The Horse Soldier: Beginnings Series Book 10 (48 page)

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“Leonard has had a stroke.” Dr. Morris spoke to Frank and Richie as they stood at Leonard’s bedside.

“My God
,” Frank gasped dramatically while he covered his mouth and stared at a still Leonard who laid on his back, arms to his side, eyes wide open and shifting. “A man so young. So virile, so . . .emf.” Frank felt the nudge of Richie. “Poor thing.”

“Yes.” Dr. Morris swayed his head. “Only forty-two.”

“He is forty?” Frank whistled. “Wouldn’t know it.”

“No. I’m surprised he survive this stroke.”

“His stress level must have been high,” Richie suggested.

“Oh yes.” Dr. Morris said. “A man in his leadership position
has very high stress.”

Frank closed his mouth tightly and shook his head. “Well, I’ll have to do everything I can to help out now. I . . .” Frank’s voice cracked. “Excuse me. I’m . . .” Frank grabbed hold of his own throat. “I’m a bit choked up. We were getting rather close.”

“I see.” Dr. Morris said. “I’ll leave you to visit. Make sure you talk to him and encourage him to fight his way out of this.”

“Oh
, I will. Thank you.” Frank watched Dr. Morris leave. He smiled at Richie then moved closer to the bed, leaning down to Leonard and surprising even Richie by is singing--pretty good too--a Bruce Springsteen Song.
“Cause I’m Trapped. Ooh yeah, yeah, yeah. Trapped! Ooh yeah, yeah-ah.!
” Frank grinned.

“Colonel Slagel
,” Leonard spoke his name with a jolting edge bringing Frank out of the day dream he had slipped into during their meeting. “Colonel Slagel.”

Frank snapped forward in his chair. The huge grin was still plastered across his face. “Huh?”

“Why are you smiling at me?”

“I’m smiling?”

“Yes and staring.”

“I’m staring too?”

“Yes!”

“I was uh . . . .” Frank folded his hands and leaned into his desk
. He cleared his throat loudly and drew up a serious expression. “Has anyone ever told you how attractive of a man you are.” Frank raised one eyebrow.

“Ex . . . . excuse me?” Shocked and taken aback was written all over Leonard’s face.

“That’s why I was smiling. I’m taken by you.” Frank stated. “Very taken by your . . .” He watched Leonard stand up. “Hey, where you going?”

“I think I should be leaving.” Leonard spoke nervously as he hurried to the door. “I uh . . . I have things and preparations to uh do. Good day
, Colonel.”

“Yeah but I’m not done complimenting . . . .” Frank’s door shut and Frank leaned back in his chair
, smiling. He cupped his hands behind his head and rocked back and forth in confidence. He knew now if the Salicain plan didn’t pan out, he knew of another way to get Leonard to stay away from him.

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“I bet you’re more than ready to go home
,” Ellen stated to the UWA soldier who was sitting on his hospital bed.

“Yes.” The soldier smiled and looked
at Dean and Rev. Bob who was also in the room. “Not that you don’t treat me well.”

“You must finish the final wave of medication
,” Ellen instructed. “I’m informing Blue that I gave it to Hal.”

“Yes
, Doctor.”

Rev. Bob spoke up. “And you’ll tell the preacher in your community that I look forward to our meeting up with him?”

“Fr. Bryce. Yes.” The soldier nodded. “He’s a Catholic priest. I’m sure he’ll love to meet you as well.”

Dean snickered. “Wait until Joe hears.” He looked at his watch. “I let you guys finish up. El, I’m uh heading to see the kids for a lunch. O.K.?”

Ellen looked up from the chart. “Kiss them for me.”

“Bye.” Dean walked to the door.

“Oh Dean?” Ellen called him.

“Yes.” He slid to a stop in the doorway.

“Tell Andrea I think she needed you to do something, I’m not sure. She had said something earlier.”

“Got it.” With another hurried wave, Dean walked away from the room and down the hall. He turned the bend to the main entrance hall and approached his lab. The door was open and Andrea, Jason, and Johnny were seated inside. “Andrea? Did you need me for anything.”

Andrea looked up from what appeared to be a fun conversation instead of business. She smiled. “Not anymore, Dean. Thanks.”

“O.K., I’ll be back. I’m heading to the school to have lunch with the kids.” He waved to Andrea, Jason
, and Johnny and moved down the hall to the main door. Again, Dean waved, but this time to Henry as he pushed open the glass door. “Hey Henry, I thought you were the big leader now.” Dean looked down at the tool box. “Why are you fixing this hinge again?”

“I feel useless not fixing something
so I thought I’d tighten this up again. Robbie seems to have taken Frank’s place. Where you headed?”

“Having lunch my kids. I promised Alexandra I would. I’ve been so busy.”

“Have fun.”

Dean nearly trotted in an upbeat manner to the school. He didn’t know why his spirits were up
, but if Dean realized his good day was close to going sour, he would have basked in the good mood he carried to the school with him.

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“Waverley and Brimson?” Sgt. Ryder asked Blue.

“Yes.” Blue reviewed his notes and nodded.

“I understand what Waverley did, but Brimson?”

“The horse incident,” Blue explained. “Hawk was tossed. His foot got caught and Brimson ran in, stopping the horse and freeing Hawk. He also broke his pinky finger.”

“O.K.” Sgt. Ryder signed the paper. “The witnesses attested to that? Brimson tends to exaggerate.”

‘They attested.”

“All right. Give this to Gr . . . Gr . . .”

“Grace.”

“Yes
and then we’ll ship them up to Beginnings next run up.”

“Got it.” As Blue gathered his Neville documents and stood up, the door to Hal’s office opened and a private rushed in. Blue turned his head to Sgt. Ryder. “Elliot, you can certainly tell they know Captain Slagel is away.”

Sgt, Ryder stood up. “Private, is this an emergency?”

“Yes sir.” The private was out of breath. “The . . . the Nebraska scouts have returned.”

“Already?” Sgt. Ryder questioned as he walked around the desk. “They aren’t due back till next week. What’s wrong?”

“No sir.” The private smiled. “You should ask what’s right. They brought with them three of
our five missing soldiers from the Anderson farm.”

The private’s words were barely finished and Sgt. Ryder rushed by him and Blue and was out the door.

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Alexandra giggled as she played with her father’s bangs, sitting on his lap at the park. “Daddy, you need a haircut.” She held them back off his forehead and kissed Dean.

“You sound like Mommy.”

“Can I put your hair in a ponytail?”

“No.” Dean shook his head as her little hands laid on his cheek
s. “My hair isn’t that long.”

“On top it is.”

“Alex.” Dean spoke then heard his phone ring. “Hold on, sweetie.” He unhooked his phone from his belt. “Yeah?”

“The time has come.”

Dean’s heart dropped and his eyes closed. He lifted Alexandra from him.

“You’re not speaking.”

“What do you want me to say?” Dean asked.

“I guess nothing. I’ll speak and
you’ll listen to me carefully. The perimeters go down for a daily check. You are to be at the back gate at 12:47 a.m. That is when that perimeter goes down. It’ll be down for three minutes,” George explained. “You will walk out. Be there, Dean. I have people waiting.”

The lump in Dean’s throat was so large he could barely speak. “Tonight?”

“Tonight. Bring with you what you need and leave a note for your wife to show around. You left for the Society. Make it good and make sure no one follows you. No one, or say goodbye to that cozy little house and all its occupants tonight. Fires can be deadly. Trust me, I’ll know if someone is following you. I have that covered. Or . . . how else did I know you were having lunch with your children right now.”

“I’ll be there. Will I be going to see . . .”

“Frank? Yes. Goodbye, Dean. I look forward to having you aboard. I won’t be there to greet you. My people will but I’ll be along shortly.” George hung up.

Dean was
so deep in thought. Slowly, Dean brought the phone away from his ear and stared at it, hanging up. He was so engrossed that the hand that laid on his back caused him to jump a foot in the air and fumble his phone. Dean bent down, quickly catching it before it crashed to the ground.

“Dean?” Joe looked at him.

Dean was breathing heavily. His face was pale and he looked confused.

“Dean
, are you all right?”

“No. No Joe.” Dean blinked several times. “Could . . . could you see the kids back to school.” Running his fingers through his hair
, he backed up.

“Dean?”

“I . . .. I have to find El.” He spoke in a near daze. “I have to find El.”

“Dean.” Joe grabbed a hold of Dean’s shoulder and turned him around. “What’s wrong?”

Dean held up the phone slowly. “It . . . . it was George.” Dean’s voice quivered with emotions. “I . . . I . . .” Dean swallowed and glanced his views to his happy and playing children. “I leave tonight. I leave tonight.” Without saying anything else, Dean turned back around and headed to the clinic.

“Dear God.” Joe whispered and ran his hand over his face slowly as he watched Dean. Pummeled by news he did not expect, Joe pulled himself together, placed on a ‘Pap—
Pap’ smile and turned around from watching Dean and walked over to join his grandchildren.

“Elliott, you missed me.” Hal grinned and joked as he stepped from his truck
, spreading his arms wide to a very happy looking Sgt. Ryder. “Look, you’re glowing.”

Sgt. Ryder swatted Hal’s reach away. “I’m happy, but not about you.”

“I’m crushed.”

“I take it the trip to Beginnings was successful and fun.”

“Yes.”

“How is the new leader working out
?”

Hal laughed. “We’ll have to talk about that. How were things here
?”

“Great.”

“Great?” Hal questioned.

“Great. Follow me.” Sgt. Ryder led the way.

“Oh my God.” Hal spoke in awe and near whisper after peeking in
to the hospital room where Link, Kyle, and Ted were. “Our scouts stumbled upon them?”

“Yes.”

“Amazing.” Hal peeked back in. “They look bad.”

“Well, the
Society beat them, starved them, and they walked a lot. Otherwise, Blue said they’ll be just fine.”

“What did they tell you? Where were they?” Hal questioned.

“Maybe you should hear it from them.” Sgt. Ryder pointed into the room. “You need to hear what they have to say.”

“Thank you.” Hal knocked on the archway and stepped in the room. “Gentlemen, welcome home.” Nodding his head to all three of their thank
yous, Hal pulled up a chair. “I know you already told Sgt. Ryder, but . . . but can you tell me. What happened?”

Link spoke up first. “We were fighting the
Society when they over took us. We didn’t even know that our man got away with the woman from Beginnings until Sgt, Ryder informed us. They took us from one camp to the final one.”

Kyle continued the story. “They wanted to know about us
and our camp. They beat us in interrogations every day. Finally we lied to them and sent them on a wild goose chase. Unfortunately . . .”

Hal nodded. “Not without the risk of one of your lives. William or Jeff?”

“Jeff.” Ted answered. “William died at Anderson Farm.”

“I see.
How did you escape?” Hal questioned.

“The Beginnings man freed us.”

“Frank?” Hal smiled “You saw Frank? How is he?”

“He’s fine
,” Kyle said.

“I must tell you Frank is my . . .”

“Man!” Link complained loudly, not hearing Hal. “The man is an asshole, telling us we can walk home. Him and his bad ass attitude. Like he’s all that. What the hell was up with that shit?”

“Yeah.” Ted agreed. “
Did he give us food? No. He took our uniforms and gave us weird clothes to wear.”

“Funky clothes
,” Kyle stated. “And bad shoes. We couldn’t even keep our boots. What were you saying about him, Captain?”

“Um . . .” Hal smiled just slightly. “Um . . . I heard about him up in Beginnings.”

Link fluttered his lips loudly. “Bet they don’t like him either. The man freed us but he could have helped us.”

Hal nodded slowly as he stood up. “Well.” He cleared his throat. “I’ll let you men get some rest. We’ll talk tomorrow.” Falsely
, Hal stayed chipper and left the room. He pulled the door closed as he stepped into the hall and to an awaiting and smirking Sgt. Ryder. “You knew what they were going to say, didn’t you?”

“No. No. So, why didn’t you tell them Frank was your
brother?”

“Are you nuts?” Hal started walking with him. “They hate him. I need my respect. And right now for as badly as they feel about him, I don’t want that rubbing off on me.”

“Has Frank always been like that?”

“Yes.” Hal said strongly. “Always. His entire life. I should have expected no less. After all, he was the big trouble maker and instigator in the family.”

“You don’t say,” Sgt. Ryder commented with a shadow of doubt to his tone. But since he didn’t know any better, he took Hal’s word for it and continued to listen to Hal gripe about Frank for the next thirty minutes.

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