The Third Ten

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Recovered,” Frank said. “I’m better now.”

  “You’re impossible,” Hal told him and intercepted the bottle. “What reference movies.”

  “Reference movies about this whole trip. It’s been done before,” Frank said.

  Hal choked on his sip and handed it back. “When?”

  “1969,” Frank said. “Robbie where did I leave off?”

  “The death of dogs and cats,” Robbie answered.

  “Yes, thank you.” Frank cleared his throat. “I can’t believe you didn’t see four or five.”

  “I don’t know why.” Robbie said. “I think I lost interest.”

  “Fucking shame. Anyhow …” Frank continued. “After the death of his mother and father, and the great exchange was pulled, Caesar grew up under the care of a circus guy”

  “Oh my God,” Hal griped. “Planet of the Apes. A reference film? Please.”

  “Hal, scoff if you must. But I am telling you, they predicted all this.”

  “They did not.”

  “Did too, did we not fall in a lake.”

  Hal opened his mouth.

  “We did so there. Back to what I was saying. The great exchange was made sparing baby Caesar. No one was the wiser. Then a great plague hit the animals and people needed pets to they took on apes as pets.”

  Chaka gasped.

  Frank looked at him. “Yeah, that’s a scary thought.”

  “No.” Chaka shook his head. “Before my team there were things called Manmal. Small loveable creatures. Everyone had them. Some to play some to guard. Four legs, fur, tail, I have seen pictures. Then a great plague wiped them all out and it is said that is when Hubra started taking humans as pets. This Charlton Heston is a magical predictor of the future.”

  “He is.”

  “Oh my God,” Hal commented.

  “And so are you, Frank,” Chaka said.

  “I am.”

  With a groan and irritation, Hal took his pages, blanket, and flash light. He stood, grabbed the bottle from the ground and moved away from the fire.

  SIXTEEN – BEGINNINGS

  The box was heavy but perfect. It wasn’t big enough to hold many weapons, two hand guns, and Dean was leery and cheap about giving too much LEP ammo since their stash wasn’t much, nor the chemical weapon. So he was sparse about what he gathered. Danny said he’d meet them at the church with the box, when Dean saw it, he couldn’t believe.

  Outside the church, Danny placed the two by one foot box on the ground and opened it. Inside were plastic bags.

  “Push the air out of what you put in there. Then …” Danny closed the lid. On top was a small circle the size of a quarter, he flipped the cap on that and pulled a hand basketball pump from his back pocket. “Takes about twenty or so withdraw pumps, it’s a crude system, time consuming, but it gets the air out.” He demonstrated with a few pumps. “The valve is air tight it won’t let air back in. I designed it that way. The pump was my next phase of this thing.”

  Dean reached down for the lid. “It’s stuck.”

  “No, you have to give it a little muscle.”

  Henry stepped into the box and after a struggle, the lid lifted with a hiss. “Wow, Danny, this is great.”

  “You made this?” Dean asked. “Just now.”

  “No.” Danny waved out his hand. “A year ago. I was an engineer, Dean. It’s my own personal time capsule. Just some things I want to bury and preserve in the event the Great War does happen. I still live through it, obviously.”

  “So this will work?” Dean asked. “You think it will last a thousand years?”

  Danny shrugged. “I don’t know. If we bury it just right and this church still stands then yes. I don’t worry so much about the box surviving as I do about it being dug up. I mean, it’s a dirt floor in the church basement. What if there’s a small flood, pipe break, anything can cause this to rise to the surface.”

  “We can put something on top,” Henry suggested. “Like a slab of concrete, something heavy and put the dirt on top of that as well.”

  “You two take that to the basement through the side door,’ Dean said, staring at the church. “I got an idea. I’ll meet you down there.”

  “Dean, that’s a church,” Danny said. “You aren’t going to take something from there are you?”

  “Yeah, everything in a church is heavy and concrete.”

  “Dean,” Henry scolded. “It’s not a very nice thing to do, to steal from a church.”

  “Do not lecture me about morals,” Dean pointed to Henry. “Not you. Go. Now. I got this and don’t worry, I won’t steal anything important.”

  It took a little over an hour in the dark to dig the hole deep enough near the corner back wall of the church. They dog down about three feet, after placing the items in the box, they put it in the hole and add a layer of dirt.

  Dean set the object nearly the size of the box upside down on top of that layer of soil. It was heavy and Dean almost dropped it several times.

  “There.” Dean dusted off his hands. “It works perfectly. Let’s cover it.” He noticed that Danny and Henry just stared. “What?” asked Dean.

  “I don’t know, Dean,” Henry said. “I’m not Catholic but I think that might be important.”

  “I am Catholic,” Danny said. “And that is important.”

  “Nah,” Dean scoffed. “It was a wall decoration and it won’t even be missed.”

  “Gentlemen,” Elliott Ryder’s voice called in the darkness and a bright flashlight shined upon them. “Do you care to tell me why you are not only digging a hole in the basement but you stole and are burying the fifth station of the cross?”

  Danny peeped a shriek. ‘You took Simon of Cyrene helping Jesus.”

  “Who?” Dean asked. “And how do you know this stuff.”

  “At one time, I was a really good Catholic … sort of.”

  “If you are such a good Catholic,” Elliott said. “Why are you part of digging in a church and stealing a station of the cross? All of you.”

  Henry held up his hands. “I was just doing what Joe asked.”

  “Joe asked you to break into the church and steal the fifth station of the cross?”

  “Stop.” Dean held up his hands. “Why are you out of bed? You just woke up from a coma.”

  “I’m better. Ellen released me and I just came home to fill in for the Captain while he is on retreat.”

  Dean snickered. “That’s funny.”

  “Dr. Hayes …”

  “Oh, stop with the formalities,” Dean said. “It was one wall decoration. Please, there were a ton there.”

  “Exactly,” Elliott squealed some. “There are fourteen.”

  “So I took one, what is the big deal? We needed it.”

  “Dean,” Henry interjected. “Maybe we can find something else. This fifth station of the cross sounds important.”

  “I’m not finding something else, Henry this will work.” Dean looked at Elliott. “And how did you know we were here.”

  “Father Michael called when he heard the intruders,” Elliott replied.

  “Who?” Dean asked.

  “Me.” Father Michael stepped forward.

  “Mike!” Danny said cheerfully. “Hey, I didn’t know you were here.”

  “Who is this guy?” Dean asked.

  “Dean.” Henry shook his head. ‘You need to pay more attention to what goes on in the community. This Father Mike, he’s a Catholic priest and he actually knew Danny pre-plague.”

  “You’re kidding. A priest?” Dean asked. “Plague leaves no doctors but we have two Catholic priests?”

  “Enough,” Elliott scolded. “You are diverting. Why are you here and doing this? Why is Joe telling you to dig a hole and bury the fifth station of the cross?”

  “In Joe’s defense,” Dean said. “He wasn’t specific about the cross station thing.”

  “Station of the cross,” Elliott corrected.

  “Whatever.”

  Elliott g
asped. “Dr. Hayes. What are you up to?”

  “The truth?” Dean asked.

  “Considering we are in the house of God, I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

  Dean laughed. “Sorry. Can we just finish …?”

  “No. Spill it.”

  “Okay,” Dean shrugged. “As you may or may not know, we all went a thousand years into the future to chase the guy who wanted Frank dead and shot you, he kidnapped Johnny and the world is over run with LEP. The church, this church is still partially standing and Frank sent me and Henry back to bury some weapons and Dean-Ami.”

  “Also a snack cake,” Henry said. “Which won’t be any good in a thousand years, but we buried it anyhow.”

  “We needed something to weight it down,” Dean continued. “So it didn’t rise to the surface and be found by someone else.”

  Danny raised his right hand. “That’s the truth.”

  Elliott stared for a moment. “Remove the fifth station of the cross from that hole.” He faced Father Mike. “Let’s go find something else to weight it down.”

  Father Mike and Elliott returned with a small slab of marble, not quite as big as the fifth station of the cross, but enough that it would do.

  “Hopefully, they’ll find it,” Dean said, wiping off his hands.

  “They really went a thousand years into the future?” Father Mike asked. “How is that possible?”

  “It’s Beginnings,” Elliott replied. “Anything is possible. However you’re saying they stayed in the future to get Johnny, but Johnny is in Beginnings.”

  “They don’t know that.” Dean said. “They will or do now, I put a note in there. It’s sealed tight.”

  “Theoretically,” Henry added. “We just buried that box so it’s possible they are already back. They see the note and hit return. This while back and forth to the future thing is very confusing.”

  Danny chuckled a, “Ha. Yeah, wait until the second clone story.”

  Elliott did a double take. “The what?”

  “Uh, speaking of which…”Danny scratched his head. “Where is he, Dean? Didn’t Joe put you in charge of that?”

  “Yeah, he’s fine.” Dean waved out his hand. “I put him at the bar at Hoi Hoi on the Range with a glass of bourbon.”

  “What!” Danny blasted. “I assumed you left him with Roy.”

  “I did.”

  “Oh my God!” Danny quickly looked at Father Mike. “Sorry. Dean you left a clone from the future, who was raised to be a killer, with another clone at Rowdy-Rowdy Country line dance night?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Shit.” Elliott took off running.

  “Why is he running?” Dean asked. “He just got ….”

  Danny flew by, then Henry.

  “Excuse me,” Father Mike said walking by Dean.

  “He’s fine,” Dean said.

  “I’m sure. I mean, you people talk very calmly about time travel and clones, I figured he must be fine. But I want to see Rowdy-Rowdy Country Line dance night.”

  After Father Mike walked by him, Dean gave up and followed.

  Typically, Rowdy-Rowdy Country Line dancing night was exactly that, rowdy. Elliott always had several guards not only in the establishment, but also on the streets.

  He didn’t know what to expect, he didn’t know who the clone was a clone of but after being told he was a killer from the future who was probably ill informed about things like Roy was, Elliott panicked.

  What he didn’t expect was silence, complete and utter silence. NO music, no noise, no movement.

  Two of his UWA soldiers were out front and stood immediately at attention when Elliot approached.

  “Sgt. Ryder, the one said. “We thought you were in a coma, shot in the head.”

  “I was just unconscious, I’m fine as you can see,” Elliott said. “What … uh, is going on in there.”

  “The Captain’s brother … he’s a little off today. He … won’t let anyone move and shut down the music.”

  “The Captain’s brother?”

  “The big one.”

  Elliott turned to Danny Hoi. “Would that be the …. “

  “Yes. Yes it would. We’re supposed to be integrating him until Frank returns.”

  “Integrating him as?

  Danny cleared his throat. “Frank.”

  “Did you at least prepare him?”

  Both Danny and Henry pointed to Dean as he walked down the street.

  “I’ll take that as a no.” Elliott opened the door to the Hoi-Hoi on the Range.

  When he stepped inside, no one moved. Everyone was at a standstill, some even looked frozen in mid dance stepped. Except for George, he was holding a drink, seated at the bar. As soon as he saw Elliott, he lifted his glass with a look of twisted enjoyment, stood and walked across the establishment.

  Elliott watched.

  George approached who Elliott concluded had to be the clone.

  A spitting, but younger image of Frank, the clone, stood intimidating, arms crossed staring down the bar patrons.

  George nudged him and pointed to Elliott.

  “Oh!” the clone said. “Thanks. Watch them will you.”

  “I got it.”

  The Frank look alike rushed to Elliott.

  “Sir!” He shouted. “I have secured the perimeter. Perhaps a medical team needs to come in. The occupants were shouting and their bodies seemed to follow patterned fits of rage. It was a strange reaction to something and I feared a coup”

  Elliott winced. “You feared a …” Then Elliott saw Roy. “Why is that man tied up?”

  “He was the worst.”

  “Frank.”

  “Hank.”

  “Frank.”

  “Hank.”

  “Come outside with me.”

  “But I have to …”

  “Now.” Elliott grabbed his arm.

  “Ow.”

  “Stop that.”

  “Ow, you’re touching me.”

  Elliott ignored him and led him outside. Once he had him there, he briefly walked back into Hoi-Hoi on the range and announced. “Carry on.”

  A few seconds later, the music started.

  Outside, the Clone, Hank, tried to go back in.

  Elliot stopped him. “It’s fine. It’s what people do to have fun.”

  “It seems absurd. In any of my training films I never witnessed such a thing.”

  “You won’t. Now, Frank …”

  “Hank.”

  Elliott took a deep breath. “Did anyone explain to you why you were here? Did they?” he pointed to Danny, Henry and Dean.

  “Oh! My friends. They’re my friends. He’s not.” He indicated to Father Mike. “Is he an assassin? He wears all black.”

  “No, he’s a priest.”

  “Is that like an assassin?”

  “No. Now did Dean explain to you why you were here?”

  Hank nodded. ‘He simply said if anyone asks I am Frank.”

  “But when I called you Frank, you said you were Hank.”

  “Because you didn’t ask. Of course, I don’t know what you were supposed to ask.”

  “Dr. Hayes,” Elliott turned to Dean. “Until he understands and comprehends exactly what his role is, he is not to leave your side. You obviously created him, you handle him.”

  “Why is this my problem?” Dean asked. “I made the embryo, I didn’t implant him or cause this…. But fine. I’ll handle him.”

  “Danny …”

  “Don’t.” Danny smiled. “I’m leaving. No orders. Man, Sgt. Ryder, I don’t know what that coma did to you but you are in dick mode.”

  “What’s dick mode?” asked Hank. “Is that a term for taking ones job serious and pushing authority?”

  “Yes,” Danny replied. “It is.”

  “Then I will be in dick mode.” Hank turned to Elliott. “And you do the dick mode very good.”

  “Henry, you coming?” Dean asked.

  “No, I’m gonna stay for Rowdy night.”
>
  Elliott stood there, watching Dean and Danny escort Hank down the streets of Bowman. He was told about the time travel and that he had to handle Bowman and thwart any questions, he wasn’t told about the Frank clone or the plan to make others believe he was Frank.

  Elliott didn’t see how that was possible.

  “I apologize for the madness,” Elliott said to Father Mike. “Your first night in our town hasn’t been relaxing.”

  “It’s fine,” Mike waved out his hand. “I’m used to Danny’s antics and I’m …. I’m going to follow Henry in there and check out Rowdy night. See you at mass in the morning, Sgt. Ryder, I heard you’re our organist.”

  “I don’t know about that. I mean I just …” Before he finished, Father Mike had gone inside. “Woke from a coma. Like anyone cares.”

  “I care,” George stepped from Hoi-Hoi on the Range. “I don’t know what Dean gave you or did to you, but obviously Beginnings’ mad scientist is on to something.”

  “Oh, he’s on to something alright.”

  “So tonight’s military blockade of line dancing. I take it that was one of the clones Dean said he destroyed but then, like Roy arrives from the future.”

  “Yes.”

  “Since they aren’t hiding him, I am going also take it that they are trying to pass him off as Frank.”

  “Yes. That is correct.”

  “Where is Frank?” George asked. “He didn’t really die in that explosion did he?”

  “No, he stopped dropped and rolled.”

  “That works. Where is he?”

  “Would you believe a thousand years in the future?”

  “As a matter of fact, yes, I would. I take it they chased the would be killer.”

  Elliott looked at George puzzled.

  “Don’t look so surprised, I knew the killer would hit the time machine. I told them. So Frank and Hal are in the future and it’s probably running parallel. And then the clone is the Frank stand in so no one asks questions.”

  “I take it that is the plan. But it’s not going to work. No one is going to believe that is Frank.”

  “Are you kidding me?” George laughed. “No one doubted it. I heard someone say he lost weight and another person commented that it takes six weeks to notice someone had dieted.”