Chapter 18 Establishing Contact

As they were climbing, the walkie-talkie at their waist suddenly rang out, "Can anyone hear me? This is George Senior. Please respond if you hear this."

Hearing George's voice lifted Owen's spirits. They halted their climb, and Owen picked up the walkie-talkie, replying, "Received, this is Owen. It's great to hear your voice, George Senior."

"Thank God, we've finally made contact. Steve, what are you doing inside instead of lying in a hospital bed?"

"I didn't plan for this, it was an accident."

"Are you safe now?"

"For now, yes."

"Okay, hold on, I'll get the chief. He wants to speak with you."

George ended the call, likely to fetch someone. After a while, a new voice came through the walkie-talkie, "Officer Owen, this is Javier."

"Hello, Chief. This is Steve Owen."

Javier asked, "Owen, did you make the call? Why couldn't we reach you afterwards?"

"Yes, oh no, it was McClane who made the call. He's a New York police officer, right next to me. We were discovered, and in the ensuing escape, the phone was damaged, so we lost contact."

"A New York officer? Alright, it's at least good news to hear you're both alive. What's the situation inside? Give me the details."

"Well, let me think... The leader of the hijackers is called Hans, I don't know if that's his real name, but that's what the others call him. They are all Caucasian, with varying accents, dressed in camo gear, armed with automatic weapons and bulletproof vests, well-trained, likely with military backgrounds. Additionally, they have taken control of the building's surveillance systems."

Javier signaled his assistant to verify Hans's identity upon hearing the name.

Owen glanced at McClane, asking if he had anything to add. McClane shook his head.

Then, remembering something crucial, Owen continued, "The hijackers have taken hostages, the exact number is unclear, but approximately 50, possibly on the 19th floor. That's where they were when I escaped. And, I estimate their target is the vault."

"The vault? There's a vault in this building? What's in it?"

"Bonds worth five hundred million dollars."

Hearing Owen's claim, everyone on Javier's end gasped in shock. "Are you sure? Five hundred million?"

"Yes, I'm certain."

"But the hijackers demanded the release of terrorists from the Red Front. Oh, I see, a diversion, a smoke bomb."

Realizing the hijackers' cunning plan, Javier couldn't help but get excited, though he restrained himself in front of his subordinates.

"Got it. Anything else?"

"That's all I know," Owen said, shaking his head. McClane, anxious, interjected, "What about the hostages? How are they? Are they still on the 19th floor?" Clearly, he was concerned about his wife.

"No, the hostages are no longer on the 19th floor. Our sniper observed them being held in a large conference room on the 46th floor. Only the CEO, Aokumi, has been confirmed dead; the others should still be alive."

Relieved by Javier's words, McClane sighed. Owen quickly added, "Tell the snipers to be careful not to shoot us by mistake. Most enemies are in camo gear; McClane and I aren't, but our vests are similar to the hijackers'."

"Understood, I'll instruct SWAT to be cautious. Also, I'll keep this channel open for you to confirm before they fire."

"Alright, you need to—ah, I can't talk anymore, someone's coming."

Owen lowered his voice, then abruptly ended the call, leaving everyone tense, aware that the situation on Owen's end was precarious. Javier refrained from calling back, silently wishing them luck.

Inside the elevator shaft, the elevator rose silently. To avoid detection, Owen had turned off the communication as soon as he saw the elevator.

As the elevator approached, McClane timed their jump perfectly, landing quietly on top of it.

Meanwhile, in a news van outside, a reporter jubilantly recorded the entire conversation between Javier and Owen on a coincidentally tuned walkie-talkie, sensing a major scoop.

The elevator continued its smooth ascent, unaware of its additional passengers. From their vantage point, Owen and McClane observed two hijackers inside, along with several long, boxy cases.

The elevator reached the top without incident, halting at the 55th floor. McClane signaled Owen to wait before he inspected the area, which resembled a storage space. Confirming it was clear, he signaled Owen to join him.