hal, keep trying that door!” If he had wings, he would have been flying across the warehouse to the corner. Tossing chairs out of his way, he passed Josephine who sat calmly. He dropped to the floor by Jess. “It’s time activated.” Robbie touched his fingers upon it.

  Fifty seconds.

  Robbie shook his head. “It’s pass code protected. Elliott, grab Josephine and get her by the door then help Hal.”

  Elliott took off as instructed.

  Jess looked at Robbie. “What are we going to do?”

  “I’m going to try to stop this. You go help Hal.”

  “No. I’m helping you.”

  Hal stepped back from the door. “Clear away.” With a full sped bull charge he rammed shoulder first into the door. Nothing. Hal stepped back in a hurry and tried again.

  Thirty-eight seconds.

  Robbie tried to calm his hands. It wouldn’t help if they shook. Turning the screw to the detonation device, Robbie hurriedly to try remove the lid.