Counterterrorism in America

Across from the Nakatomi Tower, Jack Bauer, now clad in a sleek black tactical outfit, stood on one of the upper floors of a nearby building. In his hands, he gripped a grapple gun.

"Target area is clear," Bob's voice crackled through his earpiece.

"Tony, cut the floodlights for five seconds."

"Understood."

Five... four... three... two... one.

Jack counted silently. As the final number hit, the 360-degree floodlights around the building suddenly went out, blanketing the entire area in darkness.

At that exact moment, a rope shot out from the west side of the tower, its steel tip piercing through the glass façade and embedding firmly into the floor inside.

Seconds later, a shadowy figure zipped across the line, crashing through the broken glass and landing inside the building. Jack crouched upon entry, quietly retracting the rope as the faint hum of the motor signaled its withdrawal.

Outside, onlookers murmured about the brief blackout, but before anyone could become suspicious, the floodlights flickered back on. The entire sequence took less than ten seconds—quick enough to pass as a routine power fluctuation.

"Confirmed: Target has entered the building safely," Bob reported, prompting Tony to silently pump his fist in excitement.

Inside the tower, Jack knelt in the shadows, listening carefully. After a few moments of silence, he drew a suppressed pistol and began making his way toward the 46th floor.

18th Floor—Vault Room

Owen and McClane arrived just in time to witness Hans arrogantly boasting to Holly about his flawless plan. He waxed poetic about selecting his target, recruiting his men, and devising countermeasures for every possible scenario.

Hans was practically glowing with self-satisfaction. The heist was a success. The vault had yielded more than expected, and now, all he wanted was validation. Earning the admiration of a top executive from a billion-dollar corporation was just the icing on the cake for his ego.

McClane's eyes flared with emotion at the sight of Holly. He instinctively moved toward her but was quickly restrained by Owen. However, Hans caught a glimpse of McClane's movement, and his expression shifted.

"Shit!" Owen cursed silently, knowing they had been exposed. Without hesitation, he raised his weapon and fired, the bullets striking the ground between Hans and Holly, forcing them apart.

Holly instinctively retreated, narrowly avoiding Hans's grasp as Owen continued to provide suppressive fire. Hans had no choice but to fall back behind a large table, using it as cover to retreat deeper into the vault.

McClane sprinted toward Holly, tackling her to the ground and dragging her to a safer spot behind some cover.

Hans reacted with impressive speed and composure, befitting someone with a history of terrorism. The moment the shooting began, he dived behind cover and made his way inside the vault. The other robbers, startled by the gunfire, returned fire, sending bullets ricocheting wildly around the room.

"Stop shooting! You'll hit the bombs!" the panicked hacker yelled. In the chaos, his glasses had fallen off, and he groped blindly on the floor. The explosives were still neatly arranged on the table facing the vault's entrance, and one stray bullet could trigger a catastrophe.

Owen, however, had no such reservations. The bombs were behind him, well out of his line of fire. As long as the robbers weren't suicidal, he had the advantage. He kept firing intermittently, pinning the robbers inside the vault.

The gunfire inside the vault subsided under the hacker's frantic pleas but soon resumed in the form of cautious, targeted shots aimed at Owen's position. Owen crouched by the vault's massive steel door, methodically returning fire to keep the robbers trapped inside.

McClane, having secured Holly, joined the fight. However, like Owen, he quickly found himself outnumbered and unable to maintain a clear line of sight.

His eyes darted to the partially open vault door, and an idea struck him. Slinging his weapon over his shoulder, McClane began pushing the heavy door with all his strength.

The robbers realized his intent and attempted to charge out, only to be met with Owen's suppressive fire.

With a loud clang, the steel door slammed shut. McClane spun the mechanical locking wheel, sealing the vault from the outside.

Inside, the robbers were now effectively trapped. Bullet holes and drill marks scarred the door, remnants of the team's earlier efforts to crack the combination lock. While McClane's maneuver wouldn't hold forever, it bought them precious time.

"Let's go!" Owen urged, waving at McClane and Holly to move. The vault's location was a tactical nightmare with only one entrance. If any additional robbers arrived, they'd be cornered just like the men they had trapped.

McClane led Holly down the corridor while Owen took up the rear. As they passed a table filled with explosives and stacks of cash, Owen's eyes landed on several grenades and bags of money.

An idea came to him. Stuffing a few grenades into his pockets, he hesitated for a moment before slyly slipping one of the explosive charges into a bag of cash. He buried it beneath a thick layer of bills, ensuring it was well-concealed before hurrying after the others.

"Jack, we've got Holly. We also locked Hans and some of his guys inside the vault, but they won't stay trapped for long. What's our next move?" Owen panted into the radio as they ascended the stairwell.

Jack Bauer, crouched in a hidden corner on the 46th floor, was taken aback by the update. He hadn't expected Owen and McClane to single-handedly rescue Holly without any tactical support, let alone trap Hans in the process.

"Where are you now?" Bauer asked.

"Still on the 18th floor."

"Take the west-side service stairs to the 46th floor. We've got snipers covering the area. Wait... I see movement. Some of them are heading down to your location. Avoid the elevators—use the stairs."

"Understood," Owen replied, signaling McClane and Holly to keep moving.

The group quickened their pace. The robbers descending from above had likely been dispatched by Hans to free their trapped comrades. The vault door wouldn't hold them off for long. Time was running out.

Meanwhile, Bauer decided to seize the opportunity and initiate the rescue operation. With Hans temporarily absent and his forces divided, the number of guards watching the hostages had dwindled to fewer than ten.

"Sniper teams, get ready. We're moving in." Bauer's voice was calm but resolute as he issued the command.

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