And Then ... Farewell (Beginnings Series Book 22)

by Jacqueline Druga

  Jimmy nodded. “So is it a warning?”

  “We believe so.”

  Just then a blast off cold air came in with the other three Slagels.

  “Sorry we’re late,” Frank said.

  “Sorry,” said Robbie.

  “Me, too.” Hal shut the door.

  “At least one of my sons was on time,” Joe said and pointed to Jimmy.

  After a few muddles, and near whispered sarcastic comments from Jason, everyone assumed their seats facing the computer table.

  Danny to the left of the monitor, Jason standing directly before it.

  The Slagel clan in chairs.

  Jason explained, “Hopefully, God willing a message will not come through. But you never know. I’ve had a day to think about what I would want to tell you in the future, so I’m banking on my future self. As you know... this is not a two way conversation. Hence why were are recording. Also, it may be bad reception... Yet, another reason we are recording. So without further ado …” Jason looked at his watch. “I am marking the time.”

  He turned to the computer and began to run the sequence. Stepping back, he crossed on arm over his waist, rubbed his chin, while watching the sequence roll.

  Nothing.

  Silence.

  Nothing.

  Static.

  A rush and wave of interference moved across the computer screen and Jason’s future face appeared.

  It was apparent, to all in the room, the person they witnessed, was indeed a future version of Jason.

  “Knowing History. I am g….made it. I’ve prepared a statement to read.” Jason’s words, sometimes were clear, but mostly slightly distorted with the occasionally rush of static blocking out what he said.

  “You need …static … know. The future time… static, was inaccurate. Destination was not eleven month but …static… two … static. My use of the regressionator in …static … pacity ….static … more than what you saw.”

  Jason looked at Danny as if to ask ‘is it recording?’

  Danny nodded, eyes glued, like everyone else’s to the message.

  “Pay …static… attention. I am trying not to give too …static…don’t want other things changed. It …static… imperative. It …static…you change the course of certain …static…. One …static… can make a …static… in our outcome. Beneath …static…innings lies a treasure. It is what George …static…. It is a …static… tool. Put Henry …static…to uncover. It will …static…foreknowledge we did not have on the …static…for defense …static…the evitable. …static… cannot be avoided. But the war can be …static… if we …static…prepared. …static…not prepared. Here’s …static…the chain of …static…. In a very short time …static…On …static…day …static… will be murdered. This …static… Hal to …static… leadership position. He …static…leader when we …static…alliance …static…Society. His focus …static…, in his …static…George …static…decisions. They are not wrong under …static…, but …static… been avoided. These are the mistakes that lead to our slow …static…. Stopping the death cannot stop the war, but stopping …static…halt the …static…events. Somewhere in the link, the …static… must be broken.”

  Then the message stopped. The screen went black. The room grew quiet.

  Robbie’s lips puckered, and he closed his eyes with a hard swallow. Hal lowered his head. Jimmy looked away. Frank … Frank turned to Joe and gave a closed mouth, raised eyebrow ‘well’ look.

  Joe exhaled. “Okay, well, that says a lot.” He faced his sons. “Anyone else but me hear that I’m the one that’s gonna die?”

  “Murdered.” Frank corrected.

  Joe winced. “Thanks, Frank.”

  Irritated, Hal seeped out. “Frank.”

  “No, get it correctly. Murdered,” Frank said. “That’s why we can stop it. I’m not worried. The only thing that worries me is if we can’t stop it. Hal being leader.”

  Jimmy grew defensive. “Frank, that’s not right.”

  “Fuckin’ said it.” Frank held out his hand to the computer. “Hal as leader causes a chain of events.”

  “Stop. Stop.” Joe held his hands up in a T. “Let’s just stop.” He faced Danny. “It’s recorded right?”

  Danny’s voice cracked as he tried to speak, then he cleared his throat. “Yeah, Joe.”

  “Okay.” Joe nodded. “Throw it on disk, as is, for each of us. Don’t try to tweak it. Just copy it. Tweak it later. Give all of us a copy. We’ll all take our copies, go off by ourselves. See what we pick up in the message, gather our individual thoughts and meet in my office.” He saw everyone start to speak. “No, this is best. Everyone agree?” He waited for the nods. “Good. Danny.” Joe clapped his hands together. “How long?”

  “Give me fifteen minutes.” Danny ejected the disk. “I can meet you …”

  “At the bakery.” Joe said as he walked to the door. “Me and my boys are heading down there for coffee and to discuss Frank’s wedding. Boys?”

  Frank jumped up. “I’m for that.”

  “Good. Hal? Robbie? Jimmy?” Joe held the door open. As his sons slowly made their way there, Joe turned to Jason. “My office two hours?”

  Jason gave a thumbs up.

  “People, I’m not dead yet. Okay?” Joe kept his voice up. “Okay. Let’s go.”

  Danny was closing up his laptop, putting it away when the door shut. “What do you think?” he asked Jason.

  Jason shook his head. “I think we’ve been given a very powerful heads up.”

  “I have faith,” Danny said. “I do. It’s the Slagels. I have faith. See you in a bit.” With his stuff he walked to the door.

  Alone.

  Jason stared at the computer. He knew he had served his purposes and knowing himself he was not delivering another message. He did what he had to do; now it was just matter of seeing if it worked.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  It once was Dean’s home office when Dean lived at the house with Ellen, but Frank used it. Wearing headphones, he hooked up to a laptop and watched the Jason message over and over. It didn’t make it any better, or any clearer. Words were still garbled. Frank had written down all the interpretable words, and now worked on deciphering it. The meeting with Joe was in an hour.

  He stared at the computer screen, and to Jason’s pasty face.

  Yes, Jason was giving words, and to an extent the words made sense, but there was something else. Something that was missing other than just words.

  “Frank.”

  Frank didn’t hear the call of his name at first, it took a couple tries and then he peered up. “Oh, hey, El.” He stopped the player, lowered the headset, and half folded the lid. “What’s up?”

  “Are you writing?” Ellen asked.

  “You can say I’m working on something.”

  “Good. Because everyone is going to be waiting for the next book.”

  Frank smiled.

  “Are you all right.”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Just an emotional drama.”

  “Wow, that’s a switch. Okay, I’m heading out. Josh is here if you have to leave. I want to get to the clinic in case future boy wakes up.

  “Keep me posted.”

  “Absolutely.” She passed a smile to him, and opened the door.

  Just as Frank was about to rise the headphones again, he heard Ellen speaking to someone.

  “Not long,” she said. “He’s writing.”

  A knock.

  Robbie walked in.

  “Hey little brother. You’re supposed to be working on the message.”

  “I was.” Robbie scratched his head. “But I am having a real hard time Frank.”

  Frank exhaled and sat back. “Yeah, me too.”

  “Why is that?” Robbie asked. “You would think that we’d been filled with passion about figuring this shit out.”

  “I know.”

  “Frank …” So desperate Robbie sounded as he walked to the desk. “Are we gonna have enough inform
ation to stop this?”

  “I hope little brother, I hope.”

  “So, if this is so hard for us to figure out and work on, what do we do?”

  Tightly closed mouth, Frank nodded, sighed out and snapped forward lifting the lid to the laptop. “Pull up a chair, Robbie. We work on this together.”

  Robbie did.

  ***

  When the captain returned from Beginnings, Elliott knew something was up. Not only did he walk straight to his office, he carried a laptop. A laptop was the one thing the captain really didn’t use. Was Bowman going high tech? The computer age? Elliott thought if they were he wanted to know. He needed to brush up. Elliott had been out of the technological loop for so long, and the only keyboard he had touched was that of the electronic piano.

  He highly doubted that was the reason. He knew the captain had a meeting in Beginnings. He also knew what the meeting was about.

  The message from the future.

  He needed a reason to disturb the captain and for some odd reason, nothing was happening in Bowman. No signs of more invisible predators. There were guards wearing thermo sights. Those guards’ jobs had to be difficult. How does one distinguish with thermo sights, the difference between an invisible predator and a Bowman soldier? With the sights, they all looked the same.

  Then it happened.

  He called Ellen to check on the progress of the patient, she told him Dean was finishing up the DNA testing and the results would be in shortly.

  The reason.

  Elliott made his way to Hal’s office.

  “Come in,” Hal replied to the knock on the door.

  “Captain, are you busy?”

  Hal, as if shielding the laptop, lowered the lid some. “What’s up?”

  “I just spoke to Ellen. Dr. Hayes is finishing up the DNA testing on the invisible predator Frank shot.”

  “Uh-huh,” Hal nodded.

  “Captain?”

  “Elliott that has got to be the lamest reason I have ever heard for interrupting me.”

  “Captain, I assure you …”

  “Please.” Hal chuckled. “You were curious.”

  “No, really, I wasn’t.”

  “Not in the least?”

  “Well …”

  “Not even when you saw the laptop?” Hal asked.

  “That struck me as odd, but then again, we may be wanting to use computers soon.”

  Hal stared at the statement as his response.

  Elliott cleared his throat. “Maybe not.”

  “Technology aids to chaos and breakdown. Sgt. Ryder. If you were curious about my meeting today. All you had to do is ask.”

  Elliott nodded. “You’re right.” He shut the door and walked in. “I was curious. So how did the future message meting go?”

  “The future message meeting.” Hal’s demeanor changed. “It went.”

  “What was said?”

  “I can’t tell you.”

  “Excuse me?” Elliott asked. “Captain I am insulted. Seriously, I have been …”

  “My right hand man, yes, I know.” Hal rubbed his face and stood up. “And Elliott, I wish to God, I could tell you everything. Everything. I need your mind, your input, everything right now. But I can’t.”

  “Can I ask why?”

  “Absolutely,” Hal said. “We were told about things that were going to happen. How we must intervene. Jason has theorized that only those in the room and mentioned on the message should know. Anyone else could change the course. If the course gets changed …”

  “You can’t intervene.”

  “Yes.” Hal gave a single nod.

  “I wish I could help. But I understand.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I’ll leave you be.” Elliott turned.

  “Elliott?” Hal stopped him. “There is something you can help me with.”

  “Sure, Captain, what is it?”

  “I need you to be totally honest with me.”

  “When am I not?” Elliott asked.

  “When you are trying to spare my feelings. My ego.”

  “I promise not to do that now.”

  “Good. Then … as my best friend, my right hand man, someone that worked side by side with me for years, you would know.”

  “Know what?”

  “What is it, Elliott, that would make me not a good leader. What is it the one thing or two, or things, that would cause me to make bad decisions, or decisions that my father would not make.”

  “Captain …”

  “I …. I don’t get it, Elliott.” Hal began to pace. “I thought I was a good leader. I took pride when people told me I am just like my father.”

  “You are,” Elliott said.

  “But there has to be a difference. There has to be. What would it be?”

  Elliott locked in a stare.

  “Do you know?”

  “Captain, it would be easier if given a situation.”

  Hal’s slightly lowered head lifted. “There should be no situation that I couldn’t handle as a leader. What would you say?”

  ‘You won’t hold it against me, will you?”

  “Never.”

  “Then I will give my opinion, the best I can. I hope it applies to what you need. If not, it’s the best I can do. You’re a great leader,” Elliott said. “One of the things that make a great leader is his or her own ability to look out for the best interests of everyone. How one choice affects the masses.”

  “I do that.”

  “Yes, you do.” Elliott said. “But the thing that would make you make a bad decision, is the thing that makes you different from your father.”

  “And that is?”

  “Your inability to lose your human side.”

  Hal chuckled. “What?”

  “Your father, as a leader, has made some decisions, that if he allowed the human side, the heart side of him to kick in; he would have made totally different decisions. For example, when Ellen was ousted. Can you, Captain, honestly say, if you led our provinces, you would have allowed for the community to vote?”

  “Yes, I would have allowed for the vote.”

  “Then I am mistaken, because I am certain, knowing you as well, as I do, you would have handled it differently.”

  “You’re not wrong, Elliott. I would have ever let it get to the vote. And if I did … Ellen would have never been ousted. Never. She would have never stepped foot outside our walls.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because of who Bev was.”

  “But would you have been so passionate about not ousting had the murderer been anyone else.”

  Hal drew silent.

  “Your passion, your love, your family, that is the one thing that affects you as leader. It’s not a bad thing, it’s the thing that make people love you and admire you. But there are times, Captain, I believe if faced with the good of the many, or the good of those you love, you’d choose…” Elliott didn’t say it.

  Hal exhaled loudly, “I know. Should I work to change that?”

  “You could. Should you … no.” Elliott stated. “I believe, time and wisdom will make you into the leader you need to be.”

  “Time and wisdom,” Hal muttered. “That is it.”

  “Captain?”

  “Nothing.” Hal perked up. “I have to get back to this.”

  “I’ll leave you be. I hope I helped. Sorry if I did not.”

  “No, Elliott, you have given me an understanding I didn’t have. Thank you my friend, for your honesty.”

  Elliott nodded an acknowledgement ‘you’re welcome’, wished Hal luck and departed the office.

  Hal returned to his daunting task, knowing he didn’t have that much time.

  ***

  “So …” Dean moved swiftly about the lab, as he read from the chart. “DNA testing shows such a multitude of things, he’s pretty much a soup mixture of people.”

  Ellen sat at the counter, her face propped up against the palm of her hand while she stirred her c
up of tea.

  “You with me?”

  “Yes.”

  “What did I say?”

  “He’s a soup person,” Ellen replied.

  Dean chuckled and continued, “I spoke to Fort and …”

  “I spoke to Frank.”

  “Huh?” Dean paused.

  “Frank. He’s being weird.”

  “When isn’t Frank being weird, El. He’s the strangest person I know.”

  Ellen nodded. “Go on.”

  “Thanks.” Dean tried to continue, “Fort was saying …”

  “Frank said … he said he was working on a new book. That’s why he was sitting in your office.”

  “Frank was using my office?”

  “Your desk.”

  “My chair?”

  “Of course.”

  “That’s not right. My laptop.”

  Ellen nodded.

  “Why?”

  “I just told you, Dean he’s writing a new book.”

  “Well, tell him to do it elsewhere, that’s my office.” Dean snapped.

  “He’ll argue with you on that one.”

  “Who cares ... anyhow …?”

  “He says it’s a human drama book or something.”

  Dean tossed out his hand. “Why is this important?”

  “His demeanor was different. Very down.”

  Dean stared for a second. “Okay, anyhow, Fort was saying that really only fifteen percent of the population, twenty tops is or rather was how should I put it, bred? Farmed.”

  “Something happened at their meeting today. I know it.” Ellen said.

  Dean placed the information down on the counter, whapping it as he did. “Do you want to talk about this?”

  “About what?”

  “Frank? His demeanor. What’s bothering him?”

  Ellen sat up. “Yes, Yes, I would.”

  “We will.” Dean lifted the information. “After we talk about this.”

  “Oh, my God.”

  “What?”

  “You insensitive dick.”

  Dean laughed out a “what”

  “That was really insensitive. Frank’s having issues …”