Chapter 12

Thursday Morning.

Waking up in Candy’s arms was an interesting experience for David. He had not woken up in a strange place with a different woman in almost twenty years. He and Margaret always woke up together. But seeing the note that Candy gave him from Margaret last night convinced him that he might as well stay here. There was also the fact that Margaret had the car and left him here when she went home. She did promise to bring him clean clothes when she came in to work. The light peeking in the window told David that a new workday was starting, and he might as well get started.

Gently untangling from they young woman wrapped around him David walked down to the lavatory at the hallway end. Need to look for a towel or something, David thought as he was relieving the pressure on his bladder. Coffee? Do I smell Coffee? Following his nose downstairs to the break-room, he saw Helen standing in front of the stove with an apron over her naked body. Coming over and reaching around he gently grabbed each of the familiar nipples with his index finger and thumb and gently touched them.

“Careful,” Helen said. “They were damn near chewed off last night. I thought I was never going to get to sleep.”

“Better than normal, eh?”

“Something about a busy work day that makes you constantly horny.”

“Yes, it does seem to have that impact on you guys,” David said. “And it appears to be universal. I do have to say there are flying libidos here. Need to be careful to not get hit.”

“No. Just need to be careful to be clean. Once you get past the blood test, you are fair game here.”

“So,” David said, pouring a cup of coffee, “How are you doing? You seemed to take a jump in here yesterday?”

“You mean with Gloria? Poor girl was a state. She was so afraid she was going to H&S. They did a replay of that news show from last year, and she was in such a panic that she was going to go that way. Things were quiet so I took her on down through processing. I sat and talked with her while Candy cut her throat. I think she was only scared for a moment when the first slice went in. Then she looked at me and we talked a little. She said it felt like a pinch and then warm. And she was gone in a minute while we talked. No hyperventilation or anything. Candy is a wonder with that knife.”

“I hear that she is. Margaret says she has to spend time watching and learning from her. So, no worries about you helping again if things get busy?” David asked.

“Darling man, so long as we women are running this front end, without interference, I have no problem taking these sluts to get slit.”

“Listen to you. Talking like that. You are terrible,” David said.

“Oh, you have no idea. The gallows humor here is pretty funny once you get used to it. I think back to Friday with Margaret talking casually about cutting me up and I realize that she was serious. And that she may do it someday. But she is going to have to get a lot smoother than she is to catch up with Candy. Right now, when you do me I want Candy to do it. And I don’t need any shock. Seeing how little Gloria twitched, I don’t think it is necessary for me. Just hang me up, bleed me out, clean me out and put me on the grill,” Helen said with a smile.

“Not any time soon, darling. I want to chew on these tits some more.”

“Yeah. There really isn’t anything in them to eat. You know there is not a lot of meat in a woman. Guess that is why so many of us have to go.”

“Well, there sure is a demand. I have full day sales committed already. I need to get a driver for on the road as far as St Louis.”

“Well, I think Gus and Tim would jump at it. And at us too. But you have to be careful I think. I can’t help but wonder if the drivers were part of the Hill problem?”

“How so?”

“Both of those guys were pretty dirty. Bad hygiene. I had never thought about the sanitary issues of meat before I came here. And they both thought of us as something less than human. I don’t really want them handing me.”

“Carol won’t like that.”

“Carol just needs variety and a lot of it. She is having her own problems. I don’t think she is going to be really happy for long. You better get that gallows built for her soon.”

“We are doing that pretty quick. I have contractors coming in next door today for scaffolding, platform building and also a tile man to do the tub. Now if I could find a guillotine...”

“Merle has one that is condemned. Seems it won’t clean up. It was on the news last night.”

“Hmmm. Really?”

“Yes. He had it built like the one of 1904 Paris. All out of wood and with baskets too. Seems that it didn’t pass health department code, and he can’t use it anymore.”

I guess another call to Max is in order, David thought. It would save me a lot of work if I could rescue it from his junk pile.

After a quick breakfast and flirting with the ladies (all of whom were in a bright and shiny-faced mood), David took his third cup of coffee to the office and looked at the clock. 7:30. Let’s see if I can get to Max Burke, David thought as he dialed the number.

Knowing Max’s extension from earlier, David called Max’s desk, expecting to leave a voice mail. To his surprise, Max answered. “Burke here.”

“Max, David over at Findlay. How are you doing?”

“I am cleaning out my desk. Merle fired me. Says he can get someone else to be operations manager that won’t get him into trouble.”

“Shit, I am sorry to hear that. What are you going to do?” David asked.

“Well, I don’t know. I was a salesman before, and then I came inside because I was too good. Merle is cutting overhead like a madman. Know anyone hiring?”

“Yeah, me. Bring your resume and driver’s license. You have a CDL for 20,000 lbs.?”

“Sure. Got one for up to twenty tons. But you need a driver?”

“Combination driver and sales. I was calling around last night and have about fifteen places looking to place orders.”

“Shit, I will be there when I finish cleaning out my desk.”

“One more thing. I heard that Merle had to throw out his guillotine. Is that true?”

“The wooden one? Yeah. Seems it had a lot of stuff in the wood that didn’t clean out right. They took it apart and threw it in the dumpster. Why, you want it?”

“If it’s not a problem.”

“Sure. I’ll have it thrown in the back of my pickup. What does the job pay, anyway?”

“Union Scale for driver, pure commission on sales.” David felt that this would work pretty well.

“I will be right over. I’ll have the guys throw the chopper in back of my truck.”

That takes care of three out of four. Build the gallows today, clean up and assemble the guillotine, and then get the Roman bath coated in tile. All I need is a block and axe and someone to swing it. Classy Conversions, here we come.

And just then, David wrote down the new name for the auxiliary business. The real profit center.

Seeing that it was almost time to open up, David checked the front door cameras to see what the situation looked like. No news van. But the crowd of people was larger than yesterday. Some of them with forms in their hands. Guess I better get the girls tuned up and get the guys ready.

Walking into the break-room, he saw Chris and Marty already there. Marty was giving Carol a toe-curling kiss, and Chris was standing watching while his hand was resting on Elizabeth’s ass.

“We were all just giving the guys a reason to get to work,” Helen said.

“Hell, it looks like they won’t get started if they keep up like that.”

“No,” Carol said breaking the kiss. “Just want to remind him what I look like in case I get caught in the door today. Remember, you can’t fuck the dead. Or at least, they can’t fuck back.”

“Ladies, grab your portables and get to the front. We have a crowd as big as yesterday. Guys, full dress for work. Probably start the line in half an hour,” David said, patting Helen on the ass.

“And I will go let Margaret in,” Candy said. Giving David a kiss, she went down the hall to the back door.

Margaret had driven by the front of the plant and seen over forty people standing around. She grabbed David’s overnight bag with the day’s clothes and hurried to the receiving room door where Candy was opening it up for her.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” She asked Candy, coming into the door.

“Absolutely. I can see why you keep him. He is pretty good. Lots of staying power.”

“Good. Now understand that I don’t want to sleep alone too often.”

“You could join me. I don’t bite. Much.”

“You sweet kid, I am not getting in bed in competition with you. It is not fair.”

“No competition. You are first in his mind. He even whispered your name to me when he was asleep last night,” Candy admitted with a smile.

Margaret dimpled and smiled at that. She was sure glad she pulled Candy out to play when she did. This kid is priceless.

Going to David’s office, Margaret gave him his bag, told him to get dressed, and then stripped. Grabbing her collar from David’s desk, she picked up her computer and walked to reception.

The first person she saw was Carol, talking to an angular-faced young woman in a group at a table. Nancy was at the front desk checking assignments against the list from the MAB. Helen was at the other desk with an older woman and a daughter about Candy’s age. Nancy and Candy were at other tables working on intakes.

“Margaret, you are just who I was looking for,” Helen said. “Could you come here and give me some help?”

“This is Ms. Carmichael and her daughter Cindy,” Helen continued. “She wants to talk about substitution assignment and I told her she should talk with you about it.”

“Okay. Let’s get a table and we can talk,” Margaret replied.

Sitting at a table Margaret looked at the intake information and saw it was for Cindy. She is pretty prime, Margaret thought, looking at the pale redhead. “So what are we looking at here?” Margaret asked.

“My daughter was selected. First lottery she was entered into and she was picked.”

“That is really rough. As David would say, some people can’t get any break,” Margaret said. “Let me see her papers and we will see what we can do.”

Unfortunately, it was totally legitimate. Cindy had the absolute worst luck of being picked the first time she was eligible. And her due date was Sunday.

“I noticed that she has not been registered for a location yet. That is irregular,” Margaret said.

“The notification said that due to a constraint in resources, she could make her selection anywhere. We were wondering if we could talk to you a bit about what our options would be if we chose to come here?”

“What kind of options?”

“Well, for instance, could someone else substitute for her?” Ms. Carmichael asked.

“It has been done. People have petitioned the MAB for that sort of exception. It is for one year, however, not permanent. And it takes a bit of work to do. Did you intend to substitute for her?”

“No. Her older sister wanted to. But there is a complication. She was injured three years ago and has a spinal disconnect on the fourth vertebra, so she is a quadriplegic. I am afraid she is pretty badly atrophied. None of the other houses would talk with us. I had read that your business was not just a butcher shop. So we came here to ask if you had any ideas or options?’

“Did they try stem cell regeneration of the spinal cord?” Margaret asked.

“Yes, they did, but the cells were rejected.”

“I need to have someone else help you a bit to see what the law entails on this. Oh, Carol,” Margaret raised her voice to get to Carol and raise her attention. She saw a lot of giggling going on at the other table and Carol was reluctant to come over.

“Whassup, Mistress of the Knife?” Carol asked when she arrived.

“You’re in a chipper mood. That group seems to want to draw you in.”

“With their fantasy, I might join them. We need to get a safe word.”

“David said, ‘No Pain’.”

“Not for pain. To stop the scene. Go talk with them and you will see what I mean. Now how can I help here?”

“Legal issues, my dear sweet beagle. They want to substitute a blood relative for Cindy here. It is her older sister, who happens to be a quadriplegic. I don’t know enough about it, which is why I’m asking you. We will do what we can but I want to know what we talk about. You take care of this and I will go talk to the girls and see what you found so funny.”

“Enjoy and think about it. These ladies are pretty kinky.”

“Okay, ladies,” Margaret said when approaching the table. “What is it you wish to command us to do?”

“We want an evening of debauchery, with men, women, wine and song. To start Saturday evening at dusk and to continue for as long as we are able. And at dawn, to be taken down to the public floor and beheaded, one after another. Chop, plop, the head into the bucket and flop the body onto the wheelbarrow where it is wheeled away in full view of the party. No catcalls, no jeers, no fruit or other things. For me, it is a designated termination. For them it is voluntary. They sign the papers and are taken to the block, locked down, and if they don’t remember to say the word, chop, plop, and into the wheelbarrow behind me. Totally up to them up to the last minute.”

“Actually, we can give them the rope. If they pull it, the blade falls, and it is over. Not for you, of course. We pull the rope on you,” Margaret said with a smile.

“Sounds fantastic. And you have a guillotine?”

“I believe we will have something appropriate by Sunday. Let me ask all of you ladies, since you intend to volunteer, how do you all feel about being a substitute?” If all of them do, then I gain several bargaining chips. If none of them do, we are no worse off.

Katie, the blond girl piped up and said, “I’ll do it. We will all do it and draw short straws to see who goes first.”

Nodding heads were in agreement.

“Okay. Saturday, you drop by and help us finish the stage for it’s final setup. Saturday night, we do the sapphic degrading acts of total debauchery. And Sunday, you pay for it with your heads. Sound like fun? How many guests?”

“At least the entire drama club from school. They will freak when they see it is for real.”

“And our budget?”

“I figure $5000 for the chopper for me and $1500 for each one extra. You have to put it together and test it for me, but the rest is just raise and chop.”

“We have a deal. We will have the contracts drawn up by Saturday. You and five ladies in waiting? Shall I assume the same number of men?” Margaret asked.

“For the night, at least ten. We like to move them around, you see. And at least twenty or so for the morning services. Admission extra. How about $500 extra each for the overnights.”

“Sold,” Margaret said as she worked on the six additional selection processes both voluntary and assigned with open dates. That meant that they could be revoked unless they were selected in a lottery later.

With that mob leaving with a promise to return Saturday morning, Margaret looked around to see a dozen women working on documents with Helen and Nancy. Candy and Cindy were nowhere in sight. Ms. Carmichael was with Carol, locked in a deep conversation. Approaching the table Margaret asked if anyone wanted any water. To both yes answers she went over to get some water and tea. Wondering what the women were talking about and why Candy and Cindy were gone, she was curious how things were going.

“Well, ladies, what do we know and what can we do?”

“Always ask the tough questions first. I think that what we need to do is term Cindy in a nice way before Monday. I do not believe her sister is qualified under the law to be a substitute. Candy is taking her for a walk to do intake with her and get blood and urine done. And get to understand her a bit better. Then bringing her back up here.”

Not knowing what Carol was thinking, Margaret said to Ms. Carmichael, “Can we have some private space to talk?”

“Okay. What is on your mind?” Margaret said after Ms. Carmichael moved away from them a bit.

“Okay. Here is the thing. That little party on Sunday sounds like a great way to go. Romance out the ass and dead at dawn. I might join them. If I don’t this time, it will be sometime. Depending on how stable Cindy is, she can take over a lot of what I do here. I am not Helen. I can’t walk someone down the hall and wait for them to come through so I can string them up and cut them open. I don’t belong here doing that.”

“Carol, if you want to go, don’t you want to wait for a choice? We will have a gallows today, and a raised deck for a guillotine. David is looking for bleachers and a seller of drinks and beer to do that for the spectators. I want to study rope for soft and for hard drops.”

“There is a big difference.”

“So I have been told,” Margaret agreed.

“And when will we have all this ready?”

“Over the next two weeks.”

‘‘So we are doing Bread and Circuses? What else? Men for orgies overnight?”

“Any men who stay overnight have to have blood tests.”

“Even Jim?”

“Even David,” Margaret said with a smile. “No sense having all the hen house out of order because of one little dick infecting one little chick. But I wanted to ask you something else. You know that five of those ladies in waiting are volunteers?”

“Yes. Oh. You are thinking of substitution forms? Not easily done unless you have compelling reasons and they are blood relatives. That’s to prevent slavery sales. Remember?”

“No. I don’t know the law as well as you do. Even if it isn’t coerced? No sign of economic transfer?”

“You have to have a pretty binding element. Having the substitute pay for the transfer while no third party contributes. That is what makes it sticky.”

“Well, my dear, we have the weekend to figure it out. You are a live law dog and I intend to use you as such until the last minute. So why is the quad sister not a viable substitute? Isn’t that denying her equal access and opportunity under the Handicapped Rights Act?”

“I am not sure how we could petition the court for that with the specific exemption from the involuntary euthanasia act. Remember the hospitals and medical unions fought real hard to keep the sick and handicapped out of the lottery citing “humanitarian” reasons.”

“Yes, but here is a different thing. Here is a woman who wants to volunteer to substitute for a sister. Regardless of the handicap issue, this is a voluntary gift. Obviously the law was not supposed to prevent such an occurrence.”

Carol’s face went through range of emotions from surprise, to shock, to being aghast, to finally settling into an evil grin. “ You know this would start to set precedent and kick over a lot of anthills, don’t you?”

“And if we lose on the initial, it will have to go through the appeals processes. You are one of the key litigators on the Equal Rights for Handicapped law extension here in Illinois,” Margaret said with a smile.

“You bitch. You read my CVA? Of course you did. What’s in it for you?” asked Carol with a confused look on her face.

“Carol, honey, we all worry about each other. We all like you enough to keep you around. And getting you something to do will keep your mind off of being depressed. Besides, I get to keep your pretty blonde ass here for David and occasionally get to jump Jim’s bones,” Margaret said with a smile.

“I don’t know how long Jim is going to keep coming around here or for how long,” Carol said with a sad smile.

“Well, if he quits, David still does. And we’ll just drag a few in for good measure,” Margaret said. “Don’t worry about missing the boat with this little drama group. I think we will have plenty of more where they come from.”

Candy and Cindy in the meantime were talking in the stripping room. Carol had said to start the process for the young woman, but not worry about taking her all the way through. Things were still getting organized, and Barbara was fussing about needing to order supplies early for tomorrow. Cindy looks as curious as I must have, Candy thought.

“So, you work here, but you were selected too?” Cindy asked Candy. “How does that work?”

“Pretty strange actually. I was a substitute for my mother. Me and a friend of mine. She was pregnant with a boy, so she was exempted. I wasn’t, but Ms. F. pulled me out for work here. I sort of help where ever I can. Paperwork and leading people around, mostly.”

“So, how do they... ?” Cindy started to ask but stopped.

“Term you? It’s a secret. Tell you what though, it is smooth. Painless and almost nothing to feel. Couple of sharp pinches and after a few minutes you just go to sleep. Usually one of us is with you the whole way. We talk and listen and it just is kind of drifty.”

“Have you seen many?”

“Probably about a hundred. Not sure. Didn’t count.”

“Wow. That is more people than I know. Mom is at wit’s end about this. First Heather in the accident and then I get selected. She was just past selection herself three months ago. Heather has been trying to get terminated since last year but the doctors won’t let her. Say that there is always new medical opportunity. I think they just want to keep her there because we have insurance.”

“I don’t know about that. But I will tell you a secret. This place is funny for what it is. If Margaret wants to get something done, she will find a way.”

“Hi, Cindy. You are clean and have no pregnancy, I can buzz you back up to the front,” Barbara said. “And Candy, can you please tell David I need to get a new order of blood filter cups for the lab? I am down to my last fifty or so and that we will definitely need them tomorrow.”

Just then David walked into the stripping room from the restroom, “Hi, ladies. Just passing through. Candy, can you help me next door? I have to open the door for Max to back his truck into the loading dock. Unless you have to take this young lady along?”

“No, boss, just doing some prelim. Margaret is talking with Carol about her situation. Cindy, this is Mr. F.”

“Hi, Cindy. Call me David. That means you too, scamp,” David said shaking Cindy’s hand and sticking his tongue out at Candy.

“Well, if she is not being processed, then I will use her to help. You can get back with Margaret and see if she needs help. Cindy, come on next door,” David continued.

David opened the center door of the back wall of the room. It was a double door that had been in place when access was needed to the building next door when it was in use. It hadn’t been used for quite some time. Going through led into a rear corner of the open space of the warehouse next door. The roll-up door and front entry were to the left across the floor. Along the right wall was another double door leading to the rear where the scalding tub was located. When David had rented the space to a boxing gym years ago, the tenant had installed collapsing bleachers along the wall to David’s left. The ring was gone, having been torn down years ago, and the bleachers on the far wall were wrecked and unusable. But one set still worked. David was thinking that this was pure luck.

Going to the far front corner of the building, David kicked open the locks on the roll-up door and started to pull up the chain. The contractors that were waiting came in, looking around at the open spaces.

“Okay, guys, I want everything on that wall stripped and junked. I want to take those scaffolds and set up a scaffolding midway along this wall with stairs down one side and I want the scaffolding to be ten feet up. Make provisions for an overhead bar another eight feet above that. This is a twenty-foot ceiling so we will have some space.”

“Okay. No problem with this stuff. How long and how wide?”

“I want the scaffolding to be ten feet tall, twelve feet wide and twelve feet long. I want prefabricated straight stairs running up this end.” David gestured to the end nearest the front door. “And I want a smaller twelve by twelve platform, three feet tall also built on wheels that are lockable at all points. And I want all joints welded and the wall scaffolding bolted to the wall along the top and down the uprights.”

“Don’t want anything to fall. For the flooring of the deck, do you want us to use two by six or seven quarters tyvex?”

“Use the artificial stuff. Cleans up easier.” David said. “ And while you are building it, Make the entire front drop and hinge in three sections. Each with a separate release. Or have the middle drop first and the entire floor drop as a second.”

“Okay. Henry and Hank and I will get this torn down now. Probably have the stuff wrecked by noon. Are you going to paint behind this first?

“Good idea. If you build this in the middle, I can get the painting done this afternoon and we can move this back against the wall tomorrow and then bolt everything up.”

“Works for me. Won’t take that long to build this. These are standard scaffolds. Getting them welded is a pain. You only want cross-pieces in the back and sides, right?”

“Yes. We shouldn’t need them in the front, do we?

“If we bolt it to the wall in back and along the rear of the deck, we won’t need on in back either, just the sides.”

“Okay. Put them on the back until we slide this up against the wall and bolt it fast.”

“Mr. F., what is all this for?” Cindy asked.

“We are hosting some special parties here and we need to get the audience pieces in place.”

“I see. This is an awful lot of platform for a nightclub. You will have people falling off the platform if you don’t have any rails, won’t you?”

“Not really. And those who fall off the platforms won’t be worried about being injured.”

“Oh. I think I see,” Cindy said in a very quiet voice.

“Cindy, why don’t we sit down over here for a few minutes and you tell me about yourself.”

For the next hour and a half, David found out that Cindy was, among other things, an accomplished pianist, on Honor roll for her entire life and was supposed to go to Cornell. “Guess that won’t happen,” she said. “I was going to major in business. Then take over the business for Dad. Heather was going to also, but she was in the accident. Now we don’t know what to do. I am kind of out of it, I guess.”

“Did Candy tell you how she came to be here?” David asked.

“She said she volunteered so her mother would be able to take care of her father and the rest of the family. Sounded to me like she got a real raw deal, being pressured into giving your life away like that. I am not happy about this, but I don’t want Heather to die either. Mom was pushing her to sub for me. I thought it was kind of shitty myself.”

“Not really good for anyone, is it?”

“No. I don’t know how I would feel if Heather died in my place. I think I would feel kind of rotten. Not that I want to die myself, it’s just screwed up all around.”

Looking around, David saw that the construction team was well under way. “Let’s go out the front and next door. I’m getting thirsty,” David said.

Cindy followed David out front and around to the reception entrance. Coming into the room he saw Carol, Margaret and Cindy’s mother talking in a corner table. Nancy and Helen were working with different groups of women, their portables up and active on contract forms. Ms. Carmichael raised her hand and gestured for Cindy and David to come over.

“Honey, we are going to have Cindy come be with us on Saturday and stay for a while so we can figure out what we can do. If you don’t mind she can help fill in on paperwork here out front. Ms. Carmichael and I are going to visit with her other daughter Heather later next week,” Margaret said.

“She can still come and go until then. She won’t have to be goat status until Sunday. Have you seen Max Burke?” David asked.

“He came around here a few minutes ago. I sent him to your office. He said he was parked in back with the stuff you wanted. Are we going to put him to work for us?”

“I think so. I need a driver and he can also do the sales work for us. Most of these ladies are too good for pet food.”

“I would hope so,” Ms. Carmichael said.

“Just remember, Jane, most of our people end up like that. But we treat them like they are all top shelf,” Margaret said firmly.

“I see that. And things here are so smooth and quiet. Candy was just here and went back with some women just like Cindy did,” Jane said.

“Actually, there are a couple of differences. All of them are naked by now. And most of them are already dead,” Margaret said coolly to Ms. Carmichael. “Don’t forget that is what we do here. Cindy is going home with you today. She won’t on Saturday.”

“I hear you.”

“I just don’t want you to have unrealistic expectations,” Margaret continued.

“I don’t have any. I guess I pretty much understand. Well, we will see you Saturday?”

“Look forward to it,” Margaret answered.

Seeing them leave, David asked Margaret for an update.

“She had hoped that we would accept Heather instead of Cindy. She had already talked at H&S and they said ‘Why take dog food when you can get prime steak.’ So they weren’t willing. She came here today hoping that she would be able to work that sort of deal, but Carol disabused her of that notion. Now we might be able to work something out, but I am not going to make any offers without talking it over with you first. We sort of threw this together quickly and it is working. I am not going to stir anything up.”