The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  October 29

  Beginnings, Montana

  “We haven’t heard from them since,” Frank explained to Joe who peered at the Communications board and the map of ‘Denning, Texas’. “About zero-three hundred hours they radioed to say they hadn’t heard or seen the Savages since they stopped following.”

  “Maybe they’re just on their way home,” Joe said.

  Frank gave it some thought in the winding down of his night shift. “Actually, they may be doing what I would do. Only in the quiet of the aftermath, I hope they aren’t setting themselves up.”

  “You don’t think they’re all right?”

  “Yeah. Right now.” Frank looked at the map. “But I also think . . . they’re heading back to Denning.”

  ^^^^

  Denning, Texas

  A general consensus was what Corp. Henricks received in a early morning survey done of his eighty-three out of a hundred surviving men. With the average guess of there being close to a thousand or so Savages, everyone believed that the missing Savage base had to be close to where they had set up. So they returned to the previous night’s camp. They moved in silently, speaking no words.

  But not one Savage was seen, except those who were dead amongst the mounds of skinned and butchered Society soldiers, their bodies used as some sort of new Savage meat by-product. Corp. Henricks knew it could have easily have been him and his men had they taken the east side of the camp.

  The east side.

  The light bulb clicked. In the very few words spoken to the now dead C.O. of the Society, Corp. Henricks and he had drawn up directions to scout out, the UWA/Beginnings men went west and north and the Society east and south. He knew his men scouted a safety range of security, but did the Society? It was actually worth looking into, but quietly. By the Savage numbers he had seen the night before, he didn’t have the man power in his force to take them on.

  Returning to his second in command, Corp. Henricks drew up the plan in his mind. Divide into squads. Carefully span out. But first he had to call in all his men. He felt right about what his gut told him. The missing base had to be close. It had to be.

  Dusty Helms was always a private person. Even in the ravished world where modesty was nil, Dusty sought out privacy for certain things he had to do. Relieving his bladder was one of them. He had wandered off a little into the woods, traveled up the grade, and out of sight. It wasn’t just for privacy sake because Dusty knew if his fellow soldiers saw him going off to be alone to ‘go’, he would be under constant ribbing like the last time they busted him doing that.

  Letting out a breath of release, Dusty heard the ‘fall in’ bird call just as the pattering of his moisture hit against the crisp fall leaves. Thinking, ‘damn’ and knowing the powerful stream was going to be hard to stop, Dusty tried to bounce up and down as if that would hurry it along.

  Hoping not to leave any telltale signs of his lack of full-fledged shaking, Dusty tucked himself back, grabbed his zipper, and zipped as he turned in a rush.

  Mistake.

  Just as he caught himself painfully, just as he hunched down, mouth open while bellowing out a silent agony scream, his eyes widened as he caught glimpse through the trees of what laid beyond the crest.

  His search for modesty may have paid off in an embarrassing injury, but it paid off in another way. The laughter that would generate, and even the incident itself, would be forgotten, not mentioned, and overshadowed by the fact that he had spotted the missing Savage base.

  ^^^^

  Beginnings, Montana

  “Robert.” Joe warned then looked back down to the coordinates he had scribbled out.

  “Sorry.” Robbie’s face was red and squinched up in a futile attempt to hide laughter.

  A snort of laughter escaped Frank. “You have to give it to Corp. Henricks, though. Hell of a way to let us know they found it. Man was he so serious about it. Fuckin UWA. How’d he keep a straight tone?”

  “Frank.”

  “Sorry.” Frank held up his hand.

  It was a peep, then a fluttering lip sound that Robbie made. “In his attempt to find relief . . .” Robbie stated strongly in a mimic of Henricks, “Private Helms made an important discovery just beyond the crest of our former camp. However, please note that Pvt. Helms will be in need of medical attention upon his arrival home due to the fact . . .”

  “Robert.”

  Frank continued, because Robbie, laughing, could not. “In his excitement over the find, his genitalia were fastened in his trousers.”

  “Frank,” Joe stated, “grow up. Can we not let this information get out? My God, the man is embarrassed enough. Here, fax this to George so we can head to New Bowman for the hearing.” He extended the paper to Frank.

  Frank grabbed it, walked to the door, and stopped in his reading. He turned to face Joe. “I thought we weren’t letting that get out.”

  Taking advantage of the moment, Joe pretended to be Frank. “What?”

  ^^^^

  After looking at her watch, Ellen took off her lab coat in her rush across the lab. “I should be back by three since Judge Grace convenes court at two thirty. Dean? You listening?”

  “Yes,” Dean said as he worked at the computer.

  “I work until late evening. Jason is doing that esophageal surgery on one of my UWA men so I want to watch for complications.”

  “I’ll do a post-op for you.”

  “Thanks.” Ellen moved toward the door. “If you have anything that needs to be done, leave it. I hate just hanging about.”

  “Oh, El.” Dean stood up. “Is there any chance when you’re in New Bowman I can get you to do a lymph node biopsy, just a needle biopsy, on Elliott? I just want to double check that it’s not in the inguinal area.”

  “Is this a joke?” Ellen asked.

  “No. I’m very serious.”

  “I’ll try.” Ellen went back into the lab to search out the kit. “He may be too embarrassed. You might have to perform it.”

  “Embarrassed?” Dean questioned. “I thought you two were starting an understanding. Why would he be embarrassed about letting you do a biopsy in his groin?” He snickered. “Oh, this is too good.”

  “Stop it.” Ellen retrieved the kit. “I’m out of here.”

  “One more thing.” Dean walked to her. “Since you will be on duty. Joe radioed. You have a field injury coming in. It’s a delicate situation and you may not handle it delicately, so call me.”

  “What kind of delicate injury is it?”

  “A private got his penis caught in his zipper.”

  Ellen stopped walking. “What?” she said shocked. “Oh my God.”

  “Yeah. He was in the woods. Joe said the message said he was seeking relief. He spotted the Savage camp and when he hurried to zip . . .”

  “Oh. Shit. Is it bad?”

  Dean shrugged.

  “Was he masturbating? Because if he was, when it became flaccid, the injury . . .”

  “Ellen, why would you assume he was masturbating?”

  “You said relief.”

  “But it doesn’t mean . . .”

  “That’s what he gets for doing that on duty. Men.” Ellen shook her head and tried to leave again but as she walked through the door, she walked into Robbie. “Whoa.”

  “Ready?” Robbie chuckled. “We’re running late.”

  “Sorry,” Ellen said. “We were just discussing your man in the field.”

  “Which one?” Robbie asked.

  “The penis injury.”

  Dean interjected, “Robbie, was he going to the bathroom or was he masturbating?”

  Robbie, in a rare occasion, was shocked. “I don’t, um . . . is it important?”

  Dean nodded his head up and down. “The extent of the injury could be worse if he was engorged at the time of the fastening.”

  “Oh fuck.” Robbie started to chuckle then drew up a fake seriousness. “I’ll have to present that question to Corp. Henric
ks when we make afternoon radio contact. Let’s go, El.” He took her arm and started to leave. He stopped and stuck his head back in the door. “Dean, just so both of you guys know, this is really embarrassing for this guy and he did find the Savage camp, so low key on this. Not too many people should know.”

  ^^^^

  Quantico Marine Headquarters

  George laughed hysterically as he read the fax. He couldn’t even catch his breath.

  “The car’s waiting, sir,” Steward announced as he walked into the room. “Colonel Kirkpatrick should be in town by this afternoon from Lauderdale.”

  “Good, find me when he arrives.” George wiped the tear from his eye and chuckled again. “The . . . uh, oh, boy.” He let out a breath. “The other Savage camp was found. We have to get moving on preparations.” George walked to the door.

  Steward was so confused. “That’s great news. Why are you laughing?”

  As George left, he handed the fax to Steward.

  Steward looked down. He read and then Steward . . . laughed.

  ^^^^

  New Bowman, Montana

  So young, nervous, and looking like Frank, Johnny was on the stand. His hands were folded and his fingers twirling around each other. He hunched in his seat. “Yes.”

  Danny nodded and paced. “Switching blood results?”

  “Yes.”

  “Tampering with the notes on the computer?”

  “Yes.”

  “Administering the virus to Jenny.”

  “Yes,” Johnny answered. “I have the knowledge to do all that. All of us who work at the Clinic do. There’s a whole list and you don’t have to be a doctor.”

  “Would you say aside from yourself being able to perform all these things, would Melissa, Patrick, Glen, and Charlie be able to.”

  “Yes,” Johnny responded.

  “So Andrea isn’t the only one?”

  “No.”

  “In your personal opinion,” Danny said, “is Andrea capable of committing these acts?”

  Johnny shook his head. “I have known Andrea since I was a kid. She’s great. She’s the most sincere person I know.”

  With a wink, Andrea smiled from the table at Johnny.

  “I love her,” Johnny stated. “She would never do anything underhanded.”

  “No more questions.” Danny sat back down.

  Because it was a defense witness, prosecution went second. Henry stood and saw Grace shaking her head. “What?” he asked.

  “No.” She pointed. “This young man is deemed an ‘original’. You, Mr. Kusakari, are not allowed to cross examine originals.”

  Henry whined and sat back down.

  Smugly, Stan stood up. Just as he opened his mouth, he heard Henry’s tiny whisper.

  “I’m kicking your ass when this is done.”

  After a souring face, Stan smiled at Johnny. “You mentioned that you and the list of health care workers were all able to pull of these sabotage acts. Correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you and all of these health care workers have security access to the places and programs violated?”

  “No.”

  “You said you love Andrea. Would you do anything to protect her?”

  Johnny was quiet.

  “Answer the question.”

  “To be honest, yes. Yes, I would.”

  “Even withholding vital information to the court that would show evidence of Mrs. Slagel’s underhandedness?”

  “Objection.” Danny stood up. “What the hell is he talking about?”

  “Language.” Grace stated with a slam of her gavel. “Stan, what the hell are you talking about?”

  “Evidence was presented anonymously to the court this morning,” Stan said, “in the form of an ultrasound picture with a note attached. It was a ploy left out to deliberately start trouble.”

  “Objection., Danny repeated. “I know of no such note. I have none listed on my list of evidence.”

  Grace looked at Stan. “What note?”

  “It was given to me this morning.” Stan lifted the blue note. “This afternoon I plan on bringing Dr. Dean Hayes back as a reluctant witness to testify he did not request this information. It was placed in a place where it could cause damaging personal results to him.” Stan walked to the bench and Danny approached as well.

  “Your honor.” Danny leaned into the bench as he looked at the note. “We don’t even know if this is Mrs. Slagel’s handwriting.”

  Grace reviewed the note as well. “Stan, where did this information come from?”

  “In a form of an anonymous letter left on my porch. I believe it was from Dr. Hayes.”

  Again, Grace looked at the note. “Mr. Hoi, I’ll dismiss this evidence if your client tells me, under her Fifth Amendment right, that she doesn’t wish to confirm this as her handwriting.”

  “All right.” Danny stepped back to his table.

  “Mrs. Slagel,” Grace said. “You have an option. This court asks if you would confirm or deny this being your handwriting. Prior to looking at the note, you may exercise your Fifth Amendment right under the constitution and it will not be held against you.”

  Andrea looked at Danny’s eyes. She knew what he wanted her to do, especially when he held up his hand showing all five fingers. She peered back at the bench. “I’ll confirm or deny.”

  Danny slumped with a whine as the court officer handed Andrea the note.

  “Mrs. Slagel?” Grace asked. “Is that your handwriting?”

  Andrea handed the note to the officer. “Yes.”

  “Mark it as State’s Exhibit Eighty-two.” Grace stated. “Go on, Stan.”

  “One more question.” Stan walked to Johnny. “You knew of this note. Tell the court what your first reaction was.”

  After hesitating, looking at the jury then at Andrea, Johnny stared forward. “What was Andrea up to?”

  ^^^^

  “Pretty much everything.” Robbie did a quick shift in his chair. Dressed unlike everyone else, Robbie was himself and his casual feel was projected. “Maintenance, Mechanics, Containment, and Security. Right now with the Savage war and internal conflicts, I’m pretty much a hundred percent Security.”

  “You did the investigation into the shooting of your brother, right?” Danny asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Tell us about this.” Danny reached to the evidence table and lifted a clip.

  “You and Henry, the, uh, prosecutor, designed them as disposable clips. Which, by the way, did I tell you Metals was pissed because of the waste when they found out they had to melt them back down? Anyhow, they were designed to hold the paint pellets that were very similar to twenty-two caliber bullets.”

  “This was the one that contained the bullet that shot Frank. Tell us what you found.”

  “All the shells were real. There were no paint pellets at all, which led the investigation to believe that murder was the intention.”

  “Was there anything in your questioning or investigation that led you to believe Andrea was responsible?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Thanks, Robbie. No further questions.” Danny resumed his seat.

  Stan stood up. “You did a fingerprint check on that clip, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Were Mrs. Slagel’s prints on that clip?”

  Solemnly, Robbie answered, “Yes.”

  “No more questions.” Stan smiled and sat back down. “Ow.”

  Grace looked curiously at Stan who was rubbing his arm. “Are you all right?”

  “He pinched me.”

  Henry gasped, “I did not.”

  Grace slammed her gavel. “Enough. Mr. Hoi. Redirect?”

  “Yes.” Danny rose slightly from his seat. “Robbie, whose finger prints were on that clip?”

  “Andrea’s, my Dad’s, Henry’s, yours, mine, Hal Slagel’s, Dean Hayes, and Todd from Fabrics.”

  Danny smiled. “Thank you. I’m finished.”

  Grace looked at Robbie.
“You may step down.”

  ^^^^

  “Hey, Todd,” Danny spoke softly with a grin as he leaned against the front of the table. “Wave to the jury.”

  Todd did then let out a nervous breath.

  “Relax.”

  Todd patted himself on the chest. “I’m just uptight. It’s that swearing on the Bible thing.” He let out a ‘whew’.

  “Do you know why you were called to testify on Andrea’s behalf?”

  “Yes.” Todd nodded. “I worked the food booth the day Frank was shot.”

  “What were your duties?”

  “Help Jenny ‘the Klutz’ Matoose serve refreshments. I also was the one who kept cleaning up the empty paint pellet clips. What a mess.”

  “And what did you do with them?” Danny asked.

  “Collected them and placed them in a box for metals.”

  “Where was the box?”

  “Under the refreshment counter. Always.”

  “Good.” Danny began his arrogant stride back to his seat. “At anytime did you see anyone in that box?”

  After a very short pause and just as Danny was about to rest in the chair, Todd let out a gasping, saddening, ‘yes!’

  Danny sprang up. “You did? You told me and Trish that . . .”

  “I lied!” Todd began to sob. “Oh God, I lied. I saw someone in that box! I lied. I couldn’t today. I . . . . I just couldn’t”

  Grace leaned toward the stand. “Do you need a minute to calm down?”

  With a sniffling breath, Todd held up his hand. “I’m fine.”

  Fear hit Danny, dilemma as well. He didn’t want to ask who was in the box but what if he didn’t and Todd saw someone aside from Andrea. “Why . . . why did you lie to Trish and I?”

  “Love. Out of love.”

  Danny closed his eyes with a pre-cringe. “Who was it in the box?”

  A few sobs emerged first from Todd, then he gave his response. “Andrea.”