The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  ^^^^

  “Sorry.” Dean apologized as he walked into Jeff the security man’s hospital room. Ellen was there along with Jeff’s wife, Trish. They stood anxious and waiting. Setting the chart on the tray, Dean took a long look at Jeff. His face was bandaged from his run in with the killer babies. “El, I thought you’d be getting ready for Bowman.”

  “I wanted to assist. I want to see the unveiling.”

  Dean only raised his eyes.

  “We’re anxious,” Trish added.

  Dean picked up the scissors. “Don’t expect too much. This just happened.” He began to snip.

  Ellen took the first piece of gauze. “So how’s Frank’s head.” She turned to Trish. “Frank had his head examined by Dean.”

  “Frank is fine.” Dean cut the bulk of the bandage. “His injury still evident but Frank is the only man I know that could have brain damage and no one would notice.”

  Jeff laughed. It sounded odd, muffled and distorted.

  Trish gave an odd look. “Will he talk normally after those bandages are off, Dean?”

  “Possibly. I don’t know. I wasn’t here when this happened so I haven’t visually seen the extent of the injuries.” Dean sat on the edge of the bed. His hands gripped the bandages that covered everything but a hole for Jeff’s nostrils. “Ready?” Leaning into Jeff and blocking Ellen and Trish’s view, Dean lifted them up some. He whistled and laid them back down. Standing up, he ran his hand through his hair. “Oh boy.”

  “Ut’s ong?” Jeff asked.

  “Um . . . uh . . . . shit.” Dean’s hand went to his mouth and then he quickly grabbed the chart. “Ellen, this is your handwriting. Why is there no mention how severe his injuries were?”

  “Well, Dean, I really didn’t see the need. It’s obvious.”

  “Ut’s ong?” Jeff asked again.

  Trish was curious as well. “Dean? Is it that bad?”

  Dean walked around the bed and waved his hand to Trish. Leaving the room, Trish followed. “Trish, look,” Dean hesitated. “All right, when I take off those bandages, no matter what, do not show any signs of shock. Got that? Try to act normally.”

  “It’s bad.”

  “It’s bad.” Dean nodded.

  “Then I’ll behave. I know how sensitive people can be about their appearance.”

  “Good. Let’s go.” Dean walked back in the room. “Sorry, Jeff.” He resumed his position. Sitting on the bed, with a deep breath, Dean lifted the bandages and reveled that not only that Jeff had been mutilated facially by the killer babies, but he was missing one entire half of his face, nearly down to the bone as well. He looked to Ellen and whispered. “Let’s clear all mirrors from this room.”

  Jeff’s only eye shifted quickly as Dean began to stand up. “ Eh-Et-Ad?”

  Dean shook his head. “No it’s not . . .”

  Trish’s horrifying scream rang out and then, in nineteen-fifties sci-fi horror film fashion, she covered her gasping mouth with the back of her hand and raced from the room.

  Ellen looked down to Jeff. “O.K., well . . . it’s bad.”

  ^^^^

  Quantico Marine Headquarters

  Steward ran quickly down the corridors of the hospital as he made his way to George’s room. When he arrived, Dr. Walker was stepping out. He pulled George’s door closed.. “You . . . you called for me,” Steward spoke, out of breath.

  “We got the last results back. The virus is no longer progressing.”

  Steward let out a breath and grabbed onto his knees.

  “The President is awake now. He wants to speak to you,” Dr. Walker said.

  Steward reached for the door handle and Dr. Walker stopped him.

  “Steward, don’t stay too long. He’ll weaken easily.”

  Nodding in agreement, Steward walked inside. George was propped in a sitting position on the bed. Both of his hands were drawn into his chest and he looked sicklier than Steward expected. Yet George’s eyes were open wide and that was the only thing that looked alert. “You wanted to see me, sir?”

  George nodded then motioned his head to a chair.

  Steward walked over and sat down.

  George spoke. His words were breathy, painful and slow. “To talk about . . . . plan.”

  “What about it?”

  “Johnny?”

  “He’s moving right ahead. He has things under control in Beginnings.”

  “Good.” George closed his eyes briefly. “I . . . I need time . . . to get . . . well.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I . . . need you to pull . . . pull in all troops. All . . . of them,” George said.

  “From across the country?”

  “Continent.”

  “And do what?” Steward asked.

  “Re . . . . Re . . . group. Beginnings . . . grows.”

  “You don’t want to leave them out there?”

  George shook his head. “Bring . . . them . . . all home. Get them sit . . . .”

  “Situated?”

  George huffed. He may had been temporarily physically and verbally disabled but he knew he could eventually finish his own sentences. “Get them ready.”

  “Can I ask ready for what?”

  George hesitated before answering. “War.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  73 Miles due west of Beginnings

  Robbie had listened to about all the Elvis Presley he could take. He turned off the music, He was just about the point in his flight surveillance when all the songs began to sound alike, but Robbie was bound and determined he was going to listen to the tape, especially after all the trouble he went to borrow it from Denny, Andrea’s son and Robbie’s newest little brother. Robbie really didn’t want it. He just asked, but when Denny became possessive over it, Robbie kicked into his determined phase. Denny was attached to it, especially since Joe told him the guy singing used to live in Beginnings and baby sat Denny. Denny insisted he remembered his baby sitter Elvis vividly, arguing with anyone that told him differently. Of course Denny, at the age of fifteen, also believed in Santa Clause.

  Robbie had a lot of ground to cover from the air. With Johnny filling in at the clinic for Ellen, he had to be out an eta long time to make up for what Johnny couldn’t do. He made the best of it by talking over the radio with Frank, trying to land the chopper or at least hover really close to Frank’s truck as he drove, and getting a kick out of hearing Ellen bitch over the radio. But despite the fun and games, Robbie still had to keep his eyes open. He anxiously awaited the radar system Danny was adding to the choppers.

  Bored, he leaned against the pilot’s door window. As he turned the chopper to head back home, Robbie perked up and lowered his glasses when he saw smoke in the distance. It was further than he was supposed to go, but smoke meant one thing and it wasn’t that something was burning. Smoke meant people.

  Tilting the chopper, Robbie revved the engines and flew in the direction of the smoke signal. As he cleared the trees, Robbie gripped the stick. “Shit.” He saw the reason for the smoke, a small community of tents were set up, probably used as homes. There were so many of them and when they heard Robbie, they didn’t flinch nor run. They stayed put as if settled for good. They weren’t just a large group of people. They were . . . Savages.

  Bowman, North Dakota

  Hal proudly watched the truck from Beginnings drive down the main street. He stood with Elliott before his office building, hands behind his back, waiting for Frank and Ellen to get there.

  Frank beeped the horn. His speed into the center of town made Hal cringe inside but he didn’t show it. Watching Frank drive in caused Hal’s mind to quickly flashback to when Frank taught him how to drive. It didn’t matter what Hal read in the manual, Frank had him convinced that whenever you saw the speed limit sign, that was the amount of speed you were allowed to go over and above what you felt comfortable driving. Hal still didn’t know why he believed Frank. Perhaps it was the big brother thing, but he learned his lesson when he failed his driver’
s test and lost his permit for driving sixty-five in a twenty-five zone.

  With the double slam of the truck doors, Hal looked up with a smile to see Frank and Ellen step from the truck. They both looked tired, but knowing how Frank drove, their exhaustion was understandable.

  Ellen grinned as she approached Hal and embraced him. “Hey you.” She kissed him on the cheek then stepped to Elliott. “Hi.” She hugged him and moved back. “Thanks for the book I . . .” She saw the shocked look on his face. “What’s wrong?”

  “You embraced me,” Elliott said. “Thank you.”

  “Sure.” Ellen giggled. “It’s just my form of saying hello, especially to you since you saved me and Frank.”

  “Not to presume,” Elliott spoke, “but if you ever do it again, could you let me know. I would like to take that second to enjoy it instead of being stunned.”

  “Elliott?” Ellen called his name.

  “Yes?”

  “I’m going to hug you hello.” She stepped to him and tossed her arms around him so he would know.

  Elliott smiled and held on. He took in the moment and the feel of something he had not had in a very long time.

  “O.K.! O.K.!” Frank shouted out in disgust. “Back up, pal.” He separated Elliott and Ellen. “Enough of the full frontal touching.”

  “Frank.” Ellen spoke his name through clenched teeth. “I told you be nice.”

  Hal hid his smile.

  “El, I’m being cautious. He’s wearing a sword near his groin. You don’t . . .” Frank grunted when Ellen backhanded him. “I’m fuckin abused all the time anymore.”

  Ellen, ignoring Frank, looked to Hal. “I have my bag. May I take it to your place before I head to your clinic?”

  “You sure can,” Hal said. “Frank, what do you think of my town?”

  Frank nodded. “Nice, very nice. It’s impressive.”

  Hal grinned.

  “Yep.” Frank clapped his hands together. “Aside from the fuckin pansy outfits you have your men running around in, it looks good . . .”

  “Frank . . .” Hal’s mouth opened.

  “You probably don’t need too much of my help.” Frank reached out and gave a friendly punch to Hal’s arm. “I’d like to see more of what you got here before I put a plan in motion to help you out in the new place.” Not noticing one bit the red tint of irritation on Hal’s face, Frank, with his hands on his hips, looked around. “But first, where’s this house of lesbians?”

  Hal, with a grunt, walked to the truck for Ellen’s bag. He let himself calm down as he got it. Frank was being Frank. It had been a long time but Hal knew soon enough, around Frank, he would become the old Hal.

  Beginnings, Montana

  Johnny wanted to meet her.

  As usual, Bev dropped everything she was doing, despite what Hector said about her leaving her work at the greenhouse. Bev didn’t mind taking a break from that. Working in the greenhouse was hard work, but at least she was out of the bakery. The bakery was too close to town and too much Josephine overdose. There was only so much sex swapping stories Bev wanted to do with the eighty-something year old Josephine.

  So off Bev went to meet Johnny. She took the west tunnel to the cryo-lab and stayed out of site on her journey there. Johnny didn’t want her seen and Bev understood that. That probably was the reason he met her there. ‘Go down to the cryo-lab now, Bev.’ Johnny’s words played over in her head. ‘We have to set up for the plan. It starts tomorrow’

  Bev would give Johnny anything he wanted, not only per her father George’s instructions, but she really liked him. She fantasized of the day when they left Beginnings and lived with her father, starting their own lives.

  The empty tunnels were a good thing and Bev made it to the lab door. She wondered at first what she would do since she didn’t have the code to get in then she saw the small piece of wood keeping the door an inch ajar. Pushing open the door and kicking the wood aside, Bev stepped inside. “Johnny?” The door shut. “Johnny?” She went back to the back room and tried the knob. Locked. It wasn’t like she expected it to be open because that was where they kept the case Bev believed to contain the embryos her father wanted and needed.

  Bev looked at her watch. Johnny must have been held up between his call and her arrival. She only hoped he didn’t get irritated over waiting. She got there as fast as she could. With hands behind her back, Bev moved with a slow skipping pace about the cryo-lab. She spotted a jar with pink fluid and, tilting her head in oddity, she went over to the large jar and the animal that floated inside of it. “Neat.” She tapped her finger on the jar a few times.

  Sighing she stood up. She was bored and she hated to wait so she started looking around the lab.

  ^^^^

  “I’m gonna be held up for a while,” Dean spoke as rapidly as he walked in the tunnels with Andrea. “So just in case, I’ll show . . .”

  “Sweet Jesus, Dean.” Andrea tried to catch her breath. “I’m an old woman. Slow down.”

  “Sorry.” Dean snickered and slowed down his pace. “Anyhow, you should have enough. But . . . on the outside chance you don’t, El and I have another batch put in the fridge.”

  “It’s not locked is it?” Andrea asked. “I don’t have time or brain space to remember another combination.”

  “Nah, not the fridge. We only lock the freezer cases themselves. We access the fridges too much.” Dean stopped before the cryo-lab door.

  “I’m not gonna open it and see anything disgusting, am I?” Andrea asked.

  “You shouldn’t.” Dean reached up to punch in his code. “Not as long as you open the one we use for meds and old samples.” The door buzzed and he walked in. “That’s the white one. The silver fridge is the one we put . . .” Dean slowed down. “Bev.”

  Slamming the freezer portion to the white fridge, she spun around. “Oh, Dean.”

  Andrea, with folded arms and a motherly scold, stepped forward. “Little girl, what in the Lord’s name are you doing in this lab and why are you going through the fridge?”

  “I was bored. I’m nosey.” She shrugged. “I came down to look for Johnny. He wasn’t here so I’ve been waiting.”

  “Did Johnny tell you to meet him here?” Dean asked.

  Bev hesitated and then she shook her head. “No. I thought he would be here.”

  Dean took her arm and led her to the door. He opened it. “Get out. Look for him somewhere else.” Not giving her a chance to say anything more, Dean waited until she left and allowed the door to close. Frustrated and huffing, he turned around to face Andrea who was shaking her head. “I really, really do not like her.”

  Andrea raised an eyebrow in sarcasm. “I wonder why.” She chuckled and waited for Dean to begin showing her what she needed to know.

  ^^^^

  “How many again?” Joe asked, sitting behind his desk.

  Robbie didn’t look happy. He took a seat between Henry and the empty chair. “I estimate aboutseventy-five. They were just hanging out, cooking something.”

  “Do you feel like taking Frank for a ride out that way and let him examine the situation tomorrow?” Joe asked. “Not that I don’t trust your judgment, but I want to see what he wants to do about this.”

  Robbie lifted his hands. “Sounds good. We’ll be able to get a better fix and numbers on them once Danny gets my radar tracking hooked up.”

  Joe looked at Henry. “Any idea how long it’ll take him?”

  “He started today,” Henry said. “It’s Danny so it shouldn’t take long.”

  “Good.” Joe nodded. “Johnny made no mention of these savages his scout yesterday?”

  Robbie shook his head. “For all we know they came in last night. Savages tend to travel at night. If they weren’t cooking, he wouldn’t have seen them. They aren’t in range.”

  “I’m glad you saw them then. Seventy-three miles is too close to home,” Joe commented.

  “Sorry.” Dean walked into the room with a quickened apology. “I got held up.
We have six more admissions from the new guys.”

  Joe tilted his head in question as Dean sat down. “Did they get a bad batch of food? That’s unusual here.”

  “No.” Dean shook his head. “It’s from dietary adjustments. Their systems are just not handling what we give them. We also enrich a lot of our food so added nutrients are foreign to their systems right now.” Dean let out a loud breath. “So?”

  “So.” Joe laid both hands on the desk then reached for three stacked folders and laid his hand flat on them. “Before we begin, I want to thank you three for taking time. We had to put this aside for a tiny bit, but it’s back to business. Before that happens, I have news. Tomorrow I’m holding the monthly meeting a few days early. Hal will be in town. I thought he’d like to get a chance to sit in, seeing how New Bowman will be under our government. But one of the main reasons I called you here is that Andrea told me this morning she is withdrawing from Council. Now . . .” Joe held up his hand. “It’s not out of anger, mind you. She prefers to be a doctor and . . . we have two hundred and seventy-five new people, not to mention the five hundred or so in Bowman coming up our way. She also will probably, which she doesn’t know, be needed to help handle the church things. Um . . . .” He rubbed his eyes. “I’m gonna sound cold here. I love her, but it’s for the best she withdraws. I mean she never shows up,”

  “Joe,” Henry gasped. “That isn’t nice.”

  “Yeah, Henry, I know. But I also know her typewriter ribbon matched the letters to George that he kept. She had the affair with George. If anything comes out, it’s best she’s not on Council when it does. I have a feeling it will get out. So spread the word of her leaving Council and I’ll have her do the same. This way people can think of a replacement. We’ll do it like we did with her. Nominee, second nominee and I’ll validate the nomination. Community vote and so forth. All right . . .” Joe slid the folders in front of him. “Reverend Bob.” Joe knew there would be silence and there was. “Last we got together, he and Andrea topped our suspect list.” He saw Henry raise his hand to question. “Yes, Henry?”