Blackmail

by John Charles

  By the end of the day on Thursday, he had more than three quarters of the folders and files copied to his thumb drive. He felt reassured yet nervous since he was not going to meet Waverley’s time demands, so he texted Waverley with a progress report.

  Friday morning Karl met Damien and Bennett at the gym again. He was nervous and off balance and it showed. Damien pulled him aside and asked, “You seem to be distracted this morning. Is there something on your mind?”

  “No, I’m just thinking about the project that Ferris assigned us on Monday. It’s going to be quite difficult developing a system that goes across all the open projects in the system.”

  “Well, if we can help in any way, you just let us know,” said Bennett as he joined the discussion.

  As Karl pulled his clothes from the locker, he noticed a message on his phone from Waverley. Open my email and get back to me, was all it said. Karl opened his email to find a message from the one man he hated. It contained one sentence. Get those files to me by Wednesday. It would be a shame for anything to happen to your cousin. The email contained a picture of his cousin Randy walking across the college campus where he worked as a teaching assistant. Karl drew in a huge breath and shuddered. He immediately called Waverley. Before Waverley could say a word, Karl let him know that Randy was off limits. “You do anything to him and I will go directly to the police. I don’t care what they do to me. You understand you scumbag?”

  “Well, then you do as you are told Karl. Get those damn files to me by Wednesday and nothing will happen to Randy. Mess up and I make no promises. Oh, go to the cops and Randy may have an accident. Don’t fuck up.” Waverley disconnected before Karl uttered another word. Fuck, Fuck, Fuck.

  By the end of the day, he had all the files from Damien’s folder. He texted Waverley Got all of them. Sending them out tonight.

  He received a text in reply No, I want you to hand deliver them on Wednesday. Tell them you have another family emergency. Tell them Randy is in trouble. After all he really is.

  Ha made travel plans over the weekend and let Jay know on Monday that he needed Tuesday and Wednesday off. Jay was not happy but approved the personal days.

  The day dragged as Karl made every effort to get ahead on his indexing project. He needed something to keep his mind occupied and Jay’s program was just the thing for that.

  Chapter 14

  The meeting was set for Wednesday at a restaurant near the park where they had previously met. Karl knew the place and arrived early. Not wanting to attract attention, he walked across the street and sat on a park bench that gave him a good view of the street and restaurant.

  His phone vibrated with a text. I’m glad you came early. I like that. Go in and take the round table near the rear door. We’ll be waiting. We’ll be waiting? Who did he bring with him?

  As soon as Karl passed through the door, he understood who was with Waverley. Sitting in the booth was a very distraught Randy and a very happy Chad Waverley. When Randy spotted Karl, he attempted to go to him but was restrained by the man sitting next to him. “Karl, what’s going on here? This nutcase said you were in trouble and forced me to come with him. What the hell man.”

  Karl almost lost his temper when he saw Waverley open his jacket to reveal a gun. “Sit down Karl. We can handle this calmly or not. It’s totally up to you, my friend.”

  “I’m not your friend, nor do I want to be. Here, you’ve got your precious files,” said Karl as he threw the thumb drive to Waverley. “Now let my cousin go and we’ll be leaving.”

  “Not so fast. How do I know you have the right files on this drive? You could have copied the recipes for apple pie for all I know. I’ll release you and your cousin after my team confirms the files are authentic and not before.”

  “What files? What’s going on here Karl?” asked Randy in a fearful voice.

  “Your cousin is working for me Randy. My competitor has been developing a unique product that I wanted for my company. With the files Karl claims to have on this thumb drive I’ll have the advantage I’ve always wanted over Valentech.”

  “No, Waverley, I’m not working for you. You blackmailed me to do this and I’ve done it so either you let us go or I’ll call the cops right now,” said Karl as he palmed his cell phone.

  As Karl spoke, the restaurant burst into a frenzy of activity. People appeared from all directions surrounding Karl, Randy and Waverley. Hal walked forward, identified himself and said, “You don’t have to call the cops Karl. We’ve been here the entire time. Waverley, you’re under arrest. The list of crimes is far too long to state here so just come with us quietly.

  Before the arresting officer could read Waverley his Miranda rights, Waverley stood, pulled Randy to his side and pushed the gun into his throat. “I’m going out that door and you’re not going to stop me or this young man will have a hole in his neck.” Walking Randy to the door, Waverley kept his back to the counter and his gun pressed into Randy’s throat. In a surprise move, Karl ran and jumped onto his back thinking he would dislodge the gun or bring Waverley down. Randy pulled free and started to run, but Waverley’s gunshot caught him mid stride. Randy fell as agents restrained Waverley.

  Karl’s scream echoed through the restaurant. “No!” He picked up his cousin placing his head on his lap and cried. “I’m so sorry he got you involved in this. Please don’t die. I couldn’t stand myself if you died because of me.”

  Randy looked up at his cousin. “Why? Why did you let him do this to us?” He closed his eyes and went limp.

  Paramedics took Randy from Karl as the agents held the restrained, cuffed, Waverley. Karl attacked Waverley with both fists. He punched his face repeatedly before an agent restrained him. Once cuffed, an agent read Karl his Miranda rights and guided him out the door. “Will he live?” asked Karl as Hal approached the distraught young man.

  “He’s severely injured Karl. I can’t say what will happen to him. I promise I’ll let you know what happens after the surgeons get finished with your cousin.”

  “Please, can I be with him. I’m all he’s got.”

  “No, Karl, you are under arrest. What you did, whether blackmailed or not, is a crime.” Agents put Waverley and Karl into separate cars and sped away.

  After being processed and placed in a holding cell, Karl paced the small room scared more for his cousin than for himself. When Hal approached the cell, Karl held his breath waiting for the news. “Randy is a lucky young man. The bullet passed through soft tissue and missed all his vital organs. He’ll be in the hospital for a week or so but, with lots of rest and therapy, the doctors say he’ll make a full recovery.”

  I never expected Waverley to get him involved.”

  “Sometimes desperate people do stupid things, Karl. Waverley thought he was above the law and figured you would cooperate. If you had gone to the police, we might have prevented this from happening. As it is, Ferris has hired the best attorney to represent you.”

  “Why would he do that when I deceived him and stole Damien’s project?”

  Because I believe in you Karl,” Said Ferris as he walked into the holding area. “You are a smart young man with great potential. You just got pulled in the wrong direction by a very nasty person. Waverley has been trying to get our trade secrets for years. This time he went too far and you got caught in his stupidity.”

  “What happens now?” asked Karl, eyes looking at the floor, head hung low. “Will I go to jail?”

  “We can’t say what will happen, Karl. You have a much better chance with the attorney Ferris hired, then with a public defender, but the evidence is against you right now.”

  Ferris looked at Karl and said, “We’ll do everything possible to make sure the court understands that you were blackmailed and had no recourse other than to follow Waverley’s demands. But, I don’t know what the court will do. Let the attorney do their work.”

  “I don’t have the money to pay an attorney’s fees, so I’ll just have to settle for a public defender.”r />
  “Relax, Karl. I have the money and I’ll pay her fees. You just keep smiling,” said Ferris. “Oh, Bennett and Damien send their regards. They miss you at the gym. And Jay said he is angry with you. Actually he said he was pissed at you for abandoning his project mid stream.”

  “Why would any of you care about me after what I did? I don’t understand.”

  “Ferris and the people at Valentech are different, Karl. They care about their work and the Valentech family. Whether you realize it or not, you were part of their family,” said Hal.

  Karl was so upset with everything that he just moved to the back of the small cell, sat on the bare mattress and cried. “I’ve really fucked up my life, hurt my cousin, and you say I was a member of the Valentech family. I don’t know what to say.”

  Ferris and Hal spoke with Karl about the process for a while, and then left Karl alone with his thoughts and emotions. Karl cried himself into a restless sleep.

  The next few days were a blur for Karl. His lawyer did say that Randy was recovering and had asked numerous questions about what happened. He wanted Karl to know he had no hard feelings about what happened. He just wanted Karl to get past the mess and get his life back on track.

  Dana Lambertson was known for her no-nonsense manner in and out of the courtroom. Many prosecutors feared her, having seen what she was capable of doing. She knew the system, having served as the state’s lead prosecutor for years prior to moving to the public side. When asked why she made the switch, she is quoted as saying, “The state has no concern for the people, they only want convictions.”

  “You are going to be arraigned today, Karl. Say nothing while you are in the courtroom. I will answer for you. Even when the judge directs a question to you, say nothing. Do you understand?”

  “Yes ma’am, but why should I say nothing?”

  “As your attorney, I will do the talking, for now. It’s not uncommon in cases like this. So, are we clear on your plea? You will plead innocent due to extreme and life threatening circumstances. I doubt the judge will accept your plea but it starts the conversation.”

  “Will Waverley be in the court with me?”

  “No, his arraignment is before yours. He faces more serious charges than you do. For one, he is facing attempted murder for shooting Randy. He’ll be lucky to get out of prison in 20 years.”

  “Will they keep me in jail till the trial?”

  “Your bail hearing will happen after the arraignment. If the judge feels you are not a risk, he will place a moderate bail thus allowing you to live outside of prison before and during the trial.”

  “Well I guess I’ll be in jail since I have no money for bail.”

  “Not true. Mr. Valente has authorized me to post up to one hundred thousand dollars bail for you.”

  “I can’t get over what he is doing for me after I betrayed him.”

  “You must have impressed him Karl. He is a good man, take what he offers and don’t do anything to make him lose faith in you.”

  As Dana predicted, the judge accepted Karl’s plea of innocent and set bail at twenty five thousand dollars, saying the case didn’t merit anything more than that. He made sure Karl understood the restriction of his bail specifically that any travel must be preapproved or bail would be revoked.

  Karl was free but had nowhere to go. “I feel worse being out here than when I was in jail,” he told Dana explaining that his apartment was over 100 miles away and his car was impounded after the meeting with Waverley.

  Dana smiled. “Your car is in the parking garage under my apartment. Ferris paid the impound charges yesterday. As far as your apartment goes, we have a meeting with your bail officer in ten minutes, so don’t give up yet.”

  Karl was still amazed how these people were helping him. The bail officer said Karl could go home as long as his cell phone had GPS location turned on and he called in daily.

  Dana took Karl to the hospital to see Randy. She could see his nervousness as he walked with her. “He doesn’t hate you, Karl. He knows everything and just wants you back in his life.”

  The visit went well. It was as if Randy’s hospital stay was a normal thing. They talked, Karl apologized a hundred times and Randy held him as he cried. Promising to talk daily again, Karl left with Dana to get his car and go home.

  One week to the day, he was back home wondering what his life would be like after all this is over. Will I ever get another job? Can I go back to school? How do I support myself for the time being? Will I go to jail and for how long? His internal struggles were torturous.

  Early Thursday morning he called the bail officer and reported in as he was told to do. Ironically, the number he was given was answered by an automated system that asked several questions, which required a voice or keypad answer, then the system checked his GPS location saying he was ok until his next required check-in.

  At ten AM his phone rang with caller ID saying it was from Valentech. When he answered the call, he was startled to hear Jay’s voice. “Are you going to sleep all day or are you coming in to work?”

  “Hi Jay, obviously you don’t know what happened or you wouldn’t be calling me. I doubt Mr. Valente or anyone else at Valentech would want me there today or for that matter anytime in the future.”

  “I am fully aware of what transpired this week. I need my intern back here now. Even with your indexing system, we are so far behind. Get dressed and get in here right now, Karl.”

  “But,”

  “No buts or arguments, Karl. Mr. Valente has cleared you and told me that you can come back to work as soon as your bail was set. So stop looking a gift horse in the mouth and get your ass in gear.” The call ended before Karl could reply.

  Chapter 15

  Karl cautiously entered the Valentech building not sure what to expect.

  Much to his amazement, everyone at Valentech treated him with respect and kindness. Most knew of the circumstances of his absence, others didn’t want to hear about it. They knew he was being blackmailed by Waverley and they understood why he did what he did. He felt he would have to earn their trust back, but he was determined to work hard at that task.

  When he entered the lab, Jay pulled him into a manly hug and said, “I know you’ve been through a hell of a week. I also know that you gave me your best, so get to work and continue with the project,” then walked away to resolve an issue. Karl spent the next few minutes assessing the pile of study reports and got to work. This will take all day to get organized, but damn, if they’ll have me back, then who am I to complain.

  Only once did Karl’s mind wander that morning. He thought about Randy and how he hurt him. He also thought about his future knowing this was just temporary. Thankfully, his indexing program performed well allowing him to take a sizeable bite out of the pile by lunchtime.

  Not wanting to face the other Valentech employees, he chose to leave the building for lunch. He walked to a nearby sandwich shop and ordered his favorite; a grilled Swiss on potato bread with a cup of tomato soup. The first time he ordered the sandwich at this shop he had to explain that his mother made it that way for him since he was a little kid. So now, a grilled cheese sandwich was always made with Swiss and potato bread. From that day on, they took his order in stride. He sat at a table in front of the shop and enjoyed his lunch.

  He heard his name just as he was finishing his soup. Looking up he saw Damien and Bennett walking toward his table. His stomach churned and his body shook in fear and humiliation as the pair approached. Damien was first to speak. “Listen, we know what happened and we want you to know that neither of us have any hard feelings. You enjoy the gym and we enjoy your company, so please find it in yourself to get back into our schedule.”

  He looked at them as if they were from another planet. “Why would you want me in your world after what I did? I don’t understand why you’re not punching my face right now.”

  Damien put his hand on Karl’s shoulder and said, “Eventually you’ll understand the family at Valente
ch is stronger than most can imagine. We’ve all talked about what happened to you and most of us have no idea how we would have reacted if Waverley were blackmailing us. You worked hard and actually contributed quite a bit during your time here, so we want you back in the family.”

  Karl had no words to say, but the tears flowing from his eyes said what words could not. Bennett rubbed his coworker’s shoulder and proceeded into the sandwich shop to order his lunch. Damien stood as Karl tried to regain some composure. I don’t deserve this, especially from you Damien.”

  “Give that attitude a break, Karl. Just do a good job for Jay and let the rest sort itself out,” he said as he turned to follow Bennett and order lunch.

  Karl got over half of the reports indexed by the end of the day. He felt good when he left the building. His ride home was peaceful for the first time. His cell had not vibrated all day. No texts from Waverley and no nasty calls either. Nevertheless, he knew his calm life was tenuous at best. He faced a trial and the potential of a long jail term. He was determined to live happy until that day arrived.

  The following morning he joined Damien and Bennett at the gym for a long overdue workout. They spotted for each other and enjoy their routine. He continued to make headway on the backlog of reports needing to be indexed. The world actually looked and felt good for the first time in months. Then his phone rang. “Karl would you please report to the main conference room,” said Cindy.

  “Sure, do I need to bring anything with me?” he replied.

  “No Karl, just head over there right now.”