“Thanks.” Johnny grinned as Robbie walked out. “Wait a sec.” He scratched his head in confusion, speaking to himself. “That’s not fair. If I don’t want to be with her anymore, I shouldn’t have to ask my Pap.”
High and pleasantly, his name was sung out.“Johnny.”
Johnny spun around and looked. “Shit.”
Bev walked in and closed the door. She snickered and wiggled her fingers.
Johnny whined.
^^^^
Binghamton, Alabama
That button on his Levi’s was so shiny that Dean wondered if anyone even noticed. The bright autumn sun seemed to reflect off of it as he sat in the back of the huge truck. He had just finished checking his duffle bag during the half hour trip and everything was in there. Now all that was on Dean’s mind was that button and tracking device that Danny incorporated into it. The truck slowed down to a stop. Dean prayed at that moment that the tracking device worked, because even though the ‘Binghamton Reserve Base’ sign was faded, it was clear to Dean he had reached his destination.
He had finished his personal training so Frank took his break in the office he had cooled down to nearly sixty degrees. Away from the Society workers, soldiers, and away from Leonard, Frank wanted to be alone and he wanted to hide out because he had just received word that the scientist had just arrived and Frank wanted to stay as far away from him as possible.
^^^^
Beginnings, Montana
“One out of three.” Joe told Robbie as he handed him a Beginnings envelope. “If Andrea had sent all three of those letters to Jake, why did she only keep one of them?”
Robbie checked out the post mark. “This date coincides with the history log. And you only found one.”
“Only one.”
“Which could very easily mean your wife mailed one to back up her story and the other two letters . . .”
“Her warning to her lover George, perhaps?” Joe raised his eyebrow.
“Perhaps.”
Joe took the letter back. “However, it’s still not conclusive enough. I got my secret spies now trailing Rev. Bob. You keep up on him. Be his buddy.”
“I’m on it.” Robbie started to walk with his father. “But I wish this investigation would wind down soon, Dad. It’s getting on my nerves. I feel like I’m sitting in the movie ‘Titanic’ all over again.”
“Stuck in a situation that doesn’t want to end?” Joe snickered. “I’m with ya. But . . .” He laid his hand on Robbie’s back. “My gut tells me this is gonna be over soon. Real soon. And before long, we’ll know exactly what person or persons are Georgie Porgy’s helpful hands.”
^^^^
The temperature gauge to the case was bent outward at an angle for easier access. The freezer, Dean’s freezer, in the special lab was pulled out a few inches from the wall. The only light in the dark lab was the thin beam of the penlight that shined upon the numeric dial of the thermostat. Hands worked quickly and precise on the temperature gauge, replacing the back piece of it. When it was finished and put back together, the needle bobbed back and forth and then it went steady at a perfect temperature. After the gauge was straightened back up, the freezer was rolled to its normal position. The penlight went out and Henry smiled, stuck that miniature flashlight in his pocket and walked from the special lab, securing the door behind him.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-EIGHT
Beginnings, Montana
Though his morning reports dictated that the guard who walked perimeter thirty-two saw nothing, Robbie insisted he do the afternoon rounds. Foregoing all possible Neville points, he stopped by tracking, getting a confirmation from Mark that activity was sporadic, still rapid, and the signal growing. Yet Robbie spotted nothing as he gazed into the large field. There was a certain smell up there that seemed to linger. An odd smell that Robbie couldn’t put his finger on, but knew. And though he didn’t see anything, Robbie felt something. He felt as if he were being watched, that feeling of being stared through, sensed, and observed. He stood there for a while, waiting, and hoping something would jump out at him. His rifle was aimed high and his concentration solid, but part of Robbie knew nothing would happen or go after him. It was not out of the animal’s fear of him, but the animal’s knowledge of him. A good hunter never judges rashly, never jumps the gun, and that was why whatever it was would not attack Robbie. Because whatever it was, was actually the hunter and Robbie was the prey.
^^^^
What was that purple spot? It was tiny and perfectly round, scar -like, right behind Bev’s ear. Johnny stared wildly at it in wonder, knowing he had seen that same mark somewhere else but he just could not put his finger on it. He never noticed it before, but then again he never looked that closely at Bev. He was towering over her as she leaned on the counter in distribution, her head tilted allowing the visibility of that mark. Was it part of what Ellen did to her? Johnny kept on staring. He just knew it would bother him. He knew it.
“Johnny?” Bev snapped her finger.
“Huh?”
“You’re staring.”
“Yeah I am. What is this gross mark right here?” Johnny pointed to her neck.
Bev tsked and stood up right letting her shorter hair cover it. “It’s not a gross mar. It’s a birth mark.”
“It’s gross looking.”
Bev rolled her eyes slightly with a gasp. “So is this how you’re doing it? Insulting me to give into this break up?”
“It’s not a break up Bev. It’s a cessation of sexual activity with you.”
“Why? I like you, Johnny.”
“You bore me, Bev, and you give me the creeps, especially now since I seen this . . .” He reached his finger for the fascinating scar but she swiped his hand away.
“Johnny, look, I’ll learn new things. We have to be together.”
“We have to not. Now I have to get out of here.” He let out a long sigh. “Wow, I feel good. Take it easy, Bev.”
“What am I supposed to do now?”
“Um . . .” Johnny snapped his finger. “Go after Henry. He’s leader now. Lots of prestige.” He turned around to leave distribution, and turned around to see Henry. “Oh hey, Henry.”
“Thanks, Johnny,” Henry grumbled.
“No problem,. Thought I’d help you out.” Johnny grinned and walked out.
Henry thought he saw Bev stepping to him but he didn’t know if it was his imagination or not, so he hurried to the back of distribution. “Joe?”
“Come on back, Henry. Just getting the afternoon distribution ready.”
Henry stepped into the back room. “You wanted to see me, Joe?”
“Yeah, Henry.” Joe was hunched over a box. He stood up, reached in his back pocket, and pulled out the envelope he stole from his wife. “Wanted to let you know, Jason was telling the truth. Here.”
“You found them.” Henry stared at the letter. “It’s to Jake.”
“I found one letter. The others aren’t there.”
“Maybe we should check George’s things in storage. You know, all the stuff we took from his house.”
“We did,” Joe said.
“No.” Henry handed the letter back. “We checked for information about the Society. Not once did we look for a letter from the future to him.”
“Henry, that is an excellent suggestion. No, we didn’t, did we?” Joe smiled brightly. “I’ll get on that tonight.”
“O.K., let me know what you find.” Henry laid his hand on Joe’s shoulder. “I’d better get going. I’m behind.” Henry backed up. “Joe, I hope you find something that can clear Andrea.”
Joe watched Henry leave. He looked at the letter he held.“I do too, Henry.”
^^^^
Binghamton, Alabama
Carrying his own duffle bag, Dean was escorted into Leonard’s office. It was located in the same building as the labs. Dean stepped in the room and looked at the two gentlemen standing there. Dr. Morris was one of them.
“Dr. Hayes.” Leonard
extended his hand.
Dean did not take it. “When do I see Frank?”
Awkwardly, Leonard withdrew his handshake. “I’m sure we’ll get to be on friendly terms.”
“I doubt it. When do I see Frank?”
Leonard cleared his throat. “This is Dr. Morris he . . .”
“When do I see Frank?” Dean asked again. “Are you listening?”
“We have labs for . . . .”
“Hello!” Dean raised his voice. “I’ll speak slowly. O.K.? When . . . do . . . I . . . see . . .Frank? A deal is a deal. Are you aware of the deal?”
“Yes, I am,” Leonard said.
“Then you are aware that I get to see Frank, then I call my wife for your safeguard as well as mine. Now when . . .”
“Do you see Frank, yes.” Leonard looked at Dr. Morris. “Would you like to?”
“Yes,” Dr. Morris answered. “Dr. Hayes, before you ask the annoying question again, let me explain something to you as a doctor. Mr. Slagel was injured when he came in here. He lost a lot of blood. He was shot, had pneumonia and so forth.”
“O.K.,” Dean said, wanting the doctor just to hurry along.
“O.K.,” Dr. Morris continued. “Now, you can check him for surgery marks and I’ll even authorize a scan of his brain to show you he has not been made into a CME.”
“O.K.” Again, Dean had attitude.
“O.K. I’m telling you this just so you are prepared,” Dr. Morris explained. “He’s a different man. He may not recognize you at all or speak to you with any knowledge of you.”
“Why is that?” Dean asked.
“Unless he knew you prior to the plague, you’ll fall into his amnesiac category.”
“O.K.”
“Mr. Slagel has amnesia.”
Dean nodded his head once. “Frank has amnesia.” Dean placed his bag over his shoulder. “O.K., now . . . when do I see Frank?”
Leonard tossed his hands up. “Right now.”
^^^^
Beginnings, Montana
With a sneaky grin, Danny held up a gold key. “El? You’re not listening to me are you?”
“Um . . .” Ellen turned from her microscope. “Sorry. I’m engrossed. Is this mine?” She reached for it and Danny pulled it away. “Hey.”
“No, not hey. Listen to me.”
“O.K.” Ellen’s head turned slowly back to the microscope.
Danny grabbed her chin and made her look his way. “El, this will take a second. O.K.?”
“All right. Shoot.”
Danny opened her hand and laid the key in it. “This is the key to the freezer. I have the other one in case you lose this one.”
“Danny, I have a key to the freezer.”
“That’s not good anymore. I picked the lock and changed it for you.” He saw the look on Ellen’s face. “What’s wrong?”
“Did you look in the case?”
“No.”
Ellen grabbed her chest. “Whew. Why were you picking the lock?”
“I had to install two wire contacts on the ends of the seal. I merely lifted the case an inch, that’s it. I taped the wires once the case was closed. It was open a matter of seconds.”
Ellen smiled. “Thanks. Contacts, why?”
“Dean knew, but Dean’s gone. It’s your alarm system on that case.”
“Oh!” Ellen was excited.
“Ellen, you, me, and Joe are the only ones who know about this. Swear to God you won’t tell a soul. You can’t.”
Ellen held up her hand. “I promise. So if someone picks the lock and opens the case, the alarm will go off?”
“Yes, really loud too. Your key disarms the system so don’t lose it. There’s a surcharge for a replacement.”
Ellen giggled and grabbed her key chain. “Look, Danny, I’m putting it on now. Maybe we can find out who is trying to get in the case.”
“That’s the point.” Danny smiled. “Any questions?”
“Nope.”
“Good. I’ll let you get back to your . . .” Before Danny could finish his sentence, Ellen had turned back to her microscope. “Never mind. I’ll see you later.” He moved a few steps. “El, what exactly is in that case that you don’t want anyone to see?”
Ellen raised her eyes from the microscope. She peered over her shoulder to Danny. “You can say it’s my and Dean’s life’s work.”
Danny shuddered. “Knowing you two, don’t get into details.” Enjoying the snicker he got from Ellen, Danny left the cryo-lab.
“Oh.” Ellen raised her head. “Oh.” She bit her bottom lip, checked to see if she was alone, and picked up the clipboard. “Where does Dean have that tooth mentioned?” She flipped through a page. “Shit.” She read what he wrote and looked into the microscope. “This can’t be . . .” Ellen smiled. “One way to find out.” Looking at the time and figuring it was safe to leave everything the way it was, she grabbed the phlebotomy tray that was always out and ready, and left the cryo-lab.
^^^^
“Preparing early?” Joe asked Jess as he and Robbie approached him and John in the empty social hall.
Jess looked up from his map. “Just in case I want to learn the region.”
Joe nodded and looked to Robbie. “Tell him.”
“The signal stopped,” Robbie said. “Get things together, Jess. We want to fly you out as planned, first light.”
“To?” Jess asked.
Robbie’s hand came down and landed on the map. “Binghamton Alabama.”
^^^^
Like a little girl with her pet, Ellen sat with Marcus on the floor of Melissa’s home. He sat beside her, nuzzling his head in a playful manner to Ellen’s hair. He made a happy grunt, smiling, and showing his filed down teeth.
“You’re a good little boy, Marcus.” Ellen told him, rubbing his head and laughing as Marcus’s foot thumped like a dog’s on the carpet. “Aren’t you.”
Marcus squealed in delight.
Ellen looked up to Melissa who sat on the couch. “I appreciate you letting me do this.”
“Whatever I need to do, I’ll do.”
Ellen smiled. “Thanks and right now I’m taking you up on that. Right now, I need you to hold down your son.” Ellen reached into the phlebotomy tray and pulled out a syringe with a long thick needle attached. As soon as Marcus saw it, he squealed louder and began to race around the living room, jumping, leaping, and darting so quickly, Ellen and Melissa had a hard time catching him.
^^^^
Binghamton, Alabama
Frank’s office wasn’t so far down the main corridor of the building that he couldn’t hear the double glass doors open and close. He snarled and cringed when he heard the footsteps near. He knew what it meant. He heard the truck. He avoided going and looking out. It was a matter of seconds until he was going to meet that dreaded bigwig. Already, without a face attached, Frank was determining ways to get rid of him. “Shit.” Frank looked up when there was a knock on his door. “Yeah!”
Leonard opened the office door. “I’d like you to meet the new top scientist.”
“I’m busy,” Frank griped.
Leonard just walked in.
“Hey.” Frank snapped. He saw Dr. Morris enter second. “I said . . .” And then Frank felt like his heart literally dropped from his chest when Dean walked into his office. “I’m busy.” Frank lowered his head to his papers again, trying to hide the smile.
There was silence as Leonard and Dr. Morris both watched Frank, watched him for signs of his memory coming back.
Leonard looked for an answer from Dr. Morris and got one when Dr. Morris winked. Figuring there was no memory jarred, Leonard stepped to Frank’s desk. “Colonel Slagel, I would like you to meet Dr. Dean Hayes.”
Frank laid down his pencil and stood up. He walked around his desk and extended his hand to Dean. “Nice to meet you.”
Dean just stared at Frank. “Yes. Same here.”
Leonard walked closer to Dean, speaking in a low voice. “I’ll let you see for yours
elf, Dr. Hayes.” He brought his voice to a normal level. “Dr. Morris and I will be back shortly. Colonel, will you give Dr. Hayes the general synopsis of our base.”
“Yes, sir. My pleasure.” Frank walked back to his desk and sat down. He watched the door and watched Leonard and Dr. Morris as they walked out. He shifted his eyes to Dean who had set down his duffle bag. Seeing Dean’s mouth open to speak, Frank held up a finger to silence him. He listened to the foots steps and then stood up again, walking to his small window. Trying to look cool and calm, yet appearing sneaky, Frank took one quick stride passed the window, glancing out as he did. Catching the needed glimpse of Leonard and Dr. Morris as they conversed outside the building, then, shocking even Dean, Frank let out a deep, chesty, enthusiastic bellow as he charged to Dean. Wide grinned and with excitement, Frank threw his arms around Dean, lifting him up off his feet, and screaming again. “Oh my God!”
Dean laughed. He couldn’t help it as Frank set him to his feet. He too was just as excited to see Frank, so much they both had matching wide grins painted on their faces.
“Dean. Dean!” Frank ran his fingers through his own hair. “Oh my God! I never thought I’d be so happy to see you.”
Dean laid his hands on Frank’s arms. “And I never thought I’d be so happy to see you either. It’s good to see you, Frank. It is so good to see you alive.”
“Man, I’m happy.” Frank bit his bottom lip. “I could kiss you.”
“Frank, let’s not . . .”
“Fuck it.” Frank’s huge hands grabbed hold of Dean’s cheeks. He yanked him forward and kissed him quickly and with a loud ‘smack’ as he released Dean and stepped back “Man, am I glad to see you.”
“Yeah.” Dean touched his just kissed lips, snickered, and shook his head. “We miss you so much at home, Frank. God, do we miss you.”
“Really?” Frank moved back and sat on the edge of his desk.
“Really. It’s not the same there. And what is with this amnesia?”
The Horse Soldier: Beginnings Series Book 10 Page 48
