The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  “You’re shitting me.” Hal smiled and opened the envelope. “An allied rebel force perhaps?”

  “Um, no.” Elliott shook his head. “Our scouts said no.”

  “Hold it.” Hal stopped opening the letter. “They find a town with civilized people. I get mail. Mail, Elliott, and it has to wait until they rest. Oh just wait until summer and I send them to Arizona. What all did they tell you?”

  “Basically that they discovered this town by following what seemed to be civilized men making a ‘book’ run.” Elliott shrugged. “The town welcomed them. They fed them, put them up, and listened to what they had to say.”

  “How did they escape the Society raids?”

  “They didn’t,” Elliott said. “They basically are people that kept banning together after running from the Society. One group gets hit, they move on, run into a similar group and join up. Right now they are secluded and have guards.”

  Hal smiled. “That’s encouraging. At least they can protect themselves.” Finally Hal returned to opening the letter.

  “They have a lot of men of course, but the median age is older. There’s not many young people at all. Trevor says he can’t recall seeing anyone under the age of twenty.”

  “Did we get a population?”

  “Four twenty.”

  Hal whistled. “I’m curious how they survived. Farming?”

  “In house,” Elliott explained. “Similar to how we did with greenhouses and climate control. We all can’t have perfect farm land like Beginnings. It’s the only way to ensure continuous growth. Plus they haven’t bothered getting power up and running. Oh!” Elliott snapped his fingers. “Bonus.”

  Hal looked up. “Bonus? Bonus, Elliott?”

  “Yes. They seem to have an overabundance of . . . livestock.”

  “Yes. Steak.” Hal grinned. “If we can get them to barter.”

  “We may not need to. See . . .”

  “Elliott.” Hal widened his eyes. “Why am I even bothering to read this note if you are going to inform me of everything?”

  “Sorry. Go on.” Elliott took a step back.

  “My God,” Hal spoke as he read. “To date they have acquired thirty Society defectors. Did you know that?”

  “Yes.”

  Hal grunted. “Is there anything in this note you don’t know?”

  “No,” Elliott said. “Our scouts got to read it prior to it being placed in the envelope. They told me it all.”

  “They read my mail?” Hal seemed offended as he continued reading.

  “Captain, what are you going to do?”

  “Well.” Hal folded the note and returned it to the envelope. “It’s not my call. If it was, we know what I would do.”

  “Of course. Do it and worry about consequences later.”

  Hal smiled. “But we are a province of Beginnings and with that, we have to present this to them. I don’t see my father saying ‘no’. This gentleman gives a paragraph full of what assets they could be to us. In a budding war with a mega Society, we need all the men we can get.”

  “O.K.” Elliott nodded. “What are we gonna do with them?”

  “We’ll worry about that later. Right now I need to get back to my Gettysburg Address.” Hal walked to the classroom. “Let me know when my niece arrives.”

  Elliott nodded as Hal left. “Of course,” he said sarcastically, turned, and started to walk down the hall. “We’ll worry about four hundred, not four, but four hundred men later. Why not?” Elliott walked from the school.

  ^^^^

  “Ideally . . .” Sitting backwards on a chair in Robbie’s room, Danny spoke to Dean and Robbie. “We would find a prosthetic already constructed that Dean and I could manipulate. We could conceivably have a very realistic body part. I’ve seen what you’ve done with that skin on Jeff’s face. Aside from the fur, it looks good. The pigment is off a little though.”

  “We’re working on that,” Dean smiled. “However, the worst case scenario with appearance is Robbie will have an arm that will be a shade or so off.”

  “I could live with that,” Robbie said. “Really, I could. Can it be done, Danny?”

  “Hey,” Danny lifted his hand. “We made Dean see. Really, Robbie, prosthetics had come along way when the world ended. The only thing they didn’t have down was the skin tone and look. But mobility . . .” Danny whistled. “Animated prosthetics is what they were called. How they worked was controlled by the main chip located in a joint. The sensors were connected to different muscles in the upper extremity and with a flex of one muscle, your fingers moved. That’s how they worked. They were battery charged and operated. Then you had what they called the ‘hot and cold’. Little heat sensors in the fingers tips connected to a message system that connected to the nerves in the remaining portion of the limb. I want to combine both. My concern lies with the skin though. That’s the reason they didn’t have something more realistic. How are you going to preserve real skin without it rotting, Dean?”

  Robbie cringed. “Rotting skin.”

  Dean held up his hand. “You would just have to leave us about two inches of room. The skin would be like a glove over the arm. Artificial arteries and veins would connect to Robbie’s real ones.”

  “So while doing all that, you’d connect the sensors to the nerve endings?” Danny asked.

  “Yes,” Dean nodded. “I’ve not done it so I say we do about three arms.”

  “Sounds good,” Danny agreed. “Robbie?”

  “When do you go into my brain?” Robbie asked.

  Dean answered. “I’d like to do that first about a week or so before we do the arm. That way, after it’s attached, Danny can download and you’ll be ready to go, with healing of course.”

  “Cool.” Robbie grinned. “How long?”

  Danny looked at Dean then back to Robbie. “It’ll take a while, Robbie. Both Dean and I have our work cut out with this. The microchip for the arm and brain, that’s the easy part. It’s the arm. If we can’t go out and get one, then I have to construct one., so I can’t really give you an answer yet.”

  It didn’t bother Robbie not one bit to be unable to get a definite timeframe when he’d get his new arm. He was getting one and that was all that mattered. There was a light at the end of his tunnel and that would make the physical struggles he would entail a lot more tolerable.

  ^^^^

  “Oh, wow, cool,” Billy said with enthusiasm as he took off running.

  “No, wait.” Frank stopped him before he stepped into the roped off blast area of Warehouse Seven and Eight.

  “Will I get in their way?” Billy asked, pointing to the five men cleaning up.

  “No. I just want to make sure you walk on the safe path.”

  “The safe path?” Billy asked. “So I don’t get hurt?”

  Sounding so teacher-like, Frank explained to Billy, “No. Jason Godrichson is still hanging about up here. Well, I mean, his left leg, left arm, right hand, his one ear and miscellaneous internal organs. So out of respect for Jason, we don’t want to just tromp anywhere. The safe path is where we know for sure he isn’t. Understand?”

  “Oh, sure. Can we go through?”

  “Absolutely.” Frank lifted the rope. “Safe path.” He pointed.

  “Got it.” Billy walked the narrow path, turning and looking as he did. “Awesome. My mom and Dad survived this?”

  “Yep,” Frank nodded. “Unbelievable, huh? They were really lucky. Them and everyone else. They could have ended up like Jason and be all over this place.”

  “This is the coolest day so far.”

  “We’ve only been at it a half hour.”

  “Still, I mean we went to Containment. I was never there. Meeting Bub the lobotomized Savage was fun. Did he really used to eat people?”

  “Absolutely. Breakfast lunch and dinner. Your dad fixed him. He neutered his appetite by axing out his brain.”

  “Cool. This is better than school.”

  “I’ll make you a deal.” Frank s
quatted down to Billy’s level. “If you go to school and don’t cut out, one day a week you can do this with me. Deal?” Frank held out his hand.

  Billy’s little hand got lost in Frank’s. “Deal. What now?”

  “Rounds. Boring stuff.” Frank shook his head. “Get on that radio and inform Security that’s where we’re heading.”

  “Got it.” Pulling the microphone of his headset close to his mouth as instructed, Billy called out his orders as he took the safe path passage through the blast area. He was having so much fun already that he promised himself as soon as he got home, he would erase at least three things off of his, ‘reasons not to worship Frank’ list.

  ^^^^

  “He assured you?” Elliott asked Hal as they walked down the street.

  “I trust my brother,” Hal replied. “I mean, I merely mentioned that we as suspects could be targets as well as Ellen and he went off on me. Telling me ‘what did I think? He was a fuckin idiot? Of course he was going to have her watched.’ So I believe he will have her with someone safe.”

  “Think again.” Elliott stopped walking and motioned his head to the truck.

  Calmly Hal watched Johnny step from the truck. “My brother is a moron. Son of a bitch.” As quickly as he could, he made it to them.

  “Uncle Hal.” Alexandra raced to him.

  “Hello, Sweetie.” Hal lifted her. “I am so glad you came here today.”

  “I get to see you. Elliott . . .” She waved to Elliott. “I’m gonna play with Katie and me and mommy are gonna shop before she sees her patients.”

  “You’ll have fun,” Hal said.

  “Uncle Hal.” Alexandra laid her hands on his cheeks. “You’re the best. Can I have your Danny Dollar card?”

  “Oh, absolutely.” Hal set her down, reached into his pocket, and handed it to her.

  “Thank you.” Alexandra turned around, looked at Ellen, and winked.

  Ellen grinned. “Hal, you didn’t have to.” She kissed him on the cheek.

  “I don’t use my Danny Dollar Card, Ellen. In fact, go shop now. Elliott will escort you.”

  Ellen looked at Elliott with a smile. “I think I’d like that.”

  Elliott nodded as he walked by Hal. “Thank you, Captain.”

  Hal’s focus was steady on Johnny. He saw nothing else but him as he made his way to Johnny.

  Snidely, Johnny shut the truck door. “Uncle Hal,” Johnny laughed. “Look at you trying to come across really tough and threatening. Let me let you in on a little secret.” Johnny winked. “The pink cast totally takes that away.”

  “Glad you find enjoyment in that. Now . . . get back in the truck and go home.”

  “Nope.” Johnny shook his head. “I have to wait for Ellen.”

  “Ellen has a full day. I will see her home when I visit my Dad so there’s no reason for you to stay.” Hal flashed a grin. “Bye.” He turned.

  “Uncle Hal.” Johnny walked to him. “I have a note from my dad.” He handed it to him.

  “You dad is sending me notes.” Hal took it and opened it. He chuckled. “Hal, don’t pick on my kid.” Hal shook his head. “So now you’re telling Daddy. What? Is he buying this innocent act?”

  “Oh, yeah. He’s buying the ‘Uncle Hal’s a real prick’ act too. But then again, it’s not an act. You are. He says if you pick on me, he’ll kick your ass.”

  “Being juvenile now, Johnny,” Hal smirked. “I should expect as much. You are a child. But just to be on that juvenile level, your father kicking my ass? I highly doubt that.”

  “You don’t think?”

  “I’m not going to go back and forth with you on this,” Hal told him.

  “You don’t have to. I’m sure I’ll see it. It won’t be long until you and my father go head to head.”

  All arrogance and smirks left Hal’s face. He dropped his voice and leaned into Johnny. “Do not play me against your father. Don’t.”

  “Get off my back and I won’t.”

  “You haven’t a clue what me being on your back is. If I was, you’d know it.”

  “As if you aren’t now. Badgering me . . .”

  Hal laughed. “Badgering you? Would you like for me to badger you? I have yet to come down on you. Yet. But I will.”

  “You have no reason,” Johnny graveled his voice.

  “And you had no reason to have the key to my father’s phone. You had no reason to put the bottle back into my brother’s hand. There’s no reason other than deception for this arrogant, infantile, sadistic, projectile behavior. And most of all, right now, you have no reason to be in my town. . . . Get out.” Hal took a step back and turned.

  “I heard your alibi . . . died.”

  Hal stopped cold.

  “Your only alibi.” Johnny sighed, shook his head, and opened the truck door. “Oh, say, Uncle Hal, whatever became of that bandana of yours?”

  Hal walked back to him.

  Johnny continued with a whispering taunt, “You know the bandana. The red one with the little captain bars on the flap. The one with blood smeared all over it. It would be a shame, since your alibi is dead, if that bandana suddenly showed up.” Johnny got in the truck. “Bye.” After starting the truck and reaching out to adjust the mirror with the extension of his middle finger, Johnny drove off.

  CHAPTER NINE

  “Ah.” Frank exhaled deeply as he held out his arms. “The back gate region. I’m sure you’ve heard stories about his place.”

  “No.” Billy shook his head.

  “No?” Frank asked, shocked. “You’re kidding me. That sucks. Take a look, Bill. It doesn’t look like it but many exciting things happen back here, not to mention numerous accidental electrocutions.”

  “Really?”

  “Oh, sure. See. The roadway makes this place very accessible for wanderers, Savages when we had them, and animals. You name it. That makes routine and numerous checks on this region per day vital. We have to check, make sure it’s secure, look at the beams, and you know, kick off the carcasses of any dead animals fried and stuck to the fence.”

  “So it isn’t always boring up here?” Billy asked.

  “It has its moments.” Frank sighed out then lifted his head. “Hold on. Radio call.” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “You may want to monitor this and take mental notes.”

  Billy nodded.

  Frank lifted the microphone. “Yeah, Mark, what’s up?”

  “Frank,” Mark called out. “You aren’t gonna believe this. We have a SUT in the back gate region.”

  “A SUT?” Frank asked. “As in one?”

  “Yep.”

  “How many other intruders?”

  “None,” Mark answered. “Just one. He’s moving steady and making his way to you.”

  “One?” Frank questioned with doubt. “That’s hard to believe. Are you sure it isn’t Dean. He has that chip and he fuckin sets it off as a SUT every time he goes bunny hunting.”

  “It’s not Dean. I checked,” Mark replied. “It’s at fifty-five feet, Frank, and there’s only one.”

  “How about our SUT stock.”

  “They are all accounted for. He’s not ours. He came in about a mile ago from the northeast.”

  “O.K. Thanks,” Frank told him and lowered his headset. He looked at Billy. “Now Mark handled that perfectly. Because it’s odd for there to be only one SUT, Mark checked all options before alerting me to the danger.”

  “A SUT?” Billy asked.

  “Yeah, like your Dad. They also have microchips only the Society SUTs are trained to kill and only kill, though some have been domesticated.”

  “Is that him?” Billy pointed.

  Frank looked. “Yes. See, he’s wearing a Caceres Society Uniform. Notice the far off zombie look in his eyes. Do you see it?”

  “Yes,” Billy said.

  Frank spoke calmly. “O.K., now if he were in a pack, we would automatically assume he was dangerous but since he’s alone, we don’t know. We have to wait for a sign.” Frank watch
ed the SUT as he explained very placating. “All right. He’s raising his weapon. That’s a clear cut sign he’s a threat. Now we . . . eliminate that threat.” In a sequence of smooth movements, Frank reached to his shoulder harness, pulled out his pistol, shifted the chamber, extended his arm, and fired.

  The precise head shot caused a bursting cloud of blood that sprayed everywhere and then the SUT dropped.

  “O.K.” Frank put his gun away. He looked down at Billy who just stared out. “Any questions?”

  ^^^^

  “Home, sweet, home.” Joe opened the front door to his house.

  Robbie stepped in first. “Man, it still feels funny coming here without Andrea.”

  “Tell me about it.” Joe closed the door and set down the bag he carried. “Did we get enough from your house?”

  “Yeah . . . Dad? How come . . .”

  “Is there anything you need? Are you hungry?” Joe walked to the kitchen.

  “No. Dad? How come . . .”

  “I have the bed all fixed for you. You look pale, Robbie. Did you want to lay down?”

  “No.” Robbie walked toward the kitchen. “Dad, how come . . .”

  “Son of a gun.” Joe smiled. “We still have chicken in the freezer. How about chicken tonight. We’ll have Hal come by. Frank . . .”

  “Dad,” Robbie interrupted then spewed out his question as fast as he could. “How come I didn’t know about Henry knocking up Bev?”

  Joe cringed. “Robert, I listened to you bitch the entire time we were at your house. I am not gonna listen to this anymore.”

  “Why was I the last to know?”

  “You’re not,” Joe said. “In fact, you’re one of the only ones to know, so feel privileged and quit bitching.”

  “But it’s such great news.”

  “Excuse me?” Joe asked.

  “Yeah.” Robbie grinned. “Henry’s such a fuckin prick. I love it.”

  “Robert.”

  “Pap!” Billy screamed loudly and excitedly as he raced into the house. “Pap!”

  Wondering what brought on the odd occurrence of Billy sounding happy, Joe walked to the kitchen doorway to see Billy run in with Frank behind him. “Why is this kid dressed like a militant guerilla?”