The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  “No, Frank, you asshole,” Joe lost it. “I meant stay clear of me. Of me! Stay clear of me!”

  Frank just blinked. “Oh my God. You’re hurting my feelings. What did I do?”

  “What? Do you want a list?” Joe looked at his son and couldn’t believe he saw the expression on Frank’s face that all but said, ‘yes, please’. After a grumble, Joe rattled off in an irritated mode, “You hit me in the head with your big body this morning, you got blood all over my tub, and you hit Richie in the head with a bowling ball.”

  “That wasn’t my fault.” Frank lifted a hand in defense.

  Joe ignored him and kept going, “You complained continuously about Hal’s mess hall food . . .”

  ‘It sucked.”

  “You interrupted my meeting.”

  “It was boring”

  “Why did you come, Frank?’

  “You asked.” Frank shook his head and stood up. “You told me to come. You told me you want to bond with me . . .”

  “I said no such thing.”

  “You did too.” He walked to the door. “And then, not only after I rid the community of a SUT, a dangerous, murderous, assassin, I stopped Richie from blowing that fuckin bugle all through breakfast. Which, mind you, was more of a distraction then my bitching about runny eggs. Then I come here because you said you weren’t feeling good and I wanted to see how my father is and what happened? You make me feel really bad and tell me to leave you alone.” With a dramatic sigh, Frank moved to the door. “I’ll leave.”

  “Frank,” Joe called out softly. “Listen, I’m just in a bad mood. I’m . . . I’m sorry.”

  “I’m the oldest. I understand. You have to take it out on someone. Hal’s thin skinned. Robbie doesn’t have an arm so who else do you have?” Frank opened the door. “I’ll check back later.”

  “Thank you.” Grateful that Frank made the ‘Robbie not having an arm’ comment or else he’d feel really guilty for going off on him, Joe returned back to his work.

  “Oh, Dad?” Frank popped his head back in.

  “Yes, Frank.”

  With a point to his temple, Frank winked. “Clear.” He nodded once, then pulled the door closed.

  Joe wanted to get back to his work but at that second, all he could do was blink as his mind reverted back to the day Frank was born. Arguing once again in his mind, DNA match up or not, there had to of been some sort of switch up that day at the hospital. There had to be.

  ^^^^

  “Yesterday there were three.” Danny Hoi sat on the end of a work bench in Mechanics and shook his head with a smile to Scott. “Today . . .” He lifted then dropped a huge stack of requisitions. “What the hell did everyone do yesterday? Break things on purpose? John?” He looked at John Matoose who was gathering up the tools. “Are you all right with that?”

  “Sure.” John tossed the bag over his shoulder. “Did you want me to take any of the other ones?”

  “Nah. That conveyer belt is going to take most of your morning. Just check back with Scott when you’re done.”

  “Will do, Danny. See ya later.” John opened the door and paused to let Henry in. “Morning, Henry.”

  “John.” Henry set down his bag with a breath out. “Hey, Scott. Danny . . . sorry I’m late. I slept in.”

  “Nah. You’re just in time. Take a look.” Danny pointed to the reqs.

  “Big? Little?” Henry asked and moved to the table.

  “There are a ton of little ones and a few that I think should warrant immediate attention. I divided them up.” Danny lifted the first stack of clipped reqs. “These are yours. I figured you could put them in order. Mine . . . even with what I have in mind, the vent at the school and firebox at the bakery might have to wait until this afternoon.”

  “May I?” Henry asked.

  “Be my guest.” Danny pushed the stack to Henry.

  Henry flipped through. “O.K., this sounds big.” He picked up a requisition. “But it’s not. Really. Yeah it’s labeled security, but it’s the daycare key pad. Hap is in there. He’s better than any security system. He doesn’t use it and . . . this one.” He handed the req to Danny. “You have this way too far up the order.”

  Danny looked. “It’s the cryo-lab. I thought all clinic reqs received immediate attention.”

  “Usually, yeah.” Henry smiled. “But the switch is loose on the main light switch. Me? I’d call El and see when she plans on going down there. They may be busy at the clinic and she might not be able to go to the lab until later today, which would give you more time.”

  “Thanks, Henry. I’ll radio her.”

  “Sure.” Henry pointed backwards. “I need to get a tracking sheet from my, I mean, your office before I head out.”

  “Go on.” Danny watched Henry leave then noticed Scott staring. “What?” he whispered.

  “Don’t you feel . . .” Scott shrugged. “Really bad taking his job?”

  “I didn’t take his job. He quit. Joe gave it to me. I’ll give it back if he wants it.”

  “I’d feel like a heel.”

  “Stop it.” Danny shook his head then looked up when Henry returned.

  Henry handed Danny an envelope. “This was on the desk for you. Did you see it? That’s Joe’s handwriting.”

  “Mail?” Danny looked at it. “Wow. I’m cool.” He immediately began to rip it open and pulled the letter out. “It’s typed.” He snickered and his expression dropped.

  Henry looked oddly at him. “What is it?”

  “Um . . .” Danny shook his head. “Nothing. We’d better start.” He slid from his seat on the table.

  “All right.” Henry walked to the door. “I’ll check in around ten. Have a good one.”

  Danny only nodded a goodbye and when the door closed, he picked up the letter again to make sure he read correctly. So official it sounded. “Danny, all that you’ve done has made you a vital member of this community. Your accomplishments are too numerous to mention,. Because of this, I would consider it an honor if you would serve on Council . . .’ With a flutter of his lips, Danny exhaled. “Oh, brother.” He handed the letter to Scott.

  Curious, Scott took it and read it. He looked to Danny. “Heel.”

  ^^^^

  Standing straight and speaking officially, Hal read from Joe’s letter. “Also with the efforts you have not only put in with the building of a vital community such as New Bowman, your interaction with Beginnings would, in my opinion, make you a strong bridge voice between our towns. I would consider it a privilege, Sgt. Ryder, if you would serve on the Main Council.” Hal folded the letter. “Well.” He handed it to Elliott. “I’d say that is quite the honor bestowed on you, Elliott. I was a little dejected at first when my father told me of this and that he didn’t consider myself for the position. But, then again, I am the leader of New Bowman.”

  Elliott’s head spun. “I don’t understand.”

  “Shall I call you Frank?” Hal asked. “You’ve been asked to serve on Council. In fact, he wants us there this afternoon.”

  “Captain, this is my home. My authority lies here.”

  “And it still shall,” Hal explained. “We need to finally make Owens official on our Council, but you will serve on both. My father’s Council is the main branch. A Bowman voice is needed. Plus, things are being a little restructured with the new town joining ours. I’m not exactly clear on what that will be. We’ll find out later.”

  “What about ... What about the fact that I am to smoke screen as the killer?” Elliott questioned.

  “Who knows?” Hal shrugged. “I guess he’s going to use someone else. I, on the other hand, still may utilize your weakened state as a trap if need be.”

  “Great,” Elliott said with little enthusiasm.

  “You will do this, won’t you, Elliott?”

  Elliott hesitated. “I don’t think I am qualified.”

  “Bullshit.” Hal shook his head. “I think you know you are. You’re loving it, Elliott. I can see it,” he spoke snid
ely. “That little competitive monster in here . . .” He poked Elliott in the chest. “Is screaming, ‘ha-ha, I’m on Council and the Captain is not’.” Hal winked.

  “There’s something not right with you.” Elliott watched Hal move to the door.

  “Congratulations, Elliott. Let’s take a ride to Beginnings.” He opened the door. “Oh.” Hal stopped. “One other thing my father failed to mention in that letter. It’s a requirement . . .” before speaking, Hal took a breath, then spoke rapidly, “that you must have composed a Beginnings National Anthem by next Thursday with both lyrics and music.” Hal walked out singing his own words to America the Beautiful. “Oh beautiful and not too big, it lies beyond a fence . . .’

  He was just about to look at the letter for himself and then slowly Elliott turned his head to Hal’s singing.

  “Where demented men like Frank protect and lack all common sense . . . .’ Hal popped his head back into the office. “That was pretty good, huh?”

  Elliott only chuckled and began to leave the office. However, if in fact there was some truth in what Hal was saying, Elliott would, without a doubt, make sure Joe knew and heard Hal’s rendition.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  It was never built to be a means of security. The white picket fence that surrounded the section of Beginnings where those who had passed on were laid to rest was more of a decoration. It probably, by normal mechanics standards, didn’t warrant being fixed first but to Henry it was a matter of respect to handle it immediately.

  The small gate that was the same height as the rest of the fence, no taller than four feet, lay on its side off the hinges. It hadn’t been erected long, but a brief and strong storm had swept through Beginnings the night before tested the gates strength. The gate lost.

  With the way the gate creaked in the slight breeze, had it lost even an ounce of its paint, it would have seemed so much like a horror film. It was like something like Pet Cemetery and often when Henry went there to pay respects, he thought of that story. He found himself looking around for that spooky little boy.

  As he set down his tool bag and squatted to the gate, his eyes caught glimpse of the dirt of Andrea’s grave, still in a mound, still lose, and so fresh. He thought he heard the whisper of her voice in the wind that brushed by his ear, but it was Henry’s heart that missed her so badly. Andrea had been such a strong part of Beginnings. Henry could not have imagined how much hurt went along with losing her. He swore he changed for the worst the moment Andrea left his life. She was like the mother of the community, always providing the comfort and wisdom needed. She had that keen ability to shoot the guilt factor straight into a person’s soul like only a mother really could. More than he let on or showed to anyone else, things bothered him. On the outside, he had calmed down since the news about Bev ravaged through Beginnings, but on the inside he was screaming.

  Before fixing the gate, he stepped through the fence and walked directly to Andrea’s grave. After staring at that mound of dirt, Henry plopped down. Even though he’d have to pretend to hear her responses, in his heart and mind he would engage in that conversation he so much needed with Andrea.

  ^^^^

  In comparison to the amount of time Dean used to have, he only had moments to complete his work before having to go back and continue his skin scrapings on Jess. He had hoped that he and Ellen would have been reasonably caught up in the clinic so as to allow them some free time to work in the lab. Under normal conditions, with the patient numbers in New Bowman and Beginnings, ‘catching up’ wouldn’t have been a problem but since the deliverance of the assisting medical hands of Forrest, Dean was left to ponder if Forrest was actually a doctor or a vampire. He seemed to have a sick infatuation with taking blood from anyone for anything. Josephine’s ingrown toenail did not warrant a complete white blood count to see if she had an infection in her body.

  As he situated work up orders for Ellen, Dean looked up to her as she stood across the lab getting ready to prepare slides. At first he thought it was his imagination, but as he listened more to the soft sounds of her singing, he caught the tune and realized it wasn’t what he thought. “El?”

  “Huh?” she answered with her back to him.

  “Are you singing Barry Manilow?”

  “Um . . .” Ellen peered up to think. “Yeah, I am.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know. What does it matter?”

  “Barry Manilow? Of all people.” Dean shook his head and walked to her. “That’s very out of the blue. Do you mind stopping.? The last thing I want is a Barry Manilow song stuck in my head all . . . whoa-whoa-whoa.” Dean hurriedly reached out and snatched Ellen’s wrist as she lifted a dropper of blood over a slide.

  “What’s wrong?” Ellen asked.

  “You weren’t looking.” Dean literally carried her hand back to the tube where she took the blood. “Check out the slides.”

  Ellen looked down at them. “O.K., I have them spread on the counter.”

  “Try this again. Look where you got them from.”

  “The box.”

  Dean grunted. “El, look at the box.”

  “Is there a point to this, Dean?” she said with aggravation, “because I’m not in the mood to play this stupid ass game.”

  “Then pay attention,” he snapped, “because you nearly wasted every skin sample I took from Jess. Look at the box again.”

  Ellen did. “Oh, my God.”

  “Yeah.” Dean lifted the small lid with large black words on it reading ‘USED: Jess Boyens.’ “How did you miss it?”

  “I . . . I don’t know.”

  “I’ll tell you.” Dean had edge. “You weren’t paying attention. We don’t have time for screw ups, El.”

  “Don’t talk down to me. I’m not your flunky.”

  “Then don’t act like one.”

  “Fuck you,” Ellen barked.

  “What . . . what was that for?” Dean asked.

  Scoffing, Ellen laughed. “You’re yelling at me.”

  “I am not.” Dean raised his voice.

  Muffled and in the distance, Billy’s voice spoke up. “Yes, you are. Leave her alone.”

  Just as Dean turned to the voice, he saw Billy roll out from his hiding spot under the main counter. “What the hell are you doing in there?”

  “Now you’re yelling at me.” Billy stood up and straightened his clothes. “Don’t take your bad mood out on us.”

  Ellen nodded. “Thank you, Billy.”

  Frazzled, Dean’s head went from Ellen to Billy three or four times before he actually squeaked out the words. “Get your ass to school.”

  Billy gasped. “No. It’s my home school day. I’m supposed to be with Uncle Frank but Pap said it has to be limited since he shot that SUT in the head in front of me.”

  “Pap has a valid reason then.” Dean nodded.

  Billy rolled his eyes. “Protecting me from the truths of the world isn’t going to help me face reality when I’m older. I should be allowed to go all over with Uncle Frank. Now I’m stuck going around town. Even though he’s funny, he still can’t kill anyone in town.”

  Ellen’s head tilted. “He has.”

  “El.” Dean snapped a view at her. “Bill.” He pointed to the door. “School.”

  “Why can’t I go to school in New Bowman? Uncle Hal said there are classes there I can take.”

  Dean faced Ellen. “Why do the Slagels have this desire to teach my child?”

  “Maybe, Dean,” Ellen said sarcastically, “they can teach him more than Jenny. Not that she doesn’t do well with normal children and not that Billy isn’t normal. He is, or would be if he were thirty-five.”

  Billy smiled snidely. “You should let them teach me, since you won’t. Even Uncle Robbie said he’d teach me something. He’s going to show me how to read music. Then, again, Uncle Frank said don’t count on it since Uncle Robbie doesn’t have an arm. What that had to do with it, I still don’t know.”

  “School.” Dean pointed.r />
  “How about Mom?” Billy asked. “Can’t she take me to feed the hybrids again today? We did the other day. Please. They’re cool.”

  Dean nodded. “That’s fine, but Mommy’s not going to feed them until later this evening. I need her now.”

  “What?” Billy said shocked. “She said they can’t be fed after twelve. They could die.”

  Ellen interjected her point, “Well, Bill, your father doesn’t seem to care about that.”

  With offense, Billy looked at him. “That is wrong. You just let them die? No wonder Uncle Frank calls you sick.”

  “Quit praising Uncle Frank like he’s a hero!” Dean barked then looked at Ellen. “Don’t say it.” He swung back around with yet another firm point to the door. “School. Bill. School.”

  “Fine. Dad. Fine.” Billy turned around. “You’re being irrational anyhow.” With his arms folded tight, and with a load of attitude, Billy stormed off.

  A lifted finger and opened mouth was the position Dean held as he stared speechless at the door. After the shock factor wore off, he turned around and marched back to his work. “You know, I’m really going to start encouraging that child to play with toys.”

  ^^^^

  Johnny had to look serious as he read the notification posted in the glass covered board by the ‘Joe park’, but inside, Johnny laughed. He understood the decision of Danny Hoi. Actually he had to give credit to his grandfather for that choice. And yes, the communities needed to be joined, hence the ‘never does anything wrong’ Elliott Ryder. But his father? Johnny had to laugh and wonder what Joe was thinking by appointing Frank allocated Council. Because he was at every meeting anyhow, should a Council member leave, quit, or be absent, Frank had Council authority to fill in.

  It really brightened his day.

  “What’s so funny?” Dan from Security asked, thinking maybe Frank had posted another one of those dirty jokes.

  “Um,” Johnny cringed. He didn’t realize he was laughing out loud.