[Chapter 500: The Bourne Identity]
The real Bourne Identity is far more cruel than the novel. The only relief was that the Soviet power had been greatly weakened.
Doing this job really didn't make much sense. William White had no ambition; he only focused on his own piece of land.
"Mr. President, all signs indicate that the Americans have their eyes on us."
After hearing Moussa Koussa's description, Gaddafi became very angry. Such tactics of framing were utterly shameless.
"Koussa, you better tell me honestly, is this our doing?"
"Sir, I can't assess that; it's safe to say that we can't rule out that possibility."
"Bring them back and find out. If they did this, we are in big trouble. Let's put the diamond matter on hold for now."
Gaddafi was already aware that it was indeed possible for his intelligence personnel to commit such acts.
Or perhaps this was orchestrated by someone with intent.
Who was the biggest suspect?
Ha! The Mossad wasn't some pushover. It felt great to gang up on them, but when they turned around to frame you, what could you possibly say?
Of course, these things would never see the light of day.
...
William White had no intention of probing for the truth. Knowing too much wasn't necessarily a good thing.
"Sir, it's been pretty tumultuous in Africa lately; there're a lot of snoopers around."
"I know that, Max. Tanner has already sent people down there, and you all need to stay alert. Most of those guys are from Europe."
"Sir, Gaddafi took a huge hit, and he's not doing anything?"
"Ha! Not that he's doing nothing -- he has troubles now. The Lockerbie disaster will likely get pinned on him. If he makes any rash moves, a lot of people would be delighted."
Diamonds in real life were far more merciless than what was depicted in the movie Blood Diamond. Especially in diamond mines controlled by local warlords -- human life was worth less than dirt.
Many people knew what William White was up to in Africa. While they admired his audacity, they also complained, asking why he still bothered to do this when he had so much money.
Of course, many also saw different flavors in it; William White's restraint and rage marked him as a vengeful character. Provoking someone like that was practically asking for a disaster.
The Executive Outcomes Security Company had a fearsome reputation. Saying they disregarded human lives might be a stretch, but they certainly didn't prioritize it. Their vicious subordinates were practically killing machines.
Hiring those guys wasn't cheap. Working for a day meant daily pay, plus sizeable bounties on confiscations.
Security companies weren't part of the state; they fought entirely for money, using cash to bludgeon their way to victory, leaving many powers speechless.
Even if countries were displeased, there was little they could do. These guys were mercenaries; once the fight was done, they would disperse without any arrangements for aftermath.
Though everyone knew who was behind them, if you had no proof, they wouldn't admit it, and what could you do about it? If they really decided to make life difficult, they could still pull something off without a hitch.
...
"William, what've you been doing in Africa lately? Ha, seems like you're making quite a stir."
Hearing George Bush's peculiar accent, William White couldn't help but retort, "George, you've been in Washington forever. Why can't you use formal language?"
"Pfft! I only act like that when I'm in a good mood. Don't change the subject; what's going on in Africa?"
"What's going on? Someone stole my diamonds, and now I'm stealing them back. It's as simple as that. I won't concern myself with anything else -- it's just too chaotic."
"Ahem! Someone wants to share intelligence with you; what's your take?"
"Not happening. If it involves terrorists, I won't need to share anything; I'll let you know right away. Once more, I don't deal with those people; they're just not professional enough. They're full of conspiracies. I can't handle that."
"Yeah, I get it. Things must be wild over there?"
"Ha! Can it be anything but? England, France, they all showed up. To avoid unnecessary conflict, I chose to stay clear. As long as they don't touch my operations, they can do as they please. Besides, it's just too messy here; I'm not planning on long-term development."
"Okay, I'll pass that along."
William White was frustrated; he had to chart a course for his subordinates. In Africa, it was enough to maintain a certain presence.
...
"Dad, it sounds like there's no chance of cooperation."
Bush Sr. furrowed his brow, clearly dissatisfied.
"And it sounds like he plans to take off."
"Take off? What about those diamond mines he robbed?"
"Ha! Dad, if he needed diamonds, he could just buy them. Robbery isn't a good option."
Hearing his son's words, Bush Sr. realized something. The interests in Africa didn't truly seem to concern him.
They were both part of big families. Bush Sr. knew William White's situation well -- it was just a case of having something precious being a liability.
One thing was certain: those itchy old-timers were quite wary of this kid. If they really pushed him too far, there would likely be a body count.
Detroit's gang wars?
Ha! That wasn't even a funny joke. He was genuinely curious about how this guy managed everything.
Of course, it would be inappropriate to ask, as there was no evidence linking him to the events. Prying would leave him without answers, and could potentially sour relations between them.
"Why the dislike for the CIA though? Are they really that incompetent?" Bush Sr. wondered.
"I've heard him say that they resort to nothing but schemes. They don't think about solving problems; their goal is to make things worse."
Bush Sr. was taken aback; he could only smile wryly. William White's words might be harsh, but they did describe a fact -- the CIA was all about sabotage, wasn't it?
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.