The Horse Soldier: Beginnings Series Book 10 (42 page)

“He won’t share Joe.” Henry said. “And I even gave him his sight back.”

Dean’s hand slammed on the arm of the chair. “I knew it. I knew one day you would throw that in my face. That is so like you. When you had that huge nasty cold sore on your face, I helped you get rid of that. You don’t hear me throwing that back at you.”

“Ha!” Henry ridiculed. “I hardly see a comparison Dean. I gave you back your sight. I’d rather have a cold sore then be blind.”

“Oh yeah! Obviously then you didn’t see how bad you looked.”

Slam!

The loud shutting of Joe’s office door made Dean and Henry turn around and it alerted them to the fact Joe had left.

“See Dean.” Henry stood up. “You made Joe leave.” He hurried to the door. “I’m gonna catch him and tell him the news first.”

“Don’t Henry.” Dean warned. “We decided to do this together.”

“Too bad. I changed my mind. Ha!” With that as his final word, Henry flung open Joe’s office door and bolted out. Not wanting Henry to beat him to the punch, Dean quickly ensued behind.

^^^^

One main thought ran through Robbie’s mind as he made final evening rounds in the community . . . George better get his ass in gear and call Dean so they could get a move on bringing Frank back home. Robbie was really getting tired of being head of security especially when he had to do rounds like he was stuck doing at that moment. He worked all day. He didn’t want to work nights too, making sure all buildings, front and back were secure. Besides mind-bitching about Frank and George--and Henry, just because--Robbie bitched about Dan. He was supposed to be doing these rounds. He volunteered to do them when Steve called off for the knee problem Robbie thought was borderline ridiculous. There was no reason Dan couldn’t do the rounds. Just because he got hit with a sudden case of intestinal flu didn’t mean he couldn’t work. There wasn’t a bathroom anywhere in center town that would be too far for Dan to run to.

Making his final sweep was when Robbie saw it. The back door to the chapel
was open. It was odd because the back door of the chapel was never used. No lighting back there made it unsafe--walking wise. It was ajar and, according to Robbie’s schedule of time, no one was to be in there. Thinking ‘finally a problem to perk things up’, Robbie walked in though the door. He passed Rev. Bob’s office. The light was on and the door was open to there as well. He peeked his head in and as he retraced it outward he noticed on the desk that the yearbooks were no longer there. ‘Bonus’ kept racing though Robbie’s mind, anticipating telling his father of the guilty move of the yearbooks. But first, Robbie had to do his job. Stepping toward the main part of the chapel, Robbie heard the voices. He would have gone further in but instead he moved back.

“I should be leaving now.” Andrea said. “I’ll go back out the back.”

“There really isn’t any need, Andrea, but let me walk you. I’ll leave that way too.” Rev. Bob told her.

“Thank you.”

‘Shit!’
Robbie heard them coming and quickly darted back into Rev. Bob’s office.

“Remember
, Bob,” Andrea spoke as they passed his office, “some secrets are best kept hidden.”

“Thank you for telling me that
, Andrea.” Rev. Bob blindly reached into his office, flicked off the light and pulled the door closed. He checked the lock.

In the dark office
, Robbie stood cringing at what he heard. There could be a hundred explanations for what conversation transpired between Reverend Bob and Andrea and Robbie promised himself he would keep that in mind. But first he would finish his rounds and find his father to inform him of what had just transpired.

^^^^

Hal’s elbows rested on his desk and his fingers massaged his temples as he stared down at the marked maps before him. “Two.” He raised his eyes to the scout that stood before him. “This one here. Wyoming
is too small but, this one in Calgary, Canada bothers me.”

“Too close to Beginnings
,” The scout stated.

“That’s why they keep getting hit. How many did you say there were?” Hal pulled the scout’s notes close
r and squinted his eyes, blocking out the tension headache that built.

“Too many to count. It looked like an Indian reservation. Tents. Fires. Animal hides drying out.”

“And what made you and the other scout draw the conclusion that this was a savage camp?”

“Sir?”

“Sorry. Wildcats.” Hal studied the information.

“They had found a man
, sir and . . . besides the look we know well, the fact that this man was cooked on a fire like a pig gave it way. He was still partially clothed.”

Hal swallowed. “The whole town?”

“What was left of it. As you can see in our report . . .” The scout pointed. “They had pretty much wiped out the buildings outside of Calgary and set up camp.”

“Why there?” Hal thought out loud. “Why there
?”

“Mountainous range. Safety. Well hidden. We wouldn’t have found them had we not followed a pack of four back there. They . . . they speak their own language
, sir. All the details are in my notes.”

“And they didn’t appear to be moving?” Hal questioned.

“No sir.”

“O.K.” Hal handed the scout his notes back. “I head to Beginnings in three days. I need you to work on a very detailed report of both camps. The Calgary one and the smaller one you discovered by accident. I need your observation, approximate head counts
, what you saw as weapons, and lifestyles. You hid for two days. You know this, so report as much as you can come up with. I will give you better maps to draw what you and Tom saw as well.”

“Yes sir.” The scout took his notes and nodded. “I will give you what I have daily and should you have any questions
, just ask. That way I can have the completed report ready for when you leave.”

“Thank you.”

Giving Hal a departure salute, the scout left the office.

Hal looked at the map that remained in front of him. Hal was aware of Savage camps and he knew Beginnings was aware of them also
, but Hal was willing to wager, like him, Beginnings had no idea of the organization and size of camp so close to the border of the state they call home.

^^^^

He remembered the melody well, but the words were a little lost. In Frank’ mind, as he lay on his bed still awake, he replaced those words. He would do anything at that moment to make the visual in his mind more real. Him and Ellen.

He held her in his arms, a memory that had happened years before.
They danced slowly to a song that everyone griped was on the jukebox. A song Frank thought was annoying at first, until he started to pay attention to the words and then the song became special.

Though a tad different in his head, the words still meant the same and the memory frustrated Frank even more. He flung the covers from him and slipped out of bed
, adjusting his boxer shorts. He moved across the dark room and turned on the light. Rubbing his eyes then scratching his head, Frank walked over to his dresser. He caught a glimpse of his reflection and his hair that was tossed about. “Fuckin’ hair.” As he patted it, his eyes shifted down. He saw what he wanted resting against the mirror. With the song so strong in his head Frank lifted the photograph that he sought out, needing to see. He pulled it closer to his view. His eyes closed only briefly and he let out a long heavy sigh, staring at it. “I miss you El. I miss you so much.”

^^^^

Ellen’s head sprang up and then her body slowly rose from her seat on the couch. How odd. She was just thinking of that song and now she heard it? Or was it her imagination? Ignoring Dean and Henry’s call of her name, in a trance-like state Ellen followed the music. It took her from the
living room into the hall and to Josh’s room. She did hear it. Josh was playing that song. How did he get it?

Her hand gripped on to the archway outside of Josh’s room as she drifted into the slow song that played. Without realizing it, while thinking of Frank, her head leaned into the door frame. She closed her eyes. Thoughts of Frank hit her as she got lost in the music. The feeling of missing him was so strong at that moment her chest actually ached.

Ellen was entranced. She never heard the music stop playing or Dean and Henry call that it was ‘her turn’ in Monopoly. She never heard the bedroom door. If she had, perhaps Josh’s shriek of surprise when he saw her wouldn’t have started Ellen into screaming just as loudly as him.

“Mom.” Josh grabbed his chest. “What are you doing?”

“Sorry.” Ellen tried to calm her racing heart. “Josh, where did you get that song from?”

“Dad’s things. Why?”

“No reason. I just . . .” Ellen’s eyes widened in horror. “Oh my God, Josh, look at that room.”

Quickly, Josh stepped into the hall and slammed the door. “What about it
?”

“Josh it’s horrible. I want that cleaned.”

“O.K.” Josh shrugged. “I’ll do it now.”

“Thank you
and I’d better get back to the game.” Ellen pointed. “Clean that room before Dean sees it.”

“Yep.” Josh nodded, waited until Ellen disappeared into the
living room, and went back into his room, totally forgetting about the glass of water he left his domain for in the first place.

Henry watched as Ellen took her seat on the couch a
nd reached for the dice, rolling them. “You don’t get a double turn, El.”

“I know.” Ellen moved her piece. “I won’t last too much longer anyhow. I only have forty-six dollars left.”

Dean readied to take his turn. “That’s because Henry cheats.”

Henry was appalled. “How do you figure that?”

“You bought up all the property right way,” Dean said.

“It within the rules
, Dean.” Henry scoffed. “Read them and you owe me forty dollars rent.”

“See.” Dean tossed him the money. “You bought everything you landed on. Now no one can build houses but you
, because neither me or El has a grouping.”

Henry snidely took the money. He took his turn
, pleasingly landing on his own property.“Too bad. If you weren’t so cheap you would have bought some property the first time around.”

“I ended up in jail
,” Dean argued. He watched Ellen take her turn. “El, you OK?”

“Yeah.” Ellen rolled. “Shit. How much
, Henry?”

“Only twelve
, El.” Henry held out his hand happily.

“Look at you
,” Dean said with disgust.

“What?” Henry responded.

“Why are you still here?” Dean questioned.

“I’m visiting
, El.”

Dean rolled and moved his piece. “Ha! No Henry rent.
You’ve been here since dinner. Go home.”

Henry gasped. “Oh my God
, are you rude. Tell him, El. He’s rude.”

“You
’re rude, Dean.”

“Don’t listen to him
, El.”

“Listen to me
, El.” Henry told her. “He isn’t very nice.”

“Ellen take your turn.”

“Don’t yell at me.” Ellen slowly took her turn.

Dean tossed up his hands
, bewildered.

“See how you are
, Dean.” Henry pointed. “That green monster called jealous is making you really mean.”

“I am not jealous
, Henry. Who am I jealous of?” Dean asked.

“Me.” Henry rolled then moved his piece.

Dean laughed.

“Seriously
, Dean,” Henry stated. “Next thing you know, I’m gonna have to start calling you Cindy.”

Dean hesitated in his turn. “What?”

“Cindy.” Henry said with fact. “You know instead of Marcia, Marcia, Marcia. You’ll run around going . . . . Henry, Henry, Henry.”

Dean couldn’t help it. He laughed harder. “That wasn’t Cindy who said that. It was Jan.”

“It was not,” Henry argued. “It was Cindy. She was the baby of the family and was jealous of her older sister.”

“Henry
, learn your Brady Bunch. It was Jan. She had the middle child syndrome. You can relate to that. You had it.”

“I hope you aren’t insulting me
, Dean. I can’t help it if I am a middle child.”

“I’m correcting you. It was Jan.”

“Cindy.”

“Jan.” Dean raised his voice.

“Cindy.” Henry saw Ellen stand up. “El, who was it.”

“Laurie.” Ellen spoke softly and walked into the kitchen.

Henry scratched his head. “Laurie?” He looked at Dean. “Was she a Brady?”

“Wasn’t she the cousin that came to live with them?”

“No that was Oliver.” Henry said. “Laurie?” Like a light lit above his head, Henry shined. “Oh no, El.” He saw he return with her coffee mug. “You’re thinking of the Partridges,. Laurie Partridge. I don’t think she even knew Marcia.” Henry finally took his turn again. “I never liked that show. You Dean?”

“No. Reuben got on my nerves.”

“Oh my God, that is so true. El isn’t that . . . El, are you sure you’re all right?” Henry asked her.

Ellen smiled. “I’m fine. I wanna quit though. My head hurts. You guys finish.” She picked her pile of money and handed what was left to Dean. “You can have this.”

Aghast, Henry’s mouth dropped open when he watched Dean take it. “Now see, that’s cheating.”

“No it isn’t
, Henry.” Dean combined Ellen’s money with his. “We’re married. Read the rules. When playing with your spouse and your spouse leaves the game you can take over everything they have. Community property.”

Henry immediately grabbed the box lid.

Ellen’s mind was elsewhere and she knew exactly where that was. Not on a board game, but on Frank. Wanting to be alone with her thoughts, she leaned down to Dean on the floor to kiss him. She paused when she heard the knock. “I’ll get it.” She walked over to the front door. Upon opening it, she saw Robbie and Joe. “Hey.”

Joe stepped in and kissed Ellen on the cheek. “You look tired.”

“I am. I’m going to bed. Why are you guys here?”

Joe pointed to Dean and Henry. “I need to speak to them.”

“Good luck.” Ellen said. “They’re stuck in the seventies.” She smiled at Robbie, knelt down and kissed Dean, said goodnight to Henry, who didn’t hear her, and walked slowly off to bed.

Robbie shut the door. “Kids in bed?” He moved to the couch and sat down.

Dean looked up. “Yeah. What’s going on?”

Joe explained. “We have something to discuss with you. Henry. Henry? Henry!”

Henry looked up from his box lid. “I’m not finding that rule, Dean, anywhere. Oh hey, Joe. When did you get here?”

Joe grunted, reached out
, took the box lid, and tossed it aside. He held out his finger to Henry before he could whine. “Seems we’ve had very informative night in Beginning, gentlemen. We had the Jason information. We had the revelation of the rigged temperature gauge and now . . . we have what Robbie is going to tell us. Robbie.”

Robbie usually grinned when he knew something no one else did. This time he didn’t. He looked so serious and a little sad. “Seems like the investigation may be taking more of a turn than we thought it would. Unfortunately it’s in a direction none of us want.” With solemness to his demeanor, Robbie began to inform all of his newest revelation.