Carter's War - 38. Chapter 38

Will wasn't sure he would come, and if he did how he would come or even when.

All he could do was show an opportunity and give him a solid motive. He had provided a time and circumstances had provided the location, now it all depended on how desperate Bruce Weippert really was. The Shareholder's meeting was first thing in the morning, Bruce was running out of time and with the pressure on he would have to act. Whether he would accept Will's invitation to act, well that was anyone's guess.

Bruce Weippert, the new Vice President. In a couple of years he would have been President of Avery-Wood's if only he had the patience to remain loyal.

Will breathed a heavy sigh, thinking about what it took to saw through a young woman's brake lines knowing it would probably kill her. Bruce had crossed a line that he wouldn't hesitate to cross again. Especially considering what was now at stake. If he could target an innocent girl to send a message that he was serious about his threats, then he wouldn't hesitate to act a second time.

Well, Will thought coldly, you have no choice now.

The thought of murder was enough to make the hardest man flinch. Bruce would have met Libbet at the party, talked to her. Gotten to know her as the boss's daughter over the years. To act against a complete stranger was one thing, but to kill someone you knew...

Bruce probably hadn't gone to the party with the intention of hurting Libbet, he would have sat on the Tri-Tech stock a couple of extra days, force the board to vote against Robert Avery and remove him from control of the company. He hadn't counted on Rena Allison being so candid with Robert. That had forced his hand. And once a man turned dangerous he became predictable.

Will was sitting with these thoughts not behind the wheel of his Jeep, but on one of the hard concrete steps of the parking lot's stairwell. The door was propped open and the light above him had been unscrewed to cast it in shadows. He could see much of the open lot and the Jeep sitting by itself towards the middle facing the lot entrance. A few people were heading home after work after a late shift, unlocking their car doors and driving out of their spaces. For them it was business as usual, unaware of the hunt going on about them. Driving their cars down the narrow strip of pavement between the two rows of cars that made up the temporary lot.

Will looked up at the open sky, dusk was settling into darkness, and the local bustle died into the relentless roar of Toronto city traffic. It was a matter of waiting now, letting the silence settle in as he sipped on the cup of coffee he had brought with him, cold now from the length of time he had sat there. He sat rehearsing in his mind all sorts of plans, how was he going to act, what was he going to do once the trap was sprung.

Every so often he got up and stretched, letting go of some of his nervous energy that was building inside him as he paced up and down the single flight of stairs before sitting down again. He knew he was nervous, he had every right to be, but he had to just wait as the hands on his watch crawled past eight... nine...ten...

He thought of Marc, and of their last conversation.

"This is the son of a bitch that cut Libbet's brake lines?" Marc had asked angrily, his fists balled at his sides, looking small in the uniform. The Avery-Woods logo plain with the word Security under it, he looked the part.

"Yes," Will wasn't about to hide that, he knew how badly Marc needed to make amends with Libbet, how much he felt that he owed her, at least tonight he could settle some of those debts.

"Thanks," Marc had said, a sincere look in his eyes, "Thanks for letting me be a part of this."

Will nodded again, "I wouldn't think to leave you out of this." He reached out to squeeze Marc's arm reassuringly.

"Let's do this." Brody said interrupting the moment setting the Avery-Wood's security hat on his head.

Will squared his shoulders getting to his feet again, Bruce was taking his time. Avery-Woods had a rigid security schedule. The office was locked promptly at Eleven O'clock sharp, security patrol's making their rounds under Sean Iver's watchful gaze. No one was permitted to work passed that time, and so Will knew that if Weippert was planning any kind of physical attack he would be in the lot well before that time. Seeking some shadow to hide in.

He hadn't come in before seven; Will had searched the lot carefully before taking his spot in the stairwell. It was a closed lot, only one way in or out aside from the stairwell Will was sitting in, and if Bruce had come in that way there would have been trouble, but Bruce had no reason to use the stairwell entrance which left the road.

Ten-thirty crawled around and Will was beginning to grow nervous, stretching his legs, the anticipation was killing him.

At Ten-thirty Seven the prey approached the bait.

William Carter, Director of Human Resources turned hunter had waited for that moment, praying silently to whatever god actually bothered to listen for Bruce to come. And yet, when that moment finally came, Will felt anxiety, the man was there to kill him... he was being hunted just as he now hunted Bruce.

Bruce walked openly down the center of the parking lot moving towards his BMW his steps were slow and deliberate. Bruce wasn't in a hurry, his steps falling in the rolling gait of a man that had all the time in the world. Too bad it had just ran out.

Bruce was looking about the lot, the dim light from the single street lamp behind him lighting his features. There was no mistaking Bruce standing in that light. He was confident, arrogant, and that sneer on his face was menacing.

He drew closer, and it became apparent to Will that he wasn't looking for a place to hide. He was looking for the Jeep and when he saw it he stopped looking around and headed directly towards it.

Will's breath caught in his throat as for one, agonizing moment, Bruce looked directly towards the partly opened stairwell doorway where Will was standing. Will held his breath, hoping that his dark clothes would meld with the shadows. It was only after Bruce appeared to see nothing to alarm him that Will allowed himself to breath again.

Weippert was there, and despite the fact that Will had no idea how things were about to unfold, at least that was a small victory. He was there, right in front of Will's eyes and his plan was actually falling into place.

Bruce looked up suddenly, towards the entrance to the parking lot, but nothing stirred back there to alarm him.

He rounded the Jeep once, taking another cautious look about him as he stopped beside the passenger side, pulling something out of his pocket. He fiddled with the lock a moment as the distinctive sound of the automatic locks echoed around the parking lot.

What are you doing? Will murmured, as he watched Bruce lean over the seats and a second later he heard the Jeep's hood unlatch as Bruce pulled the release inside the vehicle. He straightened up and walked around to lift the hood, propping it open as he leaned over the engine clicking on a small maglight. Anyone entering the parking lot would just assume he had broken down and ignore him, it was clever.

A few seconds later, he clicked off the flashlight and closed the hood gently; pushing down on the hood rather than letting it slam. Avoiding the excess noise as he walked back around the Jeep to close the passenger door, there was no mistaking the wolfish smile on his face.

Will wondered what he had done to his Jeep, what ever it was it wouldn't be pleasant.

Bruce was leaving, returning up to the entrance of the parking lot, and passing a couple of other cars. Behind him Will emerged from the stairwell, his steps light on the asphalt of the lot, his sneakers silent as he jogged quickly up behind his quarry. His thumb depressing the button of the security radio in his pocket, the prescribed signal.

"Bruce!" He bellowed, turning on his own flashlight and shining it directly on Weippert's back.

Weippert froze. Baser instincts freezing him like a deer in headlights as he turned in slow motion, surprise etched on his face as he recognized Will shining the Flashlight on him. He turned to run again, as the security car roared to block the far end of the lot in a scream of sirens and flashing lights, two security guards leaping out of it.

Weippert ran sprinting towards the security guards, hoping that they would recognize him for the Vice President of the company they worked for... Except the two men in the Security uniforms didn't work for him. They lifted their own flashlights and trained them on Bruce, each drawing night sticks from their belt loops. Marc fumbling with his a second before he held it properly.

Bruce skidded to a halt, the man's eyes wild as he turned back to Will, the two Security guards catching him by the coat and dragging him back down the aisle of cars. Brody reaching to his belt and roughly slapped handcuffs over Bruce's right arm.

For all the noise they made, no one interfered. No one that lived in Toronto would interfere when it came to dark alleys and security officers. They left well enough alone and assumed the matter was being handled. Which was fine with Will, it left them alone to do what came next in peace.

Brody manhandled Bruce, who was yelling at this point that they had no right, that they were breaking the law, as Brody handcuffed him to the roll bar of the Jeep. Bruce wasn't going anywhere. Will didn't have the heart to tell him, that just in case he had hired both Brody and Marc into the security department. Sean Iver had been only too willing to lend him the equipment he needed and not interfere after he had been sufficiently bribed by a bottle of twenty-year-old Scotch Will had been given for Christmas by Robert Avery.

Will gestured to a small white van with tinted windows, and Tyrone stepped out of the back of it, setting down the rather expensive video camera in the back of the small van. It was another favour to another department of Avery Woods. The advantage of working for a media company was the ability to get a hold of a fully equipped news van at short notice. This one had cost Will a couple of hockey tickets for the engineers.

He looked about at his makeshift troops, they'd all been positioned and waiting since seven, probably more comfortably than Will had. They'd been prepared to wait all night if they had to.

Will turned back to Bruce and shone his flashlight in his face, Bruce for his part was cursing at them, telling them they were all making huge mistakes, ones that would land them all in jail.

"Shut up!" Will barked looking over at Tyrone, "Was there enough light?"

Tyrone nodded lifting the camera again and patting it, "Plenty for me to capture it all." He set the camera back down, Will noting the direction it was pointing and the little red light on the side.

Weippert's mouth fell open, and for the first time realized he was in serious trouble.

"So," Will said drawing out his cell phone, "we have three eye witnesses as well as a recording of Bruce here messing about with my Jeep. I think it's time to call the police."

Brody and Marc squared their shoulders, looking threatening, knowing full well Will was bluffing. Marc looked impressed. Weippert, on the other hand, had no such knowledge and began to struggle with the cuffs.

"There's an alternative." Will stated flatly.

Weippert stopped struggling glaring at the young Director, "What alternative?" he spat out.

"That you tell me what you did to my Jeep."

"Tell you?"

"Yes, tell me."

Bruce was caught, panicked and not thinking straight, he was struggling to get free, "Who warned you? How did you find out about this?" he demanded.

Will folded his arms across his chest, "So, what, you decided to do to me what you tried to do to Libbet Avery? Make it look like an accident?" He shook his head in disgust;"I have an accident on my way home from work, conveniently in time to get me out of the way for the shareholders meeting tomorrow?"

"You brought it on yourself," Bruce spat, "I would have this company by now if you hadn't meddled. Every time, you got in the way..."

"Yes," Will admitted, "By the way I spoke to Gavin yesterday night. I had a good long talk to him and he told me everything. The pension fund, Rena Allison, everything. He was remarkably co-operative once I promised not to send him to Jail. I even have his signed statement."

"Bastard," Bruce swore, "he's a coward, he doesn't know anything. And that doesn't prove I tried to kill Libbet."

"Did you mean for her to die?" Will asked.

"Who the fuck cares?" Bruce said, "Just so long as Robert signed." He pulled again on the cuffs, "Let me go!"

Will studied him and reached into the back of the Jeep pulling an envelope of documents from his briefcase. Thankful Andrew had managed to get them to him in time.

"Stop struggling," Will barked in annoyance, "And listen carefully."

Bruce struggled harder.

"Brody, call the police..."

Bruce stopped struggling, and Brody paused his dialing.

"You want to go free?" Will asked, "Then you have to sign these contracts."

"What are they?" Bruce demanded, looking over their impressive appearance.

"They constitute an agreement between the board of trustees of the Avery-Woods pension fund and its owner Robert Avery. It restores control of the company shares to him, and gives him the authority he needs to use them."

He was angrily and bitterly astounded.

"The company is mine... I run it now... I will never agree!"

"You'll have to," Will said prosaically as he gestured to Tyrone.

Tyrone nodded and pushed rewind on the camera, looking up at one of the monitors that jumped to life with Bruce. The angle was askew, but it was clear who it was.

"Did you mean for her to die?" Will asked just off the screen

"Who the fuck cares?" Bruce said, "Just so long as Robert signed."

Tyrone pushed stop.

Bruce's shoulders sank, no doubt thinking of the other incriminating things he had said, and the fact the camera had been rolling since he entered the parking lot.

"I have Gavin's evidence," Will said, "I have you on tape sabotaging my Jeep, and threatening Libbet's life. So it's your choice, sign the contracts and you go free or go to jail."

"I won't give up the company..." Bruce struggled again, "You can't..."

Will stood patiently, "You really have no other choice, except going to jail for attempting to murder both myself and Libbet Avery." He was surprised at how calmly he said it, like he was ordering a pizza...

He still refused to face facts: and perhaps he felt as outraged at being coerced to sign against his will as Robert Avery had done.

Will nodded again to Brody who began to dial again.

"Stop." Bruce called desperately.

Brody paused again. There was sweat in great drops on Weippert's forehead, running down. He was struggling frantically still with the handcuffs, but also trembling too much to succeed.

"I have control of the company," he said feverishly. "We have Tri-tech, we were all going to make a fortune. I'd have power. I'll give you a million... more... if... you get Avery to sign..."

"No," Will said flatly, and turned away again, pointing to Brody to dial again.

"All right, all right..." he gave in completely, finally almost sobbing. "Put that thing down... put it down."

He showed Weippert the contracts more closely and saw the flicker of fury in his eyes when he saw the document was almost identical to the one he had tried to force Avery to sign.

"We need your signature four times." Will said, "On each front page, and on each attached document. When you sign the attached documents, put your forefinger on the red seal beside your name. The three of us who are not in any way related to Robert will sign under your name as witnesses."

Will put his pen into Weippert's shaking right hand and rested the first of the documents on the hood of the Jeep.

Weippert signed the form. Will turned to the last page of the longer contract and pointed to the space allotted to him. He signed again, and he put his finger on the seal.

With enormous internal relief, Will produced the second set for a repeat performance. In silence, with sweat dripping off his cheeks, he signed appropriately again.

Will put his name under his in all forms, followed each time by Marc and Brody.

"That's fine," Will said, when all were completed. "Robert Avery's lawyers will put the contracts into operation at once. One of these two contracts will be sent to your lawyers."

Will put the contracts back into their envelope and handed it to Tyrone, who put it inside his coat, hugging it to his chest.

"Now let me go," Weippert said, wiping seat away from his face with the backs of his hands.

Will said, "Remember, we'll always have Gavin's affidavit and the video recording of you. And we all heard what you said. Stay away from the Avery's, don't fuck with Libbet, and most of all no more shit."

Bruce shot Will a sick, furious and defeated glare. Brody reaching in to undo the cuffs.

Bruce rubbed his wrists walking away from there, shooting Will another glare. It was an unwilling acceptance that his campaign was lost. He gave them all a last comprehensive, unashamed, unrepentant stare, and with Marc and Brody stepping aside to let him pass, he walked away along the parking lot, that nose, that jaw, still strong, but the shoulders sagging.

They watched him in silence until he reached the end of the parking lot and turned into the street, not looking back.

Will let his shoulders slump as he breathed a sigh, he'd bluffed and won.