The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  “No.” Frank shook his head. “I look like this because I’m baffled.”

  With a question in his shifting eyes, Robbie turned to Frank. “About what? What has you baffled?”

  “It has to be genetics. Can it be, Dean?”

  Dean scratched his head. “I feel like you, Frank. I’m clueless. What has to be genetics?”

  “The fact that I am now the only Slagel brother not gay.” Frank rocked his his chair. “It could be something in the air though.”

  Hal could have explained one more time to Frank that none of what he said was true but, like Frank always did, he heard what he wanted and blocked out what he didn’t want to hear. In order to save himself any frustration in convincing Frank at that moment he lied to him, Hal tossed his hands in the air in defeat. He figured, like usual, the fact that he told a fib and really wasn’t gay would hit Frank out of the blue in about a day.

  IN RETROSPECT ... THE THIRD YEAR

  The end of an era ...

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  February 12 - Glendive, Montana

  Joe and George were really enjoying their run with good conversation and very little stopping. They had made three stops and didn’t find anyone that fit the criteria that they searched for and moved on. Actually, they weren’t supposed to be out at all. Robbie warned them not to bring in too many people. Containment was getting to its peak and runs would have to wait until they released some of the survivors. It wouldn’t have been so bad in Containment, but they were so many more men than women and the male space was limited.

  So Joe and George took a nice, leisurely survivor run. They had the list of requirements of what they were looking for in survivors and field workers were not it. They needed industry workers, people to work the little areas they soon planned to put in full motion, Clothing, the Library, Paper, and History.

  They probably wouldn’t have stopped in Glendive had they not spotted the oddness of it from the air. The entire town was grown over, all but one tiny spot right smack dab in the center of the small town. It was a building, the only one clean and not covered with weeds. The sidewalk before it, maybe a small eight foot section, didn’t have grass peeking through. Someone maintained that section and George and Joe wanted to see who.

  It was weird to them that no one came out upon hearing the loud growing noise of the chopper. Usually that was what happened. So they left it, loaded up with guns, and moved to the section of town they saw from the air.

  The building was bright white and cheerful. The big picture window out front had a spit shine. Even the sign that read ‘Koenig’s Klassic Bridal Boutique’ wasn’t missing a smidgen of paint.

  Ring-a-ling-a-ling, went the bell when they opened the door and they were immediately pelted with the fresh aroma of scented candles.

  Joe peered around. There was no dust. It was clean and perfect.

  “Hi!” The perky female voice called out.

  Joe turned at the same time to see the blonde woman, dressed for a work day and all made up, come from the back.

  “Can I help you with something?” she asked.

  “Um ... Joe stammered in his words, trying not to laugh. “We saw your shop.”

  She smiled and moved closer. “Patricia.” She extended her hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Are you looking for something for your wife?”

  “Uh ... no.” Joe answered.

  “Someone special?” she asked with a wide smile. “Girlfriend? Daughter.”

  Joe snapped his finger. “I have a daughter.”

  “Is it for a prom or a formal event?”

  With a closed mouth, Joe looked to George then back to Patricia. “Formal event. Yeah.”

  “This way.” She extended her hands. “What size is she?”

  Joe’s hand went out. “Little.”

  “Young girl?”

  “No.” Joe shook his head. “Little woman.”

  “Oh,” she giggled. “We have some lovely after dinner wear, cocktail dresses, and gowns. What type of garment are you looking to purchase for her?”

  “I don’t know.” Joe waved his hand. “You pick it out.”

  She looked embarrassed. “Oh I couldn’t. How about you, sir?” She looked at George. “You obviously came to help.”

  “Oh yeah,” George said. “Actually we aren’t shopping.”

  “Oh.” Her head fell.

  “We’re uh ...” George looked for the words. “Were looking for someone to come to our town and open their own bridal and formal boutique. Isn’t that right, Joe?”

  “Absolutely,” Joe agreed. “I bet business has been slow here for you.”

  “Well, yes,” she said. “But it’s that time of year, you know. It will pick up.”

  “Ma’am,” George spoke up. “Have you been here since the plague?”

  “What plague?” she asked.

  “The plague that wiped out the world,” George explained.

  “You must be mistaken,” she said, still staying upbeat. “There has been no plague. You would think I would have noticed.”

  “Lady,” Joe tried. “Yeah, there was. Haven’t you noticed there’s not a goddamn soul around here?”

  “Well sure, but ... they went on vacation.” She said.

  “The whole goddamn town?” Joe raised his eyebrow. “Where the hell were you when they all up and left? You were obviously not around when they died.”

  “They didn’t die. They went away. Unfortunately, I was at my cabin. I came back.” She shrugged. “They took their holiday but they’ll be back.” She sighed. “The business will perk right up.” She snapped her fingers. “It’s already starting to. You’re here, right?”

  Joe nodded. “Right. We’re here and we’d like to bring you to a town where no one is on vacation.”

  “Up and leave my business?” She waved her hand at them. “Oh no, I’m quite successful here. But, while I have you.” She winked at Joe. “Let’s see if I can use some of my savvy sales sense and get you to make a purchase. I have some wonderful smaller sizes in the back.” She pointed. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go away.”

  “Oh, we won’t.” Joe bounced from heel to toe waiting for her to disappear into the back. “Perfect. You know she falls right in the lines of what we want to bring back with us. She’ll run a stupid division fine when she is better.”

  “True, but she’ll never go,” George said.

  “Of her own accord.” Joe reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a syringe. At the same time, he and George both looked at each other with a grin.

  In the running chopper, George loaded the last of the three bags he had thrown together from Patricia’s home. He hunched down in a run to Joe who stayed by a passed out Patricia. She was peacefully sound asleep and covered with a blanket on a busboy cart they took from a neighboring restaurant. They pushed her to the chopper and loaded her in.

  There were two men waiting in there. They both looked curiously at the woman who lay on the floor. The one, Ben, looked up to George when he and Joe got in. He spoke with a twinge of female to him, “Did you steal this woman?”

  “No,” George said and worked the controls. “She was so happy she passed out.”

  “Oh.” Ben brought his thin finger to his lip and stared down. “Shall we keep her covered?”

  Joe looked back. “Please.”

  Ben reached down to her then looked at Todd, the other survivor. He whispered, “Look at her hair.”

  “It needs some conditioning,” Todd said. “Can you believe she let that style grow out?”

  “What would it have taken to trim it yourself?”

  “People.” Todd crossed his legs and gasped. “Just because it’s a nomad world, it does not mean you have to look sloppy. You never know when strangers will show up.”

  “Never.” Ben shook his head.

  Joe looked at George as they lifted up. They listened to the pair in the back ramble on about the woman and company. Joe smiled. Their scavenger hunt for harmless oddball s
urvivors that would irk Robbie and Ellen was going so nicely, they only wished they had time to find more.

  <><><><>

  Ellen smelled the scent of it first, chicken soup. In her office, as she gathered papers for the new survivors, the aroma carried in and she turned around. “Frank?”

  “I know you didn’t eat.” He walked in. “I brought you lunch.”

  “You didn’t have to do that,” Ellen told him.

  “Yeah, I do.” He set the mug on her desk. “You don’t eat right and you need it.”

  “No.” Ellen shook her head. “I’m as big as a house.” She rubbed her large stomach.

  Frank winked. “You’re cute.” His hand reached to her and she stepped back. “What’s wrong?”

  “Dean’s going to be here in a second so you shouldn’t be.”

  “Tough.”

  “No, Frank.” Ellen spun to him. “Not tough, all right? If you weren’t bad with me before, you’re worse now.”

  “You’re carrying my baby.”

  “We don’t know that.”

  “I know it.” Frank stepped to Ellen as she faced her desk. He walked up behind her. “I know this baby is mine.”

  “Frank.” Ellen closed her eyes, feeling the heat from his words hit against her ear as he spoke so closely to her.

  Frank pulled her hair away from her ear. “I wish you would realize how much I want this baby. How much I want to be with you.”

  “Frank, it’s Dean’s baby,” Ellen told him.

  “You don’t believe that and even if it ends up being his baby, I still want you with me. He could never want you ...” Frank brushed his lips against her ear. “As much as I do.”

  “Don’t bet on it.” Dean’s voice carried in. “And get your hands off of my wife.”

  Frank didn’t budge.

  “I said.” Dean’s tone picked up. “Get your hands off ...”

  “What are you gonna do about it, Dean!” Frank blasted. “Physically make me?”

  Ellen moved away from Frank. “Stop it. Don’t fight. Please.”

  “Ellen.” Dean stepped more into the office. “This shit has to stop. You have to stop letting him ...”

  “Dean!” Frank yelled at him. “Don’t take that tone with her.”

  “Where do you get off, Frank?” Dean spun his views to him. “Tone? I’m not taking a tone. I’m taking a stand. She’s just as much to blame when you two ...”

  “No!” Frank stopped him. “No, she’s not. I start it all. You want to start shit, start it with me, little man.” Frank moved closer to him. “Come on,” Frank taunted, “because I’d love to have some reason to take you out of the picture all together.”

  “Then take me out all together, Frank. Now’s your chance. Go for it.”

  Frank grabbed for Dean. Dean grabbed for Frank and Ellen moved back.

  “Robbie!” she cried out, spinning to her desk to grab her balance. “Rob ...” She stopped to catch her breath.

  “Hey!” Robbie raced in and separated Dean and Frank with a shove to each of them. “Take it somewhere else.” He kept moving to Ellen. “El, you all right.”

  Ellen, holding her stomach, nodded. “Get them out of here.”

  Robbie turned. Dean and Frank both moved toward Ellen. Robbie in a protective stand, stood before her. “You heard her. Out. Dean, survivor examines. Frank, do something. Just leave.”

  “Let me see if she’s Okay,” Dean said.

  “I’m fine.” Ellen looked up at the ceiling. “Go.”

  Robbie moved to Frank and Dean bodily shoving them out and into the hall. “Since this thing between the two of you stopped being about Ellen a long time ago, do her a favor and leave her out of it when you start this fighting shit.” Without saying anymore, Robbie walked into the office and closed the door. “El.”

  “I’m fine now.” She faced Robbie. “Just stress. I can’t wait until this is over.”

  “Will it ever be over?”

  “It will be when this baby is born.” Ellen stared at the closed door. “I’ll make sure of it.”

  <><><><>

  Henry was little surprised when he walked into the Mechanics building. It was battery making time and although he was late, due to a repair at the chapel, he showed up. Scott, the new quiet guy, worked on them. John Matoose did as well, but the surprise fourth was not one he expected. Jenny.

  “Where’s Robbie?” Henry asked as he walked in. “He’s supposed to be here. Everyone in Mechanics makes batteries.”

  John snickered. “Everyone but Robbie or haven’t you noticed.”

  “I’ll get him.” Henry turned to the door.

  “Henry,” Jenny called out. “Seems to me if everyone in Mechanics is supposed to be making batteries, you should be too. If you go looking for Robbie, aren’t you as guilty as he is?”

  “Yes but ...”

  “I’m filling in for Robbie.” Jenny’s dirty hands worked. “He asked and I accepted.” She grinned at John. “It gives me my quality time with the man I love.”

  Henry rolled his eyes. “Jenny, it’s Robbie’s responsibility. If you knew of half the things I have to chase him down to complete, you wouldn’t say anything.”

  “But if you stopped chasing him down and did them yourself, you would have everything done.”

  “Why are you defending him?” Henry asked her.

  “Because even though I’m not a big Robbie fan, I hate bullies more and you’re a big bully who picks on Robbie.”

  “Ha!” Henry shouted. “I am not.”

  “Are too,” Jenny said.

  “Am I a bully John?” Henry asked.

  “Very much so,” John answered.

  “Scott.” Henry tapped him on the shoulder. “Am I a bully to Robbie?”

  “From what I see, yes.”

  “What do you know?” Henry scoffed then switched tones. “O.K.” Henry grabbed his radio. “I won’t chase him. I’ll call for him. I’ll be nice and ask where he is. Watch.” He depressed the button. “Robbie,” he said in a chipper soft way. “Robbie, come in.”

  “What?” Robbie responded.

  “We’re making batteries.”

  “Good for you.”

  Henry took a deep breath. “Where are you?”

  “Containment. Working.”

  “You’re supposed to be here, Robbie. Now do I have to come and get you?” Henry nodded impressed at his calm tone.

  “Henry? Fuck you.” Static.

  The noise of the disconnected radio call angered Henry so much that he slammed the radio down on the counter and bolted to the door. He stopped and looked back at the counter where the radio lay in pieces. “John!” Henry blasted. “Fill out a work order for that radio. It’s another thing Robbie Slagel now has to fix around here.” With his anger, Henry stormed out.

  Jenny looked at John. “Bully.”

  John nodded. “Bully.”

  “Prick,” Scott added his own comment and continued on the batteries.

  <><><><>

  Ellen could see it happening again. She recognized the signs of what she and Robbie called ‘Survivor Syndrome’ an obscure, keen attachment to someone in Beginnings. Survivors would idolize and follow a Beginnings’ original around. When they had it with Ellen, it ended when they left Containment, but for some reason, with Joe, it lingered a little longer. Ellen spotted the early signs with Patricia, or Trish as she requested to be called. When it started, she didn’t know. Trish went from being hysterical and screaming about being kidnapped to praising the awesomeness of Joe. It had to happen somewhere between when Trish decided she was just walking out and Joe convincing her to stay. Or it could have been Frank telling Trish how ‘crazy’ Joe was about her. Whatever it was, something caused Trish to have asked Ellen thirty times by six in the evening, when Joe was returning and if she, Trish, looked all right.

  “Correct, Ellen?”

  Ellen heard the male voice and she snapped out of her thoughts while watching Trish check her reflection in a c
ompact. “I’m sorry. Ben. What did you say?”

  Ben, who sat next to Todd in the formed circle of chairs, crossed his legs. “I said you probably have inspections in here for cleanliness.”

  “Yes,” Ellen answered. “We work hard to keep it clean.” She moved on to another survivor.

  “And it shows,” Ben commented. “We had a lovely little place in the country, didn’t we, Todd?”

  “Lovely.” Todd nodded.

  Ben nudged another survivor who looked in his own world. “I hope our housing here is as nice. What do you think?”

  “Oh ... my ... God,” Todd exclaimed in a whisper.

  ‘What?” Ben turned to him then looked up to see what he was looking at.

  “We haven’t seen him.” Todd pointed.

  “No we haven’t. And ... he struts.” Ben smiled as Robbie walked into the room.

  “A god,” Todd said.

  “Gorgeous.”

  “Look at that body.”

  “Breath taking.”

  “I wonder if ...”

  “Hung.” Ben nodded. “Absolutely.”

  ‘You think?”

  “Positive.”

  Ellen poked her head in between the two men. “Actually, he’s average.”

  A little disappointed, Ben looked at Todd then shrugged. “Workable, though.”

  Todd peered up at Robbie and sighed.

  <><><><>

  “Trish, please.” Joe removed her hand as he walked by her and she grazed it against his arm. “As I was saying, you eight are still in the social skills phase of the class. Those people over there.” Joe indicated to a group who worked with fabrics. “Are in more of an occupational therapy.”

  “Oh, Joe,” Trish said in a dreamy state. “You’ve really put things together here. You’re amazing.”

  “Thanks,” Joe grumbled. “Anyhow, back to where I was. I’m going to pass these papers out to you.” Joe moved about the group passing them out. “Fill them out as best as you can. They are questionnaires and they’ll help us place you in the community. Trish, please.”