When William and the other two emerged from the underground secret room, they saw a group of more than a dozen people standing in Rosslyn Chapel. There were men and women of all ages. William immediately protected Langdon and Sophie, reaching under his arm to grip his Glock 17 and shouted, "Who are you?"
An elderly woman with completely white hair stepped out from the group and said, "Don't be nervous, Devonshire child. We share the same name, protectors, guardians, Templar Knights, and the council."
"What?" The three of them were shocked. They hadn't expected that these English members of the council would find them so quickly after arriving at Rosslyn Chapel.
The elderly woman looked at Sophie with a kind smile and said, "Sophie, I never thought you'd grow up so much. When I sent you away 28 years ago, I didn't think we'd meet again. Sophie, I should tell you how much it pained me at the time. I am your grandmother, Sophie."
William, Langdon, and Sophie stared at the old woman in shock. However, considering the information they had seen in the underground secret room, it seemed reasonable. Sophie, after all, was the last descendant of the divine lineage, and she had been secretly protected.
"Thank you, William, for bringing Sophie back to England. Henry would be very pleased with what you've done. Now, William, let this gentleman take you aside; he has much to discuss with you. As for you, Professor Langdon, please follow this gentleman and rest for a while. Let this old lady have a good chat with my granddaughter."
Langdon quickly nodded in agreement, saying, "Alright, ma'am," and followed an elderly man out.
William was left staring in amazement at Harry Hart, the trainer from the movie "Kingsman." No wonder when he met Harry Hart last time, he had felt something was strange about the way Harry looked at him.
Now it all made sense. Harry Hart was a member of Henry's Team W. Nodding at Harry Hart, William followed him out of Rosslyn Chapel.
Walking into a stone forest behind the chapel, William saw a dozen middle-aged men waiting for him, among whom he surprisingly spotted Uncle Dragon.
Seeing Uncle Dragon dressed in ordinary clothes made William feel dazed. This crazy movie world was like a big mash-up, with famous stars from his past life appearing unexpectedly.
Harry Hart said to William, "William, we are all former members of Henry's Team W. We're here to tell you that besides your mother, we are also your family. If you ever need help, you can come to us."
Without hesitation, William shook his head and said, "Thank you for coming to meet me, but I can't disrupt your lives. Henry wouldn't want me to recruit you again. You all have your own lives, families, and children. I can't selfishly disturb your lives.
Of course, if you have any difficulties, you can come to me. I plan to buy a large estate in Oxford. You are welcome to live there. Gentlemen, since you've retired, enjoy your retirement peacefully."
William had no intention of recruiting these people. He didn't believe he had the charisma to make them willingly follow him. Moreover, they had been retired for ten years. People who had lived a peaceful life for too long weren't suited for special operations. William wasn't interested in the Team W with its benefits and troubles. All he needed was the special operational authority.
As soon as he finished speaking, William noticed many of them exhaled in relief, and smiles of genuine relaxation appeared on their faces, making them more amiable towards him.
Especially Uncle Dragon, who seemed to have dropped a heavy burden, smiling so broadly that his face wrinkled. Seeing William looking at him, Uncle Dragon's smile grew even wider, and he nodded happily at William.
Harry Hart smiled and nodded, "That's the best decision, William. Among us, only I am still active in the special operations circle. They are indeed not fit for rejoining Team W. Thank you for your kindness, William. We know you're a wealthy man now. If we face difficulties, we will reach out."
Then, Harry Hart turned to a not very tall, ordinary-looking middle-aged man and said, "Carlos, go handle those mercenaries following William. Do you need any help?"
Carlos shook his head with a smile, "No need, I haven't aged to the point where I can't handle a gun. Don't worry, ten or so mercenaries are no threat to me." With that, he pulled out a modified M1911, checked it, smiled at William, and walked away.
"What? Someone's tracking me?" William asked Harry Hart in surprise.
Harry Hart didn't answer but said to the other middle-aged men, "Alright, you can leave now. If you have any problems, let us know. We are a team, don't shoulder the burden alone. And remember, our new leader here is a billionaire. You've probably heard of William's success during the stock market crash. I believe William would be happy to provide you with jobs."
William couldn't argue with that. Offering jobs wasn't the same as supporting them for free. Moreover, Harry Hart had declared him the leader, even if it was in name only. These people were still Henry's men, and while they might be old and less capable, they could still handle ordinary thugs.
Having them living on his estate would certainly enhance security. So, William smiled and said, "No problem. I'd be happy to provide jobs for you and welcome you to live in Oxford."
"Great, William. If there's a need, I'll definitely work for you," one of them said.
After some light-hearted banter, everyone bid William farewell, leaving in high spirits. The impression of William as Henry's successor had improved significantly in their eyes.
After everyone left, Harry Hart said to William, "I have to go too. I need to get back to the academy to avoid suspicion."
"Okay, Harry. Thank you. If you need anything, you know where to find me."
"Same here, William," Harry Hart said, handing William a note. "This is Carlos' number. If you need help, call him. He was the best among us, an amazing marksman. No one could escape his shots. You should ask him for some pointers. I'm sure he'd be happy to teach you."
William was curious. Could anyone's marksmanship be better than what his system had taught him?
Seeing William's curiosity, Harry Hart smiled, "Come on, I'll show you Carlos' marksmanship."
Following Harry to his car, William saw several monitors inside, displaying the forest near the chapel where several armed men were hiding. "Is this satellite imagery?" William asked.
"Don't worry. It's a private satellite feed. I'll delete the video after this is over. Choose your gear, and we'll help Carlos," Harry said.
William picked a Barrett and a modified double-stack M1911 from Harry's car. After setting up their communication devices and grabbing binoculars, they drove, using the stone forest for cover, to a small hill.
Hiding behind a tree, William used the binoculars to look where Harry indicated and saw several mercenaries. After a few minutes of careful observation with his system-enhanced vision, he spotted at least ten mercenaries watching the chapel with binoculars.
Suddenly, William saw a mercenary in his binoculars' view explode in a burst of blood from his temple and collapse.
William's mouth dropped open in astonishment. The mercenary had been well-hidden, and the only way to shoot him would be from a high vantage point with a sniper rifle. Getting close for a shot was impossible unless the bullet could bend.
A bending bullet? William was stunned by his own thought because another mercenary's head exploded from an impossible angle.
God, no wonder M wanted to find Henry's Team W so badly. If Carlos was this skilled, having the whole team under her control would mean she could eliminate anyone at will.
___________________
Read Ahead
P@treon.com/Mutter