[Chapter 744: The Escape]
Leo Wanta understood what those guys wanted, but there was no denying that they had no moral compass. If he let his guard down just a bit, they'd likely send him straight to meet his maker.
Meeting his maker wouldn't have been the end of the world, but how could these guys possibly spare his family? Once the money fell into their hands, they would erase every trace of him from this world.
Thus, his only option was to stand firm.
...
"Alright, everyone, we wrapped up this scene. Next, we'll be heading to the sound stage. You all have a week off. If you want to explore the area, now's the time to get ready. We'll see you all in Los Angeles in a week." With that, William White threw down the megaphone and grabbed the towel his assistant handed him.
That cursed place was meant to shoot a rainy scene, yet the damn sky just wouldn't cooperate. When it finally decided to rain, it poured like crazy.
"Thanks a lot, Nastassja. Good thing your makeup only looks a little smudged," William said, smirking.
The beautiful actress shot him a glare. She didn't really mind her makeup being ruined, but if they did it again, she'd genuinely be worried.
Doing wire work in the rain isn't exactly reliable.
"I was so scared just now. What if I really fell down? Humph."
"Yeah, well, I warned you to use a stunt double, but you refused. Wait two years, and you won't need it anymore."
"Computer-generated effects? Those can't replicate an actor's movements, right?"
"No, I'm working on setting up a 3D sound stage with hundreds of digital cameras. But that's a conversation for another time. Look at you, all soaked. Honestly, you're positively radiant." He handed her the towel he had just used.
Well, the beautiful actress didn't mind, though even with her own assistant, she felt a bit neglected.
Glancing at William White's assistant, she thought this one really knew how to attend to people. She was drenched, and it seemed like that damn girl had just vanished.
While the two jabbed at each other, everyone else pretended to be oblivious. Since the boss declared a break, they quickly started thinking about where to have some fun.
...
While they all went off to have a good time, William White had to head back to the States. He had been away for a while, and he had business matters to handle for the week ahead.
"So soon, Tanner? Got some good news?" he asked.
Tanner gave a bitter laugh. Everywhere is a mess; what good news could there possibly be? Ever since that New York Times published that photo of the vulture and the little girl, Sudan has finally caught the attention of the Americans.
"Master, there's confirmed news. Osama Bin Laden is hiding out in Sudan. It seems the CIA has also caught wind of this."
"Tch, the guy is hiding so far away. Am I supposed to call FedEx? By the way, Tanner, will they actually deliver?"
Knowing his master was joking, Tanner shrugged it off. It was dangerous everywhere with armed conflicts; who would be delivering there?
"Master, Is this guy some kind of war fanatic? I don't get it. A billionaire abandoning his beautiful wife for war-torn regions. Is he out of his mind?"
"Yeah, it's hard to say. You can't reason with belief systems. In fact, every religion have had their more fanatical periods."
"If that's the case, this war in Sudan will never end. The Soviets are out, but the world is in even more chaos."
"Somalia, Congo, Sudan -- yeah, Tanner, in the past, black folks didn't do much fighting during World Wars I and II. Now it seems like the whole world has had enough, and it's time for the African brothers to duke it out. Thankfully, they lack industrial capability; even with all their old weapons, so many have already died. If they had more advanced weaponry..."
"More advanced? Master, if they got more advanced, there'd hardly be anyone left."
"I just don't understand it. They sit on oil reserves; they can live well if they'd just extract a bit. By the way, if I'm not mistaken, Gaddafi should be very supportive of them."
"True, but he's having his own problems now. What's happening in Sudan can't even be called a war. They're just endlessly killing each other."
"Right. That unfortunate place. No one is the right fit to send there. Let's just let it simmer for now."
"Okay, master. Here are the details on Laden. You wouldn't believe how big that family is."
Laden had indeed made a run for it, and that frustrated William White even more. That guy should have stayed in Afghanistan.
William really looked down on Laden's actions. There was talk of vengeance, but targeting ordinary people remained out of bounds.
At the first sign of trouble, he just bolted.
Sure, the U.S. might not find him to retaliate, but how far could a monk run away from the temple?
The more William flipped through those documents, the angrier he became. Goodness! This family's roots in construction clearly extended deep into America.
They specifically profited off American dollars, all while seeking to trouble the very country that supported them. And after causing chaos, somehow their family dodged the fallout. Seriously, it was maddening how touchy the Americans could be.
Digging through his fragmented memories, William unearthed an interesting nugget. Clinton had had a chance to take out Laden effectively, sweeping in for a complete takedown.
Sudan couldn't withstand American sanctions. When Laden's crew jumped on a plane to leave, the CIA had quietly been notified.
Clinton had refused. He believed Laden deserved legal repercussions. Simply sending an F-16 wouldn't showcase the fairness and justice of the American way. He arrogantly considered it outright murder, lacking the necessary transparency.
You could only chalk it up to luck for him.
William couldn't fathom what kind of person Clinton really was. Instead of being a chameleon, he seemed more like someone who wavered too much.
If rules mattered, he shouldn't have gone to Somalia to take hostages. Taking out Laden was murder; what he was doing in Somalia was kidnapping.
To put it bluntly, he was a guy unwilling to shoulder the blame. William was quite sure he feared he'd mess things up, and perhaps he worried about international condemnation.
After the Lockerbie tragedy, civilian planes remained relatively safe. If the U.S. broke protocol first, the consequences could be dire.
What? The Russians would be unaffected?
Well, you couldn't argue with that. Just look at how the Russians handled hostage rescues.
Without hesitation, they stormed in and opened fire. If you happened to be inside, the best way to save yourself was to hunker down and cover your head. Remember, if you stood up calling for help, your chances were grim.
*****
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