American TV Writer

It all began when Vincent Adler was unexpectedly caught by the FBI and the Department of Justice, right when he was about to open the submarine's hatch that had been sealed for decades.

Vincent's capture by the FBI was largely his own doing. If he hadn't insisted on bringing in Neal Caffrey to defuse the explosives on the submarine and open its hatch, the FBI wouldn't have caught him in the act.

This was Vincent's own misfortune, but what shocked everyone was that once the submarine, which Vincent had long obsessed over, was opened, it turned out to be empty. There was no sign that it had ever contained the priceless artifacts it was rumored to carry.

This outcome left not only the FBI and the Department of Justice disappointed but also Senator William Bracken. Upon learning that the submarine was empty, even Bracken was momentarily stunned. However, despite the submarine being empty, Bracken could accept this reality.

But from that moment, everything spiraled out of control, completely slipping from Bracken's grasp.

First, Vincent Adler was assassinated as he was being escorted by FBI agents to a vehicle. He was shot by two .50 caliber anti-material sniper bullets from a great distance. The impact was so powerful that it nearly tore him in half. This blatant act of violence, executed right under the FBI's nose, infuriated both the FBI and the Department of Justice.

Oddly enough, this incident turned out to be advantageous for Bracken. With Vincent Adler dead, Bracken could now wash his hands of the entire affair.

When Bracken heard of Adler's assassination, he was pleased. Although he had lost a major financial backer, Bracken was no longer the minor congressman he had been years ago. He was now a prominent figure, heavily backed by the "Elephant" party as a leading presidential candidate. Vincent's death meant one less liability for Bracken, a time bomb that could have exploded and damaged his career at any moment. Whoever had killed Vincent Adler had done Bracken a favor, and he couldn't help but feel a small sense of satisfaction.

However, the situation took another unexpected turn that Bracken did not anticipate.

The FBI, while searching the warehouse where Vincent had been hiding, discovered several hidden cameras. After the FBI cracked the signals from these cameras, they traced them back to a politician who had lent his estate to Vincent as a hideout. That politician was Congressman Gavin—a member of the "Donkey" party and not just any congressman, but a member of the House of Representatives, one of the 435 members who, along with the 100 senators, made up the U.S. Congress.

Upon learning that the FBI had linked Gavin to Vincent Adler, Bracken was incredulous. What kind of fool would openly lend his estate to a federally wanted con artist? To Bracken, it showed a shocking lack of political acumen.

Bracken privately scoffed at the "Donkey" party's representatives, considering them small-time politicians who would sell out for a bit of money, just like Gavin, who had foolishly accepted Vincent's cash without thinking of the consequences.

At that point, Bracken had planned to sit back and enjoy the show as the FBI clashed with the congressman. But then, out of nowhere, his world was upended. Congressman Gavin, realizing he was under the scrutiny of the FBI and the Department of Justice, decided to reach out to Bracken for help, leveraging his knowledge of Bracken's connections with Vincent.

This move stunned Bracken. A congressman from the opposing "Donkey" party was seeking help from an "Elephant" party senator like himself? Bracken, who barely knew Gavin beyond a nodding acquaintance, was taken aback. Although they both secretly supported Vincent Adler, Bracken had never openly associated with Gavin. Their relationship was purely through Adler.

Gavin, desperate and under FBI pressure, threatened Bracken during their call, suggesting that if Bracken didn't help him, he would expose Bracken's ties to Vincent. Infuriated by Gavin's threats, Bracken decided that Gavin had to be eliminated. Without giving it much thought, he contacted Vulcan Simmons and ordered the assassination of the congressman.

Nick Coonan, Bracken's trusted hitman, was dispatched to handle the job. However, after arriving in Washington, D.C., Coonan stayed in a safe house, as Bracken, upon cooling down, decided to hold off on the assassination and gave Coonan new orders to wait for further instructions.

Ironically, it was in this safe house that Coonan was captured by Gavin's men. With Coonan in Gavin's custody, all of Bracken's dirty secrets—crimes committed over the past decade—were now likely being extracted under intense interrogation. The thought of this made Bracken feel as if he had shot himself in the foot. This was entirely his own doing.

If only he hadn't lost his temper during that call with Gavin, he wouldn't be in this mess. Coonan had done countless dirty jobs for Bracken, eliminating threats and removing obstacles. But now, with Gavin holding Coonan, the "Donkey" party had all the ammunition they needed to take Bracken down. What was worse, Bracken was now completely on the defensive, unable to make any preemptive moves or anticipate where the next attack would come from.

Senator Bracken now felt an overwhelming sense of dread. He was like a man who had unknowingly lifted a rock, only to drop it on his own foot.

As Bracken tried to devise a plan to mitigate the damage from his misstep, more bad news arrived. His secretary informed him that the daughter of the lawyer he had ordered Coonan to kill years ago had become a precinct captain in the NYPD. This was no small matter—being a precinct captain meant she held significant power within the NYPD. And her first act as captain was to launch an investigation into the officers who were Bracken's old allies, those who had helped him during his early rise to power. These officers knew all the dark secrets of his past. If they were thoroughly investigated, it wouldn't be long before Bracken's skeletons came tumbling out.

Bracken began to suspect that this Captain Beckett had obtained some crucial information about him or that she might be a pawn in a larger plan by the "Donkey" party to bring him down. After careful consideration, Bracken realized that he could no longer afford to waste time. His primary objective now had to be ensuring his own survival in the upcoming onslaught from the "Donkey" party. Everything else would have to wait.

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