The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series

by Jacqueline Druga

  Josh nodded.

  Frank clutched the ball and pulled back his arm. “Go long.” He waited until Josh began to trot backwards and Frank sailed the football far from Josh. On purpose, as a self pleasure tactic, just to see Josh chase a ball he’d never get. Laughing as he watched his perfectly thrown pass to nowhere, Frank picked up his pace to chase Josh when he stopped cold. He watched the football suddenly burst into flames mid-air. “Whoa. . . . Josh hold up.”

  Josh stopped walking and watched the flaming and smoking ball lay on the ground twenty feet from him. He pointed to it. “Trick.” He began to get it.

  “What the . . .” In an instant, and with a quick shift of his eyes, Frank knew what caused that football to explode. The frying beam pointed on an angle inward to the community, and Josh was running straight for it. “Josh No!” Frank took off after the teenager. “Josh no!” Frank screamed with his whole heart and soul and ran on the uneven terrain as fast as he could. His heart raced, Josh was feet from him, still not stopping. Switching his running angle, Frank leaped for the smaller teenager barreling him to the ground, seconds before he crossed the line. The force of Frank’s landing to the hard dirt with Josh caused his shoulder blade to bang on the ground, his right arm to shoot outward in a reflex straight into the fryer beam. With the loud sound of singeing, Frank quickly retracted his arm back before the beam had its chance to sever the limb from his body. He grunted loudly in pain, with a cringing face at his nearly blackened forearm. Lying on his side, trying to hold back an hysterical Josh, Frank depressed his receiver on his belt and called out. “Security. Down seven.” He spoke harshly and in pain. “Down seven, now.”

  ^^^^

  Dean sat in his lab baffled, wondering what all had transpired. The old saying, when it rains it pours, sure held true in Dean’s case. One good thing, John Matoose was gone. Dean quickly mixed up a placebo to get rid of him figuring he’d drop off the real stuff when he got his things together. “Henry, you can’t possibly have a logical explanation for all this.”

  “But I do.” Henry said. “I’m not saying it’s true. But everything has a logical explanation.”

  “Yeah it does.” Dean stood up, hand on head. “Sabotage.”

  “No way Dean. I know it smells like it. But this place and the cryo-lab are way too secure. They couldn’t have gotten in here.”

  “Then explain my meds. Explain my microscope, files, the disk.”

  “All right.” Henry was the calm explainer. “The meds, you used them, you got busy and used them all. Dean if they wanted to sabotage your medical supply, why wouldn’t they take all of your supplies too. The microscope. Easy. You’ve been over working that circuit. And your programs, didn’t you have a power surge just last night?”

  “Well . . . yeah.”

  “Didn’t it cause the computer to go out? Wasn’t your disk in there. It’s feasible that a part of your hard drive fried and you lost your data.”

  Dean rolled his eyes. “All of it?”

  “Yeah. But keep in mind, I am not giving you answers, merely theories.”

  Dean took his seat again. He snapped his finger. “Our missing disks with the cryo-data . . .”

  “I think they took them by accident. When they were packing up, someone grabbed ours not knowing that theirs were already packed.”

  “Your theories suck, Henry.” Dean pouted, then slid forward resting his elbows on his knees. “Completely suck.”

  “I resent that. You asked me.” Henry stepped to him.

  “Maybe we should . . .” Dean’s words slowed as he lifted his head to Frank who stood in the doorway. Frank had a look on his face, Dean rarely saw--pain. “What’s wrong?” He jumped up.

  “I burned my arm. I don’t think it’s too bad.” Frank walked in holding it. He showed Dean.

  “Holy shit!” Dean exclaimed at the burnt line from his wrist to the bend in his elbow. “What happened? Did you walk into a perimeter beam?” Dean reached for his glasses and put them on.

  “More like the beam walked into us.” He turned his head to Josh who stood at the door. “Huh Josh? Almost fried us. Good thing it wasn’t the current beam.”

  “You’re really lucky Frank.” Dean finished his initial examination. “We know what those beams do. A few seconds more the arm would have been off.”

  “At least I wouldn’t feel any pain.” Frank joked.

  “It’s not funny.” Dean handed him back his arm. “Go down to room four.”

  Henry was curious, even if Dean didn’t appear to be. “Frank.” He called to him as he walked out. “How did the beam walk into you?”

  “Fuckin' animal knocked it off track. Instead of it hitting its partner beam, it was shooting straight in towards Beginnings.” Frank, holding his arm walked from the room.

  Henry scratched his head, and looked at Dean.

  “What’s wrong?” Dean asked as Henry stood up. “What are you thinking.”

  “Uh . . . nothing.” Henry moved to the door. “Take care of Frank. I’ll talk to you later.” Henry left knowing what he had to do. He had to get to the hill to check on that beam. Something just didn’t seem right.

  ^^^^

  Dean looked up to Frank as he almost finished his arm. “Frank you’re doing very well with this. Can I ask you something?”

  “Depends. Is it about Ellen?”

  “No.” Dean shook his head. “It’s about the beam. Do you think someone could have done that on purpose? I mean, don’t you check that perimeter at the same time every day. Couldn’t someone have set you up?”

  “Oh, sure, anyone could have. But who would?”

  Dean returned to finishing his arm. “What if it was . . .”

  Joe interrupted their conversation with a simple knock on the door. “You know it warms my heart to see you two like this . . . hey Frank what happened to your arm?”

  Frank looked up. “Burned it.”

  “Too bad.” Joe shrugged. “Anyway, did you guys see Henry? I heard he was here because you blew up your lab Dean?”

  Dean turned to Joe. “He went up to perimeter seven. He should be back.”

  “Good. Cause all hell seems to be breaking loose around here. Tell him I need him. All those keypads that he and John put in. None of them will take a passcode. I can’t get in to any of the storage facilities.” Speaking like it was nothing out of the ordinary. Joe waved the hand that held the clipboard, said his goodbye and left as quick as he entered.

  Dean was done. He pushed his stool back. “I’ll give you something so it doesn’t get infected.”

  “Sure.” Frank slid off the table. “Your lab blew up?”

  “My microscope.” Dean went to the sink and washed his hands. “And get this. All my meds. Gone. My data for my formulas to make them. Erased.” He started to dry his hands.

  “No shit. That’s not good. That’s a lot of work.”

  “Yeah well I’m not stupid. I learned a hard lesson a long time ago to make a double back-up. And I did. Whoever meant to stall me didn’t. I have all that information at my house.”

  With the shock of his injury disappearing, Frank began to think clearer and his mind raced. He didn’t like where his thoughts were going. “I’m heading out Dean. Thanks for the arm.” He walked to the door. “One more thing. I know what you’re thinking. But if they did . . . why? What’s the gain?”

  “I don’t know.” Dean shrugged. “But stalling me and taking out you isn’t going to get them Beginnings. So why us?”

  “We’ll figure it out. But just on the minor chance someone was trying to take me out, I’m downing every single perimeter in this place and checking the beams.” With a tap to the archway, Frank left the examining room. He had to find Josh and he wanted to get a team together to do the perimeters. In a way Frank felt lucky that it was him at perimeter seven. Had it been anyone else, they may not have had Josh. They wouldn’t have thrown a football into the beam. Anyone else would have walked right into it.

  ^^^^

&
nbsp; Ellen’s head rose slowly from the arm her chin rested on. Through the windshield of the bus, she could see the bright spotlights illuminating the long fence ahead. The setting sun behind the mountain that the fence protected, told her how long she had been journeying. “We’re here?” She spoke softly to Miguel.

  “Looks that way.” He leaned into his steering wheel, trying to adjust his uncomfortableness he felt in his seat. “What do you think?”

  “I think I want to go home.”

  Miguel looked at her in his mirror. “If you want to go home Ellen, we will. We’ll park the bus for the night, then turn around in the morning.”

  “No, I have to do this. It’s only for a little bit right?”

  “It’s O.K. to be scared, Ellen.”

  Ellen reached her hand up and placed it on his shoulder. “Not scared, nervous. I’m out of my element and I feel strange. How about you?”

  “I’m all right.” Miguel slowed down the bus. He wasn’t truthful with Ellen. He wasn’t all right. He sensed her fear and he didn’t want to couple that with his own. But as he stopped at the gate, things grew worse in his mind. Something wasn’t right. An armed guard posted at the fence as if they just stepped back in time. And Miguel quickly had to wonder, where did they get him from?

  ^^^^

  “Sleeping quarters.” Joanna opened the steel door for Ellen, Miguel followed closely behind. “This room will be yours Ellen. My people have worked quite hard while they waited on us. They’ve told me they’ve still a long way to go. So what do you think?”

  Ellen nodded as she looked around the room that so much resembled a dorm. Two beds, a stand between them. A mirrored closet, and tiny bathroom. All of which crammed into a ten by ten area. “Great. Miguel what do you think?”

  Miguel wasn’t paying attention. He was too busy counting in his mind how many armed guards he had seen in the hallways. Four, five maybe. And there was something wrong with them. They looked so stone, staring forward. No eye contact as they passed them in the hall, despite the fact that Miguel tried. “Um. Yes.”

  Joanna moved back to the door. “Now please rest. We’ll be busy with setting up tomorrow.” Joanna answered as she looked back to Miguel. “Unfortunately Miguel, your quarters are down the hall. Follow me I’ll show you.”

  “Wait.” Ellen called out. “I’d like Miguel to stay here with me.”

  Joanna was surprised. “Why Ellen? You aren’t frightened are you?”

  “No, no, no. It’s just that.” Ellen smiled to Miguel. “He and I have been lovers for so long. I just thought it would be nice to be alone.”

  Joanna smiled at the news. Another excuse to Beginnings for Ellen’s long stay in Colorado. “Ellen, I had no idea. Of course you may stay together. I’ll leave you two to get your rest.” Joanna backed from the room.

  As soon as Ellen knew she had gone far enough away. She rushed to the door and shut it. “Thank God.” She leaned against it. “There was no way Miguel you were sleeping down the hall.”

  “You’re right.” Miguel opened his duffel bag.

  “Not to mention this can be great bonding time for . . .” Ellen saw him take out his revolver and check it for ammunition. “Why . . . why are you pulling that out?”

  “I’d like to sleep, it is my security blanket you can say.” He set it on the night stand and plopped down on the bed. His thoughts stayed on the guards and a growing sickening feeling formed in his gut. All Miguel wanted to do was close his eyes and go to sleep. But he couldn’t stop thinking of a reason to get them out of there . . . soon.

  ^^^^

  The double zeros flipped over. Three o’clock in the morning. Frank must have checked the time every minute. He could remember watching every single number turn and hear the slight click as it did. He lay on his back, injured arm above his head. Just staring up. Sleep was not imminent.

  At the sound of the slight whimper, Frank rolled on to his side to face Ellen’s half of the bed. Little Brian lay on his stomach next to him. His wide open eyes were catching the light that Frank kept lit in the hallway. “Hey little man.” Frank softly ran his hand down Brian’s bare back. “Are you up too? Can’t you sleep?” Frank pressed his lips to Brian’s head. “Me neither. Where’s Mommy?” His hand reached to Ellen’s pillow and touched the empty spot. “Mommy.” He pulled the sheet up to cover them, then nudged closer to Brian to hold him.. “Why am I here Bri? Why am I here, while Mommy’s out there?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  August 13

  Ellen walked sandwiched between Joanna and Miguel. Miguel kept his face stern, walking as if he were Ellen’s body guard. In fact, in his mind he was. He studied and recorded in his mind, every detail he could as they made their way from the commissary to the elevator.

  Ellen looked up to the silver number, floor sixteen. It was the floor, she learned that they lived on. The Josephine breakfast bar wasn’t sitting well with her. Her stomach knotted some, but it was the only thing they had rationed for that meal. She was grateful for those rice cakes that Henry made. She packed some along for her midnight snacks. The doors to the elevators opened and all three of them stepped on. “This is amazing Joanna. How are you getting all the power for this?”

  “My dear Ellen, we are scientists.” Joanna pressed eight. “We sent our power expert early. He generated the power plant nearby.”

  “What’s on eight?” Ellen asked.

  “Agriculture.” The elevator stopped. “I want to leave Miguel here with my two men. They want some of his advice on the fields they are designing and man power needed.”

  Ellen quickly turned her head to Miguel. “I thought . . .”

  “You and I have other work to complete Ellen.” Joanna held the door open. “Ah, there’s Dr. Majors.”

  Dr. Majors approached with a smile. “You must be Miguel. We’re ready for you. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you what we’ve done.”

  Nodding his head, Miguel gave an assuring look to Ellen, trying to ease her mind. However, Ellen looked less apprehensive about him leaving, then he did.

  Joanna pulled her back as the elevator doors closed. “I’m taking you to floor twelve. That’s where we’ve designated for survivors. Dr. Gafsky is waiting on you.”

  “You won’t be working with us?”

  “No, not I. I’m in medicine. Genetics. I’ll be on floor seven.”

  Off the elevator Ellen apprehensively walked with Joanna. “There are twenty-seven floors. Are all of them designated for something?”

  “Not all. Not even most I suppose.” Joanna spoke in a nonchalant manner. “The first five are storage and office. Seventeen through twenty-seven are useless right now. Old military set ups and such. I guess we’ll get to them eventually. But, the others are utilized. Living, agriculture, medical, power, communications. We hope to have the phones back up and running in six months.” She spotted Dr. Gafsky. “Then you and I Ellen, can call each other up and chat.” She smiled a phony smile at her. “And here’s our man of the hour.”

  Dr. Gafsky, instead of a hand shake, gave a quick friendly embrace to Ellen. “So nice to see you again.”

  “Same here.” Ellen stepped back, feeling sort of funny being touched by him.

  “Joanna, I want to show Ellen our set up.” Dr. Gafsky stated.

  “Good.” Joanna stepped back with a smile. “I’ll leave you two.”

  Dr. Gafsky led Ellen to a single glass door. “This is open now, but as soon as we start doing survivor runs, this door will be secured like in Beginnings.” He opened it for her. “I want to show you our computer set-up. I have this splendid program I think that you’ll enjoy. Perhaps you may want it for Beginnings. It may make all that paper work you do obsolete.”

  Interest perked. Anything that would get rid of those stupid reports she would love, and give her complete attention to.

  ^^^^

  Henry replaced the cover to the keypad outside of Dean’s clinic lab. He tightened the screws and stuck his head in the doorway.
“Dean?” He watched Dean jolt from his thought. “Dean, I’m done. It’ll work now. I’m just gonna test some codes.”

  “Thanks Henry.” Dean stared at his half completed work. “Henry? Have you seen Frank. He was supposed to stop by and let me see his arm.”

  “Unfortunately, yes. Joe gave him a special assignment, because no one can say two words to him.”

  “What kind of special assignment?” Dean asked.

  “We need some wood. And since Miguel is gone, Joe told Frank to hit a tree or two, he’s only up by the back gate.”

  “I didn’t hear any chain saws. Usually you can hear them.”

  “He’s not using a chainsaw. Joe thought it better frustration therapy if he used an ax.”

  “An ax? Frank’s up by the back gate playing Johnny Appleseed? He can’t do that. If he starts to sweat and that arm gets dirty, he’s gonna get an infection. Then how good will he be, if he’s laid up.” Dean stood up, hurried across the lab and kept going.

  “Where you going?” Henry shouted to Dean as he moved down the hall.

  “To bitch at him.” Dean stormed through the double glass doors.

  Henry whistled as he punched in the code. “Bad move.” The lab door buzzed, and Henry opened it. “Yes. Problem solved.”

  ^^^^

  Ellen wasn’t sitting there that long listening to Dr. Gafsky ramble on and on about his program. Fifteen minutes maybe, but it seemed so much longer. Her elbow rested on the table and her head plopped in her hand. Lower and lower she seemed to hang. Time dragged on, not from lack of interest but from the breakfast bar that was failing to digest in her stomach. Her slight nausea and dull pain in her stomach grew, and coupled with the fact the Dr. Gafsky’s breath didn’t smell all that sweet, Ellen started to feel worse. She began to look it also.