The Horse Soldier: Beginnings Series Book 10

by Jacqueline Druga

  “You sound like Mommy.”

  “Can I put your hair in a ponytail?”

  “No.” Dean shook his head as her little hands laid on his cheeks. “My hair isn’t that long.”

  “On top it is.”

  “Alex.” Dean spoke then heard his phone ring. “Hold on, sweetie.” He unhooked his phone from his belt. “Yeah?”

  “The time has come.”

  Dean’s heart dropped and his eyes closed. He lifted Alexandra from him.

  “You’re not speaking.”

  “What do you want me to say?” Dean asked.

  “I guess nothing. I’ll speak and you’ll listen to me carefully. The perimeters go down for a daily check. You are to be at the back gate at 12:47 a.m. That is when that perimeter goes down. It’ll be down for three minutes,” George explained. “You will walk out. Be there, Dean. I have people waiting.”

  The lump in Dean’s throat was so large he could barely speak. “Tonight?”

  “Tonight. Bring with you what you need and leave a note for your wife to show around. You left for the Society. Make it good and make sure no one follows you. No one, or say goodbye to that cozy little house and all its occupants tonight. Fires can be deadly. Trust me, I’ll know if someone is following you. I have that covered. Or . . . how else did I know you were having lunch with your children right now.”

  “I’ll be there. Will I be going to see . . .”

  “Frank? Yes. Goodbye, Dean. I look forward to having you aboard. I won’t be there to greet you. My people will but I’ll be along shortly.” George hung up.

  Dean was so deep in thought. Slowly, Dean brought the phone away from his ear and stared at it, hanging up. He was so engrossed that the hand that laid on his back caused him to jump a foot in the air and fumble his phone. Dean bent down, quickly catching it before it crashed to the ground.

  “Dean?” Joe looked at him.

  Dean was breathing heavily. His face was pale and he looked confused.

  “Dean, are you all right?”

  “No. No Joe.” Dean blinked several times. “Could . . . could you see the kids back to school.” Running his fingers through his hair, he backed up.

  “Dean?”

  “I . . .. I have to find El.” He spoke in a near daze. “I have to find El.”

  “Dean.” Joe grabbed a hold of Dean’s shoulder and turned him around. “What’s wrong?”

  Dean held up the phone slowly. “It . . . . it was George.” Dean’s voice quivered with emotions. “I . . . I . . .” Dean swallowed and glanced his views to his happy and playing children. “I leave tonight. I leave tonight.” Without saying anything else, Dean turned back around and headed to the clinic.

  “Dear God.” Joe whispered and ran his hand over his face slowly as he watched Dean. Pummeled by news he did not expect, Joe pulled himself together, placed on a ‘Pap—Pap’ smile and turned around from watching Dean and walked over to join his grandchildren.

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-SIX

  Bowman, North Dakota

  “Elliott, you missed me.” Hal grinned and joked as he stepped from his truck, spreading his arms wide to a very happy looking Sgt. Ryder. “Look, you’re glowing.”

  Sgt. Ryder swatted Hal’s reach away. “I’m happy, but not about you.”

  “I’m crushed.”

  “I take it the trip to Beginnings was successful and fun.”

  “Yes.”

  “How is the new leader working out?”

  Hal laughed. “We’ll have to talk about that. How were things here?”

  “Great.”

  “Great?” Hal questioned.

  “Great. Follow me.” Sgt. Ryder led the way.

  “Oh my God.” Hal spoke in awe and near whisper after peeking into the hospital room where Link, Kyle, and Ted were. “Our scouts stumbled upon them?”

  “Yes.”

  “Amazing.” Hal peeked back in. “They look bad.”

  “Well, the Society beat them, starved them, and they walked a lot. Otherwise, Blue said they’ll be just fine.”

  “What did they tell you? Where were they?” Hal questioned.

  “Maybe you should hear it from them.” Sgt. Ryder pointed into the room. “You need to hear what they have to say.”

  “Thank you.” Hal knocked on the archway and stepped in the room. “Gentlemen, welcome home.” Nodding his head to all three of their thank yous, Hal pulled up a chair. “I know you already told Sgt. Ryder, but . . . but can you tell me. What happened?”

  Link spoke up first. “We were fighting the Society when they over took us. We didn’t even know that our man got away with the woman from Beginnings until Sgt, Ryder informed us. They took us from one camp to the final one.”

  Kyle continued the story. “They wanted to know about us and our camp. They beat us in interrogations every day. Finally we lied to them and sent them on a wild goose chase. Unfortunately . . .”

  Hal nodded. “Not without the risk of one of your lives. William or Jeff?”

  “Jeff.” Ted answered. “William died at Anderson Farm.”

  “I see. How did you escape?” Hal questioned.

  “The Beginnings man freed us.”

  “Frank?” Hal smiled “You saw Frank? How is he?”

  “He’s fine,” Kyle said.

  “I must tell you Frank is my . . .”

  “Man!” Link complained loudly, not hearing Hal. “The man is an asshole, telling us we can walk home. Him and his bad ass attitude. Like he’s all that. What the hell was up with that shit?”

  “Yeah.” Ted agreed. “Did he give us food? No. He took our uniforms and gave us weird clothes to wear.”

  “Funky clothes,” Kyle stated. “And bad shoes. We couldn’t even keep our boots. What were you saying about him, Captain?”

  “Um . . .” Hal smiled just slightly. “Um . . . I heard about him up in Beginnings.”

  Link fluttered his lips loudly. “Bet they don’t like him either. The man freed us but he could have helped us.”

  Hal nodded slowly as he stood up. “Well.” He cleared his throat. “I’ll let you men get some rest. We’ll talk tomorrow.” Falsely, Hal stayed chipper and left the room. He pulled the door closed as he stepped into the hall and to an awaiting and smirking Sgt. Ryder. “You knew what they were going to say, didn’t you?”

  “No. No. So, why didn’t you tell them Frank was your brother?”

  “Are you nuts?” Hal started walking with him. “They hate him. I need my respect. And right now for as badly as they feel about him, I don’t want that rubbing off on me.”

  “Has Frank always been like that?”

  “Yes.” Hal said strongly. “Always. His entire life. I should have expected no less. After all, he was the big trouble maker and instigator in the family.”

  “You don’t say,” Sgt. Ryder commented with a shadow of doubt to his tone. But since he didn’t know any better, he took Hal’s word for it and continued to listen to Hal gripe about Frank for the next thirty minutes.

  ^^^^

  Binghamton, Alabama

  Although Frank knew something could have gone wrong, he felt strongly that it didn’t, so he waited outside the building where the labs were. Hanging in the darkness like some sort of criminal, he watched the lights finally go out in the building--for the second time. When they went out the first time he was certain it was safe to send Richie inside. But no sooner had he done that, the scientist returned. How was Frank to know they only took a break for a late dinner.

  Knowing it was getting late and the chances were good that it was an all clear, Frank walked into the lab building.

  He made it to the main lab, unlocking the door with his own keys. “Richie.” He called out in a whisper. “Richie.” Frank saw nothing.

  Remembering what Richie told him about the back lab being located off of the cooler room, he headed back there. “Richie,” he continued to call in the darkness and then Frank heard it. A light banging. It seemed to come
from that lab Richie had told him about.

  “Look at this shit.” Frank placed his hands on his hips and looked around. “Is this decked out or what? This has to be for the bigwig. A desk . . .” He stopped when he heard the banging again. “What is that?” Scratching his head, Frank listened in to locate it when he saw the silver fridge sitting on the counter. “Oh, the Salicain.” His hand reached for the handle when again, he heard the banging. It was close to him, under him, and Frank squatted down. There was a cabinet under there with a large door. Frank placed his ear near there, hearing the light bang. Seeing the latch on the cabinet, Frank undid it and pulled on the door. The second it opened was the second Richie rolled out of the cabinet and on to the floor.

  “Frank.” Richie stood up.

  “What the hell are you doing in there?”

  “I was stuck.”

  “How did that happen?” Frank asked.

  “They came back, Frank, like two minutes after you sent me in here. I had to hide. They latched it when I was in there.”

  “Did they see you?”

  “No.” Richie shook his head.

  “Good.” Frank patted him on the back. “Did you get the Salicain.”

  “No, they came in too fast.”

  “Not a problem.” Frank pointed to the fridge and pulled on the handle. Locked. “Fuck.”

  “Sorry, Frank.”

  “No. That’s O.K.” Frank ran his hand over the top of his head and through his hair. “If we can’t get it, I think I have a back up for getting nosey fuckin Leo off my back.”

  “Well I got news for you Frank. You better set whatever that plan is in motion and set it in motion fast.”

  “Oh . . .uh . . . why is that?”

  “Because I overheard them talking.” Richie said frantic. “Things are gonna get tight. That big shot all the hoopla is about. He arrives tomorrow.”

  ^^^^

  Beginnings, Montana

  “Thank you.” Joe hung up the call and turned to face those who gathered in Robbie’s living room. Robbie sat slumped on one end of the couch, Jess in the chair, and Dean and Ellen huddled so close, holding hands and leaning forward, they nearly shared a cushion. “O.K.” Joe spoke to them. “So we may not have to depend on Danny’s tracking anyhow. We’ll use it for Dean but we now know where Frank is.”

  The gloom disappeared and all of them looked up at Joe.

  “Binghamton, Alabama. A reserve base there.” Joe walked over and sat on the chair.

  “How do you know where Frank is?” Robbie asked.

  “Three of the UWA soldiers that helped him and Ellen were taken with him.” Joe explained. “He helped them escape.”

  Robbie was curious. “Helped them escape. What about himself?”

  Joe held up his hands. “They don’t know why he wouldn’t go. They asked him and he said nothing. Hal said they complained about him. Nothing new.” Joe reached into his pocket, grabbing a cigarette. “Dean leaves in four hours. They are going to go home and so am I. Jess and Robbie, you two head down to the social hall, mingle, do whatever. At 12:20 I want you two to leave, go the long way around to the living section, and watch the house for anyone. Got that.”

  “Dad.” Robbie spoke up. “Why can’t I just follow Dean? Let me follow him to the gate. He can go but maybe I can see who will be tailing him. See George’s guy.”

  “No,” Dean spoke up, clenching tightly to Ellen’s hand and looking as if he were dying inside. “I won’t take even the slightest chance with my family. Not the slightest, Robbie. It goes as planned. You and Jess watch my house while I leave.” He brought Ellen’s hand to his mouth, keeping it there, running his lips over it as he rocked back and forth.

  “This is ridiculous.” Robbie stood up. “I can’t believe we’re just letting him walk out our gates. We’re handing Dean over.” Robbie’s voice was high and filled with emotion. “I know why we’re doing it, but Frank can take care of himself. We’ll watch the kids and Ellen. We’ll guard them with our lives. Let’s just send Jess to Binghamton, scout out the area, and get Frank.”

  “And what?” Joe questioned. “Chance Dean not going out to that gate? Chance them shooting Frank on the spot down there? He’s the bargaining tool or one of them. If Dean doesn’t go, there are no guarantees for Frank, or worse, Ellen and the kids. Guard them, Robbie? From who?” Joe questioned. “Do you know? Do I know? No. We don’t even know who or where it would come from. Guarding blind is not smart. I don’t want Dean to walk out into George’s hands anymore than you do, but we all know he has too.” Joe stood up and paced. “We have him covered. The tracking device is hooked up to the communications room map. The bug is attached to Dean’s jeans. We’re good. We wait until the signal stops and we drop Jess near there. He scouts, takes pictures, and then we go back and get him. In a matter of a week, we have Dean and Frank back.” Joe sounded so certain. “Dean, we’ll have you back. I promise you with my life. Trust me. Just . . . trust me.”

  “I do, Joe.” Dean closed his eyes briefly and held Ellen’s hand he stood up. “But right now I’d like to spend these last couple hours alone with my wife and kids.”

  “I understand.” Slowly Joe nodded his head once. He laid his hand on Dean’s shoulder “We are with you out there. We’re watching you. You are not alone.” He placed his face close to Dean’s. “You are not alone.” Joe dropped his voice. “Take care of yourself for us.” As Dean passed him, Joe laid his hand on Ellen’s cheek and kissed her.

  Robbie walked before Dean and extended his hand. “Be careful. I mean it,” he said with more seriousness than Dean had ever seen.

  Dean shook his hand firmly. “I will. Watch my family.”

  “With my life, Dean.” Robbie stepped back and out of the way.

  Dean gave one more closed mouth and silent nod to everyone, then sadly he led Ellen from Robbie’s home.

  ^^^^

  Quantico Marine Headquarters

  No sooner had George placed on his favorite pair of blue checkered pajamas and turned off his bedroom light, than his phone rang. George stared at the receiver as it set on the night stand, calming himself before he picked it back up. He wanted to lash out, scream at Leonard for calling him, but seeing how it could have been important, George waited until his anger subsided.

  He lifted the receiver to his ear. “Just for the record, Leonard, it’s midnight on this side of the country.”

  “Yes, I know, but this is . . . is important,” Leonard told him. “It’s uh . . . . about Colonel Slagel. This Frank guy.”

  “What about him.”

  “Sir.” There was hesitation. “Sir, he . . .”

  “Spit it out.”

  “He frightens me, sir.”

  “Yeah, so.”

  “So he uh . . . . he uh . . . he . . .”

  “Leonard!”

  “He’s gay, sir.”

  George rubbed his eyes. “He’s not gay.”

  “Sir, he um . . . complimented my appearance.”

  George hid his snicker. “It’s not a gay thing, Leonard, it’s a sexual necessity. Obviously though, with the amnesia, it must be something he had in him way before he and Henry had their thing. Now tell me how this is a risk to the Society?”

  “It isn’t.” Leonard said.

  “So where’s the problem?”

  “I think he’s attracted to me.”

  “Turn him down for crying out loud. He is not the first gay man you have run into. It’s common.”

  “But uh . . . he uh is the first one that is as large as he is. What if he wants me?”

  “Keep your distance. O.K. Now I’d like to hit the hay, Leonard. Don’t bother me anymore for this stupid shit. The only reason I don’t have your ass fired for this is because it amused me.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  George prepared to hang up but stopped. “And if it’s any consolation, I wouldn’t want him behind me either.” Leaving that as his last words, George hung up, enjoyed a moment of laughter, then finally
crawled into bed.

  ^^^^

  Beginnings, Montana

  Ellen’s eyes stayed focused on Dean’s shaking hands as he placed a photo of her and the kids into his duffel bag. She held the sheet close to her nude body, sitting in bed, her heart pounding as she watched him. The expression on his face was so sad. His head stayed down, his growing hair falling forward. Packing slowly as if he just hesitated a moment longer, his leaving may not have to occur.

  “Dean.” The ‘zip’ of the duffel bag went straight through Ellen from her stomach to her heart.

  Quietly he lifted the bag and placed it on the floor by the foot of the bed. He reached for his shirt, grabbed it, and walked up to Ellen. “I have to be going soon.”

  “Not yet. We still have time.”

  An emotional single laugh came from Dean. “Still have time,” he spoke softly and sat on the bed.

  “We still have time.” Her hand ran up his bare chest, moved to his neck, and pulled him to her. “Spend just a few more moments with me, please. I need to be close to you again.”

  Dean closed his eyes and softly grazed his lips against hers. “If I crawl back in this bed with you, I won’t wanna leave.”

  “You don’t wanna leave anyhow.” Ellen pulled at him. “Just one more moment.” Her lips parted his as she laid back.

  Following Ellen’s lead, Dean brought his knee up to the bed and his body down to hers. Softly he kissed her. His bare chest met hers and he wrapped his arms tightly around her. It was the first time in Dean’s entire life that he could actually recall his heart hurting as he made love to Ellen. An ache filled him with each kiss, each move of his body. He made love to Ellen slowly and as if it would be his last time, holding her tight and trying to consume her in, as if he could take a piece of her with him. He needed so badly to steal something at that moment that would last, that he could carry with him and give him the strength to do what he had to do. Dean was so frightened, scared of what was going to happen to him. And he buried that, hiding it deep within him. Dean wanted nothing to ruin their final, tender goodbye.