The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  Johnny actually listened to what John Matoose said. It didn’t make sense at first. But after reflecting on the night before, when he and Hal had words in the Social Hall, the pieces started to fit. If Hal had indeed set Johnny up to see what he would do, he set himself up in the process. Hal had an airtight alibi? Johnny laughed at that thought. Like a Tupperware container, all Johnny had to do was pop that lid. Air out. Alibi gone. Hal would go down. But if for some obscure reason that didn’t work, Johnny had to think of another way to secure the investigation’s end. He was sure, with thought, it would come to him.

  ^^^^

  Elliott just smiled and then nodded as well. As his hand rested on top of his bandana on the clinic lab counter, he listened to Ellen. He tried hard to interpret what she was saying. She rattled on so fast, one word into the next, sentence into sentence, and from one thought to another.

  “So,” she exhaled. “What do you think?”

  “About?”

  “What I said.”

  “Ellen, you rambled insidiously. I haven’t a clue what point you were making.”

  “Life, Elliott. Life is short. For everyone. I like you, I really like you. I want to forget our misunderstanding and go back to being that special friend. I want my room back that you painted for me at your house. I want to be there for you. What do you think?”

  Elliott picked up his bandana. “I think . . . I think I should just say ‘thank you’ and that I would like that very much.” He placed on his bandana. “Knowing my luck with word choices, I should leave before I blow this.” He bet down to her, kissing her softly on the cheek. “Thank you.”

  “No, thank you.”

  After smiling, Elliott walked to the door. He literally skid to a stop and turned around with an odd look to Ellen after Frank’s blasting . . . ‘Fuck Dean! You’re suction cupping off my chest hairs’ rang out in the halls.

  “What?” He pointed. “Is going on?”

  Ellen grinned. “We’re making resolutions.”

  Nodding a half understanding, Elliott took a step, stopped at another loud Frank ‘ow’, chuckled with a shake of his head, and walked out.

  ^^^^

  “Sorry about that.” Dean wrapped up the wires. “It’ll grow back.”

  “Fuck.” Frank sat up on the examining table and rubbed a small bare spot on his chest.

  “I have to look closer but . . . preliminary review of the EKG shows your heart is good.”

  “I could have told you that.” Frank tossed on his shirt.

  “But I want to watch it. It doesn’t hurt. OK?”

  “OK.”

  “Oh, before I forget. This is important.” Dean faced him. “El and I, this very morning, figured out how to kill the killer babies with regular bullets.”

  “You’re shitting me?”

  “No. We just have to make the covering for the special ammo and there you have it. Now one bullet will take them out.”

  “Whoa. Dean. That’s great.”

  “And . . .” Dean added, “we have a name for them.”

  “You don’t like killer babies?” Frank asked.

  “Well, yeah. But they’ll get older.”

  “So you want to call them killer adolescents?”

  “No.” Dean chuckled. “Try this. Leps.”

  Frank looked at him in thought, then walked to the door. He stopped. “Dean. That is a really cool name. Leps. As in, Lurking Enemy Provoking Slime.”

  “That’s it.”

  “Cool.”

  “No wonder you’re President.”

  “No, Dean, I’m Frank.” Frank walked out.

  Shaking his head, Dean smiled. “That you are.”

  ^^^^

  His face was probably distorted from his hands pressed so tightly to it. If Joe could have escaped, he would have, but like a prisoner, he was trapped in his office and Ellen was the warden.

  “Then . . . remember when I was twenty-three . . .”

  “Are you retaining water?” Joe asked.

  “Huh?”

  “Water. You know?”

  “No. Why?”

  “Your face is puffy.”

  “Oh.” Ellen touched her cheeks. “I gained nineteen pounds.”

  “Since when?”

  “In your time?”

  “What the hell other time is there? No, Christ, Ellen, Eastern Standard Time.”

  Ellen giggled. “That’s funny. Anyhow . . .”

  “Ellen, where are you going with this?”

  “Joe, I am trying to tell you about all the things you’ve done for me that I appreciate.”

  “Good. Thank you. Go.”

  “But, Joe.”

  “Ellen,” Joe winced. “I know. Go.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.” He waved. “Thank you for sharing.”

  “O.K.” She stood up.

  “Watch that salt intake.”

  “All right.” She moved to the door but it opened. “Whoops.”

  Dean stepped in and immediately Ellen jumped back.

  “El, I’m sorry. Are you not done?” Dean wondered.

  “I’m finished. Is it your turn?” She asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Good luck.” Keeping a distance as she passed him, Ellen walked out.

  Joe watched Dean get comfortable. “Something you need, Dean?”

  “As a matter of fact, yes. First, eight years ago when I first met you.”

  Joe gave up. With a whine, he lowered his head to his desk.

  ^^^^

  Hal hated to be abrupt but he really wanted to leave. “Ellen, please.”

  “But listen to me,” she pleaded. “You have to make up with Frank.”

  “I will. It will pass. Trust me. O.K.?” He gave a pat to her cheek and hesitated. “Your face looks dark.”

  “It called a sun tan.”

  “It’s November.”

  “Tanning bed.”

  Oddly Hal looked at her. “Where in the world . . . never mind. I suppose I’ll find out where Danny Hoi put them.” He tried to make it to the Jeep where Elliott sat. Ellen tugged his arm. “For the love of God, Ellen, what now?”

  “The city’s name?”

  “Freedom City. Yes, I’ll speak to my father.”

  “It’s a good name.”

  “Of course.” Hal walked to the Jeep. “Bye.”

  “Hal.”

  “Ellen, please,” He reached his wit’s end. “What else is there to tell me? Make up with Frank. Freedom City. Mentor Denny. Don’t cut my hair. Watch my weight. May I please . . . please go home?”

  “O.K.” Ellen nodded. “I just needed to tell you those things.”

  “Thank you.” Like the name Ellen wanted New Bowman to be, Hal felt freedom when he finally rested in the Jeep. He looked at Elliott, who laughed. “And you wanted her back in your life.” Not wanting to take the chance of being chased down again, Hal threw the Jeep in gear with a jerk and drove off.

  ^^^^

  Henry was perplexed as he sat staring up at Dean. He was lost. Was Dean on drugs? What was he rambling on about? To Henry, Dean looked different. He spent more time trying to figure out what that was instead of listening to him.

  “We all feel the pain of loneliness, Henry,” Dean said. “Don’t go there. Share it with me and Ellen. We’re here. And Nick. Nick is so fortunate to have you as a father. Don’t give that up. I’ll help you. When the pressure gets to you, come to me. Don’t think about suicide.”

  “All right.” Henry still stared. What was it? What was different?

  “I know you have some things that you want kept a secret . . . no.” Dean held up his hand. “Whatever it is, I won’t say anything. I want to be that confidant, that trusted friend. I want you to live a long life. You’re healthy.”

  “I got it!” Henry snapped his finger and stood up. “You got your haircut.”

  “Yeah.” Dean ran his fingers through his hair.

  “That’s a really nice haircut.” Henry mov
ed to the door of his office.

  “Henry, you understand what I said?”

  “Yes. Thanks.” Henry walked out. “A haircut.”

  Dean exhaled. He felt good about his speech. Things were going better than anticipated in his list of resolutions.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Little Billy rolled his eyes as he sat at the dining room table with Dean. “Why are you two yelling back and forth?”

  “It’s better this way,” Dean answered as he held Nick. “Keep writing the essay on reasons why not to worship Frank.”

  “Are you sure I get a day off from school?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you aren’t making me do urine samples, right?”

  “Right.” Covering Nick’s ears, Dean communicated loudly with Ellen. “Go on! What were you saying!”

  “I made it through my list! But I got nothing done today!”

  “Me either! That’s why I’m going to the lab tonight! Maybe get that little worm project done.” Dean looked at Billy’s gasp. “How did everyone react to you!”

  “Well, aside from getting comments about my face being full . . . fine. Except Josephine! She spit at my feet and cursed me!”

  “She was drunk! She did the same to me.”

  “God,” Billy whined. “Stop this. Aren’t you leaving?”

  “Yes, soon.” Dean waved him off and continued talking to Ellen. “Be careful what you say and show Frank!”

  “I will. I’ll walk on eggshells. I don’t want to be considered insane!”

  Again Billy rolled his eyes. “And yelling across the house is normal?”

  “Do your essay,” Dean stated

  “Dean!”

  “What!”

  “How are we going to do this tomorrow! We want to review our football notes while the kids are sleeping!”

  At his loudest, Billy stood up. “Can I make a suggestion!” He walked into the living room and opened up an end table. He pulled out two small white objects and handed one to Dean. “Plug this in.” He walked away and down the hall to where Ellen sat by the bedroom door. “Plug this in.” Huffing in his little stride, he headed back to the dining room and plopped down in his chair. “Talk.”

  Dean smiled as he held the object. He was so impressed. “Good thinking, Bill. Two way baby monitors.”

  Billy just smiled back, but it was forced. He picked up his pencil and returned to his essay on why he shouldn’t worship Frank. It would have been easier at that moment for him to write an essay on how annoying parents could be. On that, he could go for pages.

  ^^^^

  New Bowman, Montana

  As empty as the Social Hall could be on a weekday night was how crowded Hoi-Hoi on the Range was. No wonder some of the men flocked to go to New Bowman, Johnny thought. It had an old western saloon motif, the dining room separate from the actual bar. But Johnny didn’t go there out of curiosity, to dine, or to drink and socialize. Johnny went there for Glen, a trusted UWA soldier near promotion. He was in charge of the Tracking division and he was the one that recorded Hal’s entrance back into New Bowman the night that Bev was killed. Paper documentation in handwriting could be changed, but a man’s word, let alone a trusted man’s word, went a long way.

  Glen was a nice guy. He was kind of on the heavy side. He smoked and coughed a lot, but on that night, Glen was drinking a lot. It was totally understandable. He was about to start his weekend during the week. He had two days off and Glen wanted to relax. Johnny learned all that from talking to Glen and the group of guys. He laughed with them, listened to Glen’s stories, and became irritated at the redness of Glen’s nose. But like all good things, Johnny made it perfectly clear that his good time with the guys from New Bowman had to come to an end. He had to work. It was getting late and Johnny, having too much to drink, needed to catch that last Dan-Tram out. So with a wave and a sloppy goodbye, Johnny left Hoi-Hoi on the Range.

  The only thing was, Johnny wasn’t drunk and he had no intentions of catching the tram. Johnny was there for a purpose and for that, he found a dark spotted and waited.

  ^^^^

  Beginnings, Montana

  “Can you adjust the fire, Frank?” Ellen asked softly.

  “Sure.” Frank moved to the fireplace Joe swore would only be used for decoration and adjusted the flame higher on the kerosene lantern. “How’s that?”

  “Better.”

  “So.” He made his way back. “What did I do to deserve this evening alone with you?”

  “You died.”

  “A side from that.”

  Ellen brought her tea to her lips. “I think I have been over killed with Dean. Not that we didn’t enjoy the time together in the future, but a month alone was a lot.”

  “You said you spent a lot of time with me.”

  “Every night.”

  “El, I have to know.” Frank propped himself up on his elbow.

  Ellen knew what was coming. She covered her eyes with her arm and whined.

  “Come on.” He pulled her arm down. “Tell me. How did I do as an old man?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You said we made love.”

  “Frank . . .”

  “We didn’t make love? What? Did we just have oral sex?”

  “Frank.” Ellen laughed. “We made love.”

  “Did I suck? I’m surprised I could even . . .”

  She covered his mouth with her hand. “We were together. I don’t judge how good or bad you are, because I just love being with you.”

  Smiling, Frank leaned down and kissed her. “I have to thank Dean for letting us hang out tonight. I didn’t think he’d let us after our date last night.”

  “But that was over a month ago to me and Dean.” Ellen leaned up some. “Frank. Thank you for believing me.”

  “Why wouldn’t I?”

  “I mean, it sounds so farfetched.”

  “El, You’re talking to me. I’ve been there, trust me.”

  “I have something for you.” She reached into her back pocket. “Near the end, we did a lot of sightseeing. I stole this from Billy.” She handed a picture to Frank.

  It fell from Frank’s hand at first and then he lost his balance from his elbow. He lay on his back to view it more securely. “Oh, my God.”

  “That was taken at the Freedom City flagstaff.”

  “Center of New Bowman.”

  “Yep.” Ellen peeked at the picture. “Me, you, Dean, and Billy.”

  “Oh, wow.” Frank smiled as he stared. “Look at Billy. And me.” He shifted his eyes to Ellen. “I look good for an old guy.”

  “Yeah, you do,” she whispered out the compliment. “Hot.”

  Frank chuckled.

  “What do you think now?” Ellen asked.

  “I think I learned something I never thought was possible.”

  “What’s that?”

  “The truth.” Frank nodded as he looked at the picture. “That the camera really does add fifteen pounds. Man, look at Dean. Is he round or what?”

  Ellen snatched the photo from his fingers with a laugh. Frank exaggerated a lot, but Dean did look a little heavier than he was. She attributed that to the super short haircut. Hoping Frank was being nice by saying she didn’t look heavy, she handed the picture back.

  ^^^^

  New Bowman, Montana

  He was sleeping, passed out, perhaps in his drunken stupor, or from exhaustion. Either way Glen laid on his back, completely out of it, snoring, with one arm raised above his head in his own slumber world. The one thing that was nice was the amount of trust there was in New Bowman. No one locked their doors. Johnny slipped right in.

  He stood quietly in Glen’s bedroom, hidden in the moonlight shadow, watching and waiting. He wondered if Glen would feel it. He supposed he would since the only way to administer Dean’s cardiac accelerator was directly through the sternum.

  Syringe in hand, Johnny walked to the bed and lifted the extra pillow. He reached down gently to Glen’s chest
and felt for his spot. With his thumb on the plunger, Johnny raised the syringe.

  Glen woke up.

  Johnny smiled, placed the pillow over Glen’s face to muffle the scream and with everything he head, he slammed the syringe into Glen’s sternum.

  A wail of pain, muffled and shrill, came from Glen but only for a second. His body began to twitch and convulse. Just for the hell of it, Johnny removed the pillow.

  Glen gasped for air in deep heaving breaths. His face turned red and his arms shot out to the side. Like they were playing air piano, Glen’s fingers tapped about until they reached for the last bit of his life, then stopped moving.

  , Johnny fixed the covers over the wide eyed Glen and made him look as if he were asleep. He slipped the syringe back in his pocket and started to leave the room. Heart attack. No questions would be asked. Glen was an overweight smoker in his forties. Though New Bowman lost a good Tracker, something better occurred. Hal Slagel lost his alibi.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Beginnings, Montana

  November 15th

  They had separated them in a ‘one for you, one for me’ fashion. Little did they realize how many of those footballs notes were actually tucked in the lining of Ellen’s purse until they had piles before them. Sharing coffee together in the early morning opening of those notes, Dean sat in the dining room, Ellen on the bed.

  “How do you want this filed?” Ellen spoke into the baby monitor.

  “First do it by date. I know I dated them,” Dean replied then mumbled.

  “We should have noted more on the outside. We have a thousand different subjects.”

  “I know. Just separate it by date then we’ll separate by subject.”

  “Really what we should do is once we get them all organized, we should type them up.” Ellen suggested. “Bind them. It’ll be a lot easier.” She unfolded notes and, in her reach for another one, Ellen stopped.

  “We can also keep track of all the things we averted.” Dean looked curiously to his pile. “I mean, think about it. How . . . what is . . .” He picked up a football note and opened it. “Oh shit.”