Virgil Spencer didn't make any stops on his way back to his building, and was still fuming from his encounter with Russell Benson when he returned to his own firm. He didn't speak to anyone and just went back to his own office and poured himself a stiff glass of scotch to lick his wounds with. He had lost control of the situation, and that was going to make his job infinitely more difficult. Jefferson was a man that Virgil thought he could control and push around till he got his way. With the man representing both father and son, he was sure that one of them was going to pay a hefty fee to make everything go away. Russel Benson coming onto the scene and flatly rejecting his settlement offer was just the opening salvo of a battle that was sure to come. The man seemed determined and eager to fight it out right there in the restaurant. He was a defiant as advertised and right in his face the entire time. Virgil sipped a drink and stared out the window until he heard someone knocking at the door.

      "Enter," Virgil called out.

      A woman a little younger than him opened the door, walked into the room and closed it behind her. She was Maggie Ferguson, one of Virgil's top litigators. He was happy to remember that she was on his side because her services might be in higher demand after the meeting he just had.

     "I didn't hear you come in," Maggie started, "Did you managed to catch Jefferson at the restaurant?"

     "I did," Virgil said, "It was a disaster."

     "What?" Maggie said as she then realized he was drinking, "What happened?"

     "That rumor going around is true," Virgil answered, "Jefferson was fired by Xander and his corporation as of this morning. New council has already been retained."

     "He fired his lawyers?" She repeated, "Why?"

     "Less than twenty-four hours after we submitted our offer sheet," Virgil said, looking back at her. "Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why."

     "Oh, damn," Maggie said, suddenly wanting a drink herself. "Who is new council?"

     "That's the dig," Virgil said, "New council was at the table with Jefferson when I arrived, and it was none other than Mr. Russell Benson."

     Maggie's eyes went as wide as saucers upon hearing that name. "Shit."

     "Yes, seems to capture the spirit of the situation." Virgil said, "And right after introducing myself, Mr. Benson promptly told me to take that offer sheet and shove it up my own posterior."

     "So we make a new offer," Maggie said.

     "That's not happening either," Virgil corrected her, "Russell's exact words were that hell would get a hockey franchise before our lying client saw a single dime. He wants to take this court, and he had a look in his eyes that basically told me that he was ready to fight. There will be no settlements."

     "Son of a bitch," Maggie said, as she now understood the situation.

     "Yes, he is." Virgil agreed, "Does Benson's reputation stand up to the hype?"

     "He's as aggressive as advertised," Maggie said, "The man can be as relentless as a savage dog with a bone. He won't let go until he gets his way. If Xander wants to fight the charges, he couldn't have picked a better lawyer to do just that."

     "We might not have a choice," Virgil said, aware of the new dynamics. "We might have to bring in our client and update her about what's changed. She needs to realize that we might not be able to avoid her testifying in court like we promised."

     "Dani's not going to like that," Maggie confessed.

     "Things have changed," Virgil said, "I can try to see if his father wants to payout to avoid court, but I can't promise anything now. We might have to go the criminal route first, and then sue after a conviction if the D.A. can land one."

     "That's not guaranteed," Maggie added, "Especially with Benson involved. He's going to tear her to shreds on the stand, and that's putting it mildly."

     "The thought had crossed my mind," Virgil concurred, "This isn't going to be the cakewalk we first thought it was going to be. Young Hopkins appears to be far from the pushover that his father is."

     "I'll contact the district attorney's office," Maggie said, "You need to call our client and get her in here as soon as possible."

     "Alright," Virgil said, "Get to it."

     Virgil watched as his junior associate walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. He finished what was left of his scotch and put the glass down on his desk before picking up the phone and dialing number. He wait a few times before someone picked the line up.

     "Hello?" a woman answered.

     "Gina," Virgil said, as he recognized the voice. It was his client's mother. "It's Virgil. I need to speak with Dani."

     "Virgil?" The lady repeated, "Is everything alright?

     "I can't say that," Virgil said to her, "Please get Dani on the line."

     "Okay," Gina said, and was then followed by silence.

     Virgil patiently waited and listened for anything before the line was picked up by someone else.

     "This is Dani," The voice called back.

     "Dani," Virgil greeted her, "This is Virgil Spencer."

     "Hey, Mr. Spencer." Dani replied, "What's going on?"

     "There's been a development in your case," Virgil explained to her, "I'm going to need you and your mother to come in here so I can discuss it with you."

     "Did that bastard accept our offer?" She asked.

     "I cannot say over the phone," Virgil replied, "How soon can you get in here?"

     "We can be in there within an hour," Dani answered.

     "Thank you, get here as soon as you can." Virgil said, and the called ended.

     Virgil spent the majority of that time writing down some notes, and preparing for the meeting that was to come. He knew Dani wasn't going to take the news well, but that wasn't going to change the situation they found themselves in. She was going to have to testify, probably at both the criminal and civil hearings. She's also have to be deposed for the civil case, and that would be hell in itself. He didn't have anything else to drink as he put on his best game face and waited for his client to arrive. Very soon Dani Edwards and her mother Gina arrived, and were escorted to the office by Maggie. Virgil wanted her there for the meeting and asked her to close the door.

     "Well, we're here!" Dani said, taking a seat. "What's going on?"

     "I'm not going to sugar coat it," Virgil said, as he stood up. "Xander Hopkins didn't respond very well to our initial offer sheet."

     "How did he respond to it?" Dani asked.

     "Badly," Maggie answered for her boss. "He fired his attorneys."

     "What does that mean?" Gina asked.

     "I've already spoken to his new lawyer," Virgil continued, "And he made it abundantly clear that our offer is rejected."

     "So what does that mean?" Dani asked, "Will we get a counter?"

     "No," Virgil replied. "We will not."

     "His new lawyer is a fierce litigator," Maggie said, "It looks like we're going to have to take this matter to court."

     "What?" Dani said, clearly angered by that revelation. "I thought you said that we wouldn't have to go to court!"

     "I did," Virgil said, "And that was my plan when I submitted the offer. New council isn't interested in making any deals. Not one penny was his exact words."

     "This isn't good." Gina said, sounding worried.

     "I didn't want to testify!" Dani reminded her lawyers.

     "You still might not have to," Maggie said, "I got in contact with the DA's office. We believe if they can make some waves with the grand jury, that might push Xander and his new lawyers back to the table."

     "She's right," Virgil said, "We need to call their bluff and show them we mean business. That means you might at minimum have to testify before the grand jury."

     "It's not that hard," Maggie informed her, "It's behind closed doors, and the DA is the only lawyer allowed in there. You will not have to be crossed at all."

     "Alright," Dani said, taking a deep breath. "And you guys think that might scare him back into line?"

     "It might, but I can't make any promises." Virgil answered, trying to be honest. "His new lawyer has a reputation for fighting things in court. We might have to accept that his hiring means Xander intends to fight the charges."

     "Try not to panic, Dani." Maggie reassured her, "I'm just a fierce in the courtroom, so I'll be there every step of the way to make sure your interests are protected. We will not let anything happen to you. You're the victim!"

     "Alright, thank you." Dani said, as she collected herself.

     "We will try our best, Dani." Virgil repeated, "But we can't make any promises considering this development. The road might be a bit tougher now, but that doesn't mean we can't get to where we want to go. Have faith in the system, and we'll do our best to get you guys through it."

     "Thank you, Mr. Spencer." Dani said, standing up and shaking his hand.

     "Ms. Ferguson will be leading your case from here out," Virgil reminded her. "I will still be helping in the background, but I'm more of a deal maker. Ms. Ferguson here is a better litigator and will be leading this case from here out."

     "Alright," Dani said, as she understood the reasons. "Thank you again."

     Both women left with Maggie to talk more about their case and the direction it was taking now. They used the time to prep for what might be coming. Virgil wanted to be alone as his services were no longer necessary. Benson looked fierce in that restaurant, and looked to have no intention of giving in. Maggie was going to have one hell of a fight on her hands, but thankfully the DA was going to help out. Virgil then realized that the DA would need help and would assign more council and investigators to dig deeper than he felt was necessary. As much as he wanted to settle this case, the old man couldn't help but realize the storm was coming whether he wanted it or not. Like a hurricane bearing down on his home, that storm had a name and it was Russell fucking Benson.