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

by Jacqueline Druga

“Make a small medical supply bag . . . just to be safe.”

  “I’m on it.” Dean took off running.

  Ignoring Frank, Henry moved ahead. He wanted to get ammunition, get some supplies for himself, and then hit the tunnels. Enough time was wasted.

  “Henry, stop,” Frank called out.

  “What Frank!” He turned but kept on moving.

  “Bring her back. Don’t keep her out there longer than necessary. I’m worried.”

  “Save it, Frank.” Henry spoke with sarcasm. “Save your concern for her. Don’t insult Ellen like that.” Spinning forward, Henry walked on.

  ^^^^

  As he lay in that bed, Joe could hear the commotion coming from down the hallway. He knew they were Dean and Henry’s voices, but what they were saying he couldn’t make out. He only wished that Andrea hadn’t decided to play that gospel music on the tape recorder next to his bed. Just when Joe reached the end of his rope trying to decipher what was being said, he found out the answer. George, so happy, popped his head in the room.

  “Hey,” George spoke upbeat. “I just wanted to let you know.” He winked. “Ellen left Beginnings. The futile search is on.”

  Joe grunted and swore in his mind. If determination alone were enough to pull Joe out of it, he would have been out of that bed in an instant. He himself wanted to find Ellen and bring her home. And he would have . . . if he were able. But there was nothing Joe could do. Nothing.

  ^^^^

  Dean lifted his head from his work at the sound of his name being called. He didn’t turn to the voice but returned to his work.

  “Dean. Dean. I know you fuckin hear me.”

  “What is it, Frank?” Dean turned around on his stool to face him. “If this doesn’t have anything to do with medicine, leave. I don’t want you in my lab.” He stood up and walked around the counter.

  “This is a civil visit.” Frank walked further into the lab. “I wanted to let you know as soon as they get the signal that they’re heading in, I’ll tell you.”

  Dean continued working.

  “And . . . you were right. When they get back, tell Ellen to come over to the house. She can get Brian.”

  “I’ll tell her Frank, but I’ll come and get him. I don’t want Ellen anywhere near you.”

  “It’s not your place to decide that.”

  “I’m making it my place.” Dean sat back down. “Now, I’m busy, Frank . . . leave.”

  “See I don’t get this. I come in here, telling you you’re right, giving you what you want, and you go and give me your Dean-little-man attitude. Why is that?”

  “Because you push, Frank. You push and you push until you’re past the point of no return. That’s why I don’t want her near you.” Dean shook his head, waiting for Frank to leave.

  “It just works out perfect for you doesn’t it?” Frank asked sarcastically. “We have problems and you slip . . .”

  “Problems?” Dean nearly laughed at him. “You don’t have problems, Frank. You have nothing. Nothing.” No longer was Dean able to hide his irritation. “Anything you had with Ellen is over. It’s a sealed tomb. Do you even comprehend what you did? Do you? You’re so worried about what she did to you, you failed to see what you did.”

  “I know what I did.”

  “Bullshit!” Dean screamed. “It wasn’t that long ago that she was brutally violated! And what did you do? The same thing! Only you didn’t just take advantage of her body, you took advantage of her mind, her heart. In some sort of sick, demented Frank-way you made her pay. And that is a crime worse than what they did, because you love her! You are her husband. And don’t think I won’t do everything in my power to change that.”

  Frank had no line of defense, no words. “I . . . I didn’t come here to argue. If you want to keep her from me, do it. It doesn’t matter.” Frank lifted his hands and walked out. “It just doesn’t matter.”

  Dean took a relaxing breath after Frank left and the tension no longer filled his lab. He knew, as he took a double take at the door, that it did matter to Frank. It mattered more than he wanted to admit.

  ^^^^

  Henry almost had to laugh as he stepped from the tunnel out into the wooded area that lay four miles beyond Beginnings. His search for Ellen was complete. She sat not ten yards from the tunnel. He smiled and moved to her. “Ellen.”

  Startled, Ellen jolted a bit. “Henry? What are you doing here?”

  “I should ask you the same.” He unloaded the things he carried on his back and sat down next to her. “Running away from home, El?” Henry took his rifle off of his shoulder and laid it next to him. “Everyone is worried. Including Frank.”

  “Frank is an asshole.”

  “Yes he is.” Henry looked around. “So where were you going?”

  “Just about right here.” She noticed the surprised look on his face. “You didn’t really think I’d wander all that far from Beginnings did you? Heck, I don’t even have a gun.”

  “I expected to have to find you. You know, really look for a while.” Henry checked out her stuff. “Sleeping bag, food, some clothes. How long were you leaving us for?”

  Ellen shrugged. “Until I thought it was safe to go back.”

  “Safe? You think it’s safe out here?”

  “Physically no. Emotionally, yes.” Ellen played with the edge of her sleeping bag. “Frank’s making my life a miserable hell.”

  “So why do you take it?”

  “What do you mean? What else am I supposed to do?”

  “Fight back.” Henry raised his eyebrows. “You know Ellen, I have to tell you that you are really pissing me off.”

  “Sorry, Henry.”

  “No. Don’t do that. Don’t.” Henry waved his hand about. “Yell at me. Fight with me. Fight with Frank. You act so afraid of him that it’s making you cower from everyone else.”

  “I am not afraid of Frank.”

  “Then quit acting like it. When he crosses the line, speak up. Be Ellen damn it. Don’t take his shit anymore. I didn’t want to tell you this, Ellen, but . . . Jenny . . . Jenny Matoose is calling you a loser.”

  Ellen gasped. “No!”

  “Yes. Wait…a big loser. She laughs at you. Makes fun of you at the social hall. Remember in the old world, ‘dumb blonde’ jokes?” Henry asked her. “Well, she and Josephine have made up ‘dumb Ellen’ jokes.”

  “No.”

  “Yes.” He saw he finally got her charged. “So, what are you going to do about it?”

  “Show them.” Ellen started to get up, but stopped. “Henry? Do you suppose the return of the old Ellen will have the same effect if I wait until later? I don’t feeling like going back, at least not yet.”

  “Sure it will. You can use this time to practice. But I can’t let you stay out here by yourself. I’ll stay with you. We’ll have our own power building party.”

  Ellen laughed. She swore it was the first laugh in weeks. “Thank you Henry. I’d like you to stay with me.”

  “Then I will.” Henry nudged her back

  Ellen smiled at Henry, brought her knees up and looked around the area. Though she could see the tunnel, Beginnings was not in sight. They were only a few miles from home, but the quietness, the seclusion, made it seem so far away. And that was exactly what Ellen needed.

  ^^^^

  Frank got the call on his radio. Motion detector one had gone off and then two. It had to be Henry and Ellen, but it was nearly three-thirty in the morning. He must have had a hard time finding her.

  Frank made his way down to the tunnel to wait. He was angry and he was worried. Ellen had left the community and the security walls. He only hoped that the signal was both of them, not just Henry failing to bring her back. Frank couldn’t live with that. He was why she left, plain and simple. He crossed the line with her, and he was wrong. Frank actually felt wrong.

  He saw them walking at a quick pace to through the tunnel. Instead of relief, he began to get hot. Ellen didn’t look like someone who had left the com
munity distressed. She looked happy.

  “Henry!” Frank called out, his huge mouth echoing down the tunnel. “How far out did she go? Fuck! You been gone all day and night.”

  “I found her right away. We just stayed out there.” Henry walked past him.

  “You should have brought her back” Frank spoke as if Ellen wasn’t there.

  “Ellen needed the time. I didn’t see a problem with it. I was there.”

  “I do.” Frank saw he was getting nowhere. “El, what the fuck were you thinking?” He didn’t get an answer. “I hope to God this wasn’t just some sort of sympathy tactic to get . . .”

  “Frank!” Henry held his hand out, pushing back a charging and heated Frank. “Back off! Just back off of her.”

  Frank harshly ran his hand over his face, calming down. “El . . . El, are you O.K.?”

  Ellen didn’t answer she kept on walking.

  Henry stopped Frank’s hand that reached for her. “Back off.” He led Ellen down the tunnel. “Remember the promise you made me out there,” he whispered in her ear.

  “I won’t forget it. You’re going to see a new . . . no wait, the old Ellen back.”

  “Good.”

  Ellen stopped walking right before they climbed up the ladder. She faced him. “Henry, about everything that happened outside the tunnel, I . . . I wanted to say thanks. I think it’s what I needed to really give me a push and move on.”

  “Good. And everything else . . .” Henry leaned to her. “…is our little secret.” He lightly touched his lips to hers. They weren’t on Ellen’s long before he felt this strange presence, like another person. Then Henry heard the clearing of a throat. He turned his head separating his lips from Ellen’s. “Frank.”

  “Why are you kissing her?” Frank asked.

  Henry started to answer, flubbed his words then laughed. “Just a friendly kiss.” He faced Ellen helping her climb up.

  “Henry, what’s the secret?”

  Henry smiled. “El, I’ll meet you up top.”

  “Henry.” Frank was insistent. “Come on.” He closed his eyes and tilted his head. “You didn’t do that to me, did you? You weren’t with my . . . you didn’t sleep . . .”

  “Frank, Ellen left Beginnings because of you. I went to get her. I brought her back. What happened outside that tunnel last night is really none . . .” He saw Frank’s head drop back. “No, Frank, if you’re thinking I did, I didn’t sleep with Ellen.” Henry smiled and adjusted his belongings. He grabbed to the rungs to climb up. “Of course if I did, would I be insane enough to tell you?”

  The expression dropped from Frank’s face as he watched Henry climb up. He ran his hand harshly across his goatee speaking softly. “I don’t care. I don’t care.” He waited until Henry was all the way up. “Who am I kidding?” He grabbed a hold of the ladder and climbed to above. “I care.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Frank dropped his shoulder harness and his tension when he walked into his office. “Thank God, it’s you here.” He spoke when he saw John Matoose. “I thought for sure it was another Ellen seeker.”

  “Getting pretty bad I suppose? Well, you’ll have that when there aren’t any women. Hell, I have that because word gets out that I share . . .” He saw the look Frank gave him. “Enough of that.” He handed him the clipboard. “I fixed your receiver for your spare headset. It’s working fine now. It’s in your drawer.”

  “Thanks.” Frank walked to his desk.

  “No rounds now? No SUTs?” John asked moving to leave the office.

  “No. I needed to come up here before I stop and see my Dad.” Frank plopped down in his chair. “I put Dan on my rounds for an hour.”

  “Things seem calm. Like the calm before the storm. It’s almost scary,” John commented.

  “Yep.” Frank leaned forward to his desk, propping his elbows up, then running his hand over his head.

  “Something happen, Frank? Another run in with Ellen?”

  “I wish. I tried again to talk to her. It’s been a week since her little disappearance act with Henry. I can’t get near her. All I want to do is apologize.”

  “Apologize? Why are you apologizing to her?”

  “I did something to her and it was wrong. Let’s just leave it at that. And . . . I miss her, John. I’m really starting to miss her. Why is that?”

  “You still love her. Why can’t she see that? Forgive me Frank but that angers me. Jenny and I have watched you fall apart for these past few weeks and it bothers us. She acts like she is the innocent when she was wrong. I event heard that Henry and Dean are going to have an understanding. That Henry will be her new primary relationship.”

  “Henry wouldn’t do that to me. He’s my friend,” Frank defended.

  “Sorry Frank, face reality. Henry has done it to you. Seems that wife of yours talks a lot. The truth is out in the community about what happened outside the tunnel.” John raised his eyebrows. “Just remember, you were more than understanding and she’s still sticking it to you. Look how low she has you? Sorry for going off, but I believe I’m your friend.”

  Frank brought his finger up to his eye, squeezing the corners of them, fighting the headache that crept upon him.

  “And as your friend . . .” John opened the door. “Know that Jenny and I will get you through this.”

  Frank slammed his hand on the desk at the same time that the door shut. “Why do I just feel like he made me worse?” He looked at his clipboard.

  “Hey, Frank.” Henry walked into his office. “What’s up? You looked pissed.”

  “Henry!” The clipboard hit the desk harshly. “Did you sleep with my wife?”

  Henry turned around and walked back to the door.

  “Henry! I asked you a question.”

  “No, you yelled at me. And . . .” He opened the door. “I answered that question once. I will not answer it again. Bye, Frank.”

  “Henry wait, why did you come here?”

  “I forgot. You just frustrated it out of my mind.” He walked through the door and shut it.

  “Man.” Frank shook his head. “I got the weirdest fuckin’ friends. They sure know how to make a guy feel better.”

  ^^^^

  “Muffin?” George placed the golden brown pastry close in Joe’s eye sight. “Oh I forgot, you can’t eat can you?” He reached up and played with the intravenous tubing. “Well, not real food. Amazing how Salicain works isn’t it?” George pulled up a chair sliding right across from the one Joe sat in. “You looked surprised Joe. Well actually, you look pitiful.”

  Joe’s eyes were stone cold.

  “Gosh, we have some catching up to do. Did you miss me?” George patted Joe on the knee. “Asshole Dean would not let me in here. Said only family. But thank God for Andrea, she said, and get this . . .” George stopped to laugh. “That you think of me as family. Anyway, I was telling you about Salicain. It’s this amazing drug that was developed to replace anesthesia for surgeries. One half a CC and the patient is numb from head to toe for eight hours. However . . .” George sat back, picked a section off his muffin, and stuck it in his mouth. “The patient can’t open his mouth, but you can swallow liquids. How long did it take for Dean and Andrea to figure out you were actually swallowing?” George shook his head. “Idiots.”

  If Joe could block George out, he would. Joe felt regrettable at that moment his ability to hear wasn’t paralyzed as well.

  “So, one half a CC does it. But . . . if given in high or frequent doses, Salicain can cause the appearance and symptoms of a stroke. Depending on the dosage, the patient should come out of it in two weeks’ time. Anyway to keep up the . . . stroke appearance, or paralysis. I only need to inject you once every two weeks with minimal amounts.”

  No, he’s gonna do it to me again.

  “One more week, but don’t you worry.” George nodded his head. “That unable to open and shut your eye thing, that will only last about an hour. Then you can pop them eyes right back open to see your punishm
ent.”

  Joe just wanted him to leave. But he could George, staring at his muffin and picking it apart, was going nowhere.

  “All I can say is I’m glad I’m allowed in this room. You need some excitement.” Again he patted Joe’s knee and ate another piece of his muffin. “Do you know?” George perked with enthusiasm. “Community asked me to fill in for you. Seems Henry didn’t get the chance to ask for the position. Guess why?” George paused. “Come on, Joe, guess. Never mind, I’ll tell you. Henry kept Ellen company on her running away from home expedition. He was gone during the vote. And… have you heard the newest rumor? It’s been flying around that Ellen and Henry had a little tryst out there.” George mustered up a look of surprise. “No kidding, that’s what’s going on.” George smiled. “Got to hand it to your daughter. Dean, Frank, and now Henry. Quite the little slut.”

  The rage began to build in Joe.

  “Of course she’s been my little helper. You didn’t know that? Sure, she spilled her guts about a body in the cryo-lab. That prompted me to move ahead with my plan. Did you know she trusts me impeccably and tells me everything?”

  Swearing he could hear himself whine, Joe wished it wasn’t his imagination. It was torture enough being unable to move or to speak, but George added to that by telling little stories to Joe that confirmed to him how dumb the people he loved really were. Joe swore at that moment he would find some comparable means of torment to hand to George prior to delivering him to his death. Thinking of torturous ways helped Joe wade through George’s visit. The thought of tying George to a chair and plucking out his nose hairs Joe was subject to always seeing, made him inwardly smile.

  ^^^^

  It seemed as though all of Andrea’s facial muscles were pulled to one side of her face. Her lips puckered to the left in some sort of fish face as she stared stone cold at Dean. “I can not believe you are saying this!”

  “Andrea.” Dean tried not to laugh at her. “All I’m saying is that it has been one week.”