American variety show: Sniper Elite

Chapter 149 Nowhere is Peaceful
Saul Goodman pushed open the law firm door, the wooden door with its brass handle creaking familiarly.

But today, the sunlight on Fourth Avenue streamed through the blinds and shone on the empty reception desk, where his charming divorced secretary was nowhere to be seen.

At this time of day, she would usually wear that V-neck silk blouse that plunged to her chest, deliberately letting her pencil skirt clung tightly to her muscles as she rose from the swivel chair. Her long, honey-brown hair swayed gently with her greeting, "Good morning, Mr. Goodman," and her hands, painted with nude nail polish, pushed the coffee cup within his reach.

Saul loosened his tie. The orchid he had given to his secretary was still in full bloom on his desk, but the daily schedule that had been placed next to the vase was nowhere to be seen.

"Kimberly?" he called out to the air, his voice echoing slightly in the empty law firm.

The digital clock on the wall showed 9:15. By then, she should have already started answering her first inquiry call of the day in that sweet, cloying voice.

Saul pushed open the solid wood door to the office, his leather shoes suddenly stopping on the carpet.

His secretary, Kimberly, who always wore Chanel No. 5, was lying on her side on the carpet in an unnatural position.

Her meticulously styled honey-brown curly hair was spread out in a mess, and the gold-embossed schedule lay three steps away, its pages sticking out.

Saul's briefcase fell to the ground with a "thud".

He noticed that Kimberly's beige pencil skirt was terribly wrinkled, and her right hand was twisted behind her back at an odd angle. Her most prized Dior pearl necklace was broken, and the beads were scattered everywhere.

“Kim Kimberly?” Saul’s voice was incredulous. He noticed a strange bluish-purple patch on the back of her neck.

The office door suddenly creaked behind Saul and then slammed shut.

He turned sharply.

A strange man sat leisurely in the visitor's chair behind the door.

His pale blond hair shimmered with a platinum sheen in the light and shadow cast by the blinds, and his sharply defined face made him look like a male model who had just stepped off a fashion magazine cover. What sent chills down his spine were his icy blue eyes, which were fixed on him without blinking, like a wolf eyeing its prey.

"Who...who are you?" Saul staggered backward, his shin bumping into Kimberly's body, and he fell awkwardly to the ground. His briefcase slid a long way, hitting the corner of the wall with a dull thud.

Beta slowly drew his HK45 tactical pistol from his waist and then took out a silencer.

“Relax, Mr. Goodman.” He slowly tightened the muffler, the subtle sound of the threads meshing clearly audible in the office. “Your secretary is just asleep for now. Although she may feel like she’s been kicked in the neck when she wakes up.”

The silencer made one last half-turn: "But compared to the option of eternal slumber, this is already a Christmas present, isn't it?"

Saul's fingers dug into the carpet, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "There's cash in the safe! Two hundred thousand! No, three hundred thousand! The password is—"

The silencer made a "poof" sound.

The bullet grazed Saul's fibula, leaving a trail of blood on his custom-made trousers.

"Ah!!" Thor's scream echoed in the soundproof office.

He curled up like a shrimp, his hands gripping his bleeding calf tightly, his expensive leather shoes leaving messy marks on the carpet. Cold sweat instantly soaked through the back of his shirt, and his usually eloquent mouth, accustomed to its silver tongue in court, could only utter intermittent gasps.

Beta slowly smoothed out the wrinkles in his trousers, listening to Saul's wails. The screams gradually turned into hoarse gasps, echoing in the office like leaky bellows. "Now. Your poor brain cells should be enough to handle this," he lowered the muzzle of his gun, "the next shot will shatter your fibula. Imagine having to use a cane every time you go to court from now on."

“Understood! Completely understood!” Saul’s voice rose, his bloodied fingers waving wildly in the air. “Please tell Ms. Antonio! I, Saul Goodman, will absolutely, absolutely never interfere in Mr. Santino’s affairs again! I’m booking a flight to the Bahamas for vacation right now! I won’t be returning to the United States for at least six months!”

"What benefits did Santino promise you that made you dare to interfere in the Antonio family's affairs?"

Saul's Adam's apple bobbed violently, his lips trembling: "Five million dollars, plus another five million after it's done."

"Just for this little bit of money?" Beta chuckled. "You're such a cheap lawyer."

Beta stood up and said, "You'd better get going, or I won't find you here when I come back after I've finished my other business."

After saying that, Beta turned and left, leaving Thor trembling.
-
Italy, Rome, Gianna's private castle.

Bathed in the Mediterranean sun, the Renaissance-style palace's white marble walls reflect the shimmering water. Yet, inside the guardhouse on the castle's top floor, the atmosphere is thick with tension.

Ashley leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window, her fingers tracing the holster on her hip. Today, she had deliberately styled her long hair into a neat updo, and her white fitted shirt accentuated her slender figure. Sunlight streamed through the glass, creating a halo around her.

Three meters away, Katalia slowly inspected the magazine. Her injured right shoulder had healed, and she was wearing a close-fitting burgundy velvet shirt with the top two buttons deliberately undone, revealing a faint tattoo on her collarbone.

When she looked up at Ashley, her eyes always held a hint of defiant languor.

“So,” Ashley began, “you’re the ‘wildcat’ that Salong picked up?” She deliberately emphasized the last two words.

Katalia shoved the magazine into the pistol with a click.

“I prefer to call myself…” She slowly stood up, the hem of her shirt revealing a glimpse of her honey-colored skin as she moved: “his lover.”

The atmosphere between the two women grew increasingly tense. Jaina's wicked sense of humor was on full display at this moment; she deliberately assigned the two women to the same shift.

Ashley's fingers were already on the gun handle. Katalia remained relaxed. The clock on the wall clicked softly.

Suddenly, a piercing electrical buzzing came from the communicator: "Team A, be aware of an abnormal heat source on the north wall." This unexpected mission was like pouring hot water on a barrel of explosives about to detonate.

Ashley took a deep breath and turned to walk towards the door. But as they brushed past each other, she whispered, "You're lucky this time, wildcat."

Katalia returned a knowing smile: “Likewise, little house cat.” She deliberately ran her fingertips across Ashley’s lower back, feeling the tension in the other’s muscles.

"Actually, you're not as charming as you think," Katalia deliberately drawled. "Otherwise, how would I have succeeded?"

Ashley whirled around, her right fist whistling through the air as she aimed straight for Katalia's face. But Katalia was prepared, catching the powerful punch squarely as her palm and knuckles collided with a crisp "snap."

"So angry?" Katalia chuckled and tightened her grip, firmly holding Ashley's fist in her palm.

(End of this chapter)