Catching a scumbag was an incredibly simple task for William. A single phone call to John Wick, who was busy playing the role of a good husband, was all it took. After briefly explaining the situation, William left the matter in his hands and turned his attention back to monitoring the videos sent by the Black Blade drones and spider robots.
The footage showed nine people: Cross Carlos, Bob Lee Swagger, and seven assassins from the Brotherhood.
The fight had already lasted nearly two days. On the first day, the seven assassins tracked Carlos to a forest about 70 kilometers outside New York City. Initially, they used their numerical advantage to relentlessly pursue Carlos. Without Sunday's assistance in plotting escape routes, Carlos might have been surrounded and taken down.
After a night of evasion, at dawn, Carlos discovered he was in Swagger's ambush zone thanks to Sunday's guidance. Relying on his bulletproof vest, he risked taking a shot and managed to kill two assassins in a sneak attack.
Swagger, who had been lying in wait, seized the opportunity to snipe another assassin.
Seven quickly became four, shifting the dynamic entirely. It was no longer a simple numbers game; the roles of hunter and prey had been reversed.
When it was 7 versus 1, the assassins had the advantage of numbers and firepower. But at 4 versus 2, Carlos and Swagger turned the tables.
While Swagger was best known for his long-range sniping skills, he was a true survival expert, having spent years living alone in the wilderness with only a golden retriever for company. Coupled with his training in the special forces, Swagger was a master of forest combat. Once he found cover, he could remain motionless for hours, waiting for the perfect shot. And thanks to the Black Blade drones, spider robots, and Sunday's guidance, he didn't need to maintain constant vigilance in the traditional sniper sense. He could even afford to take brief naps when the situation allowed.
As a result, after two days, Carlos and the remaining four assassins were utterly exhausted, while Swagger remained the most physically capable among them.
This life-or-death game of survival and ambush felt so visceral and real that William became utterly fascinated after watching Sunday's edited highlight reel. Not only was it thrilling, but it also offered valuable lessons. Sunday's commentary on the various techniques and tricks employed by the six remaining participants further deepened William's interest, as he had never experienced forest combat himself.
On the second night, with his stamina still intact, Swagger used his night vision and thermal imaging gear to sneak up to a 600-meter range. He took out an assassin standing watch in a tree with a single shot, bringing the game of pursuit and counter-pursuit to an end that very night.
Watching the conclusion left William feeling a bit unsatisfied. The idea of organizing a live-action version of a survival game briefly crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. If it was about eliminating true enemies, killing them was fine. But orchestrating a scenario where two teams fought to the death for entertainment was undeniably twisted.
With seven assassins dead, the Brotherhood was left with only three gun experts: Fox, the Gunsmith, and Sloan. William considered this and decided to have Sunday link him to Swagger's communication channel.
"Swagger, you're done here. Head back to England and spend some time with your father. Someone will contact you in a month to take you to your next assignment."
Swagger, ever the soldier, didn't ask questions. "Understood, Boss. I'll return to London today."
Meanwhile, Sloan, having gone two days without a response, realized his team had failed. He regretted recklessly deploying his top squad. Seconds later, he regretted not sending more people. With a shortage of skilled personnel, Sloan ordered the Brotherhood to stay put at the textile factory, forbidding unnecessary outings while waiting for Wesley to complete his training and deal with his father.
William was also waiting. He wanted to see how Wesley's training would turn out before sending him to Kingsman for agent training. Combining the skills of an assassin and a secret agent, Wesley might even surpass his father.
Two uneventful days passed. William found it strange that John Wick, with his skills, hadn't captured the target he wanted after two days.
Before he could call, John Wick called him instead.
"Boss, I think the information you gave me might be off," John Wick said in frustration. "Over the past two days, I sent two teams to capture Clarence Dobby, but both met with… accidents."
"Accidents? What do you mean?" William asked, puzzled. "Clarence Dobby's crew is just a group of petty thugs with about a dozen members. How could there be accidents?"
"According to my contacts in the NYPD, the first team of two managed to secretly capture Dobby. But while driving back, they were crushed to death at a traffic light when a rusty sign fell on their car. Dobby, tied up in the trunk, was unharmed by sheer luck.
"At first, I thought it was just bad luck. But the second team of four also met with an accident. This time, it was even more absurd. Their car was speeding and hit an uncovered manhole, causing it to flip. All four were killed."
After a pause, John Wick added, "Boss, do you want me to keep going with this?"
Hearing that two teams had died in freak accidents, William's curiosity was piqued. If not for the fact that both teams had been after Clarence Dobby, anyone else might have dismissed these incidents as random misfortunes. But both William and John Wick knew better.
"Of course, we keep going. I want to know who's protecting this piece of trash."
"Understood," John Wick replied, equally determined to uncover the truth.
This time, instead of hiring hitmen, John Wick used a broker to find a mercenary squad for a direct assault. However, the mercenaries didn't die; they simply vanished. That same night, the broker who helped John Wick also disappeared.
The night after the broker's disappearance, John Wick and his wife Helen were returning home from dinner. As they neared their house, John noticed a car parked outside his garage. His killer instincts told him something was off. He turned the car around, telling his wife he needed to stop at the store.
While at the store, he called someone to check out the suspicious car.
Ten minutes later, he received a call back. To his surprise, the car contained the missing broker, bound and gagged in the trunk. Fortunately, the man was alive. There was also a printed note with a single sentence: "Clarence Dobby is mine."
It was a warning as clear as day.
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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