The Third Ten

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Oh, uh, say .. big brother.” Robbie called out. “What’s all this about? What made you write down names?”

  “Just was thinking.” Frank nodded and walked out.

  Danny whistled. “Now that’s a man with something heavy on his mind.”

  “Someone is trying to take his life,” Roy said. “He is concerned.”

  “Who’s on the list?” Robbie asked.

  Roy held the paper close to his chest. “I cannot divulge the future.”

  “That’s not future, those are names that Frank tossed out. Could be viable suspects if our future person is the possible killer.”

  “Frank gave this to me. But …. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to share the names. Swear you will not tell him I showed you.”

  “I swear,” Robbie held up his hand.

  “Me, too.” Danny said.

  Roy handed the paper to Robbie.

  <><><><>

  Elliott supposed he could be doing something productive in the late hours. Perhaps training schedules, going over rosters while he took over detail for the Captain. He could have even relaxed and read a good book, but instead he indulged in the guilty pleasure of reading everyone’s Hoibook updates. He found it amusing.

  He even laughed at Joe’s status update of ‘off to see Elliott Ryder’, had he believed it, he wouldn’t have been so surprised when Joe and George knocked on his door after midnight.

  “Elliott.” Joe said.

  “Mr. Slagel. Former President Hadley, Sir. Come in.” Elliott opened the door.

  Both men sort of staggered inside.

  “I’m sorry,” Elliott closed the door. “Are you looking for the Captain.”

  “Nope.” Joe said. “You.”

  “Are you … are you two men intoxicated.”

  “Yep,” Joe nodded. “We are.”

  “Did you … did you drive here?” Elliott asked.

  “Elliott don’t be ridiculous. Of course we didn’t drive here drunk.”

  “Oh good.”

  George added. “We rode horses.”

  Elliott’s eyes widened and quickly he opened the door to see two horses tied to his porch railing. He closed the door. “You did.”

  Joe winked.

  “So what brings you here at this hour.”

  “We have a plan,” Joe said. “And it needs to be implemented by you.”

  “Does the Captain know?”

  “Jesus Elliott,” Joe quipped. “If I wanted Hal to know I would have found Hal. No, you are going to do this. Got a minute.”

  “Yes, please, have seat.” Elliott indicated to the couch.

  “Do you have anything to drink?” George asked.

  “Like water or coffee?”

  George and Joe laughed.

  “I guess not. Yes …. I do. Will you excuse me.” While Elliott knew it wasn’t the best idea to give the two men any more alcohol, it was easier than not giving them any. And he was curious as to the plan that only he could implement.

  <><><><>

  How long did Frank stand there staring at the house. It wasn’t all that long, although it felt like it was.

  He knew it was late, the lights were still on and feeling it was his last option, Frank walked to the door and knocked.

  Hector opened the door and looked surprised. “Hey, Frank, something wrong?”

  “No. Sorry to come by so late.”

  “That’s okay. Nick is sleeping.”

  “I figured. Did … did Henry get home yet? I’ve been looking for him.”

  “Yeah, he just got home. Did you want to come in?” Hector stepped back.

  “No, could you just tell him to come out please. Thanks.”

  “And .. everything is alright?”

  Frank nodded.

  Hector stepped back from the door. Frank listened, he could hear the voices, to him it sounded like they were arguing. But they spoke so soft, Frank couldn’t make out what they were saying. After a minute or two, Henry came to the door.

  “What is it Frank?” Henry opened the screen door slightly.

  “Can you come out for a second?”

  “No. It’s late. What’s up?”

  Frank tightly closed his mouth and nodded again. “Henry do you have a problem with me?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean … have you developed a problem with me. Did something happen? Did I do something?”

  “No, Frank, why would you say that?”

  “I don’t know. Curious. I mean, I was shot, electrocuted, an arrow went into me and my leg came off. You didn’t say anything. Didn’t ask how I was.”

  “The whole community did.”

  “But you didn’t.” Frank said. “I was just wondering if maybe you were mad.”

  “No, Frank, I’m not mad. I’m busy. I didn’t say anything to you, because I figured why should I when the entire community makes you out to be a God. I have my own life now and not everything is about you. Ok?”

  “Yep. So you do have a problem with me?”

  “Goodnight.” Henry stepped back and shut the door.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.” Shaking his head, Frank pulled out a cigarette, lit it and headed home.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Joe rubbed his temples. If he rubbed any harder, he swore his fingers would poke through to his brain. Not that he’d feel it, he had a pounding headache as it was.

  “I’m not kidding, Joe,” Henry complained.

  “I know you aren’t Henry.”

  “You need to go down there.”

  “No, I don’t. Dean had a bad bathroom experience, it happens.”

  “Not this.” Henry argued. “At first I thought Dean was just foul and needed to see a doctor, but then I started thinking, something is down there.”

  “Like another experiment?”

  “Yes.”

  Joe lifted his hands. “What do you want me to do about it? It’s their lab.”

  “They’re doing something wrong. Go look. Ask to check out the lab. I have a feeling Joe, a really bad feeling it’s dangerous.”

  “Henry.” Joe slammed his hand on the desk. “A clogged toilet isn’t reason to suspect wrong doing.”

  “It was the worst clogged toilet I ever saw in my life …”

  “Henry.”

  “I worked for three months at a county jail and never saw …”

  “Henry!”

  “It was bad. I got sick.”

  “I know. I saw the video.”

  Henry gasped. “Yeah, I suppose you did and I bet you laughed.”

  “As a matter of fact, no I didn’t, I wondered what the hell was wrong with those two videoing you. They took it down.”

  “But not after it had over a thousand views.”

  “Henry.”

  “Forget it.” Henry stood. “I’m getting nowhere with you.”

  “I understand your concern. Give me something more than just a clogged toilet to go on. I promise you I’ll look into your suspicions.”

  “Thank you, Joe.”

  Joe nodded.

  Henry walked to the door. “Hal’s here.” He said and walked out.

  Joe listened to the exchange between Henry and Hal, it was pleasant enough. And after thinking ‘round two’, Hal stepped inside.

  Joe did a double take when Hal walked in jeans and a tee shirt. “You look good.”

  “You look ill.”

  “Too much to drink last night,” Joe sat back. “There’s been a change of plans.”

  “On?”

  “The Frank plan.”

  “So I am not being the secret bodyguard?”

  “In a sense, the reason for hanging around him is different, because I am doing something else. A back up.”

  “A back up for me?’

  “Yes, Hal, a backup for you.”

  “Father please.”

  “Hal, don’t.” Joe held up his hand. “Anyhow, as soon as Frank gets here …”

  A single knock and Frank walked
in. “Hey, Dad you wanted to see me.”

  “Yeah, Frank come in.”

  Frank stepped inside. “Why is he here?”

  “Same reason as you, Frank.” Joe said.

  “So he doesn’t know either. Oh my God, Hal, were you fired.”

  “From?

  “The UWA.”

  “Good God, Frank I …”

  “Was..” Joe cut him off. “Sad thing. Hal lost his job.”

  “Who fired you? Was it fucking Elliott Ryder.”

  “Frank,” Joe warned.

  “I don’t know how,” Frank said. “Unless it was a mutiny.”

  “Frank.”

  “Then again, it’s not a ship.”

  “What!” Hal gasped. “What the hell does a ship have to do with it.”

  “Mutiny on the Bounty was a boat. Or ship. Yeah, ship. You have to have a ship to have a mutiny.”

  Hal argued. “You do not need to have a ship.”

  “Yeah, that’s right,. Jimmy could have done it he served on a ship. Oh! Oh!” Frank snapped. “Jimmy fired you and took your job. No fucking wonder he was back.”

  “Frank.” Joe called out his name.

  “Dad, please, I’m trying to make my brother feel better. He lost his job. No big deal, Hal.” Frank swatted down to Hal’s back. “I’ll put you on my security team.”

  Joe snapped his finger. “That’s why he’s here. For a job. Your job.”

  “My job?” Frank asked.

  “His job?” Hal asked.

  “Yep. You’ll train him, Frank.”

  “Ok am I getting promoted?” Frank asked.

  “Nope.”

  “Fired?”

  “Nope. Dying.”

  “I don’t plan on it.”

  “Still you never know,” Joe lifted his hands. “Future says in three weeks you’re dead and I want to make sure you have a replacement and not skip a beat, so around the clock Hal training.”

  “What happens if I don’t die in three weeks?”

  “Then I’ll promote you.”

  “To what?” Frank asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Can I have your job again?”

  “No. You ….”

  “I did it well.”

  “Frank.”

  “Of course, fucking Henry called me pathetic.”

  “Frank!” Joe yelled his loudest.

  “What!”

  “Go to work and take Hal!”

  “Fine! Defend Henry.”

  “I wasn’t defending Henry!” Joe argued. “I was telling you to get to work and to take Hal so he can learn your job.”

  There was a knock at the door and Joe, took a second to calm down before calling out, “Come in.”

  Elliott poked his head in the door. “Mr. Slagel. The package is here.”

  “Uh!” Frank grunted. “Elliott got fired, too. Fucking Jimmy. Now making Elliott the UPS man.”

  Hal turned to face the door. “Elliott, if you’re here who is minding the ship.”

  “Ha!” Frank blasted. “I told you there was a ship somewhere.”

  “Oh my god.” Hal sunk back.

  “Your father needed me here to drop something off. That’s all. I’m going to go say hello to Ellen and then I’ll be on my way. I have to be back tonight for practice.”

  “Where is the package?” Joe asked.

  “Right here,” Elliott answered.

  “Send it in,” Joe instructed. “And thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Have a good day.” As soon as Elliott stepped back from the door, John stepped inside.

  Hal stood. “What the hell?”

  “Johnny, come in.’ Joe said. “And close the door.”

  “Father, what is he doing here?” Hal asked. “You said, he was not to be permitted in Beginnings.”

  “I know what I said.”

  “And you asked my man to bring him here and break the rules of counsel.”

  Frank snickered. “Your man.”

  “Shut up Frank.”

  “Oh, take that attitude with me, I wasn’t the one who lost my job.”

  “Yes, well, I’m not the one who is going to be dead in three weeks.”

  “Ouch.”

  “Boys.” Joe stated calmly. “I brought Johnny here because …”

  “Uncle Hal is testy,” Frank interrupted and spoke to Johnny. “He got fired.”

  “Uncle Hal lost his job?”

  Joe brought his hands to his face.

  “How do you like that? Starts the UWA and your fucking Uncle Jimmy fired him.”

  “Frank!” Joe yelled. “Stop.”

  “I’m just filling him in.”

  “Fill him in later. I brought your son back to Beginnings because my entire family is here and well, with you dying soon, Frank, I want to make sure the family is put back together. Everyone. If George and I can put things aside, I’m sure, you can put it aside that your son had a brain tumor went psycho and shot you.”

  “Twice,” Hal stated.

  “Yeah, twice,” Frank said.

  Johnny hunched. “Sorry about that.”

  Hal looked at Joe. “Is this what you want?”

  Joe nodded. “Yes. Ellen let it go, and so can you.”

  “Then I will make an effort as well.”

  “Me, too,” Frank said. “We have been trying, but it’ll be nice to have him at the house. Although …” He lifted a finger. “I don’t know how we are gonna have smooth fucking family sailing with Jimmy firing everyone on the ship.”

  Joe’s head plopped to the desk.

  “Are you dead?” Frank asked.

  “Out. Go. Out.” Joe only pointed. “Go train your brother. Give him a coronary.”

  It took a few moments. Frank and Hal bickering and then they left. Joe lifted his head. He ran his fingers harshly down this face. “Now, we need to discuss how we are going to use your spy skills. Have a seat.”

  Johnny pulled out a chair and sat down. “Did Uncle Jimmy really fire Hal?”

  Joe’s head went immediately back to the desk.

  <><><><>

  With his head pounding as it was, George wasn’t in the mood for a surveillance flight. And probably would have cut it short had he not saw the thin stream of smoke rising up to the sky.

  Smoke usually didn’t mean anything good, and typically it meant savages.

  Lars had accompanied George on the flight and called it something to do since this reason for the western visit, Johnny, was in Beginnings.

  “Get ready to mark down these coordinates.” George stated.

  Lars lifted the clipboard. “It can’t be a very big camp that’s not a lot of smoke.”

  “Not a lot of area either. Unusual for savages.” George headed toward the smoke. He couldn’t see much, the tress had grown as well as the fields. But as he closed into the smoke he saw a clearing in the middle of the large overgrown area.

  Lars lifted the binoculars. “That’s not savages.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Do they hang laundry?”

  George took the binoculars. “Oh my God. Where did he come from? I swore I few over this way a few days ago.”

  “Perhaps not. Unless he appeared out of nowhere.”

  Appeared out of nowhere.

  Immediately, the identity of the ‘future traveler’ ran though his mind and the odd scene below him warranted investigation.

  A man, alone, waved a white cloth trying to get the attention of the helicopter. And seeing how George wasn’t alone and the settlement didn’t look like a trap, George looked for a place to land.

  <><><><>

  Where was everyone? Elliott searched for Ellen, and she wasn’t at the clinic. He thought about Robbie and how there was practice that evening, but couldn’t find him either. Thankfully Paul gave him the music. Elliott would make some time at the church to practice, the resident priest had been on a drunken binge for days and wouldn’t notice he wasn’t playing Hail Holy Queen.

&nb
sp; But Elliott had to get back to Bowman, and thought he’d give it one more try to find Ellen. She wasn’t answering his texts, so he figured she’d be in the Cryo lab.

  Heading down the tunnels toward the lab, he was surprised when he saw Henry coming out.

  It wouldn’t have aroused suspicion, but immediately Henry grew antsy and present an almost too nervous exterior.

  ‘Henry.”

  “Sergeant Ryder.” Henry nodded.

  “Is Ellen in the lab?”

  “No. She has surgery.”

  “Dean?”

  ‘He’s doing the surgery with her.”

  “Why are you in the lab?”

  Henry stared at Elliott. “Do you know?”

  “I’m sorry. Do I know what?”

  “What they have in that lab?”

  “I’ve seen some of the things they created.”

  “Have you seen this?” Henry showed him his phone.

  Elliott looked down at the image on the phone. “Not in the lab I haven’t. Outside of it I did. And that is in there?”

  “Yeah, I knew something was up. Excuse me, I have to find Joe. This isn’t good.”

  Henry brushed by Elliott and Elliott exhaled. If Henry was going to Joe, then Elliott thought, before he left Beginnings, he’d make at least one more attempt to find and warn Ellen.

  <><><><>

  “It was odd,” George said on the phone to Joe. “Just seeing that house in the middle of the field, laundry hanging out and a big garden.”

  “Did you pick him up?” Joe asked.

  “Yeah, he’s in great shape. The Apocalypse didn’t seem to wear him down. Said he’s been in that house for about three months. Don’t know how we missed him.”

  “No one was with him?”

  “Told us he was with a group out of California and they died off. He’s been alone for a about two years. Saw the chopper the other day and decided to signal us. We just landed outside of Bowman. Where do you want me to take him?”

  “Let’s keep him out of Beginnings for a little bit,” Joe suggested. “It does sound odd. Take him into Bowman. Ryder should be back. Let him do his Bowman processing on the newcomer and I’ll get in there when I can. In fact, you said California?”

  “Yeah, I did.”

  “Danny’s from California. Maybe I’ll send him in to quiz him.”

  “Sounds good.”