You Plan to Assassinate the President (Fourth Bonus Chapter, Please Subscribe in Full!!!)

"Haha, Lake!."

The Secret Service team leader, Mike Banning, rose and hugged Lake as he came in. The two of them slapped each other hard on the back, as if that was how they showed enthusiasm.

After the Secret Service was absorbed into the Department of Homeland Security, Mike Banning, who had come from SEAL Team Six, was selected to replace Fox, who had left long ago, becoming one of the Secret Service’s senior agents.

Lake had also come from the SEALs. Although he and Mike Banning had not been in the same unit, they had still crossed paths during their regular training and had even drunk together in bars.

Mr. President and the Vatican had confirmed that they would arrive in New York next month rather than in December. After all, Mr. President and the Pope were both very busy, so finding a time when everyone was available had been difficult.

And so.

After it was confirmed that Mr. President and the Vatican would arrive on Long Island next month, on October 11, to pray, the Secret Service had rushed to New York ahead of time to make preparations.

Lake pulled out a chair and sat down, then said to Mike Banning, "Just tell me what help you need from us."

Mr. President’s protection in New York would be handled by agents from the Secret Service and the FBI, so it had little to do with the Department of Homeland Security. However, the Secret Service and Homeland Security belonged to the same system, and Secretary Kelly had previously asked Homeland Security to provide as much assistance as possible. Lake was not going to refuse.

Mike Banning did not hold back either. "Give us several IDs and a few official vehicles. Then provide a list of people with criminal records living around the meeting site. That’s all. I’ll trouble those FBI guys with the rest."

Lake smiled. "Small matter. Anything else?"

Mike Banning nodded. "Yes."

Lake raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Banning glanced at the three Secret Service agents he had brought with him, then said to Lake, "We came straight here as soon as we got off the plane. We haven’t eaten yet. Does that count as a problem?"

Lake burst out laughing. "Of course it counts. How could it not?"

SEAL brothers were family.

Treating them to a meal was nothing. Even calling up a phone girl would have been perfectly normal.

Soon.

After Banning and Lake finished breakfast, Tiffany brought over the temporary Homeland Security agent IDs for Banning and the others. Banning then took his leave.

There was still a month before the president’s arrival, and Banning’s Secret Service had plenty to do during that time. They had to inspect the location where the speech would be held, determine how to set up security nearby, and speak with local residents who had criminal records to find out whether they had any unusual opinions about Mr. President’s visit.

If they did not, everyone would be happy. If they did, then—heh.

But just as Banning had joked with Lake, they could trouble the FBI with these matters. After all, the Secret Service’s authority sometimes changed depending on the president’s location. Even if they could direct the FBI, the Secret Service still needed to be present for certain specific tasks.

However…

That evening, Lake was watching the news when he saw a different kind of report.

Originally, the Pope was supposed to come in person from the Vatican. But that afternoon, the plan had changed. Vatican Cardinal would accompany Mr. President to New York at the president’s invitation.

As for why the Pope was not coming?

A small European country currently being ravaged by demons desperately needed the Pope to bring the Templar Knights there to perform an exorcism.

That was what people said.

As for the truth, who knew? In any case, this had nothing to do with Lake or the Department of Homeland Security. Now that the Secret Service had arrived, the matter belonged to the Secret Service and the FBI.

Lake continued living as usual.

Soon.

The day of Mr. President and the cardinal’s speech on Long Island in New York drew closer and closer.

That day.

On his way back from Stark Manor in Long Beach, Lake happened to spot an acquaintance turning into an apartment building in the distance while waiting at a traffic light.

Hadn’t this guy gone into seclusion?

What was he doing here?

Lake muttered to himself.

Ten minutes later.

On the roof of an apartment building, a SEAL sniper who had lived in seclusion deep in the mountains for nearly five years stood at the edge, carefully recording something.

Lake appeared on the rooftop without a sound.

His friend Bob Lee Swagger spun around with a whoosh, drew his gun, and aimed it at Lake.

Looking at the gun pointed at him, Lake thoughtfully turned his gaze toward Swagger. "What are you planning to do? Kill me to silence me?"

Swagger lowered his pistol with a delighted expression and hugged Lake. "Of course not. Why are you here?"

Lake said curiously, "Shouldn’t I be asking you that?"

As he spoke.

Lake walked over to where Swagger had just been standing and surveyed the surroundings. His gaze ultimately landed on the site where a stage was already being set up, waiting for Mr. President and the cardinal to arrive the next day.

The positions where Mr. President and the cardinal would stand tomorrow appeared in his mind.

Lake raised his eyebrows. "From this angle, assassinating Mr. President would be a little difficult even for you, wouldn’t it?"

Even the most formidable assassination required one thing to be guaranteed.

The target had to be within the Cross.

But here?

Unless Lake himself took action, firing from here would accomplish nothing. After all, Swagger’s bullets could not turn corners.

Lake turned to his friend, who seemed to have just emerged from the mountains and still carried the scent of the earth. "You’re planning to assassinate the president?"

Swagger froze. "What? Of course not."

As he spoke.

Swagger told Lake that half a month earlier, his former military superior, Isaac Johnson, had asked him to come out of retirement. "Isaac wanted to know where someone would attack from if they wanted to assassinate the president."

Lake raised his eyebrows.

Isaac Johnson? The Black guy?

Isaac was also a military man. When Lake had retired, Isaac seemed to have been a lieutenant colonel. Now, he appeared to be a colonel, holding some kind of position at the Pentagon.

But…

What did the Pentagon have to do with Mr. President and the cardinal meeting in New York City?

Was the Pentagon planning to steal the Secret Service’s and FBI’s jobs?

And what did this have to do with Swagger?

Lake tilted his head and said to Swagger, "I remember that when you left, you said you would never enter a major city again in this life. Or have you grown tired of living in the wilderness and decided to return to civilization?"

Swagger said to Lake, "I’m a patriot."

Lake solemnly expressed his respect. "I admire you."

Those words perfectly explained why Swagger had appeared there.

But.

Lake was still curious. "Did you report to the Secret Service?"

The Secret Service agents might not have been professional snipers, and this place was already far beyond the scope of their current investigation. But if something happened tomorrow, Swagger was skulking around like this. One investigation would be enough to expose him.

But Swagger said, "I’ve been with Isaac and the Secret Service these past few days. I’m only here to provide consultation. Once tomorrow’s business is over, I’ll take a flight straight home."

"There are Secret Service agents here?"

"Yes."

"All right."

After hearing that, Lake did not say anything more. It was good that Swagger was with the Secret Service. At the very least, if something really happened tomorrow, this guy, who had probably been searching for firing positions since yesterday, would not be treated as the primary suspect.

His phone rang.

"Sir, the BAU team leader has arrived."

"Good."

Lake told Tiffany on the other end, "I’ll be right there." He then put away his phone and said to Swagger, "Want to have a drink together tonight?"

Swagger shook his head. "Forget it. Mr. President is arriving tomorrow, and the Secret Service needs to make the necessary deployments based on my report tonight. But I can change my ticket to the morning after tomorrow. How about tomorrow night?"

Lake nodded. After arranging to meet Swagger at the old bar the next night, he said, "Take care of yourself. If anything happens, you know my number. I’m leaving first."

With that.

Lake turned and walked into the apartment building’s stairwell. He still had work to do at the office. Since Mr. President was arriving the next day, New York Homeland Security had conveniently wrapped up several recent operations, then waited for the FBI headquarters’ Behavioral Analysis Unit to come over and assist with interrogating several foreigners who had been arrested for planning or contemplating terrorist actions.

At the Department of Homeland Security.

Lake shook hands with Aaron Hotchner, who was dressed in a suit just like him. "Director Hotchner."

Aaron Hotchner likewise addressed him. "Director Edwin."

When Lake had been with the NYPD, he had once worked with the BAU while investigating a serial kidnapping case. The BAU specialized in using criminal profiling to predict a suspect’s next move based on the suspect’s behavior.

Lake had to admit that he had a cheat, but although the BAU members did not, they were practically no different from someone who did when it came to criminals.

It was just that…

Lake looked at the team members behind Aaron Hotchner, raised his eyebrows, and asked Aaron, "Is L not here?"

L.

Elle Greenaway, a member of the BAU team and a criminal expert like Psykos. If Lake had ranked first in the NYPD’s case-solving rate, then L had also been Seattle’s top detective, and had held that position for three consecutive years.

As for the relationship between Lake and L?

They had worked together on the serial kidnapping case and had spent one night together. Other than that, there was nothing else.

After shaking hands, Aaron said, "L resigned from the BAU team."

Lake raised an eyebrow. "She resigned? Wow. Does that mean I can recruit her?"

He genuinely had that idea.

Construction on the Supervision Bureau’s headquarters had begun the previous month. There was no shortage of ordinary internal agents to recruit, but for a special operations team tasked with special activities, Lake wanted elites.

Aaron shook his head. "Of course you can. But I don’t know how to contact L now."

Lake smiled. "Is that so? What a shame. But I do."

Aaron Hotchner: "…"