The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  “You can, but it will have to be Oodles of Dan Noodles until I’m tired of them.”

  “At least they are good.”

  “True. So.” Ellen folded her hands on the table. “I asked en route. You said wait until this evening. It’s this evening and I asked. You said wait until over dinner. Over dinner I asked. You said wait until we’re done. I can’t wait to hear what’s next. We’re done with dinner, Elliott. What picture?”

  “Wine?” Elliott held the glass to her.

  “Elliott, you said you’d tell me.”

  “Let’s go in the living room.”

  “Fine.” Ellen stood up, “I waited all day. I can wait another ten feet.” She walked into the living room and sat on the couch. “The picture?”

  “Did I tell you about all the new church songs I have learned?” Elliott asked as he joined her on the couch.

  “Elliott, what picture was Hal talking about?”

  “Fine.” Elliott set down his glass. “Not long ago, before . . .” A huge smile graced Elliott’s face when there was a single knock on the door.

  Ellen grunted.

  Before an invitation would be given, Hal walked in.

  “Sorry to interrupt,” Hal said. “I need to steal Ellen.”

  Ellen looked at Elliott. “Did you plan this?”

  “No.” Elliott shook his head. “And if I did, I couldn’t have timed it better.” Elliott stood up. “Captain, what’s the matter?”

  “I’m not sure . . . but Ellen, Elliott.” Hal tilted his head. “This you got to see.”

  He stood about six foot two, a body wide and lean like a soldier. He was just inside the entrance check in post of New Bowman. He wore a black leather jacket, and jeans. His long hair was pulled back with a black bandana over his head. His burly face was covered with a thick long beard.

  Elliott, who walked on the other side of Ellen, slowed down. “Captain.”

  “Yes.” Hal smiled. “That’s it. Or he’s it. He arrived via Harley,” he explained as they walked toward the gate. “He won’t give a name, that’s highly classified, and won’t say where he’s from. That’s highly classified as well. He comes with a briefcase, highly classified, for Dr. Hayes, with material in side, highly classified, for Dr. Hayes’ eyes only.”

  Ellen stopped walking. “I’m sure he means Dean.”

  “I’m sure he means Dean as well,” Hal said.

  “So what do we do?” Ellen asked. “Dean’s in Containment.”

  “But you are here.” Hal stated. “What is your name?”

  “I’m divorced.”

  “Still.”

  “Ellen Hayes.”

  “Dr. Hayes.” Hal smiled. “Let’s go.”

  “Wait.” Elliott stopped walking and grasped Ellen’s arm. “I cannot believe you are letting you sister walk into a possible trap for Dean.”

  “Elliott, please,” Hal scoffed. “You and I are here. Do you think we’ll let something happen? Now let go.” He smacked Elliott’s hand away and led Ellen closer to the man. “Go on, El. Say it.”

  Ellen, a bit nervous, moved to the man. “I’m Dr. Hayes.”

  The man looked at Hal then to Ellen. “I expected a man.”

  “Tough.” Ellen shrugged. “I’m Dr. Hayes. You have something for me?”

  “Before I hand it over Ma’am, can you . . .” He handed Ellen a small pad and pen. “Can you write down Albert Einstein’s Birthday? Month, day and year please, as verification.”

  “Sure.” Ellen took the pad and wrote. “Here.”

  He looked. “Thank you.” He handed the case to Ellen. “The combination is the birth date as well. The information in the case is highly classified and for your eyes to see. I am to wait for a response.”

  “Cool.” Ellen took the case and laid it on the ground. She prepared to enter the combination.

  “Wait.” Hal stopped her, took her arm, and moved her from the case.

  “Hal, I want to see. I’m Dr. Hayes. The stuff in there is for my eyes only.

  “Yes, but perhaps there might be a bomb in there for Dean.”

  Ellen looked at the case. “Maybe, huh. But do you really think he brought a bomb? I mean look at him. He looks harmless.”

  Both Elliott and Hal glanced at her.

  “Okay, maybe not. But what do you propose to do?”

  “Let him open the case.”

  Ellen snickered. “Hal, if this is a bomb, and he’s standing there, obviously he’s on some suicide mission. Him opening the case isn’t going to matter.”

  “I don’t care.” Hal pulled her back and turned to the man. “Son, open that case since you know the combination.”

  “I can’t,” he said. “It’s for Dr. Hayes’ eyes only.”

  “Then keep your eyes closed and don’t peek but open that case on the chance that it’s rigged.”

  “It’s not rigged.”

  “Open the goddamn case,” Hal ordered

  Huffing some, the man bent down, grabbed the case, and took it to his motorcycle. He set it on the seat and punched in the code. As he did so, Hal Ellen, and Elliott all took a step back.

  The lid popped open.

  The man turned to Ellen. “Ma’am.”

  The lid of the case had a small light and Ellen walked to the openness of it. Oddly she tilted her head. “Weird.”

  “What is it?” Elliott asked.

  Ellen reached in. “File folders. It looks like . . .” She lifted one. “Medical, Charts. Scan results . . .” She picked up another folder and flipped it open. “Almost a medical . . .” Her hand looked. “Oh.” She turned to the next page. “Oh my God.”

  “What?” Hal asked. “What? What is it?”

  “Not what.” Ellen, mortified, looked at Hal. “Who?” She tossed the folders inside as if the documents were indeed a huge secret. Down went the lid and her hands rested on the closed case.

  “Ellen.” Hal moved to her. “What is it?”

  Ellen shook her head. She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t move. All she could do was close her eyes and murmur out another shocked and saddened, ‘Oh my God.”

  ^^^^^

  The numbing and silly effects of the truly aged scotch swarmed around Jess’s head as he nearly stumbled on a slight crack on the sidewalk. He shook his head. “I haven’t drank this much in a while.”

  “I drink that much often,” James stated.

  “How?”

  “Family trait.”

  Jess snickered. “At least I can still think.” He touched his mouth. “I can’t feel my lips.” He laughed. “But I’m functioning.” He watched as they approached a fence that completely surrounded a military style, single floor office building.

  “Sorry to drag you out. I know you wanted to go home.” James gave a nod to the guard and they passed through the gate. “But I need the code keys to turn on power and water to your unit.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Some goof invented it as a mean to keep power use to a minimum.” James shrugged and pulled out his key. He opened the main door. “My office is just down this way.”

  “No problem.” Jess was at a distance. In his state he didn’t move as quickly, nor did he want to. He saw James pull out another key and insert it in a door.

  “You coming or what?” James asked.

  Laughing, Jess shook his head and moved to the door that James had entered. The door was partially open and Jess stopped dead. He froze. “Oh . . . my God,” he whispered out, hoping not to be heard.

  “What?” James asked as he stood behind his desk, rummaging for the key.

  “Is this your name?” Jess asked, pointing to the engraving on the door..

  “Yep. Found it.” James held up the key with a grin.

  More than anything Jess wanted to say, ‘oh my God’ again, but he couldn’t. That would draw attention to the fact the name on the door not only shocked him but also threw him through a loop, and immediately sobered him up. Body shaking, lost and confused, eyes glued on the door
, Jess read the name again. The name on the door read, ‘Commander James P. Slagel.’

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  February 3rd

  A lot of information was given in a slight glance. It was more information than Jess was ready for or perhaps wanted at that moment. His tired body didn’t sleep due to the sudden surge of knowledge he received.

  James.

  He knew there was a familiarity about the man the second he met him but couldn’t put his finger on it. Then he saw the name. James was James Slagel, commonly referred to by his brothers as ‘Jimmy’.

  He had the look. To Jess that was without a doubt. The hair was typical Robbie with Hal coloring, a hit of Joe texture, and splash of Frank gray. He had the blue eyes, the defined jaw, and the Robbie smile and dimples. In fact he looked a lot like a fair-skinned Frank. He was built like Hal, walked like Robbie, laughed like Joe, and was demented like Frank. What a combination. Perfect.

  Too perfect.

  That connection left Jess to wonder. Was James indeed Jimmy Slagel? It was a probability that James was not Jimmy Slagel, but in fact a trap set up by the Society to smoke out Jess. All George’s warnings to not say anything were too convenient. If George was all that concerned then why did he send Jess to Florida in the first place? It made perfect sense if he wanted to test Jess’s loyalty to the Society. Find someone who looked like a Slagel and make him into one. Feed him the Slagel information, just like they fed Jess Beginnings information.

  Have the man James come off as Jimmy Slagel and see if Jess said anything. If Jess didn’t, Jess was loyal. If Jess did, then Jess was found out and dead.

  Then again, he could very easily be Jimmy Slagel. After all, James projected to know little if anything detailed about Beginnings. If George truly trusted Jess’s loyalty to the Society, what better person to send to Florida on Johnny’s tail? Surely, being loyal, Jess would never say anything to ‘James Slagel’ about Johnny Slagel. Jess of all people knew the impact of that.

  It really did in fact make more sense that James was Jimmy. Not knowing about the enemy, his identity was taken prior to being cryogenically frozen.

  The cryo-process was another thing that weighted heavy on Jess’s mind. With the screwed-up trips back forth on the time machine and no one knowing who went where, it was a possibility that George sent Johnny, or someone else, back in time, to send information to George to pre-freeze Jimmy, to grab an ace in the hole. Or did it happen the way James said? A lottery and inadvertently through his lottery picks, George hit the jackpot and landed a Slagel.

  No one would ever know.

  Not yet.

  But Jess had to know about Jimmy. He had to. He knew he couldn’t come right out and tell Jimmy about his family in Beginnings. No way. If James was indeed a set up, that meant Jess’s immediate death but there was no way if James was a set up, that he knew everything. In fact, Jess was pretty sure that no outsider could know as much as Jess himself. He spent way too much time with the Slagels and too much time listening to stories to not know something an imposter wouldn’t.

  So through the course of the night, Jess decided he would wade it. Test it. Listen, ask, and play it by ear for a day or two. That would give Jess enough chance to find out if James was Jimmy. And if by that same chance Jess couldn’t determine, if Jess was still undecided, he would have to take that chance. He would have to open his mouth. He would tell James slash Jimmy about Beginnings and his family. He had to. No matter what the cost to himself because the information that the Slagels were an entire family united was much more valuable than Jess’s life could ever be.

  ^^^^^

  Two things went through Joe’s mind. He knew Hal, and if Hal was sleeping in a chair outside of his office then Hal had been up all night. The reason was the other thing that came to Joe’s mind. Ellen.

  Coffee in hand, awake long before he wanted to be, Joe opened his office door. “It’s five o’clock in the morning, Ellen. This better be important. Not only are you supposed to be in New Bowman, but it’s five o’clock in the morning and Hal’s sleeping outside.”

  Ellen waved her hand.

  “What? What’s that?” Joe sat down. “Why is Hal sleeping outside?”

  “He’s tired.”

  Joe just stared. He refrained from calling her Frank. “Outside? Why outside?”

  “He can’t be in here. He can’t know until after you know, then he’ll know, when I tell him. But you have to know first, you know?”

  “No.” Joe rubbed his eyes. “What is it?”

  “This.” Ellen set the silver Lodi briefcase on the desk before Joe.

  “What? You want me to open it?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Is it a bomb?”

  Ellen snickered. “No, we determined it wasn’t.”

  “You’re awfully perky. What time did you get up?”

  “I haven’t been to bed. I’ve been working on that.”

  Joe tried to open it. “Well, take it to Henry. You shouldn’t have wasted all night trying to open this. Get Henry to jam it open.”

  “Oh I can open it.”

  “It’s locked.”

  “Oh.” Ellen said in shock. “Shit. Sorry. The combination is Einstein’s birthday.”

  Joe just stared.

  “What?”

  “Open the goddamn case!” he ordered.

  “Sorry. I thought you knew Einstein’s birthday.”

  “No,” he said sarcastically. “Why do you?”

  “God, it’s Dean’s secret code for everything.” Ellen walked around the desk and punched in the combination. Then she popped the lock and returned to the other side of the desk.

  “What is this?”

  “It came from Lodi.”

  Joe’s hands hesitated before opening. “Lodi.”

  “Last night by messenger, for Dr. Hayes. Hal made me take it. I’m glad I did. Look.”

  Joe opened the case and stared. He shook his head. “If you are wanting me to go through all this, don’t bother. Since you said you spent all last night on it, why don’t you tell me what this is?”

  “I read through most of it before I found the note. It must have been shuffled in the journey.”

  “Probably.”

  Ellen reached around the case and reached for the note. “Do you want to read it?”

  “You.”

  After a shrug, Ellen opened the letter. “It’s from a Dr. Lars Rayburn. I’m not sure, but I think I recognize the name. Anyhow, he identifies himself as a scientist who is in Lodi now.” After bobbing her head reading through Lars’ credentials, Ellen got to the meat of the letter. “Here it is . . .” She began to read. “As you can see, Dr. Hayes, I have included copies of all my clinical investigation into this matter. Some may not be clear due to the lack of reproductive technology, but after you review, you will see that the small, localized tumor, localized is attached to the frontal part of the brain. It’s cystic in nature. I don’t believe at this time that the tumor is malignant, however extraction and biopsy would be recommended. Your further testing is invited. A diagnosis from this message is not the intent. Your presence here to take care of the situation is. Looking forward to hearing back. Dr. Lars. Rayburn.” Ellen folded the letter. “He scribbled the word unfortunately after the looking forward to hearing back. Why that is, I don’t know.”

  “So they have a brain tumor case.”

  “Yes, from what I gathered, the tumor was reduced in size because of pseudo-steroid therapy following an injury. From my perspective, it merely stunted the growth and I concur, although I haven’t much knowledge, with Dr. Rayburn on his prognoses that if the tumor is not removed the patient will die within a year. Abnormal behavior probably will resume in the patient in six months.”

  “Abnormal behavior:

  “Yeah,” Ellen stated. “In the history, Dr. Rayburn states because of the tumor’s position, it affected the patient’s mental state. It makes sense and since the tumor has been reduced, normal behavior returned. But e
ventually, the tumor will cause brain death.”

  “So all this is conclusive?”

  “It’s hard to say. In its raw form, what I gather is Dr. Rayburn is doing the best he can with what he has. Lodi’s connection to Sgt. Doyle tells me Lodi knows of our technology.”

  “Technology that can handle this.”

  ‘Yes.”

  “What do we do?” Joe asked. “Get them to move the patient here?”

  “Ideally,” Ellen said, “but there’s a problem.”

  “What is that.”

  “The patient . . . is Johnny.”

  After a stare for a moment, Joe shut the case.

  “Oh my God!” Ellen gasped.

  “No, Ellen. No.” Joe locked it. “It’s a trick. It’s a trap by Johnny to get him back here.”

  “Joe, he can’t fake all this . . .”

  “Bullshit. You yourself said it’s raw. How do we know it’s Johnny’s brain? How do we know?”

  “I feel it.”

  “Well forgive me, but since you aren’t a noted psychic, I can’t go by your feelings.”

  “You just want to dismiss this. Joe, they sent a messenger. Come on.”

  “Ellen . . .”

  “Joe.” Ellen held up her hand. “If this isn’t Johnny, it’s someone. Okay?”

  “How do we know that someone isn’t dead?”

  “We don’t. That’s why I think I pack up what I can and . . .”

  “Whoa. Whoa, whoa, Missy Jane.” Joe stood up. “Over my dead body. If you are thinking about packing up and going out there, the answer is no!”

  “Joe.”

  “No. No. No!” Joe raised his voice. “You hear me. Too bad. I can’t take a chance.”

  “Let me go, let me run the test.”

  “Ellen.”

  “Why?” Ellen’s voice rose “Won’t you consider it? It makes sense. If it is Johnny, this would explain his behavior change. His demeanor and . . . and Joe, we missed it.”

  “Johnny is looking for a way to come home.”

  “Exactly and if it’s his intention to have us let him return for medical reason then he is not expecting us to go there.”