[Chapter 480: Sniper on the Red Carpet]
After a good night's sleep, Link woke up early in the morning beside his girlfriends.
Following his usual routine at home, he first had breakfast, went for a morning run, read the newspaper, and then waited for his girlfriends to get up and had a second breakfast with them.
Since his girlfriends came from different countries and had varying tastes, their breakfast preferences differed. Some wanted nutritious meals, others preferred low-fat and low-calorie options, some avoided pork or beef, while some favored French breakfasts. This resulted in an exceptionally diverse breakfast spread on the table.
Link was not picky and had a big appetite, often eating more than half of his girlfriends' breakfast portions.
While having breakfast, the TV on the wall was showing FOX News, and a news segment caught his attention.
...
Yesterday, the Los Angeles Police Department's Gang and Narcotics Division received a tip from an informant and deployed over a hundred SWAT officers to Oakland's South District on 18th Street to arrest drug dealers.
Upon arrival, the SWAT tried to negotiate with the dealers to surrender. However, the gangsters opened fire first, attempting to break the police perimeter. A fierce shootout ensued. Thanks to well-coordinated efforts and strategy from the LAPD leadership, the SWAT successfully neutralized the gang's firing points and stormed the building, arresting numerous dealers.
In total, the police killed 13 gang members and drug dealers, arrested 72 others, seized 200 pounds of drugs, and confiscated a large quantity of firearms and heavy weapons. The operation was a major success for the LAPD.
Police Chief Robert, interviewed in front of the police station, was visibly flushed with excitement, pumping his fist and delivering many inspiring words.
...
"How did the LAPD suddenly get this tough?" Angelina Jolie asked.
"Probably new equipment."
"I think it's thanks to the informants. They cooperated from inside and out, which made it possible to crush the gangs. If only the police had gone in alone, there's no way they could have taken down that many."
"Hopefully, they can keep it up and won't become useless like before."
At the breakfast table, Sophia Coppola, Liv Tyler, Cameron Diaz, and others teased the LAPD's prior reputation. The reason was that the LAPD had shown poor combat performance. Last year, four robbers attacked the Los Angeles Wells Fargo Hollywood branch. Despite over sixty officers surrounding them, the robbers forced the police to retreat repeatedly. Three officers were fatally shot, eight injured, and the robbers escaped in a police car.
Yesterday afternoon, they attacked a gang but were ambushed, leaving around twenty officers killed, and three injured. Previously, the LAPD had been repeatedly beaten back by robbers, drug dealers, and gang members, rarely victorious in shootouts.
Conversely, the LAPD was known for being aggressive when dealing with minorities or ordinary citizens, leading to negative public perceptions.
This time, the LAPD suddenly made a bold and victorious move in Oakland, killing over a dozen and arresting more than seventy, seizing a massive haul. People found it hard to believe it was the LAPD's doing.
Link smiled but did not join the discussion.
...
After breakfast, Link walked with his girlfriends pushing a stroller in the grass and played cricket. During this, he received a call from Kauf Black, the manager of Blackwater Corporation.
Kauf told him that Blackwater had sent a 10-person tactical team to assist in the Oakland 18th Street raid, killing 26 gang members and capturing three gang leaders. They interrogated the captives last night and found out the armed team was sent specifically after Link, but an accident prevented them from acting.
The gang hired an assassin called "Ladybug," a professional killer. However, in last night's firefight, Ladybug was killed by security, and they have recovered the body. The forensic and intelligence teams were examining it for useful clues.
Link asked them to continue the investigation.
"Your turn to bat," Charlize Theron said on the lawn, wearing a tank top and short pleated skirt, revealing her long, fair legs, holding a cricket bat and smiling sweetly at him. Nearby, Jolie, Diaz, Milla Jovovich, Drew Barrymore, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Kate Winslet were similarly dressed.
The clear morning sunlight and their presence made the air feel fresh and lifted Link's mood.
---
"Whoa, so many died! Was this arranged by Link?" John and Johnson watched the news of the previous night's shootout in their motel room.
They had received intelligence that the armed group was connected to Oakland local gangs. Unexpectedly, by the next morning, the gang's stronghold was destroyed.
The LAPD showed unexpectedly fast and strong action, making them suspect Link's involvement or that he had bribed LAPD higher-ups; otherwise, the LAPD wouldn't be so aggressive.
"It's probably Link. I know those LAPD cops; they're all fat and sluggish, the patrol cars can hardly fit them. One-on-one, I could take a whole precinct. There's no way their combat power could overwhelm a gang of hundreds," Johnson sneered.
"Link is ruthless. Once he suspects a threat, he strikes without hesitation, rooting out enemies completely. Such a guy is hard to deal with," John frowned, becoming serious.
When assigned the contract and seeing the target was Link, John felt relaxed because directors and artists usually haven't experienced real wars or gang violence and underestimate threats.
Such targets were easier to eliminate based on the assassin organization's data.
But after arriving in Los Angeles and learning more about Link, they realized he was an atypical director, more like a cold capitalist.
Link was highly security conscious, always appearing in public with bodyguards. Recently, after receiving assassination threats, his security detail increased.
He maintained good habits, despite having over a hundred girlfriends; he never visited unsavory venues, had no secret late-night affairs, nor did he use drugs or wellness products.
He was also somewhat homebody, spending most filming time on set, and after returning to Los Angeles, he stayed home with his girlfriends and children, rarely attending other events.
Without Link coming out, they had no chance to act.
Last night's event showed Link's other side - ruthless to enemies and relentless once he knew their location. This made assassination very difficult but thrilling.
"Tomorrow's the premiere of Armageddon. Should we go?" Johnson asked.
"Let's observe more. If we remain persistent, we'll find his routine and weaknesses. That will be his death sentence," John said, clenching his fists.
They didn't linger, turning off the lights early to rest for the premiere day.
...
They continued tailing Link the next day but kept distance due to his highly alert bodyguards. They waited in common spots he visited - outside Guess Pictures' building, Beverly Hills hillside villas, etc.
In the morning, they saw Link's limo leave Beverly Hills, stay over four hours at Guess Pictures, then at 2 PM join Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler and others at the Greater Los Angeles Theater for the Disney-distributed film Armageddon.
John disguised as a reporter infiltrated the event, while Johnson, who had met Link on set before, stayed in the car to observe discreetly.
...
"Link's here!" The crowd buzzed as Link's Cadillac stopped at the red carpet entrance. Reporters surged forward, and John was pushed toward the front, sweating under the hot afternoon sun.
"Link, look here!"
"Link, I love you!"
"Link, let go of Liv; she's mine!"
Link, crisply dressed in a tailored suit, helped the fair-skinned Liv Tyler out of the car amid deafening shouts from fans and reporters. The crowd pressed forward, and John was puzzled by their fanaticism, questioning if a star and billionaire deserved such worship.
Why were reporters so excited to interview Link?
But to get close, John pushed to the front row with his camera until security stopped the crowd. They stood behind the barricades awaiting Link's pass.
...
Click!
While focusing the lens, John suddenly heard a faint but distinct sound resembling a gun safety being disengaged. With six years of combat experience and five years as an assassin, he instantly recognized it.
Looking sideways, he spotted a nondescript middle-aged man wearing glasses, holding an unusually designed camera, watching Link intently as he walked the red carpet.
John took a few photos of Link and moved back to the second row, behind the man, concealing his gaze behind the camera.
The man was another professional assassin, likely wielding a weapon disguised within the camera. If so, his chance to kill Link was high.
John inwardly regretted as the weapon was too sharp; he wouldn't get to compete for the contract himself.
Unexpectedly, a dozen vigilant security guards arrived between Link and the barricade, walking alongside Link, watching the crowd closely.
"Shit!" The man cursed quietly, trying repeatedly to raise his camera gun but putting it down each time under watchful security eyes.
John smirked sadly for the fellow killer.
...
"Director Link, please wait. We have some questions for you," reporters shouted.
"I have two minutes; please be quick," Link replied, stopping.
John watched the killer's face briefly show excitement as he tried to move discreetly backward to take a shot.
John kept photographing, eyes locked on the assassin's moves but no shots were fired. As an assassin, he understood the stakes: too close, they'd be spotted; too far, a strange weapon rifle made aiming difficult.
Without at least an 80% certainty, they would not act in such a public space to avoid exposure.
Link answered questions: his thoughts on Armageddon and box office predictions; the authenticity of rumors from the LA Times about on-set firearm accidents during Pirates of the Caribbean filming (confirmed minor injuries, no deaths); and questions from USA Today related to Armageddon.
...
Meanwhile, John noticed the middle-aged killer already put down his camera and was using an earpiece to communicate with a partner. He suggested the crowd was too thick for a close approach and proposed the partner try a long-distance shot from a nearby high-rise.
He glanced at a nearly 33-story building, The Bloc (MCI Center), about 2,000 meters from the red carpet.
John stepped back again, shielding behind the camera, and noticed a glint in a high-floor window -- likely a sniper with an extended-range rifle.
Link's death was almost certain.
John lamented that the $200,000 contract would probably go unearned.
...
"Mr. Link, wait, one more question!"
"Link, is it true Diana is pregnant?"
As the interview ended, Link waved and moved forward among the waiting actors. Reporters shouted but he did not stop.
John's eyes were fixed on the building, waiting for the sniper's shot.
...
Bang!
A bullet whizzed overhead, and Link whispered something to Liv Tyler's ear as the bullet passed just above his head, striking a movie poster behind him.
The crowd's screams drowned out the sound, and no one noticed the near miss.
"Terrible shot!" John sneered, disdaining the sniper's aim. In the Marines, snipers regularly hit targets even farther.
Suddenly, Link quickened his pace, seemingly fleeing. He left the red carpet, joining a group of actors. The sniper was denied a second shot.
...
John sighed over the lost chance.
The middle-aged killer also looked regretful, glanced back at John, and made a warning gesture before leaving. John realized the killer must have detected his presence but chose not to expose it.
...
After Link departed, reporters continued interviewing other guests and photographing stars. John stayed, planning to sneak into the theater.
His phone buzzed. It was Johnson who excitedly reported that someone was just arrested in the parking lot. The captors were in plainclothes with precise, forceful tactics, resembling Marines.
John asked the description. The man was average height, wearing glasses, like a reporter. His glasses fell during arrest.
John realized it must be the middle-aged killer.
He wondered how the man was discovered among the crowd since he hadn't fired. Had John himself been exposed?
Afraid to stay, John quickly hid his camera in a trash can, changed into a T-shirt, called Johnson, and quietly left the scene.
*****
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