^^^^
Cleveland, Ohio
Robbie always hated cats. It was one species rendered extinct by the plague that never truly bothered him. He was reminded of his detest for the feline creatures as he stepped into Chester’s home. The small modest, single floor home was a distance from the research facility. Skeletal remains of the once furry pets scattered about the home, an abundance of them. Probably they had made their way through the pet entrance of the back door. Robbie smiled as he and the men walked through the house that had the roots from the tree out front growing into the living room. He assigned rooms to each of his men, deciding on the bedroom as his own choice for the search.
It was the right choice, in Robbie’s mind, even if he didn’t find any information. He did find a great stack of pornographic magazines. That in itself was a treasure worth keeping. But his attempts were futile and his search yielded nothing. Having checked every drawer, every inch of the closet and even under the bed and mattress, Robbie found nothing that could even remotely connect Chester to the Caceres Society. Chester had kept his work just there--at work.
Blowing the thick dust from the top magazine, Robbie took a brief break, lifting the heavy reading material into his hands. He flipped a couple pages into it. “Chester, Chester, Chester. You dog.” Robbie commented as he looked at the picture of two woman, together, enjoying the pleasure of each other’s company. It made Robbie chuckle as he looked at it. Lesbians, once considered in the old world--to the average male--to be erotic and arousing, would be considered to the men of Beginnings, a waste of good female flesh and companionship. Closing the magazine, Robbie laid it down. He picked up another figuring he’d might as well decide which ones he was going to steal. Flipping it open to allow the centerfold to be in his view, a slip of paper flew out at him and floated to the floor. Gazing down at it, he could make out that it was a cut out from another magazine. Part of a advertisement was showing on the back of it. “Chester, cutting out favorite poses now?” Robbie bent down to pick it up. As he turned it over to look at it, the magazine dropped from his hand and he clenched the small cut out article. “No way.” He smiled. “Greg!” He called out. “Greg!”
“Yeah.” Greg came barreling in. “Did you find something?”
With arrogance Robbie held up the article. “Remember last night I was telling you the society had an obstacle to eliminate?”
“Yes.” Greg really didn’t want to hear Robbie ramble about that one again.
“Guess what. This . . .” He held up the article. “…is that obstacle.” His eyes ran over it. “And my Dad was right.”
“About what?” Greg asked.
“He said, ‘somewhere, somehow, someone knows something’. Greg . . .” Robbie gave him the article. “We just found that someone.”
^^^^
Beginnings, Montana
The sound of Dean’s choking cough that carried loudly from the bathroom made Ellen close her eyes. It went right through her and her hands gripped the bed sheet tighter. She paused for a moment listening, waiting for the sounds that seemed to repeat since they stopped working for the evening, the cough, the choke, the flush of the toilet. Upon hearing the water running, Ellen proceeded to turn down the covers on the single bed.
Dean in a stagger, lifted off his shirt during his walk into the bedroom. As it lifted from his head, he noticed Ellen. “El, what are you doing?”
“I know you’re sick.” She walked to him. “I left water on the night stand and some crackers for your stomach.” She watched Dean sit on the bed and she crouched before him as he frantically rubbed his eyes. “Your head too?”
Dean nodded. “I’ll be all right. Don’t worry about me.” He kicked of his shoes.
“Yeah, well, despite the Dean professional dick attitude, I do.” She grabbed his arm, “Dean? You’re really warm.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Maybe I should . . .”
“I’ll be fine El.” Dean snapped then closed his eyes and calmed himself. “I’ll be fine.”
“Do you . . . do you have the virus, Dean?” Ellen asked, even though she feared the response.
“No.” Dean shook his head. “After effects of the serum. I had it noted that they were sever. I’ll be fine tomorrow. I just need to sleep.”
“Then I’ll let you be.” Ellen moved to the door. “Dean, is there anything I can do in the lab?”
“No,” He answered sharply.
“Dean . . .”
“What Ellen?” He huffed and looked up to her.
Ellen swallowed. “It’s gonna be an even longer quarantine if we keep being like this.”
“Call it practice for when we get out.”
“Why?” She stepped back into the room. “Why does it have to be like this right now?”
Dean stood up. “Because you’re cutting me out of your goddamn life, that’s why.” He took a long breath, “And I’m sick. I just want to be alone. It’s been a long day.”
“And a really . . . . really bad one.” Ellen’s voice was sad. “I saw things I never wanted to see again. I still see them.” She closed her eyes. “I need to get through that, and I wanted to get through that . . . with you. I thought you wanted, needed the same thing.” Ellen turned.
With a rush forward, Dean reached and closed the door before Ellen could walk out. His chest pressed to her back and his hand hovered over her shoulder. “I do.” he whispered.
Inhaling, Ellen spun around. So close she was to Dean. Reaching up she laid her hand upon his cheek.
Dean took hold of her hand, removed it, then held it. “There’s something I need to tell you.” He swallowed. “I’ve been thinking about it all day. I owe you an apology.”
“Dean,” Near whimper she spoke, “please don’t do this. Can we just not think about what happens after quarantine and think about now?”
“This isn’t about now, or today, or even tomorrow. It’s about yesterday.” Dean saw the confusion on Ellen’s face. “Yesterday meaning a while ago. It’s . . . It’s an apology long overdue.”
“For what?”
With some hesitation, eyes still locked, Dean spoke soft. “For any time I never understood what you were going through six years ago. For not understanding why you got like you got.” He squeezed her hand. “For all that you went through, and for what you are today, I admire you, Ellen.”
Ellen was taken aback. “Whoa. You’ve never said anything like that to me.”
“I’m sorry for that, because I’ve always felt that way.” Slowly Dean released her hand, stepped as far as he could into Ellen, and embraced her. “I want you to know, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure nothing pulls you down again. Tell me . . .” Dean closed his eyes and whispered with intensity. “Tell me El, that you think I can do this. Please.”
Right then and there Ellen knew it wasn’t just the side effects of the antidote. All of what was going on was troubling Dean. Everything they viewed, everything that scared them, hinged on Dean. He was the key to letting that future happen, or stopping that, and Dean knew it. And for anyone, even Dean, that was an awfully big load to carry alone. Ellen wouldn’t let him do that. “No Dean, I don’t think you can do this. I know you can do this. I believe in you.” She felt him hold her tighter. “I really believe in you.”
HENRY’S JOURNAL
December 4
If anyone were to asked me again if I wanted to look into the future, from this moment on, that answer would be ‘no’. What we saw, where we were, was not a place I ever want to be again. It was a vision, a trip I want to forget--a nightmare. With the grace of God, it will remain always a nightmare that I can awaken from. Hopefully Dean, Ellen, and myself can ensure that what we witnessed will never be a reality to us in our lifetime or our children’s.
LEAST EXPECTED TURNS
CHAPTER TWELVE
December 6
Beginnings, Montana
The escape hatch in the skills room floor slammed loudly, causing the nin
e survivors in the room to jump. Joe, toting a clipboard, pointed fatherly around the group. “While Ellen’s in quarantine, I am in charge. And when I am in charge,. no more pissing in the hatch.” Grumbling he moved across the room. “I’ll lock it back up, I mean it.” Almost out, Joe spotted Mike. He sat on the floor on his hands in knees. “Mike, you’re in charge. Watch them.”
Mike barked.
“Good boy.” Joe patted the bald head of the man and walked out. He stopped in the hallway when he heard the buzzing of the main door.
“Joseph Slagel.” Andrea marched to him with her arms folded. “Joseph! I know you hear me you are not that far away.”
“What Andrea? I’m a busy man.” Joe walked to Ellen’s office He saw Andrea follow him. “What is it? And don’t slam that . . .” He cringed. “…door.”
“You know exactly why I am here.” Her finger pointed and her head bobbed. “What in the Lord’s name are you doing to Denny and Josh? And what is it that you have them doing now?”
“Working. They have to work. What else are they going to do?”
“Get an education.”
Joe scoffed. “They get an education a couple hours a day. The rest of the time they work.”
“They should be in school full time.”
“For what Andrea? I can see if they were headed to be the town doctor, but let’s face it, neither of them two boys are a budding Einstein.”
Andrea gasped.
“Andrea, what do I have them doing now that is so bad? They aren’t doing anything but unloading and separating the Christmas stuff.”
“Exactly.” Andrea raised her head. “Denny is seeing the gifts.”
“So what? It’s not like he’s nine and he still believes in Santa Clause.”
Andrea brought in her bottom lip and raised her eyes while tapping her fingers on her arm.
“Andrea! He’s fourteen years old for crying out loud. I understand you want to shelter the boy, but come on, you’re going overboard don’t you think.”
Don’t you take that tone!” Andrea yelled back.
“Jesus Christ, you still have the kid believing in Santa?”
“Joe Slagel, I will raise that boy the way I see fit. This is a new world and . . .” She took a breath of disgust when she watched him nod his head and wave his hand to hurry her. “Sweet Jesus, what is with the attitude!”
“I’ll ask you the same thing. I haven’t been paying enough attention to you. Is that it? It’s starvation.”
“Oh, you arrogant son of a bitch, I am insulted. Starved for you?”
“Please, Andrea. You need me.”
Andrea gasped. “Need you!? If I’m gonna be needing anyone it certainly would be someone who was still viable. You, Joe Slagel are too old.”
“Old.” Joe laughed with a loud ‘Ha!’. “I’ll show you old.” Tossing his papers back to the desk, Joe grabbed firmly with both hands to Andrea’s face, pulling her to him and kissing her.
Andrea struggled but only for a moment, her tense arms relaxed and she threw them tightly around Joe’s neck, running her hands fanatically through his always perfect hair.
Cling to each other, they became swept away in their kiss, clumsily bumping into Ellen’s desk, and knocking things off. Without thought, Joe turned Andrea around, clutching her leg, and lowering her down to the surface behind them.
The moment they touched down was the moment they stopped when a loud, shrieking, Frank bellowed into the room. “Uh!” Frank shielded his eyes with his forearm. “There’s something just not right, seeing your father like that.”
Joe lifted himself up, shaking his head. “Frank.”
“Dad, you assured me you weren’t seeing this woman.”
Andrea straightened her clothes. “Frank, grow up.”
“Grow up?” Frank scoffed. “I’m merely doing my job. My Dad calls for me. I get here, I hear screaming, and then I hear silence. I think you’re killing my Dad. Instead you’re molesting him.”
“Frank!” Joe yelled.
“On my wife’s desk,” Frank instigated.
“Frank!” Again, Joe yelled.
“What!” Frank blasted in return. “Don’t yell. You called for me. What’s wrong? Why are you guys yelling?”
“Andrea!” Joe pointed with a heavy hand then sat down. “Get ready for this, Frank. She has Denny still believing in Santa.”
“O.K.” Frank nodded. “Dad? Robbie believed in Santa until he was fifteen.”
A shriek flew from Andrea. She gurgled her voice in disgust. “And you ridicule me.”
“Andrea,” Joe barked. “There’s a big difference. I told Robbie the truth. I even took him to the goddamn mall at thirteen and pulled off Santa’s beard. But he still wouldn’t believe me.”
Frank snickered, “That was so funny. Man, were those little kids fuckin traumatized.” With a shake of his head and a laugh, Frank walked to the door. “All right. Glad I could help.”
“Frank.” Joe slammed his hand on the desk as he called his son. “I didn’t ask you here to solve our Santa dilemma. Robbie’s on his way back. Can you be my office when he arrives? He wants to have a meeting.”
“What for?” Frank asked.
“He says he brings good fortune.” Joe said.
“You mean, like a horseshoe?”
Joe’s top lip curled. “Frank, you dumb son of a bitch. He didn’t bring a horseshoe.”
“How do you know? He said good fortune and that…”
“Frank! Can you be there!”
“Yes!” Frank screamed in returned. “God, yell at me. Make my ass come all the way down here when you could have radioed.” He stormed out. “I know you do that shit on purpose.” His voice faded in his complaint.
After Frank left, Andrea looked at Joe. “He is not right, Joe. Not right. And here I would have thought Frank was the one who believed in Santa for a long time.”
“Frank. Frank used to set traps for Santa. Damn near cut off my toe the one year.” Joe shook his head with a laugh at that memory. He drew up an ornery look. “Hey, Andrea. Why don’t you shut and lock that door.” He winked.
“You are bad.” Andrea said seriously, then giggled and did as asked.
^^^^
The Plains, VA
Elliott flashed a bright smile after listening carefully to the Captain. He leaned over the map spread upon the table. He tapped his finger quickly on the paper then released a sarcastic laugh. “What are you? Nuts?”
“Elliott, Elliott, Elliott.” The Captain shook his head. “It’s four women. Four measly little women.”
“I understand that.” Elliott said. “But, I did surveillance that spoiling camp. You did not. I understand your plan with this . . . . pre brain surgery concentration camp. It works. We can go in there with fifty men, hide out, and not be seen. That area is dense. But this spoiling camp,” Elliott argued to him. “It’s not a camp. No. It’s a big red building in the middle of everywhere. We don’t know how many guards are in there, because we only saw the changeover. We can’t move in with a large group of men.”
The Captain smiled. “You really need to calm down. I didn’t say go in with a large group. I’m thinking small. Very small. Go in, get our women, get out.”
“I suppose you just want to walk right in.”
“Yes,” The Captain said with excitement.
“No,” Elliott argued adamantly. “It’s a huge place. The only way we’re gonna walk right through those doors is if one of us is a woman.”
^^^^
Washington, D.C.
“I hate you.” Elliott grumbled from beneath the long, dirty, purple shawl that covered his head and shoulders. “I can’t believe this,” He said to the Captain who sported a Society uniform.
“Elliott, Shh.” The Captain brought him to the reception window inside the empty entrance hall. “And hunch down. You’re too tall.”
Elliott did. “I don’t know why you aren’t the woman. You have the long hair.”
“
You’re prettier.” The Captain winked, grinned, then knocked on the glass of the window. “Now don’t say anything and keep your head . . .” The Captain grinned, when a balding man in a lab coat approached the window. “Afternoon. I’m dropping off.”
Irritation laced the doctor’s heavy exhale. “Paperwork.”
“You don’t have it?” The Captain asked.
“No. You’re supposed to.”
“No, you are. That big guy, um . . .” The Captain snapped his fingers several times. “What’s his name . . .”
“Burke?” The Doctor asked.
“Burke, that’s it.” The Captain said. “Burke was to drop off the papers earlier. This one was a bit frisky. She keeps . . .” The Captain dropped his voice to a whisper. “…grabbing me.”
“Burke didn’t leave them. Then again, he’s an asshole. O.K., go on. Take her up to processing.”
“That would be floor . . .”
“Three.” The doctor told him. “And by the way. have you seen my guard?”
“Yeah. He’s out front.”
“He’s supposed to be right here. All right. Take her up, thanks.” The doctor grumbled and walked from the window.
Taking hold of Elliott’s arm, with a jerk, the Captain tugged him. “Careful. No footprints.”
After another grumble, Elliott looked down to the dead guard that lay right beneath the window, then carefully stepped over the body and the blood that flowed freely from his neck.
The elevator wasn’t that far, a mere ten feet. The Captain pressed the button and the doors immediately opened. He hurried inside and pressed three.
Once inside and once the doors had closed, Elliott dropped the shawl. “You owe me.” He swung around his rifle that was on his back, then reached behind him to the gas masks that were also hidden under that shawl. He handed one to the Captain.
State of Time: Beginnings Series Book 6 Page 14