The Third Ten

by Jacqueline Druga

  At first she gave an off look, then Ellen slowly turned around.

  Christopher lurked behind her in full monster form.

  “Fuck.” She whispered.

  Robbie leaned into his father and spoke in his ear. “What was that you were just asking about Dean? Can he start anymore trouble?”

  Joe turned around to Robbie speaking in a soft growling voice. “Find Dean Hayes … Now.”

  ***

  The late night meeting with Dean started out with Joe slamming the door as he entered the office. Dean sat, irritated in the chair.

  After giving an acknowledgement to Robbie, Joe walked behind his desk. “Any news on Frank?”

  “On his way,” Robbie said.

  “Joe … what is going on?”

  “Let’s wait until Frank gets here.”

  At that, there was a single knock on the door and Frank entered. “What's up, Dad?”

  “First,” Joe held up his hand. “No fighting. Okay? I’m not in the mood.”

  “Why would I fight?” Frank asked.

  “You were chasing Dean from the studio.”

  “Oh.” Frank waved out his hand. “We set that up. We thought it would help out Danny.”

  “So none of it was true?” Joe asked. “The cloning. The affair …”

  “Cloning is true,” Frank said. “But I’m good with all that.”

  “Glad you are, but there are some things I am not good with.” Joe said. “Dean. I have given you freedom. But there were reasons in the old world that restrictions applied. I try not to boggle you down with restriction, but you are teetering on the unethical here. I may have to start laying down the law about your research.”

  “You can’t do that,” Dean argued.

  “The hell I can’t.”

  “What gives you the right?”

  “I’m the leader of this community. I have to act with that responsibility. We have to treat this lawfully, Dean. I can’t have you running around playing Dr. Frankenstein.”

  Dean chuckled arrogantly. “My work is my work and my business.”

  “And when your work affects the community it is my business.” Joe argued. “Being unethical isn’t helping the community.”

  “I begged to differ Joe.” Dean said. “Cloning is vital. It will help with population and with replacement of stem cells, organs …”

  “I’m not talking about the cloning.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about the fact that you’re experiments are done without any regard to the well being of those in this community.”

  “What?” Dean laughed out. “How can you say that?”

  “I can say that because you have this keen ability to turn innocent people into mutants.”

  Frank spoke up, “I resent that. I’m not innocent and I like being a mutant.”

  “I’m not talking about you, Frank,” Joe said. “I am talking about Christopher Columbus.”

  Frank snorted a laugh in ridicule. “Uh, Dad, he was a mutant before Dean got his hands on him.”

  Joe refrained from saying anything sarcastic to Frank, considering he saw the look on Dean’s face.

  Dean bit his lip.

  “Dean?” Joe questioned.

  “You know?” Dean asked.

  “Uh, Dean?” Frank said. “Everyone knows.”

  “How?” Dean questioned Joe.

  Frank replied. “He has no skin Dean, it’s easy to tell.”

  Joe seriously looked at Dean. “He was at Frank’s house.”

  “My house.” Dean corrected.

  “My house,” Frank said.

  “Whatever.” Joe snapped. ‘He was there. In the kitchen with Jenny and ….”

  “Fuck,” Dean whispered.

  Joe pointed. “That was Ellen’s reaction when it happened.”

  “You saw?” Dean asked.

  “We all did.”

  “Fuck.”

  “Cat’s out.”

  Frank listened. Usually he was pretty good about picking up things. His head went back and forth listening to them. “Did we lose my cat?”

  Joe turned sharply to Frank. “No, you idiot. The cat’s out meaning the truth is out. Meaning, the monster in Beginnings is a Dean creation and is Christopher Columbus. Plus, Dean knew.”

  Frank snickered.

  “This is funny?” Joe asked.

  “Well, yeah. I knew him and Ellen were up to something with the monster. I could smell it in the lab. But it’s Christopher Columbus. Man, and here I thought we had a killer on our hands. Too bad.”

  In disgust, Joe looked at Frank then to Dean. “What are you doing about the Christopher Columbus thing?’

  “Not much I can do.” Dean shrugged.

  “Well, I’m not a scientist. But here’s what I think. Since he is normal most of the time, he can return to normal all the time. Fix it.”

  “But …”

  “Fix it.” Joe ordered. “You have two weeks.”

  “What!” Dean blasted. “You can’t rush science.”

  “I am,” Joe stood. “Two weeks or I let this all out.” He walked to the door. “And by the way. I want a list of the people you successfully cloned and proof that you destroyed the embryos.”

  “I’ll do that.”

  “On my desk.”

  “Yes,” Dean nodded.

  “Tomorrow.”

  “Fine.”

  Joe walked out.

  Dean huffed.

  After a few taps on the arm of the chair, Frank turned to Dean. “You saved my clone baby, right?”

  “Absolutely, you think I’m nuts?”

  “Good. Just checking.” Frank stood. “Hey, Dean, now that we know the monster, can we practice with me chasing him.”

  With a shrug, Dean also stood. “Sure why not. I can use some fun tonight.”

  “Yes!” With excitement and clenched fist, Frank opened the door for them both.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  March 2nd

  The bakery was in operation when Joe passed it just before dawn. Some warm aroma swept to him calling his name and he couldn’t help but make his way in there.

  It was unusual for Gemma to be in there doing her thing, but a recent decision to become competitive with Bowman not only bred a new line of goodies, but a café style area at the bakery.

  The Hoi Times were out for reading, and Joe made his way to a table.

  They weren’t open. But since it was Joe, Gemma didn’t mind.

  She gave him the freshest of coffee and a hot buttered croissant.

  Perfect.

  Then Jason walked in.

  Joe lifted his eyes with an acknowledgement than focused again on the new news and upcoming sporting events.

  “Joe,” Jason slid down across from him.

  He didn’t notice it before but did at that moment. Jason was dark eyed, his five o’clock shadow grown into a midnight shadow. “Christ,” he said. “What the hell happened to you? Are you sick?”

  “No. Been working in my lab all night.”

  “Problems.”

  “Could say that.”

  “Time machine.”

  “Not really. Still not functioning properly.”

  “What is it?”

  “Joe that weird lightning happened again.”

  “Again?”

  “Yeah, only this time, it left a mark. Strange mark. Care to take a look?”

  Joe gathered up his food and beverage, and a copy of the Hoi Times. After thanking Gemma he rushed from the bakery with Jason.

  ***

  Jenny found an old pink bedspread and a 1980s poster of David Hasselhoff. They were used as decoration to beautify the plain, jail like holding cell that the strange tattooed girl named, Julie, called home.

  It was thought to be a hardy breakfast, three good eggs, a slice of meat, toast. It wasn’t piping hot when it arrived but it was still warm. Dan from security brought it himself because he was to bring her to containment for lessons.
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  Julie ate the food quickly, then licked the plate. He figured Ellen wouldn’t mind if he made a pit stop and was a bit late bringing her to class.

  Of course the pit stop bred more than food for Julie, it brought a wave of irritation that he feared would stay with him all day long.

  While dropping Julie off at containment, Dan figured, since Ellen was community counselor he’d talk to her about it.

  “She’s hungry,” Dan explained as he watched July sniff Ellen’s fake flowers then lick them.

  “Didn’t anyone feed her?” Ellen asked pulling the flowers more inward on her desk.

  “Sure, and some,” Dan explained. “Which is why I wanted to talk to you.”

  “What’s up?” Ellen leaned against her desk.

  “I’m full of anger.”

  “Really?” She said brightly, “Oh, tell me about it.” She scooted to behind her desk.

  “Paul.”

  “Still?”

  Dan nodded. ‘He picks and picks and I don’t know how to handle it. Example, I took Julie up to agriculture this morning on the way here to get her some fruit. I figured what would it hurt? Hector wasn’t there, Paul was. He plays warden. If Hector was there, he’d gladly give up fruit.”

  “Paul wouldn’t give up fruit?”

  “Nope. Said she didn’t need to eat and when Julie just started eating he got pissed and yelled. Said Dean ought to staple her stomach or something.”

  Ellen held back her snicker. “Sorry.”

  “Just mean, Ellen. Mean. Why would he say something mean to Julie? I don’t get it. Anyhow, I told him he’s mean. And he laughed at me.”

  “Maybe Paul wasn’t being serious.”

  “Who knows? In either case, I can’t deal with him.”

  “Well, here’s my advice.” Ellen folded her hands. “Ignore him. If you see him and feel the urge to speak to him or fight, pick up the radio and just call someone. Me, Frank, Joe. Anyone. Have them distract you until you cool down or walk far enough away.”

  “Hey, that is good advice. I’ll do that.” He stood up. “Thanks, Ellen. Just tell me I’m not ridiculous for getting so mad.”

  “Not at all.”

  “I just … you know, feel it’s personal against Julie.”

  “How so?”

  “We all know Paul hates Karaoke, and Julie has a karaoke number tattooed on her.”

  “I don’t think that’s it. I think Paul is just messing with you, that’s all.”

  “Probably right. I still don’t like it. Anyhow …” he looked at his watch. “I got to make rounds. I’m already behind. Thanks, again.”

  “No problem.”

  Dan left. Ellen felt good about her advice. She felt good about helping him out. Fulfilling her obligations counselor came easy to her. She listened when people talked, paid attention. Maybe too much, because while engrossed in her counseling session with Dan, Ellen filed to pay attention to the fact that Julie ate the plastic flowers.

  ***

  The early morning ride out to the area near the quantum lab wasn’t as smooth as Joe and Jason believed. They encountered many stops along the way. Some of them lengthy, most of them stupid. But the delays did bring better light as they walked out to the area Jason claimed to have seen the evidence of the weird lightning.

  “Last time it was energy,” Jason explained. “No markings, really, just heat and energy. So when it happened again, I grabbed my Geiger counter and flew out here.”

  “Was it radioactive?” Joe asked.

  “No. Luckily. I couldn’t find anything unusual at all, when I took a sample from the area. But I saw it this time Joe. Two flashes. Both big. Both more intense. I watched from my lab window, I ran over to the lab to see if Dean …”

  “Whoa. Stop. Dean?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What time?”

  “About eleven.”

  “Dean was with me.”

  “No, he was here. I saw him.”

  “Weird. You sure?”

  “Positive,” Jason said. “Anyhow. I grabbed the gear including a flash light and ran out there.”

  “Since you thought Dean was in his lab, you said you ran over there.”

  “But he didn’t answer I figured he was in the quarantine room. Anyway …” Jason stopped. “Here. Look.”

  “Holy Mother of God.” Joe couched down to the clear markings on the dead grass. Burnt almost a triangle as if the flames blew outward scorching the ground.

  “Not that I am well versed in how it looks when lightning strikes, but this is odd.”

  “Yeah, it is.”

  “But not as odd as this.” Jason pointed, Clearly at the edge of the burnt mark, was an indentation, predominant and burnt of a foot print.

  ***

  Not often did Frank do so, but he fell asleep at his desk. More than likely it had to do with the fact that he and Dean were out all night, playing with the monster and testing him.

  Dean admitted to Frank that it was much more informative finding out what all the monster could do instead of working hard to cure him … which he hoped to do one day eventually.

  Frank tried to stay awake, he did. He was doing a report on the back gate perimeter when his head felt heavy. He rested it on the palm of his hand, and before he knew it, his pencil moved subconsciously and Frank was off in la-la land.

  Knock.

  “Frank.” Joe walked in.

  Frank’s head sprang up. “Shit.”

  “Were you sleeping?”

  “I believe so, what’s up?”

  “Are you sick?” Joe asked,

  “Not that I know of. Why do I look worn?”

  “You always look worn. But you never fall asleep at your desk.”

  “I was out all night with Dean playing with the monster.”

  “Playing … with the monster?” Joe asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Playing.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Why would you be playing with the monster?”

  “Playing? Did I say playing? I mean... experimenting. Yeah.” Frank nodded.

  “All night.”

  “Until about an hour ago,”

  “And was Dean with you the whole time?”

  “Yeah, why? Was there a mutilator attack?”

  Joe shook his head. “No. Hey, do you have a minute. I need you to take a ride with me and show you something.”

  “Sure,” Frank rubbed his eyes, stood and grabbed his radio and phone, He adjusted the headset on his head and was ready to put his phone in his holder when it rang.

  “Frank?”

  “Hey, Dan, what’s up?”

  “I’m doing rounds out in the underdeveloped. Something weird.”

  “What’s that?”

  “A black man.”

  “Man, Dan, don’t be racist.”

  “Frank, I’m not. Seriously. There’s a black man out here.”

  “Okay. Okay.” Frank huffed out. “Is he doing anything wrong?”

  “No. Just walking.”

  “Then let him go.”

  “Frank, he’s not supposed to be here.”

  “I know. I know. Maybe he’s thinking. Just let him go.”

  “You sure?” Dan asked.

  “Positive.”

  “Thanks. I’ll let him go.”

  Frank hung up.

  “Problem.” Joe asked.

  “Dan and Paul have to fuckin get over this fighting shit. Dan saw Paul in the underdeveloped section.”

  “Paul shouldn’t be there.”

  “That’s what Dan said. But I think Dan was just trying to get him in trouble. So I said let it go.”

  Joe nodded. “That’s smart.” He reached for the door. “Hopefully those two will grow up and stop this.”

  “Tell me about. Now … show me what you need to show me.”

  Thinking no more about the phone call, Frank followed his father from his office.

  ***

  “Do you recognized the shoe mark
?” Joe asked. “Is it Beginnings, Frank?”

  Frank shook his head. “No. Not at all. There’s no indentations at all. Worn shoes.”

  “So how did it get burnt?”

  Frank stood up from crouching by the hole. “Reflection.”

  “Ex … excuse me?” Joe asked.

  “It reflected off of something. A reflection burn.”

  Joe stared.

  Jason stared.

  Joe reached up and snacked Frank in the arm. “What the hell is the matter with you? Reflection burn? Christ.”

  ‘What? You asked.”

  “Reflection,” Joe grumbled, then paused when his phone rang. “Weird.”

  “No,” Frank said. “It’s a phone.”

  “Asshole. I meant that it’s Dan.” He answered “Yeah, Dan?”

  “Hey Joe the black man is still out in the underdeveloped section. He’s headed toward the community now.”

  “Good. Then you don’t have to worry about it.”

  “But, Joe …”

  “No buts. Let this go.”

  “Will you or Frank get a hold of him? I’m out this way all day,” Dan said.

  “And do what?”

  “Find out how he got out there.

  “Uh, Dan, it’s obvious. Is he walking? Then that’s how he did it.”

  “This is highly unusual. Why are you making exception, here, Joe? Is it because he’s black?”

  Joe huffed. “That’s enough racism out of you. No it isn’t because he’s black, he’s not dangerous.”

  “So you know he’s here.”

  “Of course.”

  Dan huffed out. “Okay I’ll let him head into town.”

  “Good boy.” Joe hung up.

  Frank shook his head. “Was he going over my head?”

  Joe nodded.

  Jason asked. “What’s up?”

  “Eh,” Joe waved out his hand. “Dan and Paul are having a huge fight and he found Paul in the underdeveloped taking a walk and wanted him to get in trouble.”

  “Juvenile.” Jason said.

  “Exactly.”

  “Speaking of juvenile, let’s get back to working on this burn mark with Frank.” Jason suggested.

  “As much as …” Joe shifted his eyes. “Frank?” He called as Frank was about twenty feet away. “What’s going on?”

  “The footprints go to the lab.” Frank pointed.