Half an hour later, Owen and the rest of the CTU team were hiding a kilometer away from the target house, carefully observing it through binoculars.
After watching for a long while, Owen finally put down the binoculars in frustration. Almost every window of the cabin was covered with sheer curtains, making it impossible to see inside. The attic window was boarded up, just as Jessica had described.
"Owen, the phone just showed they ordered another meal for ten,"
Chloe called at the perfect time. Owen thought this might be their chance.
...
An hour later, a delivery guy on his motorbike arrived outside the pizza shop, carrying a freshly prepared meal for ten people. A few days ago, this would have been his favorite delivery run. Even though it was a five-kilometer trip, the generous tips—fifty bucks every time—made it more than worth it.
But today, he wasn't so happy. Just moments earlier, a group of police officers had stopped him and added a little "extra seasoning" to his delivery.
He'd even called the restaurant owner about it, but the boss told him not to worry and to fully cooperate with whatever they wanted—just pretend to know nothing.
"Here's your order. Same as before—ten meals, that'll be $128..."
Seeing the bearded man at the door, the delivery guy handed over the food just like he had on previous days, then took the cash and the extra $50 tip.
"Thanks."
He thanked the man as usual and left without saying another word. Only after stepping off the porch did he finally breathe a sigh of relief. The cops hadn't said anything, but by now, even an idiot would realize that the people in that house weren't exactly ordinary.
The delivery guy privately speculated—criminals? Drug dealers? Terrorists? Just the thought made him glance back at the unremarkable little cabin.
He was an actor—just one among countless dreamers in Hollywood. Like many, he had come to Los Angeles with big ambitions but no immediate job prospects. So, he worked odd jobs while auditioning, hoping for that one big break.
In that short moment, he had already imagined a whole scene of cops undercover busting drug lords. He figured he could brag about it later or even turn it into a screenplay.
Inside the house, from a corner of the window, Avril watched the delivery guy's final glance and expression with a thoughtful look.
In the living room, Alfred was tearing a piece of pizza from the box and about to take a bite when a hand stopped him. He looked up the arm and saw it was his sister, Avril.
A kilometer away, Owen lowered the binoculars. The cabin in the lens remained eerily still. He checked his watch—half an hour had passed since the delivery guy left. The drug should have kicked in by now.
At Owen's command, the field and tactical teams split into two groups and began advancing toward the cabin.
In CTU headquarters, a satellite feed of the operation projected onto a giant screen. The isolated house in the center had two clusters of black dots rapidly closing in from both directions.
Tony, Chloe, Conklin, and other CTU agents were all watching the screen, their faces filled with worry or excitement. Only Conklin's eyes flickered, as if he were lost in thought.
The two teams quickly reached their positions. The tactical unit led the way with the field agents following. Owen and Heartbeat led Team One to assault the front door, while Carter and Jimmy took Team Two around the back.
Just as Owen raised a clenched fist to signal the attack, everything changed.
Suddenly, gunfire erupted from inside the previously silent cabin. Bursts of "rat-a-tat-tat" echoed as the wooden front door was riddled with holes. Bullets from an M249 sprayed through the wood, dropping nearly all members of Team One in a heartbeat—everyone was hit.
"Take cover! Ambush!"
Owen shouted through the comms as he and Heartbeat dragged the nearest tactical unit member away from the doorway. Then Owen pulled a flashbang from his vest and hurled it inside.
Gunfire rang out at the back entrance too. The enemy had clearly known they were coming. It was a setup.
"Boom! Boom!"
Two loud blasts followed. The tactical team was using Rheinmetall's Mk13 Mod 0 flashbangs—the same brand the police used, but a more powerful dual-flash, dual-bang version.
"Cease fire! Take cover! Wait for Team Three to arrive before reorganizing the attack!"
Owen and Heartbeat crouched near a window. They weren't going in yet. With the tactical team heavily wounded and the rear status unknown, the smart move was to let the still-distant Team Three take over the assault.
But just as the flashbangs exploded, several windows shattered simultaneously. It wasn't from the explosion—people were jumping out.
Owen and Heartbeat were closest to the windows and took the brunt. As the window burst open, Owen stepped back just in time to see a shadow flying at him.
In a flash, he raised his rifle over his head just as a powerful strike landed.
Zheng Anshun's downward elbow strike was blocked by the rifle. He immediately changed tactics, switching to a reverse stab with his combat knife aimed at Owen's ribs.
But Owen reacted fast. He didn't see the knife directly, but the glint caught in his peripheral vision tipped him off. He shifted his rifle to intercept again.
The knife clashed with the weapon with a sharp crack. After two failed attempts, Zheng quickly withdrew the blade and kicked Owen's hand. His close-quarters style gave Owen no chance to fire.
The kick struck Owen's hand, causing him to drop the rifle—but thanks to the sling, it swung behind him.
Zheng followed up with another kick, slamming it into Owen's chest. At the same time, Owen launched a counterkick. Both were knocked backward.
Owen tumbled and rolled, drawing his sidearm mid-roll. By the time he stopped, he was in a textbook kneeling shooting stance.
"Bang! Bang!"
Both shots missed, striking the ground as Zheng dodged. He rolled to the side and hurled a throwing knife to disrupt Owen's aim, then zigzagged in retreat, getting farther away.
Owen swatted the knife away, ready to activate "bullet time" and shoot Zheng clean through. To him, the man's zigzag pattern was pointless theatrics.
But just then, Owen caught sight of Heartbeat nearby, being slammed to the ground by Avril in a brutal judo throw. From her position, it looked like she was about to snap his neck.
Owen had no time to aim. Without hesitation, he swung his gun toward her and fired twice by instinct—"Bang! Bang!"—both shots hitting Avril in the chest.
The force of the bullets sent her tumbling backward. Judging by her skills and Zheng's, they were clearly elite fighters. Owen hadn't planned on taking prisoners—if he'd had time, he would've gone for a headshot.
But it wasn't too late. Before she hit the ground, Owen already had his sights set on where she would land, ready to finish her off.
But just then, Avril twisted midair. Instead of falling backward, she spun into a sideways roll, and Owen's kill shot missed.
As he tried to adjust and fire again, someone else leapt out of the window. Owen had to shift focus—"Bang! Bang!"—two quick shots hit the new target in the legs before they even landed. They crashed to the ground.
By the time Owen turned back for Avril, she had already vanished into the distance. He knew those two chest shots were likely absorbed by a bulletproof vest. That was why he had prepared the third. But her luck had been absurd.
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