Chapter 60: First Kill

William, holding Ambrosio's hand, exited the airport and hailed a cab. They checked into the presidential suite at a Hilton hotel just two kilometers away.

Two hours later, William was comfortably sipping on a glass of whiskey when Barney called.

"Boss, we caught Dimitrios, but his contact got away during the chaos. We had a shootout at the Body Art Gallery with Dimitrios's men. After killing two, we captured Dimitrios. Luckily, no civilians were hurt. Should we head to the airport now?" Barney reported.

Damn it, thought William, feeling frustrated. It seemed that the Expendables weren't suited for this kind of surveillance work. "No, don't come to the airport. You might be exposed already. Take Dimitrios and lay low for now. I'll handle the cleanup. Stay put and wait for my instructions."

"Understood, Boss. But just a heads up, hiding for a few days is fine, but longer than that, and things get tricky," Barney reminded William, hinting at the urgency of resolving their actions in Miami's crowded streets.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it."

After hanging up, William quickly got dressed, left the hotel, and flagged down a taxi. Offering the driver triple the fare, he reached the airport in under five minutes.

Entering the airport, William called Gareth Mallory from the Security Committee. As soon as the call connected, Mallory's anxious voice came through. "Did you find the bomber?"

William cut straight to the point. "Yes, I did. The situation is critical. We lost the bomber, but we know he's heading for the Skyliner plane. I need authorization to fire within the airport and your help with the aftermath here in the USA."

Mallory sounded tense. "Are you sure you can handle it, William? This situation is delicate. We lack evidence, and Skyliner is determined to test fly today. They won't be dissuaded. They're desperate to boost their stock prices."

William understood perfectly. Skyliner wanted to capitalize on favorable market conditions; their plane taking off would send their stock soaring. They had dug their own grave and now had to see it through. "I've got this under control."

"Alright, as long as you can neutralize the bomber, everything else is secondary. Go ahead, William, and don't mess this up."

"Understood."

William ended the call and snuck into a secluded area of the Miami airport, climbing over a fence and knocking out a staff member. He changed into the staff's uniform, then drove a ground service vehicle towards the Skyliner 570 hangar.

Most of the airport security was concentrated around the Skyliner plane, leaving other areas less guarded. William silently climbed onto the roof of a nearby building. He retrieved his AWP sniper rifle from his personal space, assembled it, and lay in wait, praying the bomber hadn't managed to infiltrate Skyliner's security.

Ten minutes later, William's patience paid off. A ground service fuel truck sped towards the hangar. Fortunately, Dimitrios didn't have enough influence to plant someone inside Skyliner, so they had to resort to a brute-force approach.

William steadied himself, peering through the AWP's scope. He took a deep breath, adjusted for wind speed and distance, and fired a shot at the truck's front tire with a soft "whoosh."

The silencer dampened the shot, and at his elevated position, the sound didn't attract attention. When the truck didn't stop, William became more suspicious. A normal airport worker would halt immediately upon a tire blowout, not force the vehicle onward.

William chambered another round, aimed, and fired at the truck's rear tire. The powerful AWP blew out the tires, causing the truck to skid and flip, sliding several meters before stopping.

Through his scope, William watched the truck intently. A few seconds later, a bloodied man crawled out of the cab. He staggered, glanced around, clearly looking for the sniper but failing to spot William. This guy was a real daredevil, unfazed by the sniper's presence, as he retrieved a small bomb from the truck and started stumbling towards the Skyliner hangar.

William saw everything through his scope and gritted his teeth. "You want to die? I'll oblige." He adjusted his aim to the man's torso and fired again. The sniper round tore through the man, who collapsed, writhing in pain.

Even as he lay dying, the man shakily reached into his pocket for his phone. William realized instantly what he intended. He was going to detonate the small bomb on himself, which would ignite the fuel truck, ensuring Skyliner's plane wouldn't fly today.

"Dammit," William cursed. He swiftly chambered another round and shot the man's arm, dislodging the phone. The man stopped moving seconds later.

William lay on the roof, calming his nerves. Killing hadn't been as traumatic as he'd anticipated. He felt a numbness for a few seconds before his mind cleared. Perhaps the countless scenarios and techniques he'd absorbed prepared him. Maybe William was naturally adept at this, as he felt no disgust or urge to vomit, unlike what was often depicted in movies and novels.

After airport security swarmed around the Skyliner hangar, William saw no further threats. He packed up his AWP, stored it back in his personal space, and quietly climbed down from the roof, using his mental abilities to scan his surroundings and slip out of the airport amidst the commotion.

Outside the airport, William called Gareth Mallory again.

Once the call connected, William said, "Mission accomplished. The bomber targeting Skyliner's plane is dead. Dimitrios is captured, but I need you to negotiate with the Americans. My men opened fire in the Miami Body Art Gallery to capture Dimitrios."

Mallory's voice sounded relieved. "Excellent work, William. I'll handle the aftermath with the Americans. You've saved Skyliner, and I'll make sure Downing Street knows of your success. Le Chiffre won't have a good day after this. His schemes to short sell Skyliner's stock just backfired."

This operation was crucial not only for England's interests but also to prevent market disruptions. William couldn't allow anyone to sabotage his plans for the March stock shorting. With the money from his game sales recently credited, he hadn't yet prepared to enter the futures market, and he had no tolerance for anyone interfering with his profit plans.

Ending the call, William changed back into his own clothes and took a cab back to the Hilton. Outside the hotel, he bought some painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, then grabbed a fruit pizza before heading back to his room.

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