The Wolf of Los Angeles.

The black Audi A8 entered North Hollywood, and Edward quickly arrived near the agreed-upon coffee shop, parking the car on the side of the road.

A Ford Exotica followed and stopped behind.

Three bodyguards got out of the car and followed Edward at a distance.

As Edward approached the coffee shop entrance, remembering Deborah's words, he glanced around casually and spotted a paparazzi.

An ordinary-looking man with a camera hanging around his neck was peering into the coffee shop.

In the early days of following Hawke, Edward worked as a professional paparazzi for a period of time and also followed Britney Spears for a long time, so he has a deep understanding of the industry.

He glanced at the man and immediately thought he was a bit of an amateur, probably a newcomer to the industry.

Few professional paparazzi would choose such a small, family-sized camera, let alone stand in such an conspicuous place at the store entrance. They wouldn't get any news that way, and they might even get into trouble.

The coffee shop door opened from the inside, and Deborah came out, greeting Edward, "When did you arrive? Why didn't you come in?"

Seeing Deborah's familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar smile, Edward said, "I just got here."

Deborah pushed open the door: "Please come in."

Edward followed her into the café, his gaze sweeping over the few patrons. He saw no familiar faces, glanced back at the paparazzi outside, and pulled out a chair near the door: "Sit here."

Seeing him sit down, Deborah had no choice but to sit opposite him and asked, "Would you like something to drink?"

Edward shook his head: "No need, let's go find Indio." He glanced at his watch: "Where is he? Let's hurry over there."

Deborah said somewhat awkwardly, "Okay, I'll go right away."

The two dated for nearly a year, and Edward was deeply impressed by Deborah because of Robert Downey Jr.

At that moment, he had a feeling that Deborah didn't seem to be in a hurry and didn't seem to care much about Indio, her biological son.

Edward understands Deborah's true nature, which is why he has this feeling.

The coffee shop door opened at that moment, and three people came in one after another. They sat down near Edward's table.

At the counter, Tanya, disguised as a barista, heard a voice through her earpiece: "The target's bodyguard has gone in."

Tanya saw the three Latinos and sensed that things were getting complicated.

Her gaze swept quickly over them, and with her extensive experience in operations, she could easily make some judgments.

The three men appeared somewhat bulky in the upper body, likely wearing Kevlar body armor, and it was inevitable that they were carrying guns.

Two of them were also carrying leather bags that could be easily opened from the side, large enough to fit an Uzi assault rifle.

A waiter came over to ask, and the three ordered lemonade, but they didn't touch it after the waiter brought it over.

Tanya did not act rashly, and whispered to her collar again, "The target's bodyguard is wearing a bulletproof vest and is suspected of carrying a submachine gun. If we engage in a firefight, we will be suppressed."

A pistol against a submachine gun, and the opponent is also armored—the outcome is predictable.

Meanwhile, in the Toyota van outside, Ivanov, who was in the center directing operations, vigilantly observed his surroundings.

As he heard Tanya's words, he noticed that a Buick minivan that had just passed by had returned, choosing a perfect spot to monitor the café entrance.

The window of the van rolled down, and someone reached out and placed something on the roof.

Soon, a small plane flew up from the roof of the car unnoticed, and after gaining altitude, it circled around the café.

The driver next to Ivanov reminded him, "This could be a bodyguard secretly following the target."

Although Ivanov had retired in the 1990s, he still recognized the drone. Seeing it flying higher and higher, he quickly notified Hamsik via radio: "Don't move rashly, stay in the car."

In the alleyway behind the café, there was a delivery van and a car blocking the way. Hamsik, having been notified by Ivanov, immediately told the people who were about to get out to stop and stay in the car for the time being.

A drone high in the sky is taking aerial photos of the area around the cafe.

This wasn't special treatment for Edward; it was the same security treatment that people like Caroline, Campos, and Henderson received at Hawke's Group.

The bodyguards operate in both the open and covert positions. The bodyguards hiding in the shadows will also use drones to monitor the surroundings when the person they are protecting is staying somewhere outside for an extended period of time.

West Coast brand drones are a must-have for security.

Inside the coffee shop, Tanya remained calm, continuing to prepare coffee while observing the target and his bodyguard's movements.

Edward, on the other hand, vaguely sensed something was amiss; Deborah's voice lacked the urgency one would expect from someone concerned about saving their son.

Edward took out his phone and glanced at it. It was a text message from the head of the bodyguards who had been secretly following him. It contained only one word: "Go!"

At the same time, from the modified Buick van outside, Gomez observed the front and back doors of the coffee shop via drone.

Everything seemed normal, but Gomez, who had worked in security before joining The Butterfly, sensed danger.

Some dangerous situations may seem perfectly reasonable to the naked eye, but to an experienced person, something feels off, and they can't quite put their finger on it.

Gomez picked up the automatic weapon from the side of his seat and said, "Protect the savior as he leaves."

The car door opened, and several people, using newspapers to conceal their weapons, got out of the car and dispersed behind nearby vehicles and objects that could be used as cover, keeping watch around the coffee shop.

Inside the coffee shop, Edward didn't say a word, put away his phone, and walked out.

Three bodyguards followed and formed a triangle, protecting Edward in the middle.

Deborah wanted to speak, but ultimately said nothing.

Like everyone else in the coffee shop, Tanya looked at the four people and whispered, "The target escaped quickly under the protection of bodyguards."

Inside the Toyota van, Ivanov saw bodyguards getting out of the Buick van, and then noticed the coffee shop door open, with three bodyguards protecting the target as they emerged from the doorway.

Mikhail's voice came through the earpiece: "Boss?"

The other car is nearby; this is our last chance.

If we want to take action now, we'll inevitably have to fight in the street, and then what?

Their group would be hunted down by Hawke Osment's mercenaries and security personnel, the LAPD and the FBI, and perhaps even more.

In that instant, Ivanov looked up at the sky and saw from the car window that the drone was just a black dot.

With this thing following them in the sky, it will be several times more difficult for them to evacuate, and they might not be able to leave.

Ivanov did not risk the lives of his old comrades and made his decision in a flash.

He said seriously, "No one should make any rash moves. Let the target leave, and we will retreat in different areas. We will withdraw from Los Angeles as quickly as possible according to Plan No. 1."

"receive."

"receive."

Others responded.

They had worked together for many years and never doubted their boss's judgment.

Ivanov was under immense pressure from Sila, but no matter how much pressure or money you have, you need to be alive to enjoy it. A few years ago, he would have relied on his abilities to give it his all.

But the complete annihilation of Waspan base and the disappearance of Adams' squad all indicate that the opposing armed forces are no weaker than their own.

The four men got into the black Audi A8 and drove away quickly.

Near the Buick van, Gomez radioed: "Get in, protect the savior and get him out of here."

They are bodyguards; their priority is protecting the target's safety, and everything else comes second.

Finding the culprit and conducting investigations were not their tasks.

The group got into the Buick, and the driver immediately started the car and followed the Audi.

Overhead, a drone was monitoring what was behind them.

Gomez immediately reported the situation to the Butterfly Company.

Campos immediately ordered that Edward's safety be protected, and that they were not to concern themselves with anything else.

Next, he dispatched a support team, and another team set off for North Hollywood to investigate the surrounding area.

Several cars dispersed around the coffee shop.

Ivanov informed his old comrades in the squad: "Evacuate directly, do not return to the temporary camp. I'll emphasize again, use Plan No. 1 for direct evacuation."

The others responded in turn.

Tanya, disguised as a barista in the coffee shop, pulled Deborah into the back van and headed straight for the nearest transfer point.

In less than five minutes, Ivanov and his men abandoned their original vehicles and replaced them with new ones.

Once these guys decided to retreat, they all ran faster than rabbits.

Deborah tried to cause trouble midway, but the woman immediately quieted down when the cold muzzle of a gun was pointed at her head.

Ivanov specifically instructed Tanya to inform the saintess's side midway through the journey.

Sillari’s most elite squad was well-prepared and left Los Angeles as quickly as possible, entering Orange County. From a small airport, they boarded a private jet that was on standby 24 hours a day and took off directly to Canada.

If Hawke's security detail around Edward senses danger, they should immediately move away as quickly as possible.

As Edward's Audi A8 pulled into the underground parking lot of the Coast Building, a well-trained team led by Carlos and Juan arrived near the coffee shop.

Although they knew that their competitors had almost certainly left, they still conducted various investigations carefully.

The drone pilot launched several small drones, Juan led a group to the coffee shop to inquire about the situation, and several others searched for surveillance footage. Carlos contacted Edward and learned from him that the person he was meeting today was Deborah, the widow of Robert Downey Jr.

A dozen minutes later, Carlos led his men into a large parking lot, where they found the two cars that had appeared on the surveillance footage.

But more specific details are hard to find right now.

The security cameras in this parking lot were broken yesterday and are currently under repair.

It's impossible for it to be such a coincidence; the surveillance must have been broken just in time.

Carlos compiled the information gathered by his subordinates and reported it to Campos, then continued his investigation.

In Brentwood, Sheriff Julian and his men arrived at the mansion that Deborah had inherited.

Betty returned with them.

A policewoman rang the doorbell several times, but no one answered.

Betty called Deborah's cell phone, but couldn't get through. She then called Robert Downey Jr.'s son, Indio, but he was having a party.

Julian immediately instructed Betty to call the police so that they could respond and investigate.

…………

In a small conference room on the 16th floor of the Coast Building.

Gomez sat in his chair and recounted what had just happened: "After launching the drone, I looked at the overhead footage and something felt off, but I couldn't pinpoint it at first. For safety reasons, I made the decision to have the Savior evacuate quickly."

Hawke encouraged him: "You did the right thing. Nothing is more important than safety."

Gomez breathed a sigh of relief upon receiving approval and continued, "On the way back, I looked at the footage from the drone again and found something amiss."

He came up in a hurry and didn't bring any video. He said directly, "There are several cars parked at the front and back doors of the coffee shop. Some of them are parked very cleverly, just enough to block other vehicles from getting close to the front and back doors of the coffee shop."

When it comes to security, Hawke trusts the expertise of these professionals.

Gomez wasn't finished: "There was a paparazzo outside the coffee shop at the time, but he never took off his camera lens cap."

This reminded Edward, who interjected, "Yes, I noticed that paparazzi too. He seemed unfamiliar with this industry. I thought he was a newbie and didn't pay much attention."

Hawke nodded: "This isn't your area of ​​expertise."

Edward smiled sheepishly and said, "Deborah also has problems. She told me that Indio was on drugs at a party, but I noticed that she seemed a bit off and not worried at all. I've known her for a long time, so I know her quite well."

Campos then knocked on the door and came in from the outside.

Edward thanked Gomez: "If you hadn't been decisive enough this time, I would have been in trouble. Those bastards might have killed me."

"It's my job," Gomez said.

Hawke looked at Campos: "Gomez's team saved us from a major crisis."

"There will be a company bonus," Campos said. "It will be distributed this week."

Gomez's enthusiasm for his work increased even more.

Hawke nodded slightly: "What's the situation now?"

"We've temporarily tracked down the parking lot where they changed cars," Campos recounted Carlos's report, adding, "I think that if their attack fails, they might lie low or leave Los Angeles."

He added, "Deborah was definitely involved."

Hawke picked up his phone and sent several numbers provided by Edward to Erica, asking her to help track the user's location.

Such so-called violations are nothing to Erica.

Upon receiving Erica's reply, Hawke said to Campos, "Check Deborah's network of contacts and see who she's been closest to in the last two years."

Edward said, "I don't know much about her. I've only seen her twice in the last two years, and it was by chance at a party."

Hawke speculated: "I strongly suspect that this is related to Sillari."

In this year's election, Hawke was neither good at nor involved in policy-making. His collaboration with Tom Emmer was solely focused on ruining the competition.

While they were talking, more news arrived. (End of Chapter)