The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 234: The Fox's Tail Revealed]

After receiving a notification from Tim, Coulson dared not linger. He logged off Twitter, got up, and left the internet cafe, heading to Los Angeles International Airport with his bag slung over his shoulder.

Since 9/11, security checks at North American airports had tightened significantly. Coulson went to exchange his boarding pass, using a passport provided by Tim instead of his real identity. He passed through security smoothly and boarded the flight to Puerto Rico.

In Puerto Rico, Coulson had an old flame who had dabbled in Hollywood as a minor actress; she was beautiful and somewhat alluring. Traveling alone around the globe had started to feel monotonous for Coulson, so he planned to tour Europe, Latin America, and Asia with his former lover. Once the trip was over, he intended to retire in peace. Both Los Angeles and Puerto Rico were decent options for settling down.

...

Meanwhile, after Tim notified Coulson to leave, he drove his Cadillac to the Burbank Hotel and turned into the underground parking lot.

...

Not far from the parking lot, Juan sat in a car, using a DV camera to film every vehicle entering and exiting the hotel.

Hawke made a call to Campos, instructing him to keep a close eye on Douglas Coster. Campos suspected that if this situation was indeed connected to Douglas, the culprits would likely seek him out after their failure. The Burbank Hotel had an underground parking area that provided an excellent cover for discreet entries and exits. Campos decided to take a brute-force approach by having someone capture footage of all vehicles in and out of the Burbank Hotel, which could later be analyzed with other information.

Juan remained at the hotel's parking lot entrance filming. Others were stationed near the exit to take additional footage. While the FBI conducted their investigation, Hawke's men had already started to mobilize.

...

In a luxurious suite on the top floor of the hotel, Tim met with his superior, Douglas. He stated directly, "Sir, the operation failed." Douglas, somewhat prepared for this news, inquired, "What's the situation now?"

Tim had his men stationed in Covina, continuously feeding him the latest updates. "Miller Collins drove a vehicle into Hawke Osment, but his driver intervened. Miller's car exploded violently, shattering both man and machine," Tim quickly reported. "The mercenary team made their move afterward, but Hawke was unusually alert and managed to evade the gunfire. He and his bodyguards counterattacked, leading to the complete annihilation of the mercenaries."

Douglas asked, "Will that team come back to you?"

Tim replied, "No, the mercenary team came through a middleman who's currently in Colombia." After a moment, he added, "The only one who could potentially trace back to me is Coulson, but he has already left North America."

Douglas, having always trusted Tim, immediately said, "That's good; you'll need to take care of things from here."

Tim cautioned, "Though there won't be any evidence pointing to BlackRock, Hawke Osment will definitely have his suspicions. I recommend bolstering your security, as you are the key to our success."

This suggestion sounded particularly reassuring to Douglas, who wouldn't take risks. "I've already dispatched a security team to stay by my side 24/7," he stated, looking at Tim. "This plan may have failed, but the demand from above for Twitter won't diminish; it will still push forward, albeit with some restraint."

Tim understood the implications of what Douglas was saying. "I've successfully integrated myself into Hawke Osment's circle and have become his neighbor without raising any suspicions. This can be further developed, and it might yield unexpected results."

"Okay, you stay safe," Douglas admonished. "Inform all relevant personnel to lie low for now -- no more actions. Keep an eye on Hawke Osment and the FBI's movements, and contact me immediately if anything arises."

"Yes," Tim replied before leaving the suite. He went downstairs, got into his car, and followed another vehicle out of the underground parking lot, merging into the flow of traffic.

...

Near the exit, a vehicle occupied by a Mexican individual meticulously filmed each car exiting the underground parking lot.

...

At the hospital, Hawke and Brian had cleaned up and, at Erica's insistence, underwent minimal checks. Both had sustained only minor scrapes and inhaled a bit of smoke and ash; their injuries were negligible. Once it was confirmed that both were okay, Erica breathed a sigh of relief and continued to make and receive calls.

On the line, she spoke fervently, "My cousin and my boyfriend barely escaped being murdered in broad daylight, and I will get to the bottom of this!" On the other end was her grandfather, Paul Ferguson. "The FBI has taken over this case; it's outside your jurisdiction. Do not use the detective bureau's resources."

Erica found that unreasonable. "Grandpa, they know who Hawke is, and they know who Brian is. They still attempted to kill them -- it's a provocation against us!"

Paul Ferguson retorted, "This way, you can freely mobilize the family security company's personnel and resources, but be mindful of how you do it -- some things shouldn't involve your direct action."

After hanging up, Erica continued her calls to the security company.

...

Meanwhile, Hawke was also busy reviewing Edward's medical report. Apart from minor cuts, he had a slight concussion, but it was nothing serious.

Hawke had Jerry and others from Twitter handle the admission procedures for Edward, ensuring 24/7 surveillance. He entered the hospital room and glanced at Edward, who was now in a patient gown. "Get some good rest," he said.

Edward had Jerry raise the bed and asked, "Boss, who is the culprit? Have we found any leads?"

"Not for now." Hawke approached the bedside, saying, "Just don't worry about it; I'm already investigating, and there will be news soon."

...

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door, and Erica and Brian walked in. They had come specifically to thank Edward.

The FBI had extracted the dashcam footage from the bulletproof Mercedes; it clearly documented the situation at the time. Erica watched closely, noting that without Edward's intervention, the exploding Toyota Corolla would have directly crashed into Hawke and Brian's section.

Minutes later, two security teams arrived. One escorted Brian away, heading straight for Woodland Hills, while a six-man team was assigned to protect Hawke.

...

In the bustling environment of a hospital, where patients came and went, it wasn't exactly a place for quiet conversations.

Hawke was preparing to leave the hospital to find a secure and quiet location to analyze the gathered intel and strategize his next steps. Erica suggested, "Let's go to the Silver Lake community; the house there is spacious and modernized, with complete security measures and plenty of weapons and ammunition. It's close to the detective bureau and SWAT; we'd be able to get support in case of an attack."

Hawke agreed, "Alright, let's head to Silver Lake." Previously, they had leveraged the security facilities and firearms available there to hold off 21 Mexican gangsters, almost annihilating their forces.

...

The group entered three armored vehicles, heading straight for Silver Lake. Raul, Guti, and Morentes were still split between two cars, following behind.

Upon arriving at the villa, the security system was fully activated, with guards stationed around the premises. Erica opened a weapons cabinet that stored guns ready for use at a moment's notice.

Hawke temporarily used a highly secured specimen exhibition hall as his makeshift office. The enormous bear specimen stood in a glass display, like a totem.

Hawke mobilized his men to dig up information, especially concerning Douglas. Meanwhile, Erica's phone calls were unceasing.

Although both Hawke and Erica were eager to eliminate their top suspect, Douglas Coster, who remained safely ensconced at the Burbank Hotel, launching a direct attack would likely leave them at a disadvantage and could even provoke governmental repercussions.

...

By afternoon, Jennifer Huey called to report that the FBI had made a discovery. As a member of Brian's potential presidential campaign team, Hawke did not hold back in questioning her. "What exactly did you find?"

Jennifer quickly explained, "We found some metallic remnants among the debris of the car explosion, and one piece might have come from a metal insignia on clothing. The insignia is slightly deformed but still identifiable; it resembles the San Diego Chargers logo."

"San Diego Chargers?" Hawke was quite familiar with the logo. "Are you sure?"

Jennifer replied, "Hold on, I'm sending some pictures to Erica's email."

After a short while, Hawke waited patiently. Erica opened her encrypted email, refreshing it several times until a new email appeared containing several images of the metallic insignia taken from various angles.

She downloaded the images and compared them to the San Diego Chargers logo she found online. Hawke approached to examine closely, stating, "No doubt about it; it's the Chargers logo."

Looking at him, Erica remarked, "If I recall correctly, you've had a connection with someone from the San Diego Chargers."

Hawke nodded, "Yes, former San Diego Chargers star wide receiver, Miller Collins."

Erica entered Miller Collins' name into a search engine, and an array of news articles surfaced, the most prominent being about Miller's divorce, bankruptcy, and how he'd become homeless after being released from jail.

She stated, "Miller Collins had ample motive."

Hawke recalled a detail -- the Savior had mentioned Miller Collins a few days prior, indicating he had saved the latter's daughter, Dorothy, on the beach and had evidently started a relationship with Miller's ex-wife, Maria.

It seemed they had begun dating. Hawke grabbed his phone and dialed Edward's number, asking, "There's something I need you to think about."

Edward quickly replied, "Boss, what is it?"

Hawke inquired, "Did Maria Collins tell you anything about Miller Collins?"

"She did; I asked her about it," Edward remembered, adding, "Miller Collins became a homeless person, and his former teammates bought him a used RV to live in, similar to Frank's situation."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Oh, by the way, his place is in Hollywood; we've all been there, in the parking lot behind the Ackerman Charity Shelter."

*****

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