Blink of an Eye: Beginnings Series Book 8 (62 page)

“
Should we be fighting though? I don’t mind participating in the ‘Operation Clean Sweep’ you know, finding others and putting them in the Caceres cities, but this fighting.” Tom shook his head. “I wasn’t told I’d have to fight, not to mention fighting alongside crazy men.” Tom pointed to a large squad. Orderly and in synch, they cleaned and prepared their weapons.

“
They’re just the quiet bunch.” Berry looked at the CMEs.

“
They’re aliens.”

“
They are not.” Berry shook his head. “Get your weapon ready. We have maneuvers.”

“
You know what?” Tom stood up grabbing his rifle. “I’d rather nap.”

Berry watched Tom walk away
, but he didn’t go to his sack to lie down. He stopped at another group of men, ones that Berry heard complaining similar to Tom. Making a mental note of that, Berry returned to cleaning his rifle, fully intent on bringing Tom’s attitude to the attention of the Society heads.

<><><><>

“You have just got to love Drill Day.” Frank gloated as he walked into his father’s office and set down his clipboard.

“
It was exhilarating,” Joe said, sitting back. “The people seemed to have fun.”

“
Yeah that they did.” Frank plopped down in the chair across from his father, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a cigarette. “But I’ll tell ...”

“
Frank, why are you smoking?”

“
Who me?” Frank put the cigarette away. “I wasn’t.”

“
You just pulled out a cigarette.”

“
No, I didn’t.”

“
Frank!” Joe slammed his hand down. “I watched you.”

“
You’re thinking of Robbie.” Frank grabbed his clipboard. “Are you ready to go over these results?”

“
Yeah, go on.”

“
All right. The whole entire drill, from start to finish, took twenty-two minutes. We have to shave some time off. From the initial spotting of the troops, we were giving them heavy artillery, tanks to storm, and missile launchers, we proceeded to armor up and evacuate to the tunnels. Within four minutes, we had a front line at the back gate. That was pretty good. Five minutes to six minutes we had every available man at either south or north dispensaries and Armory, prepping them to go. We dispersed them immediately and we had our center town team of twenty moving out and about by nine minutes. That’s where I need to shave time. Clinic reported having the patients out and into the metal structure in eleven minutes. Now I added two more minutes to that because we were moving dummies. Had they been real, it would have taken more time.”

“
That’s good, where are our incoming now?”

“
Eleven minutes post start at a good ground speed, two hundred yards to Beginnings.”

“
Helicopters?”

“
In the air.”

“
Town’s people.”

“
Pretty much all in the tunnels.”

“
Picking up the troops at what, three miles away? Where did we stand at the end of complete evacuation?”

“
Like I said, choppers were up by the time we had the town pretty much squared away. Robbie and the other choppers were in firing position, able to take them out.”

“
You?”

“
Fighting with Ellen.”

“
Christ.” Joe leaned back. “She wouldn’t leave again?”

“
Nope, so I marked her as a casualty. I said they fired ten missiles at us. Any more than that and strategically they’re destroying what they want. She was a goner.”

“
How many casualties with the missile attack?”

“
With the trenches at the gates now and buildings hit, I’m gonna say we were good with about twelve. We had eight people in the Living Section, they hit the basements. But you and I both know, the safest place for everyone is the tunnels, especially if they hit us with gas.”

“
What did your tunnel man report?” Joe asked.

“
He said everyone was organized. They all grabbed emergency supplies and were ready to hit the route out.”

“
Then I say we had a very good evacuation drill. As long as everyone doesn’t mind the disruption, we should keep it up. How much less time was this one than the last?”

“
Four minutes.”

“
Excellent. We’ll protect this place yet, won’t we? Remind me to get Dean tomorrow to generate some of his gas. We want to be fully stocked if we ... what?” He saw Frank snicker.

“
Dean’s gas.” Frank shook his head.

“
What the hell is the matter with the grown men in this community?” Joe shook his head and picked up his phone when it started to ring. “Excuse me.” He pressed the button. “Yes? Oh really?” He looked at Frank. “One of us will be right there.”

“
What’s up?” Frank asked as he watched his father hang up.

“
That was the dead woman. She said if we want to find out the winner in Beginnings biggest betting pool, we’d better head down there right now.”

“
No shit?” Frank stood up. “I have twenty hours at stake. Need a lift down?”

“
Uh you know, I think I will. Someone has to be there to help keep the crowds in order.” Joe, in a good mood and excited about finding out the ‘big’ results, headed out with Frank, certain he was going to be a winner.

<><><><>

Very sneaky-like, Ellen stood to the side of the double doors, peeking in her head and jumping back. She smiled when she saw the door open and Dean poke his head through. “You got it Dean?” she whispered.

Dean looked up and down the hall then stepped out
. “Got it. Here.” He handed it to her. “Now hurry.”

Ellen held it tightly
, running down the hall to the examining room, nearly sliding as she made it to the table. “Shut the door.”

Dean stood by the door
’s window, keeping watch. “Just hurry up before they miss him.”

“
I am. I am.” Ellen uncovered the blanket exposing a tiny newborn boy. “Aw, who cut the damn cord this badly. Now this kid will have an outie.”

“
Ellen, screw the cord.” Dean peeked through the shades. “Just do it.”

“
OK.” She grabbed the baby’s foot. “I hate doing newborns. They squirm.”

“
Ellen.”

“
OK!” She pricked the needle into the heel of the baby’s foot. “Look, Dean, he didn’t cry.” She then placed the tiny tube under the bead of blood and caught it. “Come on ... bleed. He’s not bleeding enough.”

“
Squeeze the foot more,” Dean told her.

“
OK.” Ellen squeezed the heel tightly. “It’s working. I’ve got it.” Securing the newborn with her elbow, she capped the tiny tube of blood and tossed it in her pocket. “All done.” She wrapped the baby back up and lifted him. “Here, Dean.”

Dean took the baby
, and brought his lab coat around to hide him. “Check for an all clear.”

Ellen sneaked by him and checked the hall up and down
. “Go.” She moved out of his way so Dean could dart by her.

“
El, start those.”

“
I will.”

Keeping his pace quick
, but not too quickly, Dean ran back down to the birthing room, opened the door slightly, then walked in with his back to everyone.

“
Dr. Hayes!” Andrea approached him.

“
Um yeah, Andrea.”

“
Give him here.” She snapped her fingers. “Now.”

Dean turned around
, opened his coat, and handed Andrea the baby.

“
What made you think you could get away with this unnoticed?”

“
You guys were busy.”

“
What did Trish tell you? No blood tests. I cannot believe you did this.”

Dean lifted his shoulders
. “Sorry.”

Holding the baby
, Andrea walked to Trish, stopped, and went back to Dean, whispering, “Let me know the results.” She winked and headed back to Trish. “Here you go, sweetheart, your baby boy.”

Trish sniffled as she took the baby in her arms for the first time
. “I can’t believe he took my baby, Andrea.”

“
I know, sweetheart.” Andrea tapped her leg. “He’s a bad man.”

<><><><>

“I hear there’s a lot,” Dean whispered to Ellen as they left the lab.

“
How many can there be?”

“
Ellen, there are three hundred and fifty-six work hours bet here. That’s a lot of people.”

“
Yeah, Dean, but Robbie bet forty himself.”

“
I can’t believe you and Henry agreed to match every hour.” Dean moved to the waiting room and stopped. “Holy shit.”

“
Is this the whole town?” Ellen asked.

“
Just about.” Dean smiled and walked in. “We’ve got the results.” Dean held them up into the crowded waiting room. “Now breaking clinic rules, mother’s wishes, and ...”

“
Dean!” Frank yelled out, “just tell us the fuckin results. Who’s the father?”

“
Easy, easy.” Dean held up his hand. “Now since I didn’t bet, I get to announce. Not even Ellen knows. So, all those for it being Jeff’s baby stand to my right. All those for it being Hap’s baby stand to my left.” Dean watched everybody move around, amusing himself by the way that every listened as if it were one giant game of Simon Says. To the right of him, thirty people stood, to the left, Ellen and Henry. “Now the way I am going to ...”

“
Dean!” Frank yelled out. “Today.”

“
All right.” Dean opened the folder. “The way I understood this is you people who think the baby is Jeff’s bet work hours. Ellen and Henry matched them. Meaning, if it’s Jeff’s, they have to work those hours, if it’s Haps, you work that amount for them.” Dean heard the grumbling. “OK, OK.” He snickered. “After carefully running the results, not once but twice, you people.” He pointed to the Jeff side. “You people get ...” Dean laughed, “to make Ellen and Henry’s life a little easier. The baby is Hap’s. You owe them three hundred and fifty-six work hours. Thank you.” Before the rush of anger and the painful stampeding of Henry and Ellen began, Dean took off.

Ellen moved closer to Henry when she saw the angry stares
. “Something tells me this isn’t good.”

“
I have to agree, El. People can be such sore losers.”

“
Wanna make a run for it?”

“
OK.”

Grabbing Henry
’s hand, Ellen ran with him from the waiting room, down the hall, and to the lab. She shut the door, locking it behind her. “Where’s Dean?” She looked around.

Henry peeked out the blind
. “At least they didn’t mob us.”

“
Good thing.” Ellen let out a breath. “Wow, three hundred and fifty-six hours. That’s a lot of work people have to do for us.”

“
We’ll be lazy, El.” There was a sudden, long moment of silence, awkward and needing to be filled.

Ellen moved to the door
. “It’s probably safe to leave. I have work.”

“
So do I.” Henry paused before going out. “Thanks, El.”

“
Henry?” Ellen stopped him. “You seem a little down today. Is everything all right?”

Henry really wanted to open his mouth and tell her
, ‘No, El, I need you’ but he didn’t. He smiled sadly and held on to the door before he left. “Yes. Thank you though for asking.” He had it. He had the opportunity right there as he stared at her and Henry let it go, because flashing through his mind he saw himself letting go, and in their closeness, telling Ellen all that happened. And Ellen calling it, ‘Karma’. How could Henry expect any pity from Ellen, after the circumstances of Nick’s conception had come to light. So he quietly walked away, hoping Ellen would show him the niceties and concern again but do it when he wasn’t so vulnerable.

<><><><>

“I’ve gathered you all together here,” George walked around the conference table in the huge office he had, “to tell you that I heard from Santa Monica. They have commenced per the go ahead of our biological team. Attack number one has now begun. However ...” George held up his finger with a sneaky smile, “it ends up being attack number two, tricky but smart.”

Steward raised his hand
. “Why aren’t we going about this straight forward? We have the manpower.”