William felt annoyed at the thought that this was the first time someone had deliberately targeted him. He was also eager to know just how skilled the assassin Ghost was. After all, this was a top-tier killer. But after considering how little time had passed, William calmed down. "Let me know when there's an update."
"Understood, Sir."
During lunch, while watching TV, William saw news coverage about his mother, Lena, taking over Chelsea Football Club. Seeing his mother's beaming face, he felt genuinely happy for her.
But his mood quickly soured when Sunday reported, "Sir, Susan Plummer just booked a flight to London for tomorrow at 3 PM."
"Susan Plummer?" William paused for a few seconds, recalling the name. "Robert McCall's former CIA supervisor?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Dammit," William muttered under his breath. He waved for David, the butler, and the maids to leave, then walked over to the suite's large window, gazing out at the park below. After a long moment of silence, he said quietly, "Even after retiring, you're still causing trouble. Should I commend you for your patriotism, or mock you for overestimating yourself, Robert McCall?"
He stood there for a few more minutes before letting out a slight hum. "Since you've turned traitor, I suppose you've already prepared yourself for being taken out, haven't you?" With a smirk, William walked back to the table and continued his lunch. "Check what McCall's former teammates are up to."
"Please hold, Sir."
William had just finished lunch when Sunday's voice came back. "Sir, Robert McCall's former teammates are Ali, Resnik, Kovacs, and Dave. On the surface, they're CIA operatives, but in secret, they've been using their positions to gather intelligence and take private jobs through the dark web. As long as the pay is right, they'll do anything."
"The dark web, huh? Looks like they're still small-time players. That's better for me. Now, help me find a city planner named Carlbert in Brussels, Belgium."
"Understood, Sir."
A few minutes later, a photo of Carlbert appeared on William's phone. "Sir, after searching several confidential databases, I've found that this Carlbert is highly suspicious. There's a 70% chance he's a CIA covert operative."
"Not 70%. He definitely is. He's been deeply embedded for a long time. Issue a contract for Dave's team: the target is Carlbert. The commission is 2 million dollars, with a 24-hour deadline. For every six hours they complete early, they'll get an additional 1 million dollars."
"Understood, Sir. The contract has been issued."
Soon after, in New York, Dave's phone buzzed with a notification. He opened the mission details and grinned. Two million dollars—the highest commission they'd ever received since forming their team. Not only was the pay double the usual rate, but there was also a bonus for finishing early.
However, the tight deadline made Dave frown, though it wasn't insurmountable. In the past, they'd used their special agent privileges to exploit certain resources more than once. As long as they had a legitimate reason, no one would question them.
As for being specifically chosen for the mission, Dave wasn't concerned. They had a high completion rate, and this wasn't the first time they'd been requested by name.
Back at his office, Dave pulled a new phone from his drawer and called Ali, one of his teammates. The phone rang briefly before Ali answered. "Hey, Dave, long time no see."
"Long time no see, Ali. Are you free in three days? Let's catch up. I know a newly opened bar, and I'd love to grab a drink with you."
"Drinks? Sure thing. Send me the address. I'll check it out first. If it's good, I'll let Resnik and Kovacs know."
"Haha, you don't trust my taste? Fine, I'll send it to you." Dave pulled out his usual phone and texted Ali the address.
Hearing the message notification, Ali laughed. "Last time we went to a place you picked, the food wasn't great. I'll let you know once I've checked it out."
"Alright, I'll wait for your call."
After hanging up, Ali, who had been all smiles, quickly grabbed his car keys and headed to their secret base. Everything he had said earlier had been a cover. The only useful part of the conversation was the mention of 'meeting in three days,' which was code for an upcoming mission.
At the base, Ali accessed a server that stored a CIA database. These files were the result of Dave's years of slowly pulling information out, giving them a significant intelligence advantage. This was how they'd avoided crossing paths with any major powers for so long, though the database was incomplete due to Dave's access level.
After a quick search, Ali found Carlbert's profile. Seeing that he was merely a city planner, Ali assumed Carlbert had gotten on the wrong side of a Belgian real estate group.
He sent a simple 'OK, see you in three days' message to Dave.
Seeing the text, Dave smiled. It seemed the target wasn't anyone important. A classified order for Ali's team to head to the Netherlands soon appeared on Dave's desk.
Eleven hours later, William, who had been asleep next to Abigail, was woken by Sunday's voice. "Sir, Dave's team has completed the mission."
Still groggy, William gently let go of Abigail, got out of bed, and, wearing his nightclothes, walked out of the bedroom. "How did they move so fast?"
"Ali's team took a military transport plane directly to the Netherlands. After landing, it only took them two hours to drive to Brussels. They arrived around 11 PM, which was perfect timing."
"Hmm, now we'll see what happens next." William walked over to the liquor cabinet, opened a bottle of whiskey, and took a satisfying sip. After a moment of thought, he said, "Send a message to McCall. His mission is in Thailand, to find Ba Mian Fo."
"Tell him that Ba Mian Fo has committed numerous atrocities over the years, and this mission isn't just to eliminate a threat—it's personal. Ba Mian Fo killed my uncle, and I want revenge. If McCall can help me find him, he'll receive a 2-million-dollar reward, and I'll donate 5 million dollars to charity in Africa. If he takes Ba Mian Fo out, the reward will be 10 million. If he doesn't want to donate, then the 7 or 12 million will be his."
"Understood, Sir. The order has been sent. A private plane will be waiting for him at the airport in an hour." After a brief pause, Sunday added, "Sir, I must remind you that telling McCall about your uncle could expose your cousin."
"I've already sent Yin Yang to China, haven't I? China is a huge country. With enough money, we can relocate him to a different city. Besides, his last name is Qin, not Chen. Only someone with the last name Chen is related to me."
William continued, "McCall isn't an idiot. If I don't give him a plausible reason, he'll get suspicious of my intentions. This way, I can set him and Ba Mian Fo against each other. Let's hope McCall can really flush out that snake Ba Mian Fo."
"And once he's found, I'll throw Ba Mian Fo and his entire family into a crocodile pit." William's hand clenched so tightly that he crushed the glass he was holding.
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