The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Not yet,” Dean answered “Danny Hoi and two guards are bringing him. Frank wanted to ride with me.”

  With an exhale and a glance up from his watch, Hal smiled. “Well. That was a minute. Let’s go, Robbie. Let’s find our brother.” He walked to the door.

  After a ‘see you inside’ to Dean and Ellen, Robbie followed Hal out. “Where do you think he is?” Robbie asked.

  “In the courtroom?” Hal guessed and walked down the hall. He peered into the large room and only saw Joe. “He’s not . . .” Hal’s eyes lifted. “Elliott.”

  Elliott winced. “Don’t do this to me. Not here. Not now. I’m not allowed to talk to you.” Elliott tried to get in the courtroom.

  “No-no.” Hal shook his head. “No more bribes. I need to know if you have seen Frank.”

  “I saw him go into the stairwell.”

  “Thanks.” Hal gave a tug to Robbie’s arm and moved to the stairwell. They walked through the door.

  “Which floor?” Robbie asked.

  “Well there are six. We might as well start at the top and work our way down,” Hal suggested.

  “You mean the roof?” Robbie joked, but only for a second. He lost his smile and at the same time, he and Hal raced up the steps at full speed.

  ^^^^

  The metal door made a loud ‘boom’ as it banged against the wall when Hal flung it open in his barge through.

  “Aw!” Hal whined. “Jesus Christ, Frank. What are you doing? I knew it.”

  “Frank.” Robbie caught his breath. “Come on.”

  Crouched down on one knee with his eyes peering above the ledge of the roof, Frank held his revolver out and steady, like a sniper. “Go back down,” he spoke calm. “I’m waiting for him.”

  “What are you gonna do, Frank?” Hal walked to him and squatted beside him. “Execute your own child?”

  After shifting his eyes to Robbie who was still at a distance, Frank dropped his voice to a whisper. “I killed my brother once for less.”

  Robbie let out a small panicked shriek. “I heard that!”

  “Fuck,” Frank grumbled.

  “Oh, my God.” Robbie rushed forward. “You lied to me. You told me that Miguel killed me.”

  Frank, still aiming and staring, raised his eyebrows.

  “You killed me?”

  “Sorry,” Frank said.

  “You killed our little brother?” Hal questioned. “My God, how could you do that?”

  “Shut the fuck up, Hal. I felt guilty enough. Why do you think I brought him back?” Frank hurriedly wiped the sweat from his brow. “And in comparison, Robbie did less. Robbie was executed for causing a rebellion, for kidnapping five kids, kidnapping and beating up Dean, and for killing Denny.”

  Robbie’s eyes grew wide, “I killed Denny?”

  “My Denny?” Hal questioned. “In the UWA?”

  Robbie exhaled hard. “Oh I feel really bad.”

  “And you shot me,” Frank added. “Now is not the time to be discussing this, gentlemen. If Johnny has been a part of this from the start, look at all he’s probably done or helped with. Dad and the Salicain. Andrea. Dean’s blindness. The new Plague. The explosion. Jason’s death. So much. So much.” His eyes stayed out onto the crowd. “If I put a gun to my brother’s head . . .” Frank paused when Robbie released a peep of a shriek. “It is my obligation to take out my own.”

  Hal laid his hand over the gun, “No, it is not, Frank. This is wrong. Wrong.”

  “No.” Frank flinched when he watched the Jeep pull up with Johnny. The people who waited outside rallied. “That is wrong. They’re treating him as if he is Jesus Christ. He needs to go down.”

  Hal watched Frank’s finger twitch upon the trigger. “Yes he does, but he needs to go down by his peers, by all of them. Not . . . not by the hands of his father. Let’s do this right, Frank. Let’s do this right.” Hal felt the slight tension release on the revolver and in that split second he took it from Frank’s hands.

  Frank dropped down, his head lowering against the roof of that building. “Oh. God. How did this end up happening, Hal? How did it end up being my kid? Why him? Why . . . . him?”

  Hal, feeling so much for his brother, wrapped his arms around him and leaned into him. Robbie, first to one knee, then to both, joined them. In that quiet, emotional moment on the roof, the brothers huddled together.

  ^^^^

  “Bailiffs, lock those doors,” Judge Grace instructed.

  At the same time, two UWA soldiers closed the double doors to the courtroom. The latching of the lock rang out.

  Every square inch of the room was packed. There wasn’t an empty seat, nor a spot to stand.

  “There will be no disruptions in this courtroom,” Grace instructed looking out to the audience. “Those who are here are those who will cast the vote.” Grace looked to her right at Johnny. “Do you understand these proceedings?”

  Johnny looked as if he were lit by a spotlight. The large window to his right cast the sun upon him. Staring at his father and grandfather who sat in the first row with Dean and Ellen, Johnny nodded. “Yes, I do.”

  “You may interject at anytime to ask questions. We’ll begin. Captain Slagel?”

  From the end seat in the first row, Hal stood up.

  Grace nodded. “These peers are your jury. We are your panel. Begin.”

  Hal stepped forward to a podium that set at the top of the aisle. “Thank you. I began to suspect my nephew a while ago. It started when I found this key in Johnny’s possession.” Hal lifted the small key. “This belonged to my father. It unlocked the only useable phone in Beginnings.”

  Grace had to question. ‘If you found the key on Johnny, why didn’t you bring it to the attention of your father?”

  “I didn’t want to alarm him. It could have been innocent.”

  “Yet you suspected it amiss?”

  “Yes,” Hal answered.

  Grace looked at Johnny. “Have you ever seen that key before?”

  “Only when my Uncle Hal showed it to me, but I don’t know how he found that,” Johnny spoke innocently.

  Grace gave a nod to Hal to continue.

  “Getting back to my opening comments.” Hal placed down the key. “The key set me off. A chain of well covered events, including an attempt on my life began to occur. My suspicions were not founded or supported by any viable means of evidence . . . at first. My encounters with Johnny grew intense. His words against my family were hard. I tried to set him up but I failed. I took one of my own bandanas, collaborated with Dr. Hayes, doused it with a tube of Bev’s blood, and Elliott gave it to Johnny.”

  Grace looked to her left to the far end of the table where Elliott sat. “Is that true, Sgt. Ryder?”

  Elliott leaned into the table to view Grace. “Yes. I then gave it to Johnny. He tested it and told me it wasn’t Bev’s blood.”

  Hal continued, “But it was and that bandana ended up on my father’s desk.”

  Grace turned to Johnny. “Is any of this true?”

  “Yes,” Johnny answered. “Elliott gave me the bandana. I tested it. I was scared for Uncle Hal so I lied to Elliott. I know it was wrong, but he’s my uncle. I wanted to protect him so I hid the bandana. I started feeling guilty and that’s when I turned it over.”

  With snide curiosity, Hal spoke, “Why not throw it away if you wanted to protect me.”

  “I don’t know.” Johnny shook his head. “I guess for the same reason I turned it in. Guilt.”

  “Guilt?” Hal laughed. “Johnny, you threatened to use that bandana against me numerous times.”

  “No, I did not. I never let you know I had it,” Johnny defended.

  “You’re lying,” Hal stated. “You used . . .” He was silenced by the slam of Grace’s gavel.

  “I will allow back and forth between the two of you, but Capt. Slagel, keep it to questions and answers, no personal comments.”

  “Yes.” Hal nodded.

  Grace turned to the panel. “Gentlemen, a
ny questions on this?”

  Danny lifted his hand. “I have one. Johnny, why did you wait until the night before the punishment was read?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t even think about timing it.” Johnny lowered his head. “I only wanted to do what was right.”

  Hal rolled his eyes. “Your Honor, I’d like to bring a few people forward. Since this isn’t a normal trial proceedings, I’d like to be able to question them all intermittent with Johnny.”

  “That’s fine with me,” Grace answered.

  Hal motioned his hand to the table next to the podium. “Dr. Ellen Hayes and John Matoose.”

  After squeezing Dean’s hand, Ellen stood up. She stepped into the aisle at the same time as John Matoose and they both sat at the table.

  “Johnny?” Hal questioned. “How long have you known these two people?”

  “I’ve known Ellen all my life and John about eight years.”

  “Just wanted to establish that.” Hal faced the table. “John, when did you first find out Johnny was part of the Society.”

  “It was in October,” John Matoose spoke. “I never knew. I suspected Bev, but had no reasons for my suspicions. I even put her on the insider suspect list for Joe, hoping he could find out. But no. I found out one day after I was shot. Johnny came into my room and injected me with some sort of drug. From then on I couldn’t speak, move, or anything. He also would make regular visits to taunt me, threaten my wife, and so forth.”

  “Why didn’t you come forward sooner?” Hal asked.

  “Who would believe me?” John lifted his hands. “Just like people aren’t believing me now. I needed proof. I followed Johnny. When he wanted me to blackmail Jess into doing his duty for the Society, I used that against Johnny. Jess and I were both gonna bring him down as soon as we had proof.”

  “Ellen.” Hal looked at her. “How about you? When did you learn of Johnny’s connection?”

  “A few weeks ago. I was up at Joe’s office in the little examining room looking for film. I heard the beeping of the phone as if someone were dialing, then I heard Johnny’s voice. He was talking to George. I stopped the call. Johnny claimed it was innocent and I bought it. I bought it because I’ve known him so long and Frank is his father. But . . .” Ellen exhaled. “He became violent and worried that I was going to say something. It was an ongoing thing. He even tried to kill me by rigging the light switch in the cryo-lab. He admitted that to me.”

  Hal walked back to his seat and picked up the switch box. He approached Judge Grace. “This is the switch box. If Danny Hoi would examine it, he will see that it was rigged.”

  Danny reached out his hand and took the box. He whistled. “I didn’t see it before, but yeah it was.”

  Grace folded her hands. “Could it have been rigged after the incident?”

  “No.” Danny set the box forward. “The wires are burned. No.”

  Johnny shook his head. “They’re both lying. John Matoose is lying because he’s just trying find someone to blame for his own association with the Society. I happened to be the pawn. El . . . El, how can you do this to me? Huh? How? I only wanted to help you with your drug problem. You say I got violent? How many people can attest to you attacking me on the street or trying to stab me?” Sadly, Johnny looked at Grace. “I only wanted to help her.”

  “Bullshit!” Ellen snapped.

  Grace slammed her gavel.

  “No.” Ellen shook her head. “I don’t have a drug problem. You conveniently made it look that way by convincing Dean, knocking me out, and dropping me off places. You were sneaking into Containment at six in the morning. I have check-in sheets my guards used. Were you there?”

  “Yes.” Johnny nodded. “Out of concern. I was counting the pills trying to keep track of what you were taking. You confessed to me, El. I didn’t come to you. Why are you doing this? If you didn’t have a drug problem, then why did Dr. Dean find Anthium in your bloodstream?”

  Grace slammed her gavel. “Dr. Hayes, Dr. Dean Hayes. Was Anthium found in your wife’s bloodstream?”

  Calm and cool, Dean shook his head. “No. I haven’t a clue what test Johnny is talking about.”

  “He’s lying!” Johnny pointed ignoring Grace’s gavel warning. “Check his lab. Check it. He’s lying to protect his wife. She’s lying for some reason to get to me, And John, we all know what’s up with him.”

  Hal spoke up. “Then what is Richie’s motive?”

  Johnny swung a confused look Hal’s way. “What?”

  “Richie Martin,” Hal repeated. “What would be his motive for going after you?”

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Hal turned and faced the audience. “Richie, can you come up now please?”

  Seated unnoticed in the back, Richie stood up. He wore a UWA uniform and walked toward the front of the courtroom.

  Grace shook her head. “I know this young man. Is this a joke?”

  “Not at all,” Hal said arrogantly.

  Richie stood before the table.

  “Tell them, Richie.”

  A light wave of moans swept over the courtroom.

  Grace hit her gavel. “Do not make a mockery of this man.”

  “Richie?” Hal nodded.

  Richie took a breath. “Johnny Slagel injected me three times with some sort of drug while I was in Containment,” he spoke normally.

  Amongst the gasps, Ellen shrieked and stood up. “Oh my God, you’re back.”

  “Yeah.” Richie smiled, “And I’m not going back to Containment.”

  “Mr. Martin,” Grace said. “You are not the young man I remember meeting.”

  ‘No.” Richie shook his head. “I started coming back and remembering things fully about a week ago. You can say Frank knocked something loose when he hit me on my head with the bowling ball. I remember distinctively what Johnny did to me and how many times he came into Containment to tease me because he knew I couldn’t respond correctly. I tried, but the words wouldn’t come out.”

  For the first time, with seriousness, Grace turned a view to Johnny. “Your response to this?”

  “I don’t know why he would say it. He’s siding with his sister maybe.”

  Hal looked so perturbed as he faced Johnny. “Come on. You can do better than that. Siding with Ellen? That’s the reason Richie would lie?”

  “Captain Slagel, I warned you,” Grace spoke.

  Hal ignored her. “Dean will concur Richie was given a drug. Who else would have done it?”

  “Bev. She was George’s daughter.”

  “Bev didn’t have the knowledge to do that to Richie,” Hal snapped.

  “Then maybe Andrea,” Johnny stayed calm. “It wasn’t me.”

  “So it wasn’t you who drugged John Matoose?” Hal asked.

  “Nope.”

  “He remembers you going in his room.”

  “He’s lying.”

  Grace hit her gavel.

  “Then who?” Hal questioned.

  “Bev or Andrea.”

  Another slam of the gavel. “Captain Slagel, back off on intensity.” Grace warned.

  “What about the explosion at the warehouse?” Hal questioned hard.

  “Jess. John Matoose.”

  “John Matoose was comatose during the Bev paternity incident. Who helped her?”

  “Andrea.”

  Slam. “Captain Slagel.”

  “Are you going to blame the circuit box on Andrea too?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” Johnny pushed to stay calm. “It had to be John.”

  “You have answer for everything. How convenient,” Hal snapped. “Bev did this. John did that. Andrea was responsible for this.”

  “Captain Slagel!” Grace slammed the gavel.

  Hal continued. “And back to Bev. You weren’t sleeping with her?”

  “No.”

  Slam.

  “You weren’t the least bit upset when you found out Henry was the baby’s father.”

  “No!’

/>   “It didn’t irk you, burn you . . .”

  “Captain Slagel!” Graces screamed.

  “Hush, woman.” Hal waved her off then blew off the continuous pounding of the gavel. “It didn’t kill you to find out that Henry was the dad? You didn’t rant and rave and rage when you discovered it!”

  “No!”

  “I heard you were in love with her.”

  Grace’s warning screamed out over Hal’s badgering. “Captain Slagel, if you don’t stop this harassment . . .”

  “You loved her! This is where the deadly revenge came in!” Hal pointed. “It had to kill you the way she was, how she was such the slut.”

  Slam! Slam!

  “Blow job here. Blow job there. What would have happened, Johnny, if they found out you were the baby’s father!”

  Slam.

  Beep-beep-beep. Beep-beep-beep.

  “Who would you have blamed?” Hal asked hard. “Andrea!”

  Johnny shut off his watch. He exhaled. “You know what? Probably.”

  An immediate quiet took over the courtroom, it was followed by the gavel that fell from Grace’s hand. Even Hal was speechless.

  “Yeah, probably.” Johnny spoke smugly. “We blamed everything on her.”

  Shocked, Grace looked at him. “Johnny, do you know what you’re saying?”

  “Oh, absolutely.” Johnny nodded. “He asked if I would blame it on Andrea. I answered. Yes, I probably would have.”

  Slowly, Joe stood up. “Why? Why in God’s name would you do that?”

  “Mr. Slagel sit down,” Grace ordered.

  “It was nothing personal against Andrea,” Johnny shrugged. “She was nice and all, but she was easy.”

  There was something that caught Elliott’s eye, a fidgeting Johnny did. but his view was blocked. He stood up.

  “Sgt. Ryder, sit.” Grace pointed.

  Johnny continued, “She was too easy. Too bad you guys killed her. What was up with that confession?” He shook his head.

  “You little son of a bitch.” Joe charged ahead.

  “Mr. Slagel!” All Grace wanted to do was maintain order that was leaving fast. “Captain, control your father.”

  Hal reached back his hand to Joe who was grabbed by Robbie. “I will control my father, then you must allow me to remove him from that stand.”