Chapter 85

I now had lots going on around me. Lots, I should have said too much.

The factory and Karen's fashion business.

The slave factor's slaves and the supply of slaves throughout most of Western and Central Europe.

The purchase of land around the factory to connect it with Martinè.

The ongoing war against Huntley and the corrupt police forces.

The collection of the police controlled prostitutes and bringing them here to France.

Then there were my legitimate businesses in the UK. The building works for the Government had started and work was ongoing at over 200 sites around the country. My renovations business had taken off recently as well; as more and more people renovated and modified their homes rather than buying a larger place. The fledgling building supplies company I'd setup wasn't a fledgling any longer and my senior staff there were getting approaches from the larger building supplies chains regarding, well basically cutting up the country into areas and having a bit each. I'd told them to fuck off, literally in a couple of cases. My accountancy firm, backed by the City and County name, took off like a rocket. It built up a portfolio of customers that its previous owner could only have dreamed of. They needed to move into a new, larger, office block. I had taken over the leases of six more properties in Lincolns Inn Fields. And I had uses for at least four more.

And I'm sure that I've forgotten something. There was so much that I'd started reacting to events rather than being proactive. I was falling behind and needed a way to catch up.

But I also remembered my own experience with overworking, and the state that Karen was in had concerned me deeply.

Em too, was getting over-worked, as there were just too many people for her to look after. The slaves trained as nurses in the Paris slave pen would help. But would they be enough?

We have to reorganise and quickly.

I thought about what needed doing while I swam. I needed to get this reorganisation right or it could be worse for us than things were now. But I was just an old Chief Petty Officer, a Matelot, a grunt. I had been a good CPO, but my man-management training was for groups of 50 or so. I was now looking at over 2000 slaves and all of my businesses. I was directly or indirectly responsible for nearly 20,000 people.

It had been so much simpler back in the hired office, with just Karolina and I together there. I daydreamed about Karolina for a few moments. That was something else I didn't have time to do; to dream and have ideas. I had to sort this out before it all fell apart.

Finishing my lengths I climbed out, not with the ease I used to feel, but slowly, and still a little stiff. I too, was doing too much again.

Harold was waiting for me when I got back to my subterranean office.

"I've got some people that it will do you good to meet." He said with a smile.

"What can they do?" I asked. Harold had much more experience of running a very large business than I did, but even his conglomerate was no match for my interests.

"Well, they're administrators. They can do the day-to-day running of your various businesses, take the strain from you. You really need this help you know."

I nodded. "I've been worrying about the same thing." I admitted.

"Well, see these two and let me know what you think. I also know two or three others, not quite so good but still first class people." He said holding my arm companionably.

This took a load off my shoulders. "Harold, I think I'm going to need about 10 or 15 very high class people. But they need to think like I do, I don't want layers and layers of bureaucracy or so many levels of managers that nothing can ever change."

He laughed. "I doubt that anyone who suggested either of those things would last out the day. No Paul, these people I'm bringing over are good, but they'll follow your lead. They're not afraid to take risks and they'll put their hand up if they screw up."

Then he looked a little more serious. "There is a small problem though. Their last employer is trying to get them jailed. They refused to do some dirty work for him and he's powerful enough to have control of his own police and judges. If they stay in the UK they'll be ruined. I would hire them myself but I'm not big enough to fight Gerry Soaper."

Even before I had my win I'd heard of Gerald 'Gerry' Soaper. Business tycoon, management whiz and general all round whiz kid. Then the stories started coming out. His wife wanted a divorce, citing physical violence and mental cruelty. She died in a car accident about three weeks after these revelations surfaced. Gerry's comment on being told of her death was, 'I don't do divorce.'

I'd never personally had dealings with him, but knew some who had. Their advice to me had been to count my fingers after I shook hands with him. Gerry was an out-and-out crook.

But compared to my current standings, Gerry was also a little crook. He was worth about two billion pounds. Thanks to Nigel I'd proved that I could raise more than that in cash in less than a day. Yes, he could make things difficult for me. I think I could bankrupt him though. Huge amounts of money has a power all of its own. You don't need to spend it to influence people. You just need them to know that you could spend it. And that you would be quite willing to spend it destroying them. That tends to focus your enemy's mind on avoiding conflict with you.

"Bring them over Harold. Bring anyone that you think might be good at this sort of thing. I need admin assistance and I need it quickly. I also need ideas men..."

"No Paul, you don't. What you need is time by the pool relaxing and letting your mind run free. You'll have more ideas, and absolutely world-class ideas at that, than your people will be able to keep up with. Paul, you are the best ideas man I've ever met. And I've met a few."

He smiled again, taking any sting out of his words. "Paul, you and your girls need to rest for a while. Go back to doing what you do so well. Lay by the pool, enjoy your girls and amaze us all with your imagination and inspiration. We'll supply the people who'll add the 99% perspiration." He laughed at his mangled use of that old phrase.

"Go and get your people Harold and warn them to bring their wellies. If I like them, they'll be thrown straight in the deep end." Now I too felt like laughing. If these people were only half as good as Harold implied then they'd be just what I needed right now.

Harold left quietly as I gathered my thoughts. I needed a set of generals for my legitimate businesses as well as for those a little less mainstream shall we say. Then I needed good managers to implement their instructions. But I didn't want too many rules and restrictions. The City and County companies had grown by being willing to let the workers make major decisions. All of my mainstream companies were like that. People work harder, and better, for a company that they themselves have an interest in.

I had one call to make before I called it a day though.

"Em dearest. Go to the slave factor's and get all of the women with nursing training. They are yours. Use them as you need to, precious. I want you to set up a medical system to look after all of us. Report to Julia weekly unless you need something quickly."

"Can I come and see you too, Master?"

"Of course you can. I'm hoping that with these extra people you'll be able to spend more time here with me. And spend it by the pool instead of in your sick room."

"Thank you, Master. I'll call Julia as soon as I've been to the slave factor's."

"Remember dearest Em that I love you and always will." I told her.

"I know you do, my Master. And I, just like all of your girls, love you with all of my heart."

I hung up with a tear in my eye.

Sasha hugged me. How long had she been there I wondered.

"You're just a big softy really, aren't you?"

"Yes, a softy that wants to take you to bed." I replied.

I took my darling Sasha to bed too. And I fell asleep.

Sasha let me sleep myself out. I expected to hear from Alina and Melissa today. They'd have reached London by now and would be going to see ... I smiled to myself. What would he think when those two turned up on his doorstep? I wish I could be a fly on that wall.

However, Harold had visitors. And they were for me.

"Paul, come and meet Eric and Joan Buischvilla."

The Buischvilla's, a man and woman, both looked to be early forties, slimish, fairly fit, and well groomed, though they were both dressed casually, both in jeans and shirts. These must be Harold's super-managers.

"Hello, please call me Paul." I said as I held out my hand to Eric.

Eric's eyes flickered towards Harold, Joan however retained my gaze, "Yes sir." They said in unison.

I turned to Harold. "Have they been talking to Cecy or Sasha?"

He laughed, "Oh no. That was me this time." He admitted. He thought that that was quite funny too.

Eric and Joan looked on a little bemused.

"You'll have to excuse Harold, he and all of the other people around here have a strange sense of humour." I said in way of explanation.

"Has Harold told you why I need you?" I asked them.

"He's given us quite an extensive briefing, Baron. But I think I can summarise it in one sentence. You've too much work to do." Answered Eric. Joan nodded her agreement with his summary.

"Precisely right." I agreed. "My main businesses are all under the City and County umbrella." Their eyes both went wide on hearing that.

"City and County are a ... huge ... conglomerate. What percentage do you hold?" asked Joan.

I smiled, better get most of the shocks over with now. "In most companies better than 90%; in C&C renovations about 45%."

Now they paled a little and looked at each other nervously. "Er ... and how big is your management team?" Eric asked.

"I'm it."

"YOU!" Joan exclaimed. "You run most of City and County on your own!" They looked at each other. "Perhaps, Baron, you'll be teaching us management techniques rather than the other way round. Wow, running C&C on your own. When Harold told us you ran a couple of big businesses, we never thought they'd be that big."

"There is more though, and from what Harold has told me of your problems with Gerry Soaper, I think that you need to know this before you agree to anything. I would like you to understand that a lot of my business isn't precisely legal. I have slaves..."

"Like them?" Joan asked pointing down at my sides. I looked down and Umber and June were kneeling at my sides, both naked of course.

"Like them." I agreed. "However the girls here are only a small part of my ... interest ... in slaves."

I told them about the factory, and the slave factor, and the numbers of women at each place.

"And to really complicate matters, I am having ... problems ... with most of the police forces in the UK. They want me dead."

"DEAD!" I think that they were wondering what they'd gotten into. "Why?"

"That's a very good question and when I find out the answer to it, I'll let you and a whole bunch of other people know."

"You mean that most of the police in England are trying to kill you; and you don't know why?" Said Eric. They both looked at Harold in wonderment.

Harold nodded and answered for me. "That seems to sum up the situation admirably." He turned to me. "See, I told you they were good." He said with a grin.

"Would you mind telling me what you did to Gerry to get him so set against you?" I asked them.

"Oh, I thought Harold would have told you about ... that." Said Joan.

"No, I don't know anything about the problem, only that there is one." I replied.

"And you still agreed to see us. That alone will get Mr. Soaper pissed off with you." Said Eric.

I waved dismissively. "Let him. I've got bigger problems than Gerry Soaper." I looked at them as they digested the fact that I thought that their nemesis was just a small problem.

They thought about this for a moment then, joining hands, they turned back to me.

Joan started. "You should know that Mr. Soaper tried to blackmail us into defrauding, ruining, a huge number of people. If the fraud came out then we would have been blamed of course. Mr. Soaper would have walked away completely clean. Just like he's done so many times before."

"But this time we refused and handed in our notices. Of course Mr. Soaper was quite angry, actually he was bloody furious, about that and has spread the word to prevent us from getting any work again." Eric finished.

Joan looked at Eric, "And there's another thing, the thing Mr. Soaper tried to blackmail us about..."

"Don't tell me if you don't want to. The only thing that really interests me is whether you can do the job or not." I interrupted.

They looked at each other again, "I think we'd be happier with this out in the open. You see, Joan and I love each other." Said Eric. The looks that they'd been giving each other while they'd been here had made that obvious.

"Well done, I'm happy for you." I said and meant it too.

"But he's my brother and I'm his..."

"Sister and my dearest love." Finished Eric.

"OK." I said, understanding more now. "And I suppose that Gerry didn't give a shit about this, but he knew that other people did and that you didn't want the details of your relationship to get out?"

They both smiled, a little weakly though, at that. I could clearly see their anxiety by the way their knuckles showed white as they held hands.

"Well I'm OK with that. You two sleep with each other, I sleep with hoards of slaves. God knows how many at a time, the little buggers wriggle about too much to count." I admitted.

"But Master!" Cried Umber, "You've never slept with more than fifteen slaves and Mistress Sasha." She seemed to be under the impression that that little dollop of information lessened my possible wrongdoing.

"Umber, dearest girl, until a couple of weeks ago I only had fifteen slaves and my dearest Sasha." I tried to enlighten the ever helpful Umber.

"And how many slaves do you have now, Baron?" Joan asked.

"My Master, is the owner of over two thousand slaves, and I am proud to be one of his body slaves." Little miss helpful just couldn't stop helping me could she?

"Is that an important position?" asked Eric with a smile.

This time Harold supplied the answer. "Eric, little Umber here is the chief body slave. As such, she is the third highest in the slave's hierarchy. Subordinate only to Paul's favourite, Karolina, and the girl he placed above all others, Julia." So she is a very important slave, and if you ever work with her, then it would pay you to remember that you are working for her, not the other way round. And she has access to Paul, day or night, and he listens to her and takes her advice."

"And he beats the cheeky wretch mercilessly whenever she needs it." I added. Joan and Eric opened their eyes wide at this statement.

"My Master, this girl is ready for any punishment that you see fit to give this girl. This girl loves her Master and would do, and suffer, anything for him."

Harold laughed. "Paul, you can't threaten your girls with a beating. You know that they'd willingly accept it and ask for more. And she knows that despite the amount of times they've all tried to get you to take them down into the dungeons, you haven't yet and you never ever beat them."