Chapter 1

The house that had been the air base commander’s home had that indefinable smell of a long-abandoned building, the smell that develops when all that happens over years is the percolating of dust through tiny spaces around doors and windows, or down through cracks in floors and ceilings. A miniscule amount of air would have run through the building and escaped to the outside via other chinks, leaving a thin later of dust inside to settle on flat surfaces. Tiny particles of water-based paint, or from plastered joints of drywall, also supplied extra dust fragments.

Through many years of waiting, the house collected a thin layer of dust on every floor and window sill, so that when my women entered the building, it was the dust that first drew their attention. They quickly assessed the need for vacuuming, and they retired to locate several of the machines; one for each floor. They had one at their existing home, but after speaking to Jimmy, they made a search of each of the aircraft hangars, and were pleased to discover that each hangar had a vacuum cleaner tucked away in a closet in one of the storerooms. All were identical, suggesting a bulk purchase at the start.

The next day the ladies returned and gave the former Commander’s house a thorough cleaning. They were pleasantly surprised to find no termite damage at all within the building. They were unaware of the mandatory pest control requirements placed on building contractors by the Air Force, rules that stopped termites from ever getting into their base buildings.

When they told me, I was delighted. “The Air Force obviously built for the long term, and the rest of the buildings will have been constructed to the same high specifications.

I am certain these precautions will have been taken in the construction of every hangar and all the other buildings on the base.”

I stopped and thought for a moment. “Where would they place the bomb store? There must have been somewhere that would protect the base from concussion if a bomb exploded. You don’t place all your bombs in one place, in case of accidents. At the very least, the bomb store is going to be built to the same principles as an explosives factory; in separate compartments. These factories have small concrete huts inside a blast bunker that would direct any blast upwards instead of sideways. The only link between compartments would be underground pipes feeding chemical stock into and moving the next stage chemicals on to another blast bunker.

You would expect bombs to be stored in a similar manner, so that one bomb doesn’t set off the rest.”

Sharlene reminded me, “Didn’t the guy from Copies mention all the other buildings on the air base? He should be able to tell you about the munitions storage area.”

“Spot on, Sharl. You mean Robert Bruce. That guy has his head screwed on right. I’ll get on to him and establish the details. The building or buildings are bound to be empty of explosives, but because of that they may be able to be repurposed as general purpose storage units for hire.”

“Nice thought, Jimmy,” said Sharlene. “That would be another source of revenue for Copies. On the subject of revenues, if we got the job of selling the tenancies, with us being so close, would we get a commission on the sale?”

“That’s a clever idea, Sharl. You are becoming sharper at spotting ways that our family can benefit. Certainly potential renters would have to come here to examine the units being offered so you ladies could most likely act as selling agents. That would be cheaper for the company than someone from Copies having to leave their post and come here to show possible renters around. It would be easier for them once the move is completed, but that will be many weeks, probably months.

I will mention this to the senior staff, for them to consider a deal of that nature. First we have to check that all the units on the base are lockable, for us to be able to offer security; though insecure bomb storage units would be daft!”

Cherry joined their discussion.

“How long before Copies get their shit together and move to the air base?”

I was less than forthcoming on timing.

“Too many variables as yet. A plan for the move has to be put together, plus the costings of the move. You recall I told you about buying redundant machinery from a firm that has closed? Negotiations are ongoing, and we are asking to include their spare parts in the proposed deal. Some of our existing equipment will move over to here, but a substantial number of other items will have to be purchased to bring the firm up to date. The Group is negotiating a for a new contract to supply us with computers and relevant software, and with more companies around, anxious to sell the IT equipment, we hope to be quoted a good price. The total number of desk units and monitors is considerable, and then there will be staff training on how to use them. We don’t have enough IT staff within the group to do all the training by ourselves.”

“What about the physical move of all that machinery, and all the stock that Copies holds? That is heavy to transport, isn’t it?”

“Most certainly. We will need a single major mover to contract for all the big moves; that way we have control over how and when things are transferred from original sites to the hangars. The pieces have to arrive in time to be reassembled without delay. The selling stock will need to come in stages once the new locations are allocated. Bay allocation can be large or small, depending on the amount and size of the stock, so the second hangar will be mostly stock holding. The fasteners section – nuts and bolts, washers, screws and nails and things of that nature will mostly be small items – I never realised how many different fixings there are around, in steel, brass, stainless steel, nylon; designed for so many different uses.

Then at the opposite extreme there are automobile parts. Car parts can be large and heavy, such as an engine block or a cylinder head. Every car model seems to have parts that solely fit that model and no other until fairly recently. Our parts are for older models anyway: that’s where profits can be made. One of our warehouses is all automobile parts, so that stock will need a large part of a hangar and split into engine parts, bodywork, trim, the wheels. We don’t bother with tires, as there are thousands of tires available from specialist companies, and there is no guarantee of condition of used tires. Subframes are another no-no, due to the space they take up. Selection of stock for Copies was never simple. Space is our primary delineator.

The whole transfer operation will take weeks to complete once the planning is fully completed. There will be a flow chart to show what moves when and to where. We give the flow chart to the moving firm and they work out what will go on their transports at each stage. In turn they let us know when a chunk of machinery has to be disconnected from its base ready for removal by them. Someone in our sales departments will have the job of informing potential customers of the time lag when our services will not be available on account of the move.”

“What about you and your work?” That came from Charlotte, who had been outside line of sight.

“My work? At the moment, I seem to be working for Copies and the Yeats Group at the same time, doing whatever they are hoping I will do for them. Thank God I got Marjory moved to be head receptionist for the Group, not just Copies. Life was simpler when it was just the one job, except that it got complicated by you three.”

“Well, I don’t hear you complaining. You raised no objections to multiple females, not even when you added Lily and Flora, and now Marjory as well. I was astonished that you could keep up with fucking the three of us daily, but six is unbelievable, Jimmy my love.”

“I admit to being tired sometimes, but making love to you girls is so invigorating that my biggest difficulty is simply reviving enough to produce more sperm. Most of you don’t need any more of that, but it all just feels right to me.”

“Yeah. Feeling you spurting in me gives me a sense of completion, even with our baby growing in me.”

“I enjoy cumming with you too, Charlotte. Mind you, I enjoy being with all of you girls. Making love to you is an exercise I love.”

“You can still manage us every day, darling?”

“Every single day, Charlotte, for as long as my balls hold out.”

“You’ll get a break when our babies arrive, dear. We won’t be able to fuck for a couple of months then, while we heal from the birth.”

“I know and appreciate what you all have to go through, having babies. Thank God you are not all on the same schedule. You three are fairly close together, but Lily and Flora are a couple of months later, and Marjory is just starting, she says.”

“Yes. Just think: Marjory will get all your regular sexual attentions while we recover. Do you think she’ll put up with being fucked a couple of times per day?”

“I expect so. She was deprived, by her own decision, of any fucking for so long that she appears to becoming addicted to it now.”

“As long as she will keep your balls drained for a while, that will suit us. I want to have several babies; is that all right with you?”

“Of course; but wait until you experience the pain of childbirth for the first time: you may change your mind about more children; but the world would not be so full if childbirth put women off having more.”

“Pain is inevitable, but if I can get an epidural during the birth, that should cut down the pain to a manageable level.”

I laughed. “It is a bit early to be thinking of childbirth, darling. You have months to go yet.”

“Yes, and I’ll get bigger and bigger and you won’t want to fuck me anymore!” she grimaced in complaint.

“Charlotte, my love, I’ll always want to make love to you, but it will get too uncomfortable for you near the end. It will always be you who says no...”

She huffed, “Then we’ll see how long it takes me to refuse having your cock inside me: probably an hour before I go into labour!”

I was solidly amused. “You always were the most enthusiastic for lovemaking, my dear. I hope you will still be keen when you have several of our children calling you Mama.”

“Do you think they will be good kids, Jimmy? And not like we were originally.”

“My opinion leans toward nurture, not nature. I feel that children grow up according to the way you treat them. I remember meeting a man who told me about his little grandson being naughty and pushing his books back on the shelves, when he had them matched to the edge of the shelves. Instead of getting angry, he got the youngster to stand before him, and said, almost man to man, “What happens about these books is entirely your choice, my boy. If you want me to smack your hand, choose to push the books. If you don’t want to be smacked, leave them alone. It is your choice, not mine, okay? You understand? Your choice.”

The little boy stared at him with a serious face, then decided to try his luck. He went over and pushed some more books. His grandfather took his arm and said, “Right, you made your choice: you want to be smacked,” and he smacked the boy sharply on the back of his hand. The boy yelped and started to cry, but his grandfather told him, “Hey! It was YOU who decided to be smacked, remember? Your choice?”

The child stared at him, shocked and chastened; but the message sank in, and none of the books were ever pushed in again.”

“Clever”, exclaimed Charlotte. “I could see that working with me at that age. I was always curious, wanting to explore, but the matter of learning the prescribed limits; that was the difficult part to absorb.”

“At least you learned to not walk into the road when there was traffic coming. If you had not learned that one, you would not be with us today.”

My words tailed off, and Charlotte thought my face now looked a bit white. She asked, worriedly, “Are you all right, darling? Did I do something to you?”

I responded slowly, “I am not sure what I feel, but my head is not happy and my stomach is uncomfortable. Are you and the other girls feeling okay?”

Charlotte went off to the kitchen to check with the others. All of them said they were fine, so why was she asking? She explained that their husband was feeling unwell and was concerned that he was not alone in this; fearing an infection that might hit them all.

Sharl declared, “It seems to be hitting just him. I’ll go see what needs to be done, but Charlotte? If he has tummy trouble, he won’t want food for now, so cut him out of the meal plans for the rest of today.”

Sharl hurried out to find me and offer comfort, but could not locate me. Calling out, she heard a faint reply coming from the nearest restroom. Opening the door, she found me sitting on the commode, head in my hands and trousers round my ankles. I looked up, dolefully.

“Sorry, Sharl, I had to rush here. I have just had a bout of diarrhea – you can probably smell it until I can finish and flush it away.”

Wisely, Sharlene did not offer to sniff it.

“My poor dear! Do you think it was something you ate? None of the rest of us are showing any symptoms, not yet anyway.”

“That was my first concern, the health of you and your babies.”

Sharl gave her own opinion.

“It may be some bug you picked up elsewhere, perhaps at the office. Anyway, feeling as you do, you’ll need a couple of days to recover, perhaps more. We need to notify your boss. Will I phone him in the morning, or will you do it?”

“Hmm ... wait till then, and I would hope to make that call, to show willing. By that time, anyone else showing symptoms will be enough to let us know if it is really contagious. I have a mild headache, and I am feeling fatigued as well. I think I should have a lie down as soon as I have finished here.”

Sharl adopted her ‘in charge’ persona. “A lie down? You will go to bed and try to sleep, my man! You are skipping dinner as well. There is no way you will be eating anything at all solid for the next day or two. You hear me?”

“Okay, Sharl. I had best sleep alone. There is no chance of me being able to make love to any of you tonight.”

“I agree. It also cuts down the chance of you passing it on. Use your normal bed, and I’ll inform the others that your loving and your bed are off limits for now.”

“Give them my abject apologies, Sharl, if I don’t get to speak to them individually.”

Sharl escorted me to bed and helped me strip. She made me put on pajamas “as you won’t have a warm woman beside you.”

I did as I was told, and ten minutes later was unconscious. Unfortunately, my disturbed tummy woke me frequently over the next ten hours, and I had to get up to pee or potty several times with more diarrhea to engage me.

Next morning, when a concerned Marjory called on me, I was easily woken, but admitted to being still unwell, feeling exhausted despite the time spent asleep.

“I didn’t get enough undistubed rest, Marjory. Can you fetch me my phone, and I will call in sick. Are you feeling normal?”

When she brought me the phone, she informed me, “I’m perfectly fine, dear, but perhaps I should stay off today as well, as a precaution against infecting the office staff.”

I got through to Mr Emerson and said, “Jimmy Hargreaves, sir. I seem to have collected a tummy bug – fatigue, headache, upset stomach and diarrhea. I thought I had better keep it here!”

“Quite so, my boy. My commiserations. How are my daughters?”

“Fine, so far. Sharl has appointed herself chief nurse and is organising things.”

“Typical, taking over again.”

“Oh, but in the nicest possible way, sir. She works well with the others now. Talking of others, Marjory thinks it may be wise for her to take the day off from reception as a precaution against spreading infection. Do you agree?”

“That sounds sensible: just what I would expect from her. Tell her I will notify her department of a day’s sick leave. How long do you expect to be off, yourself, Jimmy?”

“A day or two, possibly more, depending on how quickly the symptoms go away. I can’t function with diarrhea, as you know.”

“Well, take what you need. Mr Yeats says we are having a board meeting the day after tomorrow and wants me there to give a progress report. You should be there, representing the new investor, but I can give your apologies if need be.”

“Right, sir. Noted, but if you will excuse me...”

“Oh, yes. Your problem. Goodbye for now Jimmy. My love to my girls.”

He closed the call, allowing me to make a dash to the toilet and sit there for whatever happened next. Sometimes my tummy announced that diarrhea was imminent, but it didn’t always happen that way.

Later, after getting out and dressed again, I asked for Marjory, and gave her the news from the office.

She nodded and said, “All being well, I will be back at work tomorrow, so I can bring you the papers for the meeting, on the off-chance of you being able to attend. What if you are not fit by then?”