I want the money.
And if possible, I want Deacon Frost’s life too.
A vampire leader.
Tsk tsk.
If he chopped him down, the Extraordinary Points dropped would definitely be far more than what a normal vampire would give.
What?
Untrustworthy?
Heh.
He was simply predicting that Deacon Frost wouldn’t go alone anyway, so he was just adopting the stance of striking first.
Besides, who was he?
Why would anyone talk about trust with someone who grew up in an ordinary political family in South Carolina?
Trust is a virtue, but only to one’s friends.
To enemies, trust can be used as a weapon.
That was what old Underwood had told him during one of their casual chats.
To be fair, old Underwood’s greatest strength was his ability to drop various quotes and mottos on a whim.
Recalling the words of old Underwood in his mind, Locke couldn’t help but shake his head with a smile.
Watching Locke speak about wanting it all without any shame, Brown could only open his mouth, think for a moment, and say:
“Your idea is great.
But have you thought about one problem?”
“Go ahead.”
Locke snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Brown with a smile.
Brown said, “Do you think the Director will agree to this?”
Locke smiled, tilting his head to look at Brown.
“Why wouldn’t he?”
“I refuse!”
“…”
Director Walter Hermann stared with wide eyes, slamming his hand on the desk as he rejected Locke’s proposal.
Locke blinked, looking curiously at the Director who had leapt to his feet.
“And your reason?”
“This Deacon Frost is the leader of the vampires in New York City?”
“Yes.”
“Then do you know how much trouble we will cause if we kill him?”
If he hadn’t known who this Deacon Frost was, Walter Hermann might have actually agreed to Locke’s plan.
But now that he knew this Deacon Frost was the leader of the vampires in New York, he couldn’t act as if he were ignorant.
Walter Hermann took a deep breath.
Looking at Locke, who stood before his desk in a crisp suit, he said in a low voice, “You also know what the agency plans to achieve through this incident.
For us, the risks of your proposal do not match the rewards.”
The Sentinel Secret Service wanted to use this incident to expand—no, restore—the enforcement jurisdiction they originally wanted over the entire extraordinary world. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
They didn’t want New York City to run red with blood.
Deacon Frost was the leader of the New York vampires.
If he was assassinated by the Sentinel Secret Service through an entrapment operation, the vampires of New York would likely riot.
When that happened, the Sentinel Secret Service would definitely have to take the fall.
So…
The risk did not justify the reward.
Listening to Walter Hermann’s explanation, Locke stroked his chin, holding a different opinion.
He quietly looked at Director Walter Hermann, who was trying to stop his plan.
His expression was calm.
“The rougher the seas, the more valuable the fish.”
“Chaos is actually a good thing.”
“Isn’t it?”
“If they riot, our reason for expanding our enforcement jurisdiction becomes even more legitimate.”
Locke didn’t care about the Sentinel Secret Service expanding its jurisdiction.
In his eyes, Deacon Frost, this vampire leader, was worth a great deal of Extraordinary Points.
Letting him slip away was something Locke was absolutely unwilling to do.
“The rougher the seas, the more valuable the fish?”
“Yes.”
“Heh.”
Walter Hermann twitched the corner of his mouth, sat back down, and sneered at Locke.
“Chaos is good, and it’s probably what the higher-ups want to see most.
But have you thought about one thing?”
Locke watched Walter Hermann quietly.
Walter Hermann snorted coldly.
“If things get chaotic, someone has to take the fall.”
Was killing Deacon Frost important?
No.
Was the possibility of New York’s vampires rioting after Frost’s death important?
Not really.
Just as Locke had said, the higher-ups of the Sentinel Secret Service wished for such things to happen.
That way, their excuse to restore enforcement jurisdiction would be perfectly justified.
But…
All of this was built on the premise that someone had to take the fall for the potential “vampire riot” and “innocent civilian casualties.”
Who would that be?
Locke, who executed the plan?
Don’t be ridiculous.
But if Locke wasn’t suited to take the fall, who else could?
Walter Hermann, the Senior Sentinel Agent Director who approved Locke’s entrapment and assassination plan?
Bah!
He was fifty-five years old, had no connections in DC, and could retire in a few years.
He didn’t want to take the blame at the end of his career and leave in disgrace.
So…
Walter Hermann shook his head, which had very little hair left, like a rattle.
No matter what, he wouldn’t agree to Locke’s plan to kill Deacon Frost after the transaction.
Locke seemed to read the thoughts on Walter Hermann’s face, and his expression turned a bit peculiar.
“Did you forget there’s another target far more suited to take the blame?”
“Wh…”
Walter Hermann froze, then realized something.
His eyes locked onto Locke instantly.
“Hiss.”
“You mean…”
“You didn’t think I really just wanted a joint investigation with them, did you?”
An unsolicited partnership is never a genuine deal; it’s always a scheme!
Locke spread his hands, smiling at Walter Hermann.
“They!”
Naturally, he meant SHIELD.
Admittedly, Locke wanted to use the joint investigation as an excuse to team up with Blade, the Extraordinary Points farmer.
But wanting to team up with Blade was by no means the primary reason Locke had agreed to Natasha’s proposal for a joint investigation.
A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall.
Before acting, one shouldn’t think about whether they will succeed, but rather who is suited to take the fall if things go sideways.
This was a unique feature of the federal system.
This was also why Locke had agreed to share information and cooperate with SHIELD.
If things succeeded, the credit would still belong to the Sentinel Secret Service.
But if things went sideways, someone would need to take the blame.
And what scapegoat could compare to SHIELD?
In any case, SHIELD’s jurisdiction was already aimed at the entire extraordinary world.
If the vampires of New York rioted, it would be SHIELD’s responsibility.
How could it be the fault of the Sentinel Secret Service, which only dealt with mutants?
Walter Hermann looked at the calm Locke with a peculiar expression, rubbing his round chin.
“You’re scheming against them like this.
Aren’t you afraid Agent Natasha Romanoff will stab you to death in your sleep?”
“Not me, absolutely not, stop spreading rumors!”
Locke delivered a swift triple denial.
With absolute gravity.