American tax officials

Chapter 388 Kidnapping

An hour later, David and his entourage emerged from the Carlton Hotel, not far from Capitol Hill, their faces grim.

"Shit, this is very abnormal!"

After getting into the car, Munsen vented his frustration once again.

Like Yuna before, this Senator Mandel seemed to have lost his mind. No matter how much they tried to reason with him or even presented fabricated dirt on him, he showed no sign of backing down.

First Yuna, and now Mandel—something must have happened...

"I don't know if you've observed them closely, but both Yuna and Mandel were clearly wary of the documents we had, yet they ultimately rejected us with desperate looks in their eyes. This isn't the behavior of a normal person, or perhaps a politician..."

Jerry, resting his chin on his hand, also shared his opinion.

"This is certainly not the behavior of a normal politician, unless... they or their families have been seriously threatened by the three major groups, which would explain their behavior!"

David had actually guessed this when he faced Yuna before.

Yuna back then, both in her words and expression, was filled with despair, and now Mandel is exactly the same.

Judging from their expressions, only a serious threat to their family and themselves would force them to be so resolute.

Threatening a senator's life and fortune seems like a fantasy, but in the eyes of those capitalists, it doesn't seem like a big deal.

After all, they were willing to kill the president to protect their own interests.

It's just threatening these senators now; it's really a piece of cake.

"What?! No way, that's a senator!"

Upon hearing that these people might be under serious threat, Larin, who had been silent all along, could no longer remain still.

Don't underestimate the senators... to be precise, they're nothing compared to David, but in America, they're among the top-tier politicians.

Moreover, among these senators, there is a high probability that they will become high-ranking officials such as president, vice president, speaker of the house, and secretary of state in the future.

Furthermore, since those capitalists are making such threats, it must be more than just one or two; they are definitely targeting a large group. If anything goes wrong, can they bear the public outcry?

"I think it might be true, as the Inspector General and Jerry said. Only this way can explain why Yuna and Mandel are so stubborn. Also, don't think that senators are anything special. Back then, these people even dared to kill a president as prestigious as Kennedy. Now they're just threatening these senators. What wouldn't they dare to do?"

Munson, however, strongly supported David's viewpoint.

Upon hearing this, Larin finally came to his senses.

Yes, back then, even a president as prestigious as Kennedy was easily taken down by those same people.

These are just senators now, so what's there to be afraid of?

After all, if this bill is passed, the losses it will cause to these capitalists may not be much less than those policies implemented by President Kennedy.

Thinking of this, Larin quickly looked at David and said, "Chief Inspector, if those bastards use such disgusting methods, we're in trouble!"

David nodded, took out his phone, and dialed Elvis's number.

"Inspector General David, you wanted to see me?"

"Have you detected any underhanded tactics from the three major groups?"

"Small movements... I haven't detected anything on my end yet."

"Really? I just went to see Yuna and Mandel..."

David told them that the two men might be in serious danger.

Meanwhile, in an apartment building not far from the CIA headquarters, after hearing the whole story, large beads of sweat kept rolling down Elvis's forehead.

If the safety of the two senators' families and themselves was threatened, why didn't their intelligence agency receive any warning?

But then again, none of that matters now.

The important thing is that David ran into two obstacles because he didn't have this information, and that's the most important thing!

Don't let his current position as head of intelligence, making him a powerful figure in the entire United States, fool you.

But if you displease David, it's no exaggeration to say that you could be ousted in a matter of minutes.

Upon realizing this, Elvis completely panicked and hurriedly tried to salvage the situation, saying, "Inspector General David, if it's really as you imagine, then I think it's my fault for neglecting my duties. But rest assured, I will investigate thoroughly and give you an explanation!"

"Let's hurry, this matter shouldn't be delayed any longer!"

"Don't worry, I'll check right now!"

Hearing that David wasn't angry with her about the incident, Elvis breathed a sigh of relief.

After ending the call, he immediately dressed and rushed to the CIA headquarters. He then summoned several of his capable lieutenants and gave them a thorough dressing-down.

Then they were given a strict order: no matter what method they used, they had to get to the bottom of this matter!

Thus began the most severe and swift operation the CIA had undertaken since Elvis took office.

It was 2 a.m., late at night.

David was standing on the balcony of his house, gazing thoughtfully at the sky.

Just then, the phone rang.

Seeing that it was Elvis calling, David answered and said calmly, "Any results?"

"Our investigation revealed that one of Yuna's daughters was picked up from school this afternoon, and Mandel's son has indeed lost contact with him. Therefore, your deduction is correct!"

Elvis's slightly trembling voice came from the other end of the phone.

David wasn't surprised to hear this and continued, "Anything else?"

"These two senators were treated this way because they were placed on the no-confidence lists of the three major groups. And we've also learned that the three major groups aren't going to back down yet; they even plan to use the same tactics on senators from our camp..."

"asshole!"

Yuna and Mandel were not senators from his own camp, so David could remain calm when the three major groups attacked them. However, when he heard that these guys were planning to use the same tactics on his own camp's senators, his anger flared up immediately.

If this group succeeds, then is there any need for his bill to pass?

"So, what's your approach to this?"

"this……"

At CIA headquarters, upon hearing these cold words, Elvis shuddered and became hesitant.

"What's all this about? Just say what you have to say."

"Okay, although we've uncovered a lot of leads, according to the U.S. Constitution, the CIA doesn't have the authority to conduct such operations within our own country. If we take action, I'm afraid someone will make a big deal out of it, so..."

Upon hearing this, David instantly understood.

Elvis is absolutely right.

In the United States, the CIA is outside the jurisdiction of the FBI.

In other words, the CIA is only responsible for intelligence and operations abroad, and can also handle some domestic intelligence, but it cannot act arbitrarily when it comes to operations.

The FBI is responsible for domestic intelligence and all operations, but has no authority to participate in foreign intelligence and operations.

Both sides can only perform their respective duties and cannot overstep their authority without the permission of Congress or the President.

This operation is clearly orchestrated by the three major corporations. If the CIA dares to intervene and rescue them, the three corporations could easily accuse the CIA of overstepping its authority.

"Alright, keep a close eye on this and make sure nothing goes wrong. I'll call the FBI and ask for their cooperation. You guys just need to provide them with intelligence!"

"That's no problem!"

Upon hearing that David was going to ask the FBI for help, Elvis finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After hanging up the phone, David looked through his contacts and found Gavin's number. However, after dialing it, he seemed to remember something and suddenly hung up.

This matter involves a wide range of issues. If we call Gavin, he will definitely have to consult with the higher-ups at the FBI, and then the FBI will have to discuss it at length, which will take too much time.

It would be better to call their higher-ups directly, so that I can put pressure on them personally, which would greatly improve efficiency.

With that in mind, David dialed Keppel's number and said, "Find the FBI director's number for me."

"Okay, just two minutes..."

"Inspector General, the FBI Director was hospitalized last month due to health reasons. The current acting director is Deputy Director Adukun. I've sent you his number."

"Adukun... alright, that's settled then."

After hanging up the phone, a playful look flashed across David's face. He certainly knew this Yadokun, and it's worth mentioning that this man was Gavin's boss.

That would make things easier to discuss.

Gathering his thoughts, he picked up his phone and dialed the number Keppel had sent him.

Meanwhile, in a residence in northeast Washington, D.C.

Adukun was sound asleep when he was woken up by a series of urgent phone rings, but he patiently answered, "Who is it?"

"Director Adokhun, this is David from the IRS."

"David!"

Adokun's sleepiness vanished instantly, and he got out of bed, but his face showed confusion.

Why would Inspector General David call him in the middle of the night?

Could it be because of something in Congress?

But as the acting director of the FBI, he has no jurisdiction over Congress!

With a mix of doubt and trepidation, Yadokun asked, "Chief Inspector David, what brings you here so late?"

"I'm sorry to bother you so late, Chief Adokhun. Well, I have some credit I'd like to offer to the FBI. Would you be interested?"

David said slowly and deliberately.

"Honors?"

Yadokun was taken aback, but soon his expression became uneasy.

Although it's unclear what this so-called achievement is, judging from the current battle between the IRS and the three major corporations, it's probably not a good thing.

Do you mean you want the FBI to arrest certain individuals from the three major corporations?

If that's the case, then we must refuse verbally no matter what.

After all, their bureau had already set the tone and policy, which was that the three major groups and the State Taxation Administration were currently locked in a fierce battle, so under no circumstances should they get involved at this critical juncture, lest they create a situation where gods fight and prisoners suffer.

"According to intelligence obtained by the CIA, the families of several senators have been kidnapped by 'bandits'."

"And that's not all. These unidentified individuals also plan to use the same tactics against the families of other senators in Congress."

"This is exactly what the FBI is supposed to do, and considering the victims are senators, Director Adokhun, what do you think should be done?"

David continued.

"What?! How could this happen?!"

Although Adukun was mentally prepared, he was still shocked when he heard these words.

Criminals kidnapped the families of senators?

What kind of bandits?

Kidnapping one or two people is one thing, but they don't even intend to stop there and are going to target the families of the other senators.

In America, who would dare to be so bold?

Wait a minute... why are these people kidnapping the senators' families?

If it's about money, then they could just kidnap those wealthy businessmen.

Wealthy businessmen not only have money, but they are also not politicians, so their influence is relatively small, making them safer for robbers.

No, they might not be after money!

Is it...

Yadokun seemed to have realized something, and his expression gradually turned horrified.

The three major corporations and the IRS are now locked in a fierce battle over the Senate vote, with virtually every senator becoming a target for both sides.

However, previous votes have shown that the IRS holds an advantage in the Senate.

Then it becomes clear that the real purpose behind these so-called kidnappers of senators is probably to threaten the number of votes held by these senators!

If we follow this logic, then this whole thing must have been orchestrated by the three major corporations.

If that's the case, then forget about merit; this is practically a bomb, and could easily shatter you to pieces!

In a flash, Yadokun understood everything. He immediately replied, "These people dared to attack a senator's family; they seem to be extremists. But then again, the FBI isn't suited to deal with these kinds of people. I think we should let the CTU handle it!"

CTU is the abbreviation for the Counterterrorism Bureau of the United States.

Adakun's goal was simple: to shift the blame to other departments in order to protect himself!

However, he was oversimplifying things. Since David had already approached him, how could he let him stay out of it so easily?

"Chief Adok, I doubt the CTU can handle a case of this caliber. The FBI, as a major law enforcement agency in America, has a clear duty to combat terrorism and crime; no one is more suitable to handle this than you!"

(End of this chapter)