The Horse Soldier: Beginnings Series Book 10

by Jacqueline Druga

  “I’m telling you, Dean. That is what Joe’s word would be. Sacrilegious.”

  “It’s science, El.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t think he’d take to kindly to us keeping parts of Marv.”

  “Ongoing investigation. In the old world, it sometimes took months to get autopsy results,” Dean justified. “However, Joe won’t say anything. He’s stepping back for a while remember? Henry’s leader.”

  “I can handle Henry.” Ellen said. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Hmm.”

  “And as far as Joe is concerned, bet me he still takes charge of us because we know the truth.”

  “You may have a point. Let’s get these boxes unloaded into the spare freezer until the man of the hour shows up.”

  “I know someone is talking about me.” Danny Hoi walked through the open cryo -lab door.

  Dean motioned his hand to Danny. “Man of the hour.”

  Ellen smiled. “Hi Danny. You are so punctual and quick showing up so soon after our request.”

  Danny stood taller. “Want to make the best impression my first day as Head of Mechanics.”

  “And you are,” Ellen said.

  “So, what did you guys need?” Danny asked.

  “Help.” Dean stated. “Care to follow us? We have to put these boxes away.”

  “Sure.” Danny shrugged and trailed them. “What’s in the boxes?”

  Dean looked back at him. “Body parts.”

  Danny laughed. “You guys are funny.” He saw how serious they were as they walked into the freezer room. “You guys are joking, right? Right?”

  Dean opened the freezer case. “Um, yeah, sure Danny.” He set his box inside and took the ones Ellen handed to him. “El, we’ll unpack these later.”

  “O.K.”

  Danny couldn’t take his eyes off the boxes Dean put away. “So uh . . . what kind of mechanical favor do you need?”

  Dean closed the freezer lid. “Here, I’ll show you.” He pointed to the door in the smaller of the two back rooms. “This closet.”

  Danny looked so serious as he raised one eyebrow and deepened his voice. “Is it giving you problems, Dean? I know how closets can be.”

  Dean snickered as he opened the closet door. “See, it’s big.”

  Danny peeked. “Yes it is.”

  Shaking his head with a smile, Dean raised his eyes to Danny. “No, I want to know how cold you can make this closet for me.”

  “Excuse me.” Danny looked into the empty closet. “How cold? Did you say how cold?”

  “Yep.”

  “Whoa.” Danny checked it out. “You mean like air-conditioning cold or freezer cold?”

  “Freezer cold, refrigeration,” Dean explained.

  Danny started to laugh then stopped. “You’re serious. Why would you two need walk -in refrigeration in this . . . never mind.” He whistled. “It could take some work. We’d have to seal it, add a new door, a lot of things including a separate compressor and coolant unit.”

  “So you can’t do it?” Dean asked.

  “No, no.” Danny held up his finger. “The word ‘never’ crossed my lips. Tell me exactly what you see for this closet.”

  Shop talk was something Ellen didn’t want to be privileged to. She’d rather deal with the five remaining rabbits. “Dean, Danny, I’m just going to leave you two to this. I’ll be in the other room.” Getting a nod from Dean, Ellen walked from that room into the main cryo -lab. She stopped when she entered and spoke in such awe. “Oh wow.”

  Henry was there and she couldn’t even recall the last time she saw him looking so handsome. He wasn’t in his usual blue work pants and white shirt uniform he typically wore during the work day. He wore a black tee shirt tucked into his baggy, but tailored, jeans. A wider black belt was around his waist, and to top it off, Henry was having a good hair day.

  “Henry.” Ellen stepped further into the lab. “Look how good you look.”

  Henry grinned with a tilted head. “Thanks, El. Joe said as Leader I should always look nice. I’m not one to wear those button down shirts, you know.”

  “I like this much better.” She stepped closer to Henry. “Where did you get the pants?”

  “Danny got them,” Henry stated. “Small favor slip. I asked him if he saw anything in Miles City that could be leader clothes to grab them and he did.”

  “You can just tell Danny had the fashion sense in the old world.”

  “Oh you know it. He has that hair thing happening.”

  Ellen reached up and touched Henry’s hair. “And so do you today.”

  Henry enjoyed the compliments. “But . . . do I look official.”

  “Very much so.”

  “Good, because I’m here on business. Where’s Dean?”

  “In the closet with Danny. Don’t ask.”

  With a grin Henry looked to the back. “Oh yeah? All right, we’ll do this without him. Autopsy. How’s it going?”

  “Great. I mean . . . sad. I mean, going.”

  “Anything conclusive?”

  “Nope.” Ellen shook her head. “Not yet. Soon though.”

  “I thought for sure you had results. You gave us the body back to bury.”

  “We don’t need the body. We took what we need.”

  “You what?” Henry asked shocked.

  “I mean we took the test . . . . ran the tests we needed to run. Sometimes they take a long time to be final.”

  “O.K. You’ll let me know when everything is done?”

  “As soon as I know, you’ll know.”

  “Good.” Henry said.

  “Are we done with business?”

  “Yes.”

  Ellen heard Danny and Dean’s voice come into the lab. She looked over her shoulder. “Hey Dean, look who came to see me. Henry. Doesn’t he look handsome today.”

  Dean gave a look as if to tell Ellen, ‘you actually want me to answer that?’. “So Henry, what brings you down here?”

  “Ellen.” Henry answered.

  “Figures.” Dean said. “Thought maybe you were here on official business considering it’s your first day and all.”

  Henry smiled a little. “No way. I came to see El. Hey El, I’ve been working since five. You wanna take a break with me?”

  “Oh sure Henry. I’d love to take a break with you. Can we walk around the community?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Bye Dean.” Ellen moved to Henry. “Be back.

  “El, our work?” Dean asked.

  “Of course it is Dean.” Ellen giggled and left the cryo lab with Henry.

  “And she exits.” Dean’s hand raised and dropped.

  Danny, who was being quiet--a rarity--snuck up behind Dean and whispered. “When I was in high school I used to date this girl. She dumped for this geek the moment he became class president.”

  “Danny.”

  “Nope.” Danny stepped back. “I’m seeing some similarities here Dean. If you need to talk.”

  “Sorry, but I fail to see the similarities. This is hardly high school and she’s hardly my girlfriend Danny, she’s my wife.”

  “True.” Danny grinned. “But this is Beginnings. The place that makes Payton Place look like an episode of Leave it to Beaver.”

  Dean just grumbled a response and walked back to the smaller back room.

  Danny snickered and followed Dean fully intending on irritating him more.

  ^^^^

  “I woke up. I showered,” Joe explained as he walked with Hal towards distribution. “I had my coffee and cigarette and I even read that damn newspaper, which I have to admit, I’m liking. I looked at my watch and remembered, hey, you’re in distribution today. That opens two hours later.”

  Hal smiled. “Forgot huh? So what did you do? Go back to bed?”

  “Nope. I opened my front door when someone started to knock and I let Henry in my house. Christ, he was there asking me if he was dressed all right, was he having a good enough hair day, would people like him, and h
ow should he act.”

  “Don’t you worry about him?”

  “Nah,” Joe shook his head. “Henry will be fine. Trust me.”

  “I have to, Dad, because until you emerge from retirement . . . ” Hal let out a worried breath. “He’s our leader as well.”

  Joe had a sneakiness to his chuckle as he laid a hand on Hal’s back and led him into distribution. There was an extra bright spot that made retirement worthwhile on this day. Joe didn’t have leader responsibilities to deal with and because of that, he got to spend that time with his son before Hal headed back down to Bowman.

  ^^^^

  Robbie held the unscheduled security meeting at the training area. Solace and sadness was the air of demeanor with everyone as they sat around Robbie while he talked.

  “Some sort of wild animal,” Robbie explained, “is what Dean told me this morning. As of yet, they are still trying to pin point it and . . . . if there is more than one of them. If that’s the case, we are gonna have to begin a hunt. We can’t take a chance of whatever that got Marv, getting in here. Now . . .” Robbie flipped a page of his notes. “Marv died in the line of duty. Marv also died while gathering points for . . . for the Neville competition. The Neville Committee approached me this morning and wanted me to present you with these suggestions. Either we give Marv an honorary Neville win or we make him Neville and the competition continues, handling it like the former Miss America pageant where the winner takes it from Marv. Feedback?” Robbie saw Dan’s hand raised. “Yes, Dan?”

  “So he would be the first official Neville?”

  “Yes,” Robbie answered.

  “Hmm.” Dan swayed his head. “O.K., not like I’m being a dick or anything but . . . but, Marv was a nice guy in all, but he was no Neville. I don’t think it would be fair to you or me or anyone else who is up there in Neville points to make him a winner just because he died.”

  “True,” Robbie stated. “However, wouldn’t it be the kind and brotherhood thing to do?”

  Dan fluttered his lips. “Kind is one thing. Brotherhood is another. Robbie, this is competition. Come on. Do you want to go down in History as someone that was the second Neville competition winner? Or someone that lost to Marv?”

  Robbie knew the answer. He knew what he wanted to say. “O.K., let’s put it to a vote. Fair is fair and it is Marv’s memory we’re talking about. O.K., all in favor of letting Marv be Neville or the reigning Neville, give me a yeah.” Robbie listened to the grumbles and clearing of throats. He watched his men lower their heads, shift their eyes, and pretend they were ashamed. “All right. All against, give me a big ‘ooh-rah’.” Robbie cringed and his ear rang when the intrusion of voices shouted out at him what they wanted. Even though they were all fond of Marv, they were more fond of being Neville. “O.K.” Robbie tossed up his hands. “Neville competition continues and, we’ll . . . we’ll uh mention Marv’s name at the ceremony. Gentlemen, you can return to work. Anyone wanting special detail to deal with this animal see me.”

  ^^^^

  Binghamton, Alabama

  With visions flowing through his mind of his own decaying body lying in the woods somewhere, a portion of his head missing, Richie held tightly to his tool box and hesitantly walked through the laboratory door. They wore white lab coats, worked on placing together lab equipment and the new scientist all spun on their swivel chairs to look at Richie when he entered.

  Did he look like their next subject? Richie wondered staring back at the faces. “I uh . . . I got a work order for a cooler.” He didn’t receive any answer. “O.K., I’ll just uh . . . figure it out. Thanks.” No one pointed him in the right direction and no one said a word. They returned to their work as Richie waltzed through. Richie had to give it to Frank. He argued with Frank telling him that the bogus work order would be a major slip up. These were highly intelligent men. They would realize they didn’t request one. But Frank insisted that even though they would wonder about the order, they were all too pompous to question it. How embarrassing it would be for scientist ‘A’ to ask Richie in front of the others and have scientist ‘B’ stand up, humiliating him by saying there is a problem with a cooler.

  As obscure as Frank’s thinking was, it got Richie through the main lab and to the back where all coolers were. The large room was filled with them and Richie cringed. How was he going to find this vial with all those long freezers? Stepping to the first one, he noticed the small glass window by the other door. Through it, he saw another lab.

  “Look for a mini fridge.” Frank’s instructions repeated in Richie’s mind. “Chances are that’s where a vial is kept. The large batches may be in the long freezers.”

  On the counter in the empty lab, Richie saw the short silver refrigerator, a biohazard sign on the front. No one was in that back room lit only by a dull table fluorescent lamp. So Richie peeked out the door he walked though, checked on the busy scientists in the main lab, and walked through the cooler room to the other lab. The lab smelled of newness and disinfectant and looked as if were never used. With that scenario in his mind, Richie guessed the fridge would be empty but it was worth a chance. Even if he didn’t discover the Salicain in there, he discovered something else, a lab he knew nothing about. And if that was there, how many others were too?

  He set down his tool box next to the silver counter fridge. He reached for the handle, hopping it wasn’t locked. When he pulled, he found out it wasn’t.

  Richie felt the cold air hit against his stomach and breeze through his tee -shirt and he bent down, peering his face through the crack. Vials upon vials were lined up in the fridge. No sooner did Richie’s eyes graze across the middle shelf and see to the left, the vial marked ‘Salicain’, the fridge door closed. Richie’s views looked up to the hand on the door. A scientist stood there.

  “This isn’t the one.” Richie smiled. “She’s uh . . . . working fine.” He crinkled his nose as he grabbed his tool box and walked backwards, pointing to the cooler room with his thumb. “I’ll start on the big ones in uh . . . in there.” Richie spun around and allowed his back to face the large male scientist that busted him. He deeply the anxiety as he let out in his breathing and tried to calm his racing heart as he moved to the cooler room. Nothing helped. His hands shook, his heart pounded. And even though he found the vial of Salicain, Richie couldn’t clear his mind of the thoughts, that if he kept on listening to Frank, he really would end up a dead man.

  ^^^^

  Quantico Marine Headquarters

  “Truck is in secondary position.” Stewart laid a folder in front of George on his desk. “They’ll move into position as soon as the final surveillance flight is made.”

  “Good.” George flipped open the folder. “The train is ready for the trip as well?”

  “Yes sir,” Stewart answered. “We estimate five hours by truck to the train and another seven to Binghamton.”

  “And is everything in Binghamton prepared?”

  “Yes.” Stewart nodded. “Construction and remodeling was completed on the home.”

  “CME’s?”

  “Prepped and ready for your orders. Sgt. Landers says they are ready to move out.”

  “Excellent, excellent. Let’s let the new arrival get settled in Binghamton first. Tell Sgt. Landers to look at a move date of September 27th or 28th.”

  “President Hadley, genetics sent a note. It’s in there.”

  “Where?” George adjusted his glasses then saw the yellow Post-It. “God, is he still using these?” George un-stuck it, lifted it, and read. After, he looked back to Stewart. “Tell the labs to keep a close eye out. I may not know much about this, but it seems to be too early. Contact me in another week or so, otherwise don’t bother me.”

  “I think he wants Dr. Hayes’ opinion on . . .”

  “Dr. Hayes has adjusting of his own to do first and then he will get to work on the virology and genetic material. Until then, tell the labs they have to wait.”

  “Yes sir.” Stewart took the Post-It
note from George. It stuck to his thumb and then fingers as he switched it. Finally, he gave up and wrinkled it up. He stood there waiting to engage in more conversation with his leader and when Stewart realized he was being ignored, he took that as his clue and left.

  ^^^^

  Beginnings, Montana

  “Dean?” Ellen called out into the cryo-lab as she walked in. “Dean?” Ellen set down the folders she carried and walked to the coat tree, grabbing her lab jacket. She put in on.

  “Back here, El. I’ll be right out.”

  “O.K.!” Ellen moved across the lab. She flicked on a microscope as she passed it in her walk to the smaller back room with the spare freezer. She hummed some song that she hadn’t a clue where it was from.

  Dean pulled the door and secured the buzzing lock of the ‘secret’ lab. “El?” He stepped into the main lab.

  “Here.” She came out holding a small specimen tray.

  “Hey.” Dean moved to her. “I thought you were at containment.”

  “I was. Jason is there being the leader, so I checked on Jeremy and came back here before heading up to the clinic.”

  “How is Jeremy?”

  “Doing well. He’s eating more food with consistency and it sounds as if his voice is coming back.”

  Ellen set down the tray she handled while she talked. She uncovered it and grasped a pair of tweezers.

  “And his spirits?”

  “Checking up on me, doctor, or are you curious?”

  “El, I’m sorry I’m not wanting to . . .”

  “Kidding.” She smiled at him. “His spirits are fine.”

  “You had me.” Dean kissed her on the cheek.

  “So were you checking the case?”

  “Yes. All is fine.”

  “Good.”

  “So, what uh . . . . brings you back down here?” Dean looked over her shoulder.

  “This was bothering me.”

  “That section of Marv’s brain?”

  “No.” Ellen lifted up an even smaller piece. “This section of Marv’s brain.”

  “What about it?”

  “I didn’t get to look at it closely, but I think it’s regurgitated.”