American variety show: Sniper Elite

Chapter 87 March
Gianna's castle stands on the Mediterranean coast. This ancient building, originally constructed in the Middle Ages, has become a symbol of the Antonio family's status. As the queen who controls the entire Italian underworld, Gianna chose this seaside castle as her royal palace.

Led by their bodyguard, Beta and John crossed the sun-drenched seaside terrace and traversed the wide, sandy plaza. Their footsteps echoed within the ancient arched stone gates, finally stopping before a bronze door leading to the second floor.

The gate is adorned with intricate carvings: majestic lions, blooming sunflowers, a throne symbolizing power, a coiled dragon, and a strikingly modern electronic keypad.
A bald Black man stood guard by the gate, dressed in a well-tailored grey suit with a black shirt and black leather shoes. The faint outline of a gun holster at his waist added to his menacing aura.

John met the black man's eyes: "Cassian."

Cassian nodded knowingly: "Gianna said we have a distinguished guest. It seems it is you, John Wick."

“Yeah,” John replied briefly.

Cassian stepped aside to make room and pressed the call button on the keypad of the bronze door access control.

While waiting for an internal response, Cassian's gaze shifted to the young man beside John. He had a face identical to John's, light blond hair styled in a side-swept style, and captivating icy blue eyes.

Cassian scrutinized Beta, then turned to John: "This is your son? Everyone in the underworld says he's a collector's dealer, not following in your footsteps. Why did you bring him here today?"

John didn't speak, but Beta looked directly at Cassian and replied, "In Italy, Ms. Gianna's influence is unparalleled. I'd like to ask for some help through my father's connections."

Cassian nodded: "You not only have a good father, but you've also found the right connections."

The keypad on the bronze door beeped softly, followed by the click of the mechanical lock disengaging.

The heavy bronze door slowly opened. The door was five centimeters thick, and the gap between the door and the lion relief in the center of the door split the roaring lion's face in two.

As the crack in the door widened, Beta's gaze met that of the person behind it, and both of them froze. The other person pushed the door open to a mere gap, stood quietly inside, and glanced back and forth between Beta and John.

Cassian broke the silence at the opportune moment: "Please come in, Ashley will take you to see Jaina."

Beta looked at Ashley standing inside the door and found that the other was also looking at him. Their eyes met, and an indescribable, subtle atmosphere flashed in the air.

The two passed by Ashley, and the tight security behind the door was clearly visible.

Inside the bronze gate, two heavy bulletproof guard posts stand on either side. Through the specially made bulletproof glass, you can see fully armed security personnel inside. They are wearing black combat uniforms, equipped with bulletproof vests, and holding automatic rifles. The round firing port covers on the guard posts are open, indicating that they are on high alert at any time.

The only passageway between the two guard posts is equipped with a system similar to airport security checks, complete with conveyor belts and scanning gates.

Ashley deliberately avoided eye contact with Beta and said to John in a businesslike manner, "Please put your weapon in this box. It will be returned to you when you leave."

John and Beta exchanged glances and began to remove their weapons and equipment.

John pulled a P30L pistol and four magazines from his waist, and a folding knife from his right calf. The metal and plastic clanged together, and the equipment filled one corner of the plastic box.

In contrast, Beta's disassembly process was exceptionally lengthy. He first pulled out a Glock 17 pistol and four magazines from his right back waist, then a Glock 43 from his left back waist. Bending down, he took out a Sig Sauer P365 from a holster hidden under his right ankle.

After a brief hesitation, Beta pulled out a butterfly knife from his left calf, then patted himself down and took out a switchblade from under his arm, indicating that all weapons had been removed.

Ashley watched the scene, her gaze shifting back and forth between the two plastic boxes. One was almost completely crammed full, while the other contained only a few weapons.

She handed the two boxes through the small window of the guard booth and simply instructed, "Please go through the security gate now."

John went through the security gate first, and everything went smoothly.

As Beta walked past, an alarm sounded and the security door flashed red. Security personnel inside the guard post immediately went on alert, the barrels of automatic rifles protruding from their firing ports.

Beta raised his hands in acknowledgment while quickly patting his entire body for a check-up. When he patted his waist, it dawned on him. He pulled out his belt, flicked his wrist, and the seemingly ordinary belt straightened, transforming into a ruler-shaped weapon.

"Sorry," Beta said, pressing the button to restore it to its normal belt form.

After placing the specially made belt into the storage box, Beta passed through the security gate again. This time, the alarm remained silent, and the red light turned a calm green. The gun barrels in the guard booth were retracted, and the tense atmosphere dissipated.

After passing through the security checkpoint, another heavy door appeared in front of the two.

A female security guard, dressed in a gray women's suit and black flat leather shoes, stood on one side of the door, the outline of a gun at her waist clearly visible.

Ashley gestured for the two men to stand separately in front of the door, arms outstretched, for further checks. She used a metal detector to scan Beta's entire body. Meanwhile, John was being checked by another female security guard.

When the detector scanned Beta's ribs, Ashley took the opportunity to nudge him lightly and said in a low voice, "Although I had long suspected your appearance, I never thought you really were John Wick's son."

Before she finished speaking, her hands had already swiftly reached down to Beta's waist and grabbed her tightly. Beta immediately arched her back, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at Ashley.

Ashley's lips curled slightly, suppressing her smug smile as she stepped aside.

John's check was complete, and Ashley and her colleague simultaneously placed their index fingers on the fingerprint scanners on either side of the door. With a mechanical whirring sound, the door slowly opened, revealing an elevator waiting to be used.
-
An elevator was waiting to be put into operation, awaiting Medvedeva and her deputy.

The deputy carried a briefcase filled with documents prepared by Medvedeva. These documents contained her plan, which had not only received the supervisor's approval but also his tacit support.

The British slang term "non-stick pan" came in handy at this moment.

Faced with questioning from the French side, the British representative used his characteristically ambiguous and hesitant language, neither explicitly acknowledging the authenticity of the intelligence nor failing to leave room for further elaboration. This ambiguous attitude, ironically, convinced the French side of the value of the information.

(End of this chapter)