[Chapter 276: Trouble]
Tonight was a night that the young assistant and the four waitstaff would never forget. Ever since the first explosion woke them up, they were terrified out of their wits, curling up in bed, with two even hiding under the bed, too scared to come out. Only after the gunfire outside ended, and Danny came by to knock on the door and loudly assured them that the battle was over and everything was safe, did they begin to calm down.
An hour later, Danny came back up to the third floor, bringing Linton with him to the study. David sent a message that the interrogation of the gang leader was finished. The guy wasn't much of a tough nut to crack and gave up quickly. This operation had been commissioned by Migras, the chairman and CEO of Gesler Architectural Design Firm, to kidnap Linton, the owner of the farm.
Sure enough, it was Gesler Architectural Firm. Since they dared to make a move on him, they were already tempting fate.
"David, keep the interrogation results confidential. I suspect Migras will be on high alert and might even try to flee the country. After all, tonight's battle can't be hidden from the outside world. But it doesn't matter. After all, he is the head of Gesler. He can't run forever. Once we wrap this up, arrange for his elimination in San Francisco."
"Alright, boss."
"Hold off for now until I give the go-ahead."
"Got it."
"How did our fighters fare tonight?"
"Only two minor injuries from sprained ankles caused by rushing in the dark. No serious injuries."
"Good. What about the results?"
"According to the gang's boss, over 210 heavily armed men showed up. But the place was bombarded by artillery and sprayed with M2 machine gun fire. Many bodies were mangled beyond recognition. After repeated inspections, no one escaped. The gang boss was executed on the spot after questioning. Furthermore, two spies on the edge of the farm were killed -- intelligence agents sent by eleven rival factions. One had a National Weather Service ID badge."
"Is the ID still on him?"
"Yes, during the battlefield sweep, our men found Ajax Smith's ID on him."
"Leave the ID where it is. Notify the police when they arrive."
"Should we report this?"
"Absolutely. With such a massive shootout, we can't hide it. We must alert the police, which will also show rival factions our strength."
"Alright. Since the attackers trespassed on our land, there should be no legal issues for us."
"Report now so the police can cooperate and collect the bodies."
"Perfect. That saves us the trouble of dealing with the bodies."
"Also, have the tower sealed off."
"Okay. But how do we handle the experts?"
"Simple. Use the excuse that the National Weather Service staffer Ajax Smith collaborated with the attackers. Until the NWS completes its investigation, all research here is halted."
"Brilliant. Let them fight among themselves."
"Yes, this time the forces behind Ajax Smith must pay dearly."
...
The Park County police, upon receiving the report of over 200 armed attackers and a fierce shootout at the farm, were nearly shaken stiff. In the dark and cold, they didn't dare respond immediately, so they urgently notified the state police and the FBI while assembling their forces.
It wasn't until dawn that they finally arrived at the farm. Seeing the gruesome scene of torn limbs and blood, the officers paled and many were nearly sick to their stomachs. The brutality was beyond their capacity; they decided the FBI must take over.
The on-site commander alerted headquarters to expedite FBI deployment and set up a perimeter with police tape to secure the scene. Then they all got into their patrol cars to wait for the FBI's arrival, choosing the warmth of their vehicles over the freezing outdoors.
...
By 9 am, the expert research team for the Winter Thunder Project started arriving at the farm. Seeing the carnage, the real experts turned pale and promptly vomited up their breakfasts. The fake experts, accustomed to such scenes, appeared unfazed.
When they found the tower guarded and off-limits, a riot broke out. No matter how fierce the battle or how many died, it couldn't interfere with their work. They demanded the guards get their supervisor for an explanation.
Soon David arrived, but his words chilled them all. "Last night, our farm suffered a violent attack by armed marauders. You all passed the site just now and must have witnessed the scale of the fight.
However, we discovered one of your colleagues among the attackers. Count yourselves -- aren't you one short today?"
They began counting; yesterday there had been 17, but today only 16 showed up. However, they didn't recognize the missing individual. Only the original six were actual National Weather Service employees. The other 11 were imposters from other factions with falsified IDs under the NWS banner. They didn't know each other.
"You don't know him? Impossible. They're from the same unit. No need for a show -- he's lying right there. His ID is on him."
David directed them to Ajax's body. Luckily, the corpse was intact and not too disturbing. The bullet wounds hadn't disfigured him, so it was easy for them to identify their missing teammate.
The officers guarding the scene reluctantly stepped aside. At their insistence, they retrieved the ID from the body: Ajax Smith, researcher, National Weather Service.
The real experts exchanged confused looks. They didn't know the man, but the ID was authentic. The fakes, of course, knew the truth -- they were imposters too, using the NWS name for cover.
"Because a National Weather Service staffer participated in the attack on the farm, our boss is furious and has ordered an indefinite suspension of your research project."
"No, this was his personal action, unrelated to us," the experts protested, unhappy.
"Unrelated? This is private property. Our boss, concerned for the country, provided you this site for free immediately after the Winter Thunder miracle. We even sealed the area to ensure peaceful research without disturbance. Yet you dare to collude with marauders and attack our farm at night? This is intolerable. If the NWS won't explain, this project ends here. Now, please leave -- the place is no longer welcoming."
*****
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