Aftermath_Beginnings Series Book 29 Read online

  Dean blinked long. “Which means if Lars is right, we have three days to get the antibiotics or we could lose them all.”

  Three days.

  It wasn’t much time.

  Fortunately, at least in Beginnings, time was something that could control.

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  It was a whirlwind of mayhem and the hours just passed by. Hal made his recorded speech, and hurried as best as he could to get out to Frank. He grew tired of the constant radio calls from his brother asking where he was.

  Danny and Henry worked immediately on expanding the range of the phones. Pinging things from one satellite to another and to a tower. Actually, Hal didn’t know how it worked but was grateful his phone rang when he was close to the town.

  “Just checking.” Danny said. “Where are you?”

  “About ten miles away,” Hal replied. “Not far from Twenty-four hundred.”

  “We are so gonna have to give it a new name,” Danny said. “Can I?”

  “Yes, Danny be my guest.”

  No sooner did Hal set down the phone it rang again. He lifted it. “Yes, Danny?”

  “Hey, Hal,” It was Jimmy.

  “I’m sorry, I assumed it was Danny.”

  “Are you at the town?”

  “No, I had to stop at Bowman first. I should have been there a while ago. What’s up?”

  “We have a problem,” Jimmy said. “A big one.”

  “If it’s about the infection, I already …”

  “No,” Jimmy said. “It’s something else.”

  Hal listened and the phone nearly dropped from his hand.

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  It was an odd vibe, Frank had to admit it, the way everyone in General Liu’s office just stood in a frozen, frightened manner. Frank was upbeat, excited, everything was starting to click. The things he heard when he was in that town were making sense.

  When Lou mentioned the exiled, he was referring to this that left with their own agenda back in Canada. Little tidbits of information that could have been taken as a plot to take Beginnings were actually talk of joining Beginnings.

  His instinct was right.

  Frank’s finger moved across the map. “This is valuable information, Lou. Very valuable.” He then lifted a bowl. “And the fucking rice is unbelievable. I can’t tell you the last time I had real rice other than that instant shit we ran out of two years ago. You guys really stocked up. Great sauce. What is it?”

  General Liu didn’t answer. He just stared.

  Frank snapped his finger, then realized the general was locked in a stare of Chaka. “Oh, he is tough to take in at first, ugly, but he’s a great guy. Gave us these.” Frank pointed to the translator. “Great huh? No language barrier.”

  General Liu nodded.

  “Ugly?” Chaka asked. “I am considered very handsome in my time.”

  “You all look alike.”

  “You are a racist,” Chaka said.

  “Oh, stop.” Frank waved out his hand. “Anyhow…”

  “Frank,” Hal called out.

  Frank turned, set down the bowl and looked at his watch. “Fuck Hal, took you long enough.”

  “I know,” Hal said as he stepped in. “I had things to take care of in town.”

  “It was like six hours ago you said you were coming,” Frank said. “You made it for dinner. They’re serving Chinese again. It’s fucking awesome.”

  “Frank …”

  “This is General Liu. I call him Lou. Lou my brother.”

  Hal shook the general’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  “So much here, Hal,” Frank said with enthusiasm. “And it’s a soup of different countries here. Families, Lots of them. All lost their home to the meteor. It’s barren over there.”

  “Frank, listen, can I speak …”

  “There’s a plan, Hal. A plan to attack us. General Liu left there under the guise of being a ground strike but he planned all along to deter from the plan. He just wanted to find a new home. Best part is, he knows everything and has maps and information to prove it. It’s better than a future book.”

  “Frank, can we step outside a moment.”

  “Oh, sure. Can you excuse me, Lou?”

  General Liu nodded.

  Frank grabbed his bowl and followed Hal outside.

  “Frank …”

  “I know what you’re gonna say, don’t trust them. Not yet. I get that. But remember,” Frank pointed to his temple. “I know things. This guy is being honest. Placing them is gonna be hard. I don’t know where. We’ll figure it out. They have supplies. There were twenty-seven hundred when they arrived. They didn’t die,” Frank rambled with enthusiasm. “They found out that Lou didn’t want to invade this country and they took off on their own, which means there are three hundred out there. We can find them. You want some?” he held up his bowl. “You sure you don’t want any of this rice? It’s awesome. Hey …” Frank looked left to right. “Where’s Dad, I thought he’d come out.”

  “That’s what I pulled you out to talk about,” Hal said. “It’s Dad.”

  Suddenly the smile dropped from Frank’s face. “Shit. What’s wrong?”

  “He’s gone.”

  “Oh my God,” Frank stumbled back “Dad died?”

  “No! Jimmy just called. Dad is gone. When exactly we don’t know. He left a note, ‘Left Beginnings. Gone,’” Hal said. “And no one …. knows where he is.”

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  NEXT UP: THE STRAIN

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  As promised here are the links to the Youtube versions of the songs

  The Silly Song

  Jimmy’s Song for Robbie

  My Writing Song