"What's the quantity? You're not just going to sell a dozen or so suits and call it done, right?" William asked, intrigued. This arrangement could not only make him money but also spare both him and Benjamin from considerable trouble.
"Don't worry; the total number certainly won't be less than a hundred. Remember, I still have three years left in my term, and if I'm re-elected, that'll be seven years. Surely you don't think, in all that time, I wouldn't be able to help you sell a hundred suits? Plus, don't forget, my father was also president. Although he only served one term, the Arthur family's influence in America is undoubtedly top-tier."
This time, William agreed almost instantly and gave Benjamin a knowing look. "It's a deal. Otherwise, I might have to let my new CEO, Ms. Catherine, have a chat with your mother, Barbara. They might find common ground in charity work."
Seeing William catch on so quickly, Benjamin laughed heartily. "Haha, that should be an interesting meeting."
The motorcade arrived at the airport. After shaking hands in farewell, Benjamin and William parted ways. Michael Banning walked over to William and handed him a car key.
"This car belongs to the President's Secret Service detail, for your convenience." He then handed William an envelope. "There's an authorization document inside, but unless it's an emergency, please be discreet. We could both face trouble otherwise."
"Understood." Taking the document, William watched Air Force One take off before driving back into Philadelphia.
He instructed Sunday to tap into the police and FBI communication channels, where he learned that Swagger had driven into the Schuylkill River, temporarily escaping. Twenty minutes later, William arrived at the scene of the river crash, watching from a distance for a few minutes to confirm Swagger had only gone missing, not been caught.
Then he drove downstream, stopping in a secluded area. Inside the car, he activated a portal, and within seconds, four Black Blade drone carriers flew out from the underground facility at Oxford Castle, operated by Sunday. The carriers ascended and began deploying Black Blade drones.
"Search along the river. Pay special attention to any boats or spots where someone might come ashore."
"Understood, Sir."
After driving for about ten minutes, one of the drones located Swagger under a bridge two kilometers downstream. William didn't immediately approach Swagger, instead opting to follow him from a distance to avoid drawing unwanted attention if Swagger were discovered.
Apparently, Banning had overestimated Philadelphia's police. Swagger, in a stolen old pickup truck, managed to drive out of the city without any roadblocks or interference.
Once William was sure there were no checkpoints, he accelerated past Swagger's truck, rolled down his window, and signaled for Swagger to pull over. The pickup truck continued for a few minutes, then turned onto a small road and stopped in a wooded area. William leaned out and called to Swagger, who was still in the driver's seat, "Get in my car. I'll take you to a doctor."
Swagger hesitated, unsure how William had found him and whether he intended to help or hand him over for personal gain.
"Damn it, man, if I wanted to catch you, I wouldn't have trailed you for so long. I could've just brought the President's Secret Service agents with me. And don't forget, we were neighbors as kids. I wouldn't want old man Swagger showing up at my place with a gun."
The mention of their childhood connection brought a slight smile to Swagger's tense face. He nodded, struggled out of the truck, and opened the back door of William's Cadillac Escalade.
As soon as he got in, William tossed a first aid kit marked with the Presidential Seal onto the seat beside him. "This is a specialized medical kit for Secret Service agents. You should be able to stop the bleeding yourself, right?"
Swagger looked at the kit, a bit puzzled. "The President trusts you that much?"
"Of course. Including today, I've saved him twice now. Patch yourself up; I'd hate for you to meet Satan before you meet the doctor."
"Thanks," Swagger replied simply and started working on his injuries without further comment.
William turned the car around and headed for New York, calling Winston from the Continental Hotel on the way and asking him to arrange for a doctor.
Philadelphia was only about 150 kilometers from New York, and after a bit more than an hour of smooth driving, they arrived in Brooklyn at an address Winston had provided, on an old street with rundown buildings.
After making a few turns, they arrived at a dilapidated building. William pressed the doorbell outside the iron gate, and a few seconds later, an elderly Asian man opened a small observation window. He looked curiously at William, who was wearing a mask and sunglasses.
William also did a double-take when he saw the man. "Hell, this is just like the doctor from John Wick or Ninja Assassin," he thought.
"Who are you looking for?"
Realizing the man was the doctor, William held up a gold coin from the Continental Hotel. The doctor examined it, then immediately opened the iron gate and let William and the visibly weakened Swagger inside.
After checking the surroundings for any followers, he shut the door and led Swagger to a small operating room. "Take off your shirt," he instructed.
An hour later, after the doctor finished treating Swagger's wounds, William led Swagger, now wearing a fresh coat, back out onto the street. Before leaving, William asked the doctor, "Ever heard of Ozunu?"
"Who?"
"Black Sand Ozunu, a ninja."
The doctor's face tensed. "Y-yes, I've heard of them."
"Relax. I'm just letting you know that Ozunu is history now," William said with a smirk. "So you'll keep your mouth shut, right?"
"Y-yes, of course," the doctor stammered. "You paid me with a Continental Hotel coin. I don't want any trouble with them."
"Good. Goodbye, doctor."
With Swagger back in the car, they headed to a secluded house Winston had prepared for them. As they pulled into the garage, William saw Winston and Garon waiting for them.
"Hey, Winston. Long time no see. How've you been?"
"Not bad, though my appetite's been off without company at dinner," Winston replied, visibly relieved to see William unharmed. He then lowered his voice to warn William as he looked at Swagger. "You'd better know what you're doing."
William shrugged. "I have authorization from President Arthur."
With that, Winston smiled and nodded to Garon.
"Understood, sir," Garon replied, moving forward to address William. "Mr. Devonshire, I'll take care of the car."
"Thanks."
As Garon drove off with the vehicle, Winston turned to William and Swagger, smiling. "Come on, you must be hungry. I've prepared a feast."
"Yeah, I'm starving," William admitted, turning to the somewhat bewildered Swagger. "Come on, buddy. You're safe here. We'll figure things out once you're healed up."
"Thanks." Swagger nodded, following William and Winston, who were chatting amicably as they walked into the house.
In the dining room, a television on the wall was broadcasting news about the "assassination attempt" on President Benjamin Arthur.
Swagger glanced nervously at Winston, wondering if he was afraid of the trouble it might bring. But Winston simply gave Swagger a calm smile, before turning back to continue chatting with William as if nothing had happened.
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [www.p@treon.com/Mutter]
[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]