Eliot's brow furrowed. There was something wrong with that. Something he hadn't thought of until now because they had never planned on approaching this as lawyers. Why couldn't he remember? Oh right, only so much the brain could process in a week. Going through those boxes was worse than cramming for exams. He lost more than he gained as he had read things repeatedly.
Lindsey allowed Rasa to lead him into the circle.
"This isn't good. I just don't remember why this isn't good," Eliot told Angel.
"Is it the venom blocking you?" Angel asked as they followed.
"No," Eliot said quietly. "It's something on his end. the legal end. didn't think our laws applied."
"They don't, but Wolfram and Hart doesn't just deal with human laws. They have their own way of dealing with things," He whispered in return.
Angel took his place at one side of the circle, preparing to offer his speech; but Lindsey raised his hands to stop him and draw all attention to him. Angel was less than pleased.
The first words out of his mouth were the words Eliot had memorized in the Neimic language. Lindsey spoke them perfectly. He paused dramatically, much as he would have in a courtroom. "Traditions have been broken, customs broken, and most importantly contracts have been broken, " Lindsey said.
Eliot swore. "That's what was missing. It's what I kept looking for. The contract they had with the firm. They wouldn't do this shit for people without a contract."
Lindsey produced a file with a copy of the contract. He began to read it, his voice carrying through the cavern. His words were mostly in English, with Latin thrown in periodically as if it gave the contract weight. "The long and the short of it is this: Wolfram and Hart's representative was attacked by a member of your ruling class, you changed venues without specifically consulting Wolfram and Hart, the champion attacked members of Wolfram and Hart assigned to protect our representative on multiple occasions and ultimately abducted said representative from our parking garage transporting him through the sewers to this location. Therefore, the Neimic clan stands in contractual violation with Wolfram and Hart; all properties, real and intellectual, possessions, and businesses are forfeited forthwith, etc... etc... etc."
"What? No!," Eliot said. "I wasn't abducted by Angel. That was a rescue," He said and would have gone at the lawyer on a more up close and personal basis but Angel put pulled him back.
"you're under the influence of Rasa's venom, of course, you're going to say whatever it takes to support her; which at this point is countermanding what I say, " Lindsey said. "We'll get you back to the office and take care of that. I'm sure the med-lab has something they can do for you." It wasn't subtle, so maybe the man would get the hint to shut up or it would get worse for him.
"You do not speak for Wolfram and Hart," Goran said. "Where is Lilah Morgan? I demand to speak with her."
"Actually I do," Lindsey said with a smile. "One of the last things Angel and I discussed when he was leaving his position as CEO was that I was to take over," He said. There was more venom in Lindsey's tone than had ever passed through Eliot's veins. "Fortunately the Senior Partners are supporting that transfer of power and have seen to it that I no longer need a liaison. Long and short, once more, I'm the new CEO of Wolfram and Hart and the direct representative of the Senior Partners. "
Eliot and Angel stood back to back as Wolfram and Hart's elite commando forces flooded the cavern.
"Guys, do you really want to fight, when there are so many people waiting for you back at the office?" Lindsey asked and grinned as Eliot paled. He could remember caring about people that much. One person anyway; but she was dead now or hiding so deep he couldn't find her. That was on Angel's head as well. "Hardwick," He said, having let the man out of holding. Hardwick was loyal; he had just been played by a top team of con artists. The poor guy didn't even get laid out of it. "Escort the champion," He said the word with derision, "and Mr. Spencer back to the office. My office is fine. Further action to be taken when I get back."
"Well that was brief," Eliot grumbled. "All your plans work like that?"
"Only when Lindsey is around."
They had come prepared for Angel; he and Eliot were both shackled and escorted back out into the sewers and up a ladder into a parking garage.
"We can get out of here," Angel said.
"And get people killed. Your boy McDonald doesn't strike me as the type to hesitate."
"He used to be," Angel said. "Used to ride the fence and hop back and forth when it suited him or got him what he wanted."
"Man, for a blood-sucking monster you sure are judgmental," Eliot said shaking his head. In some ways, he could identify with Lindsey on that. He had waffled a time or two with Moreau until it got to the point that he had to leave before it ate what was left of his soul.
"A soul does that to a man," Angel said and scowled when Eliot laughed.
"Being a judgmental bastard doesn't come with a soul," He said "That's a freaking cop-out."
Angel glared at him as he got into the van.
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Lindsey walked into his office two hours later, with a mocha and the last vestiges of his lunch. He hadn't rushed back after clearing out the Neimic clan, one last batch of human-hating demons cast into some abyss or another. Not bad for a day's work. The Senior partners were happy, he was out of a nightmarish hell dimension, and he had a good start on a nasty case of revenge.
"Now, what am I going to do with the two of you," Lindsey said as he took a seat behind what was now his desk; Lilah's things had been cleared out.
"This won't last long Lindsey. You'll screw it up, change sides half a dozen times," Angel mocked. "You should just let me put you out of your misery."
Lindsey's features hardened, but his eyes were already cold as stone. "You couldn't do it before. Had to send someone I trusted," He told him. "You ruined him you know." Strange how that bothered him as much as it did. He should hate Lorne as much as he hated Angel. For Lorne to do it had been a betrayal but he was little more than Angel's puppet at that point and knew it. "Don't throw in with this guy, Eliot. He's not the white hat he likes to pretend to be. His soul isn't so lily-white anymore."
"What the hell do you know about it?" Angel asked. "You've never made a stand in your life."
"Maybe. But if I go around throwing people to the wolves I don't call 'em my friend first," Lindsey countered.
"You two want to hash out old lovers quarrels that's fine, but do it on your own time. You said there were people here waiting," Eliot said. "Where are they?" He asked pointedly.
"Now you are a horse of a completely different color aren't you?" Lindsey said with a chuckle. "Parker was found in the ductwork. She's fine, currently trying to figure out how you were cloned. She's different from that one. "
"I want to see her," Eliot demanded. She was in the building because of him and he wasn't about to leave her to Wolfram and Hart's tender mercies.
"Relax. She's fine. She's waiting in the lobby for I believe he said his name was Nathan Ford. We have a cease-fire agreement at the moment. I have to say your team impresses me."
"Yeah, well yours doesn't impress me," Eliot grumbled.
"No, it scares the hell out of you," Lindsey said bluntly. "I have no quarrel with you," He told Eliot. "This is just business. I could wipe all of you from the planet and call it a day, but I'm not going to. Lilah kicked a hornet's nest. Not your fault, yet. So why don't you settle down, get a beer from the mini fridge, and wait for your boss to show up."
Eliot decided to take him up on the offer. It wasn't a minute later that Nate walked in the door, "I tried to stop him, sir," the secretary said, she was a temp from the steno pool and didn't know what was going on.
"It's alright, Carla. I've got it from here. Why don't you ask Mr. Hardwick to come in and show Angel out, so that Mr. Ford and I can get down to business." She looked so much like Eve...
"I'm not going anywhere," Angel said.
"I think you should," Nate said. "Your son is waiting for you and what I need to talk to Mr. McDonald about is private." He looked to Eliot to suggest he should go as well but his retrieval specialist just gave him a look, sat back down in his chair, and opened the offered beer. "I see," Nate said simply.
"Please, have a seat, Mr. Ford," Lindsey said.
"Is Parker alright?" Eliot asked quietly.
"She's in the car with Hardison. She has some tall tales but otherwise, she is doing fine," Nate said and watched Eliot visibly relax. Nate sat down and waited for Angel to be walked out of the room before beginning. "I understand that you've recently returned to the company. Does that mean you were party to all of this or just gifted with convenient timing?"
"I was not entirely here until this morning. So no, I had no part in all of this. It does fall to me, however, to clean this up with the company's best interest in mind. Unfortunately, Lilah's abduction of Eliot here ties my hands on a legal level or we would be having this discussion with the District Attorney present," Lindsey said. "I think it's in everyone's best interest if we call all the illegal activity forgotten and done with."
"Good, then we'll just be on our way," Nate said.
"No," Lindsey said. "There are things that are yet to be discussed."
"Such as?" Nate asked with a raised eyebrow.
"The matter of the virus on our computer systems and the documentation you stole," He said simply. "I want them back. "
"No," Nate said simply. "I might be persuaded to ask my people to wipe the virus, but that documentation is what's going to keep you out of our hair and away from my people."
"No one is going to believe what you have. It has no importance to anyone but my firm and its clients. And while I might be a reasonable man, my employers, and my clients are not."
"Then it seems we are at an impasse," Nate said staring Lindsey in the eyes. The man behind the desk might not have been responsible for Lilah Morgan's actions, but Nate recognized a shark when he saw one. He wasn't about to let this one have the upper hand if possible.
"With all due respect, that tactic isn't going to end well for you, your people, or the people they care about. I'm trying to be reasonable, Mr-"
"I want a contract."
Lindsey raised an eyebrow. That he hadn't expected.
"We give you your information and your computer systems back, you leave us, our families, our friends past, present, and future alone. Any moneys that were taken last night, well they go to my team for services rendered and to Eliot for damages and suffering. "
"No. Information and computer systems are to be given in return for Mr. Spencer's release," He chuckled a little at Nate's expression. "Do you really think you can walk out of here without my permission? And believe me, I can make use of your friend's skills much more efficiently than my predecessor did."
"Go on," Nate said.
"I will agree to the distribution of funds with the proviso that absolute none, not one penny, is ever given to Angel or Angel Investigations, nor through any third party to be utilized by him or his employees," Lindsey said. "I will also agree that there will be no retaliation on the part of Wolfram and Hart for this transgression. Should our paths cross again, however, that shall be treated as conditionally separate from this contract."
Nate looked to Eliot who sat staring at the two men for a moment. "I want Amie left alone; no matter what," Eliot said finally.
"That will have to be a separate arrangement," Lindsey said. "A personal contract. No blackmail on either side."
Eliot nodded.
"So. Mr. Ford, shall I have the paperwork drawn up?" He asked. "It will take a little time. We're back to typewriters until your company releases my computers." He got up taking his legal pad with him. "If you'll excuse me, I will return shortly."
Lindsey left the room and Nate turned to Eliot, "What are you thinking? You are not signing a contract with this man. "
"If it keeps Amie out of this, I'll do it."
"And what if we cross paths with them again? This could create a conflict of interest," Nate argued.
"That's what I'm preparing for," Eliot told him. "Relax. I'm not signing over my soul or signing up for an employee benefits package."
In the end, Nate lost the argument with Eliot and he stood staring unhappily out the window.
"What happened to the secretary? Miss Dunaway," Eliot asked a few minutes later.
"Hardison explained the situation to her and last we saw her she was on a plane to some third-world country where Wolfram and Hart doesn't have an office."
"Smart girl."
Lindsey returned half an hour later with a stack of papers in hand. "Now you understand that this contract is between Wolfram and Hart and Leverage Consulting and Associates," Lindsey explained as he handed it over to Nate. "The terms will not alter with new management." He handed a copy over to Nate to look at. "As usual the places you need to sign are marked with the tabs, any changes have to be initialed by both parties. "
He then handed a much smaller form over to Eliot. "This however is a personal contract. It is not open for negotiation, it's a one time, take it or leave it, offer. "
Eliot looked it over. Then read it again. He understood it. He didn't like it, but he could deal with it. He took a deep breath and then reached for the pen Lindsey was offering. At least there would be no more threats, no 3 am phone calls, and the contract was finite. His hand tingled as he signed and the ink was red.
Eliot Spencer shivered.