Chapter 26: Successful Hostage Rescue

Snipers positioned in the opposite building were ready, their scopes aimed and waiting for Jack's command through the walkie-talkie, detailing each robber's location and characteristics. Jack himself stayed ready as backup, prepared to take down any robbers who might slip through.

Bob temporarily took charge as the sniper commander, assigning targets to each sniper. The assault team was also ready to move on Jack's signal, poised for simultaneous action.

Five, four, three, two, one. Move!

At Jack's command, the building's power was cut, plunging it into darkness. Almost simultaneously, snipers from the opposite building fired, their bullets piercing the glass curtain wall, leaving many small holes. The robbers caught in the scopes were all taken out with headshots.

Following the sound of glass shattering, ropes were thrown through the broken windows, securely anchoring to the floor. CTU assault teams and SWAT members descended rapidly along these ropes.

Landing, aiming, firing, rounding up hostages, identifying robbers—each movement was executed with precision, the result of countless drills and rehearsals.

The operation was textbook perfect. Under the cover of night vision goggles, the remaining few robbers were quickly neutralized without putting up much of a fight. The gunfire ceased quickly, with snipers maintaining their vigil while assault team members made sure each robber was permanently neutralized.

All nine robbers on the 46th floor were killed, and the hostages were successfully rescued without any casualties among the assault team members or hostages.

Jack Bauer holstered his pistol and emerged from his hiding spot as the building's power was restored. The startled hostages, upon seeing the sudden appearance of numerous police officers, were initially shocked and then erupted into cheers.

They were finally saved. Some laughed, some cried, some clung to the officers, while others prayed gratefully.

With the electricity back, the hostages were gathered and comforted before being evacuated.

Quickly, reverse ziplines were established between the Zhongchen Building and the opposite building, allowing for the rapid evacuation of hostages. One by one, they were strapped to the ziplines and slid across to safety, where they were received by teams on the other side. The process was fast and efficient, with ten ziplines operating simultaneously.

The moment the power was restored, the flashbulbs from the media below never stopped, especially as the first hostage was rescued from the building.

The rescue operation was orderly. Even those hostages who were afraid were forcefully strapped and slid across. Snipers patrolled the area through their scopes, ensuring no robbers on other floors targeted the hostages on the ziplines.

As the rescue of the hostages proceeded smoothly, Jack pressed the communication button on his earpiece, "Owen, where are you?"

Owen, running for his life, encountered a group of robbers in the staircase by chance. Face to face with the enemies, McClane's "main character halo" seemed to fail at the worst possible moment, getting hit immediately.

McClane had given his bulletproof vest to his wife, only to be shot himself shortly after. Though the wound was not immediately fatal, it significantly hindered his mobility, making it difficult for Owen to fight off the attackers while also trying to protect Holly.

"31st floor, send someone fast. Damn it, McClane's been shot. If you don't hurry, we're going to end up draped in the flag. Oh, shit."

Owen was cut off mid-sentence as his walkie-talkie was shot. The robbers, led by a blond man named Alex, were aggressively pursuing them. Owen managed to hold them off temporarily with the grenades he had looted earlier, but being overtaken was only a matter of time.

Hoping for Jack Bauer's reinforcements to arrive quickly, Owen carried McClane through the building, with the sound of pursuing footsteps growing ever closer. Owen made a tough decision, not to abandon McClane but to draw the enemies away himself. This was not about being selfless; the bond formed between them through shared life-and-death situations had made them brothers in arms.

"You take Holly and go. I'll cover our retreat."

Before Owen could suggest his plan, McClane spoke up, ready to sacrifice himself to give the others a chance to escape.

Owen chuckled, proud to have such a brother.

"Ha, don't think I'll owe you one. It's you who owes me. Remember, I've saved you three times."

McClane smiled too. They had been keeping score of their mutual rescues, which was even until now. But under the current circumstances, whoever stayed behind was unlikely to settle that debt.

"No..."

"Don't waste time arguing, they're coming..."

Owen forcefully interrupted McClane, pushing them into a hidden corner before the robbers arrived. The sound of footsteps approached rapidly.

Owen tightened his grip on his gun, smiling bravely as he fired while running away, drawing the pursuers further away.

The simple tactic was effective, drawing the robbers away from McClane and Holly, but it put Owen in greater danger. Running out of ammunition, he was left with just a few grenades, which he used to keep the enemies at bay. Eventually, even these were depleted.

After a fierce battle, Owen discarded his empty gun. The sound of approaching footsteps grew louder, and Owen prayed for Bauer's reinforcements to arrive soon as he ran with all his might.

Dodging bullets, Owen sprinted through corridors, his parkour skills proving invaluable. The enemies, unable to shoot while running at full speed, were left trailing behind.

Owen, using every bit of his agility, managed to escape through tight spots and closed doors, keeping the relentless pursuers just steps behind.