#firefighting equipment for sale

[hilcoindustrial]

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Heavy fractions such as residual fuel oil remain at the bottom of the column. These fractions are then processed further in other refining units to produce marketable fuels and chemicals.

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[2btheanswertothequestion]

Eddie's porn stash is a pretty conventional one. An 'if you've seen one stash you've seen them all' type. It basically only consists of skin mags, some of them kinky but most of them vanilla. Normal stuff.

The oddest thing in it is a two-year-old calendar. You know those sexy firefighter calendars? Usually a charity thing? A hit with the housewife crowd? Yeah. Except this calendar decided to branch out and include a bunch of sexy men from a bunch of sexy professions.

So, in this thing, joining the sexy firefighter is a sexy doctor, a sexy construction worker, a sexy police officer (whose month Eddie tore out and burned because fuck cops but don't ever fuck cops), a sexy librarian, and so on. They're all really good-looking, but none of them hold a candle to the paramedic.

It's weird. Paramedics aren't normally part of the traditionally sexy professions. It's messy and sometimes tragic, but lacks the high-paying glamour that doctors and nurses enjoy. Eddie's had his fair share of fantasies, and none of them involved fucking a paramedic.

Until two years ago.

The guy in the calendar simply is that hot.

There's not even anything risqué about his picture. None of the pictures go beyond "this dude is chiseled and shirtless", because veering even slightly past the softest softcore territory would scare off the little housewives or something.

(Eddie is actually pretty fucking sure it'd increase the sales, but hey, what does he know.)

The point is, there's nothing that obscene about the pic. Just a guy kneeling in the back of an ambulance, first aid equipment scattered between his powerful thighs, shirt open to reveal his sculpted torso…

Dark hair spanning across his pecs, over his abs, vanishing down his tight tight tight pants. Hips canting upward, bringing attention to the size of his bulge beneath the zipper. Broad shoulders, ripped arms and large hands, veins protruding across the back. A pretty yet masculine face, with a strong jaw and a straight nose, full lips, a smattering of moles going down his biteable neck. Voluminous, golden brown hair swooped away from his twinkling eyes.

He's got this look in them, this slant to his mouth. Like he knows he's the hottest guy in the calendar.

The one month everyone will go crazy for.

Eddie has become intimately familiar with that look. No joke, in two years it's made him crack his marbles more than anyone else has done in his quarter-century lifetime. When all else fails, November-paramedic has his back. It's basically his longest relationship to date, which sounds a lot sadder out loud (and it sounded fucking sad inside his head, too).

You might wonder why any of that is relevant now, as he sits on the curb outside of The Behemoth with blood trickling from his temple, his band giving their statements to one cop while another hauls away the snarling douchebag that clipped him. How does it play a part in this god-awful night out, you ask?

Well.

"Sir?"

Eddie startles, too caught up in the thudding inside his head, made worse by the buzzing crowd, to notice the man approaching him. He looks up, his gaze gliding past uniformed legs, muscular forearms, a curved neck and honeyed eyes appraising Eddie, and oh.

Oh God.

Eddie's breath sticks in his chest and his tongue becomes a cognate to sandpaper, because it's the paramedic.

It's the paramedic. From the calendar.

He's hallucinating. He has to be. He collapsed on the sidewalk, and now he's having one last weird sex dream before his brain finishes seeping out and he fucking dies.

November-paramedic crouches in front of him. Eddie continues to gape like he's getting ready to catch the peanuts no one is tossing at him.

"My name is Steve. I'm with the ambulance," November-paramedic says. "What's your name?"

Eddie makes a noise incomprehensible to most Earth cultures before his brain registers the meaning of the question and stutters out the answer.

"I- Uh- E-Eddie. It's, it's Eddie."

November-paramedic – Steve – smiles kindly. Heat prickles across Eddie's cheeks and neck. It's not the same as the cocky, sexy smile he's got in the calendar, but still. He's smiling. At Eddie!

"Hi, Eddie." He nods toward Eddie's temple. "That's an impressive cut you got there. May I take a look at it?"

"Yeah? Yeah. Um, g-go ahead."

As Steve sets down his bag and rummages through it, Eddie scours his face to confirm that it really is the guy from the calendar. To his chagrin, it is. There's no mistaking it. Those eyes, like liquid gold. That jawline, a weapon in its own right. Those moles, applied so skillfully it must've been by an artist's hand. That hair, coming straight out of a commercial for luxury shampoo. It's lying flatter than in the calendar, either lacking product or having sweated it out, but it's still glorious.

Steve, having finished washing his hands, tugs on a pair of disposable gloves. The plastic snaps against his wrist, sending a shiver through Eddie. It centers between his legs. Shit, if he pops a boner now…

"I'm going to ask you some questions, okay?" Steve says while pressing a square piece of gauze against the cut. "Do you know what day it is?"

"Eh, Thursday?"

"Do you know where you are?"

"The Behemoth."

Steve nods and, with a lopsided smile, asks, "And are you a patron or did you and your head injury just wander onto the scene?"

Eddie laughs. Loud, merry, and verging on too long. It wasn't even that funny. Steve seems pleased his joke was a success, though. Unless his smile is the uncomfortable kind that one wears when faced with the unhinged. Eddie isn't sure how much blood he's lost.

"No, I, like, my band…" he says, stammering like talking isn't what he does best. Jesus Christ, it's just a hot guy! Eddie has made a fool of himself in front of those plenty of times – no need to get flustered about it. He clears his throat. "We had a gig and, after, at the bar, some guys got into a fight. Got ugly, so we tried to leave, but… alas!" He makes a dramatic sweep of his arm, nearly clocking Steve. Steve expertly ducks away without lessening the pressure on the wound. Eddie soldiers on, not daring to pause lest he lose his steam. Hopefully his burning face is enough of an apology. "Fucker wasn't even aiming for me. He missed his intended target and struck me instead."

"Right. Did you lose consciousness after he hit you?"

"Nope."

"Good. Did you drink tonight?"

"Half a beer, at most."

"Do-"

"Eddie!"

Gareth's nasally voice cuts off Steve's question. The next second, he's materialized beside them with a slightly alarmed expression. "Dude, are you…!"

He trails off, eyes growing into dinner plates. There isn't that much blood, is there?

Steve looks Gareth up and down, a crease between his brows. "Is this your friend?"

"My drummer. Gareth."

Eddie half-expects Steve to demand Gareth leaves so he can do his job in peace, but nope. That kind, calm smile is back. He even gives him one of those little upward-nods 'cool guys' like to do.

"What's up, Gareth? I'm Steve; I'm with the ambulance. Just making sure Eddie won't keel over later tonight."

"Uh huh…" Gareth kneels opposite Steve. He's smiling too, but his is shit eating. Eddie frowns in confusion, because what does Gareth have to be happy about? He was freaking out right after Eddie got hit, but now he's staring at Steve like-

Oh.

He's staring at Steve.

No. Noooooooooo! Oh shit! Oh fuck! Oh why, why has he kept his porn stash in a drawer without a lock all these years?! He can't recollect the reason Gareth opened that particular drawer on that particular day – all Eddie remembers is how Gareth, Jeff, and Marv snickered when he explained the inclusion of the calendar.

That was it, though. They moved on. Sure, there has been the occasional roasting after the fact, but it's not like he hasn't also mocked them for their weird shit. But that's not the point. The point is that Gareth is staring at Steve like he recognizes him.

Gareth's attention flicks toward Eddie. Eddie shakes his head as subtly yet pleadingly as he can. Gareth's grin gobbles down another turd. Eddie makes a valiant effort to explode Gareth's eyeballs with his mind.

"Say…" Gareth turns to Steve. "Have we met?"

"I don't think so. Eddie, do you have a headache?"

"Yeah, man," Eddie says, voice trembling. "Hurts like hell."

"I could've sworn I've seen your face before," Gareth says. "Like, I'm 100% sure."

"Are you dizzy or nauseous?" Steve asks, ignoring Gareth.

"Um, a little dizzy but no nausea?"

"Hmm, okay. Blurred vision or uneven numbness?"

"No."

Steve nods, glancing at his watch. Then, to Eddie’s dismay, he looks at Gareth. "I've never been to this bar before."

"Nono, not here. Somewhere else…"

Steve's lips purse and his brows knit into the most adorable thinking-face Eddie has ever seen. His heart skips a beat, then skips two more as Steve's free hand gently cups Eddie's cheek. The skin catches fire where Steve's gloved fingertips touch it.

"Let me have a look at your pupils…" Steve says, guiding Eddie's face and, holy shit, leaning in close for a better look.

Eddie gulps, half his blood rushing up and the other half down; he squeezes his legs together to prevent the little guy from saying 'hello' to everyone present. His eyes rove over Steve's face. His lips are chapped and the skin on his nose is dry. The nose itself is somewhat crooked. Did he get into a fight between the calendar photoshoot and now, or did they make the nose straighter for the photo? Why would anyone think it necessary to edit a face like this one? Even with its imperfections mere inches away, it's still the handsomest Eddie has seen.

Steve hums. It's a perfectly preserved vinyl. It's a metal festival. It's Eddie's new favorite song.

"Same size but pretty dilated… Keep your eyes open, please." He shines a tiny flashlight into Eddie's eyes before nodding, satisfied. "All right, looks good."

He leans back out of Eddie's space, returning Eddie's ability to breathe, and removes the gauze. His smile tells Eddie that the bleeding has stopped. As great as it is that he won't hemorrhage to death, it also means their encounter is approaching its end.

"You might've seen me at the university campus?" Steve says, fiddling with some plasters; it takes Eddie's horny brain five full seconds to deduce he's talking to Gareth again.

"No-" Gareth freezes, mouth hanging open. His smugness has evaporated. "Actually, I might have? You're a student?"

Steve chuckles as he patches the last of Eddie's cut. "No, but my friends are. None of them own a car, so I end up driving them everywhere. Right, Eddie, I think you're good to recover at home. Unless you feel like you should head to the hospital?"

Great question! Does he? On the one hand: riding in the ambulance with Steve, ensuring a few additional minutes of his lustrous eyes and smooth voice.

On the other hand: hospital bills.

"… no."

"Okay. Do you have anyone who can keep an eye on you?"

Eddie shakes his head. "I live alone."

"Then maybe Gareth could hang around for the next 48 hours?"

"Sure can," Gareth says without hesitating. Eddie's heart swells with affection for him, despite his (failed! Hah!) plot to mortify Eddie to death.

Steve is already packing his medical bag.

"I want you to rest and avoid stressful situations," he tells Eddie. "No alcohol, no recreational drugs, no driving, and no working until you feel completely recovered. You may take tylenol, but not aspirin or ibuprofen. And if your symptoms worsen or you develop new ones – seek medical attention. Got it?"

The last part is sterner, reminding Eddie of every male authority figure he's strived to disobey during his teenage years. He has no such desire this time.

"Got it."

Steve raises his eyebrows as if to say 'have you really?', and Eddie has to wonder if it's he who seems contrariant and/or stupid enough to ignore the medic or if this is something Steve does with every patient. If it's the former, he mustn't seem that contrariant, because Steve's features soften into trust. He stands, brushing dust off his knees.

"Great. You boys take care now. Have a nice night."

"Yeah, you too, man," Eddie calls after him weakly as he retreats to the blinking ambulance. "Thanks…"

He keeps his gaze on the broad expanse of Steve's back, soaking in the rippling of his muscles as he walks and, oh would you look at that, his ass is as nice as the rest of him. Eddie's been wondering for two years now…

"Dude!"

Eddie jerks toward Gareth. Did he say that out loud? Did he drool? Is his boner showing? But no, Gareth isn't disgusted or disturbed – he's excited.

Shit.

He'll never hear the end of this.

"Don't!" he hisses.

Gareth just laughs, eyes twinkling.

"That was-"

"Don't!"

"I can't believe it!"

"Gareth-"

"You are so red right now!"

"For Jesus fucking Christ's fucking sake-"

------------------------------

Dedicated to @rougenancy for always listening to and encouraging my various thoughts, opinions, and ideas (they are constant).

Part 2

AO3

[zepskies]

Smoke Eater - Part 2

Pairing: Firefighter!Dean Winchester x F. Reader 

Summary: Dean Winchester is the cocky, but well-respected Lieutenant at Firehouse 25. He leads by example, but he’s also known to break a few hearts. He’s starting to crave something he’s never had, though. Something stable. Something real. 

That’s when he meets you, on a truly terrible day, trapped in a rickety old elevator.   

AN: I was overwhelmed by the response on Part 1 (in the BEST way). 🥹 Thank you so much for everyone who read and sent me your lovely amazing comments! Here's Part 2 a bit early for ya. 😘

🔥 Series Masterlist

Word Count: 6,400 Tags/Warnings: Idiots flirting, with a side of sexual harassment. 😪

Part 2: "Lieutenant Winchester"

Firehouse 25 was just as much a house as it was a home.

Especially for Dean Winchester.

In the common room, he sat down at his preferred corner of the sofa with a cup of coffee. By now, the guys knew this was his spot, perfectly angled toward the new flatscreen TV someone donated last month.

Up until then, they’d had to hotwire the same tank from 1995, which had only got basic cable. Now at least the newer smart TV came with a subscription to Netflix, courtesy of the donor. 

Dean raised his favorite Batman mug to his face, expecting to imbibe some rich dark roast. What he got was a travesty.

Spitting out the brown soil water back into the mug, he coughed and grimaced.

“Jack!” he called out.

Jack Kline, the newest addition to the house, raised his head from where he was trying to scramble eggs in the open kitchen directly behind the couch.

“Yes, Lieutenant?” he replied.

“Why does this coffee taste like ass?” Dean asked. His voice was still gruff with sleep, as he depended on his morning coffee to wake him up, not assault his tongue.

Behind him, Jack blinked in confusion. “Uh…”

Dean finally turned around and gave the younger man a raised brow.

“What brand did you buy, Candidate?” he asked.

A candidate was a freshly graduated firefighter on probation. They were the rookie, the bottom rung of the totem pole, and Jack was that proverbial whipping post.

“Um…” Jack went to find the coffee canister he’d put away in the cupboards. He showed Dean the red plastic jug. “Folgers. It was on sale.”

“Fuck me,” Dean muttered. “Never Folgers, Candidate. Anything but fucking Folgers. The one thing we don’t skimp out on is quality joe.”

“That ain’t nothin’ but dirt water, son,” Benny remarked, as he and Gordon entered the common room. Benny held a to-go mug he’d brought from home. After he’d seen what Jack brought for groceries yesterday, he’d taken no chances.

“What you wanna get is Gevalia,” Benny added.

“That European crap?” said Gordon. He took his usual spot at the dining table, leaning back in his chair. It left Benny to sit at the other end of the couch with Dean.

“Better than that piss water you drink,” Benny said with a smirk. Gordon raised a brow at him.

“Tea is medicinal, jackass.” The Black man raised a finger to punctuate his point. “It’s good for you. Unlike that carburetor fluid y’all drink.”

“Whatever, man,” Dean said, even though a grin edged at his lips. “All I know is, we need premium coffee, stat. Or it’s gonna be a cranky shift.”

“I can go to the store real quick,” Jack offered.

Say what you want about the kid’s poor taste in grocery buying, he was always willing to jump in when you needed him.

“Nah, stay on breakfast,” said Dean. “I’ll go afterwards. But remember, today you’re practicing rappelling drills.”

Jack nodded. “And lunch duty. And helping clean the truck, and all the bathrooms…did I miss anything?”

Dean shared a look with Gordon. Not only did he drive the truck, but he was one of the men Dean relied on most, as he had the next highest seniority on the job out of the whole firehouse.

Well, except for Benny Lafitte, Captain of the Rescue Squad. Squad members were considered specialists in complex rescue situations. They were highly trained on more sophisticated technical rescue equipment and rappelling, even scuba diving.

It took long years for a firefighter to make it onto Squad; something that Dean used to have ambitions for. But ever since he got promoted to Lieutenant on Truck 79, he realized that his role in this house was best served on the Truck, not on Squad.

“If he gets through all that, Meg might have something for him too,” Gordon said.

“Oh, don’t bring me into this,” remarked a droll voice. “I’ve already got one pound puppy to look after.”

Their Paramedic in Charge strode in with Chuck on her heels. They’d just pulled into the firehouse driveway on Ambulance 7.

“Nice. That’s how you talk about your partner of three years?” Chuck said with a frown. Meg turned to him with a wry grin.

“Only the ones who can hack it on my Ambo,” she replied. “What can I say. You’re special, Shurley. Either that, or a glutton for punishment.”

Gordon shook his head and looked over at Jack.

“Careful with that one. She chewed and hacked out her last partner in under a month.”

“Poor guy didn’t even transfer,” Dean added, making a “flatlining” motion with his hand. “He just quit. Dropped out of the Fire Academy that same day.”

Not all firefighters were made through Meg’s department, but it was a common route, working as a paramedic while getting put through your paces in the Fire Academy. Dean himself had gone straight to the Academy after getting his EMT certification.

But at Dean’s words, Jack’s eyes widened a fraction. Meg turned to him with an almost feline smile. 

“How was the call?” Benny asked her, speaking of the job they’d just returned from. Meg’s expression dimmed a little, as did Chuck’s as they both sat down at the table.

“Ah, just Henry again,” she said. “Overdosed on his insulin.”

Benny frowned, while Dean shook his head. Jack’s brows furrowed.

“Who’s Henry?” he asked.

Meg sat back in her chair with a subtle sigh. Knowing his work partner’s mood, Chuck answered the young man’s question.

“He’s homeless, lives by the river,” he said. “He’s one of our ‘regulars,’ you could say. When we get the call, usually he’s passed out. Dehydration. But sometimes it’s more serious.”

“You can’t take him to the hospital?” Jack asked in concern.

“Today we did,” Meg said. Her brown eyes met Jack’s, her mouth in a thin line. “But without health insurance, there’s only so much they can do after they get him stable.”

That fell a bit heavily into the room. It wasn’t a pleasant fact, but it was the reality. Jack was learning more and more about that aspect of this job, and learning if he could handle the darker shades of what it could bring.

“Well, breakfast is ready,” he said, bringing a large plate of eggs and toast onto the counter. Dean tossed him an appreciative half-smile and got up from the couch.

“Thanks, kid,” he said, walking over along with everyone else. He took a moment to pat Jack on the shoulder.

“What do you want to do first: run drills, or help me and Gordon wash the truck?” Dean asked.

Jack looked up with a smile. “Can we run drills first?”

Dean nodded, grinning back at him. “Good answer.”

The rest of the Truck and Squad crews ambled in at both the announcement and the smell of food. And before long, the common room was filled with conversation, good-natured teasing, and shitty coffee all around.   

From his vantage point facing the open door to the driveway, Benny caught sight of a young woman heading towards the double doors with a large tupperware bin in hand. Bonnie the receptionist happened to be coming in at the same time. You asked her a question Benny couldn’t quite hear.

“Dean… Oh, you’re looking for Lieutenant Winchester?” Bonnie asked. Her voice tended to carry. “Right in there, hun.”

“Well, that sure is interesting,” Benny murmured with a smile. He glanced over slyly at his friend. “Heads up, brother.”

Dean looked up from his plate of eggs expectantly. Benny gestured over with his eyes, just as you walked into the firehouse, both cautious and unsure of where you were going.

Dean’s brows raised. He found himself setting down his plate and getting up from the couch before he really knew what he was doing.

You looked exactly how he remembered. Though this time, you weren’t coffee stained in your professional blouse and black pencil skirt. His attention drew briefly downwards to your heels, this time solid black (and even taller than the last pair, damn).

He noticed all the same things he had last time: the shade of your hair, pinned up again with a clip as stray pieces framed your face. The way you carried yourself when you finally saw him, straightening with a subtle confidence in your shoulders, even though you looked a bit nervous. And the pretty curve of your lips when your eyes found his.

“Hey, there,” Dean said. He gave you one of his trademark smiles. “Good to see you again.”

“Uh, hi,” you said, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. “I guess I don’t have to ask if you remember me.”

Dean nodded. “‘Course I do. What can I do for you?”

Your face seemed to freeze up a bit as you looked up at him.

“Oh, um, nothing really. I just wanted to say thank you, again,” you said. And you glanced past him, where the rest of the firehouse members were discreetly watching. “All of you, actually. And my friend told me that firefighters really like food…but, I mean, doesn’t everyone?”

You laughed a little, in a nervous way that made Dean struggle not to smile too much.

“Anyway, I like to bake,” you twittered on, “and I had some time this week after…well, you know what happened. So…I brought this!”

You raised up your tupperware with a smile.

And you were damn adorable, Dean thought. His own smile deepened as he glanced down at the offering, then at you. He took the container and opened the lid, and was honestly surprised at what he saw.

He could’ve sworn these were Bonafede, just-poured-out-of-the-box Girl Scout cookies. Dozens of them. He saw shortbreads (complete with the little wavy lines), Samoa cookies with the coconut flakes, and even what looked like chocolate covered Thin Mints. They also smelled delicious.

“Wow. Thanks, sweetheart,” he said, with genuine warmth. “I’m pretty sure the guys are gonna tear these apart the second I put ‘em down.”

Your face brightened, and Dean noticed how it reached your eyes with a bit of a blush.

“Well, I hope you guys enjoy,” you said. Your hands fiddled with your purse next.

“Heading off to work now?” he asked.

“Yep,” you nodded, with a certain glint in your eye. “I plan on taking the stairs this time.”

Dean raised a brow. “All 22 floors?”

“Gotta get my steps in somehow,” you joked. “Besides, I wouldn’t want to become a repeat offender, make you guys come all the way back across town again.”

“Aw, I wouldn’t mind,” he said, meeting your eyes. And he found that he meant it. In fact, he didn’t think he’d mind if your building’s elevator broke down every damn week.

Your expression shifted towards amusement. “Well, you must be very dedicated to your job.”

“Protect and serve,” Dean teased back. “That’s our motto, you know.”

“Isn’t that for police officers?” you quipped.

He chuckled. “Hey, if the shoe fits.”

“Well…” you considered that with a tilt of your head, more seriously than he expected you to. You met him with a more earnest gaze. “I think it does.”

Right then, Dean had a feeling, deep in his gut, that he needed to know you. He had half a mind to heed his instincts, to take advantage of the signals he thought you were sending him, and ask if he could take you out sometime.

But it was unprofessional here at the firehouse (not that that had stopped him before). He’d been making efforts to curb that kind of behavior for the past few months.

He also remembered the 30 floors of your massive, fancy office building. He considered the price tags that probably came with the admittedly sexy, high-powered corporate look you had going on. Those were probably a lot more zeros than he was used to seeing on his paycheck.

So for once, he didn’t pull the trigger.

“Well, thanks. I really do appreciate that,” Dean replied. His smile then was more sincere, if also more professional. He gestured at the container in his hand. “And on behalf of all the guys, thanks for this too.”

“You’re welcome,” you replied. “I have to go, but…thanks again, Lieutenant Winchester.”

“Ah,” he shook his head, “just call me Dean.”

You agreed by smiling, just a little bit more.

“Dean.”

He nodded back, sending you off with a smile of his own. He forced himself to taper it down after you left, and he had to turn around to meet his friends. Their grins reminded him of piranhas.

“All right. Out with it, you freakin’ jackals.” He waved his free hand in a “bring it on” gesture.

Meg was the first one to burst out laughing. It spearheaded the rest of them, whooping and catcalling and generally being menaces. Even Jack was grinning at his lieutenant’s expense.

Meg got up from her seat and bumped Dean’s shoulder on her way to the kitchen, where she dumped her dishes.

“Thanks again, Lieutenant Winchester,” she mocked in a saccharine sweet voice. Then she lowered it into an exaggerated mimic of his deeper one, “Call me Dean, baby girl. Fucking priceless. You should get your own Hallmark movie.”

Dean rolled his eyes. He’d been prepared for this, but his face was still getting warm.

“Shut up, Meg,” he tossed back. They all had an ongoing Family Guy joke that never failed to make their PIC narrow her eyes. And she did so now, giving him a fake grimace as she left the kitchen.

“All right, kiddos. If you need me, don’t,” she said. “Chuck! Let’s sort the ambo’s inventory.”

“Got it,” her partner nodded. He too got up and placed his dishes in the sink before he took off after Meg.

This left Dean with the rest of the guys, who still gave him knowing smiles as he set your bin of cookies down on the table. He blew out a breath before he returned to the couch and sat down heavily across from Benny and Gordon.

“I never thought I’d see the day that Dean Winchester bitched out,” Gordon remarked.

Once again, Dean rolled his eyes.

“Truly incredible,” Benny added. He shook his head when Dean just crossed his arms. “She was eying you like a pork cutlet, and you just let her walk outta here.”

“We’re in the house, guys. What was I supposed to do?” Dean groused.

Benny and Gordon looked at him like he’d just denounced Led Zeppelin (his favorite band of all time). 

“Get her goddamn number, Winchester,” said Gordon. The man’s lips curved. “Or at least, introduce her to a brother.”

Dean shot him a glance. Gordon Walker was damn good at driving the truck, but he was also known for being a hunter of the ladies himself.   

“She seemed nice,” Jack put his two cents in with a smile. He was standing behind the couch, leaning his elbows on it. Gordon scoffed, nodding his agreement.

“Yeah, with a fat ass too,” he said, sipping his tea. 

Benny reached over and hit his shoulder to shut him up. 

“That’s a lady, Gordon,” he said. Though a suspect smile graced his lips as he glanced at Dean. “A lady with a nice ass.” 

Dean shook his head, but he couldn’t disagree. The first time he met you, he’d been impressed by the way you stood your ground with your asshole boss. Dean thought you were going to chuck that lethal looking heel at the guy. But behind that steely exterior was a kind little softie.

Today, he got your sweet side. It was equal parts sexy and adorable. 

And damn if you didn’t have a nice ass, nice curves, and a nice mouth. 

But your eyes, he thought. Those were nothing short of beautiful. 

About twenty minutes across town, an apartment building was swarmed by police cars. One unit in particular was sealed off with yellow caution tape as a team of officers drifted in and out. 

What a fucked way to die.

Detective John Winchester observed the unnatural angle that the victim—Jerry Stillwell, a certified public accountant—had his throat cut with a jagged weapon.

It hadn’t been clean in the least. And he’d bled out across his work desk and a stack of papers, as well as his desktop computer. He was 45, unmarried, and murdered in his own home in the middle of a Friday afternoon.

The computer wouldn’t turn on, and not because of the blood. It had been wiped with magnetized technology, most likely by the intruder. Though there was no sign of forced entry, according to John’s partner. The murder weapon was missing as well, though it looked like a knife wound.

John leaned over the on-site medical examiner’s shoulder to peer closer at the man’s wounds. Stillwell had most likely been grabbed from behind. So far, the signs pointed to the culprit being someone the victim knew.

They probably took Stillwell by surprise, but he was a large man. If John had to guess, over 250 pounds, unathletic, but still, not easy to overpower. Likely the suspect was a man over 6 feet; strong, and efficient. Though the messiness of the kill made John think this guy took "pride" his work, so to speak.

“Signs of struggle,” said the M.E. “Skin under the fingernails. He fought back, and…huh.”

John’s interest piqued at the man’s shift in tone. “What?”

“Take a look at this.” The M.E. was holding Stillwell’s right hand, palm-up, revealing a small burn on the inside of the wrist. John’s gaze sharpened on the mark.

“Cas, come here,” he said. Across the room, Detective Cas Novak paused in his task of examining the entry points of the apartment to join John at his side. His blue eyes widened a fraction at seeing the burn. It was a symbol of a snake eating its own tail.

“That makes four,” Cas said.

“Yep. We’ve got ourselves a murder cluster,” John said. Cas nodded. He beckoned John to the side, making sure the M.E. was out of earshot before he spoke. “Isn’t it time we brought Sam up to speed on this, at least?”

John’s brows furrowed.

“No,” he said. “Sam’s an ADA. We don’t go to him until we have someone to indict.”

He walked away from Cas, who frowned. John knew damn well that wasn’t what he meant. This was the fourth murder within six months of this nature. The fourth to be branded with the mark of Azazel…a criminal who supposedly disappeared decades ago.

Shortly after November 2, 1983, the day of Mary Winchester’s death.

Seeing Dean again had gone better than you thought it would. It left you feeling light and downright cheerful when you left the firehouse this morning. Unfortunately, the great start to your morning only crumbled when you reached your office.

Now, even at the end of your day, finally back at home and in the familiarity of your kitchen, the tension headache was back.

“Dre, I’m tired. Can’t we do this another night?” you asked.

Your cell phone was balanced between your ear and your shoulder as you counted out your grandfather’s pills, and placed them in each “Monday through Sunday” box in the blue container.

“No, we absolutely cannot. Because today was horrific,” Andréa said. “For me, because my coworker decided to play hookie on the day our top account needed the mockups of their new website. Never mind that she hadn’t even started.”

Pause for an aggravated breath, through which you frowned in sympathy. She’d told you the entire story over lunch today.

“And for you, because Nick once again displayed why he’s a subhuman neanderthal, in spectacular fashion,” she added.

Your grimace deepened at the reminder.

Earlier today, just before a sales meeting you were set to lead, you’d turned away from the conference table to set up the projector. Nick was early for once, making it just him and you in the room.

He’d sat back in his chair and uttered a remark that set the hairs on the back of your neck on end.

“I’ll tell you what, babe. You sure know how to wear a skirt.”

Your back straightened, and slowly you turned. Your face was set in stone, save for a solitary raise of your brow.

“Excuse me?”

Nick’s smirk was lazy as he kicked his feet up on the table. His hand held a tumbler of whiskey. You noted the half empty carafe, which just yesterday had been full and untouched.

“Fucking fantastic legs,” he said, vaguely outlining your shape with his hand. “I applaud you. It’s all very…sexy secretary. Oooh! Sexcretary. Fucking brilliant.”

You gaped, trying to put a clamp on the furious spike in your blood.

“Are you drunk?” you asked incredulously.

He raised his fingers an inch or so apart, scrunching up his face and trying not to laugh.

“Actually nah, not at all,” he bluffed. 

He let his hand fall back into his lap. You shook your head and set down your papers in order to cross your arms.

“Good. Then you’ll hear me clearly when I say, I’m filing a formal complaint with Billie in HR,” you said.

“Whaaat? Why?” he complained. You huffed incredulously.

“For your little comments, which are getting more and more heinous. Not to mention your excessive drinking during company hours.”

Nick pursed his lips. “Christ on a stick. Can’t you take a fucking compliment?”

“No,” you deadpanned. “What I refuse to take is any further sexual harassment. This isn’t the first incident I could disclose, but I’m damn sure you’ll want it to be the last.”

He kicked his feet off the table and slowly stood. You didn’t want to be afraid of this sloppy, frat boy drunken attitude, but a tendril of trepidation still laced down your spine as you took a step back.

“You could do that,” he nodded, tilting his head. “Or, I’ll give your Zimmerman account to Josh, along with your commission.”

You frowned, and shock made your entire body tense. 

“You…you can’t do that!” you exclaimed. Your insides fairly shook with frustration tinged with anger. “I’ll sue you.”

“With what money?” Nick scoffed.

Your brows knitted together then. How the hell would he know anything about your finances?

The man noted your reaction with a nod.

“Yeah, I know all about grammy and gramps. Surgeries, funerals, treatments…” he said. He leaned against the table with one hand, and still he fairly loomed over you.

He wasn't as broad as someone like Dean, but he was tall and lean. His dirty blonde hair was swept to the side, his blue eyes bearing down on you.

“I am this company. If you don’t like it, you can get the fuck out, sweetheart,” he said.

His gaze lowered, roaming your glowering face.

“And good luck getting anywhere else without a reference from one of the biggest corporations in Lawrence, Kansas.”

You sighed. Yeah, you might’ve shed some frankly embarrassing tears in the women’s bathroom after that. You hadn’t even told Andréa the full story, which included the details of his comments, along with his threats.

You didn’t want her to worry. And maybe, more selfishly, you were embarrassed at having to deal with it at all.

Truth be told, you still didn’t know what the hell you were going to do. About Nick, or your job…but somehow, getting drunk at a bar seemed about the last thing you should be doing.

“I need a drink,” Andréa insisted. “Which means you definitely need a drink. And I know exactly where we’re going.”

After a long moment, you leaned your elbows on the kitchen counter and rubbed through the persistent ache in your forehead. Maybe, just this once, you deserved to forget about reality. Just for a little while.

“Fine. Where?” you asked.

“It’s this great bar Meg told me about. The Roadhouse.”

“Ah, the usual suspects,” Ellen drawled at the men who managed to find seats at her bar, next to the rest of their party. The Roadhouse was packed on a Friday night, but she always had room for these two.

Benny and Dean wore similar tired, but pleasant smiles as they greeted their esteemed barkeep.

“What’s it been, Ellen, a whole shift since I’ve seen your delightful face?” Dean said.

Ellen gave him a mocking smile as she poured him his favorite beer on tap. Dean grinned and clapped his younger brother on the shoulder as he sat down. He and Cas had been waiting for a little while.

…Well, maybe longer than a little.

“Hey, dude,” Dean said. Sam perked up from his second beer with pursed lips.

“You know we’ve been waiting on you for like an hour, right?” he said.

“Aw, don’t get your panties in a twist, Sammy,” Dean teased. He nodded his thanks at Ellen when she set his beer in front of him, and a glass of whiskey for Benny. “We had a last-minute call. Some guy just couldn’t wait to start his Happy Hour. Drove his car into the company fountain.”

Sam’s brows raised incredulously. He looked over at Benny for confirmation, and the other man gave a resigned nod.

“Apparently it set the ducks into a tizzy,” he said. “The guy’s fine. Probably gonna get slapped with a DUI.”

Dean smirked and raised a finger at both Sam and Cas. “Duck Guy’s your problem now.”

Cas shook his head and raised his beer to his lips.

“Not my department.”

“Mine either,” Sam scoffed. Both of them worked in homicide cases, just from the differing sides of law and order. In fact, they worked together more often than Dean and Cas did.

Dean looked over at his friend Cas for a moment. He looked like more of a hot mess than usual, with his tie half undone, and a scruffy half-beard covering his face.

“Geez, man. You look like shit,” Dean remarked. “You and Meg fighting again?”

“No,” Cas replied, his brows furrowing. “…Well, yes. But nothing more than her usual insanity. Something about the cat preferring to sleep next to me than to her.”

“Well, that’s not so bad,” Benny said. “My dog don’t like her either.”

“Maybe they can smell that she’s feral,” Dean quipped. Cas sent him a dry look at that.

“She threatened to move out,” he revealed. “Even packed a bag at 3:00 in the morning. I spent two hours unpacking what she was re-packing, all while we argued in our underwear, not sleeping.”

Sam and Dean shared bemused looks, while Benny shook his head into his whiskey.

“So how’d it end up?” Sam asked. Cas sighed and took another long sip of his beer.

“Like it always ends, Sam,” he said, his lips quirking. “With our neighbors calling the precinct to complain, and me, somehow ending up sleeping on the couch for a crime I didn’t commit. If she wants to blame someone, blame the goddamn cat.”

Dean chortled. He brought his beer to his lips, but couldn’t resist a light jab at his best friend first.

“Dude, I love her like a sister, but your girlfriend’s unhinged,” he said.

Cas could only nod. “Most are, I’ve come to find.”

Sam scoffed and shook his head. “Not mine.”

“Yeah, that’s because Eileen doesn’t have to see you more than two minutes at a time,” Dean teased. He and his brother still shared an apartment, and Sam’s job as an Assistant District Attorney wrought demanding hours.

Sam shot his brother a flat look.

“Oh, I’m not taking that from the serial playboy,” he said.

Dean’s brows knitted together.

“All right, calm down,” he said. “I’m not Hugh Hefner.”

“Mr. Hit and Run,” Cas added, a smirk gracing his features.

“Chief ‘No Daddy Issues,’” Benny tipped in, giving his annoyed, green-eyed friend a sly glance. “With a side helping of the Clap.”

Dean’s lips pressed into a line. He leveled a finger at Benny.

“That girl was clean, okay? False alarm,” Dean said. His gaze raised heavenward as he sipped his beer. Thank Christ for that one. “The rash was just carpet burn.”

Sam shook his head and turned to his brother more seriously.

“Bottom line: until you date a woman for more than two weeks—hell, two days at a time—you don’t get to comment on the happily committed,” he said. 

Dean rolled his eyes. He knew his track record with relationships. As in, he didn’t really have a record…but it wasn’t for lack of trying. At least, not for the past few months.

Sam managed to break Dean out of his thoughts by clearing his throat, pushing his empty bottle across the counter.

“All right, speaking of. I gotta go,” he said.

“Aw, why? We just got here. Let me buy you another,” Dean offered.

Sam shot his brother another knowing look. Dean knew it well; it said, if he’d been here on time, they would’ve shared the first two drinks.

“I’m picking up Eileen,” Sam said, grabbing his blazer and fixing the collar when he put it on. “There’s this Latin club she wants to go to.”

Dean raised incredulous brows.

“My brother’s going salsa dancing?”

Sam sighed in exasperation, despite his smile. “Bye, Dean.”

He shot his other two friends a nod.

“See you guys.”

Cas and Benny both saw him off with a subtle raise of their drinks, while Dean just shook his head.

“All right, Samantha,” he called out. Sam didn’t bother to turn around as he raised up a choice finger behind him.

Dean snorted into his drink. “Very mature.”

Benny and Cas shared a wry look. They were relieved when Ellen’s daughter Jo came by, picking up the slack for her mom, who was serving a rowdy group of college kids at a nearby table.

“Hey, guys. Need another round?” Jo asked. She gave them all a familiar smile, but her eyes lingered on Dean. He gave her a more reserved smile back.

“Hey, Jo,” he nodded. “I uh…actually think I’m good right now.”

“Me too,” Cas said. He even stood up and grabbed his trenchcoat in similar fashion as Sam had. The two had paid for their beers before Benny and Dean even got there.

“Aw, not you too,” Dean groused.

“If I don’t make dinner, we run the risk of the apartment going up in flames,” Cas informed him. Dean could only assume he was talking about Meg. “Despite working with the Fire Department for ten years, the woman can’t manage to boil an egg without supervision.”

Jo raised a brow, but her smile was bemused as she turned to Benny. “Anything for you?”

“Nah, darlin’. I’m good,” he said. But sensing the unspoken request in her eyes when she glanced at Dean, Benny straightened and raised from his seat. “But I’ll be back. Need’a hit the head.”

Dean internally sighed as Benny left him alone at the bar. Or, well, relatively alone. Jo lingered in front of him to wash and dry out a few glasses. The air between them was stiff, and a little awkward.

Dean’s thoughts shifted back to his brother then; while he still couldn’t believe Eileen had wrangled his gangly Sasquatch of a brother into going dancing, Dean was happy for him. Truly and sincerely. Sam deserved having someone who softened him, made him break away from his endless cases and have some fun.

Dean could also admit, if only to himself, that he was maybe a little jealous. Sam had something good with his girl. Something real.

Dean had carpet burn.

“So, how’s studying going?” he asked Jo. He couldn’t stand awkward silences. “Still planning on giving your mom a heart attack when you get into the Police Academy?”

Jo’s blue eyes flicked up to his. She brushed a coil of blond hair behind her ear after she finished drying a glass, and a smile raised the corner of her lips.

“Wouldn’t be the first time I gave her something to yell about,” she quipped. “But since you asked…my exam is in three months.”

“Good,” Dean nodded. “You’ve got time. Study your ass off. Keep up the conditioning routine I gave you, and you’ll be set. Just don’t forget the strength training. Very important.”

“I got it,” she said, this time with a brighter smile. “Some old firefighter gave me some pointers.”

Dean tilted his beer at her accusingly.

“Hey, don’t pin that old shit on me yet. Benny’s got more mileage than I do…”

He considered her then, after briefly looking down at the counter.

“What?” she said.

He kept his lips tight. “Nothin’.”

“No, Dean. What?” Jo pressed. “You want to say something. Say it.”

He blew out a breath and shook his head.  

“Ellen’s not the only one who’s gonna worry about you on the job, that’s all,” he said. Jo flickered at a rueful frown.

“That’s ironic,” she said. “I can handle myself, Dean. Something you so often seem to forget.”

“That’s not fair, and you know it,” he shot back. His hand tightened around his beer.

Jo’s face fell into irritation, mostly to cover up the hurt he saw buried deep behind her eyes. She gave him some relief by glancing away from him.

“And this is why we didn’t work out,” she muttered. Sighing through her nose, her eyes met his again. “You know what I hate, more than anything? People worrying.”

Dean carded his fingers through his hair, his brows knitting together in aggravation.

“Yeah, well, maybe they have good reason to,” he said. He could’ve predicted the way she tightened up. “And if I remember right, you did your fair share of hand-wringing the next time I responded to a fire on the job.”

He knew it was a low blow. But his point was made, and he fully expected the anger in Jo’s tight frown. They’d dated for a few weeks, mostly in secret.

That had been enough for Ellen to blow her top. Not because she had anything against Dean…just his job: at the very same firehouse her late husband had once served.

So Dean had backed off. He’d ultimately felt he had to end it. And clearly, Jo still resented him for it.

Slowly, however, the fire in her eyes dimmed. Her finger tapped on her side of the bar counter.

“You think I don’t worry anymore just because we’re not together?” she asked him. 

Dean didn’t have a good answer for her. So his gaze fell to his nearly empty beer.

But he was even more relieved when Benny finally got back from the bathroom, or wherever he’d fucked off to for the past few minutes.

He did seem to know that he was interrupting a rather tense moment. Seeing as neither Dean nor Jo wanted to break the silence, Benny supposed it fell on him.

He reclaimed his seat and raised a smile up at Jo.

“I think I’m ready for the next round,” he said, glancing at Dean’s soured mood. “Two whiskeys, please, Joanna.”

Jo treated Benny with a half-smile. He was the only one besides her mother who called her Joanna (and got away with it). After one last look at Dean, she reached over for the Jim Beam.

You met Andréa at the bar in your own car, just in case you needed to dip out early to check on Grandpa George. He was happy to see you going out.

“You’re pretty as a doll, sweetheart,” he’d said, patting your cheek after you kissed his goodbye.

The thought made you smile, even though you thought you were dressed casually in your dark wash jeans and blouse. When Andréa met you outside the bar, she nodded in approval.

“Good. I like the hint of sexy,” she said, plucking at the sweetheart neckline of your top. You rolled your eyes and tried to cover up the cleavage a little, but she batted at your hand.

“No, no. Leave your professionalism at work,” she said. “Tonight, you’re going to relax and have some fun.”

It was hard to think about loosening up when you were literally getting belittled and threatened at work…but you supposed she had a point. You always had to be put together. You had to be sharp, because this world wouldn’t hand you anything on a silver platter.

And not to mention, you couldn’t just think about yourself. You also had to provide and take care of your grandfather too. He was the only family you had left, and you were it for him too…

But you took in a slow, deep breath. Tonight, you could have a couple of drinks with your friend. You could just be yourself, with no responsibilities other than not getting too drunk to drive yourself home later.

So with a sigh, you smiled and linked your arm with Andréa as you headed inside the Roadhouse.

It looked kind of divey from the outside, a worn-looking brown building with a faded red sign. But inside it was all dark wood and leather barstools and rows of soft lighting overhead.

There were records displayed on the wall; Prince’s Purple Rain, the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper, and David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust, among others. Boston’s “More Than a Feeling” played on the wall speakers.

There were several tables, both high top and regular four-seaters, as well as a long bar that spanned the far wall, where rows and rows of liquor were showcased. You followed Andréa’s lead to the bar, where you took a seat at the far end and tried to feel like you belonged here. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d gone out to a place like this.

“This is nice,” she leaned over into your ear to say. “Next time my cousin should meet us here. She’s a handful, but I think you’d like her.”

You agreed with a smile. “If she’s anything like you, I think I’m well trained to handle your brand of insanity.”

Andréa leveled you with a playfully mocking look.

“Ah, you’ve got jokes tonight. Okay.” She waved over the blonde bartender.

“Hi, ladies,” she greeted. “I’m Jo. What’re we starting off with tonight?”

Before you could order for yourself, Andréa grabbed your arm and spoke over you.

“Do you have absinthe?” she asked.

Your eyes widened. “What?! I’m not drinking that—”

“Sure do,” Jo replied in amusement.

“Great,” said Andréa. You didn’t like her sly grin. “She’ll have an Aunt Roberta. I’ll have a vodka cranberry.”

“What the hell is an Aunt Roberta?” you asked.

Jo listed the ingredients on her fingers. “A nice molotov of brandy, vodka, gin, blackberry liqueur, and of course, absinthe.”

Jesus Christ. You shot Andréa a glare, even though you were trying to dim your smile.

“Are you trying to chill me out or fucking end me?” you asked.

Andréa smirked. “Whatever it takes.”

You rolled your eyes, but you nodded your agreement. Jo’s smile remained as she went to prepare your drinks. Meanwhile, your eyes wandered as you once again took in your surroundings.

Really is a cool place, you thought. And it was busy without being overbearingly crowded. There were even a few seats between you and the rest of the patrons at the bar. Your gaze drew a path onwards, eventually reaching the other end of the bar.

There you caught sight of red flannel over a black undershirt, familiar broad shoulders, and an even more familiar face. Your eyes widened a fraction as his met yours, gleaming with recognition…and interest.

That slow smile of his was familiar too. It made a lance of heat run down your spine. You gripped the counter, mostly to steady yourself as you let out a breath.

Lieutenant Winchester.

AN: *rubs hands together* It begins. 😏

Lol how'd you like Dean's little moment with the reader at the firehouse? Plus the introduction of the rest of our cast!

(And a possible serial killer on the loose?) Though sorry about Nick. He's a douchecanoe.

Next Time:

Anticipation and nerves coiled together in your lower belly. You turned to your friend, who was already sipping at her vodka cranberry.

“Dre, help me,” you pleaded.

Andréa discreetly followed the path of your gaze, and her brows raised. A smirk curved her lips.

“Oh, babe. You need to help yourself,” she replied.

“I haven’t done that in a while,” you admitted. Your dating life had been sorely lacking, between the demands of your job and taking care of things at home. “I’m gonna say something demented.”

Andréa huffed in amusement.

“So? That’s half the fun,” she said.

Keep Reading: PART 3

Dean Winchester Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Series Tag List (Part 1):

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[justforbooks]

Mike Lynch

British tech entrepreneur who sold his Autonomy software group to Hewlett-Packard and was later cleared after a long-running US fraud case

Mike Lynch, who has died aged 59 in the wreck of his yacht, was sometimes described as “Britain’s Bill Gates”. It was a huge exaggeration, but Lynch could claim two parallels with Gates: he developed world-leading technology (in his case in machine learning or AI) and, unlike so many UK scientists, he learned how to turn it into commercial success.

Such was this success that his company, Autonomy, was valued at $11bn when he sold it to Hewlett-Packard in 2011, but the fall-out from the sale would come to overshadow his technological achievements, and lead to a national debate about the circumstances in which UK citizens may be extradited to the US.

Lynch founded Autonomy with two partners in 1996. Its software enabled a computer to search huge quantities of diverse information, including phone calls, emails and videos, and recognise words. He told the Independent in 1999: “The way our technology works is to look at words and understand the relationships because it has seen a lot of content before. When it sees the word ‘star’ in the context of film, it knows it has nothing to do with the word moon. Because it works from text, it can deal with slang and with different languages.”

Autonomy became a leading company in Cambridge’s Silicon Fen cluster and established a base in San Francisco. “We knew we had to be successful in America. It was a question of ‘Go West young man, go to San Francisco and be ignored.’ They found it hard to believe that anyone from England could have anything powerful.” Lynch found what he called the “cold-hearted schmooze” to secure funding tough.

But Autonomy’s software, enabling computers to identify and match themes and ideas, and sort mammoth amounts of data, was licensed to more than 500 customers, including the US State Department and the BBC. It was listed on Nasdaq in 1998 and on the FTSE 100 in November 2000, although its value of £5.1bn would be halved within a few months in the collapse of the technology boom and accusations of over-promotion. In 2005 it bought a major US rival, Verity, for $500m.

Lynch’s profile rose with it. In 2006 he was appointed OBE for services to enterprise and the following year joined the board of the BBC. In 2011 he became a member of the government’s Council for Science and Technology, and was named the most influential person in UK IT by Computer Weekly. In 2014 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society.

Though quietly spoken, he had a reputation for toughness, coloured by a liking for James Bond, which led to Autonomy conference rooms being named after Bond villains, and a tank of piranha fish in reception. (Lynch claimed it belonged to one of his business partners.) Challenged about a company culture where people were “a little fanatical”, he replied: “This is not the place for you if you want to work 9 to 5 and don’t love your work.”

Born in Ilford, east London, to Michael, a firefighter, and Dolores, a nurse, and brought up in Chelmsford, Lynch won a scholarship to the independent Bancroft’s school in Woodford Green, before taking a natural sciences degree at Cambridge, where his PhD in artificial neural networks, a form of machine learning, has been widely studied since.

A saxophone player and jazz lover, he set up his first business, Lynett Systems, while still a student, to produce electronic equipment for the music industry. Later he would attribute some loss of hearing to adjusting synthesisers for bands. He quoted his own experience to highlight the difficulties of finding funding for startup businesses in Britain. He finally negotiated a £2,000 loan from one of the managers of Genesis in a Soho bar.

Lynch’s next venture came out of his research. In 1991 he founded Cambridge Neurodynamics, specialising in computer-based fingerprint recognition. Then he established Autonomy.

The pinnacle of his success appeared to come in October 2011 when Autonomy was purchased by Hewlett-Packard for $11bn and Lynch made an estimated $800m. Shortly afterwards he established a new company, Invoke Capital, for investment in tech companies, and he and his wife, Angela Bacares, whom he had married in 2001, invested about £200m in Darktrace, a cybersecurity company.

But just 13 months after the Autonomy sale, HP announced an $8.8bn writedown of the assets “due to serious accounting improprieties, disclosure failures and outright misrepresentations” which it claimed had artificially inflated the company’s value. The authorities investigated, and while the UK Serious Fraud Office found insufficient evidence, in 2018 the US authorities indicted Lynch for fraud. Soon after, Autonomy’s chief financial officer, Sushovan Hussain, was found guilty of fraud and sentenced to five years in prison.

In March 2019 HP followed up with a civil action for fraud in London. Lynch spent days in the witness box as the civil action stretched over nine months. It ended in January 2022 with the judge ruling that HP had substantially succeeded, but that damages would be much less than the $5bn they had claimed.

Meanwhile the US authorities sought Lynch’s extradition on criminal charges of conspiracy and fraud. In spite of representations by senior politicians and accusations that the US authorities were attempting to exercise “extraterritorial jurisdiction”, a district judge ruled in favour of extradition.

An application for judicial review and a further appeal failed, and in May 2023 Lynch was flown to the US to be held under house arrest in San Francisco, with the prospect of a 25-year sentence.

Charged with wire fraud, securities fraud and conspiracy, on 18 March this year Lynch pleaded not guilty, alongside his former vice-president of finance, Stephen Chamberlain. On 6 June, they were found not guilty of all charges. Chamberlain died after being hit by a car on 17 August.

Lynch declared that he wanted to get back to what he loved doing – innovating. But he had little opportunity to do so. He soon embarked on a voyage to celebrate his acquittal, with family, colleagues and business associates. It ended with the sinking of his yacht, Bayesian – named after the 18th-century mathematician, Thomas Bayes, whose work on probability had informed much of his thinking – in a violent storm off the coast of Sicily.

Lynch is survived by his wife and elder daughter, Esme. Their other daughter, Hannah, was also on board the Bayesian.

🔔 Michael Richard Lynch, technology entrepreneur, born 16 June 1965; died 19 August 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[fight4me]

Random headcannons of the Radiator Springs folk: an alternative universe telling how the citizens stay (or don't stay) fit.

Fillmore: yoga obviously. And meditation, man.

Sarge: still follows a military regime of fitness. Basically strict pull-ups and military push-ups.

Flo and Remone: they've been secretly practicing ballroom dancing for years. Everything from salsa to the waltz. They tried swing dancing, but Ramon was afraid he was going to get one or both of them hospitalized. He really didn't want to give his wife a concussion. On the Ramon side of things, he may dabble in hip-hop dance and a little bit of breakdancing.

Sheriff: chasing bad guys and naps. But mostly naps lately.

Guido: he's a small guy with incredible body control. He does calisthenics, or street workouts. He has elite level skills. (He can do a full planche.) (This was inspired by going down a YouTube wormhole...) He has some pullup bars and parallel bars he made out of galivized pipe outside the tire shop. The industrial gym vibes. He also does a little breakdancing with Ramon.

Luigi: Owning a tire shop keeps him fit enough, he says.

Red: he'll run firefighter drills and make up obstacle courses. He likes the challenge of making up some sort of agility course and than seeing how long it takes him to complete it. He can do this thanks to his trusty stopwatch.

Lizzie: uses cans of vegetables as hand weights. Don't be fooled, she's stronger than she looks.

Sally: I'm gonna say she enjoyed swimming as a child. But now a days she doesn't really get to, living in the middle of the desert and all that. So now it's walking, biking, perhaps a bit of yoga.

Lightning: traditional gym bro stuff. But with terrible form. Deadlifts with a rounded back and everything. He's one mistake away from being in a gym fail video. (Seriously whatever you're thinking, it's worse.) When Doc was alive he pretty much gave up on trying to fix it and looked away. Cruz however is still trying fix.

Cruz: being a former trainer has served her well. Cruz will do just about anything. Her main jam is something pretty similar to crossfit. She does love her some olympic lifts. She's acquired a hodgepodge of hand-me-down work out equipment from Craigslist, garage sales and FB market place. One of her favorite finds is an old barbell and some random plates. It's a little rusty, not shiny like a new one, but it does the job. Essentially, she'll do whatever you throw at her. One of the cool things is she will jump in on the other citizens' workout regimes, for companionship or to encourage them. Obviously she trains with Lightning the most often, making sure he doesn't die of poor form. She does yoga with Fillmore, pushups/pull ups with Sarge. She'll go watch/do some other calisthenics with Guido. (She's almost got a handstand and L-sit down pat.) She'll run some drills with Red or hold his stopwatch for him. Chat with Lizzie while she does her daily exercises on her porch.

Oh crap I forgot Mater... *mind draws blank. cricket noises.* So, when Mater's not tinkering around the impound or drivin' his tow truck, he rides his old-school bicycle with high handlebars.

[beardedmrbean]

Recent riots have cast a shadow over France's beloved Bastille Day national holiday, which marks the start of the French revolution, with fireworks displays called off around the country, outraging some conservatives.

Fireworks sales have been banned over their use against security forces in riots which erupted at the end of June after police shot dead a teenager during a traffic stop, reviving anger over racism and police brutality.

France's most intense urban violence in nearly two decades rocked the country for a week, with thousands of cars torched, public property destroyed, and over 3,700 rioters arrested, many of them minors.

The western Paris suburb of Nanterre, where 17-year-old Nahel M. was killed by police, is one of many municipalities to call off their annual Bastille Day fireworks displays for fear of further unrest.

"We can't celebrate our national day because of hooligans, I believe things are much worse than people think," David Lisnard, the head of the French Mayors' Association (AMF) told broadcaster France Inter on Wednesday.

Lisnard, a member of the opposition conservative Republicans (LR) party, said the cancellations were "a sign of a very deep unease in French society".

President Emmanuel Macron will celebrate Bastille Day, which marks the fall of the Bastille prison in 1789, seen as igniting the French Revolution, with ally Indian President Narendra Modi at the traditional central Paris military parade under heavy security.

The two leaders are also set to watch the main Paris fireworks display at the Eiffel Tower, which has been maintained, after nightfall on Friday.

- 'Calm summer needed' -

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Wednesday that an "exceptional" 45,000 police would be deployed on the nights of July 13 and 14 -- as many as at the height of the riots.

"What we're trying to avoid... is a resurgence of these violent episodes, through preventive measures as well as by an increased police presence on the streets," Darmanin told reporters.

Police would be "specially equipped and organised" to face urban violence and backed up by specialist units, helicopters, drones and armoured vehicles, he added, while 34,000 firefighters would be on duty.

Darmanin also said Wednesday that a march against police violence, planned for Saturday, would not be authorised.

This also went for "any demonstration with a direct link to the riots" until Saturday, he said.

Over 150,000 heavy-duty fireworks similar to those shot at police and buildings during the riots have been seized in recent days, Darmanin said, many of them imported from EU countries such as Spain and Poland.

The move to ban the sale of fireworks over the weekend was challenged by businesses selling them, who asked the State Council -- a court dealing with citizens' complaints against authorities -- to overturn the decision. A ruling is due by Thursday.

Buses and trams, meanwhile will stop running at 10:00 pm on both nights, he added, although metro lines and suburban trains are to continue until late.

Macron's office said Wednesday that he would not be making a televised address as planned on July 14, when he had hoped to sum up the achievements of a 100-day reset after the passage of a bitterly contested pension reform.

"If violence flares up again this summer, the effects will be very negative... he needs a calm summer to get back to reforms" from September, political scientist Bruno Cautres told AFP at the weekend.

- 'Loss of confidence' -

Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally and Macron's challenger in two presidential elections, slammed the decision by some towns to cancel July 14 festivities.

"Can you believe that in the great democracy of France, we are giving up on our national day because of the fear generated by potential violence or potential riots by some people?" she added, calling the move "an admission of a total loss of confidence in the state".

She used her remarks in Beauvais, a town north of Paris, to criticise the cost of rebuilding burned-out public buildings and to suggest that the rioters pay for the damage, even if it took "the rest of their lives."

Commenting on plans to fine underage rioters' families, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said on Sunday that the government would "evolve the law... if the existing legal framework is insufficient."

Prosecutors meanwhile said Wednesday that 12 people had been arrested in connection with an attack on a mayor's home near Paris during the riots, when a car was rammed into the house, causing a fire.

[theretirementstory]

It has been a cool damp week but this morning the temperature is in double figures so it’s warmer than it has been for a few days.

Unfortunately last evening, with the rain falling, it was wet both inside and out as the rain was coming through my dining room ceiling yet again. I am praying for some dry weather so that the couvreur (roofer) can come to repair the flashing and 🤞put a stop to the problem once and for all.

What a Saturday I had! Monique came to visit, having had bronchitis she had stayed away not wishing to pass on her germs. She arrived with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, white and green chrysanthemums, red gerbera and beautiful green foliage. We had a lovely two hours catching up and she asked if I had heard from Jony (the Syrian man who I met on the French course). I hadn’t contacted him since January and I decided to send him a message. We had a lovely exchange of messages and have agreed to meet up, in Paris, for a coffee. Of course that is after I have had my diphtheria, tetanus and polio vaccines again! When I woke this morning, I remembered that around this time it would be Jony’s birthday so sent him a message, he has just replied saying he was 50 last Monday 😊.

I received a call from the hospital, not the call I was expecting, but this one was very welcome. I was asked to go to the hospital the following day to have the PICC line removed from my arm. Now I know this tube had to go from my arm into my chest but I hadn’t expected it to be quite as long as it was! Anyway out it came, totally painless, and I lost this appendage which had been with me for six months 😳. While at the hospital I mentioned to the doctor that I hadn’t had a call about the radiotherapy. Apparently, they had had a problem with the equipment but he rang through and was told I would have a call that week. Sure enough Friday they rang me and I start the treatment on Monday at 8:30a.m. That’s an early start for at least three days I know of next week, anyway it’s a start, I look forward to ticking off those 18 days 😊.

This weeks look at songs which mean something to me, are a bit more up to date, well if you can class 20 years old as being up to date although there is a newer one too, just 11 years old 😂😂. At one time I had the CD’s that these songs were taken from but son’s who borrowed them from me, somehow failed to return them and most possibly have “mislaid” them means that I am no longer in possession of the CD’s. Which is a shame as in the case of the first one, there are so many songs I could have chosen, thanks to the songwriters, usually the unsung heroes behind the chart toppers.

So first is “Positively Somewhere” from the album Reason by Melanie C released in 2003.

The next song is “Drive By” by Train from the album California 37 released in 2012.

As always I hope you like my choice of songs, if you do, why not listen to the albums.

My gorgeous grandchildren are with “The Daddy” again this weekend. Today they are going to a birthday party, a new friend “Rory” has his birthday and the children are so excited about it. There is going to be a bouncy castle and all the other delights for children now. Have fun everyone.

“The Trainee Solicitor” had some good news at the end of the week, it looks as if he is going to get his own office and his own files to manage, which will really boost his training. He has been quite stressed lately, not knowing which hat to don, receptionist, secretary, solicitor, firefighter, tea boy (ok the last one was a fib) but you get the idea. It looks as if he will have a clear idea of his role and will be dealing from start to finish on his own files.

“The Ex-Graduate” had to deal with a day at work with hardly any customers, so that involved a lot of back breaking cleaning jobs to be done! Days off in the colder damp weather meant curling up with a book, not a bad idea there girl, although I am busy stitching up items for the Christmas Sale.

I have almost finished writing the Christmas cards so then it will just be a trip to the post office to send them off. I made a dozen mince pies for the freezer, ever hopeful I can eat one or two over Christmas. The meat for today is in the slow cooker and I am looking forward to pork, potatoes, carrots and courgettes. I will have to make sure I am not hungry this evening as I was told not to eat anything in the morning before my treatment 😩.

Now I really must get these items stitched up and ready to pass on to Claudine (who has been standing in for me at the knitting group) then perhaps the last Xmas cards will be written and I can settle down with a book 😉.

The photos are the colours of autumn and the vines on the hillside in the village of Fontaine.

À bientôt!

[usafphantom2]

Greece closer to the agreement to buy F-35 fighters

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 06/03/2023 - 11:55am Military

U.S. Senator Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, approved the sale of Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 fighters to Greece, adding the last signature needed before the deal is concluded.

The agreement received the green light from the committee's chairman, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, in February, and also secured the approval of Republican Co-President Michael McCaul and Gregory Meeks, the most senior Democrat on the committee, the Hellas Journal reported on Thursday.

Now that the consensus of all four officials has been obtained, the U.S. government will formally notify Congress on the sale of F-35 to Greece and, from then on, the procedure prescribed for the ratification of the defense contract will be followed.

The issue of the sale of F-35 jets to Greece is moving forward with the delivery of the first aircraft between 2028 and 2033, although a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) is still expected on the US side.

The first installment for the supply of fifth generation F-35 fighters should amount to 350 million euros, after the completion of the deduction of the so-called SSI (safety, supply, information) from the final price of aircraft designed in the US.

Cost estimates can be relatively accurate based on fixed characteristics, such as the number of a total of 20 F-35As that the Hellenic Air Force will receive between 2028 and 2033. The Hellenic Air Force wants a fleet of 40 F-35 Block 4s.

??????? The procedure followed for the approval of defense contracts involves the U.S. State Department first informally probing Congress with the sale proposal. Although not linked to the process, the government usually takes the opinion of Congress seriously and thus avoids confronting it openly in the approval of defense contracts. It is precisely at this stage that the F-16 update that Turkey has been trying to achieve up to this point has stagnated.

Turkey, Greece's rival and NATO member, has not yet received the approval to buy new F-16 fighters, the aircraft it was looking for after the U.S. refused its F-35 proposal to buy S-400 missile systems from Russia.

Tags: Military AviationF-35 Lightning IIHAF - Hellenic Air Force / Greek Air ForceLockheed Martin

Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Daytona Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work around the world of aviation.

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[gharjunction2020]

Kalyan Flats for Sale

Raunak City Kalyan: A Premium Residential Township with Jio GigaFiber

Raunak City Kalyan offers a luxurious living experience in a 35-acre gated township, featuring 1 BHK, 2 BHK, 3 BHK, and 4 BHK flats for sale. Designed for upscale living, this RERA-approved development includes premium 3 and 4 BHK units in the exclusive Raunak City Jewel Collection. With top-notch amenities, earthquake-resistant structures, and high-end finishes, it’s the perfect place for those looking for Kalyan flats for sale.

Key Features:

Luxurious Interiors: Spacious flats with modern kitchens, premium fixtures, and ample natural light.

Exclusive Amenities: Swimming pool, gymnasium, sports facilities, clubhouse, and eco-friendly features like solar lighting and rainwater harvesting.

Safety & Security: 24/7 security, CCTV, and firefighting equipment.

Strategic Location: Well-connected with Kalyan Railway Station (4.1 km) and proximity to schools, restaurants, and banks.

Pricing:

1 BHK (370 sqft) – ₹38.99 Lacs

2 BHK (490 sqft) – ₹51.90 Lacs

3 BHK (740 sqft) – ₹85.50 Lacs

4 BHK (980 sqft) – ₹1.11 Cr

Discover the perfect blend of luxury, comfort, and convenience at Raunak City Kalyan, ideal for those searching for Kalyan flats for sale. Don’t miss this opportunity to invest in your dream home!

[alshamsigroup]

Top Fire Water Tank Suppliers in Abu Dhabi: Al Shamsi Group LLC Leads the Way

Al Shamsi Group LLC Website: https://www.alshamsigroupllc.com/ Address: Al Shamsi P.O.Box: 1889 Ajman United Arab Emirates Phone: +971 67433799 Phone: +971 67436881 Email: Alshamsifibreglass@gmail.com

Top Fire Water Tank Suppliers in Abu Dhabi: Al Shamsi Group LLC Leads the Way

In the ever-expanding urban and industrial landscape of Abu Dhabi, fire safety is not just a requirement but a necessity. Fire water tanks are a fundamental part of fire protection systems, ensuring water is readily available during emergencies. Among the leading suppliers in Abu Dhabi, Al Shamsi Group LLC stands out as a trusted name for delivering high-quality fire water tanks and comprehensive solutions tailored to the region’s unique needs.

The Importance of Fire Water Tanks

Fire water tanks play a critical role in firefighting systems by:

Acting as a reliable water source in areas where the municipal supply might be insufficient or inconsistent.

Supporting the operation of fire hydrants and sprinkler systems.

Meeting stringent fire safety regulations to protect life, property, and assets.

Why Al Shamsi Group LLC Is the Preferred Supplier

Al Shamsi Group LLC has built a reputation for delivering top-notch fire water tank solutions across Abu Dhabi. Here’s what makes them a leader:

1. Diverse Product Portfolio

Al Shamsi offers a wide selection of fire water tanks, including:

Steel Tanks: Durable and designed for large-capacity needs.

GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic) Tanks: Lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and ideal for various environments.

Custom Modular Tanks: Flexible options that adapt to different space and capacity requirements.

2. Commitment to Quality

All tanks provided by Al Shamsi comply with UAE Civil Defense and international fire safety standards, ensuring top-tier safety and reliability.

3. End-to-End Solutions

From consultation and design to installation and maintenance, Al Shamsi Group offers a complete range of services, ensuring a seamless experience for their clients.

4. Proven Expertise

With decades of experience, Al Shamsi has delivered fire safety solutions to residential, commercial, and industrial clients, consistently meeting diverse and challenging requirements.

Other Notable Fire Water Tank Suppliers in Abu Dhabi

While Al Shamsi Group LLC remains a top choice, other reputable suppliers in the region include:

Concorde Corodex Group: Specializing in fiberglass and steel tanks that meet global safety standards.

FIREX (Emirates Fire Fighting Equipment Factory LLC): Offers a range of durable and high-capacity tanks suitable for various applications.

AMICO (Al Muqarram Insulation Industry): Known for their GRP tanks that are lightweight and resistant to wear and tear.

Gulf Grating & Treads: Focused on providing custom-built steel tanks for heavy-duty use.

Why Choose Al Shamsi Group LLC?

Choosing Al Shamsi means choosing excellence. Clients benefit from:

Custom Solutions: Tanks designed specifically to meet project needs.

Compliance: Adherence to strict fire safety regulations.

Ongoing Support: Comprehensive maintenance and after-sales service.

Timely Delivery: Efficient processes to ensure on-time project completion.

Conclusion

Fire water tanks are a cornerstone of fire safety, and selecting a reliable supplier is essential for ensuring your systems work seamlessly in emergencies. With their commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction, Al Shamsi Group LLC continues to lead the way in Abu Dhabi’s fire water tank market.

For more information or to discuss your specific needs, contact Al Shamsi Group LLC today and invest in the safety and protection of your property.

Would you like to include additional details such as specific product features, client testimonials, or contact information?

[chandravamsi]

A Secure and Safe Investment for Commercial Properties Explore Commercial Property for Sale in Kokapet

When considering investing in commercial property for sale in Kokapet, security and safety are paramount concerns for investors and business owners alike. As one of Hyderabad's rapidly growing commercial hubs, Kokapet has a lot to offer in terms of security measures, making it an ideal location for those interested in Kokapet commercial space for sale or office space for sale in Kokapet. Here’s an in-depth look at how Kokapet fares in terms of security and safety for commercial properties.

1. Top-Notch 24/7 Security Measures

Security is a key feature of commercial properties for sale in Kokapet, with many developments prioritizing the safety of both businesses and their employees. The Harvest commercial project in Kokapet, for example, offers 24/7 security services, including CCTV surveillance and well-trained security personnel. Whether you’re purchasing Kokapet commercial space for sale or looking for office space for sale in Kokapet, you can rest assured knowing that your property will be monitored around the clock, ensuring a safe and secure working environment.

2. Advanced Fire Safety Systems

For any commercial property, fire safety is crucial. Kokapet commercial space for sale developments like The Harvest are equipped with fire sprinklers, firefighting equipment, and emergency exits to handle fire emergencies swiftly. These properties also feature an integrated fire alarm system linked with the building’s IBMS (Intelligent Building Management System), which ensures that fire hazards are managed effectively and that safety is always the priority.

3. Gated Communities with Restricted Access

One of the standout features of office space for sale in Kokapet is the presence of gated communities that enhance security. With controlled access points and restricted entry to authorized personnel, these properties ensure that only tenants and authorized individuals can enter the premises. This means that whether you're investing in commercial property for sale in Kokapet or leasing Kokapet commercial space for sale, you have an added layer of protection from unauthorized access.

4. Continuous Power Backup and Water Supply

Another aspect of safety is ensuring that essential systems like lighting and security infrastructure remain functional during emergencies. Kokapet commercial properties are designed with 24/7 power backup and water supply, ensuring that security systems, such as CCTV, remain operational even during power outages. For those purchasing office space for sale in Kokapet, this feature adds an extra level of security, preventing any disruptions to business activities.

5. Environmentally Safe with Sustainable Practices

Safety is not limited to just physical security. Many commercial properties for sale in Kokapet also prioritize environmental safety. The Harvest development is a Grade A commercial office space and adheres to sustainable building practices like rainwater harvesting and sewage treatment plants. These features ensure that the property is both eco-friendly and well-maintained, contributing to a safer environment for both business operations and the local community.

6. Strategic Location Enhances Safety

Kokapet’s prime location, close to major IT hubs such as Gachibowli and HITEC City, makes it a highly secure area for commercial investments. The proximity to well-developed infrastructure, such as hospitals, schools, and residential spaces, ensures that safety services and emergency support are always readily available. Additionally, Kokapet commercial space for sale developments are well-connected to key roads like the Outer Ring Road (ORR), providing easy access to emergency services, making it a strategic and secure location for business.

7. Community and Surrounding Development

In terms of social infrastructure, Kokapet has rapidly evolved into a self-sustaining area with excellent residential spaces and commercial facilities. The presence of established localities such as Gachibowli, Manikonda, and Nallagandla in the vicinity provides additional layers of community safety. Whether you are looking for commercial property for sale in Kokapet or considering office space for sale in Kokapet, the increasing development in the area contributes to overall security and well-being.

8. Comprehensive Amenities Ensure Convenience and Safety

In addition to security, properties like The Harvest come with numerous amenities that enhance the convenience and safety of tenants. These amenities include reserved parking, visitor parking, landscape gardens, cafeteria, and even an indoor games room. These features not only offer a comfortable and engaging environment for employees but also contribute to a safer and more secure living and working space.

Conclusion

Kokapet stands out as a prime location for commercial property for sale in Kokapet, offering Kokapet commercial space for sale and office space for sale in Kokapet with comprehensive security features. With 24/7 security, advanced fire safety systems, gated communities, and environmentally sustainable practices, Kokapet’s commercial properties ensure a secure and safe environment for both businesses and residents. Additionally, its strategic location near IT hubs, well-developed infrastructure, and continued growth make Kokapet a top choice for commercial investment in Hyderabad.

[lmp-04]

The Commercial Real Estate Market in Kokapet Evolved Over the Last Decade Exploring Commercial Property for Sale in Kokapet

The commercial real estate market in Kokapet has witnessed significant evolution over the last decade, transforming into a prime destination for businesses and investors. The commercial property for sale in Kokapet has seen an upsurge in demand, fueled by the area's strategic location and robust infrastructure development. This article delves into the factors driving the growth of Kokapet commercial space for sale, highlighting the amenities, connectivity, and investment potential of this vibrant market.

Growth of Commercial Space in Kokapet

Kokapet, once a quiet suburb, has rapidly evolved into a bustling commercial hub, primarily due to its proximity to key areas like Gachibowli, HITEC City, and Hyderabad's Financial District. The availability of office space for sale in Kokapet has attracted numerous businesses, ranging from IT firms to retail establishments. The region boasts a saleable area of 1.6 million sft, spread over 3.5 acres, providing ample space for commercial activities.

Infrastructure and Connectivity

The enhancement of infrastructure has played a pivotal role in shaping Kokapet's commercial landscape. The area is well-connected via the Outer Ring Road (ORR) and major roadways, facilitating easy access to various parts of the city. The presence of essential amenities, such as schools, hospitals, and retail establishments within a 10-minute driving distance, adds to the appeal of investing in Kokapet commercial space for sale.

Amenities That Attract Businesses

Properties like those developed by Pooja Crafted Homes stand out due to their comprehensive amenities that cater to modern business needs. Some of the notable features include:

24/7 security and power backup: Ensuring a safe and uninterrupted work environment.

Cafeteria and landscaped gardens: Providing recreational spaces for employees.

Advanced fire safety measures: Including fire sprinklers and firefighting equipment, ensuring a secure workspace.

These amenities not only enhance the operational efficiency of businesses but also contribute to employee satisfaction, making Kokapet an attractive location for office spaces.

The Rise of a Self-Sustaining Growth Pocket

Kokapet has transitioned into a self-sustaining growth pocket, combining residential, commercial, and recreational spaces. Established residential localities like Gachibowli, Manikonda, and Nallagandla are just a short drive away, providing a balanced lifestyle for professionals working in the area. This synergy between residential and commercial spaces is a significant draw for businesses considering commercial property for sale in Kokapet.

Conclusion:

The commercial real estate market in Kokapet has transformed remarkably over the last decade, driven by infrastructural developments, strategic location, and a burgeoning demand for office space for sale in Kokapet. As the region continues to grow and attract investments, potential buyers looking for Kokapet commercial space for sale can find promising opportunities in this dynamic market. The combination of luxury amenities and a strategic location positions Kokapet as a premier destination for businesses seeking to establish a foothold in Hyderabad.

[netpropatches]

Fire Department Patches for Sale

Explore our exclusive collection of Fire Department Patches for Sale at Netpro Patches. We take pride in offering high-quality firefighter patches designed to honor the brave men and women serving in fire departments. Whether you’re a collector or looking to equip your team with professional gear, our selection of fire patches for sale is perfect for you. Each patch is crafted with attention to detail, ensuring durability and a professional look. Visit our website to browse the full range of firefighter patches and find the perfect addition to your collection or uniform. Don’t miss out on these essential items that symbolize courage and dedication. Shop now at Netpro Patches for the best firefighter patches!

[hilcoindustrial]

Choose reliable, used firefighting equipment for sale at unbeatable prices with Hilco Industrial! We offer high-quality gear, from hoses to fire trucks, helping fire departments and safety teams upgrade their equipment affordably. Don’t miss out on the best deals for essential firefighting tools. Shop now and stay prepared for any emergency! For more information visit https://hilcoindustrial.com/lot/distillation-units-cracking-units-reforming-units-hydrotreating-units-fire-fighting-systems-ffs-emergency-firefighting-equipment-2020-a03rk000009uktciam

[orisonindustries]

What is the Role of Fire Water Storage Tank?

The Role of Fire Water Storage Tanks:

Fire water storage tanks are specifically designed reservoirs that store large quantities of water for firefighting purposes. They are strategically placed in industrial facilities, commercial complexes, and even residential areas where the risk of fire is significant. These tanks act as a critical resource, providing immediate access to water during emergencies when a rapid response is essential to control and extinguish fires effectively.

Design and Construction

The design of fire water storage tanks is meticulous and adheres to stringent safety standards and regulations. Key considerations include capacity, location, accessibility, and the materials used for construction. Tanks are typically constructed from materials like steel, concrete, or fiberglass, chosen for their durability and ability to withstand fire-related stress and environmental factors.

Capacity and Sizing

The size and capacity of fire water storage tanks vary widely based on the specific needs of the site they serve. Facilities with higher fire risk, such as petrochemical plants or large industrial complexes, require larger tanks capable of holding thousands to millions of gallons of water. Sizing calculations take into account factors such as potential fire hazard, water demand for firefighting equipment, and regulatory requirements.

Emergency Response Readiness

The primary function of fire water storage tanks is to ensure readiness for emergency response. In the event of a fire, rapid access to a large volume of water can make the critical difference in containing the blaze before it spreads uncontrollably. Firefighters rely on these tanks to supply water to firefighting systems like hydrants, sprinkler systems, and fire hoses, enabling them to quickly and efficiently combat fires and protect lives and property.

Maintenance and Compliance

Regular maintenance and compliance with safety standards are essential aspects of managing fire water storage tanks. Inspections, testing of water quality, and upkeep of tank integrity are routine tasks that ensure the tanks remain operational and reliable. Compliance with regulatory requirements also ensures that the tanks meet environmental standards and are equipped to handle emergencies effectively.

Conclusion

Fire water storage tanks are not merely passive installations; they are critical assets in the proactive defense against fire hazards. Their presence and functionality can mean the difference between a contained fire incident and a catastrophic disaster. As technologies and safety protocols evolve, so too does the design and implementation of these essential structures, ensuring that they continue to play a pivotal role in safeguarding communities and industries worldwide.

Top Fire Water Storage Tank Manufacturer in India

Are you looking for Fire Water Storage Tank Manufacturer in India. look no further than Orison Industries, we are a leading manufacturer and supplier of Fire Water Storage Tank in India.

For more details, please contact us!

Website :- www.orisonindustries.in

Contact No. :- +91-8860602980

Email :- sales@orisonindustries.in

[svalleynow]

Tennessee American Water accepting 2024 Firefighting Support Grant applications

Tennessee American Water accepting 2024 Firefighting Support Grant applications...

Tennessee American Water has announced that they are accepting grant applications for the 2024 Firefighting Support Grant Program. These grants provide financial assistance to uniformed, professional, and volunteer fire departments in the Tennessee American Water service areas including sale-for-resale areas. Grants up to $1,000 will be awarded to cover department costs for equipment such as…