Chapter 144: A Sensation Across America

[Chapter 145: A Sensation Across America]

Inside the apartment, Sterling Van Wagenen opened a computer, plugged in a flash drive, copied the videos stored on the computer, and rummaged through a Federal Express package.

Once the copying ended, he switched to another flash drive to continue copying, and when it was finished, he packed the completed drives into the package, preparing to send them later.

Wagenen stayed calm as he made three copies before finally shutting down the computer. In addition to the two copies he intended to mail, he planned to keep the third in a safe deposit box at the bank.

Checking the time, Wagenen grabbed the package, headed out, locked up the apartment, and walked towards the elevator.

...

Upon reaching the ground floor, he opened the door of a Ford, climbed into the driver's seat, and started the engine. Just then, he heard an unusual sound from the back seat. Before he could turn around, a familiar revolver was shoved against him from behind.

"Don't move, don't scream," the person behind him said, their speech hindered by something in their mouth. "Do as I say."

Sterling Van Wagenen quickly glanced in the mirror at the person wearing a black hood. Thinking he was being robbed, he quickly replied, "Don't shoot, I've got money! I'll give you everything!"

The hooded figure ordered, "Just drive. There's a parking lot less than 500 meters south. Drive into it."

With the gun pointed at his side, Sterling Van Wagenen felt he had no choice but to comply and started driving that way, wanting to speak in the middle.

The man warned, "No chatter. I'm not after your life, just your money."

Feeling a bit relieved, Sterling Van Wagenen drove to the entrance of the parking lot and turned inside, following the instructions to park in a dark corner.

As soon as he parked, the passenger door was flung open, and another hooded figure grabbed the package tossed aside on the front seat, deliberately stating, "The person above told us to pass on a message: don't take pictures of things that shouldn't be taken."

A gasp of shock hit Sterling Van Wagenen as he immediately thought of Lawrence Pope in Sacramento. He feared they might be there to kill him, stammering, "Don't kill me! Please, don't!"

He believed his survival depended on his words. As a director, he knew what to say at moments like this: "Killing me won't solve anything. I have another copy entrusted to friends overseas. If anything happens to me, they're going to release it..."

The two men shared a glance, confirming their suspicions about him.

Suddenly, the person in the back pulled out a box and took out a handkerchief-like object, pressing it to Sterling Van Wagenen's mouth and nose.

The passenger also joined in to restrain him.

Sterling Van Wagenen struggled with all his might.

At that moment, one of them said, "This is ether -- it will only knock you out. If you keep struggling, I might have to kill you."

Hearing this, Sterling Van Wagenen thought of scenes from movies and sagged limp in his seat.

Not long after, the effects of the ether took hold, and he fell into a deep sleep.

The passenger unearthed a laptop from a backpack, powered it on, and handed it to the person inside while watching the outside.

The person in the car inserted the storage disk in the package, clicked on one of the videos, and scrolled back a little. In the disgusting picture, Wagren's figure appeared. Wearing gloves, he searched Sterling Van Wagenen and found his only phone. He took out the battery and SIM card, discarding them onto the seat.

The person in the back opened another video, and it showed similar footage, confirming they had the right material.

"Let's go!"

They secured the laptop and flash drive and exited the parking lot, walking through an alleyway before reaching 18th Street, where they hopped into a car and sped away.

On the way, they arrived at a pre-selected underpass, removed their hoods, outer clothing, and gloves, and tossed them into a barrel, setting it ablaze.

...

On Beverly Boulevard, at Brian's villa.

Caroline seemed anxious as she paced back and forth in the living room.

Edward handed her a bottle of water, saying, "Stop pacing; it's making me dizzy."

Brian checked his watch, asking Hawke, "Any news yet?"

Just then, Hawke's phone rang. Pulling it out, he saw it was Campos calling.

"Got the package; there's no mistake," Campos announced.

Hawke secretly let out a breath of relief, keeping his voice steady. "Where's the person?"

"Sleeping in the car; I don't think he'll wake up tonight."

"Great." Hawke glanced at the time, giving an address. "Take it directly to Century City Plaza. I'll have the Savior pick it up."

"Okay," came Campos's succinct reply. "Ten minutes."

Hawke hung up and tossed the bulletproof Mercedes keys to Edward. "Go."

Edward immediately left, driving off in the bulletproof car toward Century City.

...

Inside the villa, Hawke declared, "We got it."

"Awesome!" Brian clapped his hands excitedly, his face alight with exhilaration, pumping his fist. "Now we seize absolute control!"

Hawke cautioned, "Don't celebrate too soon; they're desperate and might lash out."

He approached the window, observing the outside of Beverly Boulevard, beckoning Brian over. "Have your guys drive out immediately. Get a few heavy-duty vehicles to block the driveway and the area outside the courtyard to prevent anyone from crashing in with a dump truck."

Caroline, having less experience with such matters, interjected, "Isn't that a bit extreme?"

Brian, however, wasted no time. He picked up his phone to call, arranging for an elite security team from Ferguson's security company to be dispatched.

Hawke then turned to Caroline, instructing, "Call Sasha, find a safe place to meet her. Bring the payment's balance and an extra $50,000 as a bonus."

Though it was the friendship between Caroline and Sasha that initially laid the groundwork for recruiting Sasha as an insider, the $100,000 reward was crucial.

When it came to spending money, Hawke was never stingy.

Caroline prepared to make the call.

Hawke added, "Ensure she has a plan to travel soon -- best to go somewhere far from North America."

Caroline nodded slightly as she picked up her phone to dial Sasha's number, finalizing their meeting place.

Brian handed her a check.

Caroline soon left.

...

As Ms. Baa departed, Edward entered carrying a bag, handing its contents to Hawke. Noting that Brian wasn't present, he whispered, "As planned, Campos kept a copy."

Hawke patted him on the shoulder, noting, "Good job."

He moved to the computer desk and connected to the data drive.

Brian heard the commotion and hurried over, standing excitedly behind Hawke. "Let's see the content!"

Hawke clicked on one of the videos, and on the player, the image materialized -- an empty room with a young man and woman entering.

The video seemed to have been shot a long time ago, thus the quality wasn't very clear, but it was evident that the young man was Sterling Van Wagenen, while the young woman seemed underage.

Sterling Van Wagenen lured the girl with roles, film fees, and fancy gifts, and then the darker events unfolded.

Hawke asked Edward, "Do you recognize the girl?"

Edward took a glance. "No."

Hawke switched to another video, which featured Evan Rachel Wood, just as Brian had known -- a black eye mask adorned her face.

Then three men appeared: not only Sterling Van Wagenen but also Robert Redford and another man who Hawke didn't know.

Brian clenched his fists, pounding the armrest of his chair. "This is Lawrence Pope from the Governor's Office. Perfect, we've got him!"

Hawke said nothing, pausing the video to scrutinize each frame.

In the clips, Sterling Van Wagenen, Redford, and Pope appeared separately in various videos and sometimes together as pairs or all three.

Among the victims, one could spot Judy and Amanda's figures.

Even a boy made an appearance.

Finally unable to hold back, Edward exclaimed, "This sick crowd in Hollywood -- morally worse than gangbangers in Compton!"

Hawke quickly shut off the video.

There were still two more videos left with larger files and durations, showing several masked men.

Judging by their physiques, it was challenging to discern who they were.

Brian pointed at the screen, saying, "Look, these two masked men compared to the previous ones are definitely Sterling Van Wagenen and Pope. The newcomers' video clarity is clearly more recent. Judging by their bodies and their skin's laxity, they should be over 50."

"It seems to be the case," Hawke said, looking at Brian. "Can you hold your own?"

Brian replied, "The battlefield isn't just our one spot."

Hawke remembered that there were three more.

Brian, brimming with confidence, declared, "The ringleader is my grandfather, Paul."

Once they finished watching the videos, Hawke immediately queried, "What do you plan to do next?"

Brian stood up, pacing a few rounds. "First, expose it to the media and let the public stir it up, mobilizing the victims to report."

He cautioned Hawke, "How we obtained this material doesn't matter, but the processes that follow must be legitimate."

Hawke affirmed, "These scumbags deserve exposure in front of the public."

Brian asked, "Judge Bremer just issued a restraining order; does Fox still dare to air this?"

Hawke knew Fox's inclinations too well. Previously Fox complied with the restraining order because Megan Taylor lacked confidence, given that the flash drive only contained bleating sheep sounds.

But with this material present, especially to the already red-leaning Fox executives, not even a blue-leaning local judge could withstand the fervor for news bursting out from Fox.

He pulled out his phone and dialed Megan Taylor's number. "What are you busy with?"

Megan responded, "Preparing for the news conference, finalizing tonight's program content."

Hawke cut straight to the chase, "Cancel that meeting. I've got a super explosive scoop -- I obtained the video of Sterling Van Wagenen and Robert Redford's offenses."

Megan took Hawke's words seriously. "Time is tight; get over here right now."

Hawke replied, "I'm in Beverly Hills -- max fifteen minutes."

...

As the Ace News team, Megan hung up, pushed open the conference room door, and faced her staff, stating, "Meeting canceled, all scheduled content is off, and we're prioritizing an upcoming breaking news story -- remain here and wait."

She picked up a box next to her, handing it to Aisha. "To prevent leaks, everyone needs to turn in their phones. From now on, even to the restroom, go as a trio."

Aisha took the box and began collecting phones.

Everyone realized a potentially shocking news event was brewing.

Megan checked the time and called a security supervisor she was acquainted with. "Lyle, can you head down to wait for Hawke Osment? Once he arrives, escort him up directly."

On the other side, he affirmed, "I'll be right there."

...

On Beverly Boulevard, at the villa, an elite security team arrived.

In addition to the flash drives, Hawke, Edward, and Brian, all holding concealed carry permits, were armed with handguns.

The best driver, Edward, took the bulletproof Mercedes, with support cars on both sides, charging straight to the Fox Television Center.

The vehicles made significant noise, alarming the guards stationed nearby.

They hurriedly notified Redford.

...

Currently at the San Fernando Valley, Redford was also puzzled and made calls to Rooney, Cheryl, and Sterling Van Wagenen.

His calls to the first two connected, but Sterling Van Wagenen's rang busy.

Just as Redford was about to call the person waiting outside the hotel, he received a call.

"Sir, it's not looking good. We followed Sterling Van Wagenen from the Four Seasons to Griffith Observatory, then from the observatory to Burbank, and now to Century City Plaza. The person getting out of the car isn't Sterling Van Wagenen; it's a woman!"

Redford's head spun. "Who is it?"

"The patrol cars are too numerous; we can't get near. It appears to be Sasha, Director Rooney's assistant, along with a very pretty and fashionable woman we don't know."

The person inadvertently raised their voice. "Sasha ditched Sterling Van Wagenen's car and got into that other woman's car. They met up with a convoy of three cars heading toward Fox Tower."

Redford asked, "Is the car in the middle a black Mercedes?"

"Yes."

Hearing this answer, Redford recognized the situation was dire. "Follow them and keep an eye on what's going on, but don't act recklessly."

The reply was, "Understood, I see our car -- Bailisa is trailing them..."

Redford ended the call and quickly dialed Rooney and Cheryl. "Where are you? We need to meet right away; it's bad -- Sterling Van Wagenen is missing!"

The three agreed to meet in a private room at the Four Seasons.

Redford forced himself to stay calm; perhaps things weren't as grim. That bastard Sterling Van Wagenen loved to stir up trouble...

He apologized to the San Fernando manager and instructed the driver to hurry back to Beverly.

...

At the Fox Television Center, in the office of 11 Channel.

Megan quickly scanned through the videos, her breath heavy.

As a seasoned journalist, she had seen the darker sides of society too many times, causing her to grow somewhat numb.

Viewing that footage reignited a long-buried anger within her.

Turning off the video, she faced Hawke and Brian waiting on the couch and stated, "I need to air this. I must air it, even if it costs my career."

Brian waved his hands. "That's a bit dramatic."

"You've endured some unnecessary pressure in the past," Hawke noted directly. "The moment I got the video, I thought of you."

Megan had indeed taken risks in the past with her reporting.

Brian's demands were simple; he just needed coverage on a significant media platform.

But Hawke's line of thinking was different: "Megan, there are nine videos total. Let's not worry about their lengths; name your price."

Megan replied, "Total price is $1 million. I can't offer more. Even then, I need to take them to the director's office for approval."

Hawke gestured with a polite flourish. "Go ahead, and please do it quickly."

...

Megan made a call, closed her notebook, and hurriedly left the office to catch the elevator to the 11 Channel director's office.

The director's assistant had already opened the office door for her.

"Thanks," Megan nodded and entered Cynthia Rosenberg's office.

Cynthia was curious. "What news could possibly make you set a price of $1 million and risk defying a restraining order?"

Megan opened her notebook, clicked on a video, and presented it to Cynthia. "There are a total of nine videos. Seven of the victims are children."

Cynthia's eyes widened as she recognized some of the people featured. "Robert Redford and Sterling Van Wagenen -- though not top-tier in Hollywood, they're big players. The latter even helped the former establish the Sundance Film Festival."

She switched to another video, and soon remarked, "I know this person -- Lawrence Pope."

Megan looked to her superior firmly. "I want to do this news piece."

Cynthia hesitated before asking, "Who provided the materials?"

"Hawke Osment and Brian Ferguson."

Realizing who was behind it, Cynthia was intrigued. "So that's why you were able to get such a significant scoop. Hawke has seemed slightly blue in the past; why the sudden shift?"

Megan understood Hawke better: "Hawke only sways toward the direction of dollars."

Cynthia nodded, her demeanor turning gravely serious. "This news will put us in tremendous pressure. You should understand Hollywood's nuances; this isn't an isolated incident. The blue party won't be a concern..."

Then she suddenly chuckled. "Fox Television has been alive for less than ten years but already ranks amongst America's top four networks. Though News Corp's support is significant, you need skill, courage, and the proper attitude to achieve this."

Megan understood. "I'll head back now."

Cynthia added, "This news is huge; let it premiere on Ace News, then shift to Fox News for a 24-hour rolling broadcast. I'll reach out to Roger."

Megan nodded vigorously, hugging her notebook as she returned.

...

Back at Ace News, she called out, "Aisha, come here!"

Aisha rushed from the meeting room and approached Megan.

Megan instructed her, "Prepare a video news copyright transfer agreement and expedite the request for $1 million for the copyright transfer. Now!"

Aisha sprang into action.

Thanks to Cynthia's intervention, the financial department operated promptly, directly requesting the account details from the West Coast studio and wiring the funds at lightning speed.

Having signed the agreement, Hawke watched Megan rush into the meeting room with the video at hand.

...

Brian appeared anxious, his hands trembling slightly on the couch.

Hawke patted his shoulder, saying, "You should experience more high-stakes scenarios."

Brian admitted, "I've lived a cushy life, sailing smoothly. I've never encountered anything thrilling like this."

He glanced at Hawke, increasingly appreciative of him as a partner -- someone whose dreams could make him smile awake.

But how could one sleep at night with enemies against them?

Brian quickly said, "The videos you obtained should have all the transfer fees heading straight to your studio."

Hawke remained unperturbed. "That's fine."

They didn't have to wait long before Ace News broadcast was underway.

Considering long-term effects, Megan chose only three of the clips for the news.

However, once aired, it created a sensation across the country.

The names Sterling Van Wagenen, Redford, and Lawrence Pope became hot topics of discussion.

*****

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