One minute later, George Walker and Owen had struck a deal. Although Walker desperately wanted to rush to Jennifer's side, he also knew his own limitations. He might work at the Pentagon, but he wasn't an idiot—finding Jennifer on his own, let alone saving her, was a long shot.
But with Owen's help, things were different. Although every interaction between the two had been less than pleasant, Walker couldn't deny Owen's capabilities.
"Deal. I hope you keep your word. So what's the plan?"
"First, we find the President. He's in the East Wing library. Are you familiar with it?"
"I know the general area. I'm only familiar with the parts open to the public, but Jennifer's mentioned the library before. I know where it is."
Walker immediately took the lead, urgency in every step. He was desperate to rescue the President and then search for his fiancée.
But they had barely stepped out the door when they came face-to-face with a patrol of terrorists. Walker froze, and Owen yanked him back by the collar. A split second later, the hallway outside exploded in gunfire, bullets smacking against the doorframe with loud cracks.
"I knew something bad would happen the moment I saw you again…" Walker grumbled.
Owen tossed him aside and returned fire. The exchange of bullets filled the hall—at least two enemies were shooting back with MP5s.
"Find cover!" Owen barked as he swapped in a fresh magazine. Just as he clicked it into place, the door was kicked open and one of the terrorists burst inside.
Owen seized the man's rifle and yanked it skyward. Simultaneously, he fired two shots into the terrorist's leg, sending the burst of automatic fire into the ceiling. The man collapsed with a scream, but Owen didn't finish him right away—he spun around and fired past him at another approaching enemy.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Three bullets slammed into the second terrorist. The first two hit his torso, making him stumble—but Owen instantly noticed the body armor and adjusted. His third shot was aimed directly at the head, punching through the man's right eye and blowing a bloody hole through it.
With the distant threat neutralized, Owen turned his attention back to the first man, now writhing on the floor. Without a flicker of emotion, Owen raised his gun and fired two rounds into his skull.
At that moment, a third terrorist emerged, raising his weapon. Owen charged forward, ramming into him before he could fire.
"Bang! Bang!"
Two bullets entered through the man's jaw and exited through his skull, lodging in the ceiling above.
Three kills in an instant.
Owen calmly changed magazines, holstered his pistol, and stripped an SMG from the corpse.
"What are you waiting for? Grab a gun!" he snapped at Walker, who had been frozen in shock. Jolted by the command, Walker scrambled to strip weapons and gear from the fallen enemies.
Now better equipped, the two continued toward the library according to plan. Strangely enough, the rest of the route was smooth—no further encounters. Nearing their destination, they took cover in the shadows. Ahead, they spotted two terrorists standing guard at the library entrance.
This was expected. Knowing the President had fled to the PEOC, they figured the terrorists would be guarding the access point—even if the odds of the President emerging were slim.
The guards were clearly relaxed, probably assuming this area had already been cleared. They were chatting casually. Owen and Walker crept along the wall, inching forward using the decorations as cover.
"I see you, Owen—oh, sorry…"
Right then, President Palmer called. Although Owen had his phone on vibrate, the buzzing was loud in the silent hallway.
"Who's there?! Show yourself!"
The two terrorists snapped to attention, raising their weapons and shouting at the shadows where Owen and Walker hid.
…
Inside the PEOC, President Palmer grimaced at the screen. During Martin's earlier rampage, most of the equipment had been damaged and the staff killed. But after much trial and error, Palmer discovered that the surveillance system still worked.
Although Owen had locked the system using the President's credentials, that didn't apply inside the PEOC—it had higher system priority. The moment Palmer restored functionality, he saw Owen on one of the cameras and recognized the library area. Excited, he called immediately—never expecting his call would almost get Owen killed.
…
"Who's there?! Last warning! We'll open fire!"
The guards advanced cautiously. Owen and Walker's hiding spot left them with no good options—whether they stayed or ran, they'd be discovered either way.
"I'll draw them off," Walker whispered suddenly. "You take the shot when you get a chance."
With that, he raised both hands and stepped out nervously. "Don't—don't shoot! I'm just a tourist!"
No one fired immediately. Walker took a deep breath, glanced at Owen, then slowly edged forward. He had already handed his MP5 to Owen, making him appear unarmed—like a frightened civilian.
"Don't shoot, please. I really am a tourist. You can check my pockets—I've got my entry ticket…"
He tried to appear as harmless as possible, edging toward the opposite end of the hallway, hoping to divert their attention away from Owen.
Even after a few steps, his back was soaked in sweat. Being stared down by two gun barrels was no joke.
"Tourist?"
The two guards exchanged a look. Walker did seem harmless. Most of their kills had been security personnel. They weren't indiscriminately murdering staff—after all, they needed hostages as leverage. Killing everyone would reduce their chances of escape.
"Really, I'm just a tourist. Here, look—"
Walker moved extremely slowly, gesturing to his pocket. When neither guard objected, he slowly pulled out a crumpled entry ticket and a tour guide badge.
"See? I'm a guide. These are my credentials. You know, judging by your accents, I'm guessing you're not too familiar with this place. I can give you a tour. Did you know the White House has 132 rooms, 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, and 35 bathrooms? It also features a tennis court, basketball court, an orchard, a jogging track, and a swimming pool. Oh, and behind you—that's the library. Oh my God, President Palmer! What are you doing here?!"
His nonsense worked. The two guards glanced back instinctively at the mention of the President.
That was all Owen needed.
He sprang from behind the wall, emptied an entire MP5 magazine into their backs. The bullets tore through their torsos in a burst of crimson mist—both men dropped dead instantly.
(End of Chapter)
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