The Third Ten Read online

  “Ha!” Frank laughed. “And ten years ago would you have said there were such a thing a killer babies?”

  “Son of a bitch,” Hal sat back.

  “Told you.” Joe said. “He shut me up with that one, too.”

  Robbie leaned forward. “I like Frank’s theory.”

  “You would.” Hal snapped.

  “Thank you,” Frank boasted.

  “So what kind of monster do you think is there?” Robbie asked.

  “A big one.” Frank answered. "Has to be, and has to be something that doesn’t smell edible.”

  Robbie nodded. “A scent they don’t know. Sounds feasible. Do you think it’s like a Bigfoot?”

  Hal closed his eyes. “Oh my God.”

  “Oh! Oh!” Frank snapped his finger. "Fuckin’ brilliant little brother. We should have fuckin known. Bigfoot. Fuckin’ Bigfoot.”

  Hal’s hands slapped to his face. “I'm not hearing this.”

  Very seriously, Robbie said. “Think about this. It is a region known for sightings.”

  “No, it is not.” Hal barked. “Washington State is. Not Montana. I know, I loved Bigfoot growing up.”

  “Oh, yeah,” Frank graveled. “Fuckin’ perfect. The Slagel brothers versus Bigfoot.”

  “Do you need us, Frank?” Robbie asked. “Really, I mean, you’re a mutant and it is only Bigfoot.”

  “True. But … I like the side of brother bonding on this one,” Frank said. “Like with the bear.”

  “We can start right away,” Robbie said. “Looking for clues.”

  “Boys,” Joe tried to halt the conversation. “Can we …”

  “Good idea,” Frank responded.

  “Will you not encourage this?” Hal asked.

  “Boys.”

  “Hal bites,” Frank said. “He won’t want to be a part until we find Bigfoot, then he’ll come prancing in with his fucking sword. Well I got news for you Hal, Bigfoot probably won’t go down with a sword. We’re gonna have to take him.”

  “Or shoot him.” Robbie suggested. “But don’t you think we should capture him first.”

  “Boys. Can we not …”

  “Listen to you, two.” Hal spoke loud.

  “Enough, come on,” Joe tried to bring it all to an end.

  Frank continued, “Capture it. Yeah. Fuckin Dean will love it.”

  Robbie snickered. “Unless Dean made it.”

  “Boys, enough of …” Joe stopped, his pause, literally brought a silence. He swung a look to Robbie. “What did you just say?”

  ***

  “And this makes you feel, how?” Ellen asked, rocking back in her chair, a listening look on her face.

  “Lost. Confused. Worthless.” Jimmy said. “Sometimes I feel like they forget about me.”

  “Forget about you? No, they don’t.”

  “Yeah, I think they do. They don’t include me.”

  “I don’t see it,” Ellen said. “But that doesn’t mean it’s true. I’ll keep an eye out for it. Did you tell any of this to Joe?”

  “Oh, yeah. Mainly about the job thing. His response was, he just has to figure out where exactly to put me.”

  “And you think that should be security.”

  “Without a doubt. Or security monitoring. Hal offered me a place.”

  “And?” Ellen asked.

  “It’s not a bad choice. But I’d feel guilty if I went to my brother’s community rather than my father’s.”

  “But we’re all the same family. You can look at it that way.”

  “True,” Jimmy sulked. “But I hate just doing nothing all day. I think I’m the only one who doesn’t do a thing all day.”

  Ellen snickered. “No, Robbie practices that art very well. So does Richie for that matter.”

  “But they have jobs. Responsibilities.”

  “You want to work here with me? We have crazy people.”

  Jimmy sat up. “You think I could? Will my dad mind?”

  “No, Oh!” she said brightly. “We’ll say you need to be processed and you’re on an outpatient containment process.”

  Jimmy gave a quirky look.

  “Okay, you don’t understand, Well, remember how ...” Ellen stopped when she heard the buzz of containment, followed by synchronized tromping boots. She winced.

  “What?”

  “Your family.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Listen. They all arrive together and march in like secondary protocol.”

  “They sound serious.”

  “They are. Watch, I’ll be serious too.” Ellen sat up, looked straight and folded her hands on her desk.

  Joe walked in first, followed by Robbie, then Hal.

  “I know this is a vain question, but do you have some time you can spare?” Joe asked.

  “Wow,” Ellen said. “The entire family is here.” She glanced at Jimmy, winked and lowered her voice... “Now’s your shot to speak to your father. Hey Joe, look say hi to Jimmy.”

  “Hey, son.” Joe laid a quick hand on his shoulder then returned to Ellen. “Ellen …”

  “Joe, is this like serious, Beginnings business?” Ellen asked.

  “You can say that yes.”

  “Did I do something wrong?’

  “No, you …”

  “You guys look like I did something wrong.”

  “Ellen.” Joe snipped. “Can you come to my office in an hour?”

  “I did something wrong.” Ellen spoke with serious.

  Joe exhaled in irritation. “If you did something wrong, I’d tell you. No, it’s not what you did, it’s what you can do.”

  ***

  Tigger bounced the basketball. In the driveway, he made dramatic movements. Left to right, twirling about speaking like an announcer.

  “He’s unstoppable,” Tigger said. “The man is lightning. Not even the giant John Slagel can stop him.”

  “That’s because John Slagel is giving Tigger the advantage.” Johnny raised his hands to block he shot.

  “How do you figure?”

  “I’m on my knees, here, Tig.” Johnny tilted his head.

  “If you weren’t so tall.”

  “If you weren’t so short.”

  “Mine is a birth defect.”

  “So is mine.”

  Tigger laughed and readied to shoot. He stopped when he heard the ringing from the house.

  “Man, your dad has to get used to taking that phone,” Johnny said.

  “Good thing he didn’t. President Slagel called and said he had a fax to send, and the fax machine is here. Ah, hear it. The squeal of transmitting info.”

  “My Pap called?” Johnny asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Tig!” Johnny yelled, and stood up. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Tigger shrugged and headed to the house. “Because he said he had to send a fax and the info couldn’t wait until Ellen and your dad showed up next week.”

  “What!” Johnny blasted. “My dad is coming.”

  “That’s what President Slagel said. I didn’t ask to elaborate.”

  “Oh, my God, what am I gonna do?”

  “I’m asking myself the same question.” He opened the back door. “I mean, how can I fix up my dad with Ellen if your dad is coming? It will be impossible.”

  “I can’t believe you knew my dad was coming and you didn’t tell me.” Johnny gave a playful shove to Tigger.

  “Ow, hey, you’re beating up the crippled kid.”

  “Yeah, like you’re crippled.” Johnny inched by Tigger, then raced to where the fax machine was located.

  “Hey!” Tigger yelled. “It’s my fax!”

  “It’s my Pap’s fax.” Johnny retorted from the room.

  “You suck.”

  “So do …”

  Tigger raced to Johnny. “Me. You forgot the last word. What’s wrong?”

  Johnny stared at papers. “We have to go see your father.”

  “My father hates me right now.”

  “We sti
ll have to go see your father.” Johnny held up the papers.

  ***

  Lars watched Mike and pretty much chuckled the entire time. Mike sat behind his desk, rubbing his temples, then rubbing his eyes. He’d mumble words but that was as far as it went.

  “Really, Mike, let this go.” Lars implored.

  “How, I haven’t slept.” Mike said. “She’s …she’s …”

  “A woman.”

  “A big one at that, but that isn’t it.” Mike groaned and leaned back. “She’s Society.”

  “And that means?”

  “You don’t think he gave any secrets out, do you?”

  Lars laughed. “Mike, Tigger would find out secrets, but none of them would be true.”

  “Wouldn’t this be a crime in the old world?” Mike asked.

  “Pedophilia?”

  “Yes.”

  “No,” Lars shook his head. “Tigger is eighteen years old.”

  “Lars, I’ll tell you.” Mike stood. “I got this cramping, sickening knot in my gut when I saw him kiss her on the lips.”

  Tigger’s voice interjected upon his entrance, “Well then good thing you weren’t around when I kissed her other places.”

  “Uh!” Mike grunted. “You. Out. I’m not speaking to you.”

  “Why?” Tigger asked.

  “Traitor.” Mike sat in his chair again.

  Tigger waved out his hand. “You’re just jealous cause I got laid.”

  Mike groaned.

  “A lot.” Tigger snickered.

  Mike groaned again. “Why are you here?’

  Tigger pointed backwards.

  Johnny stepped forward. “Beginnings sent a fax.”

  Mike tossed up his hands. “Fuckin’ three civilizations and he faxes. What the piss.”

  “Actually four.” Johnny handed the papers to Mike. “And that’s just my Pap. You better take a look at this.”

  Lars, still seated watched Mike read the sheet.

  “What? You got to be fuckin’ shitting me.” Mike set down the papers.

  “And if you look down.” Johnny pointed. “It looks as if my Pap wants to do a telephone conference with you and Creed at nine PM tonight.’

  “Who is Creed?” Mike asked.

  Johnny shrugged. “Beats me that is the fourth civilization from what I gathered.”

  “Christ.” Mike rubbed his eyes.

  Lars cleared his throat. “Before you proceed to need medical treatment for loss of eyelids. What is in the fax?”

  “Here.” Mike handed the information to him.

  Lars read. Nodded. And handed them back. “Oh. The Fredrickson.”

  “The Frederickson?” Mike asked. “You knew about this.”

  “All scientists did, but none of us thought it was real.”

  “Well, apparently it is.” Mike said. “And it arrives in seven weeks.”

  ***

  Creed didn’t have fax capabilities like Lodi, he was privileged to a phone call for the information. After telling Joe he would be present for a conference later on, he sat alone in his office.

  Get his council together were the words of advice Joe had given, but Creed had no council, he ran his community all alone.

  The task of moving his people and transporting them halfway across the country was a task. It reminded him of the days in school when he learned of the westward expansion, only this time it was going to be the westward expansion.

  But how? Joe suggested a train, but his people had no epithelia layers to protect them from the ultraviolet light.

  Creed wasn’t even sure his people would understand the move. Joe had told him that the town would be prepped in three weeks for the first arrivals. Creed didn’t have much time. He had to pick a trusted council, and tell his safe and secluded people that in less than two months time they were moving. But there was the problem that was bigger than the move. Not only had Creed secured them from the environment, he secured them from reality as well. How would the two worlds actually mesh?

  ***

  The goggles looked better resting on top of Frank’s head than they did over his eyes. He really didn’t need them, but wanted to look ultra cool on the information hunt with Robbie.

  Robbie on the other hand, despite his proclaimed bravery, kept peering around.

  “Quit worrying about it.” Frank said.

  “You don’t, I do. I’m not you.”

  “I’ll save you. Frank tromped. “You know we’d make better ground if we split up.”

  Robbie laughed.

  “What?”

  “How are you suppose to save me from the Killer Toddlers if we’re separate?”

  “True you have a point.”

  “So, I’d rather just stay close.” Robbie stopped walking. “Did you hear that?”

  “What?”

  “Rustling.”

  Frank’s head cocked. “Yeah.” He shifted his body left to right. “There.”

  “Where?’

  Launch.

  Out from the bushes, high speed, with a gurgling scream shot a Killer Toddler.

  “Fuck,” Robbie raised his weapon.

  “Enough!” Frank blasted. “Stop!”

  A mere inch from Robbie, jaws open, the Killer Toddler dropped to the ground. The mutant child looked up to Frank pitifully.

  Hands on hips, Frank stared down in a scolding manner. “UWA soldiers are one thing. Horses... okay, but this is my brother. You don’t eat my brother. Got that. No go. Tell your friends.”

  With a whimper, the Killer Toddler sped off.

  Robbie exhaled. “That was cool. You’re cool.”

  “I am.” Frank move don. “Fuckin second generation Killer Toddlers, they have to be taught.”

  “You know while we’re here we might as well look for that tracking device.”

  “I know. It’s over there.” Frank pointed.

  “You know, this monster probably destroyed the tracking so we don’t see him.”

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  “This thing has to be big,”

  “Huge.”

  “Deadly,” Robbie said.

  Frank grinned. ‘Is that fuckin’ awesome or what?”

  “Yeah. What if it’s like Dad said?” Robbie asked.

  “Then we’re in trouble.”

  “Can you imagine if Hal gets his way and we don’t go after it?”

  “More could come.” Frank added. “Fuckin future could be wiped out.”

  “That’s why we need proof.”

  “Yeah, we can save the future.”

  “Hal won’t buy it.” Robbie shrugged. “He’ll say the future is fine.”

  Frank stopped walking. He faced Robbie with a wide grin. “Unless he sees for himself.”

  “Frank, are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

  “Wait let me see.” Frank concentrated. “I am now.”

  “How cool would that be? Cause you know if this thing runs rampant.”

  “Yeah but what if we say Fuck Hal and go after it anyhow? The future would be safe.”

  Robbie paused to think. “But what if it isn’t?”

  “Only one way to find out.”

  “On the way back, we should think of a really cool excuse to give to Dad, one we’ll think about.”

  “The monster.”

  “Yeah, but Frank, that may not be good enough.”

  “How is a monster not good enough?” Frank asked.

  “He has to be convinced there is one,” Robbie said.

  “Fuckin’ catch Thirty-fives.”

  “Twenty-twos.”

  “What?”

  “You said Catch Thirty-five, the term is twenty-two.”

  “Yeah, but that was pre plague, it’s been years, so wouldn’t the number have grown.”

  Very seriously, Robbie looked at him. “You’re right. My error.”

  Frank winked. “Tracking. And man is it fucked up.” He peered up to the tree.

  Robbie looked. The entire system was dism
antled and torn up. “Why didn’t we get a signal on this?”

  “It’s broke.”

  “I mean when it broke.”

  “They broke it good.”

  “Fuck,” Robbie walked around the tree to get a rear view.

  “How big is this tree?”

  “Why?” Robbie asked.

  “Curious, we have tracking, what? Fifty feet up.”

  “Yep.”

  “Fuck.” Frank sighed out. “That’s a big monster.”

  “That doesn’t mean … shit.”

  “What?”

  “Frank?” Robbie said with an ‘up’ to his voice. “Come here.”

  “What’s up?”

  “Watch your step,” Robbie was crouched to the ground. “Take a look. We just said we need proof, right? Here it is.”

  “Oh, yeah,” Frank graveled as he couched next to Robbie. “Break out the fuckin plaster.” He grinned. “We got ourselves a monster.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  “I’m sorry, Joe,” Ellen shrugged innocently as she sat in his office. “I’m not aware of that.”

  “And you’re sure?” Joe asked.

  “Positive.” Ellen said then tried to hide a snicker.

  “What is up with that?” Joe questioned.

  “Sorry. You call me here for this special serious meetings to ask me about monsters.” Ellen sneered again,

  Hal huffed. “Ellen, please try to take this serious.”

  “I can’t. It’s bad enough that you think the mutilator is a Dean creation, but now you think the monster is too. Wait. A monster.” Ellen laughed.

  “Ellen.” Joe snapped. “Something is scaring the toddlers.”

  “A monster Joe?” Ellen cleared her throat. “Okay, giving you the benefit of the doubt that it’s not age.”

  “Christ.”

  Ellen held up her hand. “You have to remember I have been out of the Dean loop.”

  Hal nodded. “That’s correct, he hasn’t been informing you of things for how long.”

  Ellen shrugged. “I don’t know. I thought only recently, but I am wrong.”

  Hal continued. “So he could have done this without your knowledge.”

  “Why are you guys blaming this on Dean?” She asked. “Really, it could be a Society experiment.”

  “True.” Joe said. “But the mutilator is from within, so it is not. Dean is logical and …scratch that. He’s not logical anymore, so that makes him the logical suspect as far as the creator.”