by John Charles
“Yeah, I went to see Karl,” said Bennett as he took Damien in his arms. “He hates us and thinks we conspired to put him in jail.”
Damien pushed off Bennett and asked, “You went to Karl’s place? Why would you do that?”
“I did that because I wanted him to know that we never intended this to go as far as it did. Why are you angry with me?”
“I guess I shouldn’t be angry. It’s just that you and Karl –“
“What are you talking about, Damien. Oh my god, you think he and I are more than just friends don’t you?”
“I see the way you look at him when we’re at the gym. I can tell you want to be with him. I see it in your eyes,” said Damien as he walked toward the sliding doors. “You want him, don’t you?”
Bennett walked the short distance to him and grabbed Damien’s arm. Swinging him around he flatly stated, “I’m not Michael, Damien. How many times do I have to tell you I love you and would do nothing to hurt you? Yes, I like Karl. I think he’s sexy as hell, but it’s you that I love, not him. You need to get over Michael and you need to do it soon, cause I can’t continue to compete with his ghost. On that, I can’t win, Damien.” Bennett turned and walked to the door. “When you want me back, call me. Right now I’m going to the gym to work off some of this – whatever it is,” he said as he stormed through the door leaving it open.
Damien didn’t turn, but continued to look out at the cityscape before him. Tears streamed down his face, his body shuddered in pain, his hands clenched in fists. “Michael, you have to go away. You’ve hurt me for too long. Now you scared the only other guy I’ve dared to love away,” he shouted. He fell forward leaning his head against the glass as his body slid to the floor and cried.
The following morning, Bennett called Cindy and asked to see Ferris. She set an appointment for 11 that morning.
When Bennett walked into Ferris’ office, he expected to see Andrea and Hal there, but was surprised that only Ferris sat at his desk. “Thank you for seeing me,” he said as he entered.
“Cindy said it was important, what’s on your mind Bennett?”
“In one word, Karl. I went to see him yesterday to apologize for what we allowed to happen. He is extremely upset and frankly, I don’t blame him one bit.” Ferris started to say something, but Bennett put his hand up to stop him from speaking. “Let me get this out before I lose my nerve. Then you can say whatever you have in mind, sir.”
Bennett sat in one of the guest chairs in front of his boss’s desk and continued. “Both Damien and I said we would not trade Karl for Waverley yet that’s exactly what happened. He was and still is a naive young man who got himself mixed up in something he knew nothing about. He was taken in by a master and we let him get taken. Now he faces a jail term for being an innocent boy. I hate what we did Ferris. We really fucked him and I want to know what you are doing to get him off?”
Ferris looked at his best salesman and saw the hurt in his eyes. “I’ve been in contact with Dana Lambertson several times since the deposition. She assures me she is doing everything she can for Karl. I understand your concern, but remember Hal’s plan never intended this to happen, either.”
“So we’re just going to walk away from this and forget it happened? Well I can’t do that,” said Bennett as he got up and walked to the door.
“Don’t do anything rash, Bennett. Let the pros handle this one.”
“The pros handled it before and look what happened, Ferris. Once I said you needed to grow a pair of balls. I’m saying it again, sir. And if you want to fire me for saying that, then go ahead,” he said as he walked through the door. “I hate this place more every day,” he said to Cindy as he walked from the president’s offices.
Having no intention of sitting in the lunchroom today, Bennett left the building. He walked around the beautiful city streets until he found himself at a small café that he’d never known about before. It was quaint, with old tables and chairs along the sidewalk near the door. When he walked inside, he could smell the aromas of food like those he was used to when he visited his grandmother. He suddenly felt at home.
The food was as good as it smelled. Sated from a great meal, he began his walk back to the office. A block from the Valentech building he received a text. I’m sorry. Please come back to me. Can you come to my home after work, please?
He texted back See you at 6
The rest of Bennett’s day was hectic. He needed to finish a new client proposal and get up to speed on the products he proposed. He prided himself on his ability to understand his client’s needs and deliver a great sales presentation. He was in his glory.
Rather than let himself in, Bennett knocked on Damien’s door. When Damien answered, he was surprised to see Bennett standing in the hall. “You forget your key?” he said as he moved aside to allow Bennett to enter.
“No, I didn’t want to presume,” said Bennett as he walked through the door.
Before the door fully closed, Bennett found himself in the tightest embrace he ever experienced. “I’m so sorry. You’re right, you are not Michael and I was wrong to think anything about your visit to Karl’s apartment.”
Damien led his lover to the couch and pulled him down as he sat. Once there, he planted a wet kiss on Bennett’s lips that said more than the action by itself. “I love you with every fiber in my body. You’ve stood by me when I was upset. You’ve helped me work through my past, yet I doubted you when I had no reason to do so.”
Bennett lay back as Damien continued to talk and kiss him. He was so turned on, it hurt. His pants felt two sizes too small. He could tell by his actions that Damien was fast moving in that direction as well. Then Damien asked, “Can you help me finally shed Michael from my life? Will you make love to me, Bennett?”
Bennett had only topped Damien once before and that was the most intense sex in his short life. Now the man he loved wanted it again. This was a new face to his relationship with Damien. One he wanted to explore a lot further. “If that’s what you want, who am I to say no,” he said with a silly grin on his face. “Are you sure?”
“More than anything else. You and I are more than lovers. I want you in my life everyday from today on. I know I said I’d think about it when you said we should move in together. And now I want it too. Make love to me Bennett. Make me yours.”
Bennett stood, pulling Damien along with him. He slowly undressed the man of his dreams as Damien did him. Naked and hard, the lovers caressed each other bringing tingles to their bodies. As Bennett slid to his knees, he licked every part of Damien’s body. His nipples became hard, his solid stomach ridges stood out strong against his tanned body. His erection was harder than ever before, dripping with desire. When Bennett took Damien into his mouth, his lover lost his ability to stand. Knees turned to jelly as his body convulsed with the feelings his lover gave him. Bennett helped Damien to lay on the heavy area rug, never letting go of his erection.
Before Damien could release his pent up sex, Bennett lifted his mouth. “Not yet my friend, you’ll have to wait a little more.”
Damien just sighed.
Everyone says make up sex is the best. For Damien and Bennett that saying proved to be correct. Bennett took Damien that night, not once but three times. By the time they fell asleep, Damien’s demons were gone. Michael was only a faint memory of his past.
Bennett slept the sleep of a sated lover.
Chapter 18
The headlines said it all Pharmaceutical CEO On Trial For Blackmail and Attempted Murder.
Photographers and reporters lined the street in front of the courthouse jockeying for position to photograph or interview Chad Waverley, CEO of Waverley Pharmacon. It was not often that they had the chance to participate in the fall of the head of an upcoming drug company, the playboy of playboys. Chad Waverley was going down and they wanted a piece of his hide as he descended into the hell they knew he would soon be living in.
Their enthusiasm was evident when the police cruiser carry
ing Waverley arrived. Barricades didn’t stop the throng of reporters as they pushed to get near their prey. “Did you really shoot the kid? Why did you stoop to blackmail? Who will you turn Waverley Pharmacon over to while you are in jail? Is it true the kid you blackmailed has turned state’s evidence against you?” The questions were nonstop as police escorted the head hung low, defeated man up the steps.
More cars followed with lawyers and other witnesses. They too were bombarded with questions and flashes from photographer’s cameras. When Dana, Karl, and Randy arrived, the crowds started shouting, “Why did you let him blackmail you? Put him behind bars for life!” The three almost tripped over anxious reporters as they climbed the courthouse steps.
When they got past the security detail guarding the doors, Dana turned to Karl and Randy. “You both did well. Don’t volunteer anything to anyone especially not reporters. They’ll twist and turn whatever you say into a story that has no resemblance to the truth.”
As she walked with Karl and Randy, the district attorney, John Abbute, approached and said “Good morning. Karl, I’m going to call you as the first witness for the state. Are you ready?”
“Yes sir, I’m ready, I guess,” said Karl. “I just want this to be done already.”
Randy put his arm around his cousin and said, “You just remember you are here to put that sleazebag behind bars.”
Abbute smiled at Randy’s comments. “You will be called up after Ferris Valente is finished. I doubt that will be today, though. Dana, as you know Waverley has hired one of the best defense attorneys around. Once we shared evidence with him, though, he seemed uncertain that he could fight what we had. But don’t think he won’t try. He has to give a good show to earn the big bucks Waverley is paying him.”
The courtroom was closed to reporters so the chaos from the street was gone. Once inside, Dana showed Karl and Randy where to sit. They were in the first row of witnesses behind the district attorney. Just as they sat, Damien, Bennett, Ferris and Andrea entered the court, followed by Hal and Nicholle. Dana stood to greet them. Neither Karl nor Randy acknowledged their presence.
The judge began the trial by stating the long list of charges against Chad Waverley. Once completed he asked, “How do you plead Mr. Waverley?”
Waverley and his high priced attorney both said “Not guilty,” then sat down.
The judge acknowledged the plea and asked if the district attorney was ready with his first witness.
On day two of Waverley’s trial, Karl was called to testify. Dana whispered in Karl’s ear as he stood and walked to the stand. After Karl was sworn in, Abbute began his questioning. Karl answered each question carefully as he and Dana had practiced. Only when the questioning got very personal did he falter a bit.
“Tell the court how Mr. Waverley wanted you to get the information from Damien Hadwyn, please Karl.”
Karl blushed and stayed quiet for a minute. The judge, knowing the question was very personal nudged Karl, “Mr. Matthius, this court has heard some very personal testimonies in the past. I’m sure what you have to say will not be as shocking as some we’ve heard. Please answer the question.”
And he did. Karl, having gotten past this shyness and fear of being on the stand, explained in detail what Waverley wanted him to do. He left nothing out and would have continued if the D.A. had not stopped him with another question.
The D. A.’s questioning went through the morning and continued after the lunch break. By the end of the court day, Karl was tired and had a sore throat from the constant talking required of him.
“This court will adjourn until tomorrow,” said the judge. “Mr. Abbute, will you continue with this witness tomorrow morning?”
“Yes, your honor, I do have a few more questions for Mr. Matthius.”
“Very well, the court is adjourned until nine AM tomorrow.”
As the courtroom emptied, Ferris and Andrea approached Karl, Dana, and Randy. Having been forewarned to be polite, Karl listened to Ferris, “I’m not asking you to try to understand why things went as they did, Karl. But, please hear me out.” Ferris went on to explain that he had never intended it to go as far as it did. He had been promised that nothing would happen to Karl. That the sting was to put Waverley behind bars, not Karl. He further explained that Karl’s paycheck had continued to be deposited into his account even though he had not returned to work.
Karl stayed quiet while Ferris explained himself then said, “Mr. Valente, I enjoyed working at Valentech. Frankly, I enjoyed working there so much I had intended to ask you for a more permanent job. But now that I know what kind of man you really are, I would rather work at Waverley Pharmacon than Valentech even knowing what that man did to me. You are no better than he is. He blackmailed me and you set me up to fail. The only thing I regret though is that I was so naïve that I never saw it.” Before Ferris could answer, Karl pushed past the Valentech crowd.
Randy and Karl had dinner in their room to avoid the throngs of reporters and photographers still stalking the area. “You feeling okay Randy? You haven’t said much all day.”
“I feel really bad for you. When you first told me about everything, I just couldn’t put it all together. Today, after listening to your testimony, I’m getting a much better picture of what happened.”
“Are you mad at me?”
“No, how could I be mad at you? Those people took advantage of you and played you. I wonder if I would have done anything differently.”
The cousins moved to other topics to ease the discomfort of the reason they were there, then mindlessly watched a few shows on TV.
A slightly smaller crowd of reporters greeted them the following morning as they entered the courtroom. “Looks like the thrill is wearing off,” said Dana as she escorted her witnesses into the courtroom.
Abbute finished questioning Karl just prior to lunch break, reserving his right to re-examine if necessary.
After lunch, the defense attorney called Karl back to the witness stand. His first question set the hairs on Karl’s neck standing. “Mr. Matthius, do you really expect anyone in this court to believe a word of your testimony? Are you aware that you could be charged with perjury for your lies?”
Karl’s anger brought him to his feet. “Every word was true. I never lied.”
Abbute was quick to challenge the defense attorney’s accusations, as was the judge. It was a show of strength to get Karl flustered and for a short time, it did. Randy could see his cousin clenching his fists as he sat down.
The judge adjourned the court for fifteen minutes and called both attorneys to his chambers. There he said to both attorneys, “I will not have my court turned into a boxing ring. Either you both treat this properly or I will dismiss you and assign different legal teams. Do I make myself clear, gentlemen?” Both agreed and left chambers.
When the court resumed session, the defense attorney was more subdued. His questioning continued through the end of the day without being able to counter any of Karl’s prior testimony. He dismissed Karl who sat down waiting for the next witness to be called.
The trial continued for five additional days with Abbute calling witnesses and the defense trying, in vain, to challenge their testimonies. At the end of the final day of proceedings, each attorney gave his closing statement. The judge said he would have a verdict in two weeks and adjourned the court, reminding everyone that Karl’s trial would start the following morning.
Chapter 19
The courtroom was noticeably less crowded when Karl and Dana sat at the defense table. The Valentech group, Hal and Nicholle were present as both Dana and John Abbute said they would be called for further questioning. Randy sat behind his cousin. As with Waverley’s trial, reporters were barred from the courtroom.
Judge Oberts read the list of crimes and asked Karl how he pleads. Dana said not guilty.
“In an effort to minimize duplicate testimony, the court clerk will place a copy of the records from the Chad Waverley trial into this proceeding. Based
on that testimony, do you have any witnesses to call Mr. Abbute?”
“Yes, your honor, I’d like to call Karl Matthius to the stand.”
Mr. Matthius, you have repeatedly claimed that you were set up and that you would not be in this courtroom had the FBI intervened sooner. Would you please expand on that premise?”
Karl was taken aback by the question. He was assured that Dana would be the one asking how he was set up, not the D.A. He reiterated how Hal and Nicholle had his phone tapped. How they knew what was happening from the beginning and how they did nothing to intervene.
“Why didn’t you go to the police?
“I was scared for my life. Waverley threatened me on several occasions. If I went to the police, he would have hurt Randy or some other person in my family.”
“So you decided to commit crimes instead of going to the police?”
“Objection, your honor. No crimes have been established. MR. Abbute is leading the witness,” stated Dana.
“Sustained. Mr. Abbute, please no theatrics in my court,” said the judge.
The trial should have been simple, but it was not. Hal stated that his operation was a sting and that he did not set up Karl. Nicholle claimed the same. Ferris, Bennett, and Damien each testified that they were under the impression that nothing incriminating would have happened to Karl. Finger pointing became the operative of the day.
By the end of the day, Judge Oberts asked if there would be any additional witnesses or testimony from either side in the case. When both responded in the negative, he asked for closing arguments.
Abbute agreed that Karl was an important witness in the Waverley case, but that he did commit crimes, none-the-less. And, those crimes deserved punishment. He acknowledged the plea bargain and said he would be in favor of a reduced sentence if the court agreed.
Dana argued vehemently that the D.A. had agreed to a full plea bargain that would have exonerated Karl from any criminal punishment. She argued that the FBI committed a criminal act by not contacting Karl earlier in their sting operation. Further, she argued that Karl was led to believe he was in life threatening danger from Waverley, thus he did what he did to protect his family and himself. She further pointed out the obvious - that Waverley did keep his threats when he shot Randy.
