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

by Jacqueline Druga

  Grumbling a ‘hmm’ Joe returned to his notes. “All right. We have two more suspects to get to before we finalize this list. Me and Jason.” Joe cringed. “Henry, for Christ’s sake what?”

  “I don’t think you should be on the list that’s all. I don’t have a motive for you.”

  “Well I do,” Joe said and saw everyone looking at him. “I gave it some thought.”

  “Are you confessing?” Henry asked.

  “No!” Joe yelled. “I’m just giving you boys something to think about. O.K.? We’ll discuss me after Jason.”

  “Oh this must be plausible,” Henry said. “If he’s saving himself for last it has to be good. I’ll wait. Let’s talk about Jason.”

  Joe looked so annoyed. “All right. Jason. I don’t even think we have to discuss his means.”

  Robbie nodded in agreement. “Medical knowledge. Blood knowledge. Virus. He was working with Dean in the cryo lab too. Remember? And Dean said something about someone messing up the recipe or something.”

  “Formula,” Dean corrected. “Robbie’s right. Jason has all the medical knowledge and means as far as that goes.”

  “And,” Joe added, “the time machine. Especially with the new power supply, he could make trips back without notice. Here’s one thing for all of you to think about. When Robbie and Frank went to the Garfield project to get into the cryo-lab, soldiers and guards were waiting for them, almost like they were set up. Someone tipped them off. It could have been Jason.”

  Henry, as usual, seemed so excited. “Oh that’s good, Joe. I lost a piece of my hair that day, remember. That bullet went and sailed right by me and nearly . . .” Henry saw the looks he was getting. “Nearly . . . it’s not a ripple in time comment, Joe.”

  “I know. It’s a lame comment. O.K., Jason?”

  “Stays,” Robbie answered without looking up.

  “Stays,” Dean reiterated.

  “Goes.” Henry snickered at the glances. “Kidding. Stays.” He took a second to laugh at himself. “O.K., Joe. Your turn. Give your theory about yourself.”

  Joe prepared his notes and readied himself to speak. Just as his mouth opened, there was a knock at the office door. “Come in.”

  “Aw!” Henry whined. He turned to see Ellen. “El, you put us in a commercial break.”

  Ellen seemed so nervous. “I’m sorry.” Ellen rubbed her arms as she stepped in closing the door.

  Joe looked up to her. “What’s wrong?”

  “I uh . . . I know you guys have this meeting but I have my nerve up and I need to say something, I need to speak to Robbie. Can I?”

  Dean rested his notes on his lap and watched Ellen bounce a little. He wondered why she was so nervous.

  “Do you need to leave with him?” Joe asked.

  “No.” Ellen shook her head drastically. “I want to do this now in front of all of you so there are no questions asked later. O.K.?” She turned to Robbie. “I have to tell you something.” She cleared her throat and looked only at him. There was a certain quiver to her voice. Ellen actually trembled. “I’ve known you since you were a kid. We’ve, uh . . . we’ve known each other a very long time. And Frank, Frank was very proud of you. He had always said that if something should happen to him, he wanted you to take care of his family, take care of me.” Again Ellen cleared her throat. “And . . . I’ve been through so much in my life, more so recently, I just want to stop. O.K.? I want to stop. I want to live a stable life. I want to just . . . stabilize. We’re really great friends and always have been. We never fight, ever. I love you. And if you would. I would be honored if you would just end this all with me . . . and . . . will you . . . will you marry me Robbie?”

  Robbie’s eyes widened and he stood up.

  Dean’s heart sunk and his notebook fell from his lap as he too stood up. “El, what are you . . .”

  Ellen held up her hand to Dean keeping her eyes on Robbie. “Will you.”

  Henry nearly fell over. “No. Robbie you can’t do this. El! No.”

  “Robert,” Joe said his name calmly.

  Robbie looked around at them. He bit his lip. “Wow.” He let out a breath.

  “Robert,” Joe said with a warning.

  Robbie raised his eyebrows. “Sure El, I’ll marry you. Thanks.”

  “No, thank you.” Ellen tip toed up and kissed him. “Sorry I interrupted.” She hurried from Joe’s office.

  There would have been silence had it not been for Henry knocking over the chair he missed when he went to sit.

  Joe stared at Dean’s expression, so confused and so lost. He saw Robbie move to the door. “Robbie, what are you doing?’

  “Dad.” Robbie reached for the knob. “Can we finish this later or tomorrow? Thanks. I have to talk to Ellen” He opened it up, walked out, closed the door, opened it, and popped his head back it. “Um to clarify that. My fiancée” Robbie grinned, wide and shitty, and removed his head from the door, bringing it closed.

  Joe tossed his papers in the air. “I give up.” He saw the ‘need answers’ looks from Henry and Dean. “Don’t look at me. I’m just as shocked as the both of you.” Joe sat down in his desk chair. He rubbed his eyes harshly. “Oh boy.”

  ^^^^

  Binghamton, Alabama

  Something told UWA soldiers, Kyle, Link, Jeff, and Ted, the footsteps they heard were not good ones. Sitting on the floor of the room they were held, they looked up when the door opened. Four armed Society Soldiers walked in with Lt. Merrick behind them. No words were spoken as Lt. Merrick emerged forward. He walked up to Ted, extended his revolver, pulled back the hammer, and fired a single shot into Ted’s forehead. With the splattering of blood outward like a burst water balloon, and the shocked cries of the UWA soldiers, Lt. Merrick, with a calm look, put away his revolver and walked from the room.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Sioux Falls, South Dakota

  It was so obvious to the four man scouting party of the UWA that they had stumbled onto something. Less one man who went back to Bowman for supplies, they rode in on their horses into what definitely looked like a temporary camp. They dismounted and searched about. There were long wooden pegs left on the ground, holes for them, remnants of several campfires long burned out, and . . . bandages. They were cloth, brown stained and hardened, and they were tossed into a brush area. Sgt. Daniel had wandered into the trees, deep in thought and deep in search. Had his foot not hit against it, he would have never spotted it. Slowly he bent down to the canvass bag. Cautiously he opened it. As he checked out the contents, he heard the call of his name.

  “Sgt. Daniel. We found something!”

  Grabbing the bag, Sgt. Daniel left the woods and walked to the camp where the call came from. He spotted one of his men. “What do you have?”

  The soldier walked nearer to Sgt. Daniel he handed him a UWA patch. “Torn from the clothing sir, just like the Captain told us to do if ever taken.”

  Sgt. Daniel took the patch. “Then they had our men here. I found something myself. Right now we need to canvass the area for clues to which direction they went.” The Sergeant spoke to his team. “Mark where we are and we head on home. Job accomplished for now.”

  ^^^^

  Beginnings, Montana

  Though they lived together, at that moment in the evening, in the huge kitchen getting dinner ready, Ellen and Dean were miles apart.

  “Excuse me.” Ellen reached around him for some plates.

  “I’m talking to you. Can you respond, please?” Dean cut up vegetables for a salad.

  “Nope.”

  “This is bullshit, El.”

  “What is? You don’t want to do the vegetables? Tell you what, I’ll do that and you watch the pasta. You know the noodles that Andrea makes have to be watched.”

  “That’s not what I mean.” Dean cut forcefully with the knife, slamming it against the cutting board. “Ellen.” Dean set down the knife and pulled her back. “Look, the game’s gone on long enough. O.K.? I get the point.”

 
; “What are you talking about?”

  Dean paused before saying anything. “This little charade you and Robbie set up.”

  “Charade?” Ellen nodded. “You think I set up a charade with Robbie for your benefit?”

  “Yes.”

  “For what purpose?” Ellen questioned with a raised eyebrow.

  “For the purpose of me seeing that you will marry someone for the ‘Frank’ plan, even if it’s not me.”

  “Let me tell you something, Dean.” Ellen stepped to him. “I won’t marry just anyone. O.K.? I asked Robbie for the exact reasons I gave. I did not, did not set that up with him for your benefit so don’t flatter yourself.”

  “So you’re really going to marry Robbie?”

  “Yes.”

  “You can’t do that.”

  “Why?” Ellen asked.

  “El.” Dean stepped to her. “Look.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Are you doing this to get me to change my mind about marrying you? Because . . .”

  “No.” Ellen stepped back. “I don’t need to change your mind. I changed mine already.”

  “That quickly? You stitched your feelings that quickly?” Dean asked with edge.

  “No. I switched who I’m going to have a marriage with that quickly.”

  “People will see right through it, El. They’ll see it’s not real.”

  Ellen grabbed the plates and walked from the kitchen. “Then I guess I’m going to have to make it real, aren’t I?”

  “How serious are you?”

  Ellen slammed the plates. “I’m dead serious Dean.”

  “Robbie Slagel. Of all people, you’ll marry Robbie Slagel.”

  “What’s wrong with Robbie?”

  “For one thing, it’s Frank’s brother.”

  “And of all people in this community for me to marry, if I marry anyone, who do you suppose Frank would want that to be?” Ellen didn’t get an answer. “Dean, this conversation is over. O.K.?” Ellen walked back to the kitchen

  “You got me.” Dean followed her. “You win. If you want me to say it, I’ll say it. I don’t want you to marry Robbie. O.K.? I don’t.” Dean stepped closer to her. “Please El.” He brushed his lips against hers. “Can we please stop fighting? I can’t take it. It’s driving me nuts. Please.”

  “We’ll stop fighting.”

  Dean hugged her. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Ellen kissed him quickly. “It’s not good for the kids anyhow.”

  “No it’s not. I’ll get them for dinner. How’s that?”

  “Sounds good.” Ellen turned off the stove. “Oh and Dean.”

  “Yeah?” Dean stopped on his way out of the kitchen.

  “Thank you for saying how you feel.”

  “You’re welcome.” Dean smiled.

  “But uh . . . I’m still marrying Robbie.”

  The smile fell from Dean’s face.

  ^^^^

  Bowman North Dakota

  Hal shouldn’t have been disappointed. His man was only returning for supplies and he was aware of that. But something in Hal wanted to hear more, like perhaps they found a clue to the whereabouts of his five missing men, but he had nothing. The only word the returning man gave was that they had made it nearly across South Dakota. Nothing was to be found. That was the second supply scout to return and the second that delivered empty news. Hal dreaded the thought of having to cross the ‘central border’ as he called it. If they did that, they were leaving safer territory. But Hal knew if it had to be done, it would be. Maybe the next day’s light would breed better news. For that, Hal could only hope and pray.

  ^^^^

  Beginnings, Montana

  Seldom did Robbie ever show true anger and frustration but in his actions and in his voice, Robbie showed them to Joe. His face was a slight shade of red and his voice was edgy, boarding on a high tone as his hand cut through the air. “What is your problem with this, Dad? Huh?”

  “You cannot do this.” Joe’s hand came down hard on Robbie’s table. “You hear me?”

  “I don’t think it’s your place to say anything.” Robbie took a stand with his father. He rarely ever did that.

  “Not my place? Goddamn it, Robbie. This is Ellen we’re talking about. This was your brother’s wife. Don’t you think you’re giving new meaning to the phrase keeping it in the family?”

  Robbie’s top lip twitched as he bit his tongue on what he wanted to say. “Look. Drop it, Dad, O.K.? I’m marrying Ellen.”

  Joe cut his eyes to Jess who was in the living room, and knowing how much Jess knew, Joe didn’t have to mince words with his son. “Look, I’m not stupid. I wasn’t born yesterday. I know you and I know Ellen. I saw through that little act in my office. Dean may question it. Henry may be fooled but I certainly was not.”

  “All right.” Robbie raised his voice. “So what if that’s the case. If. But what’s the big deal about it.”

  “How in the hell is Frank going to react when he finds out you married Ellen?”

  “How is he going to react if he finds out she married Dean? It’s the best way and I’m doing this.”

  “God, Robbie,” Joe shouted. “The whole principal of it is wrong. Wrong.”

  “No, it’s right. Frank would rather have her marry me,” Robbie spoke with emotion. “I’m the best one to do this. I’m taking care of her until he returns.”

  “And then what?” Joe questioned.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Then what?” Joe’s voice softened. “Are you graciously going to step aside when it’s all said and done? Are you going to say, ‘Here Frank, here’s Ellen.’?”

  Robbie moved to the living room. “I’m leaving.”

  “No you aren’t leaving!” Joe followed him. “In your mind you know damn well this is a facade you two came up with, but in your heart, you want it to be real. You always have. How are you going to be when Frank comes back and you get crushed?”

  “I’m not going to get crushed. I’m too smart for that.”

  “Are you?” Joe asked.

  “Yes. I know what we have to do , I know how it has to be done. I know how we have to act. Trust me Dad, if I get caught up in it then that’s my own fault, isn’t it?”

  “You’re going to,” Joe spoke fatherly.

  “Yeah, well, probably but I’ll deal with it.” With his final words, Robbie left.

  Joe stared at the closed door. “He’s going to marry her, isn’t he?” He looked to Jess.

  Jess stood up from his seat on the couch. He laid down his book. “I think Robbie’s a smart man and I don’t think . . . I don’t think you should worry.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because I don’t think Dean will let it get to that point.”

  Joe turned his head back to the door. “Yeah, but what if Dean doesn’t have a choice. What if my son doesn’t give him a choice?”

  ^^^^

  Dean sat in his little office at home reviewing notes from the week on the pneumonia cases that finally were showing signs of improving. The small window behind him was open a bit. It carried in the cool autumn air but it also carried in other things. Dean could have shut the window, but he didn’t. The voices that flowed through the window were informative. They were Ellen’s and Jenny’s. He worked as he eavesdropped. He shouldn’t have, but he did.

  “Ellen, I’ll say it again. This is such a great porch.”

  “Yeah, I’m in the rich section of town.”

  “Can I ask you something about what I heard today?”

  “Sure.”

  “It’s about Robbie.”

  There it was. It was the conversation Dean had been waiting for. His fingers moved slower and he zoomed in more. Surely Ellen would give some hint on how real this marriage was.

  “What about Robbie?” Ellen asked.

  “I heard . . . I heard you’re going to marry him.”

  “You aren’t going to lecture are you?”

  “No,” Jenny answered softly. “I�
�d like to know why? I mean, isn’t it sudden? I’m sorry. I’m intruding.”

  “No. Maybe if I explain to you, then if you hear anyone talking, you can be my explanation to them.” Ellen took a long pause. “See I know it’s soon after what happened to Frank but so much has happened in my life. Brian. Frank. What happened to me. This house is a fresh start. It made me see I want stability. I want to change how I’ve been living as best as I can. I want to stop and just try to be as normal as possible in the screwed up world. Plus, Frank always said he wanted Robbie to take care of us.”

  “Everyone is going to think that you’re just marrying Robbie because of what Frank wanted.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure but I love Robbie. He’s my friend. I’ll tell you, I’m going to try to make it work. He’ll be good to me. I know that.”

  “What about Dean?” Jenny asked.

  “Dean will never marry me or take that chance with me. I gladly would have given Dean the chance to make my life normal but I want a commitment. One he can’t or won’t give.”

  “What is wrong with him?” Jenny snapped. “My God. Commitment? Most men would love to have a commitment with a woman. He had a chance and wouldn’t take it. Well, perhaps Robbie may be a fresh start and a new direction on a road you should take.”

  “Perhaps you’re right.”

  Dean lifted the keyboard from his lap and laid it on his desk. Jenny was wrong. Robbie wasn’t the right direction Ellen should take. If she would just bide her time, Dean would give her all the commitment she wanted. He walked from his office to tell Ellen that whether she liked it or not..

  Out of the kitchen and into the dining room, Dean approached the open front door. As he stepped to the screen door, he saw Robbie walking.

  “Hey El.” Robbie stepped to the porch railing laid his hands on it, and then rested his chin on his hands. He looked innocently through the tops of his eyes at Ellen. “Can I steal you for a while?”