Blackmail

by John Charles

  After closing statements, Judge Oberts said his verdict would come at the same time as the Waverley verdict, and then adjourned the court.

  “What do we do now?” asked Randy as he, Karl and Dana left the courtroom.

  “We wait and pray that Judge Oberts has some compassion. Hopefully he heard and agrees with my closing statement more than that of our not so friendly D.A.”

  “Why did he turn on me? I thought he agreed to the plea bargain.”

  “I did,” said Abbute as he approached the trio. “But my superiors said I had to show that a crime was committed, which is true. I had no choice Karl.”

  “So you are no better than Hal, Nicholle or the rest of them. You’d rather throw me to the wolves than do what is right,” said a very angry Karl. “I should never have believed that you were on my side. I am learning my lessons over and over again. Never, trust anyone!”

  “Karl, that’s not totally true. You know the judge has all the facts. If I didn’t do what I did, he would have taken the helm and asked the questions. That’s his right as the judge. If he thinks I am not asking the right questions, he will.”

  “Bull shit! You lied to me and nothing can change that. I’m done with this. Whatever happens, I will spend my life figuring out how to get Hal and Nicholle for what they did to me.” Karl pulled Randy as he almost ran from the courtroom. At the door, he turned to Dana and said, “I still trust you. Please don’t do anything to make me change my mind.”

  “How do you think Oberts will rule?” asked Dana as she and the D. A. walked from the court.

  “He’s a fair judge. I’ve seen him in these types of cases before. He’ll throw the book at Waverley and do the right thing for Karl. Keep the faith my friend.”

  The drive back to Karl’s apartment was subdued. Both cousins were afraid to broach the topic of the judge’s verdict. They stayed quiet until Karl said, “I’m not sure what will happen, but I’m not going to live my life in fear again. And I will get them for doing this to me.”

  “Ya know carrying that much anger all the time is not good. Have you seen how it’s already affected you?”

  “What do you mean affected me?” asked Karl.

  “You’re different Karl. You used to be a fun guy. Now you’re always talking about getting this one or that one. I don’t know what I would do if I were in your shoes, but I do know that it can’t be a good thing to be this angry all the time.”

  “You’re right; you have no idea what they did to me. You’ve only heard the testimony. That can’t even begin to give you the feelings that I’ve lived with for almost a year. They hurt me and ruined my life. How am I supposed to feel?”

  Randy had no answer, but he knew that Karl needed help or he would self-distruct. The balance of the ride was in silence, neither one wanting to rile the other.

  After one week, Karl was going crazy. “I feel like a caged animal. I can’t do anything without knowing what he will rule. I just want this to be over with already,” he said as he slumped down onto the couch putting his head into his hands.

  Randy sat next to his cousin and tried to comfort him. “It’s been a week already. Judge Oberts said he would give his verdict in two weeks, so try to stay calm. It will be over soon.”

  “Easy for you to say, you aren’t facing jail time.”

  “I know, but I have a different feeling about his than you have. Dana said this guy is a fair judge. She said he would do the right thing. I have to believe that you will be alright.”

  The days dragged by slowly as they waited to hear from Dana. Randy did his best to get Karl out of the apartment. He was healing fast and tried to work out when he could get Karl to the gym. They ate lunch at Karl’s favorite lunch place. They walked around the city looking at but not seeing the beauty it held. Time was like the enemy. They hated having so much of it, yet cherished it too. Neither wanted to face the judge again.

  Chapter 20

  The wait was unbearable, but the day finally arrived. As on the first day of Waverley’s trial, the street in front of the courthouse was packed with curiosity seekers, reporters and camera crews.

  Waverley, once again walked the walk of shame into the courthouse. His head hung lower than before knowing he faced a long jail term. His high priced attorney maintained a smile and said “no comment” when questioned by reporters.

  Although Karl didn’t have to be in court until later that morning, he chose to be present to see justice handed down to at least one person who hurt him. “Waverley deserves whatever the judge throws at him,” he said to Dana as they hurried past throngs of reporters. “Is this really news or don’t they have anything else to cover?” he asked.

  “This is news Karl,” said Randy. “How many times do they get to witness a major drug company CEO going down? I bet they’re wetting their pants to be the first to snatch a news bite.”

  Dana smiled at the banter between the two cousins. “Remember Karl; keep your mouth shut, no matter what happens in there. This is not the time or place for your comments whether justified or not. The last thing you want to do now is to piss off the judge prior to his ruling on your case.”

  “Yes ma’am said both of them as they entered the courtroom. Unbeknownst to them, the courtroom was filled with reporters and camera crews. Dana asked the guard why and was told these people represented the news stations and papers. They were picked at random from those who asked to be in the court for Waverley’s sentencing.

  “Will they be here for mine, too?” asked a scared Karl.

  “Probably,” said the guard. “This is big news and they won the right to be here to get it firsthand.”

  “Dana, that sucks. You mean the world will see what happens today?”

  “If the judge opened the courtroom, there is not much you can do. It’s his decision, not yours.”

  Shortly after the doors closed, the judge entered the court. His actions suggested he was not in a good mood. He requested that Chad Waverley and his attorney stand for his ruling. “Mr. Waverley, I’ve considered all the evidence presented in your case. You have been charged with several crimes including blackmail, industrial espionage, and attempted murder, each of which carries a minimum of ten years in jail. The one charge that mystifies me the most is your attempt to murder an innocent person. How that would have helped you to get the secrets you desired, I simply cannot understand.”

  The courtroom was so quiet the noise of the air conditioning system dominated the room. Reporters knew better than to talk or even move during a proceeding such as this. Karl and Randy sat stone solid in their seats as the judge continued.

  “It is therefore the decision of this court that you serve three concurrent terms of twenty years in the state penitentiary for the aforementioned crimes. You may apply for parole after ten years, but this court will post a prejudice against parole at that time.” He rapped his gavel and looked at the convicted and shamed Waverley.

  “Your honor, my client will be appealing your ruling as soon as possible. He will also be asking for a different venue and different judge since he feels his position in the community prevented him from receiving a fair trial,” said Waverley’s attorney.

  “Mr. Waverley, you may appeal my ruling till hell freezes over, but I doubt any other judge will be as lenient as I was. I could have given you sixty years rather than concurrent terms. Count your blessings and stop wasting the taxpayer’s money. Court dismissed.”

  Mayhem erupted as the judge left the courtroom. Camera crews jockeyed for the best shots of Waverley’s shamed face. Reporters asked when he would appeal the verdict. The courtroom went from eerie silence to raucous noise in seconds. Dana took advantage of the screaming and shoving to escort her charges out of the courthouse.

  “Twenty years behind bars doesn’t seem enough for what he did,” said Karl as they walked to Dana’s car. “Why did the judge gave him concurrent terms and not the full sixty years?”

  “I told you before, he is a fair judge. Giving Waverley
sixty years would have served no more of a purpose then the twenty he received. Waverley is finished in either case. He has no job, his stock voting rights are frozen, and his position in the world as he knows it is gone. A few more years behind bars wouldn’t hurt him anymore. In fact the three concurrent terms actually hurts his chances for parole, so I think the judge had the right idea.”

  “How do you think he will rule in my case?” asked a now very nervous Karl.

  Randy pulled his cousin to him and said, “We’ve waited this long Karl, don’t give up now.”

  After a lunch that Karl barely remembered, the three returned to the same courtroom. Much to Karl’s relief only a few reporters were present. “I guess I’m not as news worthy as Waverley,” he said in a half-joking voice.

  The judge entered the court with a more subdued facial expression than that morning. Dana and Karl stood for his verdict.

  “Mr. Matthius, you have been charged with several crimes including industrial espionage, misuse of the mail system, and conspiracy to defraud. You also proved to be an excellent witness for the state in the Chad Waverley trial. I was truly torn when considering this ruling. On one hand, you were promised full exoneration by the state, yet you did commit crimes that are punishable by lengthy jail terms. You are an extremely intelligent young man as you have proven in your actions and your testimony. It is my belief that you could have and should have gone to the police as soon as you received the blackmail attempts by Mr. Waverley. Had you done that, you would not be facing this bench today. I also understand that you felt personally threatened and feared for your family – a fear that was proven justified.”

  Karl stood rock solid next to Dana, barely breathing as the judge talked. Randy listened and feared the worst as he heard the judge’s words.

  “It is therefore my ruling that you be sentenced to 18 months for misuse of the mail system.”

  “No, cried Randy; He can’t go to jail. They’ll rape him every day if you send him to jail. He’ll never survive 18 months.”

  “Silence; sit down young man, and let me finish what I was saying,” said the judge in his authoritative voice while rapping his gavel. “This court is not without compassion. I said you are sentenced to 18 months, but I didn’t say in jail, Mr. Matthius. You will receive 18 months probation beginning the day you were first arrested. If you satisfy the probation conditions, this entire case will be nulled. Do you understand what that means, Mr. Matthius?”

  “No sir, I don’t know what that means,” said Karl as he shook with fear.

  “You are on probation and must follow the rules for probation as set forth in my ruling. If you do as I have laid out in the ruling, this case file will be sealed and removed from your record. In essence, Mr. Matthius, after the probation period you will not have a record. Do you understand?”

  Dana answered for Karl, “Your honor may we ask the full terms of Mr. Matthius’ probation?”

  “You may, however this courtroom is scheduled for another hearing in fifteen minutes. So, please come to my office on the third floor at 2PM for the full reading of Mr. Matthius’ probation terms. Court is dismissed,” said the judge as he stood and left the bench. Just before he entered his chambers, Judge Oberts turned and smiled, an action seen by Dana as she shook her head in recognition.

  “What does all this mean Dana?” asked Karl as they walked from the courtroom. “Am I going to jail or not?”

  “No, you’re not going to jail. Probation is similar to the terms you’ve had during your bail. The difference is that you don’t have to call in daily. We’ll get more info as soon as we meet with Judge Oberts. They walked in silence until they reached the court offices. Judge Oberts ushered them into his chambers and took a seat behind his desk. Karl, Randy and Dana waited anxiously for the information he promised in the courtroom.

  “Karl, has Ms. Lambertson explained probation to you?”

  “She explained some of it, but I would really appreciate if you would give me all the details, sir.”

  The judge gave Karl an overview of what it meant to be on probation. He explained the need to be in good standing with his probation officer and why that was so important. He also said he expected Karl to finish his masters degree so he would be ready for a job when the probation was completed. “Do you have any questions, Karl?”

  “Yes, sir, I do. You said my file would be sealed after the probation. What do I say if anyone asks me if I ever committed a crime? And I don’t have the money for college right now, so I think that is out of the picture for me. I’ll just have to get a job for a while.”

  “Two good points. While you are on probation, you have to answer yes to that question. But after the file is sealed, you no longer have to admit you were involved in a crime. For all intents, it’s off your record. As for college, I received this earlier in the day. I think you’ll understand what it is,” he said as he handed the letter to Karl.”

  With shaky hands, Karl opened the envelope. It was a form letter telling him that a scholarship was established in his name with sufficient funds for him to take his masters degree, pay for room and board and have some spending money while in college. “Who did this?”

  “That has to remain secret, for now Karl. My assistant checked it out and it is real. You can go to any school you want. The contact person is named in the letter so when you get accepted to a school, simply contact her and start the process moving forward.”

  “I don’t know what to say. Why would anyone do this for me, especially after what happened?”

  Karl, I can tell you that this court received hundreds of letters after your trial. Most were in your favor saying how you were duped and should not be charged with any crimes. Some were sympathetic, but said you should go to jail for what you did, no matter what Waverley or the FBI did to you. I wouldn’t put it past one of the people who felt you were duped to set up this scholarship for you. There is one stipulation though. You must never try to find out who set up the scholarship.”

  Randy and Dana letting Karl absorb the situation, sat quietly as he tried to digest what he had been told. Then Randy said, “You know cuz, my school has some of the best programs in the country. You might want to start looking there. And, if that works for you, we can share my apartment. My roommate just graduated and moved away for his job, so I do need a new roommate,” he said with a broad smile on his face. “We can even make grilled Swiss and tomato soup sometimes, too.”

  Judge Oberts gave Karl the probation forms and asked Dana to make sure he understood everything, and then walked them out of his office.

  “I’m shocked that someone would do this for me. And right now, I don’t want to know who that person is. I just want to move on with my life,” said Karl as they walked from the courthouse.

  Chapter 21

  “I’m getting used to waking up in your arms,” whispered Damien. “I know it’s only been a couple of weeks. I’m only sorry we didn’t do it sooner.”

  Bennett yawned and stretched his muscular body as Damien watched. He loved putting on a show and loved what it did to both him and his lover, too. When Damien growled and attacked, Bennett was prepared. He twisted and turned in a manner that took full advantage of his smaller frame. The move gave him the upper hand as he slid out from under the bulk of Damien’s bigger body. He then managed to pin Damien’s arms above his head as he straddled the bigger man’s chest. It was a game and he knew that Damien could turn his weight on him in a second, but they played it this way and enjoyed the body contact.

  Both Bennett and Damien were hard as stone. Today Bennett wanted to ride his lover. He wanted Damien to feel the pleasure without any of the work involved. Reaching to the nightstand, Bennett grabbed the lube and made sure he was ready to take the monster into him. He then coated Damien’s erection all while maintaining full eye contact with his lover.

  In one continuous action, he lifted his body, positioned Damien’s cock at his entrance and sat down. The moans from both said it all - this wa
s heaven. He was in no hurry, so he slowly and gently rocked his body allowing him to feel Damien’s monster cock sliding in and out while giving Damien the pleasure he deserved. It was Saturday and they had all morning to play.

  “I’m so glad we got tested. Now I can feel you without anything between us. You are the first for me, you know,” said Bennett as he continued to rock.

  “Damien’s eyes opened a little wider, “Other than Michael, I’ve not enjoyed this with anyone else, either. It makes what we are doing so much more special.” He continued to caress Bennett’s body as they whispered loving thoughts to each other. “I don’t want this to end, but I am getting close.”

  “Me too,” said Bennett as he continued to slowly rock. “It feels so good.”

  Bennett reached his peak only seconds before Damien. It was breathtaking for both of them. Bennett lay down on the warm body beneath him and hugged him till his eyes closed again. Damien remained in his lover as they both drifted off.

  They were stuck together when they awoke an hour later. “That was amazing, but I think we need a shower or we’ll rip the skin off our bodies,” said Damien as he stood with Bennett still in his arms.

  Bennett wrapped his legs around Damien’s body and held on as Damien carried both of them to the shower. “I can feel you moving in me as you walk. It’s probably the weirdest feeling I’ve ever felt, yet it’s so good too. I don’t want this to end.”

  “I’m not sure I can carry you much longer. You’re lighter than I am but not by much. And I’m sure I’ll go soft sometime soon.” Damien carried Bennett into the shower after the water warmed and gently lowered him to his feet. He then proceeded to wash him from head to toe, taking extra care around his ass. “Are you sore?” he asked as he washed Bennett’s entrance.