Chapter 7 - The Purge of Lawson Timber-7
Three days after the arrests in Nassau, the morning sun broke over the jagged peaks of the Idaho mountains, illuminating the sprawling timber yards of Lawson Timber Works.
The heavy scent of fresh pine, wet earth, and diesel exhaust hung thick in the cool air. But the usual roar of the automated saw lines and log debarkers was silent.
In the central conference room of the company’s headquarters, forty high-level managers, division heads, and forest superintendents sat nervously around a long oak table.
Sitting at the head of the table was Lucas Parker, dressed in a clean flannel shirt and work boots, flanked by Marcus Thorne and two federal forensic accountants.
The door opened, and Walter Lawson walked into the room without a cane, his presence commanding absolute silence.
“Gentlemen,” Walter began, his voice echoing off the timber walls. “For two years, you were told that I was incapacitated. You were told that my daughter, my son-in-law, and Derek Pendelton were managing this company in my best interest.”
The managers exchanged anxious glances. Many of them had accepted illegal cash bonuses signed off by Derek to turn a blind eye to unregistered timber loads leaving the property late at night.
“Over the last seventy-two hours,” Walter continued, setting a heavy black binder on the table, “federal investigators have audited every single department. We have identified nine managers who knowingly participated in the illegal harvesting of Block 9 and the falsification of safety logs designed to frame Lucas Parker.”
Marcus Thorne stepped forward, pulling a list of names from his jacket.
“When I read your name,” Thorne announced coldly, “you will immediately surrender your keycards, company vehicle keys, and exit the building. Federal marshals are waiting in the lobby to serve corporate subpoenas.”
Thorne read off nine names. One by one, the corrupt managers stood up, their faces pale, dropping their badges onto the table before walking out in shame.
When the room settled, Walter turned to the remaining thirty-one employees—the honest supervisors who had fought to keep the mill running despite Derek’s sabotage.
“Effective immediately,” Walter declared, “I am resigning as Chief Executive Officer of Lawson Timber Works.”
A gasp ran through the room.
Walter reached out, touching Lucas’s shoulder. “And I am appointing Lucas Parker as sole Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, with fifty-one percent of all voting shares transferred directly to his name.”
Lucas looked at Walter in genuine shock. “Walter... I... I can’t take fifty-one percent of your company...”
“You didn't take it, Lucas,” Walter said, his eyes filled with quiet pride. “You earned it. When everyone else treated me like a broken piece of furniture waiting to be thrown in the trash, you sat in that dark room with me. You brought me soup, you spoke to me about the forests, and you kept this mill alive with your sweat.”
The remaining managers stood up one by one, erupting into sincere, loud applause for the young man who had spent six years in the mud alongside them.
May you like
Lucas stood up, shaking Walter’s hand, then turned to face his team.
“We have a lot of work to do,” Lucas announced, his voice steady and resolute. “We’re clearing out the corruption, restoring the trust land, and building a company that honors the workers who made it. Let’s get to work.”
