William answered the call, "Hello, who is this?"
A middle-aged man's voice came through the phone, "Mr. Devonshire, my name is Bryan Mills. I am the bodyguard you hired to protect Miss Alexandra Ambrosio. We have just arrived in Switzerland. Where are you? We will bring Miss Ambrosio to you."
Hearing this, William immediately sensed something was wrong. Alexandra wouldn't come to Switzerland without notifying him unless something had happened. Moreover, according to their agreement, Alexandra was supposed to arrive tomorrow. William quickly asked, "What happened? Is Alexandra alright?"
"Miss Ambrosio is fine, just a bit shaken. We transferred from Miami to New York and then flew directly to Zurich, Switzerland. Mr. Devonshire, things are a bit complicated. I need to report to you in person."
"I'm in the VIP lounge of the National Bank. Come straight here. I will have someone meet you at the entrance."
"Understood, Mr. Devonshire. We should arrive in about 30 minutes. See you soon."
"Alright," William hung up the phone and then called Felix, instructing him to meet Alexandra at the bank entrance in 20 minutes.
After anxiously waiting for 40 minutes, William finally saw Alexandra Ambrosio at the VIP lounge entrance.
As soon as Alexandra saw William, she rushed to him and hugged him tightly, refusing to let go. William immediately asked, "What happened, darling? Are you okay?"
Alexandra just clung to him tightly without speaking, which worried William greatly.
He turned to the team that escorted her. The leader looked oddly familiar, but William couldn't place him immediately.
"Mr. Devonshire, I'm Bryan Mills. This is my teammate Sam, and these are Bernie, Casey, and Clarence. There are some things I'd like to discuss with you privately. Can we talk somewhere?"
"Alright. Darling, you're safe now, I promise. You're at the National Bank of Switzerland. There's a police station nearby and a battalion of the National Guard. You're safe here; I guarantee it," William said, comforting Alexandra while guiding her to the meeting room along with Bryan and his team.
Once everyone was seated, William asked, "Alright, tell me what happened."
"Mr. Devonshire, we encountered an attack yesterday in Miami. There were four assailants, all of whom were killed during our counterattack. Afterward, I discovered moon and star tattoos on their left hands. Sam investigated and found out that they were Albanians," Bryan explained.
Hearing "Albanians," William immediately knew who was behind this. It had to be the Jet Froby Chief's men hired by Le Chiffre. Damn it, after this is over, I'll head to Albania and deal with that so-called chief.
Bryan noticed William's expression and realized that William knew who the attackers were, but he didn't press for details given Alexandra's presence.
William turned to Bryan and his team, "Thank you for protecting Alexandra. I am truly grateful."
"You're welcome, Mr. Devonshire. You paid us to protect Miss Ambrosio, and it's our duty. Now that she is safe with you, I believe our mission is complete. We should be on our way," Bryan said, standing up.
"Wait," William called out.
"Is there anything else, Mr. Devonshire?" Bryan's team looked puzzled and slightly apprehensive, thinking William might have an issue with them. They frowned as they waited for his response.
"Don't misunderstand. I am very satisfied with how you safely brought Alexandra to Switzerland. I know what kind of people you were up against, so rest assured, I won't be causing you any trouble. In fact, I'm grateful that you managed to protect her under such circumstances," William explained.
"Thank you, Mr. Devonshire, but it was our duty. No need for excessive thanks," Sam said with a smile.
William nodded with a smile, "Okay. I stopped you because I wanted to know if you have any other assignments lined up. If not, I have a job for you."
Bryan's team exchanged glances before Sam indicated for Bryan to speak, "We don't have any other tasks at the moment, Mr. Devonshire. After completing this security detail, we haven't taken on another job yet."
"Great. I'd like to hire you to protect me and Alexandra in Switzerland for the next two months. Additionally, I need you to provide security and surveillance for this VIP room, especially ensuring its network security to prevent any leaks. Can you handle that? If network security is outside your expertise, I'll hire someone else," William stated.
Sam quickly responded, "Mr. Devonshire, I specialize in network security. Leave that to me. I guarantee to keep this VIP room secure."
William looked at the others, "What do you say? Do you accept this job?"
Bryan replied, "Yes, we do."
"Okay. I don't know your usual rates, but given that you safely brought Alexandra here and considering Barney's high regard for you, would $1 million a month suffice?" William asked.
Hearing $1 million a month, Bryan and his team were thrilled. It was just as Barney from the Expendables had said: William Devonshire was generous, treating money as no object. They hadn't earned this much in a year before.
Bryan exchanged looks with his teammates, who all nodded in agreement, then turned to William, "Alright, Mr. Devonshire, we accept your offer. For the next two months, we will ensure the safety of you and Miss Ambrosio and secure the VIP room's network."
"Great. Do you have bank accounts? Do you prefer cash, or should I open accounts for you at the National Bank of Switzerland? I suggest the latter, and I'll deposit a month's advance and your current fee," William proposed.
After a brief discussion among themselves, Bryan's team decided to follow William's suggestion. They knew the National Bank of Switzerland was renowned for its confidentiality and had branches in the USA, allowing easy access to funds.
Seeing their agreement, William called Felix into the VIP room and instructed him to help Bryan and his team set up accounts at the bank.
Once they left, William turned to the still-clinging Alexandra and gently reassured her.
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