Treasure

Sawyer walked slowly into the courtroom the next morning, his neck still bandaged and a cane in his hand. Instead of his normal suit, he was wearing a black warm-up suit over a loose T-shirt and shorts. Ashley walked alongside him, her left arm in a sling and wearing matching clothes. Both had spent the night in the Pack Clinic, recovering from injuries and embarrassment. They had been attacked at the worst possible time for a pair of wolves, when they were tied together after wolf sex.

Given their inability to separate from each other, they had done reasonably well in holding off Will until help arrived. The Clinic had been full; Alpha Rori and Steven were still in there, while Connie and Colletta had been released last night. The new Council, as well as a worried Chase, had talked to all of them as they were treated on-site and rushed back to the Pack Clinic. Rori had made Chase stay at the lake, along with the architect and some of the Omegas, to finish the discussion with the General Contractor. “I’ll be fine,” she had told him and everyone else who suggested they delay the site visit. “I want us to be moved in to our new homes by the Fourth of July, so there’s no time for any delays. Get your ass out there and meet with the contractor before he takes some other job.”

The Council told Sawyer that the trials could be delayed until he recovered, but he refused. “Chairman Coffey, my team and I were ready before what happened today, and we will be ready tomorrow. We have people here for the trial from every Pack, and they shouldn’t be inconvenienced because of a few wolf bites on my ass. If you will grant me some leeway in terms of dress, I’ll suffer through the trial because these men still breathing is an offense to me and my wolf.”

The Council nodded, they understood his need for closure. “Your showing up for trial is enough, don’t worry about the suit,” Coffey said. “I also congratulate you on your new position. The challenge no longer being necessary, you are the rightful Alpha of the Cascade Pack and the Council recognizes you as such.”

“Thank you, sirs,” he said. He had talked to his younger brother Carson after he had been patched up, and he had agreed to be his Beta. Both had spent time talking to their mother, who was not doing well after the loss of her mate. She was spending the day with Rori in the hospital, where her new Pack was helping her deal with the pain of the broken mate bond. They would not leave her alone until she was out of danger, many widows committed suicide in the week following the loss of their other half.

As they walked into Court on Monday morning, they both felt good about finally getting justice. Ashley kissed him and moved to sit behind the barricades that had been placed between the Prosecution and Defense tables and the crowd. She took her place with the Alphas and mates in the reserved section for them. She sat gingerly next to Chase, who wasn’t happy to be here when his mate was still recovering, but he understood why. Alpha Martin, her old leader from the Adirondack Pack, sat on her other side. “How are you doing,” he asked her.

“Tired, sore and overwhelmed,” she said. “It’s been a big shock for me to suddenly become an Alpha Female. I don’t know how Rori is still doing it, at least I knew Pack life.”

“I’m very proud of my niece,” he said. “She’s always thinking of others first, and their Pack will be strong. We all just need to support her any way we can.” He already had some Pack members approach him about temporary or permanent transfers, but Rori and Chase didn’t want to consider that until they were settled on their own territory. That was probably eight months away.

The room quickly filled, additional seating was brought in and overflow rooms were used for lower ranked Pack members. The front of the room had the two tables for the lawyers and defendants, in front of them was a table for the Council and a witness chair was off to the side. At five minutes to eight, the prisoners were led into the room, shackled hand and foot and to each other to make escape impossible. They were sat on chairs at the defense table.

The Chief Enforcer for the Council reviewed the rules for the audience, then called them all to rise. The room went quiet as the full Council walked in, the three cameras covering the proceedings live. Every werewolf not on duty was required to watch the trials, the crimes and the lessons would not be lost.

Chairman Jack Coffey would be the judge, and with the North American members, Charles King and Oscar Millner and the European Council members, Yakov Baronsky and Jurgen Nemmers. The Council sat and the Chairman banged his gavel. “This trial is now in session. Be seated except the Defendants.” He waited for the room to quiet again. “Eric Gruber, Royce Waterman and Craig Forrest are charged with Unlawful destruction of a Pack, Premeditated Murder, Attempted Kidnapping, Conspiracy to Commit Rape and Conspiracy to Commit Murder of a Human. Alpha Daniel Forrest is charged with Conspiracy to Commit Rape, Bribery and Conspiracy to Commit Murder. Alpha Theo Waterman is charged with Conspiracy to Commit Rape, Conspiracy to Commit Murder and Assault of Humans. How do you plead?”

The lead defense lawyer, Mark Restwell, answered instead. “Mr. Chairman, before entering a plea, the Defense challenges the legitimacy of the charges leveled against their clients,” he said.

“Mr. Restwell, the preliminary hearing is over, the charges were properly bound over for trial,” he replied.

“That may be the case, but the Prosecution had no authority to bring them based on new information I have discovered after that hearing.” He removed a document from his briefcase and handed one to Sawyer as he walked up to give the other to the Chairman. His eyes got wide when he started reading, and before he was done, Sawyer was struggling to his feet to object.

“Hold that,” the Chairman said as he passed the document to the other Council members. “Proceedings will recess for fifteen minutes. Counsel, with us.” He banged the gavel, and everyone stood as the Council moved back out of the room. Sawyer followed Mark into the small room they had taken over for their deliberations. “What is the meaning of this, Restwell?”

“The document is valid, it was approved by the Council three weeks ago, and it pardons my clients for any offenses they may have committed up to that date, and any future offenses that may occur as an extension of previous acts,” he said. “It’s a pardon that the Council may issue under chapter 28 subpart 2, correctly signed by a majority of the sitting Council at the time.”

“This is ridiculous,” Sawyer protested. “It was the Council itself that committed the crimes, and we are supposed to accept that they can pardon themselves? And more, that the pardon extends to future acts?”

“Pack Law has no restrictions on who they can pardon or the scope of the pardon. It is valid and was entered into the Council proceedings, as required by law. Therefore, the charges the Prosecution has leveled are void and I will be moving to have them dismissed with prejudice.”

“Mr. Nygaard?”

“I need time to prepare a response, sir. Defense has blindsided all of us with this one.”

“I will give you until after lunch, I can’t drag this on longer,” he said. He looked at the clock. “Let’s go.” They walked back into the room, the people standing and waiting. Sawyer was standing uncomfortably at the Prosecution table as it was gaveled back into order. “The Defense has produced a Council Pardon document that, if determined to be valid, would prevent the Prosecution from filing any charges against the Defendants. The proceedings will recess until 1300 to give the Prosecutor time to prepare his response to the Motion to Dismiss. This proceeding is in recess.” They stood and left the room, and as soon as the door to their office closed, the room exploded in yells.

No one was happy about this turn of events, and Sawyer and his team were mobbed as they tried to leave. People were crying, wolves were vowing vengeance, and Alpha Michael finally had to lay down the law with the other Alphas to calm the room. Sawyer limped back to the office his team was using, slamming the door closed. “This is a fucking disaster,” he said as he sat down slowly.

Two hours later, they realized there was nothing they could do about it. Like it or not, the Pack Law had given the Council unlimited pardon powers, and they had used them. “I have to go talk to the other Alphas,” Sawyer said. “Ted, go talk to the Council and let them know that we will be dropping all charges when we reconvene.” He pushed himself up to his feet, grabbed his cane and walked out the door.

The Alphas were in the study and were way ahead of Sawyer already when it came to consequences. They had gotten word of the pardon document and what it might mean. “We’re going to change the laws, that’s for sure,” Chase said. “No more future acts, and the Council cannot pardon itself, we will make it so the Alphas have to do that.”

“That will work, but it doesn’t change anything now.”

“Legally, what happens next,” Alpha John Coffey said.

“At the hearing the charges will be dropped and the five will be free to go,” he said as the men grumbled. “Eric Gruber, Royce Waterman and Craig Forrest are no longer Council members, that removal and their replacement is valid. Craig has already been replaced as the temporary Bitterroot Pack Alpha, so he has no rights there either. They are elder wolves, no more.”

“At least that’s something,” Alpha Martin said. “What about the two Alphas?”

“They will be able to return to their Pack as Alphas,” he said, “and there’s… wait a minute.” A smile came to his face. “I have a plan.”

The Council walked back into the hearing room at precisely 1300 and Chairman Coffey gaveled it to order. “The Defense has made a motion to dismiss charges based on an existing valid pardon for the defendants. Mr. Nygaard, the Prosecution’s response?”

“Mr. Chairman, after a review of the Pardon document, which absolves the Defendants of any crimes as of its signing thirteen days ago as well as future acts extending from previous acts, we agree it is legal and binding. In light of this new information, the Prosecution withdraws all charges.” There was a gasp in the audience as they realized the bastards were going to go free.

“Charges are dismissed, the defendants are free to go. This hearing is concluded.” He pounded the gavel and bedlam broke out.

“Mr. Chairman, I have other urgent business before the Council,” Sawyer said in a booming voice that quieted the room. The Council members sat back down, and everyone got back in their seats except the Enforcers who were removing the shackles from the prisoners.

“Very well, Mr. Nygaard, since we are here, I have no objection to hearing the new business.”

“Thank you, sir.” Steven, who had been accepted into the Arrowhead Pack as Connie’s mate last night, moved to stand by him. “First order of business is that I have abdicated my position as Alpha of the Casper Pack in favor of my younger brother, Carson. The change was made two hours ago, and this is the required Council notification.”

“So recorded, Mr. Nygaard. I will contact Carson and congratulate him on his ascension.”

“Thank you, sir. For the next business, I am challenging Alpha Daniel Forrest for leadership of the Donner Pack.”

“And I am challenging Alpha Theo Waterman for leadership of the Casper Pack. Said challenge is to take place immediately,” Steven said. The two announcements sent a wave through the audience.

“This is ridiculous,” Alpha Theo said as he stood to his feet. “The Casper Pack is mine, and this traitor has not received a Pack Vote to even warrant a challenge.”

“Mr. Nygaard?” Chairman Coffey didn’t see how this would happen, there were procedures and Sawyer should understand this since he had just gone through it with his own father.

“If there was a permanent Alpha in place at the Donner and Casper packs, Theo would be correct, but there are not. The Council has placed temporary Alphas in place until permanent Alphas can be named. These Alphas are in charge of the Packs right now, and it is within Council authority to allow a challenge for the permanent position before the temporary Alpha is removed.” He smiled as he looked over at Daniel. “I am requesting the Council allow this challenge in three days to allow me time to recover from the latest attack.”

“This is BULLSHIT,” Daniel yelled. “I am now and always HAVE been Alpha of my Pack since I took it from my father,” he said.

“SIT DOWN,” Chairman Coffey said as he rose to his feet. “The challengers are correct, although you have a claim to return to your Alpha position, that return can be challenged. Valid challenges have been made. Alpha Daniel Forrest, your challenge will be at one PM three days from now. Alpha Waterman, your challenge will be without delay. Combatants have one hour to prepare. The challenges will occur on the training field. As with all Alpha challenges, they are to the death or submission, but if you submit, your fate is up to the victor. Any other challenges must be presented to us in the next thirty minutes.”

The newly freed men looked around, gauging the mood in the room. If they didn’t have Alpha status or the protection of an Alpha, they were dead meat. Right now, they had neither and Gruber realized it first. “Mr. Chairman, pending the outcome of the challenges, I request protective custody for myself and my co-defendants. We should not be vulnerable to retaliation or mob action.”

“Granted. Enforcers, you may escort them to the security building and ensure they are protected, but they are not under arrest. Any other business?” No one answered, and he banged the gavel again. “Dismissed.”