Texans were generally outgoing. When a group of men gathered, it was nothing more than smoking and drinking.
"William, are you sure the grapes are good this year?"
"David, I'm absolutely sure. Don't sell them all to me, you'll regret it."
"Alright, we'll make some more wine this year too."
There were many people who had small wineries on their own properties. Since William White said so, they certainly gave it serious thought. The quality of the grapes couldn't just be talked about casually. They were all experienced farmers, and naturally had their own judgments.
William White drank a bit too much and planned to head back to sleep. Spending a day with this group, he felt it was a decent gesture.
...
Meanwhile, at a mansion in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles.
"Tanner, who is it this time?"
"Dunno, but the young master said to stir things up."
"What's it got to do with snakes?"
"Dang, you're slow. It means to scare off those pests and make some noise."
"Oh, got it."
As William White drifted into dreamland, the Beverly Hills police department was in chaos, with police cars darting around like a disturbed beehive.
The unfortunate police chief was sleeping deeply, snoring away, and the phone by his bed gabbled on without stopping.
When the roaring police cars stopped in front of an enormous mansion, nearby residents finally felt relieved.
What happened?
Alright, many people wanted to know what was going on.
The owner of this house was famous, the richest person in America, and neighbors wanted to know what kind of violent criminals they encountered to have a ten-minute shootout.
Rushing to the scene, Chief Willy felt dizzy looking at the situation. It clearly wasn't a small-time crook; otherwise, it'd be hard to explain the use of such an advanced security system.
The only consolation was that the homeowner wasn't there. If something had happened, the chief wouldn't have a job anymore.
...
Watching his two dusty subordinates, the FBI boss was twitching in frustration. "You were supposed to plant a bug, not start a war."
"Sir, it was a trap."
"I know it's a trap. Fifteen hundred shell casings -- this isn't a battlefield."
The old guy was enraged. Most infuriating was that the two idiots, while unharmed, lost all their equipment.
...
"Young master, pretty sure there were FBI folks."
"Ha, take photos as evidence and send them a message. Tell their boss to quit within a week, or he'll end up in jail."
"Got it, young master. I'll handle it right away. They left their whole set of gear."
"Heh, thanks for the hard work."
William White wasn't joking; someone needed to take responsibility for this incident. The biggest one would be most suitable, provided they were smart enough.
At this stage, blaming temp workers as cover wouldn't work; this thing, if blown up, would be more absurd than Watergate.
Yes, you read that right. Official vs. civilian -- if you eavesdrop on a rival candidate, you might just resign. But if you target regular folks, jail's the only path.
Wasn't News Corp later troubled by a scandal involving such eavesdropping? It was purely unethical business conduct. If government agencies did it, it'd be disastrous.
Wait, doesn't America wiretap the world?
Yes, that's the so-called PRISM program. It's a messed-up plan, though targeting individuals is unheard of. Just don't say sensitive words on the phone; computers automatically recognize and record those.
Alright, average people aren't immune either, much like in Enemy of the State, but you need authorization.
Authorization against William White?
Let's not kid -- such approval is impossible. Besides, he's a media mogul, and doing this to him is plain stupid.
If they let you resign quietly, it's a rare mercy; any more harshness, and you might as well take yourself out.
William White didn't intend to go that far; keeping it bloodless was better for everyone.
...
Washington's bigwig had a headache, learning through TV what happened and could only imagine the uproar.
The American public was furious since they lacked such security. While William White could hire many bodyguards, what about them?
Darn it, is this California or Africa, with all this chaos like a war zone?
Various conspiracy theories flourished, initially suggesting kidnapping but later realizing it wasn't true -- William White had gone home, as the news confirmed.
Robbery was also dismissed. The wealthier one is, the less cash is around. Valuable antiques are generally in banks; robbery isn't profitable.
The LAPD didn't know how to close the case, with too many suspicious elements. Both sides fired over a thousand rounds in under ten minutes.
Seriously, are you screwing with me?
With no injuries or casualties, it looked like a movie scene, and furiously, the site was thoroughly cleaned up.
"Tell our people to steer clear of him and gather info from the outskirts."
"Yes, sir."
William White stirred things up way beyond startling snakes. Forces following him grew cautious. This wasn't a joke -- if anyone got caught, self-termination might be the only path.
Even hardened criminals felt chilled, bewildered why no one got hurt. Were both sides blind?
Well, even blind folks wouldn't dare mess with such overwhelming firepower.
...
Others faced enormous pressure, not that it bothered William White. He didn't see any visitors these days, just wandered around his family's farm.
For him, silence was an attitude. If one didn't want trouble, best clean up one's own mess.
His judgment was spot on. The day William Webster, the FBI Director, received the photos, he stepped down, citing health reasons.
By then, most figured out what was happening. Without needing evidence, those with the most to gain seemed the most suspect.
By now, who didn't know the FBI Director was set up?
For goodness' sake, agents weren't on a bandit raid -- where'd the gunfight come from? These guys must've been on a special mission.
Now, it's clear, just a trap.
William White was trickier than people thought, a guy who'd stop at nothing. It's unclear who the trap was initially for; no bloodshed this time, but what about next?
A brutal gang was reportedly rampaging in Los Angeles, with a Haitian gang as prime suspects. An FBI undercover agent identified them for numerous heinous acts, including the theft at Mr. William White's mansion.
Consequently, one gang boss found himself in a world of trouble.
*****
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