20

Chapter 16 - Security

The Circle Security Committee sat around the board room table. The members included: Dale Harnett of Harnett Security, Dave Prentiss, Rose Prentiss, Lt. James Hotch of the Circle and Sarasota Sheriff's Department, Owen Bennett, and Julie Prentiss-Bennett. Dale had also invited Lucas Donovan -- the head of security for Worthington Industries and for billionaire Mark Worthington.

Dale turned the meeting over to Dave and he called the meeting to order. "Ladies and gentlemen, I may be paranoid, but I think we have a vague threat that one of the past members of this committee may have visited upon us. The purpose is to discuss that possibility and what response we should mount, if any. Henceforth, there are to be no minutes or record of this and subsequent meetings or discussions. Also, our secretary will purge all past minutes, especially those that showed who was in attendance at any meeting.

Julie spoke quietly. "Already done."

"Dev Connor ceased to exist as of about four weeks ago. He was doing some top-secret government work that we think inflicted serious economic and supply chain damage on the world's largest cartel. He was wounded, and may have passed away by now, but he also may have left a trail behind of family and friends -- that's us -- that the cartel may want to wreak vengeance on.

"Some of you know his wives and family were vacated from here three weeks ago. We have no idea where they went or what new life has been arranged for them. I think that might have mitigated the threat to any of us, but not eliminated it. Thus, I asked Dale to call this meeting without a lot of fanfare. I urge you all not to discuss what goes on here today or in the future. That's all I have -- a weak, ill-at-ease feeling about a threat."

Lucas spoke in his deep, resonating voice. "If this were happening in Worthington Industries or in Mark's clan, you could bet we'd be having the same meeting and we would be taking the threat seriously, even though there's not a credible, specific threat. I urge you to treat the threat as both possible AND probable."

Julie asked, "So, what do we do?"

Lucas said, "Dave gave me his concern over the phone a day or two ago, so I've had time to think about this. You are fortunate, because you have a closed and gated community. If somebody shows up here that doesn't belong, they stand out like a pink elephant on a pogo stick. Further, because of the threats that happened with that minister from Ohio you geared up your perimeter surveillance pretty well. There are still some things I think you should do."

"Such as," Dave asked as he leaned forward.

"Rethink your security. Teach them how to patrol and survey so that both of them can't be taken out at the same time. Give them night vision equipment. For a few months, I'd want to triple the number of teams on an around the clock basis, especially at night. I'd also put all your video feeds through an artificial intelligence system that calls out and responds to anything unusual happening -- anything. That system should do it automatically and call forth the demons from hell to respond in force when it discerns a problem that's not properly responded to.

"I'd like to see more people armed and trained to respond to an armed threat coming onto Circle property. I would start or restart in some cases the firearms training some of you have gone through. Deke from our clan can help with that. That also means hardening the guardhouse, and I think it means shutting down the rear entrance to your property -- blocking it and ensuring video surveillance for people coming on foot.

"I think you need to adopt the attitude that you are mad as hell at this threat -- and I mean everyone in the Circle. Put this place on alert. Scare the shit out of everyone so they're looking over their shoulders. If you go to Israel, that's how people think. Every person they don't know is a potential terrorist. Get that mindset here. You want people to instantly report anything suspicious. Accordingly, you need a response center.

"Since Christian Grey Road is your main access thoroughfare, I'd put up some other barriers along that road. I'm not sure what I mean, but maybe there's a surveillance point just off of the main highway that qualifies any vehicles turning onto the road. AI can help with that. They're announced as they enter; their license plates are read, interpreted, and reported if they don't belong to a neighbor or one of you. If something unidentified arrives, that gives you about two minutes to position your resources to respond. You're not caught flat-footed."

Owen spoke, "I will cover all costs associated with these and any other measures we come up with."

Jim Hotch said, "We need a direct line to the Sheriff's Department about this that bypasses 9-1-1 and doesn't require power to our landlines. Our electric supply is vulnerable. Include us in your respond strategy. Also, anybody that attacks will plan an exit after they do their mischief. We need to block that exit, even set up a way to capture the perpetrators of whatever scheme they enact."

Rose muttered, "We set up a trap with bait?"

Rose had a great track record with the committee from when the Circle had mortar rounds dropping on it from a God-inspired delusional minister. Because of her, the case had been cracked.

'What would you do?"

"I'd set up the home where Dev, Wendy, and Sharon lived like they did in the crazy house in the movie Home Alone. Remember he had tape recordings, a video, and cut-out people walking around the house to scare away the thieves."

Dale said, "That would mean the students should move out."

Dave quickly said, "I can take three of them in my house."

Owen said, "I can take the other three."

Dale said, "That solves that. I like that idea, Rose. I'd add in that we put covert security on that house, perhaps staked out in the adjacent homes.

Dave noted, "We need a whole set of security communications equipment and a protocol for using it."

Lucas nodded, "I can help you with that."

Dale asked, "How do we alert the whole Circle to a speculative threat?"

Lucas said, "I can help you with that, too."

The emergency meeting of all Circle members and pledges had been called for the next Monday evening immediately after dinner. The Circle 101 class was cancelled. The meeting started with the statement, "We have reason to believe that ..." From there on, the meeting got more serious.

Dave suggested to the pledges that they might want to wait a few months and then restart their interest in the Circle. No one moved. He suggested that some of the people in the townhouses or along Perimeter Drive might want to leave for other quarters until it was felt the threat was reduced. No one moved.

Out of the meeting, only one additional action was derived from the Q&A, specifically to triple the guard on the classrooms for the home schooling classes. University classes did opt to return to their regular rooms on campus.

The next day, a dozen people associated with Dale and Lucas' security efforts started working on beefing up the surveillance systems and communication systems for the Circle. A dozen people from two security companies started to install communications and surveillance equipment. The full-time staff was also added and trained in new patrol and surveillance techniques.

The following weekend, a bus transported twenty-seven Circle members and pledges to the firing range the Sheriff's department used off Laurel Road. There were six instructors there who each worked with a small team of people about the weapons they were given, and then on their firing prowess. The group spent sixteen hours over the Saturday and Sunday, and knew they'd be back again the following week. The security committee was of course part of the group. Dave noted that Rose seemed to love firing a semi-automatic AR-15; moreover, she proved deadly with the rifle.

During the following week, Lucas went over communications protocols and codes with the enlarged security committee. A central security office was established that would run in parallel with the guardhouse. They practiced and also learned the details of the new radios and surveillance systems. Three people were staffed on just monitoring the surveillance cameras, as augmented by the new artificial intelligence analysis algorithms.

The students who'd moved into the old Connor home, moved out to new quarters. The house was rigged to look and sound occupied from an hour before sunset to dawn. The adjacent neighbors -- Ty and Dori, and Adam and Jill Timms moved to the far sides of their homes away from the 'bait' house. Surveillance night vision equipment was placed in the homes and those positions fortified with sand bags to withstand a firefight if needed. That equipment also communicated to the central reporting station.

Dave called and asked for a meeting with the mysterious man that he and Wendy had met in Wendy and Dev's home after returning from Houston -- Morris Merman. He left a message for the man on the phone number he had for him, asking for a callback.

Instead of a callback, Dave had a surprise visitor as EneRG. Marshall Merman entered Dave's office shortly after Dave and Jenny got there having ridden in on his motorcycle. He shut the door and said, "You called?"

"Several of us are very worried about a reprisal that may come not on the past Connor family, but on their friends -- us. We have taken steps to improve our security and response teams, but we need one more thing that I think you can provide."

"What's that?"

"Advance notice if you think the cartel is mounting any kind of a reprisal effort."

"You have it. Anything else?"

"A little back-up wouldn't hurt."

"You have it."

"Thanks."

Marshall Merman rose after the one-minute meeting and walked out of Dave's office and subsequently disappeared into the morning stream of arriving cars.

* * * * *

"Thank you for inviting us to join you all again," Colin said, as he sipped a glass of wine and sat with Dave and several others at one of the dinner tables. Unlike some of the other weekend nights on the patio where pre-recorded music played, the jazz quintet formed by some of the Circle members were playing during the Friday cocktail hour. Occasionally, Zoey would get up and sing a song, often a torchy love song.

To enhance the performance, Zoey wore sexy red spike heels, a red pencil skirt with a hem barely below her nether region, and a diaphanous cover that allowed her pretty breasts to show through when she turned in just the right light.

Every number the six-person combo did received great applause and encouragement to do another. Alan seemed to be the leader of the group in that he'd announce each song, or tell the composer or who played the lead.

Beth was very excited about the group as well as the group dinner. "These people are really good. I bet if they did a demo disk, we could get them some press and recognition. Do any of them want to go into the music business?"

Dave speculated, "You'd have to ask them. Most of them have good jobs. I think this started as a hobby; except I agree with you that their skill levels transcend what an amateur group would sound like. The topic of a demo disk was raised with them."

Beth continued, "You have that recording studio. I know how to work mixers and stuff like that. Would you let me work with them to record a few numbers and see what might happen for them?"

"Sure. If I'm not around to let you in, ask Millie. She has keys to everywhere in the core as well as most of our homes. Maybe her boyfriend Stu could help."

As the next number came to an end, Beth ran up to Alan and had a brief chat with him. There was lots of nodding, and then she came back and sat. "We're talking tomorrow on the phone, but I gave him the gist of my ideas. He's interested. I think this is really exciting. I want Zoey to join us, too."

Alan was a hunk according to many of the Circle women. Dave wondered if music was Beth's only motivation.

In the past week, Beth, Colin, Amy, and Noah had come back on Sunday afternoon to chat with people, and then Tuesday evening also with Seth and Ariana, and here it was Friday again. Dave wondered whether they'd gone off target from their original goal. Dave suddenly felt like Beth was making up excuses to keep coming back to the Circle. He thought maybe he'd ask her a little later.

After Bobbie came out and rang the dinner chimes, Zoey and the quintet got a standing round of applause from everyone on the patio. That was a lot, because there were well over a hundred people there.

Beth sidled up to Dave during dinner, turning the flirt level up to ten. She batted her eyes at him, and often touched his arm or body during the conversations. She often was inside his personal space, too. Sometimes, he almost laughed because her moves were so obvious. She was on the make.

Dave decided that rather than confront her with a direct question he'd play the same game. He leaned in a spoke in a low voice to her, as though their discussion about traffic in the city was some risqué and confidential matter others shouldn't hear. He returned the intimate touching, but always in an appropriate location -- her hand or arm, her back, or her shoulder. Several times, in keeping with the conversation, he'd share a very personal viewpoint with her, again in a low voice. Beth responded to the flirting and kept up her own. Several times, they just held hands a second or two longer than a casual encounter, or she'd find a touch she'd given was held over the spot by one of Dave's hands.

As dinner ended and the dishes were cleared, the coffee was served. The lights were also dimmed further, giving the usual more romantic air to the patio.

Beth said, "Last week, you recommended that we leave about now. I don't want to leave. Neither do Colin and the others. We want to stay at watch. We want to stay and participate. You have our paperwork so I think that maybe we're eligible." She looked worried that she'd be told to depart and hopeful.

Dave held her chin up and leaned in a kissed her. Beth's eyes closed as the kiss continued and a low-pitched purring sound came from deep within her. As they parted, she said, "Oh, yes, please. More. A lot more."

Dave glanced around the patio. Bridget was dancing with Colin, Beth's husband, and they were just coming out of a clinch that had involved a lot of kisses and him pawing at one of her luscious bare breasts.

Further afield, he could see Dale was making out with Amy, and Pete was already walking Kaylee to one of the chaises. He spotted boyfriends and husbands from the outside group with various Circle women and vice versa. He especially noted that his tall, strapping stepson Matthew was making out with Felicity; she, in turn, was holding onto his cock that she'd extracted from his bathing suit by pushing the suit down past his hips.

Dave teased Beth, "Are you enough of an exhibitionist to perform for all of these people?"

Beth smiled broadly. "I minored in drama when I was in college. I want to find a community theater to keep a hand in on that side of things. I love to show-off although I've never fucked in public before -- well, except within our small group of friends."

Dave picked one of the more visible chaises on the patio to test her resolve, and helped Beth get comfortable. Getting comfortable entailed the complete loss of clothing, including shoes. Dave got comfortable, too, at Beth's urging.

She immediately inhaled his hardening shaft and started an energetic blowjob. Between her moves on his body she said, "I've wanted you since I saw you in the first episode of the TV show. You talk my language and give off the vibes that send me to the moon." As she got active again, he felt she might be performing for any others that looked in their direction.

Dave chuckled, "Well, what you're doing is resonating with me. Geeze, how'd you learn to use your tongue that way?"

Beth kept romancing Dave's appendage until he stopped her. "Let me eat you. I love to do that. If you want, I can give you The Experience?"

"Oh, God, Yes. I read about it in Cricket's book, but I still don't believe it. I turn my body over to you to do with as you please." She gave a nervous giggle and lay back as Dave moved between her legs.

"Mmmmmmmmmmm," came from Dave as his mouth made first contact with Beth's moist slit. "You taste delicious. I may stay here all night."

Beth was purring and said something about giving him 'all year' to stop.

Dave went through the well-rehearsed steps to insert his hand into her body. As his carefully folded and extended hand slipped inside her, Beth's eyes became the size of saucers. She said, "Oh, dear. No one has ever done anything like this to me."

From then on, a chain of orgasms started that went on for the next hour. Dave milked them carefully from her body with his fingers, his fist, and his mouth and tongue. She'd never had a G-spot orgasm before. When the first one tore through her body like a runaway freight train, she thought she had The Experience. Dave assured her there was more to come and gave her several more before moving on to the main event. Before he started on that, he was covered in her juices.

Beth was naturally orgasmic, so as he lapped around her pussy and clit, even with his hand inside her, she had some smaller climaxes. After sufficient foreplay, he decided to proceed. His fingers found the magic spot deep inside near her cervix. The approach was formula after that.

Beth's body eventually arched as she gasped for air and loudly declared this was likely the best orgasm she'd ever dreamed about. She passed out and collapsed into a spasming pile of orgasming female flesh. Dave extracted his hand and licked the nectar that coated the hand from wrist to fingertip. Beth's body twitched and writhed despite her unconsciousness.

Dave adjusted Beth's position in his arms as he lay back on the chaise. She was cradled in his arms, and he felt all the warmth and love he could for her. She was going to be a beautiful addition to the Circle, and he knew that from then on, she and the others she'd led to them would also join. There was no reason for them to go somewhere else or to start their own separate Circle.

Beth awoke and true to form, she was deeply in love with Dave and wanted to do everything she could to please him. She started with three rounds of lovemaking with him in which she tried to prove to Dave that she was the ultimate fuck. The truth was that she was more romantic each time they made love.

Beth was speechless after each round of lovemaking, in part due to the intensified orgasms that ripped through her hot body After one and two, Dave cleaned her up, licking the effluent that seeped from her body, and even sharing it with her after he had a mouthful. She'd never snowballed before, but loved the lewd act.

After round three, Julie appeared and all but dove into Beth's pussy with fingers and tongue doing everything possible to capture every molecule of the sperm and female juice that Dave had contributed to over the evening.

Beth kept having orgasms, and Julie found pleasure in extracting two more from her as she ate out her new friend. After that, Beth collapsed on the chaise with her eyes open staring up at the stars and occasionally sideways at Dave on one side and Julie on the other.

"I'm wiped. I ... I never felt as in love with anybody before as I do you -- both of you. I know I love Colin and the others in our group, but this is wild. I have such affinity for you ... Dave, Julie.

"The Experience is ... catastrophically mind-blowing. I never would have guessed that it would have this impact on me, or anybody receiving such a thing. My God, if more people did that, the world would be such a better place."