Chapter 458: The Spy Mystery (Part 2) (Patreon)

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In a room at Manor, Benjamin turned to a female agent and asked, "Where did they go?"

Kayla hesitated for a moment and then replied, "The agents didn't find their trail. It's suspected that they might have left the main building of Manor."

"Weren't you supposed to keep an eye on them?" Benjamin questioned.

"They used a little trick to shake off our agents. They didn't seem like they were planning to investigate the spies," Kayla explained.

"I know," Benjamin's tone remained somber, but he didn't show any anger at being outsmarted. He said, "Because I never intended to appease the crowd."

"But..." Kayla paused, sounding anxious, "Now, the snow is getting lighter, and many people are saying the helicopters can take off. They're even planning to forcefully impact the door and use the helicopter to escape."

"They won't have the chance to do that. I've sent people to the rooftop of the adjacent building, and those helicopters won't be able to fly anymore."

Kayla frowned and walked to Benjamin's side, trying to persuade him, "Benjamin, I know you want to find that spy and take the underground treasure, but using such forceful methods may lead to severe repercussions."

"The residents here include not only media people, ordinary businessmen, and dealers but also many politicians, even a state legislator from Kansas. If this group collectively puts pressure on us, we might not withstand it."

"Do you think I'd do something without being sure?" Benjamin retorted. Kayla kept frowning, unable to fully grasp Benjamin's thoughts, and asked, "Although your past actions have been quite forceful, this time seems a bit excessive. What are you relying on?"

"Before coming here, I already knew who the spy was."

Kayla's eyes widened in surprise as she stared directly at Benjamin, almost disbelieving, "What did you say??"

"Why did we come here in the first place? Why didn't we just arrest him directly?"

"Why didn't you listen to the spy's identity first?"

Benjamin walked back to his desk, and just then, there was a knock on the door. Kayla turned her head, recognizing the rhythm of the prearranged signal, and said, "Come in."

A relatively young agent entered, holding a briefcase in his hand. He saluted Benjamin and said, "Boss, the helicopters have been destroyed, and the items have been brought here."

After speaking, he approached and handed the briefcase to Benjamin, saluted again, and then left.

Kayla's gaze fell on the briefcase in Benjamin's hand. She saw Benjamin take out a file bag from it and open the bag. From inside, Benjamin pulled out a set of materials and read aloud from it:

"Alfred Pennyworth, born into the hereditary butler family, the Pennyworth family, residing in London for generations. He attended Eton College for secondary education and excelled in his studies, gaining admission to King's College, Cambridge."

Upon hearing keywords like "Cambridge University" and "MI6," Kayla's expression had already become quite peculiar. Benjamin set aside the materials and said, "I think you should be familiar with this resume. Perhaps you just heard a broadcast about someone whose experiences are strikingly similar to his..."

"James Philby," Kayla slowly uttered a name.

Also a Cambridge University graduate, also recruited by MI6, also joining the Foreign Intelligence Division...

However, Kayla still felt it was a bit reckless to jump to conclusions. She said, "Surely, there must be a few genuine U.K. agents within MI6, right?"

As she made eye contact with Benjamin, Kayla suddenly hesitated again and asked, "...Isn't there?"

"Indeed, based solely on these experiences, it's not enough to determine he is a Soviet agent. But what truly exposed him was that he appeared at the wrong place at the wrong time."

Kayla looked at Benjamin, waiting for him to continue, but Benjamin said, "That's not something your security clearance allows you to understand."

"I can only tell you that it wasn't Alfred's first time coming to Gotham to serve the Wayne Family. When he was young, he had been active in Gotham and was involved in a case that remains unsolved to this day."

"That case implicated many people, including the now infamous Godfather of Gotham, Carmine Falcone, and the once-renowned preacher known as the 'East Coast Glory,' Daniel Christopher."

"But I still don't understand why Wayne Family's butler, Pennyworth, might be a Soviet spy. Why did we come here instead of going to Gotham?"

Just as Kayla asked this question, she realized the answer herself. What else could it be? Trying to arrest someone's butler at their doorstep, Wayne Enterprises would never agree to that. Besides, Gotham is Wayne Enterprises' stronghold, and agents wouldn't fare well there.

Then, Benjamin added more details.

"We once sent agents into Gotham, but the lucky ones who managed to escape back told me that it's a complete madhouse there, like a giant quagmire. The CIA doesn't want to get dragged into that mess."

"And according to our intelligence, the old Wayne couple passed away early, and Bruce Wayne was still a child when they died. He was practically raised by his butler, Pennyworth, and they share a deep bond."

"Furthermore, as you saw earlier, Bruce is nothing like the playboy disguise he puts on. He's highly skilled and can hold his own against a dozen agents. He's anything but the fool he pretends to be. He's likely highly intelligent."

"What do you think brought about all of this?"

Kayla pondered for a moment and, thinking like an ordinary person, reached a conclusion, saying, "Could it be that Pennyworth has been grooming him all along?"

"That's very likely the case; otherwise, there's no way to explain why he would possess such a vast array of combat skills and even create a disguise for himself."

"He's most likely been molded by Pennyworth into our adversary, and his decision to disguise himself is probably to minimize the chance of us uncovering his true identity. After all, who would suspect a quintessential American-style playboy to be a Soviet spy?""Meaning to say, both Wayne and his butler are now standing against us?"

"Correct. That's precisely why we need to set up such a scheme. The CIA cannot tolerate having the leader of Wayne Enterprises in league with us. If he decides to cause trouble, the consequences would be unimaginable."

Benjamin sighed, raised his tone as he looked out the window, and continued, "Bruce Wayne needs a reasonable cause of death."

"The CIA wants to eliminate him, but we can't use a conventional assassination method. Moreover, our agents can't fully operate in Gotham. So, we must lure Bruce out."

"After we bring him to Metropolis, we'll trap him under the guise of searching for a spy. If he dies, we'll pin his death on the Soviet spy, making it a legitimate outcome."

"On the other hand, Pennyworth might be the person who holds the Philby list. Besides, he has connections to a case from many years ago that hasn't been fully deciphered. So, he cannot be killed."

"Our plan is to first get rid of Bruce Wayne, the sole leader of the Wayne Family. Then, capturing Pennyworth will be a piece of cake. He's old now, and without the protection of the Wayne Family, he'll have nowhere to escape."

"The only question is, how do we eliminate Bruce?" Kayla asked with some confusion. She was quite puzzled and said, "I saw his performance in the corridor, fighting against the agents. Honestly, he shouldn't have such exceptional combat skills at his age."

"I don't intend to confront him head-on. Even if I could beat him, didn't you notice that sudden appearance of Clark? He possesses extraordinary abilities unlike any ordinary person."

Benjamin lifted his gaze, his expression growing somber. "The CIA is aware of the secret experiments the former mayors of Metropolis conducted underground at Manor. However, we have no jurisdiction within the federal territory, so it's not under our purview."

"The only thing we know is that the mayor who created that laboratory was quite remarkable, not an ordinary individual."

"That laboratory he created wasn't an ordinary one either. Even Lionel managed to learn about the treasure hidden underground. So, why hasn't anyone succeeded in entering it all these years?"

"Or, maybe someone did get in but couldn't get out."

Upon hearing Benjamin's words, Kayla understood. He wanted to play the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

If Bruce went in and never came out, they could report him as missing. If he suffered fatal injuries and died, they could blame it on the Soviet agent. And if he sustained only minor injuries, injured Bruce wouldn't stand a chance against the waiting agents at the exit.

"If, as you said, they've been missing for some time, then I believe they should have found the entrance and already gone in."

"Now..." Benjamin tapped the table and looked at Kayla, who saluted him. Benjamin then issued a direct order:

"Gather all available personnel. Once the entrance is found, stand by on the first floor in a carpet search formation. Everyone at high alert, bullets loaded."

Benjamin's expression turned very serious, a touch of fierceness concealed within his gravity, just like any leader in a spy institution. His voice was colder than the snow outside the window:

"Whoever comes out from there, empty your magazines."

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 459: The Butler is Always Right (Part 1)