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

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Dean, I ...”

  “You did.” He spun to where her voice came from. “That pisses me off the most.” His voice rose. “You! You of all people knew and you kept this from me! I tell you how much I wish I could see! I slept in bed with you last night. I said goodnight to you and you laid your head down knowing that you were keeping something from me I should know.”

  “Dean ...” Ellen tried to defend herself.

  “No!” He shouted at her. “I don’t want to ...”

  Frank stepped in. “Dean, enough,” he spoke strongly. “Don’t yell at her again. She was the last one to find out. Now settle your little ass down. Calm it. We’re all trying to help.”

  “You’re right.” Dean held his hand up. “But the charade is over. El, I’m sorry I yelled at you.” Dean took a calming breath. “Now I want all of you to fill me in on every aspect of this. I will be the one to help plan the medical procedures. I will help decide how and when and where this chip gets planted. Understand? You guys may have come up with this, but it’s my life you’ve been planning on risking. I’ll be especially damned if I will be involved in a medical procedure that I know more about than all of you.”

  There was silence in that room at first but as Dean leaned back against Joe’s desk, the explanations and planning began.

  <><><><>

  Ellen ran as fast as her feet would carry her from Containment over to the clinic. She nearly tripped several times, especially when slow-moving Josephine got in her way on the steps of the clinic. Grateful that Josephine wasn’t hurt when Ellen bumped into her, she continued on in her race.

  Down the main corridor to the left then to the right into birthing room number two. “Sorry I’m late, Dean, I got here as fast as I could.” She saw Dean washing up at the sink. “Dean?”

  “False.”

  “Aw!” Ellen stomped and whined walking over to Dean and lowering her voice to a whisper. “Where’s Andrea?”

  “Delivering a baby.”

  Ellen giggled. “You didn’t have to feel around too much for the examination now did ...”

  “Ellen.”

  “Sorry.” Ellen covered her mouth.

  “Melissa was in here, anyhow.”

  “Oh. You know, you always did exams with your eyes closed anyhow.” Putting on a fake, perky smile, Ellen skipped to the examining table to where Trish was sitting. “No baby huh?”

  “It was false labor.” Trish covered her body.

  “Well, what were you doing? Maybe you can keep doing it and it will make the labor real.”

  “Running,” Trish told her.

  “Running?” Ellen turned to Dean. “Dean, did you tell her she shouldn’t be running?”

  Dean tossed the towel he dried his hands on into the bin. “I think Trish should tell you why she was running.”

  “Why were you running, Trish?” Ellen asked.

  “I was chasing that Bev,” Trish said with such anger.

  “Though I like that thought, you shouldn’t have done that, but uh ...” Ellen leaned to her. “Why were you chasing her?”

  “She’s doing this testing thing, Ellen. She is testing all of us women. She was flirting with Jeff. He said she wasn’t. I said she was.”

  “Even if she was, Trish, Jeff is good. He’s not Henry.” Ellen patted Trish’s knee and started to walk out. “Oh by the way, what were you going to do if you caught her?”

  “Simple,” Trish explained. “Josephine told me if I caught Bev, she would beat her up for me.”

  “Oh.” Trying to keep serious, Ellen nodded, opened the birthing room door , walked into the hall, and released her laughter.

  <><><><>

  “Perimeter reqs,” Frank’s strong voice preluded the strong hand that slammed down the requisitions in the bin at Mechanics, “for you Henry.”

  Henry shook his head. “See how it is around here, Danny? They keep coming in.” He saw Robbie peeking in the bin. “Robbie, are you staying to help?”

  “I have a few more things to take care of and I’ll be back.”

  Henry picked up the requisitions Frank laid down. “Security and clinic are always the first repairs,” he explained to Danny.

  “Yeah,” Frank added just to irritate Henry, “and don’t forget that.” He started to leave. “Oh, Henry, I fixed that little problem this afternoon. Deal is on. And ... a little womanly advice to you right now from me. Right now with Ellen your luck is bad. You’re drowning in it, pal, so before you drown, think ... think real hard before you say anything.” Frank pointed his finger to his own temple and backed up through Mechanics door. “Coming, Robbie?”

  “In a sec,” Robbie answered.

  Leaving, Frank could hear Henry bitch about him to Robbie, but he didn’t mind. He actually enjoyed seeing Henry so upset.

  Frank moved toward his office, the place he went to everyday at that time. He was fully planning on catching up on stupid reports, rehashing reconnaissance flights with Robbie, and then hitting the perimeters again, if Robbie would only catch up. Frank looked back and saw him nearing.

  With his eyes glued to his clipboard, he opened his office door, lifted his head, saw a smiling, naked Bev on his desk. He turned immediately around and walked back out, shutting the door behind him. “Robbie,” he called to his brother.

  “Yeah, Frank?” Robbie trotted up to him.

  Frank motioned his head backwards. “Use my jeep and take care of that problem in there.”

  “Problem?”

  “Yes.”

  “Uh ...” Robbie, clueless, shrugged. “Sure.” He walked into Frank’s office.

  Frank moved over a foot to the little bench that leaned against his outer office wall, He sat down, breathing out as he did. He listened to Robbie take care of the problem and Frank only lifted his head when he heard the jeep turn over then, drive away. Calmly, with just a hint of snicker, Frank looked at his watch and pulled a cigarette from his pocket.

  He’d smoke some then look at his watch again. He sat there like he was waiting on a bus. With his final puff of his cigarette, he glanced one more time at his watch, drew a smirk upon his face, and lowered the microphone of his headset closer to his mouth. “El.”

  <><><><>

  It was evident at that very moment in time why Ellen earned the title ‘The Little Mouse That Roared’. Still wearing her clinic lab coat, she stormed with a vengeance, hair flying out and coat flying back, across the street of Beginnings. She was a woman on a mission and it was seen in her face. Those who saw her, those who stood in her way, parted from her path as if she was Moses and they were the Red Sea.

  Her eyes held determination along with anger. Her face was stone cold as she moved quickly down to the second line of buildings. She didn’t stop, not once, she couldn’t. Flinging the door to the bakery open with a ‘bang’ Ellen flew by Cindy, who stood up from counting supplies, passed Josephine who quickly jumped from her way, and into the back of the bakery where the kitchen was located.

  Ellen saw her as soon as she stepped in the kitchen. Bev. With her eyes glued upon Bev’s, Ellen with straight-ahead bulldozer determination, moved across that kitchen toward her. In her furious stride, never slowing down, never pausing, Ellen reached out and snatched Bev up by the throat. Using her anger as her strength, she pulled Bev with her across that room as if she weighed nothing, and she slammed her back-first against the huge vat of grease.

  Bev let out a blood curdling scream as her hands fought to free Ellen’s from her throat. Her legs slid upon the floor in a struggle.

  Ellen gripped so tightly to Bev’s throat, her fingers could have punctured through the skin. She leaned close to Bev, feeling the heat of the hot oil that boiled less than a foot from Bev’s head, which dangled in toward it over the side of the vat. Over her, in a choke grip, pressing the back of Bev’s neck hard to the vat, Ellen placed her face. She ignored Bev’s cries. “I will take a lot.” Ellen’s deep graveled voice spat at her. “I will put up with a lot. I will not put up wit
h you when it comes to Frank.” She rammed her hard again. “Go near him again, speak to him, look at him, and I swear to God, the next time, I will drown you in this oil.” Pulling her from the vat, Ellen tossed Bev harshly to the floor, stepped over her crying, shaking body as she stormed back out of the bakery nearly as fast as she stormed in.

  <><><><>

  Joe’s half square glasses rested on the hand that rubbed his eyes harshly, not wanting to hear what was being told. “Go on,” he told Andrea as he stood outside a clinic room door.

  “Some of them are third degree burns, Joe. Those are the ones she’s not feeling right now.”

  “Christ.” Joe moved his hand looking back at the closed door. “I don’t want to deal with the shit, Andrea.”

  “I know. Is there any way we can let it go? Ignore it.”

  “I would.” Joe cleared his throat. “But that asshole Kenny is in there with her now, screaming for justice. What am I supposed to do?”

  “I know it’s hard to not be a father right now. How about being both, the leader and her father.” Andrea laid her hand on Joe’s folded arms. “I’ll go with you, as your partner and as Council.”

  “Thank you, Andrea.” Joe lifted his head, took a breath, knocked on the door, and walked in. He looked at Bev in the bed, awake. Her face was tear streaked and swollen from crying. “How she doin?” he asked Kenny.

  Kenny released Bev’s hand and stood up harshly. “Look at her. She’s in pain, unbearable pain!” he shouted. “Your daughter is ...”

  “Easy!” Joe shouted. “Pipe down will ya. I’m not the one who shoved her in the grease pit, am I? No. Now sit.”

  “We want something down about this, Joe. Something needs to be done.” Kenny looked at Andrea.

  Joe stepped closer. “You do understand this is a delicate situation.”

  “Why,” Kenny asked with anger, “because it’s Ellen? I don’t care who she is. She did this, she should be treated like everyone else. I want her out.”

  Joe had to try his hardest not to laugh. “Oust her? What? Are you out of your goddamn mind? One! We don’t oust women unless it’s drastic. Two! Those two are at odds. Three, she’s my daughter for crying out loud! If I throw her out, do you even comprehend how many people will follow? That is not an option.”

  “I want Council to do something about this,” Kenny insisted.

  “And Council will.”

  Kenny scoffed at that. “Like you said, Joe, you’re her father and she’s ...” He pointed at Andrea. “She might as well be her mother. I want it to be Henry’s decision. Henry cares about my Bev.”

  Immediately Joe turned from Kenny. He couldn’t face him with the fear he would laugh at him.

  “Does he even know about this yet?” Kenny asked. “I bet he doesn’t. He’ll be upset. I want him to make the decision, Joe. Him. Even knowing how he feels about Bev, you know he’ll be fair. Henry is always fair.”

  “Henry can’t ...” Joe shut up and faced Andrea. “Henry doesn’t know about this, does he?”

  “Sweet Jesus, Joe.” Andrea shook her head. “No. He can’t make this decision.”

  “What did the man say?” Joe pointed back at Kenny. “He said Henry is fair. Well, Andrea, Henry is fair. We know that.”

  “Not when it comes to ...” Andrea whispered, “Ellen.” She cringed when Bev moaned.

  “He doesn’t need to know it’s Ellen. How much more fair can I make it.” Joe faced Kenny. “Will you accept Henry’s decision if he bases it on fact learned only through the anonymity of Ellen ...” Joe hunched at Bev’s scream, “... and Bev.”

  “You’re not going to tell him who is involved?” Kenny saw Joe nod. “I’ll accept that. I’ll accept that decision. I’m trusting you, Joe.” He pointed. “I’m trusting you to feed him the facts, no bias sides to the story.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Joe shook his head and walked to the door. “I’ll go get him now. You’ll have his decision shortly.” Joe walked out and waited in the hall for Andrea.

  “Joseph, I cannot believe you are going to put Ellen’s fate in that boy’s hands without him knowing he is controlling it.”

  “Fate my ass, Andrea, this is Henry we’re talking about. Ousting is out anyhow. How bad will he be? This is Henry.” Joe started to walk. “Besides, it’ll be very interesting when he does find out it was Ellen.” He stopped and faced Andrea. “Kind of like the Let’s Make a Deal version of punishment. Huh?”

  “Joe.”

  “I’ll radio you as soon as he makes his mind up ...” Joe kissed her cheek then tapped it. “Sweetheart.”

  “No instigating it, Joe.”

  “It’s Henry.” Joe held his hands up as he walked backwards.

  “No allowing him to put himself in a position that will wreak him hell from Ellen.”

  “Andrea, it couldn’t be more brilliant. Like I said, how bad will the punishment be?” Joe smiled. “It’s Henry.”

  <><><><>

  No amount of good news from his Southern Divisions was going to put a smile on George’s face during his daily briefing. Three whole days had passed and still not a word came from John Matoose. To top it all off, it had surpassed his check-in time from his observation CMEs positioned within fifty miles of Beginnings. Things weren’t going as planned and George hated when that happened. It was time to take full control of the helm and steer it his own way.

  After telling his right hand man, Lawrence Gillian, also one of George’s Caceres Peace Ambassadors, ‘If John Matoose calls, put him through, smile over the phone, but tell him nothing. Fuck him.’ George left the meeting determined. He headed to his laboratories, knowing full well that they were near ready. He stopped at his Military Command, instructing his Sergeant Major to ‘intensify and prepare’.

  George wanted, in his hand, written reports of a plan of action and its expected outcome from his biological and military specialist. George wanted and needed these reports in his hand by the day’s end. With their reports and George’s own intensified plan, he would put in motion his actions to proceed in what he believed to be the final strikes against Beginnings. George was going to hit them fast, furious, and at full force. Most of all, George was going to hit them sooner than Beginnings had ever anticipated.

  THE INVASION

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  With a final grunt and a turn of his wrist, Henry emerged from under the counter in the Monitorings’ security room. “Done.” He stood up, brushing himself off. “Now, explain to me, Jeff, how a bolted down terminal got loose.”

  “One word ... Frank.”

  “Frank?” Henry questioned. “Did he move it?”

  “No, he slammed his hand on the counter. He was pissed off at that Survivor who kept throwing things at Perimeter Nine because we wouldn’t let him in.”

  “Was that the one he shot at?”

  “That’s the one.” Jeff pointed and slumped farther into his chair.

  “Not in a good mood, Jeff?” Henry closed the flap to his tool bag.

  “Pissy mood to be precise. Trish thought she was in labor but it turned out to be false.”

  “That could do it. Of course Nick was born early so I really didn’t have to wait on him at all.”

  “The false labor isn’t what got me. It’s the reason for it. She was running after Bev so Josephine could beat her up.”

  “Why was she doing that?” Henry asked.

  “Trish can’t fight, Henry. She’s nine months pregnant.”

  “No, I mean wanting her beat up. What did Bev do now?”

  “Trish said she was flirting with me. Hell, I didn’t even pay attention to her. Now I’m going to have to hear about it even though I’m an innocent in all of this.”

  “Stay that way too,” Henry advised. “Take it from me, you see that girl coming, you run. Run from her. She’s trouble, Jeff, and has been the past couple of days here in town. She really burns me.” Henry began to get upset. “A trouble maker and I ...”

  “Henry.” Joe walked i
nto the Monitoring room, interrupting. “Glad I found you. I need you.”

  “Oh sure, Joe.” Henry grabbed his tool bag. “Remember what I said, Jeff.” Tossing the bag around his shoulder, he joined Joe. “What’s up?”

  “To my office.” Joe waved his hand and led the way to the line of utility buildings not far from the Monitoring Station.

  “Did I do something, Joe?” Henry asked as they walked into Joe’s office.

  “No, but you will. Have a seat.” Joe walked behind his desk and sat.

  “What’s going on?” Henry sat and he placed his tool bag on the floor.

  “You’re on Council. In fact you’re second in command here in Beginnings. A situation has arisen in the community and you have to make the decision.”

  “Me? Just me?”

  “Yes, Henry.”

  “Why?” Henry asked.

  “One, the decision has to be based on anonymity. Andrea and I know the parties involved, so this one is on you.”