He waited for Creed to get his footing then Frank charged. He could have barreled into Creed, sailed him back, and taken advantage of his startled state, but Frank didn’t. He skidded to a sideways stop just before Creed and paused.
He allowed Creed to get his bearings then, with a wide arrogant grin and a fast sweep forward of his left hand, Frank pelted him with the handful of dirt that he had picked up in his run, then followed through with a hard right hit.
Creed’s face jolted and Frank hit him again, then again. Seeing it coming, Frank ducked the wide right swing that Creed threw. A second duck from Frank preceded his uprising with a hard upper cut that sent Creed teetering back, but it wasn’t time for the giant to fall.
Frank attacked with such high speed. A pivot right and then an elbow shot into Creed’s gut. In Creed’s slight bend over, Frank swept out his leg behind Creed, blasted into the big man’s knees, and buckled him. As he began to fall, Frank grabbed Creed’s hair and careened him down hard, face first, to his lifted knee.
Creed literally bounced back up and when he did, like a well rehearsed ballet, Frank jumped with a turn of his body, hooked his arm around Creed’s neck from behind, and with the force of his own body weight, Frank brought them both down to the ground.
He released Creed as they hit, allowing Creed to spring from his back to his stomach. Before Creed could move, rest, or twitch, Frank was in the hover he had taken many times before with other opponents.
Frank locked it.
With his right knee dug hard into Creed’s back, Frank hooked his left onto Creed’s arm, pinning him as swept around his arm in a brace to his head. Before arching Creed’s neck for a free audience view, Frank reached into his drawstring pants and pulled out the pocket knife.
Breath heavy, voice raspy, Frank smiled as he spoke to Creed, “I could break your neck or slice your throat. You choose. Either way, it’s over. You lost.”
Creed couldn’t move.
“Choose.” Frank bellowed out. “Or say it.”
Creed said nothing. The quiet in the arena added to the moment.
“Pick!” Frank screamed and added more of a drastic arch to Creed’s neck.
Creed closed his eyes. “You win! Do what you want.”
Frank smiled. “I’m better than this.” With a final push of Creed’s face to the dirt, Frank stood up and started to walk away.
“Wait,” Creed called out as he lifted himself.
Frank stopped and turned around.
Creed wiped the blood from his face, then pushed his hair from his eyes as he stepped to Frank. “You didn’t kill me.” Slowly, he walked to Frank with an extended hand.
Frank stared at the hand.
“It’s clean. I extend it to you,” Creed said. “You are the better man.”
A hard to hide smirk hit Frank’s face and he swung out his hand in a shake to Creed. With a wink, Frank leaned into him. “I am.” With Creed’s laugh, Frank released his hand and headed to his family.
Joe, Ellen, and Billy made their way from the spectator box as Frank walked to them with a focused stride.
He didn’t get there without hassle. Out from the stands, with bellowing screams, leaped Robbie and Hal, slamming Frank with their bodies.
“Fuckin great, Frank!” Robbie screamed with a jumping embrace.
“Man, you had me scared, big brother.” Hal swept him up in a hug. “I eat my words. Even though, you know, I could have toppled him.”
“No doubt,” Frank said.
“Frank.” Elliott gave a single impressed shake of his head. “Awesome.”
“Do you three morons mind?” Joe called out, breaking up the gathering. “Ellen would like to see Frank.”
They parted from him, giving Frank full view of Ellen. He extended his arms, took a step, and lifted up Billy.
“Hey!” Ellen blinked in surprise.
Frank shrieked excitedly as he hugged Billy. “You saved me. You hear that. You are the reason. I owe you.” Frank kissed him.
“OK. OK.” Billy winced. “Everyone’s watching.”
“I don’t care.” Frank kept Billy in his arms, then smiling, leaned to Ellen and kissed her quick, “Hey, El. Oh, yeah, remind me to tell you how we’re gonna be married when we get home.”
“Huh?” Ellen asked then looked at Hal.
Hal groaned. “Here we go again.”
Joe slipped in, and gave a fatherly ‘proud’ kiss to Frank’s cheek. “Hell of a job.”
“You rule, Uncle Frank.” Billy smiled. “You’re the coolest.”
“Nah.” Frank shook his head. “Not the coolest. Not yet. There’s something I need first.”
^^^^^
Hal let out tiny female sounding peeps of shrieks as he jumped and banged into the truck. “Knock it off, Frank!” He brushed off his chest and shivered.
Frank laughed and looked down at the black glove he wore. “Man, now I’m the coolest.” He walked over to where Joe stood with Creed. “Hey, Creed. Thanks.” He held up his gloved hand.
“No problem, Frank. Enjoy them. Remember to charge them every night or you’ll lose juice when you need them. Also . . .”Creed explained, “When you work up the surge, the longer you work it, it the more potent it is.”
Joe had to ask, “One more time, in front of me, what is the potency limit?”
“Anymore than thirty seconds work up will kill the average size man,” Creed said. “A snap of your finger will work up enough to be annoying.”
Frank smiled. “Thanks.” He started to leave.
“You heard the man, Frank,” Joe said. “Don’t be hitting your brothers with more than thirty seconds just to test it.”
“They’re above average size,” Frank said. “Hey, Elliott.” He waited for Elliott to turn around. Frank snapped then threw.
Elliott shrieked when the tiny ball hit him. “Stop it!”
“Hal!” Frank called.
“No.” Hal shook his head. “Don’t . . .ow!” he grunted. “Asshole.”
Joe shook his head. “Anyway, as I was saying, I let our people know we will be out of communication until we reach radio range, but don’t be surprised if they call.”
“I understand,” Creed said.
“Keep charging that phone. Don’t forget,” Joe told him. “We need communications open.”
“I’ll work on getting more wireless phones working. It may take some time. I do not have the technical man power, but I do have the man power to get the railroad tracks in order. I will begin on that immediately.”
“Good. Good.” Joe nodded. “We want a quicker means of access here. Fixing the railways will open that up. We aren’t gonna be able to hold back the Society for long and we will need every resource we can get.”
“We’re at your disposal,” Creed said.
“And we, yours.” Joe extended his hand. “Good luck. We’ll be in touch.”
“I look forward to it. Good journey.” Creed shook hands with Joe just as he heard Hal shriek again. Creed chuckled. “I will say it should be in interesting trip home.”
“Yeah, it should be.” Joe smiled. “Home.”
^^^^^
Out of breath and sweaty, Johnny knocked on Lars’ office door at the hospital.
Lars looked up with a smile. “Afternoon.”
“Hey, Lars.” Johnny stepped inside. “Michael said you wanted to see me.”
“You look tired. Are you?”
“No, just worked up.” Johnny shook his head. “I carried all kinds of ammunition from the warehouse to another then Michael tells me I have to take it back because he changed his mind. But of course that was after he had me run three miles so he could time me.”
“Did he?” Lars asked.
“No, he forgot.”
“Good and he made you run again?”
“Um, yeah.” Johnny caught his breath. “Is this a torture thing?”
“No.” Lars chuckled.
“Are you firing me from the clinic?”
�
��Good heavens, no.” Lars shook his head. “I need you. But right now, I need you for something else.”
“What’s that?” Johnny asked.
“Give me twenty four hours, Johnny. You want to go home, my boy back to your family, back to their good graces,” Lars spoke with a soft smile. “I think, if I am correct, I can very much hand that to you.”
Johnny didn’t even need to know how or why. At that moment, it wasn’t important. If Lars thought he had a way to get Johnny back to Beginnings, then Lars could have him for as long as he wanted.
^^^^^^
Watching Billy was a rush of sound and feeling that Joe hadn’t had in so long, and it filled him more in a different way.
Joe never really thought about sand. but he did as he watched Billy try to move in it, dart to the edge of the ocean, get a little frightened, and then rush back.
“Got another shell, Pap!” Billy held up a shell. “This is so cool!”
‘Yeah, it is,’ Joe thought and he lowered himself to sit on the beach and watch.
“I’m telling you, Elliott,” Hal walked as he spoke, “You didn’t notice.”
“No, explain it to me,” Elliott said.
“The sand, should have been virgin. Now granted there is a lot more growth on the beach as opposed to one that was maintained, however . . . who made the footsteps?”
“Maybe it was those people that Robbie ran into.”
“You have an answer for everything, don’t you?” Hal snapped.
“No,” Elliott spoke seriously. “No, I don’t because if I did, I would have an answer as to why, even with the world ended, why life cannot be . .. “ He motioned his hand out. “This simple.”
Hal stared for a second, then nodded slowly. “That is a deep question, and big too. I have your answer.”
Elliott sensed it and with a look of debate, he chuckled. “Go on.”
“Life cannot be this simple because it would be . . . boring, Elliott. Life would be boring.” Hal shook his head “Good God, get out of the clouds. Who in God’s name wants to tromp on a beach all day . . . boring.”
It figured to Elliott that the Captain would have a response like that. After all, he was a Slagel and any day without some sort of action was a boring day to them.
“I’m telling you, El.” Frank held his hand to her to help her climb over a rock.
“Frank,” she laughed his name. “You’re ridiculous.”
Frank huffed in a dramatic sense. “Me? Please. Dean said.”
“Dean did not say.”
“He did.” Frank stood firm.
“I’m finally getting home and he is just giving me to you?”
“Yes.”
“Right.” Ellen shook her head and continued walking.
Frank took her arm. “Would it be that bad?” he asked seriously as he turned her to face him. “If Dean gave you up? If he let me be primary, would it be that bad?”
Ellen stared at him. “No, Frank, it wouldn’t.”
“You would do it?” Frank questioned. “You’d go ahead with it?”
“Frank,” Ellen laughed. “It’s a pointless question. Dean will not do that. You make it sound as if he’s giving up everything and just handing it to you on a silver platter.”
“He wants to be with Misha.”
“No he does not. Did he tell you this?”
“I sensed it.” Frank pointed to his temple.
“You’re off because of that shock wave. I’m sorry.” Ellen shrugged. “I don’t buy it.”
“You’ll see.” Frank reached down and grasped her hand. “What if you’re wrong?”
“I’m not wrong.”
“What if?”
“Then I’m wrong. But I’m not.”
“Bet.”
Another hearty laugh came from Ellen and she faced him. “Bet? What is this? OK, I’ll bet. What do you want to bet?”
“If you’re right and I’m wrong, I will . .. I will, aside from sexually service you when needed, ” Frank winked. “I will come over every night for a month and bathe the kids. You hate that.”
“I do but you do it anyhow. Try something else.”
“I’ll help be a lab experiment. How’s that?”
Ellen smiled. “For any samples?”
“Yes.”
“Urine, blood . . . sperm?”
Frank cringed. “Yes.”
“OK, then but what about you?”
“All right. If I’m right, and I am . . .” Frank paused for a moment. “Marry me.”
‘What?”
“You marry me. OK? Give us, as a married couple, another chance. Keep the promise you made before the Society took me. Take back the only name that should be yours. Slagel. Marry me as soon as possible. Will you?”
Ellen hesitated, gave a look of debate, and then she smiled. “Deal.” She extended her hand.
Frank grabbed it, kissed it, then turned to face everyone. “Hey! We’re getting married!”
Hal whimpered, “Father, can you not help get him out the fantasy world he has built?”
“It’s disturbing, I know,” Joe said.
Elliott showed his disbelief. “I can’t believe you two. How do you know? How do you know he’s not right?”
“He isn’t,” Joe stated.
“Elliott,” Hal spoke in a pacifying manner. “Listen, I know it is wishful thinking on your part, because somewhere in that mind of yours, you hold out hope that my brother will give you an understanding. After all, you have painfully taken steps to be a Frank mini-me. However . . . he, like you, lives in a delusional world. He’s as insane as . . .” Hal held out his hand in a point and gave a ‘there’ look. “Robbie. Only an insane person would swim in the ocean at these temperatures. Aren't you cold?” He asked snidely to Robbie.
“Free-free-freezing.” Robbie shivered.
Joe handed him a blanket. “Go change before you catch cold.”
Robbie smiled. “Thanks, Dad.”
“Insane.” Hal pointed as Robbie walked away. “Soaking wet, fifty degrees. Insane.” He then pointed to Elliot. “You too.”
“Maybe you’re the one that is delusional,” Elliott said.
“Hardly,” Hal argued.
“What if Frank’s right?”
“He’s not.”
“What if?”
“Elliott . . .” Hal sang the name. “I will bet you anything . . .”
“Ranking.”
Hal was taken aback. “What was that?”
“You up my ranking. I’m tired of being a sergeant.”
“Really, Elliot, you have to get over that.”
“A captain. Make me a captain.”
“No fuckin way, I’m the only captain. But I will up your rank past sergeant. I am so confident that Dean is not giving up Ellen, that I will even allow for you to be leader of New Bowman, and I answer to you, for one week.”
“You’re on.” Elliott held out his hand.
“But if I’m right,” Hal raised an eyebrow. “Never ask for a promotion again.”
“You’re on.” Elliott was certain.
“Ah, look, El,” Frank’s voice interceded. “They’re holding hands like us.”
“Asshole.” Hal glared.
“You ready?” Joe asked. “I want to get going and get Robbie warmed up.”
“No,” Ellen answered. “I love it here. Joe, can’t we move Beginnings? Can’t we build some sort of walls out here? This is so beautiful.”
“I wouldn’t want to,” Joe replied. “Cage it in? No, Ellen, you picture this in your mind. You keep this peacefulness. You make it a dream to be able to walk on the beach at anytime, because I truly believe that dream will become a reality. If we build a wall around it, we cage in that dream. If we do that . . . “ Joe winked at Hal. “Then what the hell is my son fighting so hard for?” He put his arm around her. “Let’s go home.”
Hal smiled and within that smile was a gloating look hard to hide. “Notice how my father picked me as the focal point
for building dreams.” He raised his eyebrows. “What’s that tell you, Elliott?”
Frank, with his hands on his hips, hesitated before following. “Now that isn’t fair. Dad! That’s not fair. I’m fighting hard too. I beat God!”
They kept walking.
Frank looked down at Billy, who just stood there. “Is that fair?”
“No, Uncle Frank. They give you no credit. Like me. That’s why we get along so well now.”
“True.”
“Yep,” Billy exhaled. “Think of it this way. We’re two men who stand alone.”
“We are.”
“We are individuals.”
“Man, are you nailing us,” Frank said.
“We need no praise.”
“That is so true,” Frank agreed.
“Let’s hold our heads up, Uncle Frank. We need no help from anyone.”
“We don’t. Ready to go?”
“Yes, but . . .” Billy looked up. “Can you carry me? This sand stuff is getting on my nerves.”
Frank laughed, “Absolutely,” With a sweep of Billy up into his arms, Frank kissed him, then tucked him like a football and took off running.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
January 30th
Hal had reached his point of tolerance in listening to Frank say, “I told you so’ and Elliott whispering, “Would that be Major Ryder?’
Where were they getting it from Hal wondered. Why were they making such conclusions. To Hal, it was premature. They had just pulled into the back gate. Then again, Ellen had been gone for over a month. Where was Dean? No one was there to greet them. Hal took stock in the fact that Robbie was gone for a while too, and no one was there to meet him. Perhaps Mark didn’t convey the radio message that they were ten minutes from home.
“I’m sure there’s a logical explanation.” Joe laid his hand on Ellen’s shoulder as they stood before the truck.
“Um, no,” Billy said. “There is no explanation for my father’s absence at this moment. None. This is his wife. Hello?”
The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20 Page 322
