The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  “They wouldn’t kick him out.”

  “Ya-ha,” Ellen nodded. “He’s a SUT. That’s what’s wrong. I have to figure out how to fix him.”

  “What do you mean he’s a SUT? Richie is not a SUT.”

  “Yes, he is. J . . . J . . . I ran some tests and saw the microchip myself. He needs reprogrammed and then he’ll be fine. Like a maintenance tune up on a car, if SUTs don’t get them, they breakdown.”

  “I didn’t know that about the chips.”

  “Sure you did,” Ellen said. “If I knew it, surely you knew it. Maybe you forgot.”

  “Who told you this?”

  “Henry,” Ellen answered. “It was his theory and you guys proved it. I think. I’m sure you know about this reprogramming contingency on a chip.”

  “I probably do. Well . . .” Danny exhaled. “Is the flubbed maintenance schedule the only problem?”

  “Yes.”

  “So he’s not mentally incapable.”

  “No, just brain damaged sort of. His chip is out of whack.”

  Danny shook his head and flung out his hand. “I can fix that.”

  “You can?”

  “Sure. I’ll just download all the bad junk out of the chip. Empty it out and reprogram him good as new.”

  “Will he be the same?”

  “I have to create the program. I don’t have a working behavioral modification program that triggers actually memories but I can do it.”

  “Oh, could you?”

  “Yeah. But with the trial starting Tuesday, I maybe a little strapped for time. Would you mind him being like that for a little bit? Maybe a week?”

  “Oh, no, take your time. He’s fine. He’s harmless . . . and amusing.”

  “Yeah he is. Sort of.” Danny opened the door. “O.K., I’ll start the thinking phase of it though.”

  “I appreciate it. Danny? Could you not mention this to anyone? I’d rather them believe he’s just a mental case instead of a SUT gone bad, at least until we get him fixed.”

  “Not a problem. It’s our secret.” Danny smiled and left Ellen’s office. No more than a few feet down the hall, Danny was bodily accosted by Richie.

  “Dan. Dan. You leaving me, Dan? You can’t leave, Dan. I have to tell you about her. She’s, she’s, she’s, she’s . . .”

  “Richie.” Danny pulled away and stayed calm. “I have to leave. I’ll stop back. O.K.?”

  “O . . . O . . . O . . .” Richie twitched his hand and flattened his hair. “K.”

  “Go color.” Danny stepped back.

  “O.K. Bye Dan.” Richie waved. “What a nice . . . nice . . .what a nice man.” Twitching his head. “Gosh.” He turned around, hand on his head, pushing down his hair and he saw Ellen. “Hey Ellen. She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

  “No she sucks!” Ellen laughed at Richie’s loud whine. Totally amused at herself for upsetting Richie, Ellen moved on not having a clue who Richie was talking about.

  ^^^^

  Andrea’s eyes fluttered in relief when Frank came through the main doors of the Clinic. “Thank God.”

  “What’s wrong?” Frank rushed to her.

  “Frank, I didn’t know . . . You’re the only one . . . I . . .”

  “Andrea, you’re not making sense.”

  “Sweet Jesus I’m frazzled. Here.” Grabbing Frank’s sleeve, she pulled him to the lab.

  “O.K.” Frank looked at the closed door.

  “He’s locked himself in there.”

  “Maybe he’s busy.”

  “No. Frank,” Andrea breathed out. “Something’s wrong. Look.”

  Frank peered through the glass of the door. Dean moved about fanatically. “Maybe he’s in a hurry too.”

  “Please go in there.”

  “All right.” Shrugging, Frank punched his code in the security keypad. The door buzzed and he walked in. “Hey Dean, what’s . . . Uh!” Frank ducked when a large glass beaker came sailing across the room and crashed into the wall. “Fuck, Dean.”

  “Get out of here!”

  “Dean.”

  “Now!” Dean screamed.

  “Dean,” Frank stayed firm. “Are you mad about something?”

  “Who the hell do you think you are coming in here and intruding like this?” Dean raged to Frank. “And who the hell are you anyhow?”

  “Frank.”

  “This has got to be the most barbaric set up I have ever been in. Where are my things!”

  “Did you lose them?”

  “I told you to get out!” Dean picked up a clipboard and wailed it across the counter. “Now! I will call security if you don’t leave!”

  “I am security asshole.”

  “How dare you take that tone with me?”

  “Dean, get out of the mood, all right? I’m tired and I’m not dealing with this bullshit. Fuck it. Andrea!” Frank stormed to the door. “Don’t bother him he’s busy.”

  “Couldn’t you tell?” Andrea asked.

  “Tell what?”

  “Something is wrong with him.”

  “Yeah. He’s pissed and can’t find his things.”

  “No, Frank.” Andrea physically turned Frank to look back into the lab. “Watch his hands.”

  Frank looked at Dean who, like a mad scientist, tried to lift things but kept dropping them. His hands and arms shook out of control and Dean stared and peered around as if in utter confusion. His lips moved as if he were speaking to himself.

  “Frank, there’s something wrong with him, really wrong with him. I can’t get him out of that lab and I won’t go back in there.”

  Frank took a deep breath as he watched Dean some more.

  ^^^^

  Ellen moaned when she felt the strong hands on her shoulders as she sat in her chair in her office. “Only one man touches me like that.”

  Robbie grinned, walked from behind her chair, and sat on her desk before her. “You look tired.”

  “Not really. I’m dreading the long day not over.” Ellen rocked in her chair and smiled at Robbie. “This is a surprise. You’ve been so busy lately with this Savage war.”

  “I know. But before I got into anything else today, I had to stop by.” Robbie pulled a small folded paper from his chest pocket. “Look what I found in my slot this morning. “ He opened it and read it out loud. “I am so proud of you. I love you, El.” Robbie grinned. “What’s . . .”

  “I am proud of you. You’re like Mr. Field with this operation. And I feel like I’ve been neglecting you. I just wanted to let you know that you’re in my thoughts. Always.”

  “I feel like I’ve been neglecting you too. We’ll get together as soon as this mess is over. But hey, at least Jess has been filling in. Huh?”

  “Oh yeah.”

  “Is he driving you nuts? I mean he can be a little . . .”

  “No. No.” Ellen shook her head. “I like Jess. I’m enjoying the time I spend teaching him.”

  “Good. He’s liking it too. I really have to go. I just wanted to stop and see you.” Robbie kissed her quickly and slid from the desk.

  “Robbie,” Ellen called. “Can I ask you something hypothetically?”

  “Sure. About what?”

  “Well, I’m not liking this single life . . .”

  Robbie laughed. “Why not? It’s the first time in your life you’ve been completely unattached.”

  “Yeah, I know and I hate it. I mean, being one of very few women in a men’s world is great at first but then it becomes annoying. No one is scared of Frank. Men are paying attention to me and I know why. I like stability and I always have. So you can say I’m fishing.”

  “Catching anything?”

  “No. But I was thinking of a situation. That’s my hypothetical question.”

  “Shoot.”

  “If you were to be my primary, how would you feel about having the understanding with Jess. I mean, with him being your roommate and . . .”

  “El,” Robbie chuckled. “Jess is gay.”

  “I know. But
. . .”

  “What about Elliott?” Robbie asked.

  “Elliott is not interested in me.”

  “He’s nuts about you. I’d have an understanding with him. Besides, you aren’t picking me as primary.”

  “It’s a hypothetical situation. Why wouldn’t I pick you as primary?”

  “I’m Robbie.” He tossed his hands up. “I’m the fill-in guy, your buddy, remember?”

  “Would you with Jess?”

  “El.” Robbie cleared his throat in seriousness. “You and Jess have to sit down and talk. Both of you are getting too used to this teacher-pupil thing. I’m sure you’re getting close but . . .”

  Ellen slowly nodded. “So my teaching will be in vain? In your opinion.”

  “Short term?” Robbie shook his head. “No. It will work short term for Jess. In the long run, it won’t.” He reached for the door. “But hypothetically speaking, if it was you, me, and Jess, it probably would be the only understanding in Beginnings where the three of us could go at it all at once. It would make for some really kinky sex.” Robbie took a step. “Hmm. That’s not a bad thought. See ya.”

  Shaking her head with a chuckle, Ellen looked up seriously when she heard Frank’s voice blasting so close.

  “What the fuck are you discussing kinky sex with El for?”

  “It’s our new pastime” Robbie responded, his voice fading down the hall.

  “El!” Frank barreled in the office.

  “He’s lying, Frank.” Ellen sat down. “What brings you here?”

  “Oh.” Frank snapped his finger. “I need you at the Clinic. Something’s wrong with Dean.”

  Ellen didn’t want her rushing stride to stop but it was halted the moment her hand tried to turn the knob on the Clinic lab door. Immediately, trying to hurry, she punched in her code. Nothing. “Frank.” She turned the knob again. “My code won’t work. Why is this secured?”

  The smack against the lab window made Ellen jump back and she watched the splattered blood from the busted tube slide down.

  “That’s why.” Frank pointed. “He’s doing ‘The Shining’ in there.”

  “Sweet Jesus,” Andrea gasped. “He’s gone mad.”

  “Andrea, go get Jason,” Ellen told her.

  Andrea nodded in shock and backed up.

  “Frank, open the door,” Ellen told him.

  “Get the tranquilizers first. Where are they?”

  Ellen pointed to the lab.

  “Fuck.”

  “Open the door. Now.”

  “Fine.” Frank punched in his code. “I hate to resort to knocking him out physically but you have ten seconds to get to the tranquilizers. After that, you don’t have it, I deck him.”

  “You’re being ridiculous.” Upon the buzzing, Ellen pushed the door open.

  “Where the hell are they!” Dean screamed as he turned around.

  “Duck,” Frank ordered.

  Ellen did just in time to feel the empty blood tray whizz by her head. When she stood up, she looked about the lab that was in total disarray. “Oh my God.”

  “El. The sedative,” Frank said.

  Ellen ignored him and walked cautiously to Dean who shuffled through a stack of papers at the counter. “Dean.”

  “I . . . I . . .” Dean ran his hands through his hair. “Didn’t see you. Sorry.”

  “That’s all right,” Ellen spoke with compassion. “What . . . what can’t you find?”

  “I can’t believe they aren’t here. They aren’t here.” Dean tossed papers back and forth. “What is this?”

  “Dean.” Ellen laid her hand on his and he quickly withdrew it. “What are you looking for? Tell me.”

  “Who . . . who are you?” He squinted as he looked at her. “Are you my assistant?”

  Ellen swallowed. “Yes.”

  “Then you haven’t been doing your job!” Dean blasted. “You cannot be reorganizing my things at a time like this. This is why I never keep an assistant. They change things. Organize. Move. Move them.” Dean’s hands scurried through the files on the counter.

  “Tell me what you’re looking for. I’ll get them,” Ellen said calmly.

  “My virus notes.” Frazzled, Dean spoke, “Do you not understand the urgency of the situation? There is a plague wiping us out into extinction and I . . .”

  Frank’s long whistle rang out as he turned his head to the side and murmured. “Some one’s fuckin gone.”

  “Frank,” Ellen snapped with a glare over her shoulder to him.

  “What! Dean! That was eight years ago! Snap to it.”

  “Frank!” Ellen yelled.

  “Who . . .” Dean peered around Ellen in agitation. “Who is this man? Soldier, who is your C.O.? He will hear about your attitude.”

  “Um uh, General Joe Slagel. Go on, give him a call,” Frank instigated. “And while you’re at I, blow me.”

  “Frank,” Ellen warned.

  “What?” Frank acted clueless. “This is why I hate fuckin officers. They’re always threatening to go over your head.”

  Ellen rolled her eyes in a grunt. “Dean.” She faced Dean who was glaring at Frank. “Dean, look at me.”

  “I’m running out of time.” Dean turned back to his notes. “Do you know where they are?”

  “Dean . . .”

  “I have to find them. God.” Dean’s hand slammed hard on the counter. “Why can’t I find them? Why . . . why can’t I think. I know I’m . . .” He turned back around and faced Ellen. “I’m confused. God, why am I confused?”

  Gently Ellen laid her hands on Dean’s cheeks and lifted his face. “Look at me.”

  Dean blinked in his strained focus of Ellen. Then helplessly he called. “El, where are . . . where are we? I can’t . . .” Dean’s words went breathy. “I can’t see . . . I can’t . . .” Dramatically, Dean’s eyes rolled behind his head and, without warning, he fell forward into Ellen. The weight of his body drove into her, stumbling her back into the counter at the same time Frank lunged their way.

  “I got him,” Frank said, grabbing onto Dean. “Let go, El.”

  Ellen, in shock, released Dean and watched Frank lift him into his arms. Reaching out, she ran her hand down Dean’s face to his neck. With her fingers trembling, she felt for a pulse and breathed out in relief. “Take him to Room Two.”

  “What happened to him, El?”

  Ellen just shook her head.

  Unconscious and dangling in Frank’s arms, Dean was carried from the lab.

  ^^^^

  Quantico Marine Headquarters

  George found it hard to believe. The experts he had view them and his top scouting coordinators found nothing, but Sgt. Doyle, a gunnery drill sergeant, after only having them not even an hour, figured them out.

  “I believe so,” Sgt. Doyle said.

  “Tell me how,” George requested, willing to hear. Any lead would be better than none, but he wasn’t getting his hopes up.

  “I went basic.” Sgt. Doyle laid down the faxes that Beginnings sent of the Savage maps. “I viewed them like I did when I was a child. I mean . . . remember, we all wanted to find a buried treasure as children.”

  “Nope.” George shook his head. He could. “I never did.”

  “Well I did. A game we used to play as children was to draw the treasure map just like the pirates and see if our friends could find what we hid, never thinking all that had to do was look for the fresh mound of dirt where . . .”

  “Sergeant.”

  “Sorry. Anyhow, they looked familiar to me when I first saw them. These areas here.” Sgt. Doyle smoothed his hand over the paper. “The filled in areas are water. One big body of water to the east, multitudes to the west. They live near the multitudes. The triangles are homes. The corn here is their field.”

  George nodded. “I see. We know this. But where is the big question. Thank you any . . .”

  “I know where,” Sgt. Doyle interrupted. “See, instead of looking on the map for where this water-land scenario can
be found, we have to look at the name of the place.”

  “There is no name written, son.”

  “Yes there is.” Sgt. Doyle’s finger laid upon the map.

  “Four stars.”

  “Yes.”

  “There is no city named four stars. We checked.”

  “It’s not the name. What do four stars mean?”

  “Restaurant. Hotel.” George looked up. “General.”

  Sgt. Doyle nodded. “Hence the square object with the fan next to it.”

  “A motor.” George slowly rose up.

  “Exactly. Lakes to the west. Body of water to the east. General . . . Motors.”

  George grinned widely. “Detroit.” He gripped the map as he stood up. “Let’s get a hold of Beginnings.”

  ^^^^

  Beginnings, Montana

  Dean’s grip wasn’t firm, but he clung to Ellen’s hand “El, I’m sorry,” Dean whispered. “I don’t know . . .”

  “No. Let’s let Jason talk ,” Ellen silenced him and looked up at Jason then to Frank who stood in the corner of the room. “And no smart comments from you, Frank.”

  “I’m being good,” Frank said in his own defense. “We have a plague to worry a . . .”

  “Frank!” Ellen yelled. “Go on, Jason.”

  “As I was saying, the microchip was buried beneath the edema.” Jason explained. “We went in and relieved that pressure. That’s why you’re out of the fog now. Second CAT scan shows the swelling isn’t returning but, of course, the chip may be useless.”

  “That’s why I can’t see,” Dean said. “Any damage?”

  “No,” Jason replied, “none that we can see but we don’t know for sure. Another day and no swelling will confirm a positive outlook. We think the chip went bad, causing some sort of reaction in the area.”

  “It had to have been happening for a while,” Dean stated. “My headaches.”

  “And moods,” Ellen added.

  Frank interjected, “Not to mention memory lapses where you forgot say . . . eight years.”

  “Frank,” Ellen snapped.