Chapter 15 McClane's Ruthless Move

Finally freed from Owen's grasp, the sniper gasped for air voraciously while coughing violently, his eyes, filled with murderous intent, locked onto Owen, waiting to regain his breath before making his move to kill.

After a few seconds, the sniper staggered to his feet. Though not fully recovered, his near-death experience had left him with an urgent desire to eliminate Owen.

Owen watched the sniper rise, feeling pain throughout his body. He tried to calm himself, hoping for an adrenaline rush to save him, but it seemed to fail him this time.

The sniper advanced step by step, and Owen felt his senses returning, possibly too late to make a difference.

Suddenly, McClane emerged from the shadows, tackling the sniper to the ground. The two scuffled, with McClane on top, cursing and landing punch after punch on the sniper's face.

McClane broke the sniper's nose, blood smearing his face, but was soon kicked away again.

Owen, now somewhat recovered, took the opportunity to grab the sniper's right arm while pressing his legs against the sniper's neck and chest. By the time the sniper dealt with McClane, it was too late for him to escape Owen's perfect armlock.

The sniper struggled fiercely, but Owen's arms tightened relentlessly. He had no intention of showing mercy; he aimed to break the sniper's arm, although the sniper's strength was immense.

Each struggle forced Owen to adjust, maintaining a delicate balance where neither could gain the upper hand.

McClane returned to the fray, this time targeting the sniper's legs, but was quickly shaken off and received a few kicks for his efforts.

The sniper's coughing intensified, indicating his nearing limit, but Owen was also reaching his own.

As the sniper's struggles grew desperate, Owen found it increasingly difficult to maintain the hold.

McClane approached again, changing his tactic. With a shout, he delivered a crushing blow to the sniper's groin, causing even Owen to wince in sympathy. The sniper's violent reaction soon subsided after a second devastating hit.

Seizing the moment, Owen broke the sniper's arm and secured a chokehold. Despite the sniper's continued resistance, each attempt to fight back was thwarted by McClane's punches.

Under their combined assault, the sniper's struggles weakened until he lay motionless.

Owen held the chokehold for several seconds longer, ensuring the sniper was truly dead before releasing his grip.

Exhausted, both men lay on the ground, overwhelmed by the difficulty of subduing the sniper. Owen's arms ached, and his mouth tasted of blood from biting his lip too hard during the struggle.

McClane looked even worse, his face swollen and bloody, barely recognizable.

Owen viewed McClane differently now, shocked by his brutal method of combat. He felt a chill thinking about it.

Outside, noises suggested the police were issuing a final ultimatum, but Owen's damaged hearing made it hard to discern clearly. They needed to contact the police, but their satellite phone was broken.

The room, now a mess from their fight, had lost the sniper rifle, presumably fallen outside during the scuffle.

Seeing the overturned paint and the sniper's body, Owen devised a plan.

McClane, bloodied and beaten, watched in confusion as Owen wrote a message on the sniper's back with white paint.

"What are you doing?" McClane asked.

"Writing a letter."

"A letter?"

"Yes, a message for the police."

McClane watched in disbelief as Owen threw the sniper's body out the window.

Downstairs, Chief Javier was speaking with Bob Lee, a borrowed sniper instructor from Delta Force, now working temporarily with SWAT. Despite the usual Navy SEAL training for SWAT, LA police occasionally sought experts for specialized instruction, and Bob Lee was one such instructor.

Upon hearing about the hostage situation, Bob Lee, moved by a strong sense of justice, immediately agreed to help, not hesitating to join the effort to save lives.

As Javier saw Bob Lee off, a warning shouted to clear the area preceded the thud of another object falling from the building—a human body this time, causing shock among the onlookers below.