^^^^
Beginnings, Montana
Robbie grabbed a few more items, tossing them into a duffel bag. They were things he needed if he was going to be staying over Ellen’s. Just as he reached for his front door, it opened and Jess walked in.
“Robbie.”
“Hey, Jess. You get John all situated at holding?”
“Yeah.” Jess stepped into the house, slowly running his hands through his hair. “Are you leaving for El’s.”
“Yep. See ya in the morning . . .” Robbie took a step to the door and stopped. He looked back at Jess who had wandered, almost sadly, to the table. “You O.K.?”
“Yeah.” Jess waved his hand at Robbie. “Go on.”
“You sure?”
Jess looked up from his stare at the table. “Actually, I hate to admit this, I’m a little . . .”
‘Nervous about tomorrow.”
Jess only gave a closed mouth smile.
“Need to talk?” Robbie asked.
“No, that’s O.K., Go on over to El’s.”
“Jess, come on. We’re friends. If you need to talk about this, I’ll hang and talk.”
“Really?” Jess asked. “I just need to get over this anxiousness. The pressure. Not that I can’t handle it, but . . . you know what I mean?”
“Yeah I do. I can remember in the old world when I was in the Army, anytime I was getting shipped out, no matter how confident, I got that knot in my stomach.”
“Same here.”
“Hey. Why don’t I take my bag over El’s, tell her I’ll be by later and you and I can have a drink and hang.”
“Take my mind off of it?”
“Hell, we’ll have fun.” Robbie moved through the door. “I’ll be back.”
“Thanks, Robbie.”
“No problem. You’re helping my brother, Jess.” Robbie turned serious. “For that I am very grateful. Be right back.” Robbie nodded with a smile to Jess, stepped backwards out the door, and closed it.
^^^^
Binghamton, Alabama
Debating on whether it was actually food they stuffed in his cupboards, or old unpackaged M.R.E.’s, Dean walked out of his kitchen leaving food to be an option for when he was so hungry that he didn’t have a choice. He checked out his watch again. Where was Frank? They had let him call home, talk to El about her test results, and then when he was finished with his very monitored call, he was rushed away to a lab. They placed folder upon folder in front of him. Did they actually expect he would willingly begin solving their problems? Dean knew they were smarter than that, but smart enough to figure if he wasn’t going to help them, he would still be locked in that lab until they came for him. When they did, they brought him to his house. Dean’s mind swarmed with thoughts that they had shipped Frank out and it was a onetime visit thing and no more. Seeing that it was early evening, Dean would wait a little more before making any final deductions.
He picked up his duffle bag and decided to take his things upstairs and find the bedroom that he would sleep in. No sooner did his foot hit the second from top step that Dean heard a banging and shuffling. It jarred him some and made him wonder if he should race back down the steps or investigate. Figuring what did he have to lose, he followed the noise to his bedroom.
It came from his closet. Hangers were moving and he heard grunting. As Dean set down the duffle bag, the closet door opened. Dean laughed. Frank walked into his bedroom. “You couldn’t use the front door?”
“Fuck no. Can’t let them see us talk.” Frank looked back at the closet. “Fuckin secret passage is built for someone your size.”
“Thanks. Good to see you again.”
“Yeah, I heard they had you in the lab.”
“Locked in the lab. I didn’t hear from you. I didn’t know if we’d see each other again. Frank? Why is there a secret passage in my closet?”
“Oh.” Frank smiled. “I thought you were going to be some bigwig Society scientist. Thought I’d snoop, you know. But you’re you, and . . . Dean, what are you doing here?”
“I’m here for you, Frank.”
Frank laughed. “You’re my rescue?”
“Asshole, no. It was part of a deal. George called me and offered a trade. Me for you. I join the Society, you go home.”
“Dumb.” Frank scoffed at him. “You think I’m stuck here?”
“Well, uh, yeah, Frank, since you failed to come home.”
“How can I come home, Dean?” Frank asked. “I have to find El first. As soon as I do, I’m out of here.”
Dean laughed.
“What?”
“Frank, Ellen’s home. She’s fine. The UWA rescued her and brought her home.”
Frank’s eyes widened. “You’re shitting me? Fuck this. Let’s go.” He reached for Dean’s bag.
“What are you doing?”
“We’re getting out of here.”
“We can’t go anywhere, Frank.” Dean grabbed for his bag, struggling with Frank over it.
“Yeah we can, Dean.” Frank tugged. “I’m not staying. I didn’t leave before because I was afraid for El. She’s home. Let’s go.”
“No. We can’t.” Dean pulled in a losing bag battle. “You should still be afraid for El and our kids, Frank.”
“What?” Frank stopped fighting and let go of the bag. “What do you mean?”
“George has someone else besides John Matoose working for him in Beginnings. This person lets him know everything. You’re not the only reason I came, Frank. El and the kids are. If I backed out, he said he’d kill them.”
“I’m killing him when he gets back here.”
“Well, you’re gonna have to wait until the rescue takes place. That way El and the kids are placed under protective custody. Until we synchronized it, we don’t know who it is, where it will come from, or when so we hang tight.”
“Fuck. He blackmailed you into coming?”
“Yep. With their lives and yours.”
Frank walked closer to Dean, nodding his head. “He must want you bad.”
“Yeah, he does. I think his technology has stalled. I don’t know. But he thinks the combination of my leaving, you being dead, and Joe’s retirement, Beginnings will weaken.”
“My Dad retired?”
“As a cover up.”
“Don’t even tell me fuckin Henry is leader.”
“Yep.”
“Uh!” Frank hit himself in the face. “No wonder George is confident. Fuck. When they coming?”
“A few days.”
“And they think I’m dead back home?” Frank asked.
“Convinced of it. We had to convinced them. We had a really nice funeral for you. Trish taped it.”
“Oh yeah?” Frank nodded. “Is that how you convinced them.”
“That and Ellen.”
“She grieved huh. Big time,” Frank grinned. “Was she emotionally distraught? I know she had to act, because she wouldn’t think I was dead.”
“You’re right. She didn’t think for a second you were dead. But, she grieved and . . . and for the final convincing straw, she . . . brace yourself Frank.”
“What.”
“She.”
“What!”
“She got married to someone.”
Frank lost his balance, but only for a second. “O.K.,” He held up his hand. “I can handle it. It was a plan to make the community think I was dead. She moved on. I’m the love of her life.”
Dean rolled his eyes.
“I know it’s not Henry. Robbie. She married my brother. I always said . . .” Frank saw Dean shaking his head. “No? Who?”
Dean held up his left hand.
Frank waved back. “Who?”
“Frank.” Dean stepped closer nearly shoving his hand in Frank’s face.
“Who?” As Frank lowered Dean’s hand, he saw the band. “No.”
“Yep.” Dean smiled. “Mr. and Mrs. Dean Hayes.”
“Fuck.”
“Yep.”
“O.
K.” Frank held up his hands. “It was a cover up. Right.”
“Um. . . . sure Frank.”
“The plan was she gets married, and when I get back, she gets annulled from whoever she married.”
“That was the plan.”
Frank cringed. “You have no intentions what-so-ever of getting annulled. Do you?”
“Nope.”
“Fuck.”
“Married Frank.”
“Dean.” Frank pointed at him. “Don’t.”
“Mr. and Mrs. . .”
“Dean!” Frank blasted.
Dean laughed. “Had to rub it in. But uh . . . don’t worry, Frank.” Dean swatted him on his arm. “I know you guys. El says hi and she loves you and misses you. Being the swell guy I am, and knowing this, when you get back, I’m gonna give you your happy little reunion.”
“Thank you.”
“For an hour and then . . .”
“Dean.” Frank stated his name like he always had. “Shit. I want out of here. We should just say screw the plan, you and me grab a Jeep, and take off late tonight. We’ll be home by dawn, protect El and the kids before they even know we’re missing.”
With his arms folded, Dean raised an eyebrow to Frank. “How in the world do you think we’re making it home by dawn?”
“Driving.” Frank placed his hands on his hips.
“Yes, you said that. To Beginnings?”
“Yep.”
“In a few hours.”
“Yep.” Frank looked certain.
“Frank, last I heard, the speed of light has yet to be achieved by motor vehicle. How do you suppose we make it to Montana from Alabama in a few hours?”
“We’re in Alabama? No we aren’t.” Frank tossed his hand at Dean.
“Yes Frank. We are.”
“I thought we were in Colorado.”
“Binghamton, Frank.” Dean said.
“Yeah. Binghamton, Colorado.”
“No! Binghamton, Alabama.”
“Oh my God! I’m in Alabama?”
“I cannot believe you didn’t know this.”
“Shit.” Frank walked in small circles. “Oh man and I sent them UWA soldiers walking seventeen hundred miles.” Frank snickered. “And here I thought Richie was just really bad at math” Frank continued to laugh.
“Who’s uh . . . Richie?”
“Me.” Richie stepped out from the closet.
Dean’s eyes shifted and he gave a weird look to Frank then to the stranger who mysteriously appeared in his room. Dean walked behind Richie, peering into the closet then back to Frank. “Anyone else you’re expecting, Frank, or am I safe in closing this?”
^^^^
Beginnings, Montana
“Oh my God.” Ellen exclaimed with such disgust in her voice when she saw Josh’s room as she passed it on the way to the living room. “Did Dean or did Dean not tell you to pick up this room?”
Josh peeked from behind the door. “Huh?”
“Clean your room.”
“O.K.” Josh closed the door.
Ellen grunted and walked to the living room. “Sorry, Henry.”
“No problem.” Henry sat on the couch. “You want to have dessert now or later when Robbie gets here?”
“Let’s wait a little bit and see if he shows soon. I don’t want him to miss your Beginnings first recreation of Jell-O.”
“He’s seems like the Jell-O type of guy.”
“Actually Dean is the Jell-O guy. He told me when he was in college, he lived off cherry Jell-O.”
“Oh El, you can’t live off of Jell-O. It hasn’t any real nutritional value. I think he was lying to you.”
“Henry.” Ellen sat on the couch. “It was figuratively speaking.”
“Oh.”
“So, how was your day as leader?”
“Tough. I must have been asked a thousand times about Dean.” Henry shook his head. “El, I can’t figure out who is telling people. I wanted to keep it a secret until we figured it out . . .”
“Henry.”
“No, El. Something is not right. It just isn’t a Dean thing to do.”
“Henry.” Ellen laid her hand on his knee.
“And as leader of the community, I’m pushing to look into this. Jenny brought the content of that letter to my attention and she made valid points. And that was coming from Jenny.”
Ellen closed her eyes. “Listen . . .”
“El, I’m getting together search parties. I’m calling Hal tomorrow. He and I are sitting down. His men scout Society camps. We are going to find Dean. He’s in trouble, El. He’s there against his will. I feel it and we’re going to go get him. He wouldn’t leave us, his home, his kids, and he wouldn’t leave you.”
“Henry.” Ellen stood up. “You can’t do that. O.K.?”
“Look, I know you’re hurt.” Henry stood up. “I also know you’re probably in denial over this but . . .” He reached out and turned Ellen to face him.. “As the leader of this community and as your friend. I cannot let this go until I feel satisfied that Dean joined the Society on his own accord.”
Ellen’s head lowered. “Please don’t do this, Henry.”
“Why El?”
Ellen looked up at Henry. She saw the concern in his eyes as he stared at her. “Henry,” she said his name painfully.
“Why, El? Why don’t you want this done.”
“Because Dean didn’t join the Society on his own accord. He went there in a blackmail trade to save my life and to bring Frank home.”
Henry’s hands slid in surprise off of Ellen and he stepped back.
^^^^
Binghamton, Alabama
Dean’s finger swayed and pointed as he looked at Richie. “I know you. Don’t I?”
Frank answered. “Nope.”
Dean shook his head. “Yeah I do. What is your name?”
Richie saw no problem telling Dean. “Richie Mar . . .”
“Mar!” Frank interrupted abruptly. “Mar-ja-ho-its.”
Dean looked up to the ceiling with a thinking look. “Richie Marjahowitz doesn’t ring a bell, but you look so familiar to me. Really. I mean, you look really, really familiar.”
Richie smiled. “That’s because I look exactly like . . .”
“Everybody else.” Frank finished Richie’s sentence. “Doesn’t he, Dean?” Frank grasped Richie’s chin. “Doesn’t he have one of those faces everyone has. A nose, eyes, lips . . .”
“Frank,” Dean said his name. “What is wrong with you? God.”
The smile fell from Richie’s face. “Dean? Is this the Dean from Beginnings. You said someone was here from Beginnings but you failed to mention it was . . . Dean.”
Dean snapped back a little in shock at how bitter Richie said his name. “Frank, what did you tell . . .”
“Check this out, Richie,” Frank said. “Dean married Ellen.”
“Oh my God,” Richie said with disgust. “You married Ellen?” He gasped his displeasure. “How could you? Now that means you’re my . . .”
“Hero,” Frank interjected. “You’re his hero, Dean. Richie was saying any man that gets married is his hero.”
Richie never boasted himself to be the brightest of men, but he was certain after the third interruption there was a reason that Frank didn’t want that Dean guy to know he was Ellen’s brother. Richie smiled, Maybe Frank was going to use him to help break Dean and Ellen up. “So you’re Dean,” Richie said.
“Yes.”
“Dean the dick?”
Dean was shocked. “What?” He couldn’t believe this coming from someone he just met. “Who told you I was a . . . Frank.”
“What?” Frank acted clueless.
“Did you tell him I was a dick?”
“I think asshole was more the word I used.”
“What!” Dean snapped. “You told him I was an asshole. Who’s the asshole in Beginnings, Frank?”
“You.”
“Right. No, Frank. You.” Dean pointed.
Richie
was offended. “Dean, how can you call Frank an asshole, when you’re the one who stole his woman?”
“Yeah,” Frank commented.
“I what?” Dean stepped back. “I stole Ellen from you? Is this what you told this man?” Dean snickered in disbelief. “Richie, he stole Ellen from me. We were married. We had children. He pushed and he pushed and he used their past to get her to do what he wanted until I left her. Isn’t that right, Frank?”
“No.”
“Uh,” Dean’s gasped out. “You’re lying! No wait, you aren’t lying because I really think in that ‘pea size, Neanderthal, one way, my way, Frank-BIG-man-attitude’ brain, you believe I stole her from you.”
“Yeah.”
Dean grunted loudly. “I cannot believe you brainwashed this man into probably hating me before he met me when whose fault is it that you’re here? Huh Frank? Whose? I’ll tell you.” Dean steadily became more emotional. “Yours because you decided to kidnap Ellen from Beginnings.”
“Oh I did not.”
“You duct taped her and tied her up, drugged her ,and took her out without permission. That is kidnapping.”
“It was a grieving vacation.”
Richie moved away from the two men, watching them like a ping pong game.
Dean started to speak but the shock of the words that came from Frank’s mouth made him speechless. He had to twitch his head and jolt back into his brain to remember who he was talking to. “Frank! Things were worked out. We had an arrangement between us. There was no reason for you to take her out of her home and away from her children to grieve.”
The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series Page 432
