The Horse Soldier: Beginnings Series Book 10

by Jacqueline Druga

  ^^^^

  Beginnings, Montana

  “Damn it.” John Matoose reached for his belt as he and Jenny sat in the ‘Joe’ park. “I forgot my radio.”

  “How can you forget your radio, John? You wear it.”

  “Yeah, but I was under the counter in the communications room with Danny, fixing the connections, and I took it off.”

  “Just go get it after our little breakfast break.” Jenny handed John a muffin

  “I really should get it now. Do you mind?” John asked.

  “Hurry up. Forrest only teaches art for a half hour.” Jenny told him

  “Be right back.” John kissed Jenny on the cheek and darted away.

  Joe, Robbie, and Jess watched Dean’s tracking signal move steadily in the communications room.

  Joe, staring at the wall map with one arm folded across his waist, spoke up. “He definitely is going that way. Hal.”

  Hal’s voice came over the speaker. “So he looks like he’s heading to Frank.”

  “Looks that way,” Joe stated.

  “Then, really, preparation time for Jess’ trip should be minimal. I can get as much detail as possible from my men when it comes to location,” Hal said.

  “That might not be a bad idea. Get what you can, but we still won’t know anything until that signal stops steady. Right now, the most we have seen it at a standstill is ten minutes.” Joe stepped back some and stared at the wall speaker.

  “Steady, still signal then send Jess out to scout. Good idea. But here’s the problem I see, Dad,” Hal spoke. “ . . . Jess.”

  Immediately Robbie looked at Jess then to the speaker on the wall as if he were going to be speaking to his brother. “What the fuck ,Hal?”

  “No, Robbie, not what the fuck.” Hal came back. “He’s one man, Robbie. You think it’s wise to send one man alone out there to scout this reserve base? I don’t. I think it’s foolish and I have never sent a man out alone. Ever.”

  Joe swayed his head to Robbie.

  Robbie, whose arms were folded, lifted a hand. “What do you want me to do? I’d go but I can’t. I have security here to run.”

  “Is there someone else you can trust?” Hal asked. “If not, let me send one of my men with Jess. They are actually quite proficient in scouting Society camps. It’s only a matter of making their minds snap back to the old world and adapt to your more technical surveillance ways.”

  Robbie rolled his eyes at his brother’s words. “God, are you dramatic?”

  “Excuse me?” Hal came back.

  “Why couldn’t you just say, ‘my guys know how to scout Society camps. One should go with Jess.”

  “Because there is more to it,” Hal defended.

  “Like what?” Robbie asked. “They don’t remember how to use a camera? A camera, Hal, not a technical surveillance way.”

  Hal remained big-brother calm. “Robbie, you’re irritated. You’re probably tired. I’m going to forget this tone you’re handing me, but make no bones about it, if I was there, I’d nail you.”

  Robbie laughed. “With or without your sword, Hal?”

  “Robert!” Joe yelled. “What the hell is with you? Huh.”

  “Oh no.” Robbie held out his hand to Joe. “You can’t ask me that when you gave Jess orders to shoot me in the leg if I went against the plan and tried to follow Dean?”

  “Obviously you tried to go against the plan or you wouldn’t have known this.”

  “Uh Dad?” Hal interrupted. “You gave someone orders to shoot your own son?”

  “Hell yeah,” Joe stated. “When innocent lives are at stake, son or no son, he is not immune. And don’t think for one second I wouldn’t have you shot either for the same thing. But enough of this shit. Tension is high, I understand that. Robbie, are you going to close the attitude so we can discuss this?”

  “Yeah.” Robbie nodded, stepped back, and leaned against the far wall by the open door. “I’m sorry. Hal. I’m worried about Dean, worried about Frank, and now you have me worried about Jess.”

  Jess gave a closed mouth look at Robbie. “Just show up to get me when you’re supposed to and I’ll be fine. I really can do this alone.”

  Joe looked at him. “But should you? Hal has a valid point.” Joe’s eyebrow raised when he heard this little voice, high tone, whiney, and murmuring, ‘Hal has a valid point’. Joe turned his head over his shoulder to look back. “Robbie! Knock it off! Christ.” Joe returned to the speaker. “O.K. Hal, pick out a man. I’ll send the chopper down there for . . .”

  “No need, Joe.” The new voice entered in the room.

  Joe spun from his speaker view to see a very sweaty and nervous looking John Matoose. “Shit.”

  John took a step. “No need to bring someone in Joe.”

  “Dad?” Hal called out. “Is everything O.K.?”

  “Let me get back to you, Hal.” Joe told Hal. Then not removing his eyes from John, Joe disconnected the call. “What did you hear John.”

  “I . . . was I was coming back for . . . for . . .”

  “What did you hear!” Joe blasted. His hand slammed hard on the counter.

  John grew even more jittery. “I . . . I heard Dean left to . . . to help . . .Frank. You’re sending Jess to scout, alone and . . .” There was a vocal shudder of fear that came from John when he felt the cold metal of a revolver barrel pressing to his temple. “Oh God.” John tried to shift his eyes.

  Robbie held the gun firmly against John’s skin. He stepped closer to him. He spoke so closely his breath was hot against John. “You know too much.” He clicked back the hammer on the revolver.

  “No,” John cried out.

  Jess sprang forward. “Robbie no!”

  “Robert,” Joe spoke calmly.

  “What am I supposed to do?” Robbie asked emotionally. “Let him get away? We let him get away with too much. This piece of shit wanders freely around our community while my brother is taken by the Society. Dean had to give up his family for the Society.” He pressed the gun harder.

  “Joe.” John’s body shook, his lips trembled, and beads of sweat formed like a mustache on him. “Joe, please. Please, I just want to help. I did this community wrong. Let me go with Jess. Let me go scout with him. I swear on my wife, Joe, I need to do this. I need to do this.”

  Joe walked toward John Matoose. “I can’t trust you.”

  “I know.” John breathed heavily. “Let me try to get that back. I have come to you with everything I know. Let me gain something back before I’m kicked out or killed. If I can help to get Frank back, or Dean, let me. Joe . . . didn’t I tell you Frank was alive. I know how George works. I told you he would contact you. I’m begging you, Joe. Begging you. Lock me up until it’s time to leave, but let me leave and do this.”

  Joe ran his hand slowly down his face and took a step back. He stared at his son, so coldly holding the gun to John. “Robert.” Joe motioned his head downward. “Let him go.”

  “Dad.”

  “Let him go. John will hang with Jess until evening and then we’ll tell Jenny he’s on special detail to go with Jess. He’ll get locked in holding without any communication until sun up.”

  Robbie did not want to put down the gun. “Dad, don’t do this.”

  “Robert, put down the gun. If I was gonna let you shoot him, you think I would let you shoot him in here. Christ no. Put down the gun.”

  Jess watched Robbie apprehensively lower his weapon. “You shouldn’t shoot him anyhow.” He saw the surprised looks he got from Joe and Robbie. “I mean, why would you take even the slightest chance shooting him without proving to the community he was involved with George? Hell, I’d just tell everyone he’s up doing rounds at sector thirty-two. Tie him to a tree and leave him there. Let whatever got Marv dine on him.”

  Robbie grinned at Jess’ suggestion. “I knew there was a reason I liked you.”

  “Thanks, Robbie.”

  Joe turned slightly and grumbled. “Oh boy.” He faced Jess. “Take Joh
n and brief him.. Brief, Jess, O.K.?”

  “Yes.” Jess took John’s arm. “Let’s go, John.”

  John resisted so to speak to Joe. “Joe, thank you for this. I won’t let you down. I promise.”

  “Yeah-yeah.” Joe nodded as Jess led John out.

  “Dad.” Robbie rushed to him. “How could you do this? How can you just let John be a part of the most vital plan we have going now?”

  “Don’t question it, Robbie.”

  “But Dad.”

  “Robbie, don’t question it.” Joe stayed firm. “If John is serious about trying to make amends, let’s get everything we can out of him. If he’s not, it’ll be easy to tell out there. John is not a smart man. If that’s the case, Jess will see it and . . . John won’t be coming back to Beginnings.”

  ^^^^

  The physical therapy room was hardly ever used. In fact it was utilized twice in Ellen’s recollection. Once for Joe when he first came out of the Salicain and the second time was what Ellen witnessed as she peered into the room. The Society soldier, Tom Collins, who was shot in the back defecting, walked using the help of bars and Melissa as a guide. Ellen applauded him when he made it to the end. “Excellent.”

  Tom smiled and so did Melissa. Not a week earlier, Tom was ninety-percent wheel chair dependant. Ellen supposed it was that crush he had on Melissa that gave him motivation because by what Ellen learned by his charts, Tom made the best progress when Melissa worked with him. Ellen thought Tom was kinda of cute in a barely pubescent militia sort-of-way and she actually encouraged Melissa to show some interest back to Tom as well. One, it would help him, hating when she told her ‘get Tom back on his feet’. And two, telling Melissa that Mark was a bore and Gene was old, at the very least, with Tom not even twenty, it could prove sexually interesting for her. One task Ellen visually learned through a medical procedure was that Tom was physically capable of performing. But Melissa laughed at her, thinking Ellen was funny when she was dead serious. But to Ellen, that secret sisterhood telekinetic-message-thing told her Melissa had the suggestion in the back of her mind. Why else would she be doing that, wide grin, flip of the hair, flirting thing all women do?

  Ellen was snapped out of watching Tom and Melissa when she felt the gentle hand lay on her shoulder. She looked back. “Andrea.”

  “How are you?” Andrea asked with compassion.

  “Fine,” Ellen stated. “Just watching. He’s doing well.”

  “Yes, he is. Melissa does wonders for him.”

  Ellen snickered. “I’m heading to the lab. Wanna walk with me?”

  “Yes.” Andrea began to walk with Ellen. “I didn’t get a chance to speak to you this morning. Seems you’ve been avoiding me.”

  “I’ve pretty much been avoiding everyone.”

  “Why is that?” Andrea asked.

  Ellen just gazed at her.

  “Talk about town toward you is not negative.” Andrea walked into the lab with Ellen.

  “I didn’t want to take a chance of finding that out.”

  “Robbie told me there was some fear of that. Trust me, no one is looking at you as a traitor, just a victim.

  Ellen closed her eyes as the word ‘victim’ raced through her mind. “Andrea, I really don’t want to talk about this. I’m very . . .” Ellen paused.

  “Angry? Bitter?”

  “Yes.” Ellen was relieved Andrea answered her. All of her life lying was to Ellen until she really had to lie about something she didn’t want to. Lying about her husband, making him out to be a bad guy, when he actually was a hero, killed Ellen.

  “You should be angry and bitter. And . . .” Andrea looked serious to Ellen. “Right now we have to talk. You and I.”

  “About?”

  “Dean and his leaving for the Society.” Andrea walked over to the lab door and closed it. “Now . . .”

  “Ellen.” The lab door burst open and Jenny ran in. “Oh Ellen.” She sounded so distraught. “You surfaced.”

  Ellen shifted her eyes from Andrea to Jenny. “I surfaced?”

  “You’ve been hiding all day.”

  “Jenny, Andrea and I . . .”

  “Ellen,” Andrea interrupted her. “You and I will speak later, dear. O.K.? Talk to Jenny.” Andrea stepped to Ellen, kissing her on the cheek. “All will be fine. I promise you.” She gave a slight smile to Ellen and Jenny and left.

  Jenny watched Andrea. “Weird,” she told Ellen after Andrea departed. “Anyway . . .”

  “Jenny, I’m not wanting to talk.”

  “O.K.” Jenny pulled up a stool. “But you have to listen.” She sat down. “I have been giving lots of thought to this. Lots.”

  “Jenny . . .”

  “No, Ellen listen. Dean didn’t leave. I mean he left, but he didn’t just leave. I read the note. Sorry. Robbie showed it to me. Henry wouldn’t. He was being a dick and said it was none of my business.”

  Ellen blinked. Jenny was rambling so fast. “What are you talking about?”

  “Dean’s letter. The Society made him an offer and he was in a position where he didn’t want to turn it down. Blackmail. Ellen! They blackmailed him into leaving. Threatened him with you and the kids somehow. He left to protect you, if, if, they didn’t take him. No one is gonna tell me someone isn’t in Beginnings working for George. How else does he get one step ahead of us so much? No and I’m starting a campaign to search for him. Ellen.” Jenny reached over and grabbed Ellen’s hand. “Dean is too good. There is no way he would do this. No way.”

  “Jenny.” Ellen was hesitant. “Where did you get this all from?”

  “The note.”

  “I read the note too.”

  “Yeah, but I bet you didn’t read between the lines, did you? Read between the lines, Ellen, and read it again. Not once did he mention in there he wanted to be a part of the Society. Not once.”

  “Shit.” Ellen raced to the door. “Thank you, Jenny.”

  “Oh sure. No problem. We’ll start right away.”

  Jenny was pleased. She had gotten through to Ellen and she knew it wouldn’t be long before she got through to everyone else as well. Ellen knew that and that was why she raced out of the clinic. What had Dean done? It wasn’t intentional but somehow Dean failed to make that note believable. Knowing where Jenny’s thinking was and the power of persuasion Jenny had with everyone, it was very conceivable that the whole plan could go awry and deadly if the people of Beginnings failed to think that Dean abandoned them. Ellen had to find Robbie and they had to do something quickly before everyone started thinking that way and pushed for Jenny’s ‘let’s save Dean’ campaign.

  ^^^^

  Andrea was at the clinic and the kids were in school. The house was perfectly empty when Joe walked in and went straight to his bedroom. In the back of the closet was Andrea’s ‘treasure box’, her private personal things that detailed her life. She let no one see it and Joe never had the urge to until now. Pulling the locked box from the closet, he set it on the bed and began to pick the lock. It wasn’t right what he was doing, this was his wife, and Joe knew it. But it also was an investigation and under circumstances like that, it was no holds bar.

  Joe undid the small lock and lifted lid. An over abundance of perfume fragrance whipped at him and Joe sneezed. Despite what seemed like an allergic booby trap for Joe, he began to rummage. Looking through, with one hand and covering his nose with the other, Joe halted. Nasal and stuffy and through his sneezes, he smiled and spoke out loud to himself. “Well, well, well. What do we have here.”

  ^^^^

  “A smear campaign?” Robbie seemed shocked that Ellen would suggest the idea to him. “El.”

  “No Robbie, Jenny is right. I memorized that note. He subconsciously refused to admit he turned against us. We have to start a smear campaign.”

  “Well Henry is not helping.” Robbie stated, his hand tapping on the counter of the clinic lab.

  “What do you mean?” Ellen asked.

  “He refuses to talk about it
to anyone. The men are saying when they question him, he’s telling them there is a misunderstanding. El . . . . people just don’t want to turn their back on Dean. I’m trying.”

  “I know you are.” Ellen tapped him on the cheek. “I appreciate it. All right.” She took a deep breath. “Think. We can’t take a chance of Dean or Frank being endangered because of this community’s loyalty to my husband.”

  Robbie laughed.

  “What?” Ellen asked.

  “It has to make you feel good though, the fact that no one wants to believe it.”

  Ellen smiled. “Yeah it does. Anyway . . .” She looked at her watch. “I’d better be going. I have to meet Danny in the cryo -lab in half hour and I want to stop by the school first.”

  “Yeah, I have to go too. I have to meet my dad. He just radioed me.”

  “See you later?”

  “You bet.” Robbie kissed her on her cheek and as Ellen walked out, Johnny walked in. “Hey John.” Robbie started to leave.

  “Uncle Robbie,” Johnny called out. “Can I speak to you?”

  “Um . . . sure.”

  Johnny peered out the door to make sure Ellen was gone. “O.K., can I stop?”

  “Stop what?”

  “Stop seeing Bev. Dean’s gone so there’s no threat to El. Can I stop? I had to have sex with her three times last night.”

  Robbie’s mouth dropped open. “And you want to stop?”

  Johnny shuddered. “She gives me the creeps. I keep thinking in a month she’s gonna tell me she’s having my kid.” Johnny shuddered dramatically again. “Please?”

  “I guess now it’s O.K. I’ll talk to Pap about it for you. I’ll let you know.”