Chapter 25

Friday night in the Henhouse

"Phew. My feet are tired." Cathy said as she opened a beer and sat down in the break room. "I hadn't known this place was so big."

"Good thing these sandals are comfortable. Walking on these floors all day would be a real pit if they weren't" Cindy said.

"Does anyone else here have a problem sitting down toward the end of the day?" Kim asked the girls.

"You mean getting wet and sticky when you come back into the reception?" Carol asked.

"Perfectly normal, ladies." Helen replied. "It is called survivor reaction. Like near death experiences make us horny, watching or doing the terminations makes you feel powerful and excited. None of us is coldblooded about this." Helen said with a smile.

"Yes. People like that on the outside were called psychopaths and I tried to get them locked up when they were too good at this or enjoyed it too much." Carol said with a smile.

"Are you saying I am sick?" Candy said with a smile.

"Yes, but in the nicest way." Carol said.

Seeing Margaret come in, Carol asked, "What happened with Sarah?"

"Dumb bitch would not listen and did not want to work here. Regardless. After arguing with her for almost an hour I finally had enough." Margaret said in disgust.

"Was that the last one that came through by herself?" Cindy asked. "I darn near didn't shock her thinking she was a new goat. Then she started to yell at me for being a murderer and I figured she didn't belong."

"You ok?" Margaret asked.

"Yes. She kept talking about someone named Max. I told her he would be ok. After a few minutes she dropped off. I think Chris is going to live spit her for the ASPCA luncheon."

"That fits" Helen said.

"So, getting wet and sticky. Why is that?" Kim asked, getting things back onto her track.

"It is normal. Women get damp from almost any strong emotions. Sexual excitement is one of them. Horror is another. If you get too blasé here that is what we should start to worry about." Helen said.

"Yea, that means you are not even a good psychopath. If we quit being polite and quit having any reaction, then we need to go down ourselves. Cause that means we aren't recoverable." Margaret said.

While several of the women were talking about what to have for dinner, Margaret went over to Carol and said "I would like to talk with you about Sarah if you have a moment."

Seating just the two of them in a corner of the couch, Margaret began." Sarah would not have worked out here. And worse I think she would have been a bad impact on some of the others. I think we all would have been pretty sick of her by Monday, or worse she would have started to get everyone here having second thoughts of what we are trying to do."

"And what are we trying to do" Carol asked.

"Save everyone we can, and still give those we can't save respect and a decent death. Make a change." Margaret said.

"Tall order lady." Carol said.

"I know. But the worse short term impact would have been on Abby, Cathy, Cindy and Candy. Her constant whine of how this was wrong and we were doing the wrong thing would have started to crack them. And we can't afford that to happen if we are going to keep the lifeboat afloat." Margaret replied

"You think she could have done that?" Carol asked.

"You are the lawyer. Imagine how effective repetitive and constant commentary like that would be here, much less a courtroom?" Margaret asked.

Sitting back and thinking on that, Carol saw a bigger game here than she had thought.

"I hadn't thought about that. You really worried about the details impacting all of us."

"Darling, not a day or night goes by but when David and I are not worried about how we can keep all of you safe. And from all enemies both foreign and domestic." Margaret said. "This little houseboat is always at risk. We just have to balance them and make sure that they are manageable, while still keeping the boat afloat."

"I hear you. I guess I am pissed at more than at you, believe me." Carol said.

"I am too. You and Nancy were right. She was a good one to save. But she had to make some compromise if we were going to. All of us have had to." Margaret said.

Kim felt oddly at ease joining the banter with Helen, Candy and Abby. Gone were her fears that they were going to cut her throat Monday. Or maybe it was simple adjustment. Like living with a tiger. You know it was going to eat you. It's just not today.

"So, what do I do about this wet spot I keep leaving wherever I go?"

"Drink plenty of fluids." Candy quipped. "And thank god for Saturday nights."

"Ok. I read the blogs. Does this place really turn into an orgy on Saturday?" Kim asked.

"I hope so. I have never been to one on the outside." Cathy said. "Although last night with David was pretty nice."

"You did say you were going off to fuck the boss," Kim said. "I am jealous. How did that turn out?"

"He is good. Lots of stamina and a good hard texture, you should try it." Cathy said.

"I probably should tonight."

"Not tonight. It's Hen night tonight. Time to wind down, do hair, and be girls." Helen continued. "Margaret stays so we have management on site, but that is the only reason. All the guys go home and we get ready for whatever is coming up tomorrow. I am surprised David is not here giving us our evening pep talk and talk about tomorrow."

Just at that point, David did come in from the rear process area. "Good evening ladies. Candy, how many for tomorrow? Do you and Nancy have a count?"

"From the schedule we have twenty one catch up and maybe thirty intakes. Also six interviews for pre selection." Candy said.

"Ok. Does that count the twenty we are getting from the Imam's group?" David asked.

"That is the Imam's group" Nancy said. "He added one more this afternoon. Tomorrow is a religious experience, girls."

"Boo" Cindy said, throwing a pillow at Nancy. "That is so bad on so many ways."

"What? You don't think we are providing a religious experience?" Nancy said with an innocent smile.

"I think I need another beer if this conversation is going that direction" Cindy said.

"Get me one too, please?" Kim asked.

"Ok. Anything to report, ladies?" David asked.

"I put a copy of the purchase agreement on your desk. We will need three of the eight inch and six of the four-inch units for here and H&S. There are some air controls and a couple of other things to add as well. I would like to talk to Phil about that if I can." Kim replied.

"I have no problem with that." David replied. "But he seems a tad upset toward me. Feel free to invite him any time he wants to come. As to his professional advice, he told Jack he will only talk with him. So you feel free to work that out."

Nodding her head, Liz vowed to talk with Helen about how to handle this better.

"Also, I have a copy of the weekly selection list being sent to us Sunday. So, Sunday morning, before family gets here, I want Nancy, Carol and Helen to look through the list to find us some satisfactory additions. I have the twelve collars from H&S here, to go with our eight. Liz, you can keep yours or have one of the H&S brands. Your choice."

"Does that mean I would be transferred to H&S when it opens up?" Liz asked.

"For the duration of my professional association with Jack, all collars are a pool. We can go between locations without change of assignments, according to the memorandum I have with the MAB. So I expect all of you to give me the benefit of your intelligence and experience as we make this place better."

"Now, if there are no further items, I am going to leave here along with every other useless prick. Good night ladies."

"I wonder where David is going tonight?" Helen asked Margaret after David left.

"He has a dinner date with Jim and Christine." Margaret answered. "He sees them on every Friday now. He won't sleep with her though except here."

"You got a good one there," Helen said. "Have you talked to Mark this week?"

"No. David hasn't either. Do you want us to call him?" Margaret asked.

"No. Intellectually I understand. But it hurts." Helen replied.

"I hear you there, girlfriend." Carol interjected. "I am surprised that Jim keeps coming around. You can always borrow him. Christine and I don't mind."

"And you can have David as well. He has always liked you." Margaret added.

"I want to thank you both. I do get by with the help from my friends. But we do have a shortage of things to do here. I think that is what is most depressing after a while."

"We are working on that." Margaret said.

"I don't doubt that," Helen said.

"David said he wants to knock open the wall upstairs onto the roof next door. Build an area where we can get outside and garden. He wanted to ask Phil about that as well for the H&S location. We all need some sunshine anyway."

"Going to make this a country club in the city?" Helen kidded.

"Why not? We already have the finest female bodies available. Not counting mine." Margaret said.

"Now if we could just get some dicks on a more frequent basis." Helen said. "What do you think about opening up a nightclub? Call it the Condemned women's last one night stand?"

"Isn't that what Jennifer did?" Carol asked.