The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  James pulled his guitar out. “I have to tune up. Robbie. Do you feel up to trying that new song?”

  “I’m not gonna play tonight.” Robbie shook his head. “I can’t. Sorry.”

  “Fuck.” James looked at Paul. “I can’t sing. Can you carry it, Paul?”

  “I guess I have to, but I don’t know the new tune.” Paul looked at Robbie. “Can you at least go over it with us?”

  Robbie nodded. “I’ll sing but I can’t play the guitar part.”

  “No, you can’t. That would be tough,” Paul stated then handed Robbie the bass. “This will be easier.”

  Robbie looked at Paul oddly. “What are you, nuts? You want me to play bass? Paul, I couldn’t play guitar.”

  “Yeah. Playing a guitar with one arm takes practice and you know you could be limited until you make adjustments. It takes time. But playing a bass with one arm takes strong fingers. It’s an easy one, Robbie. Try.”

  “I’ll screw up.” Robbie took the bass.

  “Then . . .” Paul shrugged. “You screw up. What difference does it make? You’ll still be playing and singing. That’s what’s important. Let’s go over that progression.”

  James finished his tuning. “What key?”

  Paul shook his head. “Asshole. You wrote it.”

  Joe watched. Robbie looked so apprehensive. But something happened. He could see Robbie relax. Not that playing the bass was easy, but it certainly seemed as if it was in comparison to the attempt Robbie made on the guitar.

  “Hi Joe,” the young male voice said.

  Joe saw the UWA uniform pants first then he sat up straight when he looked at Denny. “Holy Christ, look at you. You look good.”

  “Thanks.” Denny grinned and took off his bandana. “Oh, wow. Robbie’s playing. Cool. I love this song. See ya.” Denny took off for the stage. “Hey, hold up guys. Stop.”

  The music stopped.

  Denny slid behind the drums, grabbed his sticks, and warmed up for a second.

  Joe cringed. He hated the banging Denny did, but the banging turned into a few clicks of his drumsticks and that in turn, produced the beginning of the song. Joe sat back and relaxed. About that point on a Friday night, when the music started, Joe would leave but he didn’t. And he wouldn’t, not that night. He had a front row seat and he was going to watch his son. A genuine smile crossed Robbie’s face and it hit directly at Joe’s heart. Joe had heard Robbie play and sing many times before but he swore, at that moment, he had never heard Robbie play or sing better. With a full feeling new pride in his son he had never felt, Joe watched Robbie.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  With such a rush of urgency, Hal flew into Mechanics. “Danny,” he said abruptly.

  After being a little shocked by the sudden intrusion. Danny looked questionably at Hal. “What’s wrong?”

  “My God. You are not making a very good impression as new Council and head of Mechanic.”

  Danny chuckled. “Is this a joke?”

  “I wish. My father has been radioing you for forty-five minutes.”

  “My radio is on.”

  “Then it’s not working or my father’s isn’t. He’s pissed.” Hal whistled. “He told me to come and get your wiry ass down there . . . now.”

  “All right.” Danny stood up. “I’ll finish this when I get back.” He set down what he was working on. “Hal, did your dad say what he wanted?”

  “No, just that it was important.”

  “Thanks.” Not seeming in any hurry, Danny walked out of Mechanics.

  “Christ.” Hal rolled his eyes and looked at his watch. He grew excited when the door opened.

  John Matoose walked in. “Danny must be tired. He was moving slow.”

  “Why is he working so late?” Hal said aggravated. “My God.”

  “Henry always did.” John walked to the counter. “We’d better hurry.” He pulled the bin forward. “I know I saw it . . .” He flipped through the papers. “Good. It’s not filed. Here.” He handed it to Hal. “Make a copy of this req while I look for the light switch.”

  “You don’t think Danny threw it out, do you?” Hal asked as he walked to the small copy machine.

  “Not yet. We have to scrap things completely for parts.” John lifted a box and began to rummage through it. “Sorry you’re late getting back to New Bowman.”

  “Not a problem.” Hal made copies. “I’ll catch the next Dan-Tram.”

  “Found it.” John pulled the unit out and immediately began to examine it.

  “Well?”

  John smiled. “Just as we thought. It’s rigged. See this wire here. It’s a trip. It’s so evident. Had it worked completely, it would have just blown the box and we would have never known.”

  “And Ellen would have been dead.” Curiously, Hal looked at the switch. “Why didn’t Danny see that?”

  “Why would he look to see if it was rigged?” John asked. “He wouldn’t. But this doesn’t help us. Had Danny found it, yeah, it would have. But if we turn this into Joe, who’s to say it wasn’t Danny or someone else that rigged it?”

  “True. Alone it may not be much but when the whole picture comes together, it will mean a lot. That and this.” Hal held up the copy of the req.

  “OK, so what now?” John asked.

  “Now you’ll tell Johnny he owes you. Tell him you discovered the rig and got rid of the box to cover your ass as well. Get some trust brewing with the boy, John.”

  John grunted. “Swell. What about Ellen? Did you convince her to move to New Bowman?”

  “No.” Hal shook his head. “But I’ve got Elliott in Beginnings for a little bit, stating his health and those new survivors as reason.”

  “It’s a shame she just can’t go to Frank.”

  “It’s his son, John. Would he believe her?” Hal asked.

  “Yes. He’d believe Ellen,” John said assuredly.

  “Does she have enough proof? Like with Andrea, an entire case will have to be built because I firmly believe my nephew won’t go down without a fight.”

  “The sad thing is,” John interjected, “it has to not only be solid that he’s an insider, but solid proof he’s the last one in Beginnings. Johnny Slagel may be tough enough to say, ‘I won’t go down without a fight’ but he’s too much of a coward to go down alone.”

  ^^^^

  Not that he had anything better to do, but Frank just wanted to sleep. It just was one of those nights that he wanted to get to bed early for once. He planned on it. His father and Robbie weren’t home. The house would have been quiet had it not been for Dean and his stopping by every fifteen minutes.

  Finally, enough was enough and Frank gave in. Ellen’s ignoring of Dean’s radio calls and her refusal to go home wouldn’t had bothered Frank if Dean would have left him alone.

  Angry that he had to get dressed and tromp into town, Frank’s emotions fueled more the closer he got to Containment. The saving grace for Ellen was the when Frank was about to enter Containment, he heard the sound of music from the Social Hall and with it, his brother’s singing.

  That calmed Frank down enough not to really explode when he saw Ellen. Though after hearing the laughter of her and Elliott as he walked down the hall of Containment started that charge all over again.

  “El,” he said sternly as he turned into her office.

  Ellen was sitting behind her desk and she looked from Elliott to the door. “Hey, Frank.”

  Frank was serious as he stared at her. “It’s eleven-thirty. Go home.”

  Ellen just blinked. “I’m busy.”

  “You’re fuckin sitting here talking to Ryder. I defended you every single time Dean came to my fuckin house telling me you were blowing him off. I said you were busy. You’re not. You have a husband who is on my fucking nerves and a family at your house. Go there.”

  Elliott’s eyes shifted from Frank to Ellen.

  Ellen looked at Frank calmly. “I don’t think you should really worry. I’m fine. My kids are probably in
bed and Dean is gonna have to deal with it.”

  “Dean is worried, El,” Frank said.

  “Then Dean should have been more concerned when he asked if I was using drugs.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s a little more than that,” Frank snapped. “I think you know. You and everyone else who’s on that suspect list is a target right now.”

  “I’m fine,” Ellen said sternly.

  “And I’m not fuckin chasing you around anymore,” Frank told her.

  “You don’t have to. I’ll leave when I’m ready.”

  Frank looked away, bit his bottom lip, and glared at her in a mean calm sort of way. “Why are you fuckin arguing with me? There is no argument here, El. You’ll leave now. I told you once. If I have to fuckin pick you up and carry you . . .”

  “Frank,” Elliott only said his name as he stood up from the chair. “Don’t talk to her like that. I’ll don’t think . . .”

  “You don’t think?” Frank flared. “Ryder . . .” He squealed his voice loudly with his anger and a point. “Sit your fuckin ass back down and stay out of this.”

  Elliott blinked but stayed calm. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”

  After looking dramatically around the room, then shrugging, he returned to Elliott. “I’m not in a pleasant mood Ryder.”

  “Obviously,” Elliott said.

  “So don’t even begin to give me shit about my business. I told you . . .”

  “I know . . .” Elliott interrupted him, “what you told me, Frank. I also know how you told me. I’m not a flunky. I’m not a peon. Don’t talk to me that way. I won’t deal with it.”

  “Do you think I care?”

  “Nope, not at all.” Elliott shook his head. “But I do. I never did anything to you that would warrant that tone you just used. I’d appreciate if you didn’t use it again to me. More so, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t speak to Ellen like that.”

  With his hands on his hips, Frank rolled his eyes. “Yeah, whatever. You know, it’s a good thing for you that you’re a dying man or . . .”

  “Frank!” Ellen blasted as she stood up.

  “What?” Frank asked. “He is.”

  Ellen’s eyes closed. “Oh, my God. Elliott.” She turned her head to him. “I’m sorry.”

  Elliott hid a partial smile and shook his head.

  Frank looked confused. “Why are you apologizing to him?”

  Ellen snapped her view at Frank. “Because you’re rude.”

  “I am not,” Frank said, offended, “How am I rude? He’s the one that’s rude. I come in here and to try to get you to come . . .”

  “All right!” Ellen screamed out of control. “All right!”

  It was slow blink Frank gave her just before he rubbed his ear. “Was that necessary? I was merely . . .”

  “Shut up, Frank. I’m leaving,” Ellen snapped and walked around the desk. “Elliott, thank you. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Night, Ellen.” Elliott ran his hand down her arm as she walked by him then out the door.

  Frank looked back at Elliott “See, Elliott, all that chivalrous shit didn’t get you anywhere.”

  Snidely, Ellen tapped Frank on the chest. “You don’t think? I like him right now a hell of a lot more than I like you.”

  “What? What did I do?”

  Ellen grunted, spun, and stormed down the hall.

  “Hey, El. Wait up.” Frank trotted to her. “Wanna stop at the Hall? Robbie’s playing.”

  As her hand extended to the keypad, Ellen stopped. “Robbie’s playing?”

  “He’s singing. I don’t think he can really play. He doesn’t have an arm, you know. Anyhow . . .” Frank said “I heard him. What do you think?”

  “I thought you said Dean was worried.”

  Frank waved out his hand. “Fuck Dean. Want to?”

  “Robbie playing?” Ellen smiled. “You know what? Yeah. Let’s go.” She hurriedly punched in the code and opened the door.

  With his arms folded, Elliott leaned with a smile on the door of Ellen’s office. Watching Ellen and Frank truly reiterated how right the Captain was all those times he forewarned that–for the sake of mental survival–to avoid ever getting into any type of vocal confrontation with Frank. Right or wrong, no matter how strong one was, there was no competition against Frank. Frank’s stupidity was his vortex and like a tornado, he had the keen ability to turn things around, every single time,.

  ^^^^

  Hal wasn’t one to wear a coat, but the temperature had dropped so drastically and suddenly that during his night round to ensure all was fine in his town, he had to stop at his home to retrieve one. He thought of how much faster he would do his rounds when the cast on his leg was off, And for that, Hal counted down the days.

  Two MP UWA soldiers stopped and saluted as Hal, with his hands in his coat pocket, walked toward them.

  “Gentlemen.” Hal nodded. “All quiet tonight?”

  “Yes, sir,” the one answered. “It’s the big first night of the new dart league. It’s pretty wild at Hoi-Hoi on the Range.”

  “I can hear,” Hal replied, referencing the noise that carried from a block away. “No complaints?”

  “None,” the soldier answered again.

  “I’ll stop by and see how things are. Carry on,” Hal instructed and walked a little further. He accepted the salute of another soldier who was coming from an apartment building located over a former hardware store. The soldier walked on but Hal didn’t. He knew the soldier was going to begin the midnight shift in Tracking, Glen’s old job. A she watched the new Tracking supervisor, Hal remembered what Dean had told him not two days earlier.

  “There’s definitely some type of foreign substance around the breastbone,” Dean explained. “There was a residue. I tested it. It isn’t anything we have in the clinic, nor is it anything the computer recognizes from the old world.”

  “The Society?” Hal questioned.

  “It has to be.”

  Dean’s results didn’t give backbone to the fact that it could have been Johnny. Hal wanted so badly for the drug that killed Glen to be something only someone familiar with the clinic and the medications there would use. But Dean did confirm Glen was murdered. Hal was left to wonder how upset his father was going to be when he found out Hal not only suspected, but failed to tell him of another incident of foul play.

  Hal would eventually, when he presented his entire case against Johnny. Until then, a lid was placed on Glen’s death. Hal was certain the more Johnny got away with, the sloppier he would become,.

  If the noise level on the street was a good indication of just how loud it actually was inside of Hoi-Hoi on the Range, Hal knew any extended stay would cause that blockage feeling in his ear, as if he sat and listened to Robbie’s band for hour upon hour. Hal had no plans to stay long. He just wanted to get there, go inside, check on things, attend to a matter, and then he’d be off.

  “Beer please.” Johnny smiled to the bartender as he leaned on the bar. His smart-alecky grin carried to John Matoose. “Hey, John. Wow. How ironic huh? We’re on the same dart team.”

  John slowly turned his head. “I’m overjoyed. Hey, I heard you got your ass beat today.”

  Johnny took his beer from the bartender, glared at John, and started to leave.

  “I suppose she knew you rigged that light switch?” John asked.

  Johnny stopped and returned to the bar. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Don’t play arrogant and dumb with me. Thank me.”

  “Thank you?” Johnny laughed. “For what?”

  “I got rid of that light switch.” John inched closer to Johnny and dropped his voice. “It seems the current that shot through that box wasn’t enough to take out the evidence of the rig. You made the mistake of admitting to that req.”

  “So why’d you get rid of the box?” Johnny asked.

  “Two reasons. One, I know you. You’d find a way to cover your ass and I take your threats very ser
ious that if you go down, so do I.”

  “John,” Johnny smiled. “You’re catching on. What’s the second reason?”

  “Everything was all well and fine with the fuckin little bitch until that explosion.” John picked up his drink. “Then she starts throwing my Society past in my face and tells me she’s on to me.”

  “No shit.” Johnny couldn’t have looked more pleased. “I wonder who else she’s accusing?”

  “I can name about three or four but I wouldn’t approach them if I were you.”

  “I’m not that stupid.”

  John Matoose fluttered his lips.

  “This is good. Really good.”

  “So why Ellen?” John asked.

  “I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.”

  “Come on, Johnny. I covered your ass.” John took a drink and set down his glass. “You think I’m gonna open my mouth? Please. If they even suspected I was an insider, there would be no doubt when they found out I knew about you and never said anything. I’m screwed now.”

  “True.” Johnny shrugged.

  “So, why don’t you tell me? Why did you rig that box? It has to be either her or Dean.”

  Johnny hesitated. “It’s her,” he said with a nod. “You can say she suspects me.”

  John snickered. “It’s Ellen. She has a big mouth. She’s the one that blackmailed me and drove me nuts. She put out pictures of me with George’s face pasted over Jenny’s. Why hasn’t she opened her mouth?”

  “Who knows? Maybe she’s scared. Who’s gonna believe her?”

  “Everyone.”

  “Ha!” Johnny said sarcastically. “I highly doubt that and they won’t especially in about a week or so.”

  “Better be careful next time you try to take her out.”

  “There won’t be a next time. I don’t need to.”

  John’s attention was caught. “Why not?”

  “You’ll like this because it will help you.” Johnny snickered. “She’s insane or at least everyone will think she is.”

  “You’re insane. There’s nothing wrong with Ellen except she goes overboard.”

  “Exactly, and she will go overboard.” Johnny laughed. “Trust me. In fact, I could probably use your help.”