On Borrowed Time: Beginnings Series Book 26 Read online

“We . . . we had a rape.”

  “Oh my God.”

  Ellen came to a complete stop upon her exit from the cooler. “Who?”

  Elliott answered, “Jenny Matoose.”

  On that, Ellen flew from the lab and passed Elliott.

  <><><><>

  A clink of four shot glasses, three contained a brown liquid, one clear. The Slagel men sat around the dining table in the trailer.

  Frank gasped. “I say we do another. I feel the buzz.”

  “You shouldn’t, not you,” Joe said. “That’s your third.”

  “I shouldn’t at all, it’s water.” Frank asked.

  “Water my ass,” Joe told him. “You expect me to believe that.”

  “Why would I lie?”

  “Why would you lie? You’re an alcoholic.” Joe snipped. “I told you to drink water.”

  “It is.”

  ‘Bull shit. Give me that water bottle.” Joe reached.

  Frank drew back. “No, it’s water. I am upset and appalled that you have such little trust in me.”

  Joe reached.

  Robbie grabbed, he sniffed the bottle.

  Silence.

  Robbie shrugged. “Water.”

  “See? See?” Frank nodded. “You should feel ashamed.”

  “Right.” Joe hurriedly grabbed the bottle.

  “Hey!”

  Joe sniffed. “Christ its vodka. Robert.”

  “Sorry.”

  Robbie gave an innocent look to Frank. “I tried.”

  Hal said, “And his covering for Frank surprises you? Perhaps you’ve been gone too long.”

  “I haven’t been gone. Just invisible,” Joe said. “Which as I was saying was the most difficult part when Frank was around. He kept bumping into me.”

  Robbie with a chuckle looked at Frank. “And you didn’t notice.”

  “I thought the air was thick.” Frank answered.

  “Thick air?” Hal scoffed. “Good God.”

  Frank mocked. “Good God. It can happen.”

  “How?”

  “How?”

  “How?”

  Frank fluttered his lips. “Dean.”

  “Dean can create thick air bumps?”

  “Yeah,” Frank nodded. “Like turbulence.”

  “On street level.”

  “Possible.”

  “Oh, yes,” Hal poured another drink. “About as possible as it is for you to count to a hundred without getting lost.”

  “It's been done.”

  “Boys.” Joe said. “Let’s just enjoy this night.”

  “Father,” Hal said. “I need to ask . . .”

  “Is it about work?”

  “Well, yes.”

  “Then, well, no.” Joe replied. “This is about us, being together again.”

  Hal held up his hands in defense. “You are correct. We’ll save it for tomorrow. I do have a question. Does Andrea know or was she that in tune?”

  Joe laughed. “Andrea doesn’t know. And, she’s not in tune. She’s just menopausal. There were times the woman was talking to me when I wasn’t anywhere around.”

  “Were you at the elections?” Robbie asked. “In Bowman?”

  Joe nodded. “Yep. Stood right next to Frank.”

  “Yes!” Frank snapped his finger. “All of us there, and you picked me.”

  “He picked you because there wasn’t a seat to have.” Hal said. Then crinkled a brow in curiousness when his phone rang. “Elliott. Something must be wrong, I asked him to not call me unless there is an emergency. You know how over protective he can be.” Hal lifted the phone.

  “Gay lovers tend to be obsessive.” Robbie said.

  Hal shot a glare, then answered. “Elliott, what’s wrong.”

  All expression dropped from Hal’s face. “On my way.”

  “What’s wrong?” Joe asked.

  “Time to get that invisible suit on if you want to go, Father. Seems, Jenny Matoose.” Hal stood. “Has been raped.”

  <><><><>

  Ellen rushed to the examining room where Elliott said they had taken Jenny. She was fearful, Jenny had to be traumatized and probably physically hurt as well.

  Elliott said they had used extreme caution in moving her, making sure she didn’t bathe anything until she was examined. Telling Ellen, he explained to Jenny how vital the DNA was.

  He said Jenny understood.

  Taking a deep breath, Ellen knocked once as the warning, and stepped into the room. “Jenny.” She said her name with compassion.

  Jenny lay on the examining table, looking at her fingers then turned to Ellen, she sighed out in relief.

  “I am so sorry.” Ellen walked to the table.

  “Me, too. How’s Christopher?”

  “Chris . . . Christopher?” Ellen asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Jenny, why are you asking about Christopher?”

  “Because when I called Andrea from that field, I told her I was fearful.”

  “Hold on. Can you?” Ellen walked to the door, where Elliott was posted outside.

  “Ellen?”

  “Do you know where Christopher is?”

  “Yes, pacing in the waiting room.” Elliott answered.

  “OK, he’s fine?”

  “Yes. I believe.”

  Another nod and Ellen returned inside. “Jenny, Christopher is fine.”

  Jenny breathed out loudly. “Thank God.”

  At that instant, another knock and Dean peeked his head in. “May I enter.”

  Ellen looked at Jenny. “If you don’t want him here during the exam . . .”

  “No, that’s fine. That way we can talk.”

  Ellen gave a permission nod to Dean, then returned to Jenny as Dean washed up, she grabbed a clipboard. “Was Christopher the one who raped you?”

  “Rape?” Jenny asked.

  Dean paused in washing his hands looking over his shoulder.

  “Rape,” Ellen said. “That’s what we were told you were raped.”

  “I never said that. When I called Andrea I called her because I couldn’t find Christopher and my legs felt like Jelly.”

  “Why would they say you were raped?” Ellen asked.

  “I told her that Christopher was attacked or missing and something took sexual advantage of me.”

  Dean shook his hands and place don gloves. “Sexual advantage? That’s rape.”

  Jenny nodded.

  “Wait. Wait. Wait.” Dean moved to her. “Something?”

  “Yes.”

  “Jenny,” Ellen patted her hand. “Don’t try to protect this person, ok. Tell me what happened. If you want.”

  Jenny nodded. “Frank asked if I would play teacher to Christopher and show him female anatomy. I took him out the field for alone time, privacy. I laid out the blanket and asked him to step away while I got the materials ready. And that’s when it happened. It had sex with me.”

  Dean spoke compassionate. “Jenny, you know Christopher can still turn monster when he is sexually aroused perhaps . . .”

  “No. No. This wasn’t Christopher in Monster form. I’m convinced whatever it was, was not Christopher. I know. The penis was way too big.”

  Dean coughed.

  Ellen asked. “How big?”

  “El.”

  “Big.” Jenny widened her eyes.

  “That big?”

  “El.”

  Ellen ignored Dean. “Was the penis distorted, could you tell?”

  “El!”

  Jenny replied. “No, well, rippled. Thick. Big. It didn’t go down.”

  “What didn’t go down?” Ellen asked.

  “The penis, not the creature. I would have been frightened if it did go down on me.”

  “Excuse me.” Dean called out. "We’re talking about sexual violation, can we keep it in check.”

  Jenny nodded. ‘But Dean can it be considered sexual violation if I didn’t feel in danger? Just shocked and a little, well, once and a while …fulfilled.”

  Ellen lo
oked to Dean. “Still is rape, right?”

  “Yes,” Dean replied. “Still is.”

  “He had his way with me nine times.” Jenny said.

  “Nine times?” Dean asked in shock.

  “It wasn’t easy to handle,” Jenny said. “That’s for sure.”

  Ellen questioned. “Have you ever seen something like it before, maybe in movies, books . . . Beginnings?”

  Jenny nodded. “Yes, and this is going to sound insane. But, but I swear it was a very, very large Marcus.”

  “Grown up Killer Baby?” Ellen asked. “It was tall.”

  “About eight feet. Not too unattractive, but it had some animal and human features. Maybe I’m used to Marcus.”

  Dean cringed and moved the stool to the end of the table to examine her. “Jenny, are you bruised at all.”

  “I’m sure my vagina is.”

  Another cringe.

  “Dean,” Ellen said. “You were just talking about DNA. Isn’t this a way to get samples?”

  Dean pulled a tray forth. “Absolutely if he . . . Jenny, do you think it ejaculated?”

  “Oh without a doubt. I heard it.”

  Both Dean and Ellen responded. “You heard it.”

  She nodded.

  “DNA for sure,” Dean mumbled then positioning himself on the stool, inched forward to examine.

  “Dean,” Jenny whispered. “I’m a little embarrassed. When Elliott brought me here, he lifted me right from the ground and I keep. . I keep involuntarily wetting myself. Not a lot. But I’m wetting myself.”

  “Jenny, you had a traumatic experience,” Dean explained. “No need to be embarrassed.” He lifted the sheet. “I’m just gonna put your legs in the stirrups. I’ll try to be gentle, but after all you’ve been through there may be some discomfort.”

  “I understand.”

  Ellen, being supportive, grabbed Jenny’s hand. Catching through her peripheral vision, Dean lifting leg one. “Jenny, just relax.” He lifted leg two.

  Splash.

  “Uh.” Dean grunted.

  “Dean?” Ellen quizzed. “What was that? It sounded like her water broke.”

  “Oh my God, Jenny you weren't peeing yourself . . .” Dean rolled back, from her. “I need a mop. A cleanup crew or something.”

  “What was it?” Ellen asked again.

  Dean peered up. “Semen.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  The Slagels, all four of them, showed up at the hospital in Bowman. Joe was in the invisible suit. He wanted to hear firsthand what was happening. Not ‘as told’ by Hal, and certainly not by Frank.

  Robbie’s would be an interesting rendition, if he could keep his immature son in line.

  No, Joe wanted to be there.

  It was a tragic situation.

  It had been a long time since anything like that occurred in Beginnings or the provinces.

  After getting bumped several times by Frank, Joe found a safe corner in the back of the room.

  Of course, he had to keep thinking, “Stop looking this way, Frank. You asshole.’

  “Fine.” Frank said.

  Ellen looked at him. “Fine?”

  “Huh?” Frank asked.

  Hal spoke, “She is talking about your comment of ‘Fine’ to her statement that Jenny was sexually violated.”

  Frank winced. “Sorry, I was speaking to Hal.”

  “Hal didn’t say anything,” Ellen said.

  “Yes, Frank, I didn’t say anything.”

  “No but you thought it,” Frank winked. “You were thinking. Wow, this is a big event. I wonder how my brother is handling it. I said fine.”

  “Ah,” Ellen smiled at Hal. “That’s really sweet of you to be concerned.”

  “Yes. I’m like that.”

  “Anyhow,” Ellen continued. “So far, but it gets worse.”

  The word worse was repeated by all three brothers.

  “Worse?” Frank asked. “Is she dead.”

  “No.” Ellen said. “She’s fine. Emotionally fine, too. What’s worse is . . .”

  At that second the door opened.

  Dean stepped in, slightly surprised by the presence of everyone in the room. But then, understanding the circumstances of the situation, proceeded, and closed the door. “Glad you are all here. I won’t have to repeat this information.”

  Ellen asked. “Did you get a count.”

  “Yeah. Ready? Three liters.”

  “Oh my God.” Ellen gasped.

  “And that’s not including what could have been lost in transportation.”

  “Oh my God.”

  “Yeah.” Dean nodded.

  “Wait.” Frank held up his hand. “Did you say three liters?”

  “Yeah, I did.”

  “Wow.”

  “Exactly.”

  “How did you get three liters?” Frank asked.

  “From what we collected internally and spillage.”

  “I see.” Frank rubbed his chin. “Now for the important question. Three liters of what?”

  “Semen,” Dean answered.

  “Thanks. Just needed to be clear.”

  “Good God.” Hal said. “Are you sure.”

  “Positive.”

  “What in the world produces three liters of semen?” Hal questioned.

  “Uh Hal?” Frank replied. “A male.”

  “I know that you moron.”

  Robbie peeped a shriek of a squeal. “Three liters? I had a hard time reaching that ounce.”

  Factually, Frank stated. “Robbie that’s because you shoot blanks.”

  “That has nothing to do with it.” Hal said. “Three liters. Good God.”

  “Hal,” Frank chuckled. “It’s three liters. So what?”

  “Three liters? Do you know how much three liters is?”

  “More than two less than four.”

  “Ha, ha, ha.”

  Dean held up a finger. “Let me show you.”

  He ignored the unison, ‘noes’ and pulled out an empty plastic container, setting it on the counter. “That’s a liter. We collected three of those.”

  “Of semen?” Frank asked.

  “Yes.”

  “From where?”

  “Jenny.”

  “That’s a lot of semen. All from one person?”

  “Yes.” Dean replied.

  Frank whistled.

  “Put it this way, Frank,” Dean explained. “It takes the average man, average mind you, six ejaculations to get a complete fluid ounce of coagulated semen. There are thirty four ounces in each liter, meaning, the average man would have to ejaculate 612 times to fill three liters.”

  “That’s a hell of a man.” Frank said.

  “The best is, he only ejaculated nine times.”

  “So where did the rest come from?” Frank asked.

  “Rest of what?” Responded Dean.

  “Semen. If it takes the average male 612 times to fill three of those bottles, and this guy ejaculated nine times, which is pretty fuckin impressive, where did the rest come from?”

  “Him.”

  “I’m lost.”

  Hal huffed in disbelief. “And that’s not a newsflash. What he is saying is this male filled three bottles in nine ejaculations.”

  “Now, that’s a hell of a male.” Frank said. “Jenny must have been bloated. Not that we would have noticed.”

  “Frank!” Everyone yelled.

  “What? Fuck.”

  “Dean?” Hal questioned. “Do we know what did this? Who?”

  Robbie replied to that one. “Yeah, I think we do. Bet me it’s our future LEP.”

  Dean nodded. “It is. Jenny described him as a Marcus looking grown up.”

  Ellen mumbled. “With a huge penis.”

  Everyone looked at her.

  “What?” She shrugged. “That’s what she said. She said it was huge.”

  “How about this?” Dean said. “I did an estimated sperm count. It estimates 60 million sperm per ounce. That’s 6 billion 528 million
sperm.”

  “That’s a lot of sperm,” Frank said. “And they don’t waste it. Is she pregnant?”

  Dean laughed. “What? I don’t know. How could we know even if she is?”

  “Check.” Frank stated. “I mean, Dean, if this thing produced all that semen and all that sperm and had that big of a penis and went at it nine times.” Frank winked. “Who’s to say the mighty LEP hunter doesn’t have mighty hunter sperm that hunt down the egg. Let’s face it. If the babies grow six times the normal rate, wouldn’t it go to figure you can detect her pregnancy, six times earlier. Or when it happens?”

  Hal laughed.

  Robbie laughed.

  Dean didn’t. He turned to Ellen. “Run a test.”

  “On it.” She flew out.

  “Wow.” Frank stood prouder. “I’m good.”

  Seriously, Robbie looked at Dean. “You don’t think.”

  “I don’t know.”

  Hal closed his eyes.

  “Dean, this thing didn’t hurt her?” Frank asked.

  “Not at all,” Dean said. “She was frightened at first. She knew her best option was to lay there and take it. And it didn’t hurt her, only had her.”

  “Which …” Frank lifted a finger. “Tells us a lot. And could be helpful in finding it. It hunts for food. Kills for defense and doesn’t see women as an enemy or food. Hmm.” Frank stared out.

  “No.” Hal said.

  “No what?” Frank asked.

  “No. I know what you’re thinking no. It’s wrong.”

  “Do you read minds?” Frank asked.

  “No. But I know you and I know what you’re thinking.”

  Robbie interjected. “I think I know what he’s thinking too and it’s not a bad idea.”

  “No!” Hal was firm.

  “I have to agree with Hal,” Dean said. “It’s wrong.”

  “Fuck!” Frank tossed up his hands. “I didn’t say it. How do you know what I’m thinking. You don’t so, so stop. Dean.” Frank cleared his throat. “As leader, when can I speak to Jenny?”

  “You can speak to her now,” Dean said. “But you have to promise me Frank that you will be sensitive, ok? Sensitive.”

  “Dean, please,” Frank scoffed. “I’m sensitive.”

  <><><><>

  “Jenny, I am very sorry about your situation,” Frank spoke smooth and compassionate.

  “Thank you, Frank. Things happen.”

  “Oh, good to hear you have that attitude.”

  “I do.”