Chapter 69

"It sounds like I'm going to be very anxious to tell you what you want to know. If I don't know something do you want me to tell you the truth or would you rather I made up something that sounds good?" he asked.

I laughed and had a trooper release Jeff's cuffs so I could shake his hand. When he was loose I did it.

"Welcome to my group Jeff, I'm sure you're going to like being with us unless you just have a thing for risking your life to get off a mortar round or two."

"I'm probably going to like it then."

"Did the artillery surprise you?" I asked.

"Did the sickness surprise you? I couldn't believe it when I heard the first one fire. It couldn't have been five or six seconds after my round hit. I knew in my heart somehow you must have my location though I didn't have any idea how. I just screamed for the women to run and I did the same. If we hadn't we'd all be dead now. I think the very first round hit right on top of the mortar. It's a wonder I didn't shit my pants."

"Just think, now you'll be living where those guns are protecting you instead of shooting at you."

"I can tell you it won't hurt my feelings one fucking bit. I told Billy this was stupid in the first place. I hope I didn't hit anything important. It was all just guess work, but I'll swear I tried not to even come down inside your fence." Jeff promised.

"I didn't even have time to ask."

I remembered my manners then and had all the women released. I walked to the Huey and asked Seven to send the Sikorsky to fetch Jeff and the six women. While we were waiting for it Jeff volunteered the women were his three and Gregg's three. They had brought their women with them because they feared they might not be able to find Billy after their mission was over.

"I'll understand if you don't want to tell me, but in case you will, how in the hell did you locate us so fast?" Jeff asked.

"Do you have any military training?" I asked.

"Yes, I was mostly in artillery for nine years. I got out about twenty months ago," he said.

"You'll feel at home with us then. Your shell's arc was picked up by our Phalanx gun's radar first and then by the Patriot missile batteries' radar. They share command and control with the artillery. The firing was from modified Crusaders," I said, and yes I was bragging.

"What kind of a place do you have? Phalanx guns go on ships don't they? The Crusader program was cancelled and how in the hell did you get any Patriot missiles functioning?" Jeff asked.

"You'll just have to see it to understand. You can have a look after the nurses check you out," I said, not bothering to tell him they would insert some loyalty while they were at it.

"Oh I'm not hurt," Jeff said.

"Never the less we don't want to take any chances."

The Sikorsky set down then and the troops escorted them in. It left with them and I got back aboard with Brenda.

"All's well that ends well and all that shit," I said.

I explained Billy and the remains of his group had left in the night. She gave the command center the information and the other Comanches got up to look for them. I warned them to find them only and not to try engaging. Once we spotted them they couldn't get away. We would just hang around out of range this time until they wanted to talk.

When I got back to the house Seven was in my study. She said today's call had gone out and a few had already showed up at the hotel. I told her about Billy's move, but she'd already heard. We discussed it and I decided to wait for more troops to arrive before trying to engulf him.

I asked her what we could do to make attacks like this morning's more difficult. She thought just keeping more than one in the command center at all times would help. I felt we should have someone up with Infrared looking around our perimeter every couple of hours at least. We decided to try it and see what kind of strain it put on our resources. I changed the subject.

"Seven are you on the pill?" I asked.

"Yes." she said, and actually blushed a little.

"See Janet and get off it please. I have a strange desire to distend your beautiful figure," I said.

"Yes sir," she said, and mockingly saluted me before she went off looking for Janet.

Maybe I was going overboard on this baby thing, but it had my attention now. I hoped I wasn't rushing things, but I could tell it was popular with the women. Hell, anything which made them happier was bound to be good for me.

I'd always been more comfortable around women than men. Women never paid me much attention until I was rich, or at least it was my view of things, but I'd always been able to get along with them. For some reason I'd never been able to trust other men. At least now I didn't need to. Much.

I started worrying about the sickness again then. It just popped up and I couldn't get it out of my head it wasn't just a sickness. It had to be a planned operation. I couldn't convince myself the deaths had just occurred with no direction. Someone planned for most of the people on earth to die and they made it happen. I wasn't any closer to discovering who did the planning though.

If it was someone like Carlisle - were they still around and gathering an army of their own intending to rule the world? If they were I needed to find out about it. Chances were if there was someone or some group who intended to rule the world I wouldn't like the way they did it. I'm sure the converse would be true also. It could only mean a struggle and probably a bloody one.

I was going to have a large group of followers if they'd lived. Would it be enough to make sure I could at least keep my hold on what I had. Would I be able to defend my followers and myself? I had to be able to and I didn't intend to be absorbed. Of course those I'd absorbed hadn't intended for me to do it to them either. It was going to come down to the biggest with the mostest in the end.

Seven had assured me I would have plenty of assets to defend us. She told me I would have an organization to manage the assets. Many things depended on Seven being truthful and correct. I hoped she was. I was convinced she was firmly under my control now and I wanted things to stay that way.

I did want to know what the sickness had been all about, but I couldn't think of a way to get any more information. Hopefully we would learn some things from the people who were reporting to us. I hoped the new information would shed some light, but I doubted it. I didn't see how individuals could know much about what had been going on. I sure as hell didn't learn much until I got here and started spreading my influence.

I went to the cafeteria to eat and I was tired of thinking and just wanted to put my swirling thoughts on hold. Nancy, Karen, Shelly, Sarah, Susan, and Jasmine were seated at a table eating and laughing among themselves. I headed their way knowing I would catch hell and bracing for it.

"Hi Jack, when is Mike going to start on the addition?" Nancy asked, throwing me off at once.

"What addition?" I asked.

"For the babies Jack. With all the mommas you've got stored up in your play pen we won't have enough room when the babies start coming."

"I don't know Nancy, I should get some of the organization in today and I'll find a nursery planner somewhere among them I'm sure. If nothing works itself out I'll just get Mike to build a dog house," I told her.

"What in the hell do we need with a dog house? We don't have a single dog on this place," she said.

"I can just move permanently into the dog house and you can have my bedroom for the first few babies," I said, and laughed since I'd finally gotten at least a little joke over on her.

"Very funny Jack. You aren't getting out of it that easily. You're going to be right in there with the rest of us, so you can get up at night and change diapers like a dutiful husband. By the way, you'd better send out a Pampers patrol to start gathering some up," she told me.

"I'm sure you're right. At least tampon consumption should slow a little," I said, jabbing back and hoping to keep her off balance.

"Not if you keep gathering women in double digit groups. I'll have to say the last bunch has livened up the place a little though. Nothing like a few sorority girls to remind you how to party."

"I'm glad you approve. I just wish I had time to give them a little attention," I said, and tried to look lecherous.

"You're going to have to make time. None of them are on the pill either and we don't want to be pregnant by ourselves, so buckle down and get to fucking Jack. A man should use his talents," she told me.

All the others were in stitches by now and it was all I could do to keep from laughing myself. I decided to quit helping her at least. She could do fine making mincemeat of me without my giving her ammunition. Julia brought me a steak, some beans, and a beer, then she sat in my lap to help feed me and to make sure my dick didn't get soft I guess.

"Now Jack, don't start in on the new college girls before you give it to me and Amber. We have seniority you know," Julia said, licking some stray steak sauce off the corner of my mouth.

"Don't you worry Julia, I'll make him do the right thing," Nancy said, assuring her.

Susan came over then and tried to demonstrate she was starting to show a little. She wasn't showing at all yet of course. This did give Nancy another round or two to fire though.

"Hey Susan, we need to find long dick some oysters and quit letting him have all this beef," Nancy said.

"Why, is he running short of lead for his pencil?"

"Not yet, but Seven found all thirty-six of the latest arrivals a bed in Jack's pussy pen and not a fucking one of them is on the pill. He can keep it hard enough, I'm just worried he'll go to shooting blanks," Nancy said, firing another shot and keeping everyone but me in stitches.