Sloan's words reminded Fox and the others of recent days when several Brotherhood members had been killed by long-range sniping. They had always assumed it was the work of Carlos, the Cross. This sniper was not only highly skilled but also extremely cunning, retreating immediately after each shot without bothering to confirm the kill.
Even when ambushed, the sniper escaped unscathed, leading the Brotherhood to believe that no one but Carlos, who knew them intimately, could anticipate their every move so precisely.
What they hadn't realized was that Bob Lee Swagger had been able to slip away because all the ambushing assassins were under Sunday's surveillance.
With Sunday tracking the Brotherhood's every move, there was no way they could catch Swagger.
Now, with Sloan's analysis, they not only concluded that Swagger was the one who killed X but also allowed William to remain hidden in the shadows.
The gunsmith sighed after some thought. "It's a shame we can't recover the bullet that hit X. If we had it, we could compare it and confirm whether Carlos was the one who shot him."
"Whether the sniper was Carlos or not," Sloan said gravely, "our priority now is to find a way to eliminate him." He stared at Fox, the gunsmith, the unarmed combat master known as the Mechanic, and the cold weapons expert, the Butcher.
"Given Carlos's understanding of us, he won't give us the chance to corner him. The moment he senses danger, he'll go into hiding and pick us off one by one from the shadows."
"That's why we need someone who can get close to him—someone he wouldn't dare harm." Sloan tossed four files onto the table. "If you don't want to die or see the centuries-old Brotherhood destroyed by one man, bring back these people suspected to be Carlos's sons. One by one, we'll try them."
Fox and the others understood how risky it was to act alone in such circumstances. However, they also couldn't stand the idea of remaining passive, cowering like rats in the textile mill while Carlos kept up his relentless attacks.
Splitting up to search was risky, but even with help, Carlos could only take on two of them at most at a time. They feared Carlos but didn't regard any other potential adversaries as significant threats.
With that, Fox was the first to step forward, picking up one of the files and flipping through it.
The other three soon followed suit, coming to terms with the logic of the situation and picking up the remaining files.
After reading about Wesley, Fox questioned skeptically, "Are you sure this guy is really Carlos's son? Even if he is, I doubt he'd make it through all the training."
Sloan, who had compiled the files, replied confidently, "I don't know if Wesley Gibson is the one we're looking for, but I don't want to miss any possibilities."
Fox thought for a moment before nodding. She exchanged files with the others to commit the details to memory, then left Sloan's office with them to prepare for the mission.
As for what would happen to the innocent young people brought into the textile mill if they weren't who the Brotherhood was looking for, neither Sloan nor Fox gave it much thought.
Fox prepared to leave the mill to track down Wesley. Meanwhile, Wesley himself had returned home the previous day after parting ways with William on the yacht.
After washing up, he collapsed onto his bed, his mind filled with the conversation he had with William, leaving him with no energy to care about his attractive girlfriend.
He finally drifted into a fitful sleep just before dawn, only to be jolted awake by his alarm clock two hours later. Exhausted, he dragged himself to work.
A poor night's sleep and an overactive mind left Wesley distracted all morning. He couldn't focus on his tasks and ended up being harshly scolded by his bitter, overweight boss, Janet.
Before meeting William, Wesley would have swallowed his anger as usual. But now, knowing that his mysterious father was some sort of secret agent and had connections with the brilliant billionaire William Devonshire, Wesley found a surprising source of confidence.
This newfound sense of self-worth, combined with William's interest in him, prevented Wesley from reaching for his anxiety medication despite his racing heart.
Instead, fueled by a surge of adrenaline, Wesley's mind became unexpectedly clear. For the first time, he thought of a way to get out from under his boss's thumb.
Though still in the early stages of his transformation, Wesley couldn't muster the courage for bold rebellion. Instead, he stammered with flushed cheeks, "Last night, I not only dined at a Michelin three-star restaurant two blocks away, but I also had a successful client meeting on a 30-meter yacht at the New York Yacht Club. I even exchanged business cards with the club manager."
To prove his point, Wesley pulled Martin Donner's business card from his bag. "If you don't believe me, call him yourself. Now, kindly leave me alone. Thanks."
For a moment, Janet was stunned by the outburst. She blankly took the card, her eyes widening as she recognized its authenticity at a glance.
As someone familiar with elite networking, Janet didn't need to make a call to confirm it was Martin Donner's card. Seeing Wesley's smug demeanor, she could only frown and warn coldly, "If you don't deliver results tomorrow, I'll personally fire you."
"Thanks, but don't bother," Wesley retorted, snatching the card back and dialing Martin Donner.
Wesley figured he couldn't bother William for something so trivial, but given Martin's kindness the previous day, he hoped for a few minor deals that anyone could handle.
Sure enough, Martin quickly introduced Wesley to a few small orders for household goods and ordinary beverages.
Martin even helpfully provided bottom-line prices, instructing Wesley to purchase the goods from suppliers and deliver them to the yacht club, where Martin would pay a 5% markup to Wesley's company.
With someone guiding him through every step, Wesley managed to clumsily close the deals, despite his lack of social skills.
This unexpected success left Janet frustrated but forced her to accept that Wesley had gotten lucky with a powerful benefactor. Her attitude toward him shifted dramatically.
By afternoon, Wesley's sudden achievement had made him the talk of the office. Even the company's most attractive and flirtatious woman made a point of passing by his desk to greet him.
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