Chapter 80: Changing Bases and the High Table's Advance Threat Detection (5000 words)
The enthusiastic Eddie felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head, experiencing a biting winter chill in what had been blazing confidence.
The cold killing intent in David's eyes made him realize that if he didn't resolve this situation immediately, David's next target would likely be him.
Eddie, sensing the genuine death threat, shivered. He felt immense pressure every time he faced David.
Even after taking NZT-48, he could barely keep pace with David's thoughts.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Eddie hurriedly set down the physical copy of his book, pulled out a quarter dose of NZT-48 he'd pre-packaged from his pocket, and swallowed it dry.
The pill slid down his throat, immediately dissolving and dispersing into Eddie's bloodstream.
Then, with his heart's powerful pumping action, the NZT-enhanced blood flooded into Eddie's brain.
In that instant, time seemed to slow to a crawl.
At this moment, Eddie felt godlike, as if he were capable of anything.
However, he still couldn't determine whether David was currently on NZT or not—which was deeply unsettling.
Subsequently, images of his journey here began surfacing in his mind one after another, crystal clear.
He, who had excitedly rushed over to share the good news, hadn't noticed that after his unexpected rise to number one on the bestseller list, several private investigators had appeared near his apartment building.
If his enhanced memory wasn't mistaken, the moment he'd turned into this alley, there'd been a glance from a guy sitting on a bench pretending to read The Wall Street Journal.
No, wait. That wasn't all. There had also been two couples pretending to make out who'd paused their kissing and looked his way at that exact moment.
He was really being followed! And by two separate surveillance teams!
Eddie's hands and feet instantly went cold as he recalled these details. He could now perfectly remember what David had warned him about weeks ago.
If those people confirmed he had an exceptional absorption rate for NZT-48, his fate would be like a laboratory rat strapped to a table in some black-site research facility.
That was absolutely not the future he wanted!
Calm down. Stay calm. Use the cognitive enhancement to devise a perfect solution.
But no matter how furiously Eddie's enhanced brain worked, without detailed intelligence about the opposition, even genius-level thinking couldn't produce a foolproof plan.
Just as his mind was racing and overheating, David suddenly slapped a Glock 19 with an attached suppressor onto the table in front of him.
"Go. Deal with them."
Simple. Brutal. That was David's solution.
Even if something seemed suspicious afterward, the watchers would be wary of being killed themselves and thus cautious about sending more people.
This was the only way to reduce complications after being exposed.
Show them your strength!
Eddie, powered by NZT-48's cognitive enhancement, quickly grasped the pros and cons of this approach. He picked up the pistol, nodded solemnly, and headed downstairs.
Now it was time to solve his own problem.
After dealing with that lowlife loan shark with the receding hairline last time, Eddie no longer had any psychological burden about killing.
As for body disposal and forensic traces, it was clear David would have that waste management company handle everything.
He just needed to lure the three surveillance operatives to an isolated location.
Speaking of which, he'd definitely been too reckless this time—too eager for success, which had drawn unwanted attention.
He could sense that David's patience with him was gradually wearing thin.
Three strikes and you're out.
If he couldn't handle this situation properly, he'd be kicked out of the team at best, or end up in a shallow grave at worst.
According to Eddie's analysis of David's current behavioral patterns, the latter possibility was about ninety percent likely.
Since David clearly wanted to keep the abandoned library's location secret, he certainly wouldn't allow someone who knew about it—like Eddie himself—to remain alive if they became a liability.
Eddie, in his NZT-enhanced state, sighed softly. It seemed that for a long time before his senate run, he wouldn't be able to let "normal Eddie" make any decisions.
He didn't think he could escape death through NZT alone if David decided to eliminate him.
NZT-48 only developed the brain's potential—it didn't grant superpowers or precognition.
Shaking his head, Eddie walked out of the abandoned library's entrance and immediately spotted the couple, who began kissing passionately the moment they saw him emerge.
The guy with the newspaper reacted quickly too, pulling out his iPhone and pretending to hide while filming, looking like some disgusting paparazzo or stalker.
Seeing this scene, Eddie couldn't help but smirk.
Perfect. You didn't take the highway to heaven, but instead chose the road to hell. This actually saved him considerable effort.
Eddie, playing along with the charade, silently released the safety on his Glock and began his performance.
Twenty minutes later, Eddie walked back into the library, nodded at David, and held up three fingers.
David understood immediately and ordered "takeout" for three.
Before long, the professional waste disposal crew arrived.
The team leader was still the diminutive Charlie. The polite Charlie smiled and accepted three gold Continental coins from his hat.
His workers began their task silently and efficiently with practiced precision.
Eddie watched the entire process this time. It was professional, efficient, and completely seamless.
First, they neutralized any bullet impacts in the surrounding area, then used cloths soaked in industrial-grade alcohol to clean any surfaces where fingerprints might remain.
Next, they spread body bags on the ground, lifted the three corpses by their feet, and placed them inside.
Then they wrapped everything with waterproof tarps and covered it with industrial plastic wrap to prevent decomposition odors during transport.
Finally, they used various specialized cleaning tools to meticulously remove every trace of blood spatter.
Five minutes later, the alley had returned to its original state of quiet normalcy.
Charlie, having completed everything, bowed slightly to David:
"Thank you, Mr. David, for using our disposal service. We appreciate your continued patronage."
After speaking, Charlie climbed into the passenger seat. The black van with "Waste Management Services" painted on its side started silently and left the alley without a sound.
During the entire operation, aside from Charlie's brief pleasantries, not a single person had asked questions, and the workers hadn't exchanged a single word with each other.
This machine-like operational workflow sent shivers down Eddie's spine.
The various details essentially confirmed that David's earlier statements were accurate.
The Continental and the High Table were terrifying organizations.
With the High Table's existence, the freedom Eddie desired could never truly exist.
They could assassinate him at any time, just like today, and dispose of him silently—so efficiently that apart from his immediate family, no one would even know he'd existed in this world!
A deep sense of dread arose in Eddie's heart. After this experience, he finally understood the meaning of the saying, "The nail that sticks up gets hammered down."
If it hadn't been for David's warning, he probably wouldn't have known he'd been bagged until he woke up on an operating table—or didn't wake up at all.
It seemed he couldn't ration the pills anymore.
But there was clearly still a problem at hand.
They couldn't confirm whether those three operatives had already reported the abandoned library's location.
If the location was compromised, they'd have no peace.
Regarding Eddie's unspoken concern, David already had a plan. He believed John had prepared contingency protocols for exactly this scenario.
"John, if this location is compromised, what are your backup plans?"
Hearing David's question, John turned around, retrieved a detailed map of the Princeton-Newark area from the bookshelf, and spread it across the large conference table.
Although the concept of "the best hiding place is in plain sight" made the abandoned library an excellent choice initially, Eddie's recklessness had now compromised its security, transforming the best option into the worst.
On this matter, John's thinking aligned with David's—they needed to relocate their operations base immediately.
He quickly circled six locations with red marker. All the marked locations were backup safe houses he'd previously acquired and maintained.
John had absolute ownership and access to these properties.
David glanced at them. John's selections were largely based on the "hiding in plain sight" philosophy.
Therefore, all six locations were in areas with convenient transportation and high foot traffic.
Among them were office buildings, luxury residential complexes, shops near PATH train stations, and similar locations.
However, David didn't plan to waste precious time determining which was most suitable. He pulled Eddie over and pointed at the map, saying:
"If it were you, which would you choose as our operations base?"
Eddie examined the red-circled addresses on the map, his enhanced mind rapidly analyzing the surrounding environments, pedestrian traffic patterns, security camera placement, and all other relevant factors.
Finally, Eddie pointed to the office building located in downtown Newark's business district.
"I'd choose here. The foot traffic here is extremely high, which means we won't attract attention entering or leaving.
Plus, we won't have to be overly cautious about our movements every time."
After choosing, Eddie looked toward David, seeking his approval.
But David didn't speak—he just shook his head.
"Seems you still have a lot to relearn. Don't you know that modern surveillance systems all have facial recognition capabilities?
The high volume of pedestrians there won't affect the cameras' normal operation whatsoever.
This means that as long as someone has our photos—and they do—they can lock onto our faces in the system and easily track our location in real-time.
Do you know why this abandoned library was our first choice? Because there are no electronic devices here—not even webcams on the computers.
This is to avoid detection by facial recognition systems. Choose another location."
Eddie's heart sank. As a down-and-out writer who'd long been confined to the routine between his studio apartment and the corner bar, he'd been out of touch with technological developments for too long.
He hadn't realized that even faces could now be used as tracking mechanisms by sophisticated AI systems.
After reconsidering with this constraint in mind, Eddie was clearly much more cautious.
Finally, his finger landed on a location marked as a Cold War-era fallout shelter beneath an office building.
"Here. There are multiple hidden exits, and most importantly, the camera density in the immediate vicinity is clearly insufficient.
We can definitely find routes to completely avoid surveillance within a three-block radius."
Regarding Eddie's second choice, David didn't object this time. Instead, he nodded in agreement.
Then David looked at John:
"This is it."
With just those three simple words, John accepted the decision without question.
"I'll prepare everything. We can relocate within the hour."
John first worked rapidly on his keyboard, transferring the Machine's secure communication protocols to the new location's servers.
Then he removed the computer's hard drive, RAM modules, and CPU, drilled several holes through each component with a power drill, and threw them all into an industrial microwave oven.
He turned both the temperature and timer dials to maximum.
After a few crackling sounds and bright flashes, flames spontaneously ignited on the hardware components, destroying all cached data beyond any possibility of recovery.
Then John retrieved several red jerry cans from a hidden storage area. He carried the containers around, liberally dousing the bookshelves and floor with gasoline.
Finally, John straightened up, slightly out of breath:
"Alright, let's move. I've got a complete unopened equipment set at the new location. We'll just leave these things here."
Walking toward the stairs, John turned to look one last time at the old library's contents, his eyes showing unexpected excitement.
It was like the first time he'd played with fire as a teenager.
He'd wanted to do something like this for a long time.
He pulled out a brushed steel Zippo lighter from his pocket and very stylishly flipped it open with a practiced motion, spinning the flint wheel to ignite the oil-soaked cotton wick.
Then, imitating something from an action movie, he tossed it in a graceful arc through the air, letting it tumble toward the gasoline-soaked floor.
But the expected conflagration didn't ignite, because the Zippo that landed on the floor... went out.
Seeing the stunned expression on John's face, David smiled slightly. Movies were always just movies.
Zippo lighters weren't infallible.
David shook his head, retrieved the Glock from Eddie, and fired a single shot at the pooled gasoline on the floor.
BANG.
A roaring fire immediately erupted, and flames consumed everything on the second floor of the abandoned library. All their secrets were being buried in the inferno.
John Reese and Robert McCall, who'd just returned from Newark, saw thick smoke rising from the library's second floor from several blocks away and assumed the location had been breached. They rushed over with their Glocks drawn.
When they saw the four figures who'd just emerged, looking as if they'd walked out of an inferno, they were immediately bewildered.
"What happened? Has the location been compromised?"
David shook his head:
"We'll explain on the way. The fire department will be here within minutes. Let's move now."
After navigating through the Newark industrial district for half the night, everyone finally arrived at the Cold War-era fallout shelter with its initially stuffy atmosphere.
Fortunately, John had already activated the ventilation system remotely, and the stuffiness dissipated quickly.
Reese pulled out the bribery ledger he'd kept secured in his jacket's inner pocket and tore out a page documenting payments related to Detective Lionel Fusco, whom they'd successfully turned and placed inside the corrupt organization as their mole.
Then he passed the ledger around for everyone to review.
"On the way here, I scanned through it roughly. There's no record of bribes for Raymond Terney—the power behind the organization that David mentioned earlier.
With just this ledger, we can't touch him directly."
David nodded:
"Not a problem. I'll handle him personally."
Reese frowned slightly when he heard David volunteer for the assignment:
"Assassinate him? I think it's better to leave that to Robert.
Terney's public record states he's former Force Recon—Marine Special Operations—and has worked in the Newark Mayor's office since retiring with full honors.
But that doesn't mean he's no longer a legitimate threat. He regularly frequents shooting ranges, tactical training facilities, and similar establishments in his spare time.
Moreover, he frequently recruits skilled operators from veteran circles, offering them lucrative private security contracts.
He's now assembled quite a professional protection detail around himself.
I know you're capable, but against a coordinated team, one person's abilities are always insufficient—no matter how skilled.
Furthermore, Terney has extremely strong security awareness. He conducts vehicle bomb sweeps before entering cars every single time.
Additionally, he brings adequate security personnel even when traveling to isolated areas. The only way you could eliminate him is through direct frontal assault.
And your condition..."
Reese didn't finish the sentence, but everyone understood his meaning.
David's medical situation had always been a critical vulnerability. Even if David was exceptionally capable, everyone present wouldn't forget that David was technically a terminal patient.
They might not have fully appreciated the implications of a brain tumor before.
But after learning about David's diagnosis, they hadn't stopped researching relevant medical information.
Now they were acutely aware of David's situation.
A series of potential symptoms—sudden vertigo, hallucinations, visual disturbances, severe headaches, and seizures that could manifest at any moment—could cost David his life at a critical juncture!
Going after Terney in this condition?
If Terney's team delayed even slightly, David might collapse before completing the mission.
The only person unclear on the situation was Eddie. He'd always felt intellectually suppressed by David's superior cognition, so he hadn't considered that direction at all.
At this moment, seeing the grave expressions on everyone's faces, he immediately detected the abnormality.
David was probably sick—seriously sick—otherwise everyone's emotional state wouldn't be so heavy.
Could it be that David really was dying?
Just as Eddie was trying to find clues from David's facial expressions and physical presentation, David smiled and said:
"Relax. I'm living better than all of you right now.
I just explained to John earlier that this experimental targeted therapy from a private pharmaceutical research facility has been remarkably effective and can extend my functional lifespan by at least another month.
Moreover, the treatment has successfully inhibited tumor growth, which means I'm functionally no different from a healthy person right now.
As for side effects, there are absolutely none so far.
At worst, I still have Sarah to provide backup support.
If Terney doesn't die, the corrupt network in the Newark-Princeton area can reconstitute itself at any time.
So he must be eliminated!"
Despite his confident assertion, everyone's eyes looking at David remained filled with concern, instinctively feeling this wasn't the optimal approach.
Reese and McCall silently resolved to pay extremely close attention to David's movements during this period to ensure his safety.
After discussing how to maximize convictions for the individuals documented in the bribery ledger, the meeting was considered adjourned.
However, for David, things weren't finished yet.
Because after leaving the operations base, Sarah suddenly stopped David and handed him a file folder.
When David saw the subject's identity in the file, his pupils contracted sharply.
Because Sarah's Continental trial assassination target was none other than Raymond Terney himself!
The implications behind this were extraordinarily significant.
You had to understand—the corrupt official network was working directly for the High Table!
And now the High Table wanted Terney eliminated—the regional head of the entire corruption network!
Could it be that the High Table had already sensed someone was taking action against the organization and decided to cut their losses preemptively?
But this possibility seemed extremely unlikely. To avoid alerting targets, David had deliberately chosen a direct top-down strike approach.
This left minimal reaction time for both the High Table and the corruption network.
More importantly, Sarah had received her trial assignment last night, and David had only obtained the ledger's location from the incapacitated Senator Walker today, after which Reese and McCall had retrieved it.
This meant the High Table had known this information in advance!
Being able to sense threats before they fully materialized, David vaguely suspected a disturbing possibility.
Had the Samaritan AI system already gone operational?
[Power Stone Goal: 500 = +1 Chapter]
[Review Goal: 10 = +1 Chapter]
If you liked it, feel free to leave a review.
20+chapters ahead on P1treon Soulforger