As William reached the second floor, he raised a finger at Benjamin a few meters behind him. Benjamin quickly nodded, watching nervously as William took out four knives and held them between his fingers.
William leaned halfway around the staircase corner and threw two knives from his right hand, taking down the two closest enemies. He followed this with two more knives from his left hand.
Then, glancing at Benjamin, who looked stunned at how easy it was, he said, "Follow me."
Benjamin hurried up the stairs with Emily in his arms, arriving just in time to see William pulling another knife off a fallen thug. He left the knife embedded in the thug's head untouched.
"Hold Emily tight and don't let her see any of this."
"Got it."
When Benjamin lingered, staring at the four dead bodies with knives lodged in their heads, William scoffed. "Stop gawking. They're just knives. Is it that surprising?"
"It is surprising," Benjamin replied, shaking his head. "As far as I know, not even the most elite soldier, like Banning, could throw four knives in one go, hitting their targets in the head. In fact, I doubt he could do it as precisely even with one knife. How did you train for this?"
William shrugged without responding, but Benjamin wasn't offended. Instead, he grinned and said, "Maybe I should have my son Connor spend more time around you."
"First, you couldn't afford me. Second, are you sure you want your son exposed to all this violence?"
"Buddy, you don't get it. The Arthur family is Texas-bred cowboys," Benjamin laughed, mimicking a gun with his hand. "Since we were eight, we've learned to hunt with our elders. Last fall, Connor even hunted a wild boar by himself. So don't lump us in with those nouveau riche families who lack real heritage."
"Well, I'm a nouveau riche myself," William said as he turned to leave.
"No, no, buddy. You can't be considered nouveau riche," Benjamin said, trailing behind him. "You were born into a noble family and simply revived it after a rough patch. And you're England's twenty-fourth Duke. Nouveau riche? That's being modest to the point of dishonesty."
"Ha, I guess being titled has its perks," William shrugged. "Before I inherited the title, the media didn't see it your way."
"That's just jealousy," Benjamin said seriously. "William, you're too extraordinary. It's hard for many people to accept that their life's achievements don't even measure up to a few of your days. Honestly, even if I were the president, I'd sometimes feel envious of you."
"Alright, alright, say all the nice things you want, but I still won't teach your son. If I had the time, I'd rather take Emily to an amusement park, right, dear Emily?"
"Can I talk now?" Emily asked quietly from Benjamin's arms.
"Of course."
Talking as they climbed to the third floor, William snapped his fingers, prompting Sunday—who controlled the entire White Palace—to open the electronic door leading to the rooftop armory. Already aware of the positions of the armed intruders, William pushed open the door, then dashed forward, throwing all his knives at the caught-off-guard enemies.
A series of dull thuds filled the air, and as the knives struck, William swiftly drew two silenced pistols from under his arms, aiming at three intruders who hadn't been hit by the knives. He shot them swiftly and then moved to finish off anyone the knives hadn't killed.
After a few more quiet shots, William surveyed the armory. Fortunately, his knife-throwing skills had been precise, sparing him from the risk of accidentally hitting any explosives. Otherwise, if a stray bullet or a dying intruder triggered a grenade, this armory full of rockets might have blown sky-high.
Satisfied, he motioned for Benjamin to bring Emily into the armory. After closing the electronic door, Sunday immediately locked it. While it wasn't as secure as a bunker, it could still withstand gunfire.
Looking up at William after hearing the commotion, Emily asked, "Can I visit your castle? My teacher said it's the largest castle in Europe—100,000 times the size of our school. Mr. Devonshire, how big is 100,000?"
"Well, it's probably a bit larger than Washington, D.C.," William said, unsure himself. His castle's grounds covered around 37,000 acres, about 149.8 square kilometers.
"As long as your mom agrees, I'd be happy to have you visit Oxford Castle. I could even take you horseback riding, fishing, or even camping if you're not scared."
"Really?" Emily asked with excitement.
"Really," William replied, nodding with a smile.
"Then it's a promise, right? I'll tell my mom, and we'll go to the castle?" Emily asked expectantly.
"OK."
After getting his confirmation, little Emily tilted her head and gave William a sweet smile. "I like you, Mr. Devonshire."
Her cuteness made both William and Benjamin laugh. Moments later, Sunday reported, "Sir, Delta's helicopter is three minutes away."
"Ready to go, Mr. President?" William asked, glancing at Benjamin.
Benjamin nodded immediately. "Absolutely."
Watching Emily, William pulled out an earpiece and put it in her ear, having Sunday play a children's song for her. Then he turned to Benjamin apologetically, "With Emily here, you probably won't be able to personally take down any of the criminals."
"Ha, buddy, that's fine. This outcome is actually great," Benjamin laughed. "Think about it. I'm the president, saving and protecting a cute little girl. That'll probably earn me more goodwill than killing ten criminals. Besides, not everyone likes a president who kills with his own hands."
William thought for a moment, realizing that saving people indeed won more public favor than taking lives. "Why not wait on the rooftop once Delta arrives? Insist on staying until all the hostages in the White Palace are rescued before you leave?"
After some thought, Benjamin shook his head. "No, that would be overdoing it. It'd look too staged. The best approach is to leave right away, expose Eli's crimes, and personally send in a team to finish off Amir Bakavi, who came back from the dead."
Looking at William, Benjamin added expectantly, "As long as you're willing to take the job, I'd like Bakavi's body delivered personally."
After a pause, William reminded him, "Leaving by helicopter now isn't a good idea. Don't forget, just over a month ago, Bakavi's group used shoulder-fired missiles to take down three Navy One helicopters. Anyone desperate to kill you would do anything, so if I were you, I'd stay put unless traveling by land."
These words made Benjamin reconsider his eagerness to leave the White Palace, realizing William's concern was valid.
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