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

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Joe.” John’s body shook, his lips trembled, and beads of sweat formed like a mustache on him. “Joe, please. Please, I just want to help. I did this community wrong. Let me go with Jess. Let me go scout with him. I swear on my wife, Joe, I need to do this. I need to do this.”

  Joe walked toward John Matoose. “I can’t trust you.”

  “I know.” John breathed heavily. “Let me try to get that back. I have come to you with everything I know. Let me gain something back before I’m kicked out or killed. If I can help to get Frank back, or Dean, let me. Joe . . . didn’t I tell you Frank was alive. I know how George works. I told you he would contact you. I’m begging you, Joe. Begging you. Lock me up until it’s time to leave, but let me leave and do this.”

  Joe ran his hand slowly down his face and took a step back. He stared at his son, so coldly holding the gun to John. “Robert.” Joe motioned his head downward. “Let him go.”

  “Dad.”

  “Let him go. John will hang with Jess until evening and then we’ll tell Jenny he’s on special detail to go with Jess. He’ll get locked in holding without any communication until sun up.”

  Robbie did not want to put down the gun. “Dad, don’t do this.”

  “Robert, put down the gun. If I was gonna let you shoot him, you think I would let you shoot him in here. Christ no. Put down the gun.”

  Jess watched Robbie apprehensively lower his weapon. “You shouldn’t shoot him anyhow.” He saw the surprised looks he got from Joe and Robbie. “I mean, why would you take even the slightest chance shooting him without proving to the community he was involved with George? Hell, I’d just tell everyone he’s up doing rounds at sector thirty-two. Tie him to a tree and leave him there. Let whatever got Marv dine on him.”

  Robbie grinned at Jess’ suggestion. “I knew there was a reason I liked you.”

  “Thanks, Robbie.”

  Joe turned slightly and grumbled. “Oh boy.” He faced Jess. “Take John and brief him.. Brief, Jess, O.K.?”

  “Yes.” Jess took John’s arm. “Let’s go, John.”

  John resisted so to speak to Joe. “Joe, thank you for this. I won’t let you down. I promise.”

  “Yeah-yeah.” Joe nodded as Jess led John out.

  “Dad.” Robbie rushed to him. “How could you do this? How can you just let John be a part of the most vital plan we have going now?”

  “Don’t question it, Robbie.”

  “But Dad.”

  “Robbie, don’t question it.” Joe stayed firm. “If John is serious about trying to make amends, let’s get everything we can out of him. If he’s not, it’ll be easy to tell out there. John is not a smart man. If that’s the case, Jess will see it and . . . John won’t be coming back to Beginnings.”

  ^^^^

  The physical therapy room was hardly ever used. In fact it was utilized twice in Ellen’s recollection. Once for Joe when he first came out of the Salicain and the second time was what Ellen witnessed as she peered into the room. The Society soldier, Tom Collins, who was shot in the back defecting, walked using the help of bars and Melissa as a guide. Ellen applauded him when he made it to the end. “Excellent.”

  Tom smiled and so did Melissa. Not a week earlier, Tom was ninety-percent wheel chair dependant. Ellen supposed it was that crush he had on Melissa that gave him motivation because by what Ellen learned by his charts, Tom made the best progress when Melissa worked with him. Ellen thought Tom was kinda of cute in a barely pubescent militia sort-of-way and she actually encouraged Melissa to show some interest back to Tom as well. One, it would help him, hating when she told her ‘get Tom back on his feet’. And two, telling Melissa that Mark was a bore and Gene was old, at the very least, with Tom not even twenty, it could prove sexually interesting for her. One task Ellen visually learned through a medical procedure was that Tom was physically capable of performing. But Melissa laughed at her, thinking Ellen was funny when she was dead serious. But to Ellen, that secret sisterhood telekinetic-message-thing told her Melissa had the suggestion in the back of her mind. Why else would she be doing that, wide grin, flip of the hair, flirting thing all women do?

  Ellen was snapped out of watching Tom and Melissa when she felt the gentle hand lay on her shoulder. She looked back. “Andrea.”

  “How are you?” Andrea asked with compassion.

  “Fine,” Ellen stated. “Just watching. He’s doing well.”

  “Yes, he is. Melissa does wonders for him.”

  Ellen snickered. “I’m heading to the lab. Wanna walk with me?”

  “Yes.” Andrea began to walk with Ellen. “I didn’t get a chance to speak to you this morning. Seems you’ve been avoiding me.”

  “I’ve pretty much been avoiding everyone.”

  “Why is that?” Andrea asked.

  Ellen just gazed at her.

  “Talk about town toward you is not negative.” Andrea walked into the lab with Ellen.

  “I didn’t want to take a chance of finding that out.”

  “Robbie told me there was some fear of that. Trust me, no one is looking at you as a traitor, just a victim.

  Ellen closed her eyes as the word ‘victim’ raced through her mind. “Andrea, I really don’t want to talk about this. I’m very . . .” Ellen paused.

  “Angry? Bitter?”

  “Yes.” Ellen was relieved Andrea answered her. All of her life lying was to Ellen until she really had to lie about something she didn’t want to. Lying about her husband, making him out to be a bad guy, when he actually was a hero, killed Ellen.

  “You should be angry and bitter. And . . .” Andrea looked serious to Ellen. “Right now we have to talk. You and I.”

  “About?”

  “Dean and his leaving for the Society.” Andrea walked over to the lab door and closed it. “Now . . .”

  “Ellen.” The lab door burst open and Jenny ran in. “Oh Ellen.” She sounded so distraught. “You surfaced.”

  Ellen shifted her eyes from Andrea to Jenny. “I surfaced?”

  “You’ve been hiding all day.”

  “Jenny, Andrea and I . . .”

  “Ellen,” Andrea interrupted her. “You and I will speak later, dear. O.K.? Talk to Jenny.” Andrea stepped to Ellen, kissing her on the cheek. “All will be fine. I promise you.” She gave a slight smile to Ellen and Jenny and left.

  Jenny watched Andrea. “Weird,” she told Ellen after Andrea departed. “Anyway . . .”

  “Jenny, I’m not wanting to talk.”

  “O.K.” Jenny pulled up a stool. “But you have to listen.” She sat down. “I have been giving lots of thought to this. Lots.”

  “Jenny . . .”

  “No, Ellen listen. Dean didn’t leave. I mean he left, but he didn’t just leave. I read the note. Sorry. Robbie showed it to me. Henry wouldn’t. He was being a dick and said it was none of my business.”

  Ellen blinked. Jenny was rambling so fast. “What are you talking about?”

  “Dean’s letter. The Society made him an offer and he was in a position where he didn’t want to turn it down. Blackmail. Ellen! They blackmailed him into leaving. Threatened him with you and the kids somehow. He left to protect you, if, if, they didn’t take him. No one is gonna tell me someone isn’t in Beginnings working for George. How else does he get one step ahead of us so much? No and I’m starting a campaign to search for him. Ellen.” Jenny reached over and grabbed Ellen’s hand. “Dean is too good. There is no way he would do this. No way.”

  “Jenny.” Ellen was hesitant. “Where did you get this all from?”

  “The note.”

  “I read the note too.”

  “Yeah, but I bet you didn’t read between the lines, did you? Read between the lines, Ellen, and read it again. Not once did he mention in there he wanted to be a part of the Society. Not once.”

  “Shit.” Ellen raced to the door. “Thank you, Jenny.”

  “Oh sure. No problem. We’ll start right away.”

  Jenny was pleased. She
had gotten through to Ellen and she knew it wouldn’t be long before she got through to everyone else as well. Ellen knew that and that was why she raced out of the clinic. What had Dean done? It wasn’t intentional but somehow Dean failed to make that note believable. Knowing where Jenny’s thinking was and the power of persuasion Jenny had with everyone, it was very conceivable that the whole plan could go awry and deadly if the people of Beginnings failed to think that Dean abandoned them. Ellen had to find Robbie and they had to do something quickly before everyone started thinking that way and pushed for Jenny’s ‘let’s save Dean’ campaign.

  ^^^^

  Andrea was at the clinic and the kids were in school. The house was perfectly empty when Joe walked in and went straight to his bedroom. In the back of the closet was Andrea’s ‘treasure box’, her private personal things that detailed her life. She let no one see it and Joe never had the urge to until now. Pulling the locked box from the closet, he set it on the bed and began to pick the lock. It wasn’t right what he was doing, this was his wife, and Joe knew it. But it also was an investigation and under circumstances like that, it was no holds bar.

  Joe undid the small lock and lifted lid. An over abundance of perfume fragrance whipped at him and Joe sneezed. Despite what seemed like an allergic booby trap for Joe, he began to rummage. Looking through, with one hand and covering his nose with the other, Joe halted. Nasal and stuffy and through his sneezes, he smiled and spoke out loud to himself. “Well, well, well. What do we have here.”

  ^^^^

  “A smear campaign?” Robbie seemed shocked that Ellen would suggest the idea to him. “El.”

  “No Robbie, Jenny is right. I memorized that note. He subconsciously refused to admit he turned against us. We have to start a smear campaign.”

  “Well Henry is not helping.” Robbie stated, his hand tapping on the counter of the clinic lab.

  “What do you mean?” Ellen asked.

  “He refuses to talk about it to anyone. The men are saying when they question him, he’s telling them there is a misunderstanding. El . . . . people just don’t want to turn their back on Dean. I’m trying.”

  “I know you are.” Ellen tapped him on the cheek. “I appreciate it. All right.” She took a deep breath. “Think. We can’t take a chance of Dean or Frank being endangered because of this community’s loyalty to my husband.”

  Robbie laughed.

  “What?” Ellen asked.

  “It has to make you feel good though, the fact that no one wants to believe it.”

  Ellen smiled. “Yeah it does. Anyway . . .” She looked at her watch. “I’d better be going. I have to meet Danny in the cryo -lab in half hour and I want to stop by the school first.”

  “Yeah, I have to go too. I have to meet my dad. He just radioed me.”

  “See you later?”

  “You bet.” Robbie kissed her on her cheek and as Ellen walked out, Johnny walked in. “Hey John.” Robbie started to leave.

  “Uncle Robbie,” Johnny called out. “Can I speak to you?”

  “Um . . . sure.”

  Johnny peered out the door to make sure Ellen was gone. “O.K., can I stop?”

  “Stop what?”

  “Stop seeing Bev. Dean’s gone so there’s no threat to El. Can I stop? I had to have sex with her three times last night.”

  Robbie’s mouth dropped open. “And you want to stop?”

  Johnny shuddered. “She gives me the creeps. I keep thinking in a month she’s gonna tell me she’s having my kid.” Johnny shuddered dramatically again. “Please?”

  “I guess now it’s O.K. I’ll talk to Pap about it for you. I’ll let you know.”

  “Thanks.” Johnny grinned as Robbie walked out. “Wait a sec.” He scratched his head in confusion, speaking to himself. “That’s not fair. If I don’t want to be with her anymore, I shouldn’t have to ask my Pap.”

  High and pleasantly, his name was sung out.“Johnny.”

  Johnny spun around and looked. “Shit.”

  Bev walked in and closed the door. She snickered and wiggled her fingers.

  Johnny whined.

  ^^^^

  Binghamton, Alabama

  That button on his Levi’s was so shiny that Dean wondered if anyone even noticed. The bright autumn sun seemed to reflect off of it as he sat in the back of the huge truck. He had just finished checking his duffle bag during the half hour trip and everything was in there. Now all that was on Dean’s mind was that button and tracking device that Danny incorporated into it. The truck slowed down to a stop. Dean prayed at that moment that the tracking device worked, because even though the ‘Binghamton Reserve Base’ sign was faded, it was clear to Dean he had reached his destination.

  He had finished his personal training so Frank took his break in the office he had cooled down to nearly sixty degrees. Away from the Society workers, soldiers, and away from Leonard, Frank wanted to be alone and he wanted to hide out because he had just received word that the scientist had just arrived and Frank wanted to stay as far away from him as possible.

  ^^^^

  Beginnings, Montana

  “One out of three.” Joe told Robbie as he handed him a Beginnings envelope. “If Andrea had sent all three of those letters to Jake, why did she only keep one of them?”

  Robbie checked out the post mark. “This date coincides with the history log. And you only found one.”

  “Only one.”

  “Which could very easily mean your wife mailed one to back up her story and the other two letters . . .”

  “Her warning to her lover George, perhaps?” Joe raised his eyebrow.

  “Perhaps.”

  Joe took the letter back. “However, it’s still not conclusive enough. I got my secret spies now trailing Rev. Bob. You keep up on him. Be his buddy.”

  “I’m on it.” Robbie started to walk with his father. “But I wish this investigation would wind down soon, Dad. It’s getting on my nerves. I feel like I’m sitting in the movie ‘Titanic’ all over again.”

  “Stuck in a situation that doesn’t want to end?” Joe snickered. “I’m with ya. But . . .” He laid his hand on Robbie’s back. “My gut tells me this is gonna be over soon. Real soon. And before long, we’ll know exactly what person or persons are Georgie Porgy’s helpful hands.”

  ^^^^

  The temperature gauge to the case was bent outward at an angle for easier access. The freezer, Dean’s freezer, in the special lab was pulled out a few inches from the wall. The only light in the dark lab was the thin beam of the penlight that shined upon the numeric dial of the thermostat. Hands worked quickly and precise on the temperature gauge, replacing the back piece of it. When it was finished and put back together, the needle bobbed back and forth and then it went steady at a perfect temperature. After the gauge was straightened back up, the freezer was rolled to its normal position. The penlight went out and Henry smiled, stuck that miniature flashlight in his pocket and walked from the special lab, securing the door behind him.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Beginnings, Montana

  Though his morning reports dictated that the guard who walked perimeter thirty-two saw nothing, Robbie insisted he do the afternoon rounds. Foregoing all possible Neville points, he stopped by tracking, getting a confirmation from Mark that activity was sporadic, still rapid, and the signal growing. Yet Robbie spotted nothing as he gazed into the large field. There was a certain smell up there that seemed to linger. An odd smell that Robbie couldn’t put his finger on, but knew. And though he didn’t see anything, Robbie felt something. He felt as if he were being watched, that feeling of being stared through, sensed, and observed. He stood there for a while, waiting, and hoping something would jump out at him. His rifle was aimed high and his concentration solid, but part of Robbie knew nothing would happen or go after him. It was not out of the animal’s fear of him, but the animal’s knowledge of him. A good hunter never judges rashly, never jumps the gun, and that was why whatever it was would n
ot attack Robbie. Because whatever it was, was actually the hunter and Robbie was the prey.

  ^^^^

  What was that purple spot? It was tiny and perfectly round, scar -like, right behind Bev’s ear. Johnny stared wildly at it in wonder, knowing he had seen that same mark somewhere else but he just could not put his finger on it. He never noticed it before, but then again he never looked that closely at Bev. He was towering over her as she leaned on the counter in distribution, her head tilted allowing the visibility of that mark. Was it part of what Ellen did to her? Johnny kept on staring. He just knew it would bother him. He knew it.

  “Johnny?” Bev snapped her finger.

  “Huh?”

  “You’re staring.”

  “Yeah I am. What is this gross mark right here?” Johnny pointed to her neck.

  Bev tsked and stood up right letting her shorter hair cover it. “It’s not a gross mar. It’s a birth mark.”

  “It’s gross looking.”

  Bev rolled her eyes slightly with a gasp. “So is this how you’re doing it? Insulting me to give into this break up?”

  “It’s not a break up Bev. It’s a cessation of sexual activity with you.”

  “Why? I like you, Johnny.”

  “You bore me, Bev, and you give me the creeps, especially now since I seen this . . .” He reached his finger for the fascinating scar but she swiped his hand away.

  “Johnny, look, I’ll learn new things. We have to be together.”

  “We have to not. Now I have to get out of here.” He let out a long sigh. “Wow, I feel good. Take it easy, Bev.”

  “What am I supposed to do now?”

  “Um . . .” Johnny snapped his finger. “Go after Henry. He’s leader now. Lots of prestige.” He turned around to leave distribution, and turned around to see Henry. “Oh hey, Henry.”