The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Same here.” Denise smiled politely, like she always did then returned to Frank. “Thanks for talking to me.”

  “Sure. Not a problem. Stop by anytime.” He returned to the truck. “But we didn’t talk for long. Maybe next time.”

  “Frank.” Denise walked to the truck. “I didn’t talk to you yet.”

  “Oh, sorry.” Frank stood straight. “What’s up?”

  “It’s Johnny.” Denise sighed his name. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed but he’s been different lately.”

  “No, I haven’t. Of course, I’ve been out of town.”

  “I heard. Anyhow, the problem is he hasn’t seen or even been around the baby in two weeks.”

  “El had the baby yesterday. Didn’t she pick her up from Johnny?”

  “No.” Denise shook her head “He’s blowing me off. He doesn’t even ask about her. It’s rough, Frank. You, Ellen, and Joe take the baby for an hour or so, but I really need a break here and there. If you could schedule Curt less . . .”

  “I can’t. We’ve moved to Level Three Security. If we were at Two, I’d say yeah.”

  “Can you talk to Johnny?” Denise asked. “She’s his daughter.”

  “I can talk to him. Sure.” Frank began to work on the truck. “I’m sure something’s just been up. Not that it’s an excuse, but I’ll talk to him.”

  “Thanks, Frank. I appreciate it.” Denise backed up

  “If things don’t change, just tell me and El, all right. We’ll take the baby for a day or two.”

  “But there are so many children in the house already.”

  “Exactly,” Frank stated. “One more doesn’t matter.”

  “Thanks, I’ll take you up on that. Now I’ll let you be.” Crossing her arms, Denise moved to the door.

  “Oh, hey, Denise?”

  “Yes?” she said as she turned and stopped.

  “Thanks for not killing me for Dean.”

  Denise’s mouth opened and closed, her eyes shifted in wonder, and she put on a confused, fake smile. “Sure. No problem.” Widening her eyes with a slight roll, Denise turned around and left Frank alone with his truck.

  ^^^^

  Ellen figured there had to be a reason for it. The buzz of the cryo-lab door opening didn’t even make Dean flinch. Was he engrossed in deep thought? Was he standing and leaning over the counter to expose his rear to her? Ellen stepped closer. Dean didn’t move. His small body, so cute to Ellen, just sort of laid there. At first she wondered if he died but before fear struck her, she saw the rise and fall of his back as he breathed. Then she snapped her fingers in realization. Dean had found a better way to view a sample using his microscopic vision. He’d hover over it. “Dean?” she called and stepped to him. “What are you viewing?”

  Nothing. No words. Nothing.

  “Dean?” She tapped him on the shoulder.

  “Huh?” Dean’s head sprang up.

  Ellen laughed. “Were you sleeping like that?”

  “No. No.” Dean rubbed his eyes. “I dozed off for a minute.” His eyes shifted to his watch. “Shit. Sixty minutes.”

  Ellen snickered. “How in the world . . .”

  “Ow.”

  “What?”

  Dean merely moved an inch. “I can’t move.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “My back. It’s stuck like this.”

  Ellen bit her bottom lip to stop herself from laughing, “Do you want me to get a chair and lower you into it?”

  “No, I can’t sit thanks to Frank. Just help straighten my back.”

  Ellen shrugged and walked behind him. “This is a true sign of getting old.” She braced his shoulders, lifted her knee, pressed to the small of Dean back, and yanked him up.

  Dean shrieked.

  “Better?” Ellen asked.

  Dean titled his head. “Yeah, thanks.”

  “I take it you didn’t kill Frank today.”

  “No.” Dean shook his head.

  “What’s next?”

  “I have to seriously reevaluate how I’m gonna do this. Any chance that Frank can turn it around is a chance I don’t want to take.”

  “Your poor rear-end.”

  “Tell me about. ATrust me when I tell you, there isn’t anything scarier than being chased at three in the morning, outside in the cold, by a fast moving six-foot three, two hundred forty pound man in his underwear.”

  Ellen laughed.

  “Enough of Frank.” Dean exhaled. “Do you have it?”

  Ellen grinned and lifted a Petri dish from her lab coat pocket. She handed it to Dean. “Fresh flesh off the former face.”

  Dean glanced down at it. “Oh, El, good sample.” He took it to the counter.

  “Thanks.”

  “How did he handle the biopsy?”

  “Pretty good. He doesn’t have any nerve endings so he didn’t feel a thing. It’s not like anyone is gonna notice we took a little more off of him.”

  “True.” Dean moved to the sink and turned the water on. He began to wash up. “I’ll get the equipment. You get the rabbit samples. I think it’s time we cultivate.”

  “Oh Dean, I love when you talk scientifically dirty to me.” Ellen fake shuddered, grinned, and walked to the fridge.

  Shaking his head, Dean continued to wash up.

  ^^^^

  It was the right thing to do, especially since Frank was in town checking the access codes on all the buildings. Since he was so close to the Clinic, Frank only felt it his responsibility to boost the morale of one of his men who lay in there especially since Dean had placed Jeff on a suicide watch.

  It was evident to Frank that the day was winding down. The Clinic was quiet and his heavy walking was like an announcement over the speaker system that he was there. He turned the first bend to the patient rooms and the steady beeping caught his attention. He slowed down at the door and peered in. John Matoose, bandaged and with tubes coming every which way from his body, lay there.

  “He’s pretty bad,” Johnny spoke behind Frank.

  Frank jolted around. “Hey, John. What was that?”

  “In case you’re wondering, John Matoose is bad. He’s in a coma.”

  “Oh.” Frank looked back in. “O.K., I’m off to see Jeff.”

  “Don’t you care?”

  “Not really. But . . . I’m glad I ran into you. Denise stopped by to see me.”

  Johnny closed his eyes in a wince. “What did she want?”

  “John?” Frank had wonder in his voice. “What’s with the attitude?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Why all of the sudden do you hate her?”

  “She broke up with me, Dad.”

  “So is that why you haven’t seen your kid?”

  Immediately Johnny’s mouth dropped open. “What?”

  “She said you haven’t seen your kid in two weeks.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “That’s what she said. Is it true?”

  More than anything Johnny wanted to snap at his father, hoping that Frank wasn’t gearing into a lecture, because to Johnny, Frank had no right. “I’ve been busy.”

  “Busy? Too busy to see your daughter?”

  “Where!” Johnny’s voice rose. “Do you get off?”

  “Excuse me?” Frank stepped closer to him.

  “I said, where do you get off?”

  “John.” Frank had warning to him.

  “No.” Johnny shook his head. “I’ve been busy. Yeah, too busy for my kid. Sound familiar . . . Dad?” With edge to his tone and demeanor, Johnny turned on his heels and stormed off.

  Frank bit his bottom lip. He wanted to charge after him, but he didn’t. He stayed calm and remembered his purpose for the Clinic visit.

  Jeff.

  Poor Jeff. Hoping he could help, Frank headed to his room. He put on the perky attitude and strutted in. “Hey . . .” Frank stopped cold. Jeff’s bandages had been removed since the last time he saw him. “Oh my God! I mean, bad cut you have there on
your face.” Frank cleared his throat and stepped closer to the bed. He tried not to wince as he stared at what looked like muscle and bone.

  “Hey Hank.

  “Frank.”

  Jeff rolled his one good eye.

  “So . . .” Bound and determined to act normal, Frank pulled up a chair and sat. “I only have a minute. I have to meet Robbie. We’re checking the perimeters that you usually do with him. Not that I’m complaining about doing your work.” Frank held up his hand. “How are you?”

  Jeff shook his head.

  “I heard Trish dumped you.”

  Jeff moaned.

  “What? No,” Frank said. “You can’t get upset about that. Please. Jeff.” Frank leaned closer, got too good of a look, and pulled back. “Women aren’t all that anymore. Not that I’m telling you to not like them, but . . . did you ever wonder why God wiped out most of the women on this earth? It’s so us men don’t have the stress. We’re all gonna live longer. You’re gonna be fine without her.”

  Jeff nodded slowly as he took in Frank’s words.

  “Besides, it’s a good thing. Now you won’t have that extra added burden.”

  “Huh?”

  “Yeah. I mean, think about it. If she didn’t leave you, then you’d have to worry about her leaving you anyhow for someone better looking. Not that you aren’t a handsome man.” Frank nodded and mumbled ‘half’. “But . . . women are fickle. And . . . you have to worry about these experimental treatments that Ellen and Dean are gonna do to you.”

  Jeff’s one eyebrow raised in curiosity. “Ut do ew een?”

  “Did you ever see what they have in that mad lab of theirs? Man . . . you should see what they did to this one rabbit. Boy is he fucked up. Well.” Frank slapped his hands on his thighs and stood up. “I have to go. I just wanted to pop in and cheer you up.” He tapped his hand on Jeff’s leg. “I enjoyed the visit. I’ll stop by tomorrow.” Frank walked to the door.

  Jeff shifted his eye and moaned in relief as Frank left.

  ^^^^

  At first Denny whined with a stomp then Josh did the same thing.

  “Aw. No,” Denny complained. “We’re busy, Danny.”

  “Doing what?” Danny laughed.

  “Walking,” Josh answered.

  “To where?” Danny asked.

  “Home.” Denny nodded. “See ya.”

  “Whoa.” Danny reached out and snatched the teenager by the arm and yanked him back. He handed him a folder. “Take this to Trish. She’s home and you go right by her house.”

  “Aw,” Denny whined again. “But that’s, like, what, Josh? Ten extra steps?”

  “It’s more because we would have to actually walk up the real steps to knock on her door.”

  “Twelve,” Denny said. “Twelve extra steps.”

  “Tough.” With a tilted head and a bright smile, Danny stepped back. “See ya. Thanks.”

  Both teenage boys stood with their mouths hanging open.

  “God.” Josh exclaimed. “The grownups are killing us.”

  “I know. They work us to death.” Denny moved two feet to the second row of house. “Like Danny couldn’t take this.”

  “I know.” At the first house, they walked up the two steps and Josh knocked. “She’s not home.”

  “Let’s go.”

  Just as Josh stepped off the porch, the door opened. With a turban style towel on her head and wearing a tan jogging suit, Trish pushed open the screen door. “Hi.”

  “She’s home.” Josh looked at Trish and quickly turned around.

  Trish looked at the silent teenagers who just stood there. “Do you want me for something?” They were quiet. “Hello? Did you want to come in?”

  “No!” Denny moved forward. “Danny said to give this to you.” He looked away.

  “Thanks.” Trish took it and noticed the boys staring at the ground “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” Josh said nervously.

  “Nothing,” Denny repeated.

  “O.K., thanks.” Trish was happy to get the awaited second batch from Danny so she excitedly opened the folder as she kicked the door closed.

  Whistling, Josh moved from the house. “Did you see that?”

  “Yeah. I can’t believe she answered the door like that.”

  “I thought women always did their hair before being seen. I mean,, does she know how dumb she looked with that thing wrapped on her.”

  “A towel. No or she wouldn’t answer the door like that. Like, I wouldn’t and I’m a guy,” Denny said.

  “Neither would I.”

  “I couldn’t look at her or I would have laughed.”

  “Me too. It was tight and pulling her eyes like this . . .” Josh pulled on the corners of his eyes.

  The boys were so engrossed in their conversation that Denny nearly knocked over Gemma who really tried to get around them.

  The older woman stumbled back. “Boys!” she said with a scold. “Watch where you going.”

  “Sorry,” Denny apologized.

  ‘Sorry. We were talking.”

  “Yeah, about Trish.”

  “That’s not nice,” Gemma told them. “You shouldn’t talk about people.”

  “But she answered the door in a towel. Can you believe that?” Denny exclaimed. “Man.”

  “A towel?” Gemma asked. “Just a towel? Only a towel.”

  “Yep.” Josh nodded. “And . . . it was just on her head.”

  “Oh my God.” Gemma stepped back. “Did she say anything?”

  “She said Hi,” Denny answered. “And then she asked if we wanted her.”

  Gemma gasped.

  “Then,” Josh added, “she asked us into her house. We couldn’t do it.”

  “No.” Denny shook his head. “Not with how she was, you know, with that towel on her head.”

  “You were very good boys.” Gemma patted Denny on the arm. “Your mother will be proud and Josh, how un-Frank like of you.”

  ‘Thanks.” Josh smiled.

  “You boys go on home. I think I’m gonna talk to Joe about this. This isn’t right. She shouldn’t have showed herself to you like that.”

  “No way,” Denny said. “I wouldn’t answer the door like that.”

  “Me either,” Josh commented.

  “Thank you for telling me this.” Gemma seemingly offended, stepped back and began to walk briskly away.

  “See.” Denny pointed. “Gemma agrees.”

  “I’m glad it’s not just us.”

  “Me too.”

  “Let’s go to your house. Your mom’s a better cook.”

  “O.K.” Denny shrugged and then, in their own teenage world, the boys moved nonchalantly home.

  ^^^^

  Bev ducked from the water and glass particles that flew about when Johnny sailed a glass across the living room, smashing it off the far wall.

  “Johnny, calm down.”

  “I hate him.” Johnny’s voice was growling. “Do you even understand how much I hate him? God!” Johnny tensed up bringing his closed fist into his body. “He has nerve calling my house and telling me he told Denise I would be over to get the kid.”

  “It won’t be long,” Bev told him. “It’ll be over.”

  “Fucking dead. That’s what he has to be. And . . . the brake thing didn’t work.”

  “Did you think it would?”

  “What?!” Johnny spun to her.

  “Did you think it would work? Come on Johnny, it was so obvious. You keep that up and another investigation will start around here. We just lost suspicion.”

  “As much as I hate to admit it, you’re right.” Johnny rubbed the top of his head and then scratched it hard in frustration.

  “There has to be a way to make it look like an accident or at least like someone else is doing it.”

  “Yeah, but there isn’t anyone around here that wants my father dead.” Johnny suddenly swung his head Bev’s way. The glare of anger was replaced with a grin. “Oh no, this is too easy.”
r />   “What is?”

  “The solution to my dilemma. One word.” Johnny held up his finger. “Dean.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Bowman, North Dakota

  “They’re scattering,” Elliott told Hal as they walked to the east portion of town.

  “How many and which way?”

  “The scouts say teams of six.”

  “They plan.”

  “We underestimated them.”

  Hal stopped walking. “What . . . what is making this so different? When did they start this shit?”

  “Maybe they had it in the works and just wanted to wait until their numbers were larger.” Elliott guessed. “But are they that smart?”

  “Obviously we’re finding out.” Hal started walking again and picked up the pace. “I know it’s exhausting to our men, but let’s keep the heavy lines up with relief of posts every four hours.”

  “Got it.” Elliott began to go in a different direction. He stopped and spun to Hal. “Captain, I was thinking about something”

  “What is that?”

  “We sent two scouts out yesterday morning to look for Stan and Bud. They went in the same direction that our Savages came from.”

  Hal’s head dropped. “I didn’t even think of that.”

  “Sorry.”

  With a heavy breath, Hal lifted his head. “Let’s get this situated now and when it’s clear, I’ll get my brother to fly down here. We’ll look for them by air.”

  “Sounds good.” Elliott backed up to walk.

  “Elliott, get some rest. You’ve been up all night. You can’t be on your toes if you’re tired.”

  “Yes, sir. Maybe in a bit.”

  Receiving his salute, Hal moved at the same time as Elliott, both of them heading to the front lines of two different parts of Bowman.

  Beginnings, Montana

  “Robbie.” Frank reached for Robbie’s back pocket but Robbie jumped away.

  “No, Frank.”

  “Let me see.”

  “No.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s personal.” Robbie moved back from Frank and tauntingly pulled out the crinkled and folded envelope from his back pocket. “See. It says ‘Dr. Hayes’.”