Chapitre 186: Chapter 186: Meeting with the Church
In the evening, William received a text message with just two words: "Thank you." After a moment's thought, William realized it was from Victoria. He smiled and replied, "You're welcome."
After dinner, he entered the system and examined the technology page, feeling delighted with what he saw. Just then, he received a text message from the Church requesting a meeting.
The meeting itself was no surprise; William had been waiting for the Church's call. What surprised him was the location: Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. What was the Church doing asking him to go to Las Vegas?
Curious, William sent a "?" in reply. About ten minutes later, the Church called him, "Hello, William."
"You sound very happy," William said.
"Of course, I finally have a vacation to see my wife. How can I not be happy?" the Church replied.
Hearing this surprised William, "You have a wife?"
"Damn it, William, I'm nearly 60. Do you think I wouldn't have a wife? I even have two kids."
Hearing this, William relaxed a bit. Although Victoria had told him that the Church was someone he could absolutely trust, hearing that he had a wife and kids reassured William further. This man wouldn't betray him, knowing the repercussions it would bring upon his family.
"Alright, my mistake. I thought someone like you wouldn't have a family. I'll meet you in five hours. We can discuss everything then."
"OK, see you at the café on the third floor of Caesar's Palace in five hours."
After hanging up, William booked a private jet straight to Las Vegas. Upon landing, he saw a convoy consisting of a Rolls-Royce and two SUVs waiting for him.
As he got off the plane, a woman in her thirties, who looked like a housekeeper, greeted him, "Good evening, Mr. Devonshire. I am Jessie, your exclusive housekeeper at Caesar's Palace. During your stay in Las Vegas, I will be at your service for anything you need. Please, get in the car."
William spent half an hour getting to Caesar's Palace, where he took a shower in the presidential suite and changed into the formal attire Jessie had brought him. Jessie then led William, accompanied by two stunning maids, to the third-floor café.
Upon entering, William saw the Church sitting by the window, drinking coffee and enjoying the view of Las Vegas at night. William approached and said, "Hi, Willis. Why are you alone? Weren't you here to see your wife?"
The Church sighed and shook his head, "You can call me Frank. My name in the Secret Service is Frank Moses. And could you ask these lovely ladies to leave? Unlike you, I'm not a noble. Having people around makes me uncomfortable."
William glanced at Jessie and the two maids. "Sorry, Frank. I thought you'd be with your wife," he said, then turned to Jessie, "This gentleman wants some privacy. You can wait over there and have something to eat or drink. It's on me."
Jessie smiled and nodded, "Sure. We'll be over there if you need us, Mr. Devonshire. Thank you."
Once they left, Frank teased William, "Looks like your reputation for being a playboy has spread through the upper class. Even Caesar's Palace knows to assign you a beautiful housekeeper."
"Heh, I'm rich, I'm young, and most importantly, I'm a noble. Shouldn't someone like me appear glamorous in public and surrounded by beauties in private?"
William's smug expression made Frank want to punch him. Instead, he shifted to a mysterious tone, "I heard these exclusive housekeepers and maids fulfill some special needs. Have you tried it yet?"
"Oh, God, can you not talk about that? I'm just a bit of a playboy, not a philanderer," William said, rolling his eyes at Frank's mischievous grin. "Tell me about your wife. Why is she working here? You live in New York, right? Are you two separated?"
"Alright, let's get to business," Frank said, becoming serious. "I need your help. Consider it payment for keeping your secrets."
"What do you need?" William asked, dropping his joking tone.
"It's about what I discussed with Barney a few months ago. I need his team to go to Isla Blanca in South America to take out a local leader."
"Ha, that's it? As long as you pay them, Barney and his team wouldn't refuse. Why did you drag me all the way to Las Vegas for something that could be handled with a phone call?"
"Because it's safer here. I'm visiting my wife, and you're here for fun," Frank smiled, looking at William. "As for the money, there's a bit of a complication."
"What complication? I know your department isn't short on funds. Last time at Black Mountain, you lost twenty million to me without blinking."
"We're not short on money, but this time, I don't want to pay," Frank said, smiling.
William looked at him in surprise, quickly understanding. "How much did the Secret Service allocate for this mission that made you so tempted to pocket it?"
"Five million dollars, all in untraceable cash. It won't show up in any records. Wouldn't you be tempted?"
"You're willing to consider my favor worth just five million? Frank, are you out of your mind? If anyone finds out, you'd be fired immediately, if not worse."
"Heh, I've heard some things about you, William. You're quite impressive. If I don't give you some leverage over me, you might just have me eliminated someday. This way, you're reassured, and I get to keep the money for my retirement. Maybe we can even work together for some side income after I retire, just like Victoria."
"Heh," William forced a smile, suspecting Frank might be trying to infiltrate his inner circle. "We'll talk about it when you actually retire. Maybe we can work together; I provide the funds, and you handle the operations."
"Deal. Happy to cooperate."
"Happy to cooperate."
They clinked their coffee cups. Frank handed William a dossier, "Here are the details."
William already had a good idea of what was inside but went through it to avoid raising suspicion. The information matched his memories, except it lacked details about a Secret Service traitor. William tapped the dossier, squinting at Frank, "This information is incomplete. Are you messing with me, Frank?"
"What?" Frank looked shocked at William's reaction, then realized, "You know?"
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