“Yeah.”
“This map isn’t of L.A., this is of . . .”
“Lodi Ohio.”
“I’m lost.”
“You’re in Beginnings,” Frank stated.
“No, I mean, why Lodi?”
“Johnny’s there. Well, at least that’s what my Dad thinks. I was just sort of planning ahead for my trip there.”
“You’re really going there?” Dean asked. “Why?”
“It’s my kid, Dean. Good or bad, I have to resolve this,” Frank said, almost saddened. “You know what sucks? I screwed up with him. My flesh and blood and I screwed up. I lost my son along with my daughters. Then, you know, I thought I’d get another chance to make up for my life a while ago.”
“You are Frank,” Dean said with certainty. “You’re a great father. Don’t let the Johnny thing discourage you.”
“How can I not, Dean? Huh?” Frank asked. “Sometimes I feel like I have nothing that’s mine. I have three sons in my life. One betrays me, one thinks you’re his dad, and Brian . . .” Frank sighed. “Brian he . . . there’s nothing I can do about Brian.”
Mumbling, ‘but I can’. Dean backed up.
“What was that?” Frank questioned.
“Um, nothing. Frank? Do you mind staying here? I have to run to the cryo-lab. I forgot something.”
“Sure.”
“Thanks.” Dean grabbed his coat and opened the door. He stopped. “Frank, just know one thing. A lot of us not only appreciate what you do, we care and would do anything in return.”
Oddly, Frank turned and peered over his shoulder. “Um, thanks.”
“Sure. See ya later.” Upbeat and in a hurry, Dean left.
Not really putting too much into Dean’s sudden switch of demeanor, Frank shrugged and returned to work.
^^^^^
Robbie saw it. Actually, he saw it several times. Where did it go? It surely would be the thing to send Ellen right over the edge, but she had to see it. They had surpassed the twenty-four hour mark. In his wildest imagination, not even Robbie would have believed that Ellen would have surpassed the twenty-four hour mark. Never did he know her to be so headstrong in such a dirty situation. That wasn’t Ellen. He supposed being out on the run during the game had a lot to do with it.
Several times he tried to speak, but he couldn’t. He did, however, make the slightest sound, so that was encouraging to him. Soon. Really soon. But first, he had to get out of that cell room. And for that, he needed . . . it.
Where was it?
“So anyhow . . .” Ellen continued in her rambling. “Are you listening?”
Robbie nodded.
“It’s just that you’re looking around. Oh, never mind. It’s the dirt, huh? Oh!” she snapped out.
Robbie jumped.
“Do you remember, speaking of dirt, do you remember, maybe you won’t.”
‘What?’ Robbie mouthed the words.
Ellen started laughing. “Do you remember Ash Wednesday when Frank and I came up from school and we all went to get ashes on our heads? But I had never done that, right? So Joe was bitching at me because I didn’t want to get that big black mark on my head.”
Robbie vaguely remembered. His eyes shifted as he looked for it.
“I argued with Joe that since I wasn’t Catholic, I didn’t have to. Joe said it was a religious law that since I was visiting a Catholic home, I had to do the ashes bit or I’d burn in hell. You remember?”
Robbie nodded, then shifted his eyes. Again. There it was.
Ellen continued, “I was horrified when I watched all those people with the big black spot on their head. I didn’t want that. Joe got so mad at me because when I went to the priest and it was my turn, I asked if he could take it easy with the black stuff because I wasn’t Catholic.”
Robbie chuckled but more so he wanted to draw Ellen’s attention to . . . it.
“Man, that priest nailed me, didn’t he? Ashes were falling in my face. Joe actually had to pull me away from him, probably because I was screaming.” She shrugged. “What? What is it? What are you looking at?”
Hiding his smile, Robbie pointed.
Nonchalantly Ellen looked. The noise and bodily reaction she released indicated she couldn’t determine whether she wanted to scream or shudder. Upon accomplishing the loud task of doing both she flew into Robbie’s arms, acting squeamish and twitching her body, all while hiding any view she had of the hideous small creature. “It’s a Christopher Columbus rat!” She peered over her shoulder at the hairless rodent then shuddered again.
Robbie held her tight in a comforting manner. Burying the smile he had, all while wondering if the site of the mutant rodent would throw her over the edge like he so much hoped.
It did.
“I’m sorry,” Ellen apologized to Robbie again.
Robbie only shook his head mouthing, ‘it’s all right’.
Another deep breath and Ellen faced the male Drune that stood in the open doorway. “OK, basically . . .” she said to him. “I need you to find out from God what all this being Queen stuff entails.”
Robbie smiled. Not only did he smell the dirty stench of their captive room, he was beginning to smell freedom.
^^^^^
Folders were lined up on the center counter in the cryo-lab as if they were some new type of counter covering. Every light was on and the equipment ran, giving it a busy daylight feel instead of the middle of the night that it was.
Dean had everything ready and basically, he was waiting. He smiled with enthusiasm when the cryo-lab door buzzed and Jason walked in.
“Hey, Jason I . . .” Inquisitively, he looked. “You’re in your pajamas.”
“Usually this is the proper attire for the middle of the night. I received your urgent message.” Jason walked closer. “I go to the clinic to find out your urgency is here. Is this urgent, Dean?”
“I believe so.”
“Hmm.” Jason looked around. “I see no sick animals or experiments gone wild. This is your domain. I don’t understand why I’m here.”
“This may be my domain, but I have a problem.”
“And what would that be?” Jason asked.
“I need to accomplish something. I fear errors. You can help. In fact, you are probably the only person in the world that can help with an odd purchase.’
“Purchase?” Jason scratched his head. He actually debated on lighting a cigarette just to annoy Dean. “Purchase? What do you want to purchase?”
“Time.”
“Excuse me?”
“Time is your baby. Like it applied to mine, or rather Frank’s. Depending on how you look at it.” Dean spoke soft and serious, “I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. I need your help Jason. I need to buy . . . time.”
CHAPTER NINE
January 26th
Way before the sun had even risen, Elliott woke up. He thought he had heard a noise in his house, then realizing the preposterous notion of it, he just stayed awake. It was going to be a long day, his last one in Bowman for at least a few days, so he thought he’d take advantage of the extra hours to prepare for his absence. He knew the mess hall wasn’t open at that time so he made some Hoi Herbal Tea. He would have made coffee, but he was out. With the water boiled and the bag in the cup, Elliott fixed his tea, opened the kitchen drawer, reached inside, and stopped.
Looking in, Elliot scratched his head. “Odd.”
^^^^^
Danny Hoi knew a lot had to be done in Mechanics and he wanted to get there early. His time there would be limited when he took over the leadership responsibilities the next day. He had in his mind an easy plan to help Mechanics run smoother and not get behind in the Danny Dollar pay system, but first was coffee.
The computers were booted up and the requisitions lined up early. Danny heard the last of the gurgle from the brewing coffee. He hurried over as if time was of an essence and the coffee was a life saving medication. He took a whiff of the strong aroma, grabbed a cup, and poured. He drop
ped two lumps of sugar and reached for his spoon.
His hand slowed down. “What the hell?”
^^^^^
“Henry,” Hector said his name with a chuckle to it as he tried to change Nick’s diaper.
“Hector, I am very serious.” Henry stood behind Hector. “You’re making the diaper too tight.”
“Do not . . .” Hector finished. “Proceed to tell me how to change a diaper. Not you. Not you of all people.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means you suck at anything like this.” Hector lifted Nick.
“That is not nice but I’m not going to argue with you because we have a problem.”
“It’s not a problem,” Hector argued.
“Yes, it is. Follow me.” Henry moved toward the kitchen. “We need to get in touch with a priest, a scientist, or someone because we have a spirit, a nasty spirit, running around this house. I’m scared, Hector. I’m very scared of ghosts.”
Holding Nick, Hector could only laugh. “Henry, please. One incident does not a poltergeist make.”
“You don’t think.” With the sarcastic come back and before Hector’s view, Henry flung open the silverware drawer.
^^^^^
“Oh, this is weird. This is really weird,” Dan from Security said, almost amazed as he walked with Mark.
“Three reports so far and I have a feeling it’s only the beginning,” Mark replied.
“Can it be any stranger?” Dan questioned.
“Don’t ask that. We’re in Beginnings.”
“True. OK.’ Dan stopped walking. “Let me think.”
“Should we bother Frank with this?”
“Um, not yet. Let’s do some more investigating,” Dan stated. “That way when we present him the problem, perhaps somehow, someway . . .” He exhaled dramatically. “We can come up with a solution.”
^^^^^
Elliott had to admit since forging an alliance with Beginnings, he had been baffled probably more in that short period of time than he had ever been in his entire life. But the current problem, like with the chickens, had him puzzled.
Why? What? How? When? Were the main questions in his mind and though it seemed rather minuscule, it was something he felt compelled to present to the Captain.
After discovering he wasn’t at his drugstore apartment, Elliott sought out the Captain where he knew he would be. The mess hall.
He was right. Hal sat alone in the center of the mess hall, enjoying his coffee and breakfast when Elliott walked in.
“Captain,” Elliott called his name.
“Good Lord, Elliot. You look confused.” Hal looked up from his meal.
“I am. The strangest thing occurred,” Elliott stated. “I woke up and made tea, only to discover every single . . .”
“Spoon was bent.” Hal held up a bent spoon.
“Oh my God.”
Hal nodded. “Here too.”
“What do we do?”
Serious and long, Hal stared at Elliott. “Here’s my take on it. Direct any and all inquiries concerning this matter to . . . Beginnings. It’s a weird one. Let the weird people handle it.”
^^^^^
“How do you think he handled it?” Dan raised his hand before Frank’s security door.
“I don’t know.” Mark shrugged. “Knock. He has to know.”
Dan did.
“Yeah,” Frank called out from inside the office.
“Frank.” Dan stepped inside. “We have a slight dilemma in Beginnings.”
“What’s that?” Frank set down his clipboard and stood up.
“Twenty-two reports came in already and a few from Bowman. I was trying to weed through it, but . . . .” Dan took a breath. “It’s getting ahead of me. I didn’t want to bother you with it, but we’re hoping you can help.” He handed Frank a bent spoon . The handle was nearly bent all the way to the spoon portion.
Frank lifted it. “This is fucked up.”
“Yes, it is,” Dan stated.
Mark interjected. “What do we do? Can you help?”
“Absolutely.” Frank looked again at the spoon, grasped the handle, straightened it, and handed it back. “There.”
Dan tried to explain, “No, Frank see . . .”
Mark stopped him and pointed to the spoon. “He gave the solution. It’s that easy. Just . . . ow.” He rubbed his head when Dan hit him with it. “Why did you do that?”
“Yes, we can bend them back, but that’s not why we’re here.” He laid the spoon on Frank’s desk. “Frank, we need to know why this is happening. Why is every spoon is turning up bent? That’s the problem.”
“I see.” Frank took the corrected spoon. “I’ll tell you what. You gentlemen take care of your day and I will personally look into this.”
Dan nodded. “Thanks, Frank.”
“Yeah, thanks,” Mark said as well.
“Have a good day.” Frank, still holding that spoon, waited until Dan and Mark had left and when the door closed, he opened his drawer, tossed it inside. He picked up his clipboard and went back to work.
^^^^^
Beyond redundant? Was all that armory needed for a confrontation–if there really was going to be one–with children? Supposedly vicious children, but ones barely past the infant stage. Michael wondered if the ‘killer babies’ truly existed or were they were just that . . . babies. Maybe one of the reasons they were able to take out eight lives was because the men that were killed tried to give safety, comfort, and love to them.
Michael literally winced and twitched his head to rid himself of the wayward, obscure thoughts he was having while watching Johnny prepare for their journey into the field areas beyond the river bank. Some of the things were tough to find and Johnny did say he could make do without them, but for some sort of distorted amusement, Michael sought the items out. He was even able to find that electronic calf roper. He understood, in a sense, why Johnny needed that. After all he was going to try to secure one for Lars. Then again, Michael wondered how Johnny was going to snatch up the baby if indeed it moved fifty-five miles an hour. Perhaps that was where the cattle prod came in. Michael still believed the double barreled sawed off shotgun was the solution to kill the things, but when he showed Johnny how he was armed, Johnny chuckled and shook his head.
“You don’t think it will work?” Michael recalled himself asking Johnny.
“Um, maybe,” Johnny answered, “if nothing else, it will send them flyin, and possibly knock them out.”
“Wait a second . . . this shotgun won’t kill them? Get the fuck out of here.”
Johnny only shrugged, “We’ll see. Even if it can . . . we’ll still see.”
Michael wondered what the ‘we’ll see’ comment was about. He supposed he would see, but what he pondered on more was why Johnny insisted on looking like some sort of home improvement guy versus a warrior. A thick brown tool belt, loaded with different types of weapons, graced Johnny’s waist. Johnny still looked around, hand on hip, appearing as if in thought or forgetting something. He was indeed in his own world and had Michael even had a chance to meet Frank, Michael would see that Johnny was, at that moment, a spitting image in actions and mannerisms, of his father.
“Why are you still looking for more . . . stuff?” Michael asked Johnny.
“Protection,” Johnny answered.
“I’m there. Bill’s coming.”
Johnny made a slight nose that signified his uncertainty.
“What?” Michael tossed up his hands in aggravation.
“My instinct is saying, ‘more, more, more’.”
“Yeah, well mine is saying, ‘move, move, move’.”
Johnny chuckled.
“And he laughs.” Michael shook his head.
“Chief, just call it a hunch.”
“Of?” Michael asked.
“We’ll see.” Johnny returned to thinking mode.
“We’ll see.” Michael only nodded in disbelief. “O.K.”
^^^^
<
br /> Lavender? Ellen sniffed her arm again. It was lavender and her skin felt impressively smooth. The bath felt wonderful. Even though she had taken one the night before when God’s men brought her to her quarters, Ellen felt she needed another. She was able to relax in the bath because her gut told her that Creed’s promise that Robbie would be treated like a god was being held up. Of course, Ellen would find out shortly, at least so she thought. At least that was what she assumed when Elizabeth, Ellen’s head chamber maid Drune told her they were bringing up the God of Testicular Fortitude to join her for breakfast.
How would Robbie be dressed? How in the world did he get away with using that godly title? Would he smell as good as her? These were all thoughts Ellen had as she waited patiently, and with a little nervously, for Robbie.
The truth would be learned if she made the right decision. Breakfast was waiting and then the door opened.
Ellen turned from the window quickly and shrieked in excitement when Robbie walked in.
Robbie was not only doing his Slagel strut, he was grinning widely in arrogance. The first thought that came to Ellen was he must have really enjoyed his bath as well. Hurrying to him, Ellen threw her arms around Robbie who was wearing white drawstring pants and a longer shirt.
“You look like a throwback from the sixties.” Ellen giggled and kissed him. “You smell good. They’re treating you good, right?”
Robbie nodded, kissed her on the cheek, and stepped back. It was barely heard, but it was there. “Yes.”
Ellen screamed.
Robbie closed off one ear.
“You talk.”
“Getting there.”
“So, what do you think.” She reached for his hand. “Let’s eat.” She led him to the table. “I don’t know what all this queen stuff entails, but the clothes, food, and bath aren’t all that bad. Also . . .”
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