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

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Oh, me too.” Ellen grabbed her chest. “I thought I found Frank’s house. I went in, and it was Hector’s.”

  “I remember where Frank lives,” Henry smiled.

  “Oh, Henry. I remember where you live. Second row, second house.”

  “Thanks El. You and Frank live last row, third house.”

  “Thanks, Henry.” Ellen grinned then kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She darted back a couple steps, then turned and walked quickly in the correct direction.

  Henry stood there a second watching Ellen leave. He was grateful he was given direction. The absent mindedness was driving him insane. He’d say he wasn’t as bad the last trip but he couldn’t remember. Vowing right there and then never to step through the Quantum Regressionator again, Henry did what he had been trying to do for two hours. He headed home.

  ^^^^

  “So you’re all right with this?” Joe asked Frank.

  “Without a doubt.” Frank sat next to his father on the sofa. “I’ll put Cole or Dan in charge. They’ll have to be my eyes. I’ll work with what they get.”

  “Good.” Joe nodded. “This is too big. I need Dean and Ellen on this case of vials.”

  “And keep them on the virus part. I’ll work on the other part. Tactical. Just in case it’s not in the case and they hit us with it.”

  Joe exhaled. “And there’s a lot of ways to do that.”

  “Air drop. Sabotage. Infected survivors.” Frank listed. “I’ll use the time while the surveillance crew is out and Dean and Ellen are with that case. Start working on ways to divert any invasion with the virus.”

  “Hopefully, it will be in the case.”

  “Hopefully.” Frank said. “But should we still rule out the possibility that we’re hit with it?” He raised his eyebrow. “After all. The case belonged to the society. If we have the virus, chances are, so do they.”

  Joe whistled. “Valid point.”

  The door opened bringing in a loud sigh along with Ellen. “Sorry I’m late.” She shut the door and took off her coat. “I was taking a walk. Got caught up in thoughts.” she walked over to the sofa, kissed Frank on the cheek and sat down. “Am I interrupting?”

  “Yes.” Joe answered.

  “El?” Frank looked curiously at her. “What are you doing here?”

  “I live here.”

  Frank shook his head. “No, you don’t.”

  “I don’t? Oh . . .no, I don’t.” She smacked herself on the forehead with an awkward laugh and sat there.

  Joe tossed the pencil he held. “If you don’t live here, why are you still here?”

  “Visiting?” Ellen asked. “Frank and I get together every night of the . . .” She saw Frank shake his head. “We don’t? Since when?”

  “Since we seriously started Rev. Bob’s twelve step plan.”

  “Oh, that’s dumb.” Ellen flung out her hand. “We aren’t doing that.”

  Frank nodded.

  “We are? Oh, yeah. We are. O.K., Can I visit? I’m here any . . .” She watched both men shake their heads. “You guys are busy. I see the maps.” She stood, backed up, grabbed her coat and moved to the door. “I’ll uh, just head on home. Night.” She opened the door and stepped out. “Wherever that is.”

  Joe saw his son still staring at the closed door. “Not much longer. Jason assured me.”

  Frank shook his head with a loud breath, “In the meantime, I’m going nuts.”

  “You and me both. Henry is just as bad.”

  “I know. He was supposed to redo the hinges on my office door. He put them on backwards. I hit myself when I left this evening.” Frank reached down and grabbed his coffee. “At least I don’t feel guilty now, though I thought I would.”

  “Frank? What are you talking about?” Joe asked.

  “My plan. A little insightful payback,” Frank winked. “Just let me know when it’s ten thirty. I don’t want to miss it.”

  Joe looked down at his watch. His curiosity was piqued. It had to be good. And if Frank was using the word ‘insightful’ then Frank had a momentary lapse of literary intelligence, or he incorporated the help of someone that knew how to label the payback plan.

  ^^^^

  Usually around ten o’clock at night, Dean was ready for his bedtime ritual. Kids tucked away, Dean would grab his work or a good book and relax in bed until he crashed. But instead of doing that, Dean worked on his fourth cup of coffee while pacing his living room, trying to make the caffeine kick in. He was tired, but he also had to wait up. The caffeine must have worked on his cardiovascular system more than he realized because he jumped a foot in the air when his front door opened.

  “Hey.” Ellen walked in. “Tell me, Dean; please tell me I live here.”

  “Why would you think . . .” Dean smiled. “Why would you think you didn’t? Of course you live here.”

  With a loud ‘whew’, Ellen closed the door. “O.K. I’ll admit, not remembering where Frank’s house was had to do with the time machine. But…thinking I lived there had to do with the ripple. When you died, I moved back with him.”

  Dean’s mouth opened. “My grave couldn’t have even been cold yet.”

  “Dean, please.” Ellen took off her coat and let it drop. “I couldn’t even walk in this . . .” She looked around and grinned. “Oh, I really feel it. I’m home. I’m really home. The comfortableness is just swimming around me.” She walked over and plopped on the sofa. “Dean, why are you drinking coffee?”

  “Um waiting uh…up for you to get back from your class at containment.”

  “I had a class at containment?”

  “Didn’t you go?” Dean asked. “Where were you? Were you home?”

  “Why, weren’t you?”

  “Huh?” Dean asked confused.

  “Dean. If I live here and you asked if I was here, then you weren’t.”

  “I wasn’t,” Dean fibbed.

  “Neither was I. I was walking.” Ellen looked up to the knock on the door. “Are we expecting company?”

  Dean quickly looked at his watch. “Not yet, I mean, stay here.” He got up and hurried to the door. When he opened it, Greg from security stood there. “Greg?”

  “Dean,” He sounded frazzled. “I can’t find her. She never showed for the . . .Ellen?” He peeked in the living room. “Has she been here?”

  “No. Walking,” Dean whispered.

  “Did she go . . .”

  “No,” Dean spoke through clenched jaws. “Thanks.” He picked his voice up. “We’re good.” He closed the door and headed back to the living room. “Boy, El. You had everyone concerned.”

  “Myself as well.” She patted the cushion on the couch. “At least I’m home.” She waited for Dean to sit next to her. “So . . . we still live together?”

  Dean’s sneaky grin precluded his answer. “Oh, yeah.”

  “Wow.” Ellen shook her head. “That’s odd. Especially since Frank and I are working on the twelve step thing.”

  “He told you that?” Dean asked. “Oh, he’s lying. You two are not.”

  “Really?” Ellen said shocked. “Be honest Dean, remember things are different.”

  “Honest. He’s lying. You two are over with…completely.” He nodded at Ellen’s shocked gasp. “In fact, I’m a little hurt.” He lowered his head. “You and I we uh . . . we reconciled, dedicated our love out in the undeveloped section.”

  “We did?” Ellen asked. “That’s so unlike us.”

  “Yep.” Dean stood up. “We are changed people. Too bad you missed it.” He picked up his cup. “Coffee?”

  A little dazed, Ellen nodded. She was grateful to be home and the shocking day of changes and surprises was nearly over.

  ^^^^

  After getting the home directions from Ellen, Henry should have gone right there. But he didn’t. Since he knew for certain where he was supposed to live, he went to the social hall for a quick drink and game of darts. Anything that would take his frazzled mind off of the day he
had. He had to wonder if it was the alcohol or the time machine memory loss, but Henry couldn’t recall ever having that decorative flower arrangement on his coffee table before. Shrugging it off as a bad after effect of Jason’s stupid machine, Henry went to the kitchen for some food before settling into his journal. His mind raced and he feared he’d fill pages of it. He was just glad they only rippled two weeks. Any longer than that and Henry would be suicidal over the confusion.

  Opening his refrigerator, Henry wondered if he was on a diet. He had so much food. Wasn’t he eating in the new time frame? Really not feeling hungry yet, he closed the door and saw the note. He smiled at his organized life when he read the reminder about the load of laundry in the washer. Hating that sour smell, Henry hurried to the basement to toss the load in the dryer.

  Reaching in and pulling out three articles, Henry paused when his hand touched upon the silkiness of it. The whistling he did stopped and from the washer he lifted a blue pair of underwear. They weren’t his and they definitely weren’t male.

  Henry panicked. He looked through the load and saw more female articles of clothing. There were three reasons for them. One, he was in the wrong house. Two, he lived with someone, or three, he forgot he was a cross dresser. Seeing how Henry knew his house and couldn’t ever recall liking the feel of women’s undergarments, he bolted up the steps calling out as he did. “Hello? Does someone live here? Hello!”

  Hitting the living room, he heard the creak of the floorboards above his head. He paused by the steps wondering who he suddenly got involved with. A little frightened, but excited because it could actually end up being a time ripple gift, Henry hurried up stairs. His stride didn’t stop until he raced into the bedroom and stopped cold with a shriek.

  On top of his bed, in a very sexy night gown was eighty-eight year old Josephine.

  After a hiccup from her night of boozing, Josephine winked. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

  With another scream, Henry raced from the room.

  ^^^^

  The laughter that bellowed from Frank, Dean, and Joe was not only loud but painfully annoying to Henry.

  “Funny, really funny. That wasn’t very nice you know.” Henry kept shaking his head.

  Frank wiped a laughter tear from his eye. “We’re sorry. We couldn’t resist. When Jason said you two would experience memory loss, we figured . . .” He held out his hand to Dean.

  Dean finished, “We figured it was payback for all the annoying things you guys did to us. But, El, you played into our hands. Greg was supposed to keep you from going home.”

  “Yeah, El.” Henry opened up his journal to a speechless Ellen. “See. Good thing I doubted my sexual involvement with Josephine and checked my journal right away. I live with someone, but that someone is you. After I got shot, you moved in to help. My journal said Rev. Bob suggested you stay because it’s a neutral territory. It’s away from Dean while you work it out with . . .” Like a child, Henry gave a grin to Dean. “Frank. Ha.”

  Ellen just raised her eyes to Dean. “You lied to me.” She gasped in offence. “And I mourned you.”

  “They aren’t nice. And they think they’re funny.” Henry shut his journal and grabbed Ellen’s hand. “Little do they know it works out perfectly for us. Let’s go home, El.” Snippy and tossing his head back with a fling of his long hair, Henry walked to the door with Ellen. Moments after he stormed out with her, he opened the door and stuck his head back in. “And just so you three know. In mine and Ellen’s time frame, we’re . . . we’re lovers. So there.” he pulled the door shut.

  Ellen silently clapped with a smile. “Good one. You think they’ll buy it.”

  “Oh, yeah,” Henry nodded and walked with her. “And they deserve it. Frank and Dean right now are probably burning with jealousy.”

  There was silence in Dean’s living room after Henry’s exit speech. After a quick glance at the door, then a shuddering look to each other, Frank and Dean broke into laughter again.

  HENRY’S JOURNAL

  November 18

  I am so grateful that I left behind the original journals of mine. My thoughts and rambling tell me more than any history print up could. A lot has changed in a mere sixteen days to the negative. Frank is back to being an asshole. The cryo-lab wasn’t destroyed. We have no vial information. A plague is coming. But, the bright side, even though he thinks he’s funny, is that we have Dean back. Dean’s alive again. However, with the light, comes the dark. Just like Dean had never died, neither did George. And that leaves me to wonder what he has been up to since his escape from Beginnings over two weeks ago. And knowing the power of George . . . it can’t be good.

  PREPARATIONS AND STEPS

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  November 20

  Former Quantico Marine Headquarters

  The heavy rumbling of the four military trucks packed with people, followed by the squealing of breaks, was loud in the pre-dawn morning. George Hadley watched as a brigade of armed Society soldiers encircled the truck that stopped center of the small town set up.

  “President Hadley.” Steward Lange jogged his approached. “Morning, sir. Didn’t expect to see you waiting.”

  “Still on the vampire schedule I got on making my way here,” George stated. “I haven’t been to sleep yet. So . . .” George motioned his head to the trucks. “Any stats?”

  “Yes, sir.” Steward looked down to the clipboard. “Eastern Ohio, Northern Tennessee sweep. Four hundred eighty-two.”

  “How many willing?” George asked.

  Steward gave a flick raise of his eyebrow. “Impressively high this time, sir. Three-ninety.”

  “Well, the enhancement team will be glad to hear that. They already have more lobotomized and waiting, than chips to implant. How about women? I know their scarce in this world. I see a few.”

  “Twenty-one. Three are over sixty years old.”

  George gave a twitch of his head in disappointment. “Have to do. Move them up and out ASAP. We have to keep them separate until our new team is ready and we get back what is ours from Beginnings. Speaking of Beginnings . . .”

  “Nothing yet,” Steward interrupted. “I’ll let you know. And, I have to head back. I think we have a dozen or so in this new batch we can ship out to help with agriculture. I just want to screen them.”

  “Good. Good.” George gave a swat to Steward’s arm. “Get back to me.” After watching Steward dart away toward the trucks, George turned around. He smiled as the cleanup crews had already begun their day. It wouldn’t be long, George thought, until Quantico looked good again. And even though it wasn’t where he wanted to run his operation, his operation was still running . . . and strong.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Beginnings, Montana

  A tall thin Rambo with a tool box was how Henry looked. Frank gave him the visual once over before the open chopper door. “You watch her, Henry.”

  “You got it, Frank. She’ll never leave my side.”

  “Perfect.” Frank shook his hand then peeked in the chopper to Johnny who sat in the pilot’s seat. “John!” Frank gave a thumbs up. “Check in with me as soon as you get back.”

  Johnny smiled and returned the thumbs up.

  Frank let out a breath, then looked over to Ellen who stood not far away. “O.K., Henry, I’m gonna say goodbye to El. Have a safe trip.”

  “We’re not leaving yet, Frank. We’re still shy one person.”

  With an arrogant roll of his eyes, Frank walked over to Ellen. “Hey.”

  “Hey.” She smiled. “Nebraska awaits, huh?”

  “You be careful.” By her jacket, Frank pulled her closer. “And you have the Rev. Bob book?”

  “In my bag.”

  “Good. Cause we’re close.” Frank held his fingers an inch apart. “Close to moving to the next step.”

  Ellen chuckled. “You are so serious about this.”

  “Hey, it works. Look how many times Rev. Bob was married.”

  “True.” Ellen ti
p toed up close to Frank. “I know we aren’t really allowed any open mouth kissing . . .”

  “Not until step six.”

  “Can we make an exception?”

  Frank closed one eye. “El, this is a religious thing. I could burn in hell.” After a smile, he lowered his head. Lips just about touching, Frank felt the whap against his leg and his body jolted. He looked up. “Dean.”

  “Sorry,” Dean snickered as he lifted the large duffle bag. “It got away from me.”

  “Yeah, right.” Frank watched Dean move to the chopper door. “Hey, Dean? Do you need help getting in? I can lift you up.”

  After shoving his duffle in the helicopter, cordially and with a smile, Dean flipped Frank off.

  Frank’s eyes lifted to the sound of starting engines. “It’s time. You’d better go.”

  “See you day after tomorrow.” Ellen leaned up and kissed him. “Wish me luck.” She stepped back.

  “Good luck,” Frank called out over the noise as Ellen ran to the chopper. “And bring back that virus!” He charged. Then after spewing out the words, and watching Ellen get in, he tilted his head and scratched it. “Wait.” He spoke to himself. “Was that the right thing to say?”

  ^^^^

  “Here, El.” Henry reached into his bag and handed her a rice cake. “It’s plain. It should settle your stomach if you start to get ill.”

  “Thank you, Henry,” Ellen smiled. “That’s sweet that you know I get airsick.”

  Dean spoke up from his seat on the floor with them on the helicopter. “Put the rice cake away. I mixed you something.” He handed her a bottle. “I don’t want a repeat of the last time I flew with you. I remember when we left Ashtonville.”

  “I used the airsickness bag.” Ellen took the medication.