Document:

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                                  EXHIBIT 10.18

                         COMMON STOCK WARRANT AGREEMENT

                            DATED AS OF APRIL 5, 2000

                                  BY AND AMONG

                       INTERNATIONAL TOTAL SERVICES, INC.

                                   AS ISSUER,

                                 BANK ONE, N.A.,

                                       AND

                                 PROVIDENT BANK

                                  AS PURCHASERS

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                         COMMON STOCK WARRANT AGREEMENT

                                TABLE OF CONTENTS
                                -----------------

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                                                                                                         Page
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<S>             <C>                                                                                      <C>
SECTION 1.      DEFINED TERMS.............................................................................1

SECTION 2.      WARRANT CERTIFICATES......................................................................4

SECTION 3.      EXECUTION OF WARRANT CERTIFICATES;MUTILATED OR MISSING WARRANT CERTIFICATES...............5

SECTION 4.      REGISTRATION/RESERVATION OF WARRANT SHARES................................................5

SECTION 5.      WARRANTS; EXERCISE OF WARRANTS............................................................6

SECTION 6.      PAYMENT OF TAXES..........................................................................7

SECTION 7.      FRACTIONAL INTERESTS......................................................................7

SECTION 8.      LIMITATIONS ON CERTAIN HOLDERS............................................................7

SECTION 9.      ADJUSTMENT OF NUMBER OF WARRANT
                SHARES ISSUABLE...........................................................................8

SECTION 10.     CALL AND PUT OPTIONS......................................................................9

SECTION 11.     "PIGGY BACK" REGISTRATION RIGHTS.........................................................10

SECTION 12.     COVENANTS................................................................................12

SECTION 13.     ACKNOWLEDGMENTS BY HOLDERS...............................................................14

SECTION 14.     TRANSFERS................................................................................14

SECTION 15.     STANDSTILL...............................................................................15

SECTION 16.     MISCELLANEOUS............................................................................16

EXHIBITS
--------

Exhibit A       Form of Warrant Certificate

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                         COMMON STOCK WARRANT AGREEMENT

         THIS WARRANT AGREEMENT (as from time to time amended, supplemented,
modified or restated, this "AGREEMENT") is dated as of April 5, 2000 and entered
into by and among INTERNATIONAL TOTAL SERVICES, INC., an Ohio corporation (the
"COMPANY"), BANK ONE, N.A. ("BANK ONE"), and PROVIDENT BANK ("PROVIDENT",
collectively, the "PURCHASERS").

                                   WITNESSETH:

         A. The Company and the Purchasers wish to provide for the issuance and
sale of warrants (the "WARRANTS") to purchase, at each Purchaser's option, but
subject to the terms of Section 8 hereof, 200,000 shares of voting common stock,
$.001 par value (the "COMMON STOCK"), of the Company by Bank One and 100,000
shares of Common Stock of the Company by Provident. Such number of shares shall
be subject to adjustment as provided herein.

         B. This Agreement is being entered into by the Company and the
Purchasers in consideration of, among other things, the Purchasers' agreement to
amend the Company's current credit facility.

         NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
agreements herein set forth, the parties hereto agree as follows:

                                   SECTION 1.

                                  DEFINED TERMS

         The following terms when used in this Agreement, including its preamble
and recitals, shall have the following meanings:

         "AFFILIATE" means, as applied to any Person, any other Person directly
or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with, that
Person. For the purposes of this definition, "control" (including, with
correlative meanings, the terms "controlling", "controlled by" and "under common
control with"), as applied to any Person, means the possession, directly or
indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and
policies of that Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities or
by contract or otherwise.

         "AGREEMENT" has the meaning specified in the Preamble.

         "APPLICABLE LAW" means all provisions of laws, statutes, ordinances,
rules, regulations, permits or certificates of any Governmental Authority
applicable to such Person or any of its assets or property, and all judgments,
injunctions, orders and decrees of all courts, arbitrators or Governmental
Authorities in proceedings or actions in which such Person is a party or by
which any of its assets or properties are bound.

<PAGE>   4

         "CHANGE OF CONTROL" means (a) any Person or any two or more Persons
acting in concert (in any such case, excluding the trustees of the Voting Trust
as defined below) acquiring beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule
13d-3 of the Commission under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of
capital stock of the Company (or other securities convertible into such capital
stock) representing 51% or more of the combined voting power of all capital
stock of the Company entitled to vote in the election of directors, other than
capital stock having such power only by reason of the happening of a
contingency, (b) during any period of twelve consecutive calendar months,
individuals who at the beginning of such period constituted the Company's board
of directors (together with any new directors whose election by the Company's
board of directors or whose nomination for election by the Company's
stockholders was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors then
still in office who either were directors at the beginning of such period or
whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved) cease for
any reasons other than death or disability to constitute a majority of the
directors then in office, or (c) termination of that certain Voting Trust
Agreement dated November 1, 1999 by and among the Company, Robert A. Weitzel, H.
Jeffrey Schwartz, J. Jeffrey Eakin and John P. O'Brien ("Voting Trust").

         "COMMISSION" means the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other
federal agency at the time administering the 1933 Act.

         "COMMON STOCK" has the meaning specified in the first Recital.

         "COMPANY" has the meaning specified in the Preamble.

         "CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES" means rights to subscribe for, or any rights
or options to purchase, shares of Common Stock, or any stock or other securities
convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock, either currently or
upon the happening of a specified date or event.

         "EQUIVALENT NONVOTING SECURITY" means, with respect to any security (a
"FIRST SECURITY") issued or to be issued by any Person, a security (an
"EQUIVALENT SECURITY") of such Person that is identical in rights and benefits
to such first security, except that (a) the equivalent security shall not be
entitled to vote on any matter on which holders of voting securities of such
Person are entitled to vote, other than as required by Applicable Law or with
respect to any amendment or repeal of any provision of the Organizational
Documents of such Person or any other agreement or instrument pursuant to which
the equivalent security was issued which provision specifically affects such
equivalent security, (b) subject to such reasonable restrictions as any affected
Regulated Holder may request (including any restriction necessary to prevent the
violation by such Regulated Holder of any provision of Applicable Law with
respect to its ownership of voting securities), the equivalent security shall be
convertible in a one-to-one ratio into the first security and (c) the terms of
the equivalent security shall include such provisions requested by any affected
Regulated Holder as are reasonable and equitable to ensure that (i) the
equivalent security is treated comparably to the first security with respect to
dividends, distributions, stock splits, reclassifications, capital
reorganizations, mergers, consolidations and other similar events and
transactions, (ii) the conversion right provided in clause (b) above is
equitably protected and (iii) the acquisition of the equivalent security will
not cause such Regulated Holder to violate Applicable Law.

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         "EXERCISE PRICE" means $1.41.

         "EXPIRATION DATE" has the meaning specified in Section 5.

         "FULLY DILUTED BASIS" means the calculation of the total number of
shares of Common Stock outstanding at any time determined in conformity with
GAAP.

         "GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY" means any federal, state, municipal or other
governmental department, commission, board, bureau, agency or instrumentality,
or any court, in each case whether of the United States of America or foreign.

         "HOLDER" or "HOLDERS" means each of the Purchasers (so long as it holds
any Warrants or Warrant Shares) and any other holder of any of the Warrants or
Warrant Shares so long as such Warrant Shares constitute Registrable Securities.

         "ORGANIZATIONAL DOCUMENTS" means, with respect to any Person, each
instrument or other document that (a) defines the existence of such Person,
including its articles or certificate of incorporation, as filed or recorded
with an applicable Governmental Authority or (b) governs the internal affairs of
such Person, including its bylaws, in each case as amended, supplemented or
restated.

         "PERSON" or "PERSONS" means and includes natural persons, corporations,
limited partnerships, general partnerships, joint stock companies, Joint
Ventures, associations, companies, trusts, banks, trust companies, land trusts,
business trusts or other organizations, whether or not legal entities, and
governments and agencies and political subdivisions thereof.

         "PURCHASERS" has the meaning specified in the Preamble.

         "REGISTRABLE SECURITIES" means any share of Common Stock that is a
Warrant Share, but with respect to any share of Common Stock, only until such
time as such share (i) has been effectively registered under the 1933 Act and
disposed of in accordance with the registration statement covering it, (ii) has
been sold to the public pursuant to Rule 144 (or any similar provision then in
force) under the 1933 Act or (iii) has ceased to be outstanding.

         "REGISTRATION EXPENSES" means all expenses incident to the Company's
performance of or compliance with Section 11, including, without limitation, all
registration and filing fees, all fees of the New York Stock Exchange, Inc.,
other national securities exchanges or the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc., all fees and expenses of complying with federal securities or
blue sky laws, all word processing, duplicating and printing expenses (including
expenses of printing prospectuses and of certificates for the Registrable
Securities), messenger and delivery expenses, the fees and disbursements of
counsel for the Company and of its independent public accountants, including the
expenses of "cold comfort" letters required by or incident to such performance
and

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compliance, any fees and disbursements of underwriters customarily paid by
issuers or sellers of securities (excluding any underwriting discounts or
commissions with respect to the Registrable Securities) and the fees and
expenses of one counsel to the Selling Holders or the Requesting Holders, as
applicable (selected by Selling Holders or the Requesting Holders, as
applicable, representing at least 50% of the Registrable Securities covered by
such registration).

         "REGULATED HOLDER" has the meaning specified in Section 8.

         "REQUISITE HOLDERS" means Holders holding Warrants or Warrant Shares
representing at least a majority of all Warrant Shares issued or issuable upon
exercise of Warrants outstanding on the date of determination.

         "SECURITIES ACT" means the Securities Act of 1933 and the rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder, all as amended
from time to time.

         "SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and
the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder,
all as amended from time to time.

         "WARRANT CERTIFICATES" has the meaning specified in Section 2.

         "WARRANT NUMBER" has the meaning specified in Section 9.

         "WARRANT SHARES" means (a) the shares of Common Stock issued or
issuable upon exercise of a Warrant in accordance with Section 5 or upon
exchange of a Warrant in accordance with Section 5, (b) all other securities or
other property issued or issuable upon any such exercise or exchange in
accordance with this Agreement and (c) any securities of the Company distributed
with respect to the securities referred to in the preceding clauses (a) and (b).
As used in this Agreement, the phrase "Warrant Shares then held" by any Holder
or Holders shall mean Warrant Shares held at the time of determination by such
Holder or Holders, and shall include Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of
Warrants held at the time of determination by such Holder or Holders.

         "WARRANT DOCUMENTS" means this Agreement and the Warrant Certificates.

         "WARRANTS" has the meaning specified in the first Recital.

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                                   SECTION 2.

                              WARRANT CERTIFICATES

         Contemporaneously herewith, in consideration of the Purchasers and
Company agreeing to amend the Company's credit facility on Company's behalf, the
Company is issuing and delivering to each of the Purchasers a certificate or
certificates evidencing the Warrants to be issued to said Purchaser
substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto (the "WARRANT CERTIFICATES"),
which Warrant Certificates shall be dated the date of issuance by the Company.

                                   SECTION 3.

                       EXECUTION OF WARRANT CERTIFICATES;
                    MUTILATED OR MISSING WARRANT CERTIFICATES

         Warrant Certificates shall be signed on behalf of the Company by its
Chairman of the Board or its President or a Vice President. Each such signature
upon the Warrant Certificates may be in the form of a facsimile signature of the
present or any future Chairman of the Board, President or Vice President, and
may be imprinted or otherwise reproduced on the Warrant Certificates and for
that purpose the Company may adopt and use the facsimile signature of any person
who shall have been Chairman of the Board, President or Vice President,
notwithstanding the fact that at the time the Warrant Certificates shall be
delivered or disposed of such Person shall have ceased to hold such office. Each
Warrant Certificate shall also be manually signed on behalf of the Company by
its Secretary or an Assistant Secretary.

         In case any of the Warrant Certificates shall be mutilated, lost,
stolen or destroyed, the Company shall, upon request of the Holder of any such
Warrant Certificate, issue, in exchange and substitution for and upon
cancellation of the mutilated Warrant Certificate, or in lieu of and
substitution for the Warrant Certificate lost, stolen or destroyed, a new
Warrant Certificate of like tenor and representing an equivalent number of
Warrants, but only upon receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the
Company of such loss, theft or destruction of such Warrant Certificate and
indemnity, if requested, also satisfactory to the Company. Applicants for such
substitute Warrant Certificates shall also comply with such other reasonable
regulations and pay such other reasonable charges as the Company may prescribe.

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                                   SECTION 4.

                   REGISTRATION/RESERVATION OF WARRANT SHARES

         The Company shall number and register the Warrant Certificates in a
register as they are issued. The Company may deem and treat the registered
Holders of the Warrant Certificates as the absolute owners thereof
(notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing thereon made by
anyone) for all purposes and shall not be affected by any notice to the
contrary. The Warrants shall be registered initially in such name or names as
the Purchasers shall designate.

         The Company shall at all times reserve and keep available, free from
preemptive rights, out of the aggregate of its authorized but unissued Common
Stock or its authorized and issued Common Stock held in its treasury, for the
purpose of enabling it to satisfy any obligation to issue Warrant Shares upon
exercise of Warrants, the maximum number of shares of Common Stock which may
then be deliverable upon the exercise of all outstanding options, warrants
(including the Warrants) or other securities convertible into or exchangeable or
exercisable for Common Stock.

         The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares and other capital stock
issued upon exercise of Warrants will, upon payment of the Exercise Price
therefor and issue thereof, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid,
nonassessable, free of preemptive rights and free from all taxes, liens, charges
and security interests with respect to the issue thereof.

                                   SECTION 5.

                         WARRANTS; EXERCISE OF WARRANTS

         Subject to the terms of this Agreement, each Holder shall have the
right, which may be exercised at any time or from time to time until 5:00 p.m.,
Cleveland time, on March 31, 2007 (the "EXPIRATION DATE") to receive from the
Company the number of fully paid and nonassessable Warrant Shares which the
Holder may at the time be entitled to receive on exercise of such Warrants and
payment of the Exercise Price then in effect for such Warrant Shares. Each
Warrant not exercised prior to 5:00 p.m., Cleveland time, on the Expiration Date
shall become void and all rights thereunder and all rights in respect thereof
under this Agreement shall cease as of such time; provided that the occurrence
of the Expiration Date shall not relieve the Company of any obligation to any
Holder which arose pursuant to the terms of this Agreement prior to such date.

         A Warrant may be exercised upon surrender to the Company at its address
set forth on the signature pages hereto of the Warrant Certificate or Warrant
Certificates to be exercised with the form of election to purchase attached
thereto duly completed and signed, and upon payment to the Company of the
Exercise Price for the number of Warrant Shares in respect of which such
Warrants are then exercised. Payment of the aggregate Exercise Price may be
made, at the option of the applicable Holder by cash, certified or bank
cashier's check or wire transfer.

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         Subject to the provisions of Section 6, upon such surrender of Warrants
and payment of the Exercise Price the Company shall issue and cause to be
delivered with all reasonable dispatch to or upon the written order of the
Holder and in such name or names as such Holder may designate a certificate or
certificates for the number of full Warrant Shares issuable upon the exercise of
such Warrants (and such other consideration as may be deliverable upon exercise
of such Warrants) together with, at the sole option of the Company, cash for
fractional Warrant Shares as provided in Section 7. Such certificate or
certificates shall be deemed to have been issued and the Person so named therein
shall be deemed to have become a holder of record of such Warrant Shares as of
the date of the surrender of such Warrants and payment of the Exercise Price,
irrespective of the date of delivery of such certificate or certificates for
Warrant Shares.

         Each Warrant shall be exercisable, at the election of the Holder
thereof, either in full or from time to time in part and, in the event that a
Warrant Certificate is exercised in respect of fewer than all of the Warrant
Shares issuable on such exercise at any time prior to the date of expiration of
the Warrants, a new certificate evidencing the remaining Warrant or Warrants
will be issued and delivered pursuant to the provisions of this Section 5 and of
Section 2.

         All Warrant Certificates surrendered upon exercise of Warrants shall be
canceled and disposed of by the Company. The Company shall keep copies of this
Agreement and any notices given or received hereunder available for inspection
by the Holders during normal business hours at its office.

                                   SECTION 6.

                                PAYMENT OF TAXES

         The Company will pay all taxes and other governmental charges
(including all documentary stamp taxes, but excluding all foreign, federal,
state or local income taxes payable by a Holder of a Warrant) in connection with
the issuance or delivery of the Warrants hereunder, including all such taxes
attributable to the initial issuance or delivery of Warrant Shares upon the
exercise of Warrants and payment of the Exercise Price. The Company shall not,
however, be required to pay any tax that may be payable in respect of any
subsequent transfer of the Warrants or any transfer involved in the issuance and
delivery of Warrant Shares in a name other than that in which the Warrants to
which such issuance relates were registered, and, if any such tax would
otherwise be payable by the Company, no such issuance or delivery shall be made
unless and until the Person requesting such issuance has paid to the Company the
amount of any such tax, or it is established to the reasonable satisfaction of
the Company that any such tax has been paid.

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                                   SECTION 7.

                              FRACTIONAL INTERESTS

         The Company shall not be required to issue fractional Warrant Shares on
the exercise of Warrants. If more than one Warrant shall be presented for
exercise in full at the same time by the same Holder, the number of full Warrant
Shares which shall be issuable upon the exercise thereof shall be computed on
the basis of the aggregate number of Warrant Shares purchasable on exercise of
the Warrants so presented. If any fraction of a Warrant Share would, except for
the provisions of this Section 7, be issuable on the exercise of any Warrants
(or specified portion thereof), such fractional Warrant Share shall be
eliminated.

                                   SECTION 8.

                         LIMITATIONS ON CERTAIN HOLDERS

         Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement or any Warrant Certificate
to the contrary, no Holder which is subject to the provisions of Regulation Y
promulgated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, or any successor
regulation thereto ("REGULATION Y"), or which is affiliated with any entity
subject to the provisions of Regulation Y if such affiliate holds securities of
the Company (any such Holder being referred to herein as a "REGULATED HOLDER"),
may exercise the Warrants for a number of Warrant Shares which would permit such
Regulated Holder, together with its affiliates, to own or control a number of
Warrant Shares greater than that permitted by law, including without limitation,
Regulation Y.

                                   SECTION 9.

                 ADJUSTMENT OF NUMBER OF WARRANT SHARES ISSUABLE

         The number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of each
Warrant (the "WARRANT NUMBER") is initially one. The Warrant Number is subject
to adjustment from time to time upon the occurrence of the events enumerated in,
or as otherwise provided in this Section 9.

         (a)      ADJUSTMENT FOR CHANGE IN CAPITAL STOCK.  If the Company:

                  (i) subdivides or reclassifies its outstanding shares of
         Common Stock into a greater number of shares;

                  (ii) combines or reclassifies its outstanding shares of Common
         Stock into a smaller number of shares; or

                  (iii) issues by reclassification of its Common Stock any
         shares of its capital stock;

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then the Warrant Number in effect immediately prior to such action shall be
proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Warrant thereafter exercised
may receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock of the
Company which it would have owned immediately following such action if such
Warrant had been exercised immediately prior to such action.

         The adjustment shall become effective immediately after the effective
date thereof. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever any event
listed above shall occur.

         (b) WHEN DE MINIMIS ADJUSTMENT DEFERRED. No adjustment in the Warrant
Number need be made unless the adjustment would require an increase or decrease
of greater than 10,000 shares of Common Stock. Any adjustments that are not made
shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment;
provided that no such adjustment shall be deferred beyond the date on which a
Warrant is exercised. All calculations under this Section 9 shall be made to the
nearest 1/10th of a share.

         (c) WHEN NO ADJUSTMENT REQUIRED. If an adjustment is made upon the
establishment of a record date for a distribution subject to subsection (a)
hereof and such distribution is subsequently canceled, the Warrant Number then
in effect shall be readjusted, effective as of the date when the Board of
Directors determines to cancel such distribution, to that which would have been
in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

         (d) NOTICE OF ADJUSTMENT. Whenever the Warrant Number is adjusted, the
Company shall provide the notices to each Holder, in accordance with subsection
16(a) hereof.

         (e) WHEN ISSUANCE OR PAYMENT MAY BE DEFERRED. In any case in which this
Section 9 shall require that an adjustment in the Warrant Number be made
effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Company may elect to
defer until the occurrence of such event issuing to the Holder of any Warrant
exercised after such record date the Warrant Shares and other capital stock of
the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the Warrant
Shares and other capital stock of the Company, if any, issuable upon such
exercise on the basis of the Warrant Number prior to such adjustment; PROVIDED
that the Company shall deliver to such Holder a due bill or other appropriate
instrument evidencing such Holder's right to receive such additional Warrant
Shares or other capital stock upon the occurrence of the event requiring such
adjustment.

         (f) FORM OF WARRANTS. Irrespective of any adjustments in the number or
kind of shares purchasable upon the exercise of the Warrants, Warrants
theretofore or thereafter issued may continue to express the same price and
number and kind of shares as are stated in the Warrants initially issuable
pursuant to this Agreement.

         (g) REGULATED HOLDERS. If, in the written opinion of counsel to any
Regulated Holder (which may be internal counsel), the receipt by such

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Regulated Holder of Warrant Shares (or any security included therein) upon any
exercise or exchange pursuant to this Section 9 would cause such Regulated
Holder to violate any provision of Applicable Law with respect to its ownership
of voting securities of the Company, then the Company will use its best efforts
(including using its best efforts to cause its Organizational Documents to be
amended) to create an Equivalent Nonvoting Security with respect to Warrant
Shares (or any such security included therein), and such Regulated Holder shall
be entitled to receive upon such exercise or exchange, in lieu of such number
(as it shall specify) of shares or other units of Warrant Shares (or any such
security included therein) otherwise receivable by such Regulated Holder, the
same number of shares or other units of such Equivalent Nonvoting Security.

                                   SECTION 10.

                              CALL AND PUT OPTIONS

         (a) PUT RIGHTS OF THE HOLDERS. From the earlier of (i) April 1, 2001 or
(ii) a Change in Control, and until the end of the term of this Agreement, each
Holder may cause the Company to redeem all, but not less than all, of the
Warrants owned by the Holder so long as at the time (i) the Company is not
prohibited by law from doing so, or (ii) the Company is not prohibited by
agreements with third parties from doing so. Such election must be exercised by
a Holder by giving written notice to the Company not less than thirty (30) days
nor more than sixty (60) days before the date specified in the notice as the
closing date for the purchase. The purchase price shall be $1.00 per Warrant.
Within thirty (30) days after the closing date for the purchase of the Warrants
by the Company, the Company shall deliver to the Holder cash in the amount equal
to the purchase price as set forth in this Section 10(a). Concurrent with the
delivery of cash by the Company, Holder shall deliver the certificate or
certificates evidencing the Warrants to be sold. At that time, the Company shall
cancel the certificate or certificates. This thirty (30) day period shall not
start to run until such time as any required approval or consent to the sale of
the Warrants is obtained.

         (b) CALL RIGHT OF THE COMPANY. From and after the execution of this
Agreement, the Company will have the option, but not the obligation, to purchase
all, but not less than all of a Holder's Warrants. The purchase price for each
Warrant purchased pursuant to this Section 10(b) shall be $4.50 per Warrant
purchased from the date of this Agreement through March 31, 2001, and shall
increase $1.00 per Warrant per year thereafter on each April 1, through the end
of the term of this Agreement. Such option must be exercised by the Company by
giving written notice to a Holder not less than thirty (30) days nor more than
sixty (60) days before the date specified in the notice as the closing date for
the purchase. Within thirty (30) days after the closing date for the purchase of
the Warrants by the Company, the Company shall deliver to the Holder cash in the
amount equal to the purchase price as set forth in this Section 10(b).
Concurrent with the delivery of cash by the Company, Holder shall deliver the
certificate or certificates evidencing the Warrants to be sold. This thirty (30)
day period shall not start to run until such time as any required approval or
consent to the sale of the Warrants is obtained. Holder may exercise the Warrant
until the day before the closing date for the purchase of the Warrant.

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         (c) The Company may assign all or part of its rights to purchase a
Holder's Warrants, provided that all of the Holder's Warrants are purchased in
accordance herewith.

                                   SECTION 11.

                         "PIGGYBACK" REGISTRATION RIGHTS

         The Company hereby grants to the Holders the "piggyback" registration
rights with respect to the Registrable Securities as set forth in this Section
11.

                  (a) RIGHT TO PIGGYBACK. Whenever the Company proposes to
         register any of its securities under the Securities Act (except for the
         registration of securities to be offered pursuant to an employee
         benefit plan on Form S-8, pursuant to a registration made on Form S-4,
         or any successor forms then in effect) at any time and the registration
         form to be used may be used for the registration of the Registrable
         Securities (a "Piggyback Registration"), it will so notify in writing
         all holders of Registrable Securities not later than 30 days prior to
         the anticipated filing date. Subject to the provisions of Section
         11(c), the Company will include in the Piggyback Registration all
         Registrable Securities with respect to which the Company has received
         written requests for inclusion within 15 business days after the
         applicable holder's receipt of the Company's notice. The holders of
         Registrable Securities may withdraw all or any part of the Registrable
         Securities from a Piggyback Registration at any time before three
         business days prior to the effective date of the Piggyback
         Registration. If a Piggyback Registration is an underwritten offering
         effected under Section 11(c), all Persons whose securities are included
         in the Piggyback Registration must sell their securities on the same
         terms and conditions as apply to the securities being issued and sold
         by the Company. If at any time after giving written notice of its
         intention to register any securities and prior to the effective date of
         the registration statement filed in connection with such registration,
         the Company shall determine for any reason not to register or to delay
         registration of such securities, the Company may, at its election, give
         written notice of such determination to each holder of Registrable
         Securities and (i) in the case of a determination not to register,
         shall be relieved of its obligation to register any Registrable
         Securities in connection with such registration (but not from any
         obligation of the Company to pay the Registration Expenses in
         connection therewith) and (ii) in the case of a determination to delay
         registering, shall be permitted to delay registering any Registrable
         Securities, for the same period as the delay in registering such other
         securities.

                  (b) PIGGYBACK EXPENSES. The Company shall pay all Registration
         Expenses in connection with any registration pursuant to this Section
         11.

                  (c) PRIORITY ON PRIMARY AND SECONDARY REGISTRATIONS. If a
         Piggyback Registration is an underwritten primary or secondary
         registration and the managing underwriters give the Company their
         written opinion that the total number or dollar amount of securities
         requested to be included in the registration exceeds the number or
         dollar amount of securities that can

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<PAGE>   14

         be sold, the Company will include the securities in the registration in
         the following order of priority: first, all securities the Company
         proposes to sell and second, any other securities (provided they are of
         the same class as the securities sold by the Company) requested to be
         included, allocated among the holders of the securities on a pro rata
         basis based on the total number of such securities requested to be
         registered.

                  (d) SELECTION OF UNDERWRITERS. If any Piggyback Registration
         is an underwritten offering, the Company will select the investment
         banker(s) and manager(s) that will administer the offering, and shall
         enter into a customary underwriting agreement with the investment
         banker(s) and manager(s).

                  (e) OTHER REGISTRATIONS. The Company agrees that after filing
         a registration statement with respect to Registrable Securities
         pursuant to this Section 11 that has not been withdrawn or abandoned,
         the Company will not register any of its equity securities or
         securities convertible or exchangeable into or exercisable for its
         equity securities under the Securities Act, whether on its own behalf
         or at the request of any holder of those securities, until at least
         three months has elapsed from the effective date of the previous
         registration. This three-month hiatus does not apply to registrations
         of securities to be issued in connection with employee benefit plans,
         to permit exercise or conversions of options, warrants, or other
         convertible securities, or in connection with any contractual
         obligation of the Company to register securities.

                  (f) FURTHER INFORMATION. The Company may require each Holder
         of Registrable Securities as to which any registration is being
         effected to furnish the Company such information regarding such Holder
         and the distribution of such securities as the Company may from time to
         time reasonably request in writing.

                  (g) BEST EFFORTS. A Holder shall use its best efforts to take
         all steps necessary or advisable to cooperate with the Company and any
         underwriter to effect the registration of the Registrable Securities
         contemplated hereby. If a Holder does not so cooperate, the Company has
         the option, in its sole discretion, to prohibit the Registrable
         Securities of such Holder from being included in such registration.

                  (h) HOLDBACK. Each of the Company and each Holder holding
         Registrable Securities included in a registration statement hereunder
         agrees not to effect any public sale or distribution of shares of
         Common Stock during the period specified by the managing underwriter or
         underwriters of the underwritten offer being made pursuant to such
         registration statement (which period shall not exceed seven days prior
         to and 180 days following the effective date of such registration
         statement), except as part of such registration, if and to the extent
         reasonably requested by such managing underwriter or underwriters.

                                   SECTION 12.

                                       12
<PAGE>   15

                                    COVENANTS

         (a) RIGHTS. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as
conferring upon any Holder, prior to its exercise of any Warrant, the right to
vote or to consent or to receive notice as stockholders in respect of meetings
of stockholders or the election of directors of the Company or any other matter,
or any rights whatsoever as stockholders of the Company, except as expressly
provided hereunder or under applicable law.

         (b) REGULATED HOLDERS.

                                       13
<PAGE>   16

                  (i) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to
         the contrary, except as provided in this subsection 12(b), without the
         prior written consent of any Regulated Holder, the Company shall not,
         directly or indirectly, redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire, convert
         or take any action (including any amendment to an Organizational
         Document) with respect to the voting rights of, or undertake any other
         action or transaction (including any merger, consolidation or
         recapitalization) affecting, any shares of its capital stock or other
         voting securities if the result of the foregoing would be to cause the
         ownership of the capital stock of any Person by such Regulated Holder,
         or the ownership of voting securities of any Person (or any class
         thereof) by such Regulated Holder, to exceed the quantity of such
         capital stock or voting securities (or any class thereof) that such
         Regulated Holder is permitted under Applicable Law to own. Any action
         or transaction referred to in the preceding sentence shall be referred
         to herein as a "SECTION 12(B) TRANSACTION." The Company shall be
         permitted to undertake any Section 12(b) Transaction which would
         otherwise result in the ownership by any Regulated Holder of voting
         securities (or any class thereof in excess of the quantity permitted by
         Applicable Law if, in a manner reasonably satisfactory to such
         Regulated Holder, the Company shall provide or cause to be provided for
         such Regulated Holder (i) to receive in connection with any such action
         or transaction a number of shares or other units of Equivalent
         Nonvoting Securities equal to such excess in lieu of the same number of
         shares or other units of the voting securities it would otherwise have
         received or (ii) if it would not otherwise have received voting
         securities in connection with such action or transaction, to exchange a
         number of shares or other units of voting securities then held by such
         Regulated Holder equal to such excess for the same number of shares or
         other units of Equivalent Nonvoting Securities. If the Company proposes
         to undertake any action or transaction which could constitute a Section
         12(b) Transaction, it shall provide the Holders at least 15 days prior
         written notice thereof. If, in the written opinion of counsel to any
         Regulated Holder (which may be internal counsel) delivered within 10
         days following receipt of such notice, such action or transaction
         constitutes a Section 12(b) Transaction with respect to such Regulated
         Holder, then the Company shall delay undertaking such Section 12(b)
         Transaction for the purpose of using its best efforts to agree on a
         manner in which to restructure such action or transaction in a manner
         reasonably satisfactory to the Company and such Regulated Holder so
         that it no longer would constitute a Section 12(b) Transaction. If the
         Company and such Regulated Holder are unable to agree, within 20 days
         of the delivery of such written opinion, upon a manner in which to so
         restructure such Section 12(b) Transaction, and such Section 12(b)
         Transaction is a bona fide action or transaction proposed by the
         Company in good faith, then the Company shall be permitted to undertake
         such Section 12(b) Transaction if prior to or concurrently with doing
         so it purchases from such Regulated Holder, at a purchase price per
         share of Common Stock equal to the then applicable call price as
         specified in Section 10(b) above, a number (specified by such Regulated
         Holder) of Warrants (based on the number of Warrant Shares represented
         thereby) or Warrant Shares sufficient, in the written opinion of
         counsel to such Regulated Holder (which may be internal counsel), to
         prevent such Section 12(b) Transaction from causing the ownership of
         the capital stock of any Person by such Regulated Holder to

                                       14
<PAGE>   17

         exceed the quantity of such capital stock that such Regulated Holder is
         permitted under Applicable Law to own.

                  (ii) If it becomes unlawful for any Regulated Holder to
         continue to hold some or all of the Warrants or Warrant Shares held by
         it, or restrictions are imposed on any Regulated Holder by Applicable
         Law which, in the reasonable judgment of such Regulated Holder, make it
         unduly burdensome to continue to hold such Warrants or Warrant Shares,
         the Company shall (i) cooperate with such Regulated Holder in any
         efforts by such Regulated Holder to dispose of some or all of such
         Warrants or Warrant Shares in a prompt and orderly manner, including
         providing (and authorizing such Regulated Holder to provide) financial
         and other information concerning the Company to any prospective
         purchaser of such Warrants or Warrant Shares and (ii) at the request of
         such Regulated Holder, take all steps (including using its best efforts
         to cause its Organizational Documents to be amended) necessary to
         create an Equivalent Nonvoting Security with respect to the Warrant
         Shares then held by such Regulated Holder and permit such Regulated
         Holder to exchange Warrant Shares for the same number of shares or
         other units of such Equivalent Nonvoting Security; PROVIDED, that
         nothing in this subsection 12(b) shall require the Company to register
         or qualify such Warrants or Warrant Shares under any federal or state
         securities laws.

         (c) PUBLIC DISCLOSURES. The Company will not disclose any Holder's name
or identity as an investor in the Company in any press release or other public
announcement or in any written consent of such Holder, unless such disclosure is
required by applicable law or governmental regulations or by order of a court of
competent jurisdiction in which case prior to making such disclosure the Company
will give written notice to such Holder describing in reasonable detail the
proposed content of such disclosure and will permit the Holder to review and
comment upon the form and substance of such disclosure.

                                   SECTION 13.

                           ACKNOWLEDGMENTS BY HOLDERS

         Each Holder acknowledges the following:

         (a) The Common Stock of the Company is not trade on any national
exchange as defined by the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act and the
rules and regulations adopted by the Commission.

         (b) There is no orderly market or readily available market for the
Company's Common Stock.

         (c) The information and disclosures required to be made by the Company
to the Commission is not current and the Company is delinquent in its filings
with the Commission and may be for the foreseeable future.

                                       15
<PAGE>   18

                                   SECTION 14.

                                    TRANSFERS

         Each Holder, subject to the requirements of either the Securities Act
or the Securities Exchange Act and the rules and regulations adopted by the
Commission thereunder, shall be permitted to transfer not less than 50,000
Warrants or Warrant Shares (and the rights relating thereto under this Agreement
and the other Warrant Documents), to any Person other than a competitor of the
Company or any affiliate of such competitor; PROVIDED that:

                  (i) such transfer is made pursuant to a registration statement
         under the Securities Act (it being acknowledged that the Company shall
         not be obligated to assist in any manner in any such registration) or
         pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the
         Securities Act;

                  (ii) if such transfer is being made pursuant to an exemption
         from such registration requirements and if requested by the Company,
         counsel for such Holder (which counsel shall be reasonably acceptable
         to the Company) furnishes to the Company an opinion to the effect that
         such transfer is being made pursuant such an exemption;

                  (iii) the applicable transferee (or, in the case of an account
         manager, the managed account on behalf of which the account manager is
         acting) is an "accredited investor" as defined in Regulation D
         promulgated under the Securities Act;

                  (iv) such transferee represents to the Company in writing that
         it is acquiring such Warrant or Warrant Share solely for its own
         account and not as nominee or agent for any other Person and not with a
         view to, or for offer or sale in connection with, any distribution
         thereof (within the meaning of the Securities Act) that would be in
         violation of the securities laws of the United States of America or any
         state thereof, without prejudice, however, to its right at all times to
         sell or otherwise dispose of all or any part of said Warrant or Warrant
         Share pursuant to a registration statement under the Securities Act or
         pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the
         Securities Act, and subject, nevertheless, to the disposition of its
         property being at all times within its control. Such transferee shall
         also agree in writing to be party to and bound by the terms of this
         Agreement.

                                       16
<PAGE>   19

                                   SECTION 15.

                                   STANDSTILL

         Each Holder agrees that as long as it is a Holder, and for the twelve
(12) months following the date it is no longer a Holder, neither it nor any of
its Affiliates will, without the prior written consent of the Company acting
through its board of directors (it being acknowledged, however, that the
Purchasers may take such actions as are otherwise provided for in the Company's
current credit facility, as the same may be amended in accordance therewith,
without such actions being deemed to be a breach of this Section 15):

         (a)      make, or in any way participate, directly or indirectly, in
                  any solicitation of proxies or consents (as such terms are
                  used in the rules of the Commission), or seek to advise or
                  influence any person or entity, with respect to the voting of
                  any voting securities of the Company;

         (b)      initiate or propose any stockholder proposal with respect to
                  the Company as described in Rule 14a-8 under the Securities
                  Exchange Act;

         (c)      make any public announcement with respect to, or submit a
                  proposal for, or offer of (with or without conditions) any
                  extraordinary transaction involving the Company or any
                  subsidiary or division thereof or any of their securities or
                  assets;

         (d)      acquire, offer to acquire, or agree to acquire, directly or
                  indirectly, by purchase or otherwise, any voting securities or
                  direct or indirect rights to acquire any voting securities of
                  the Company, other than the Warrant Shares;

         (e)      act alone, or in concert with others, to seek to control or
                  influence the management, board of directors or policies of
                  the Company; or

         (f)      form, join or in any way participate in a "group" as defined
                  in the Securities Exchange Act, or advise, assist or encourage
                  any other persons in connection with any of the foregoing.

                                       17
<PAGE>   20

                                   SECTION 16.

                                  MISCELLANEOUS

         (a) NOTICES. Unless otherwise specifically provided herein, any notice
or other communication herein required or permitted to be given shall be in
writing and shall be made by personal service, confirmed telecopy transmission,
United States Mail or reputable courier service:

                  (i) if to Purchaser or subsequent Holder, at the address or
         telecopy number set forth on the signature pages to this Agreement, or
         such other address as shall be designated in a written notice delivered
         to the Company; and

                  (ii) if to the Company, at the address or telecopy number set
         forth on the signature pages to this Agreement, or such other address
         as shall be designated in a written notice delivered to the other
         parties hereto.

         Unless otherwise specifically provided herein, any notice or other
communication shall be deemed to have been given when delivered in person or by
courier service, upon receipt of the confirmed telecopy transmission, or three
business days after depositing it in the United States mail with postage prepaid
and properly addressed.

         (b) FAILURE OR DELAY NOT WAIVER, REMEDIES CUMULATIVE. No failure or
delay on the part of any Holder in the exercise of any power, right or privilege
hereunder or under any other Warrant Document shall impair such power, right or
privilege or be construed to be a waiver of any default or acquiescence therein,
nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such power, right or privilege
preclude other or further exercise thereof or of any other power, right or
privilege. All rights and remedies existing under this Agreement and the other
Warrant Documents are cumulative to, and not exclusive of, any rights or
remedies otherwise available.

         (c) SEVERABILITY. In case any provision in or obligation under this
Agreement or the Warrant Certificates shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable
in any jurisdiction, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining
provisions or obligations, or of such provision or obligation in any other
jurisdiction, shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

         (d) HEADINGS. Section and subsection headings in this Agreement are
included herein for convenience of reference only and shall not constitute a
part of this Agreement for any other purpose or be given any substantive effect.

         (e) APPLICABLE LAW. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND SHALL BE
CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF OHIO.

                                       18
<PAGE>   21

         (f) SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS. This Agreement shall be binding upon the
parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns and shall inure to
the benefit of the parties hereto and the successors and assigns of the
Purchasers (including each Holder and its successors and assigns).

         (g) COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement and any amendments, waivers, consents
or supplements hereto or in connection herewith may be executed in any number of
counterparts and by different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of
which when so executed and delivered shall be deemed an original, but all such
counterparts together shall constitute but one and the same instrument;
signature pages may be detached from multiple separate counterparts and attached
to a single counterpart so that all signature pages are physically attached to
the same document.

         (h) AMENDMENTS. No amendment, modification, termination or waiver of
any provision of this Agreement (including the terms of any agreement
incorporated by reference) and the Warrant Certificates or consent to any
departure by the Company therefrom, shall in any event be effective without the
written concurrence of the Holders.

                                   *    *    *

                                       19
<PAGE>   22

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized as of the
day and year first above written.

                                  INTERNATIONAL TOTAL SERVICES, INC.

                                  By: /s/ Mark D. Thompson
                                                          ---------------------
                                  Name:  Mark D. Thompson
                                                         ----------------------
                                  Title: President & CEO
                                                        -----------------------

                                  Notice Address:
                                  --------------

                                  ITS
                                  ---------------------------------------------
                                  P.O. Box 318029
                                  ---------------------------------------------
                                  Cleveland Ohio  44131
                                  ---------------------------------------------
                                  Attention: President
                                  ---------------------------------------------

                                  BANK ONE, N.A.

                                  By: /s/ T. Steven Blake
                                                         ----------------------
                                  Name: T. Steven Blake
                                  Title: First Vice President

                                  Notice Address:
                                  --------------

                                  Bank One N.A.
                                  ---------------------------------------------
                                  600 Superior Ave NE
                                  ---------------------------------------------
                                  Cleveland Ohio 44114
                                  ---------------------------------------------
                                  Attention: Managed Assets
                                  ---------------------------------------------

                                  PROVIDENT BANK

                                  By: /s/ William L. Huffman
                                                            --------------------
                                  Name: William L. Huffman, Jr
                                                               -----------------
                                  Title: Vice President
                                                       -------------------------
                                  Notice Address:
                                  --------------

                                  The Provident Bank
                                  ---------------------------------------------
                                  1111 Superior Ave
                                  ---------------------------------------------
                                  Cleveland Ohio 44114
                                  ---------------------------------------------
                                  Attention: Regional President
                                  ---------------------------------------------

                                       20
<PAGE>   23

                                    EXHIBIT A

                          [FORM OF WARRANT CERTIFICATE]

THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE WERE ORIGINALLY ISSUED ON APRIL
5, 2000, AND HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS
AMENDED. THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE (AND THE SHARES ISSUABLE
UPON EXERCISE OF SUCH SECURITIES) ARE SUBJECT TO A WARRANT AGREEMENT, DATED
APRIL 5, 2000, BY AND BETWEEN THE ISSUER OF SUCH SECURITIES (THE "COMPANY") AND
THE PURCHASERS REFERRED TO THEREIN. THE TRANSFER OF THIS CERTIFICATE IS SUBJECT
TO THE CONDITIONS SPECIFIED IN SUCH WARRANT AGREEMENT AND THE COMPANY RESERVES
THE RIGHT TO REFUSE THE TRANSFER OF THIS CERTIFICATE UNTIL SUCH CONDITIONS HAVE
BEEN FULFILLED WITH RESPECT TO SUCH TRANSFER. A COPY OF SUCH AGREEMENT WILL BE
FURNISHED WITHOUT CHARGE BY THE COMPANY TO THE HOLDER HEREOF UPON WRITTEN
REQUEST.

                   Warrants to Purchase at the Holders Option:
       Common Stock, .001 par value, of International Total Services, Inc.

No. 1                                                                __Warrants
                                                                  April 5, 2000

                               WARRANT CERTIFICATE

         This Warrant Certificate certifies that ______________________________
or registered assigns is the registered owner of ________________ Warrants, each
Warrant entitling such owner to purchase initially, at such owner's option,
subject to the provisions of Section 8 of the Warrant Agreement, one share of
Common Stock, $.001 par value ("COMMON STOCK"), of International Total Services,
Inc. (the "COMPANY") at the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 1 of the
Warrant Agreement hereinafter referred to, at any time or from time to time
until 5:00 p.m., Cleveland time, on March 31, 2007 and, subject to the terms and
conditions hereof and of the Warrant Agreement. The number of Warrant Shares
issuable upon exercise of the Warrants are subject to adjustment upon the
occurrence of certain events, as set forth in the Warrant Agreement.

         The Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate are part of a duly
authorized issue of Warrants, and are issued or to be issued pursuant to a
Warrant Agreement, dated as of April 5, 2000 (the "WARRANT AGREEMENT"), duly
executed and delivered by the Company and the Purchasers referred to therein,
which Warrant Agreement is hereby incorporated by reference in and made a part
of this instrument and is hereby referred to for a description of the rights,
limitation of rights, obligations, duties and immunities thereunder of the
Company and the holders (the words "holders" or "holder" meaning the registered
holders or registered holder) of the Warrants. A copy of the Warrant Agreement
may be obtained by the holder hereof upon written request to the Company.

         The holder of Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate may
exercise such Warrants under and pursuant to the terms and conditions of the
Warrant Agreement by surrendering this

                                       21
<PAGE>   24

Warrant Certificate, with the purchase form attached hereto (and by this
reference made a part hereof) properly completed and executed, together with
payment of the Exercise Price in accordance with the terms of the Warrant
Agreement. In the event that upon any exercise of Warrants evidenced hereby the
number of Warrants exercised shall be less that the total number of Warrants
evidenced hereby, there shall be issued by the Company to the holder hereof or
its registered assignee a new Warrant Certificate evidencing the number of
Warrants not exercised.

         The Warrant Agreement provides that upon the occurrence of certain
events the number of Warrants set forth on the face hereof may, subject to
certain conditions, be adjusted.

         Warrant Certificates, when surrendered with the assignment form
attached hereto (and by this reference made a part hereof) properly completed
and executed at the office of the Company by the registered holder thereof in
person or by a legal representative or attorney duly authorized in writing, may
be exchanged, in the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the
Warrant Agreement, but without payment of any service charge, for another
Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates of like tenor evidencing in the
aggregate a like number of Warrants.

         The Company may deem and treat the registered holder(s) hereof as the
absolute owner(s) of this Warrant Certificate (notwithstanding any notation of
ownership or other writing hereon made by anyone), for the purpose of any
exercise hereof, of any distribution to the holder(s) hereof, and for all other
purposes, and the Company shall not be affected by any notice to the contrary.

THIS WARRANT CERTIFICATE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND SHALL BE CONSTRUED AND
ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF OHIO.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant Certificate to
be signed by its Chairman of the Board, President or Vice President and attested
to by its Secretary or Assistant Secretary.

                                     INTERNATIONAL TOTAL SERVICES, INC.

                                     By:
                                        ----------------------------------------
                                     Name:
                                          --------------------------------------
                                     Title:
                                           -------------------------------------

ATTEST:

By:
    --------------------------------
Name:
Title:

                                       22
<PAGE>   25

                                  PURCHASE FORM

To:

         The undersigned, pursuant to the provisions set forth in the attached
Warrant Certificate (Certificate No. W__), hereby elects to exercise for the
purchase of _____ Warrant Shares covered by such Warrant Certificate and makes
payment herewith in full therefor at the price per share provided by such
Warrant Certificate, and directs that the Warrant Shares deliverable upon such
exercise be registered in the name and at the address specified below and
delivered thereto.

                                    [HOLDER]

                                    By:
                                       ----------------------------------------
                                    Name:
                                         --------------------------------------
                                    Title:
                                          -------------------------------------

                                    Notice Address:
                                    --------------

                                    -------------------------------------------

                                    -------------------------------------------

                                    -------------------------------------------

                                    -------------------------------------------

Date:           ,
      ---------  -----

                                       23
<PAGE>   26

                                 ASSIGNMENT FORM

         FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned, pursuant to the provisions set
forth in the attached Warrant Certificate (Certificate No. W__), hereby sells,
assigns and transfers all of its rights under such Warrant Certificate with
respect to the number of Warrant Shares covered thereby set forth below, unto:

NAMES OF ASSIGNEE                   ADDRESS                     NO. OF SHARES
-----------------                   -------                     -------------

                                    [HOLDER]

                                    By:
                                       ----------------------------------------
                                    Name:
                                         --------------------------------------
                                    Title:
                                          -------------------------------------

                                    Notice Address:
                                    --------------

                                    ------------------------------------------

                                    ------------------------------------------

                                    ------------------------------------------

                                    ------------------------------------------

Date:          ,
      ---------  -----

                                       24<PAGE>   1
                                                                   Exhibit 10.21

                            NORTH COAST ENERGY, INC.

                         1999 EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION PLAN

North Coast Energy, Inc. (the "Company") hereby adopts a stock option plan for
eligible employees of the Company and its subsidiary corporations pursuant to
the following terms and provisions.

1. PURPOSE OF THE PLAN. The purpose of this plan (the "Plan") is to provide
additional incentive to such key employees of the Company and its subsidiary
corporations as may be designated for participation herein by encouraging them
to acquire a new or an additional share ownership in the Company, thus
increasing their proprietary interest in the Company's business and providing
them with an increased personal interest in the Company's continued success and
progress and to attract and retain individuals with experience and/or ability
for the Company. These objectives will be promoted through the grant of options
to acquire shares of the Company's common stock pursuant to the terms of the
Plan. It is intended that eligible employees may be granted, simultaneously or
from time to time, "incentive stock options" under Section 422 of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), or other stock options, but no
provision of the Plan is intended or shall be construed to grant employees
alternative rights in incentive stock options and other stock options so as to
prevent options granted as incentive stock options under the Plan from
qualifying as such options within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code. In
this Plan, the terms "employees of the Company", employment by the Company", and
"in the employ of the Company", shall be deemed to include employees of,
employment by, and in the employ of, a "subsidiary corporation" or "parent
corporation" of the Company, as those terms are defined in Section 424 of the
Code.

2. EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE PLAN. The Plan shall become effective as of October 18,
1999, the date of adoption by the Board of Directors of the Company, subject to
approval by holders of shares representing a majority of the outstanding voting
stock of the Company present at a meeting of stockholders called for that
purpose.

3. ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN. The Plan shall be administered by the Stock
Option and Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company (the
"Committee") as appointed from time to time by the Board of Directors from among
its members, none of whom shall be eligible to be granted stock options under
the Plan and each of whom shall be (a) a "disinterested person" within the
meaning of Rule l6b-3(c)(2)(i) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the "34 Act") and (b) an "outside director" within the meaning of
Section 162(m)(4) of the Code.

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, the Committee shall be
authorized:

     (a)  To select the key employees to whom options may be granted;

     (b)  To determine the number of shares of Common Stock to be covered by any
          option;

     (c)  To determine the time or times when options will be granted;

     (d)  To determine the time or times when each option may be exercised;

<PAGE>   2

     (e)  To determine at the time of grant of an option under the Plan whether
          and to what extent such option is an incentive stock option entitled
          to the benefits of Section 422 of Code;

     (f)  To determine whether stock appreciation rights shall be made part of
          any option grant to any key employee employed by the Company and to
          approve such stock appreciation rights made part of any option grant
          to any key employee employed by any subsidiary corporation of the
          Company pursuant to Section 8 hereof,

     (g)  To prescribe the form of the option agreements to be granted under the
          Plan; and

     (h)  To establish such other provisions of the option agreements not
          contrary to the terms and conditions of the Plan or, where the option
          is an incentive stock option, of Section 422 of the Code as the
          Committee may deem necessary or desirable.

4. EMPLOYEES ELIGIBLE FOR OPTIONS. Options may be granted from time to time in
the discretion of the Committee only to such key employees of the Company or of
a subsidiary corporation of the Company as may be designated by the Committee
whose initiative and efforts contribute or may be expected to contribute to the
Company's continued growth and future success, including key employees who may
also be members of the Board of Directors or officers, subject to the
restrictions herein contained. Members of the Committee shall not be eligible to
participate in this Plan, or to receive options under it, while serving on the
Committee. The Committee may grant more than one option, with or without stock
appreciation rights, to the same employee. No option shall be granted to any
employee during any period of time when he is on leave of absence.

5. SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN. The shares to be issued upon the exercise of
options granted under the Plan shall be shares of common stock, par value $.01
per share of the Company ("Common Stock"). Either treasury or authorized and
unissued shares of Common Stock, or both, in such amount or amounts, within the
maximum limits of the Plan, as the Board of Directors shall from time to time
determine, may be so issued. All shares of Common Stock which are the subject of
any lapsed, expired or terminated options may be made available for reoffering
under the Plan to any eligible employee. In the event a stock appreciation right
is granted in conjunction with an option pursuant to Section 8 and such stock
appreciation right is thereafter exercised in whole or in part, then such option
or the portion thereof to which the duly exercised stock appreciation right
relates shall be deemed to have been exercised. The shares of Common Stock which
otherwise would have been issued upon exercise of such option may be made
available for reoffering under the Plan to any eligible employee.

Subject to the provisions of the next succeeding paragraph of this Section 5,
the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock for which options may be granted
under the Plan shall be four hundred thousand (400,000) shares of Common Stock.

In the event that subsequent to the date of adoption of the Plan by the Board of
Directors the authorized number of shares of Common Stock should, as a result of
a stock split, stock dividend, combination or exchange of shares, exchange for
other securities, reclassification, reorganization, redesignation, merger,
consolidation, recapitalization or other such change, be increased or decreased
or changed into or exchanged for a different number or kind of shares of stock
or other securities of the Company or of another corporation, then (i) there
shall automatically be substituted for each share of Common Stock subject to an
unexercised option (in whole or in part) granted under the Plan and each share
of Common Stock available for additional grants of options under the Plan the
number and kind of shares of stock or

<PAGE>   3

other securities into which each outstanding share of Common Stock shall be
changed or for which each such share of Common Stock shall be exchanged, (ii)
the option price per share of Common Stock or unit of securities shall be
increased or decreased proportionately so that the aggregate purchase price for
the securities subject to the option shall remain the same as immediately prior
to such event, and (iii) the Board shall make such other adjustments to the
securities subject to options and the provisions of the Plan and option
agreements as may be appropriate and equitable. Any such adjustment may provide
for the elimination of fractional shares.

 6.    OPTION PROVISIONS.

(a) Option price. The option price per share of Common Stock which is the
subject of an incentive stock option under the Plan shall be determined by the
Committee at the time of grant but shall not be less than one hundred percent
(100%) of the fair market value of the Company's shares of Common Stock on the
date such an option is granted; provided, however, that if the employee to whom
an option is granted is at the time of the grant of the option an owner as
defined in Section 425(d) of the Code of more than ten percent (10%) of the
total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any
subsidiary corporation (a "Substantial Shareholder") the option price per share
of Common Stock shall be determined by the Committee from time to time but shall
never be less than one hundred ten percent (110%) of the fair market value of
the Company's shares of Common Stock on the date such an option is granted. The
option price per share of Common Stock under each option granted pursuant to the
Plan which is not an incentive stock option shall be determined by the Committee
at the time of grant but shall not be less than fifty percent (50%) of the fair
market value of the Company's shares of Common Stock on the date such option is
granted. Such fair market value shall be determined in accordance with
procedures to be established by the Committee. The day on which the Committee
approves the granting of an option shall be considered the date on which such
option is granted.

(b) Period of option. The Committee shall determine when each option is to
expire but no option shall be exercisable for a period of more than ten (10)
years from the date upon which the option is granted; provided, however, no
incentive stock option granted to an employee who is a Substantial Shareholder
at the time of the grant of such option shall be exercisable after the
expiration of five (5) years from the date of the grant of the option.

(c) Limitation on exercise and transfer of options. No option granted hereunder
shall be transferable except (i) by the Last Will and Testament of the employee
to whom it is granted or, if the employee dies intestate, by the applicable laws
of descent and distribution, or (ii) subject to the prior approval of the
Committee, for transfers to "family members" (as defined below) or charitable
institutions (subject to such limitations as the Committee in its discretion may
impose, if necessary, to comply with applicable securities laws), in each case
subject to the condition that the Committee be satisfied that such transfer is
being made by the participant for estate planning, tax planning or donative
purposes and no consideration (other than nominal consideration or interests in
a family partnership, family corporation or other family-related entity) is
received by the participant therefor. Except as provided above, during the
lifetime of a participant, awards hereunder are exercisable only by, and payable
only to, the participant.

(d) For purposes hereof, a "family member" shall mean any child, stepchild,
grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, former spouse, sibling,
niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law,
brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships, any person
sharing the participant's household (other than a tenant or employee) a trust in
which these persons have more than fifty percent of the beneficial interest, a
foundation in which these persons (or the

<PAGE>   4

participant) control the management of assets, and any other entity in which
these persons (or the participant) own more than fifty percent of the voting
interests. No option granted hereunder may be pledged or hypothecated, nor shall
any such option be subject to execution, attachment or similar process.

(e) Employment required before exercise of option. The Committee may, in its
absolute discretion, require that prior to the exercise of all or any part of
any option granted hereunder, the optionee shall have remained in the employ of
the Company or any subsidiary corporation for a specified period after the date
of such option, but always subject to the right of the Company or any such
subsidiary corporation to terminate his employment during such period, or the
Committee may determine to make any option granted hereunder immediately
exercisable. Each option shall be subject to such additional restrictions as to
the time and method of exercise as shall be prescribed by the Committee. Upon
completion of the required period or periods of employment, if any, the option
or the appropriate portion thereof may be exercised in whole or in part from
time to time during the option period, but this right of exercise shall be
limited to whole shares. Options shall be exercised by the optionee giving
written notice to the Company of intention to exercise the same accompanied by
full payment of the purchase price in cash or, with the consent of the
Committee, in whole or in part through the delivery of shares of Common Stock
having a fair market value on the date the option is exercised equal to that
portion of the purchase price for which payment in cash is not made. '

(f) Termination of employment. If the optionee ceases to be an employee of the
Company or one of its subsidiary corporations, his option shall, unless extended
by the Committee on or before his date of termination of employment, terminate
on the effective date of termination of his employment and neither he nor any
other person shall have any right after such date to exercise all or any part of
his option. If, however, the cessation of employment is because of such
optionee's death, then the option may be exercised within twelve (12) months
after the optionee's death by the optionee's estate or the person designated in
the optionee's Last Will and Testament or to whom transferred by the applicable
laws of descent and distribution. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event
shall any option be exercisable after the expiration of the option period and
not to any greater extent than the optionee would have been entitled to exercise
the option at the time of his death.

(g) In the event an employee of the Company or one of its subsidiaries is
granted a leave of absence by the Company or such subsidiary to enter military
service or because of sickness, his employment with the Company or such
subsidiary shall not be considered as terminated and he shall be deemed an
employee of the Company or such subsidiary during such leave of absence or any
extension thereof granted by the Company or such subsidiary.

(h) Limitations on grant of incentive stock options. The aggregate fair market
value, determined as of the date an incentive stock option is granted, of the
shares of Common Stock for which any employee may be granted incentive stock
options which are exercisable for the first time in any calendar year shall not
exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000).

7. AMENDMENTS TO PLAN. The Committee is authorized to interpret the Plan and
from time to time adopt any rules and regulations for carrying out the Plan that
it may deem advisable. Subject to the approval of the Board of Directors of the
Company, the Committee may at any time amend, modify, suspend or terminate the
Plan. In no event, however, without the approval of shareholders, shall any
action of the Committee or the Board of Directors result in:

     (a)  Amending, modifying or altering the eligibility requirements provided
          in Section 4 hereof;

<PAGE>   5

     (b)  Increasing or decreasing, except as provided in Section 5 hereof, the
          maximum number of shares as to which options may be granted;

     (c)  Decreasing the minimum option price per share at which options may be
          granted under the Plan as provided in Section 6(a) hereof;

     (d)  Extending either the maximum period during which an option is
          exercisable as provided in Section 6(b) hereof or the date on which
          the Plan shall terminate as provided in Section II hereof;

     (e)  Changing the requirements relating to the Committee; or

     (f)  Making any other change which would cause any options granted under
          the Plan as incentive stock options not to qualify as such options
          within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code;

except to conform the Plan and the option agreements to changes in the Code or
governing law.

8. STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS. A key employee may be awarded, either at the time
of grant or subsequently, the right to elect alternative payment in lieu of
exercising all or a portion of the options granted to him. Stock appreciation
rights must be specifically granted upon such terms and conditions as specified
by the Committee, if the Company is the employer of the key employee, or by the
Board of Directors of a subsidiary corporation subject to the Committee's
approval, if such subsidiary corporation is the employer of the key employee. No
optionee shall be entitled to such rights solely as a result of the grant of an
option to him. Such right if granted, may be exercised by said option holder
either with respect to all or a portion of the option to which it applies. Stock
appreciation rights are exercisable only during the periods beginning on the
third business day following the release of a summary statement of the Company's
quarterly or annual sales and earnings and ending on the twelfth business day
following said date. The stock appreciation right shall provide that an option
holder shall have the right to receive an amount equal to one hundred percent
(100%) of the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the shares of Common
Stock covered by the option, determined as of the date of exercise of the stock
appreciation right by the Committee in the same manner as such value is
determined for purposes of the granting of options, over the option price. Such
amount shall be payable by either the Company or the subsidiary corporation,
whichever such corporation is the employer of the key employee, in one or more
of the following manners, as shall be determined by the Committee, if the
Company is the employer of the key employee, or by the Board of Directors of the
subsidiary corporation subject to the Committee's approval, if such subsidiary
corporation is the employer of the key employee:

     (a)  cash;

     (b)  fully-paid shares of Common Stock having a fair market value equal to
          such amount; or

     (c)  a combination of cash and shares of Common Stock.

In no event may any person exercise any stock appreciation rights granted
hereunder unless (i) such person is then permitted to exercise the option or the
portion thereof with respect to which such stock appreciation rights relate, and
(ii) the fair market value of the shares of Common Stock covered by the

<PAGE>   6

option, determined as provided above, exceeds the option price of such shares of
Common Stock. Upon the exercise of any stock appreciation rights, the option, or
that portion thereof to which such stock appreciation rights relate, shall be
cancelled and such person shall surrender such option for cancellation and
reissuance, if appropriate. Stock appreciation rights granted hereunder shall be
made a part of the option agreements in such form as the Committee shall approve
from time to time and which shall not be inconsistent with this Plan. The
granting of an option or stock appreciation right shall impose no obligation
upon the optionee to exercise such option or right. The Company's or a
subsidiary corporation's obligation to satisfy stock appreciation rights shall
not be funded or secured in any manner.

9. INVESTMENT REPRESENTATION, APPROVALS AND LISTING. The Committee may, if it
deems appropriate, condition its grant of any option hereunder upon receipt of
the following investment representation from the optionee:

          "I further agree that any shares of Common Stock of North Coast
          Energy, Inc. which I may acquire by virtue of this option shall be
          acquired for investment purposes only and not with a view to
          distribution or resale; provided, however, that this restriction shall
          become inoperative in the event the said shares of Common Stock
          subject to this option shall be registered under the Securities Act of
          1933, as amended, or in the event there is presented to North Coast
          Energy, Inc. an opinion of counsel satisfactory to North Coast Energy,
          Inc. to the effect that the offer or sale of the shares of Common
          Stock subject to this option may lawfully be made without registration
          of the said shares of stock under the Securities Act of 1933, as
          amended."

The Company shall not be required to issue any certificate or certificates for
shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of an option or a stock appreciation
right granted under the Plan prior to (i) the obtaining of any approval from any
governmental agency which the Company shall, in its sole discretion, determine
to be necessary or advisable, (ii) the admission of such shares to listing on
any national securities exchange on which the shares of Common Stock may be
listed, (iii) the completion of any registration or other qualification of the
shares of Common Stock under any state or federal law or ruling or regulations
of any governmental body which the Company shall, in its sole discretion,
determine to be necessary or advisable or the determination by the Company, in
its sole discretion, that any registration or other qualification of the shares
of Common Stock is not necessary or advisable and (iv) the obtaining of an
investment representation from the optionee in the form stated above or in such
other form as the Company, in its sole discretion, shall determine to be
adequate.

10. GENERAL PROVISIONS. The form and substance of option agreements and grants
of stock appreciation rights, whether granted at the same or different times,
need not be identical.

Nothing in the Plan or in any option agreement shall confer upon any employee
any right to continue in the employ of the Company or any of its subsidiary
corporations, to be entitled to any remuneration or benefits not set forth in
the Plan or such option, or to interfere with or limit the right of the Company
or any subsidiary corporation to terminate his employment at any time, with or
without cause. No employee of the Company or other person shall have any right
to be granted an award under the Plan except in the discretion of the Committee.

Nothing contained in the Plan or in any option agreement shall be construed as
entitling any optionee to any rights of a shareholder as a result of the grant
of an option until such time as shares of Common

<PAGE>   7

Stock are actually issued to such optionee pursuant to the exercise of an option
or stock appreciation rights.

The Plan may be assumed by the successors and assigns of the Company.

The liability of the Company under the Plan and any distribution of Common Stock
made hereunder is limited to the obligations set forth herein with respect to
such distribution and no. term or provision of the Plan shall be construed to
impose any liability on the Company in favor of any person with respect to any
loss, cost or expense which the person may incur in connection with or arising
out of any transaction in connection with the Plan, including, but not limited
to, any liability to any federal, state, or local tax authority and/or any
securities regulatory authority.

The cash proceeds received by the Company from the issuance of shares of Common
Stock pursuant to the Plan will be used for general corporate purposes or in
such other manner as the Board of Directors deems appropriate.

The expense of administering the Plan shall be borne by the Company.

The captions and section numbers appearing in the Plan are inserted only as a
matter of convenience. They do not define, limit, construe or describe the scope
or intent of the provisions of the Plan.

11. TERMINATION OF THE PLAN. The Plan shall terminate on the tenth (10th)
anniversary of the adoption hereof by the Board of Directors, and thereafter no
options shall be granted hereunder. All options outstanding at the time of
termination of the Plan shall continue in full force and effect according to
their terms and the terms and conditions of the Plan. The Board may at any time
terminate or from time to time amend the Plan in whole or in part, but no such
action shall adversely affect any rights or obligations with respect to any
awards theretofore made under the Plan.

12. TAXES. Appropriate provisions shall be made for all taxes required to be
withheld and/or paid in connection with the options or the exercise thereof and
the transfer of Common Stock pursuant thereto, under the applicable laws or
other regulations of any governmental authority, whether federal, state, or
local and whether domestic or foreign. In its discretion, the Company may permit
the optionee to satisfy such withholding requirements by (a) the Company
withholding from issuance to the optionee such number of Common Stock otherwise
issuable upon exercise of the option as the Company and the optionee may agree,
provided, however, that the optionee must have had on file with the Company, for
at least six (6) months prior thereto, an effective standing election to satisfy
said optionee's tax withholding obligations in such a fashion, which election
form by its terms shall not be revocable or amendable for at least six (6)
months, or (b) with the consent of the Board, in whole or in part, in Common
Stock having a fair market value on the date the option is exercised equal to
that portion of the withholding obligation for which payment in cash is not
made.

13. CHANGES IN GOVERNING RULES AND RELATIONS. All references herein to the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or sections thereof, or to rules and
regulations of the Department of Treasury or of the Securities and Exchange
Commission, shall mean and include the Code sections thereof and such rules and
regulations as are now in effect or as they may be subsequently amended,
modified, substituted or superseded.

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