"There's good news and bad news." Jack put down the phone with a strange expression on his face.
Without waiting for anyone to ask, he continued, "The good news is that Alexander Denning, 'AKA' Browning Orvis, is currently under covert investigation by the FBI for involvement in multiple illegal arms deals."
"Then what's the bad news?" Marvin, finally full, wiped his mouth with a napkin and asked curiously.
"The bad news and the good news are actually the same. Because this is a secret investigation, I can't take you directly to visit them. The joint investigation team includes not only the FBI and ATF, but also the CIA.
And 'coincidentally,' the CIA people happen to be from Cynthia Wilkes' department." Jack sighed pretentiously.
Frank said firmly, "No matter what, we have to meet him. Marvin, do you think Alexander Denning is the guy who ordered us to carry out the cleanup during the Guatemala operation?"
Marvin squinted at the photo on Jack's phone for a long time before shaking his head helplessly. "It's been too long. I need to see him in person to confirm."
"This is a bit difficult. I can't conflict with my own people. I need to discuss this with my superiors."
Jack rubbed his head, but his headache was actually far more than that.
This time, two completely unrelated plots were mixed together. He knew that in "Red," this Alexander Denning was the culprit, manipulating everything behind the scenes.
According to the original plot, the politician he manipulated should have been the Vice President. However, due to someone's unexpected re-election, the Elephant Party has been in power for two consecutive terms. The current Vice President is still Donald's partner, Pence, and the two have not fallen out.
This person's age and resume are completely inconsistent. It's obvious that he can't be him.
Therefore, Jack had previously agreed with his female boss's assessment that the politician colluding with the CIA to carry out Frank's purge was likely the same person behind Beckett's mother's murder.
The original show's Vice President became a senator with a potential Vice Presidential title, seemingly fitting the logic of this fused world's self-perception.
This was also the reason Jack could continue to participate in the veteran agents' operations as an FBI agent. Dealing with a Democratic senator with only a potential Vice Presidential title was completely different from directly taking out the Vice President of the Federation.
After some discussion, Jack put down the phone again. "I can arrange a meeting as early as tomorrow afternoon. I'll visit Alexander Denning as the second son of the Surinamese Defense Minister, and Frank and Marvin can disguise themselves as my bodyguards."
"I'll go with you. You need cover," a restless old lady volunteered. "
Of course. That way we can fight side by side again," Frank said happily, clearly another reason for his visit. Marvin, standing beside him, also gave Victoria an ingratiating smile.
"Then when you're ready, head straight back to New York. Anna, come with me. We're going to visit someone tonight."
Seeing Jack put away the original files on the Guatemala operation and the note, Frank raised his eyebrow and reminded, "Are you sure you can convince him?"
"Isn't that what you were thinking when you insisted I go beat him up?" Jack smiled back.
--
"Dorothy rested her chin on her hand, gazing thoughtfully at the scarecrow. His head was a sack filled with straw, with eyes, a nose, and a mouth painted on it."
Listening to his little daughter's breathing gradually become soothing and steady, and finally falling asleep, William Cooper put down his book "The Wizard of Oz," pressed the air conditioner remote to the lowest setting, and then tiptoed out of the room.
Standing in the hallway, he peered into the other room, confirming his youngest son was fast asleep. He adjusted his arm sling, sighed imperceptibly, and turned to head upstairs.
Suddenly, a subtle noise from the living room startled Cooper, and he quickly drew his sidearm with his left hand. Cautiously
crossing the hallway, the CIA operative's pupils narrowed as he saw a familiar figure appear on the living room sofa.
Jack smiled and raised a finger, whispering, "Shh, keep your voice down. I've been waiting for you. Honestly, your storytelling skills are far worse than your fighting skills."
"What do you want to do?" Cooper felt his throat dry, his heart pounding. He'd done something so often that he'd wondered if the opposite would happen to him, but he hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
"What? You had access to my files, but you didn't expect me to have access to yours? After all, I'm an FBI supervisory agent." Jack chuckled and placed the brown paper bag on the table.
"Frank said you're a lot like him in the past: ambitious, capable, and ruthless."
"What are you trying to say?" Cooper tried hard to keep his voice from trembling. In his heart, he admitted that he was terrified at the moment, afraid of losing everything he had.
Jack stood up and tilted his head slightly toward the front door. "Don't worry, I'm here just to avoid being discovered having contact with you. I don't mean to threaten your family. After what happened today, our accounts are settled for now.
Put your things away, and let's go for a walk."
-
"That's what happened. I just placed the evidence on your desk. I have no intention of using justice or conscience to pressure you. It's all up to you to weigh your own interests."
Jack stamped the butt of his cigar on the ground and stuffed it into his coat pocket without a care in the dirt.
The two of them didn't stray far from Cooper's house, finding a dark, unlit spot in the corner garden and sitting there for nearly an hour.
Cooper, head bowed in thought, his brow furrowed in a knot, and he quickly discarded the cigar until his fingers nearly burned on it.
"But even if what you said is true, I still don't understand what you want me to do. You haven't even found out who's behind this, and there's no way I'm going to secretly investigate my superiors just because of what you said."
Okay, seeing him say that, Jack felt relieved.
"You don't need to do anything, and you don't need to take the risk of investigating who the bosses behind Cynthia are. Just watch, and the truth will naturally come out after what happens tomorrow.
If you're willing to cooperate with us, just guarantee the safety of one person for me."
"Who?" Cooper knew he had no room for refusal.
"You'll know then." Jack stood up and patted his pants, smiling and reminding him as he said goodbye, "Believe it or not, I'm really a good person, and good people don't use women and children as bargaining chips.
But I also suggest you don't do anything unnecessary. Just because I don't do it doesn't mean your female boss won't. I think you should know her better than I do."
(End of this chapter)