Chapter 66: The Game Begins
"Seven days for five hundred thousand? What kind of job pays that well? I'll take it. Of course, I'll take it," Brian Mills said happily. It was the highest-paying assignment his team had received in years.
"The target is named Alessandra D'Ambrosio. She is my employer's girlfriend. She's currently in Miami for a fashion show. The show ends the day after tomorrow, and your job is to escort her to Switzerland. My boss said that if you can handle the job without alarming Alessandra, he'll give you an additional two hundred thousand dollars afterward."
"Brian, I'm doing you a favor here," Barney said, taking credit. "I know you're the best at handling threats quietly, and I told my boss you're the best."
"Thanks, Barney, you old dog," said Brian Mills. "I'll buy you a drink when I get back."
"There'll be plenty of opportunities for drinks," Barney replied, "as long as you don't make any mistakes. If you screw this up, you'll have my boss hunting you down. I'd hate to lose an old friend like you."
"Don't worry, Barney. You know us. We never make mistakes," Brian assured him. "If anything happens to the client on our watch, I'll answer to your boss with my own head."
"Okay, I know you're good, otherwise I wouldn't have recommended you to the boss," Barney said. "Just be careful, Brian. You may be facing armed kidnappers, so remember to bring your full kit."
"Understood. A seven-day protection detail for Alessandra D'Ambrosio, with the possibility of armed opponents," Brian confirmed. "Barney, this is the exact situation I'm best at handling."
"That's good to hear, Brian. If your performance is good this time, I think you won't be short on work in the future. My boss is rich and generous, and his payments are prompt. If you want cash, you get cash. He can get you money anywhere in the world, in any form."
"Okay, once we meet the client, we'll assess the situation. Thanks, Barney," said Brian Mills.
"Goodbye then, Brian. Good luck."
"Bye, Barney. Good luck to you too."
After ending the call with Barney, William phoned his mother. As soon as she answered, William heard her anxious voice: "Damn it, William, why are you calling now? You know this is the busiest time at the cafe! And I see you ran off to the Bahamas to pick up girls! How many girlfriends do you plan on having, William? Tina was crying this morning when she saw those newspaper photos of you with that model. Why do you have to provoke Tina like that?"
*'I'm not the one provoking Tina,'* William thought, *'our dear little Tina is the one provoking me.'*
"I didn't provoke her, Mom," William said aloud. "Besides, how could I? She's only sixteen."
"Are you saying you *will* mess with her when she's older? William Devinshire, I never expected my son would turn out so badly the moment he got some money. First it was Diana Rigg, now it's some Brazilian model, and now you're eyeing the little girl who grew up with you. You can do it, William. You get yourself back to London right now! Don't think you can just run wild out there," Lina scolded.
The queen of the house was angry, which made William a little nervous. He said weakly, "Mom, I can't come back right now. I'm on a job in Montenegro."
When Lina heard William was working, she didn't press him. Her tone softened as she said, "Alright, if it's for work. But how long will you be gone? You'd better not be lying to me, or you'll have me to answer to."
"No, Mom, I've never lied to you. Depending on how things go, it might take a dozen days or so." William quickly changed the subject.
"Mom, a team will be coming to find you tomorrow. The leader's name is Barney. They will take you to Oxford to meet with the current owner of our old castle and sign the contract. I want to buy it back, but I can't be there myself, so you'll have to sign the papers."
"Is that really you, William? You're buying the castle back? Oh, that's wonderful, baby! We can finally go back to our castle! Thank you, baby, your mother loves you!"
Lina was so overjoyed about getting the castle back that she completely overlooked the part where William said he was sending a team to get her, not questioning for a moment why she might need protection.
"Yes, Mom, you can go back to the castle tomorrow," William said. "To make sure everything goes smoothly, I'm sending people to protect you on your way. You can tell the men I sent if you need anything. Remember, when they arrive to pick you up, close the cafe for the day."
"Okay, don't worry, baby. I'll close up as soon as I'm done today. I'll go to the castle tomorrow. Your mother will be waiting for you there. Haha, I'll clean the whole place up. When you come back, it'll be just like it was before," Lina said excitedly.
After speaking with Lina, William called Alessandra D'Ambrosio. The two of them spoke affectionately for a long time. Eventually, William told Alessandra he had hired a few temporary bodyguards for her. After her show, they would escort her to meet him in Switzerland.
At first, Alessandra didn't want the bodyguards. She argued that his usual security team would be escorting her to Switzerland anyway.
In the end, William explained that he had already paid for the extra team, couldn't get a refund, and that he truly wouldn't be able to rest easy with her traveling alone. With that, she reluctantly agreed to have the bodyguards follow.
After arranging everything, William felt a sense of relief. He whistled as he changed his clothes to go out.
He hadn't explored Montenegro yet. That afternoon, after looking at a car, he had developed a strong interest in Kotor, Montenegro's best-preserved ancient city. As he walked into the hotel lobby, he saw Bond leaving with Vesper, but he didn't follow them.
Strolling happily through the ancient town, it felt as if time had rolled back to the Middle Ages. He walked without a clear destination, and when he got tired, he found a cafe and sat down, enjoying the slow pace of life. For a moment, William's restless heart calmed down.
He ordered some local specialties at the cafe. After eating, he left and wanted to return to the Casino Royale but found that he was lost. Finally, a kind local showed him the way back to the Hotel Splendide.
It was 5:50 p.m. when he returned. As William walked into the hotel, he saw several middle-aged white men approaching him.
"Hello, Mr. Devinshire," one of them said. "I'm Steve, from a Swiss national bank. The offshore account you requested has been set up, and the poker game will begin in ten minutes. The tax avoidance plan you wanted is also prepared, but I suggest we head to the game first. There isn't much time. The documents can be signed during one of the breaks."
William nodded with a smile. These guys were efficient. "Alright, thank you, Steve. Let's go."
"Very good, Mr. Devinshire. Please, come with me."
Steve led William into the hotel's exclusive gambling hall for the tournament.
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