Bab 168: Chapter 168: The British Counterattack
Detective Émilien and his partner, Daniel, walked into the foyer of the Ministry of Public Safety, showing their credentials to the approaching guards and announcing, "Detective Émilien and Daniel reporting for duty."
The guard glanced at their credentials, then at their faces, and replied, "Wait here, please." He took their credentials and walked away.
Émilien and Daniel waited, observing the guard as he approached several other guards, exchanged a few words, and then moved to a counter where a civilian staff member sat. They engaged in a brief conversation, after which the civilian staff member rose and retrieved a large folder from a filing cabinet.
The civilian staff member checked the folder, compared it with the credentials, nodded at the guard, and said something before returning the credentials to him.
The guard approached the two men, handed back their credentials, and pointed at a nearby table, saying, "Do you have any weapons with you? If so, please place them here."
Émilien nodded and stepped forward, reaching into his coat to pull out a revolver, which he placed on the table. Daniel followed suit, producing two standard pistols from his waist and two folding knives from the pockets on either side of his jacket. He then unbuttoned his coat, revealing a multitude of small pockets inside, each containing knives of varying sizes and shapes.
The staff member, sitting behind the table, didn't seem surprised by this. He simply handed them a piece of paper and said, "Please write down the names and quantities of these items in this column."
Émilien quickly filled in the form and stood by, waiting for Daniel.
"I told you, when you come to the Ministry of Public Safety, you don't need to bring so many things," Émilien couldn't help but complain as he watched Daniel diligently complete the form.
After a considerable amount of time, Daniel finished listing all his various belongings. A guard even conducted an additional check before allowing them to proceed to the office area.
Accompanied by two guards, they passed through the foyer, went through another door, crossed a garden, and finally arrived at the rear administrative offices.
The guards escorted them to the door of a small building. Two other guards checked their credentials and then ushered them into the building, taking them to a second-floor office.
One of the guards knocked on the door gently. "Minister, Detectives Émilien and Daniel are here."
"Please, come in," came the minister's voice from inside.
The guards pushed the door open, and Émilien and Daniel entered.
"Please, have a seat," Fouché said, glancing at them briefly, indicating the chairs. He continued, "I've read your report. You've discovered..."
"Breaking news: Around 10 AM today, an assassination attempt was made against Congressman Lucien Bonaparte in the heart of Paris. The assailant threw several bombs at a carriage believed to be carrying Congressman Lucien. The attack resulted in dozens of casualties among innocent civilians. However, Congressman Lucien was not in the carriage that day..."
Lucien put down the newspaper and turned to Fouché. "Minister Fouché, can we start tightening the noose now?"
"Not yet," Fouché replied. "We still have hurdles to overcome if we want to expand our powers without causing widespread panic."
"But aren't you worried about being accused of incompetence by others?" Lucien asked.
Fouché chuckled. "In ordinary times, everyone would be eyeing this chair I'm sitting in, ready to pounce. But right now, this chair is scalding hot. Who would dare to sit in it at a time like this? Besides, even if someone is ignorant enough not to know what they're getting into, do you really think they would want to occupy this position in such a dire situation?"
A week later, a fierce battle erupted near the residence of the Director Jean-François Leber, where an unidentified armed group attempted to attack his home. They engaged in a firefight with the rapidly arriving Paris police.
"Our police arrived in time and protected Director Leber's family, eliminating at least three assailants," Fouché reported during a parliamentary hearing.
"Fouché, as per your own account, the police were aware of these criminals' activities before the incident. Why couldn't you apprehend them before the attack? Why let them launch the assault?" one of the parliamentarians asked.
Fouché responded, "If you want us to arrest and interrogate suspects on mere suspicion, like the old Committee of Public Safety, then sure, we could have rounded them up beforehand. Is that what you want?"
"That's not what I meant, but... can't you enhance the efficiency of the police department and gather evidence to capture them all?" the parliamentarian inquired.
Fouché laughed heartily, as if he had heard the funniest joke. "Bézons, do you know how much of the budget the entire police system in Paris consumes today? Two-thirds of what the old Committee of Public Safety spent! Do you know how many detectives are in the police force today? Half of what there was during the Committee of Public Safety! In such conditions, we have constraints to abide by; we cannot arrest and interrogate based on suspicion alone. Frankly, I'm content that my team even identified the suspects in advance.
Of course, if Mr. Bézons is unsatisfied and willing to sit in my chair, I can certainly oblige."
Bézons, of course, knew that these assailants were still at large and might even launch new attacks. Moreover, their decisiveness and experience appeared far beyond the previous riffraff of royalists. These individuals showed no signs of backing down. In this situation, taking Fouché's position would be synonymous with taking the blame.
"Fouché, that wasn't what I meant," Bézons hastily responded. "I simply hope that the police department can find ways to enhance security. Of course, you're the expert..."
Seeing Bézons backtrack, another parliamentarian stood up and asked, "Minister Fouché, you mentioned earlier that the police department swiftly responded to the situation, engaged with the assailants, and protected Director Leber's family. But why did the attackers manage to breach Director Leber's residence and cause significant damage? I heard that the police suffered even greater losses than the assailants. Is this true?"
Fouché replied, "Indeed. In last night's battle, once we sensed the potential threat, we immediately dispatched all available police forces. However, due to the shortage of police personnel in Paris, the number we could send was not significantly higher than that of the assailants. Furthermore, the assailants were better trained and equipped than our officers. In our police force, due to budget constraints, only police chiefs and above carry revolvers capable of semi-automatic firing. Regular officers are equipped with single-shot pistols, batons, and knives. But the assailants who attacked last night were each armed with two British-made revolvers, as well as 'Bonaparte's Sweet Melon,' a British imitation. I examined the bodies of the three slain assailants, and they all had a common feature, gentlemen. Do you know what it was?"
"I... I have no idea," Bézons replied.
"The second joint of their right index fingers had thick calluses," Fouché revealed. "Those with calluses in this location, please raise your hand. Let everyone see what commonality these individuals share."
Several individuals, including Carnot, raised their hands. They all had military backgrounds.
"Only those who frequently fire guns have calluses in this spot. Gentlemen, these assailants are not what you imagine—petty thugs lurking in dark alleys, brandishing knives to rob innocent girls. They are a well-organized, highly trained military force.
In yesterday's engagement, we were essentially sacrificing our own officers, using our blood and lives to block them and protect Director Leber's family. Had it not been for our concern that the nearby National Guard might arrive, these assailants could have wiped out our officers entirely. The skirmish lasted less than ten minutes, and we initially had them surrounded. But in those few minutes, we lost over twenty young men. Gentlemen, what we face now is not a gang of ruffians but an infiltrated army within Paris!"
The entire parliamentary hall erupted in chaos. People were talking loudly to each other, some shouting at Fouché, while others argued among themselves. The presiding officer, Mr. Oudot, pounded his gavel on the table in vain. "Order, order! Those who wish to ask Minister Fouché questions, please do so in an orderly fashion. Maintain order!"
However, the reminder had little effect, as the parliamentarians largely ignored it. After a considerable amount of time, Mr. Oudot's arm grew sore, and the assembly finally managed to regain some semblance of order.
"All right," Oudot said. "It's now the turn of the representatives from District 3 to ask questions. Mr. Grizmann, do you have any questions for Minister Fouché?"
Grizmann stood up and asked, "Minister Fouché, I'd like to know what kind of support you need to capture or eliminate these individuals."
Fouché replied, "Support? Well, if we want to apprehend or eliminate them, we need a lot of support, gentlemen."
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