The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  “I want to consummate the relationship.”

  “Hmm.” Folding her arms, Ellen nodded. “As much as I’d like to say yes, I’m afraid I can’t. Sorry.”

  Creed shook his head. “You must.”

  “I can’t.”

  “You have to.”

  “I won’t.”

  “But you agreed to be my queen.”

  “I know.” Ellen lifted a finger. “But you didn’t say what all that entailed.”

  “Surely, you knew,” Creed stated. “I mean, it has been a long time since I have been around a woman who . . . who . . .”

  “Has real skin.”

  Creed chuckled. “Exactly.” He inched to her.

  “Creed.”

  “I’ve gone out of the way to make sure everything is perfect. Is it not to your liking?”

  “That’s not it,” Ellen said.

  Robbie grew antsy in his hiding spot. He needed a moment to seize and with the way Ellen not only danced around her words but kept Creed moving back and forth, Robbie wasn’t getting the opportunity. He needed Ellen to keep him occupied. Didn’t she know he would be there and he would stop it? Obviously she didn’t.

  “What is it then?” Creed asked. “Is it me? Have I not been nice?”

  “Oh you’ve been real nice since you let me out of that hell hole and didn’t kill me or Robbie.”

  “Oh, I don’t kill. I maim.”

  “I . . . see.” Ellen took a breath.

  “Then if you understand, what is your reason?”

  “Well, OK. You’re really tall and your size scares me.” Ellen stepped back.

  “I’ll be gentle.”

  “Still, I’m not convinced. Not . . . not that I don’t think you’re attractive. You are. And maybe if you were more reality based, it wouldn’t be a problem either but you give the terminology ‘God complex’ new meaning and I have a problem with that.”

  Stop arguing with the guy, El. Robbie thought, then deduced he had to find a way to let him know she was there.

  “You’re stalling,” Creed sated.

  “I am.”

  “You are my wife.”

  “Now, see, Frank’s not gonna like that much.”

  “Frank is not here.”

  “He will be.”

  “I doubt that,” Creed argued.

  “No, I know Frank, and I . . .” Ellen’s eyes shifted. “I . . .”

  “You what.”

  Biting his bottom lip and giving a scolding look, Robbie poked out from behind the curtain, lifted the baseball bat he held, and pointed it at Creed.

  “I . . .” Ellen tried to catch the message Robbie was giving.

  “You?” Creed waited.

  Another shift of her eyes and Ellen watched Robbie motion his head at Creed and give another twitching scolding look. “Oh!” Ellen said brightly.

  “Oh . . .” Creed started to turn.

  “Stop.” Her hands smacked immediately to his cheeks and Ellen turned him to face her. “Look at me again.”

  “Ok.”

  “No. Really look at me intensely. Just stare at me.”

  Oh my God. Can she be any more obvious? He is not buying this. No way. Robbie mind bitched.

  “Like this?” Creed stared more.

  Robbie grinned, He is.

  “Oh, yeah.” Ellen nodded. “Wow, you have great eyes.”

  She got him, Yes.” Robbie stepped out from the curtain.

  Ellen continued, “Did anyone ever . . .” Her words were not only silenced, but muffled by the kiss that Creed delivered to her.

  ‘Fuck!’ Robbie stepped back.

  Ellen pulled back. “You took me by surprise.”

  “A good surprise, I hope.”

  “Oh, it was a great surprise.”

  “Excellent.”

  Opportunity. They were standing there. Robbie stepped out. ‘Fuck!’ he screamed again in his mind when he watched Creed lift Ellen and carry her to the bed.

  Creed placed Ellen on the mattress.

  “Stop,” she said.

  “Stop?”

  “Yes. This is moving too fast and . . . and . . .” Ellen watched Robbie step out from the curtain. “Could you rub my calf?”

  “Your calf?”

  “I have this thing about getting my calf rubbed,” Ellen spoke rapidly. “Strange, I know but to me it’s better than foreplay.”

  “Your calf.” Creed nodded. “Absolutely.” He sat up and reached down to her leg and began to rub. “Like this?”

  “Oh, yeah. That’s great.” Ellen moaned. “That’s awesome.”

  Creed massaged.

  WHAM!

  With the breaking of the baseball bat, Creed lifted his head. His eyes rolled and then he fell straight down to the bed.

  “Yes.” Ellen jumped from the bed. “Robbie, you are so cool.”

  “And you make things impossible.” Robbie grabbed her hand.

  “What do you mean? I thought we worked together well on that, you and I.”

  “You think?’

  Ellen reached down and touched Creed. “He’s out.”

  “I hope.” Robbie tugged at her.

  “Hey, your voice is back.”

  “Let’s go” Robbie pulled her to the door.

  “Are you getting us out?”

  A grumble, a roll of his eyes, and a slight pause came from Robbie just before he said nothing, opened the door, and hurried Ellen out.

  Creed’s state of unconsciousness didn’t last long at all. Groaning, he reached to hold the back of his head as he lifted up.

  “God, God, are you all right?” A Drune reached for him.

  Creed stood up and swatted the Drune from him. His anger emerged in the form of a growl.

  “It wasn’t me. It wasn’t me.” The Drune stepped back. “It was the one armed god.”

  Biting his tongue, Creed snapped in annoyance. “I know that.” He shook his head and moved to the door. “They will try the nearest exit. Send my special team there to retrieve them.”

  “Yes, God.”

  Creed opened the door. “If I don’t get them myself, first.” After walking into the hall, Creed stormed into the first room.

  “Wait. Wait. My shoe. My shoe.” Ellen stopped on the staircase and fixed her shoe.

  “El, please,” Robbie said.

  “What?”

  After taking a step, Robbie stopped. “Look.” He faced her. “If we get caught., I kidnapped you, all right.”

  “We’re escaping.”

  ‘No, El, listen. I am kidnapping you. Got that? That is the story. OK?’

  “Oh, OK.” She followed Robbie as he moved down the steps. “What happens then? Won’t they try to stop you from kidnapping me again?”

  “Most likely. If that’s the case, I’ll find another way.”

  “Until Frank gets here.”

  “Um, yeah. Until Frank gets here.” At the bottom of the staircase, Robbie stopped before the door. “Our first obstacle. There’s just a few guards. Just play along. Please, just play along.”

  “I got it.”

  Nodding with the thought that he hoped so, Robbie opened the door.

  “They made it passed the stair guards.” A Drune soldier informed Creed they stepped off the elevator.

  Creed fastened thick black leather gloves over his hands. “Are they are making it across the lot?”

  “Toward the ramp.’

  “Just as I thought.” He fastened the snap on the glove and smiled. “I’ll get them there.”

  The Drune guard held his stick up in front of Robbie. “You don’t want me to use the stick on you, now do you?”

  “No.” Robbie shook his head. “I don’t want that. This isn’t about violence. It’s about the moon.”

  “The . . moon.”

  “Yes, it is in the sky now and we need to worship it.” Robbie nodded and took Ellen’s hand. “We’ll only be a second.”

  “All right then.”

  “Thanks,” Robbie repli
ed.

  “‘But you may want me to . . .”

  “No, I got it,” Robbie spoke as he walked backwards, then after nodding an acknowledgment wave, he turned and walked up the ramp with Ellen.

  “Wow. That was easier than I thought.”

  “Me, too,” Robbie smiled.

  “Good thing he didn’t use that . . .” Ellen giggled. “Stick on you.”

  “El, don’t make fun. Come on. They really don’t know better.” Robbie said seriously, then burst into laughter. “Ah, freedom! He pointed to the opening of the ramp. “Once we get outside, we’ll try to find a way to contact . . .” Robbie stopped speaking when he heard the barking of a dog.

  “Robbie?”

  “Wait a second.” Robbie moved no more than an inch when the loud, rampant, barking pack of skinless dogs came barreling around the bend and down the ramp.

  There was nothing else to do. Ellen screamed and ran the other way.

  Robbie followed in pursuit.

  “Get her,” Creed ordered as soon as Ellen emerged from the ramp.

  She didn’t have a chance. Four Drunes grabbed her and pulled her aside.

  “Now him.” Creed pointed to Robbie.

  “Fuck you.” At the end of the ramp, Robbie leaped outward and flung his body at the over seven foot tall body of Creed. His weight sent the big man back and in his stumbling, Robbie clocked him. Creed went down and back but in his doing so, he ejected Robbie backwards.

  Robbie felt the throw coming and went with the toss. In a controlled roll, Robbie quickly took a stance.

  With clenched fists, Creed extended his arms out and growled loudly, causing the Drune guards to scurry.

  “What the . . .” Robbie watched the guards run, then he looked at Creed. “Shit.” If Robbie hadn’t seen strange things in his life, he would of thought it was his imagination.

  Creed seemed to expand. His already toned body rippled and what looked like an under-the-skin bubbling brewed up his neck as his face began to change colors.

  Ellen’s scream caused Robbie, in error, to snap a look at her. When he returned his views to Creed and prepared to charge, he watched as Creed revved back like a baseball player. Robbie saw nothing in his hand but he didn’t want to take a chance so he started to run at Creed.

  Only a step was all Robbie made when a blue ball of light, the size of a baseball, sizzled through the air and struck Robbie in the chest. With the power of the hit, Robbie flew back five feet and his entire body jolted from an electric shock as he hit the ground.

  “Robbie!” Breaking from the Drunes, Ellen rushed to him.

  “Don’t touch him.” Creed reached out and snatched her back. “Don’t touch him.”

  Hysterical, Ellen fought. “Robbie.”

  “He’s fine. He’s just paralyzed momentarily. Do not touch him. Guards.” Creed pulled her away.

  “You . . . you . . .” Ellen looked up to him. “You’re normal again.”

  “I will explain that later. But now . . . are you all right, my queen? Did he hurt you at all?”

  “What are you . . .” Her eyes shifted to Robbie as the Drunes, wearing gloves, lifted him and caused sparks. “You . . . “ With exasperation and dramatics, Ellen remembering what Robbie said and lowered her head. “No. No. He didn’t hurt me. I’m . . . traumatized. Just . . .” she shivered. “Don’t hurt him. He knows not what he does. He has . . . borderline personality.”

  “He’ll be forgiven, just this once, at your request.” Creed led her away. “But now, we must take care of you.”

  “Please, this whole ordeal has made me exhausted I can barely . . .” Buckling her knees Ellen started to fall. “Stand.”

  “I’ll help you.”

  “Please.” Ellen accepted Creed’s help, then watched him press the button to the elevator. She looked over her shoulder as the Drunes carted Robbie away and in her mind she said another please, a ‘please’ that Robbie would be ‘OK’.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “Really?” Danny Hoi asked brightly as he stared out onto his porch where Carol stood. “Let me get my coat. Come on in.” He opened the screen door wider and Carol stepped inside.

  From around the corner of the last house, Marma peered and backed up. “She’s in,” she said to Misha.

  “Good. Are you sure you can do this?”

  “Just because Captain Slagel deemed it unlawful for us women to be forced to work, doesn’t mean I forgot what I did before the world ended. Besides, didn’t Danny add me to his programmers? So trust me.”

  “Good.” Misha nodded.

  “But I need to ask. Are you sure?”

  “Oh, very much. It’s there. Hector told me.”

  “Well, if it’s there, I can get it,” Marma said. “Whether or not I can manipulate it would be the question.”

  “You will try?”

  “I am here.” Marma peeked around the corner. “And . . . they’re out.” She watched Carol and Danny walk down the street. “Let’s go.” Taking Misha’s hand, Marma tugged her down a few houses.

  Out of breath more from enthusiasm, Misha closed the door to Danny’s house with her body. “I believe his computer is in the dining room,” Misha told Marma.

  Marma walked to the dining room. “There are three of them.” She took a breath. “We should have time, as long as Carol keeps him out.” She sat before the first computer.

  “I have this feeling of joy right now,” Misha said. “It is making me want to giggle and I can’t help it.”

  “Excitement,” Marma replied. “It’s the excitement of getting caught.”

  “Yes. Yes.” Misha smiled and moved into the dining room. “Like when we used to sneak into Corporal Owens home while he was out and you would put on his uniform.”

  “Just like that.” Marma smiled.

  “Oh, how handsome you looked in his uniform.” Misha stepped closer to Marma and laid her hand on her shoulder. “You would make me happy back then.”

  “I was more of a teacher then. But times . . .” Marma exhaled. “Times have changed.”

  “You were a wonderful teacher, Marma.”

  “A good student always makes teaching . . .” She cleared her throat. “Wonderful.”

  “You understood me. I miss those moments,” Misha spoke softly.

  Marma reached up and laid her thick hand over Misha’s. “I do too. But . . .” She slid her hand down and completely faced the computer. “This first.”

  There was a slight tingle that occurred in her hand, one that shot straight to Misha’s stomach. In a minute of daze, Misha pulled her hand closer to her body, then she cupped the other one to her chest. After deeply breathing and closing her eyes reminiscently, she returned to watching Marma work.

  ^^^^^

  With his arms crossed close to his waist, Frank stood in the hallway of Dean’s home, looking into the living room as Dean hung up the phone. There was a look on Dean’s face. Exhaustion, concern, puzzlement and Frank couldn't understand why.

  “Hey,” Frank called out.

  Still in his stare, Dean snapped out of it and with a sniff, raised his eyes. “Hey.”

  “You’re OK with me staying here tonight, right?”

  “Oh, yeah, absolutely. I need you to. How’s Billy?”

  “He’s finally calm,” Frank replied and walked further into the living room. “He’s not a dumb kid, Dean. He’s got this figured out. He’s worried.”

  Dean spoke through his breath, “He’s not the only one.”

  “It’ll be fine. Tonight, tomorrow, whenever, it will be fine. I’ll bring her home, Dean.”

  “I know you will, Frank.” Seemingly out of energy, Dean pulled out a chair and sat down. “It’s all just hitting me.”

  “Tell me about it. Right now . . . I need a fuckin drink.” Frank reached for a chair.

  Dean looked up.

  “Not that I’ll have one but I need one.”

  “I know that.”

  “Dean? Why did Hal want to know all that
stuff ?” Frank asked.

  “I don’t know. He said it had something to do with a dream. Worry, I guess.” Dean shrugged.

  “It's just that it doesn’t have anything to do with what we’re doing.”

  “We hope.” Dean took another breath. “I mean, just think about it for a second. Look what he wanted to know, then take a look at who’s all going.”

  A muddled, ‘Oh my God,’ escaped Frank.

  “Exactly.”

  Frank ran his hand over his face. “I didn’t think of that.”

  “Neither did I until right now. Right at this very moment.” Dean’s hand clenched in an emotional fist and upon releasing it, his fingers played with the edging of the placemat.

  “My father . . . he’ll be able to do this, right?” Frank asked.

  “I think . . . I think your father needs to do this. He needs to do it for many reasons, for his kids, for himself, and for completion.”

  “Of his life,” Frank whispered out.

  “But . . . I somehow don’t think your father will ever see that.”

  “Completion? Nah.” Frank shook his head. “Things will never, ever be complete for the Slagels. Never.” Frank’s voice dropped lower. “Not without Jimmy.”

  “I think, in my opinion that you, of all the Slagels, have the least completion.”

  Frank only raised his eyebrows. “Jimmy. Johnny. Ellen. Brian.” His voice cracked on the final name.

  “There still may be completion on Brian.”

  Frank let out a chuckle of disbelief. “You said yourself that in the future you learned Brian doesn’t make it.”

  “Through errors on my part, he didn’t make it. Perhaps those errors can and have, maybe, been corrected.”

  Quickly Frank looked up.

  “Don’t give up on me,” Dean said. “Not yet. Not on that.”

  Softly, Frank spoke, “OK.”

  “One other thing . . . .” Dean slowly stood up. “Man, I can’t believe I’m gonna say this.” Through his parted lips, Dean breathed out slowly and ran his hand over the top of his head. “There is nothing I can do about Jimmy or Johnny but there is something that I can do about someone else.” He paused. “Ellen. I love her Frank. With every ounce of my soul, being, and heart, I love her.”