The Horse Soldier: Beginnings Series Book 10 by Jacqueline Druga Page B

this?”
    “This community will fall apart. Fall apart.” Her hands flew about. “If you don’t run it , Joe, what are we gonna do?”
    “Andrea, I won’t let it fall apart. O.K.? I need a break. Drop it.”
    “Drop it?” Andrea spoke with attitude. “I hope to high heavens you did not just tell me drop it.”
    “I did.”
    “Joe!”
    “Andrea. Drop it!” Joe pointed his fork. “ This goes no further than this house until I make my announcement tonight. Got that?” He waited for an answer. “Got it?”
    “Yes.”
    “Good.” Joe started to eat. “Goddamn it Andrea. all this marital arguing and now my eggs are cold”
    Andrea really could care less if Joe’s eggs were cold. Her ‘so what’ attitude showed as she ate her own breakfast, ignoring the annoyed glances from Joe along with his grumbling.
    ^^^^

Binghamton, Alabama
    George whistled a happy tune as he walked out of his temporary home , an apartment on the first floor of an old house. It was a great early morning and what made it even greater for George was that he knew what he was going to tell Frank when he saw him. He had it all planned out in his head as he moved down the street toward the hospital. He stopped mid -street when he saw his soldiers escorting the UWA soldier out of one building and taking them to another. Interrogations. George would have to be there at them. But first, Frank. So with a smile on his face and a wave of instigation to the UWA soldiers, George moved on.
    ^^^^

Bowman, North Dakota
    Rinsing the soap from his face as he took a shower, Hal thought he heard the close call of his name by Sgt. Ryder. He removed his head from the water and heard it again. Faint but there. “Elliott?” Hal called out. “I ’m in the shower.”
    “Captain.” Sgt. Ryder’s voice came loud ly into the bathroom. “Sir, our South Dakota team is back early.”
    The pipes squeaked loudly as Hal turned off the water. His arm emerged from the shower curtain as he grabbed a towel. “Thanks.” He spoke as he wrapped the towel around his dripping body and flew out of the shower. Leaving a water trail, Hal fled from his apartment, sliding on his steps as he raced down them and out the door into the street.
    It was true. The men were riding into town the second Hal hit the sidewalk. Holding his towel around him, Hal grinned proudly as Sgt. Daniel stopped his horse. “You have news, Sergeant.”
    “We do ,” Sgt. Daniel said after he saluted.
    “Excellent. Let me get dressed and meet me in my office.” Hal received salutes from the trail of men that followed Sgt. Daniel into town.
    Just as Hal was about to turn to enter his apartment building, he felt a coolness against his backside. Swaying his head with a look of irritation, he glared at Craig who lifted the back of his towel just slightly.
    “Cute.” Craig grinned.
    With a grunt and without words, prior to seeking out clothing, Hal decided in his anger to chase Craig down the street, towel and all.
    ^^^^

Binghamton, Alabama
    “Retrograde amnesia ,” Dr. Morris explained to George before he went into Frank’s room.
    “Retro what?”
    “Retrograde. That’s what Mr. Slagel has. It’s a very common form of amnesia that follows blood loss or trauma. The patient experiences memory loss of events that transpired prior. This memory loss can be of a day, a year, or one’s entire life. Mr. Slagel seems not to remember anything after the plague began.”
    “Is that possible?” George asked.
    “Very much so. When I asked Frank what he remembered last, he told me he was guarding a post outside of Chicago. There was rioting and an explosion. He barely remembers walking up in a medical tent but nothing after that. I’m thinking one head trauma is the marking for the other in the memory department.”
    George snapped his finger s. “That’s right. I forgot about that. Frank had a severe concussion or something. He slept through the plague.”
    “He remembers nothing about it. He knows a