In a warehouse district in Brooklyn, a drone circled a five-story concrete warehouse building before slowly landing in a small area surrounded by shipping containers.
By the time Jack and Aubrey arrived near the target warehouse, NYPD officers, having received notification, had already quietly blocked off the surrounding roads and verified the two men's IDs before allowing them access.
Almost the entire FBI-SWAT team was deployed to surround the nearly 2,000-square-meter warehouse building, with snipers in pairs occupying commanding positions.
The terrain near the warehouse was complex, with stacked shipping containers everywhere. This offered both advantages and disadvantages.
The advantage was the abundance of cover, making it easier for personnel to conceal themselves and avoid detection. The disadvantage was that the snipers' visibility was extremely poor, and since it was already evening, the dusty windows on the warehouse walls effectively obstructed the observers' view.
The temporary joint command center was set up on the third floor of another building, over 150 meters away from the target structure. The various technical support teams that arrived one after another quickly set up various display and communication equipment.
It faced the parking lot behind the warehouse, and from the window, one could clearly see the gray BMW with its license plates removed.
Leaving the suspect Octavio's wife in the care of two colleagues, Jack and Aubrey entered the temporary joint command center and encountered Jubal, who was observing the parking lot through binoculars.
"Did the lady kick you out of the office again for field work?" Jack asked with a smile.
Jubal shrugged helplessly. "Yes, Dana has taken over the operations center. She's worried Octavio won't surrender easily, so she wants me to handle on-site negotiations."
Dana Moger had barely been seen. After all, it was just a simple kidnapping case, and as Assistant Director, she didn't have the time to pay close attention to such a minor incident.
Now it had escalated into a hostage situation, and the suspect had military background. The entire New York office's SWAT team was deployed, so it was natural for her to take over command.
After all, many things required her to decide or authorize on the spot, such as whether to shoot a suspect.
Jack adjusted his wireless headset to align with the public command channel at the scene, then looked around but couldn't find Hannah.
Jubal pointed due south. "There's a forward command center on the rooftop of another three-story building opposite the warehouse. It offers a better view, but it's not suitable for large numbers of people. Hannah has sent your equipment there, and you'll be in charge."
"Okay, I'll be there now." Jack was about to call for the newcomer, Aubrey, to follow him when a SWAT commander hurried over to Jubal and reported, "All nearby buildings have been cleared, and a total of six sniper teams are in place. We've used the infrared cameras on the drones to identify four human heat sources within the target building."
Jubal nodded. "That's consistent with our information. We can assume they are Octavio, his son, and the two doctors.
Fiber optic cameras will be deployed through the ventilation holes. We need to see what's going on inside. It's almost dark, which is very disadvantageous for snipers.
But notify all units not to act rashly for now. We need to avoid the worst-case scenario. The enemy probably hasn't discovered us yet, so we should take advantage of this."
The SWAT commander nodded in understanding and turned to arrange the operation. Jack was in no rush, so he simply stayed here and waited for the fiber optic cameras to be deployed.
The five-story warehouse building occupied a large area, and there was only one suspect, giving the FBI ample opportunity to deploy their forces. Under the cover of SWAT personnel, the technical team threaded long optical fibers into the building through ventilation ducts on both sides.
Soon, the warehouse's interior was displayed on screen. In the western corner, a pile of building materials and other miscellaneous items occupied a small portion of the space. In the center, an operating room, constructed of aluminum alloy, double-layered partitions, and expansive floor-to-ceiling glass, stood approximately 40 to 50 square meters.
One of the cameras was perfectly positioned, facing the operating room from directly above. Although the resolution was average, it was sufficient to provide a clear view of the interior.
The operating room's equipment was not much different from a typical hospital operating room, from oxygen tanks, operating tables, shadowless lights, to ventilators, vital monitors, and other life-support equipment. It was clear those two idiot doctors had invested heavily in this area.
The surgery had already begun. The little boy on the operating table appeared to have just finished anesthesia. Dr. Lucas Caldwell was performing a skin incision, assisted by the innocent anesthesiologist, Dr. Nicole Wright. Both of them were busy with their work.
At first glance, the scene looked like a normal surgical procedure in a regular hospital, except that the doctors and nurses were somewhat sparse. The only thing that stood out was the presence of a man in plain clothes, anxiously pacing back and forth, armed with an automatic weapon, near the operating room door.
"Jack, is it feasible for you to lead the raid?" Jubal, who had also witnessed the scene, asked, knowing the odds were slim, just in case.
Although he hadn't witnessed Jack's incredible combat prowess in person, he had a long and distinguished record. He'd even witnessed Jack being called upon to assist a T1 special forces unit.
Jack shook his head repeatedly, admitting he wasn't a god. He could try an unofficial operation, sneaking in carefully and then taking them down with a single shot.
But with hundreds of people already gathered at the scene, this wasn't a spur-of-the-moment operation. Even if such a crude and crude plan succeeded, it would likely lead to accountability.
He pointed to the assault rifle Octavio was holding on the screen and explained, "This is an AR-15 with a 30-round magazine, not one of those junk with bump stocks.
This warehouse is enormous. The distance from the entrances to the operating room is at least ten meters. And the enemy is elite soldiers who have fought drug cartels. Any intrusion is almost certain to result in a firefight, making it difficult to ensure the safety of the hostages in this situation."
Jack paused, then added, "Also, don't attempt to use stun grenades. The child's abdominal cavity is about to be opened, and the power of stun grenades would be almost fatal to him."
"It seems that negotiating first is the best strategy. I'll communicate with the operations center. You go to the forward command center first. The live footage has been synchronized."
Jubal said, then picked up his phone and called Dana Moger.
Jack led Aubrey downstairs and made their way between several shipping containers to the three-story building on the other side. However, what he saw made him frown. The SWAT perimeter was too obvious in several places.
The sniper teams were relatively well-hidden, but several of the cover troopers carelessly perched their assault rifles on the parapet, pointing them directly at the warehouse's large glass windows.
If Octavio had just taken a few steps from the operating room door and glanced out the window, the entire group would have been exposed.
Jack couldn't understand why the SWAT team had made such a rudimentary mistake. Perhaps Jubal's instructions hadn't been conveyed to their commander, a communication error.
He was about to pause and give another order on the comms channel when Hannah's nervous voice suddenly rang through his headset. "We've seen something unusual at the window. Octavio's looking out!"
"Damn it! What's he trying to do?" Jubal's exclamation was evident, evidently seen as well. A split second later, the sharp sound of shattering glass and the sudden clatter of gunfire echoed.
Jack instinctively pulled Aubrey, who was following him, behind the container. Gunfire erupted in the surrounding area, and the SWAT team members under attack retaliated, shattering the large glass windows on the front of the warehouse.
"Cease fire! Cease fire!" Jubal's angry shouts echoed over the channel.
(End of chapter)