Blink of an Eye: Beginnings Series Book 8

by Jacqueline Druga

  “How can I not. I live in this house.”

  “Don’t,” Henry stated then received an odd look from Frank. “I’m not talking forever, Frank. I’m talking a few days, maybe even a week or so. But get out of this house. Go somewhere else. Take my house if you’d like. Hell, maybe even pitch a tent somewhere and hang out. Take Ellen, perhaps that’s what you both need.”

  “Pitch a tent?” Frank asked.

  “Oh sure. We have all this land. Seclude yourself. Heal.”

  “Like a vacation.” Frank’s eyes lit up. “You may have a good idea.”

  “You know I’m the idea man, Frank.”

  “Yeah but ...” Frank released Brian’s blanket. “El wouldn’t go for it.”

  “Tell her she has to.”

  “But what about the kids?”

  “They’ll be fine. How far can you take her, really.”

  “Not far.”

  “Exactly.” Henry nodded.

  “Pitch a tent. Seclusion.” Frank stood up. “Thanks, Henry. I might just do that. What do you think about taking El and surprising her with it.”

  Henry crinkled his face. “I don’t know, Frank. You should talk to her first about it.”

  “We’ll see what the moment brings right? But I do know.” Frank looked around the room. “I need to get away from this house for little while. At this point in my life, it hurts too bad.”

  “I know that.” Henry laid his hand on Frank’s back as they walked out. “Did you want me to find you a spot. I have some great ideas.”

  “No, I think I know where I want to go. Thanks, Henry. Let’s get to that meeting.”

  Henry was glad his on-the-spot suggestion was helping Frank. And where ever he took Ellen, the Underdeveloped Section, the area near the cliff, or maybe even ‘the hill’ wherever it was, Henry was certain it would help both Frank and Ellen.

  <><><><>

  They were in the Communications room. John Matoose sat in a chair, holding a telephone. Joe stood behind John, a earphone in his ear to eavesdrop. Frank stood watching the indicating screen, waiting for John to place the call so they could get an exact location on George. Henry stood by the computer, he turned off the signal alarms and he just waited to read where the signal would come from.

  There was one more man in the room. A man by the name of Jess Boyan. He was a defector, he gained a sense of Joe’s trust during the recent virus crisis. And he was there to say whether or not, John was calling the main headquarters. A trust assurance, Joe called him. John had lost all of Joe’s trust and at that second, Joe wouldn’t put it past John to lie again.

  “Make the call,” Joe told John.

  John took a deep breath and dialed, bringing the phone to his ear, he looked at Frank. “It’s ringing.”

  George answered the phone, and when he did, Joe looked up, snapping his finger to Henry to get ready.

  “Hello,” George said gruff.

  “George, it’s ...”

  “Don’t you dare call me again, or my personal line, you hear. I’m finished with you. Finished.” George disconnected the call immediately.

  Joe still looked at John and he took off the earphone from his ear harshly. “Did we get it?”

  Frank only pointed to the flash on the board. “We got it.” He turned to Henry. “Where is it coming from, we know the east.”

  “South of Washington D.C. it says.” Henry looked up with question on his face. “Quantico Marine Headquarters, Frank.”

  Frank’s eyes widened. “That place is huge.” He faced Jess. “Is that where you were at?”

  “I guess. I know it was near D.C., big place. But, Frank, that’s not his only site, I don’t know where the other ones are, but I know there were several divisions.”

  Frank shrugged. “Yeah but if we take out Quantico, take out the heart, we dismantle the whole being.”

  “How?” Joe asked. “We don’t have the air abilities to fly all the way over there. Ground troops, storm in?”

  Frank nodded. “A few soldiers, scientists, right amount of men, we can do that.”

  Jess had to disagree and he did it verbally. “You haven’t a clue, do you. You can’t storm the place with troops. There aren’t just a few soldiers and scientists. Hell it’s a city. You’re talking from what I have seen ... you’re talking tens of thousands.”

  “Dear God,” Joe gasped when he heard what Jess had to say. Words he felt he had to believe. “How big is this thing we’re up against?” With that thought Joe sat down and another immediately crossed his mind. With the size that George had grown and all the places he supposedly had, how did Beginnings survive this long?

  <><><><>

  George put down the antenna on his cellular phone. More like slammed it down. It was bad timing on John Matoose’s part to call him right then and there. George stood on the street of Quantico looking at the forty-one men who stood before him. That was it. That was all that remained of is four hundred and seventy men he had sent to Beginnings. And he only had them because these were the ones that ran when they heard the helicopters coming.

  Having been informed by them that twenty-eight defected, one of which they shot, George grew even more angrier. Not only did Beginnings beat his virus, but they now had some of his men. So much like the villain at the end of a Scooby-Doo episode, George felt. Wanting to say he would have gotten away with it had it not been for those pesky kids. And to him, Dean was the biggest pesky kid. But he was a pesky kid that George now wanted on his side of the country. And he knew he could only get Dean if he got Beginnings.

  A battle lost. A war not over. Not by a long shot. And if George wanted Beginnings back, and the assets that it had, he would have to go back to his square one plan of thinking. That was his best chance. And probably his easiest. George’s mind immediately went back into action thinking of how he would pull it off. He was certain he could do it. There would be no chemicals. No firearms, no virus or destruction. He knew he would get back Beginnings and he was going to do it ... from within their very own walls.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  AUGUST 26

  Henry looked up from the where he lay on his living room floor when he heard Ellen coming down the steps. He rolled to his side, a little away from Nick who laid with him to look at her. “You leaving?”

  “Yes. Look how cute Nick is.”

  “Check this out, El. He’s doing things. Look he can lift his head.” Henry indicated to Nick. Nick turned with a strained face as he lifted his head, then it quickly plopped back down. “Maybe not.”

  Ellen chuckled. “Give him time.”

  “I think he was talking, El.”

  “Henry, he’s two months old. He’s not talking.”

  “Why do you suppose he can’t keep his head up. Is it too heavy for his body. It doesn’t look like he has a big head. But then again they say people with big heads are smarter. Does Dean have a big head?”

  “No. Just unkempt hair.”

  “I’ve made a suggestion to him you know.”

  “So have I.” Just as Ellen lowered herself to the floor, there was a knock at the door. “Must be Frank.”

  Henry looked at his watch. “He’s early.”

  “I think he wants to call it an early night.” Ellen walked to the door. “He said something about getting an early start.” She opened it and smiled when she saw Frank standing there. He didn’t dress like his typical self. Instead of his usual military pants and white tee shit, he wore a black tee shirt and jeans. “My goodness, Frank. Out of uniform?”

  “Yeah, they’re my date clothes.”

  Ellen shook her head with a smile and opened the door wider.

  Frank stepped inside. “Hey, Henry.”

  Henry rolled onto his stomach and then to his knees. “Before you take her, Frank. Can I talk to her for a second?”

  “Sure.” Frank shrugged.

  Henry stood up. “El, can you come in the kitchen.”

  Ellen, puzzled, followed.

  Fr
ank looked down at Nick. “Henry, you can’t leave a baby on the floor like this. Someone will step on him.” He lowered himself to lay next to Nick. “I let him watch you and he mistreats you. Hey ...” Frank called out to the kitchen. “He’s lifting his head.” He heard the plop of Nick hitting the carpet. “Maybe not.”

  “What’s wrong, Henry?” Ellen asked as they stood in the kitchen.

  “I need you to do me a favor.”

  “Sure.”

  “I need you to come back early tonight.”

  “I told you Frank wanted to call it an early night.”

  “OK.” Henry nodded. “But in case he changes his mind, can you be back early. Every night, El, it’s either you helping Dean, talking to him. Or you helping Frank, talking to him. You’re staying here to get yourself back on track. You haven’t been doing that.”

  “Henry.”

  “No listen to me. You have to take time yourself. OK? You have to say, ‘I’m tired of being there for everyone else, I just want someone to be there for me’. I worry about you. I see you, I watch you. Can you do this tonight?”

  “I promise.” She held up her hand. “I’ll see you in a little bit.”

  Henry smiled at her, watching her walk from the kitchen, meet up with Frank and then eventually leave. Henry couldn’t wait for her to return home. Wanting to pass time, make it go faster, Henry figured he’d work on something, that always helped. So he walked out of the dining room, around the couch and out his front door He thought Mechanics was a good place to start. Pulling his front door closed, Henry stood on his porch with an overwhelming feeling that he was forgetting something. Shrugging it off and figuring it would come to him later, Henry moved on to Mechanics.

  <><><><>

  Dean pulled the door closed to the mobile lab, he teetered a huge box which he carried with him to the jeep that parked there. There were other boxes in the keep, all virus material. And Dean was going to use this night, since Joe had the kids, to finally put the virus to bed. He took another look at the mobile lab thinking about how long it would be until he went back there. He liked that lab, but he wouldn’t miss it. Because that lab was too much of painful reminder to Dean of things that virus that took so much from him.

  <><><><>

  Henry paced. He paced in worry and he paced in anger. Ellen had promised him that she would be home, and there it was after four a.m. and she still wasn’t there. What made matters worse was that Henry toted Nick out of the house to check at Frank’s four times in the last five hours. And every time he went there, Josh said the same thing, they weren’t there.

  Having waited long enough, Henry tried it again, Where else could they be. Josh had to be mistaken. Knocking again, Henry waited. It took a little longer for the door to answer, Josh looked so perturbed with his messy hair, scratching his head in the open door.

  “What, Henry.” he whined. “And like you should you be dragging that baby out.”

  “Josh, where is your dad and Ellen.”

  “They’re not here.”

  “Are you sure?” Henry asked. “Maybe they went upstairs.”

  “No, I know they aren’t here.”

  “Maybe you were sleeping when ...”

  “Henry!” Josh rolled his half closed eyes. “I said, I know they aren’t here. I know this. I know this.”

  “OK. But when you see them can you tell them I’m a little pissed off. And if I don’t hear from them soon, I’m going to Joe.”

  “Why?” Josh asked.

  “Because I don’t know where they are.”

  “Maybe there’s a clue in his note.”

  “What note?” Henry asked.

  “The one that’s one the table for you.”

  “Josh,” Henry scolded. “Why didn’t you tell me about the note sooner.” Henry walked into the house looking around.

  “I wasn’t allowed. Dad said wait until morning.”

  “Wait until ...” Henry saw the note. Awkwardly while juggling a sleeping Nick he opened up Frank’s note. “Aw.” Henry stomped his foot. “Shit.” Shaking his head and holding the note he moved to the door. “Wait until I tell Joe.” So upset, Henry left Frank’s house.

  <><><><>

  Dean kept telling himself that he was given a second chance. How he prayed all those years to be able to make up for failing to save the world the first time around. But he did this time. He pulled through. But unfortunately for Dean, it wasn’t without loss and without the breaking of his heart.

  Sitting in the clinic lab, tossing out notes he no longer needed, reading over them one last time, Dean grew more frustrated by the minute. Why did his gut keep telling him he was missing something? What was the reason behind it? How did everything so similar to the future he visited, differ in the most important of ways. When he needed it to be the same.

  Tossing out a large stack of papers, Dean moved to the refrigerator to begin hitting the samples. When he opened it up, his eyes went immediately to the rack of labeled tubes of blood. It sat on the second shelf, in the same angle, with the same amount of tubes, the same names. All the same as the time he opened up that refrigerator in the future. And one of those same names stared at him. Jenny Matoose. In his handwriting, looking exactly like the one he took from the future. So how did the sample end up being different? Dean paused in his reaching for the rack. “Maybe they’re not,” Dean spoke out loud, snatching Jenny’s tube from the rack. The blood he tested from the future was from that exact same rack, the exact same spot. How could the blood from the future have the host virus, and the Jenny’s blood from the present not. Not when everything else fell right into place. Jenny’s blood was the missing link, it was the piece of the puzzle that did not fit. And right there, Dean began to test it, hoping that finally he could fit that piece of the puzzle into the entire picture and close his book on the virus once and for all.

  <><><><>

  “Christ, Henry, it’s four thirty in the morning,” Joe snapped as he answered the door in just his checkered pajama bottoms. “And why are you dragging that baby around.”

  “Joe, we have a problem.” Henry walked into his hose. “Nice PJ’s.”

  Joe grumbled. “What’s our problem?”

  “Your son, Joe. He’s an asshole.”

  “What?” Joe closed one eye to block out the brightness when Henry turned on the light.

  “He’s an asshole, Joe.” Henry laid Nick on the couch. “He left Beginnings and he took Ellen with him.”

  “Oh he did not. You’re full of shit.”

  “No, I’m not, Joe. Look.” He handed Joe the note.

  Joe walked to the coffee table, put on his glasses and began to read the note out loud. “Henry, I left Beginnings. And whether she likes it or not, I took Ellen with me. Thanks Frank.” Joe lowered the note. “Shit.”

  “See, Joe. See.”

  “Calm down.” Joe held out his hand. “I really don’t think Frank left.”

  “He said he did. I can’t find him, Joe.”

  “First of all, how would they get out? Second, where would he go? He’s hiding somewhere in Beginnings. This is a big place. He’s doing this to throw you off.”

  “He took her. I know he took. I told him to take her camping, I didn’t mean for him to do it outside of Beginnings.”

  “He didn’t leave Beginnings.” Joe heard the light tapping on his front door. “And why is Dean knocking on my door at this hour.”

  “Oh no.”

  “What, Henry?” Joe asked annoyed as he walked to the door.

  “Oh, Dean will be mad. Frank took Ellen from Beginnings.”

  “He didn’t take Ellen.” Joe opened up the door. “Dean, what is it?”

  “We have a problem, Joe.” Dean stormed in. “A big problem.”

  “See!” Henry pointed. “See!”

  Joe hunched down, holding his hands up. “Quiet, the kids are sleeping.”

  Dean looked at Henry. “You know?”

  “Yes I know,” Henry said. “I just fou
nd out.”

  “How?” Dean was puzzled.

  “I read Frank’s note.”

  “How does Frank know?” Dean was puzzled.

  “He would have to know, Dean.” Henry walked to him. “Wouldn’t he? Especially if he took Ellen and they left Beginnings.”

  Dean rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Not that again, Henry. Frank didn’t leave Beginnings.”

  “Yes he did, Dean.” Henry handed him the note. “Look.”

  Dean’s head bobbed back and forth as he read it. “He’s hiding somewhere.” He handed Henry the note back. “He’s still here. And we have bigger fish to fry. Joe. We have a big problem. One that we didn’t know we even had.”

  Joe tossed his hands up. “Wanna keep me in suspense, Dean, or would you like to share.”

  “Ready for this, Joe,” Dean began to explain. “I’m cleaning out the mobile lab and the clinic lab, trying to file away all the virus things. And I keep getting this feeling that we missed something. Every single sequence of events, even down to Frank’s illness happened. It happened just like in the future. What was bothering me the most, was that we planned that if that happened, we always would have Jenny’s blood to fall back on as a host. But Jenny didn’t have the host. Or at least we thought.” At that instant he saw he had Joe’s full attention. “Just when I was about to get rid of the samples, I looked at that rack of blood. Same names, same position, everything, so why wouldn’t Jenny’s blood be the same. And it dawned on me that errors could be made. There were a lot of patients coming into the clinic when Jenny and the baby came in. Five or six. I took a tube of Jenny’s blood and called out for someone to finish while I chased Ellen. Someone, I don’t know who, we had five people taking blood, took her blood for me. When I ran the tests. I ran it off the tube of blood the other person took. But the tube in the rack was the one I took. I put it there from my own pocket. Just like I must have done it in the future. And had I run the tests off the tube I took, we would have had the cure a day earlier. The future wasn’t wrong. The sequence of events did not change. Jenny did have the host virus after all.”