Chapter 214: Martin’s Methods, Harvey is Stunned
New York,
The Bourne Identity's Film Studio
"Jack, want to grab a drink?"
"Matt, any plans for the night?"
"Chris, come to my room and play cards."
As the evening sky darkens, the crowd disperses. The once bustling studio is now eerily quiet and empty.
Old Harry is the guard for the film reel storage. But really, what's there to guard? There's only one door, and anyone who enters has to pass by his duty room. His daily routine consists of:
Watching soap operas until about 9:30 PM, then lying on a cot for a long nap.
He only needs to wake up twice, at midnight and at 2 AM, to make a patrol. Other than that, there's nothing else.
He enjoys this laid-back job.
By 10:30 PM, Old Harry has already fallen into a deep sleep.
He isn't worried about oversleeping because he has set an alarm.
At this moment, a shadow quietly approaches the film storage door. The figure pulls out a set of lock-picking tools and fiddles with the lock.
The door easily opens.
Old Harry's snoring can be heard from the security room next door. The intruder lets out a quiet, mocking laugh.
The intruder then sneaks over to the electrical box.
After a few quick manipulations, the figure leaves and locks the door behind them.
...
The warehouse soon fills with smoke.
Flames rapidly erupt.
Old Harry wakes up coughing.
"Cough cough cough…" He struggles to sit up on his cot, grabbing his shirt to cover his nose and mouth. He stumbles to the warehouse door, opens it, and runs outside.
"Fire! Fire!" Old Harry yells in terror.
By then, the fire has engulfed the entire warehouse. If he hadn't run out in time, he would have perished in the flames.
A few hundred meters away, on the roof of a residential building, Gordon stands with a man in his thirties, watching the fire in the distance.
"John, looks like our plan is working. The distance calculations are fine, right? Will there be any traces left?"
"Don't worry, this is my specialty. No one will notice. The firefighters and police will just think the explosives from the movie props nearby set off the fire. In fact, they were already about to be triggered by the flames."
"Then let's begin!"
"Got it!"
John takes out a black remote control from his pocket, presses a button, and a loud "bang" sounds from a distance.
At the same time, a massive fireball erupts on top of another warehouse a few hundred meters away.
Before long, this second warehouse is also set alight.
"How's that? Was it accurate?"
John grins, proud of his work.
Gordon pats him on the shoulder with a smile. "Nice, you haven't lost your touch."
Turning, he says, "Let's go."
"You're not going to watch the show?"
"There's nothing to watch," Gordon replies coldly, walking toward the stairwell without turning back.
John, disappointed, casts one last glance at the fire before following Gordon.
...
Outside the warehouse, Old Harry hadn't had time to grab his phone, so he can only shout for help.
It isn't until some nearby residents notice the fire and call 911 that help arrives.
But by then, 40 minutes have passed, and the two warehouses are reduced to rubble.
...
Old Harry is now undergoing police questioning.
"…I woke up and saw smoke everywhere… It was terrifying, I panicked, covered my nose, and ran out…" he repeats over and over in a nervous voice.
...
Meanwhile, Martin's phone rings, waking him and Scarlett from their sleep.
"Who's calling this late, darling?"
"Don't worry, go back to sleep. I'll take this call."
Martin walks out of the bedroom to answer the phone.
"Gordon, what's the matter?"
"Heh, just as I expected."
"Then, is our plan being put into action?"
"Everything is fine. Go back to sleep, there's nothing else you need to worry about."
"By the way, do your friends need a steady job? After all, it's only fair to give the other side a warning."
After hanging up, Martin sits in the dark, a slight smile curling on his lips.
He then dials Jeff's number.
"Jeff, tomorrow release the news that the early footage for The Bourne Identity was destroyed in a fire and needs to be re-shot."
"Also, reassure the cast that the footage is fine, it luckily escaped unscathed. The media announcement is just for publicity."
After hanging up, Martin finds it hard to fall asleep. He pours himself a glass of milk.
Scarlett, in her thin nightgown, walks out of the bedroom in a daze, giving Martin a groggy greeting before heading to the bathroom.
The sound of water running fills the air.
Martin drinks his milk, thinking that since he's already awake, he might as well finish it. He drinks the entire glass and heads into the bathroom.
Inside, Scarlett lets out a surprised gasp, followed by a strange noise.
...
Harvey is also woken by a call.
"Hello, is it done? Really?"
"Haha, well done!"
"Give that guy the rest of the money. And tell him to keep quiet!"
Harvey, excited, can't sleep and turns in his bed, thinking: "Such good news, should I find a woman to celebrate?"
Just as he's about to reach for his phone, another call comes in.
Seeing it's his brother Bob, Harvey picks up the phone with a puzzled expression.
"Harvey, something's wrong! Our film reel and equipment warehouse caught fire!"
"What!!!"
Harvey's eyes widen in shock.
"Which warehouse? How did it catch fire?"
"It's the New York Gangster production warehouse. The cause of the fire..." Bob pauses, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"God, how could it be New York Gangster? What happened? Hurry up and tell me!"
Harvey grows impatient.
Before Bob can respond, Harvey asks again: "What's the damage? Is the footage okay?"
Bob's voice sounds strange.
"The fire… you might not believe this, but it was caused by an explosion from the Bourne Identity warehouse. A burning object was thrown onto our roof… everything's gone. The equipment, footage, props, costumes... all burned to the ground!"
Harvey is stunned, his phone slipping from his hand.