"I'm ready to shoot," Karen muttered, about to step forward, when Jack's reminder reached his ears again.
"Ah, if I were you, I'd better put on gloves and a mask before doing this. His gun is under his arm, so I guess what he was about to pull out was definitely not a pistol."
Hearing this, Karen's body froze. He quickly took out his mask and gloves and put them on before moving forward to turn Comescu's body over.
Pulling out the arm that was pinned under him, Comescu's hand was holding a small medicine bottle. Karen breathed a sigh of relief and quickly opened the small suitcase on the ground.
Inside were the remaining eight medicine bottles packed in sponge pads. Including the bottle in his hand, there were exactly nine bottles, the same number as the driver Marku had previously stated.
The others arrived belatedly. The large, dark-skinned Hannah breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the bodies on the ground. He turned to Karen and asked, "Is everything all right?"
Karen placed the vials in his suitcase, a complex expression on his face. "We recovered all the smallpox, so I guess everything's fine."
"I know I wasn't talking about smallpox." As close friends, Hannah's primary concern was naturally for his partner.
"I know." Karen removed his mask, took a deep breath, and looked at the bodies with a complex expression.
"Beep!" A few horns blared as Kono and Jack, sitting in the back seat of an electric tour bus, slowly approached the group.
"I hope you won't complain that I stole your chance to shoot, but I think this outcome is better for everyone," Jack offered Karen his hand.
Karen was stunned for a moment, then quickly reached out and shook Jack's hand. "That's not what I meant. I just don't know how to describe how I feel right now."
Danny stepped forward and put his arm around their shoulders. "Then why don't I treat everyone to some Hawaiian specialties? That way, we won't have to constantly hear someone complaining that my partner owes him a steak."
"I'll send these things to the CDC lab first." Kono took the suitcase containing the virus from Karen.
"We'll meet you at the shrimp truck in Kama Kona." Cheng Hao nodded to his cousin.
--
"Don't they say that shrimp trucks in Hawaii usually only have three or four flavors of shrimp rice?" Jack looked at the densely packed menu in front of him, feeling a little dizzy. How could such a snack stand seem to have a wider variety than a typical restaurant?
Cheng Hao chuckled, circling the five or six odd names at the top of the menu. "Actually, that's all there is. The rest are just different combinations of ingredients and sauces.
Kamakona believes that in order to stand out in Hawaii's fiercely competitive shrimp truck scene, they need to offer a wide variety."
"I think the location of this shrimp truck alone is enough to make him a ton of money," Karen said, a cold beer in hand, her eyes glued to the "beautiful view" before her.
They were currently at Waikiki Beach, Hawaii's most famous beach. Bikini-clad women were bustling along the sand not far away.
"You'll like it even more during spring break," Danny said, sounding like a seasoned veteran.
Spring break in the United States typically runs from March to April, with varying lengths of time depending on the university, usually lasting from one to two weeks.
This short break has long become a carnival for students. Every year, at this time, large numbers of young men and women flock to beaches across the South to indulge in the sun, sand, alcohol, and sex.
"This is the first time I've heard Danny say anything positive about this place," Cheng Hao quipped, feigning surprise.
Danny immediately showed a look of disgust, "I just said that on purpose, wanting Jack to stay here for a few more days."
"So Jack is really your... uh... nephew?" Hannah looked at Jack, then at Danny, the expression on her face still a little unbelievable.
"Of course." Danny, as if suddenly realizing something, patted Jack's shoulder and asked with concern. "Is your injury okay? Kono said you jumped between two buildings."
Jack pulled up his loose T-shirt and patted his still-bandaged waist. "There's no sign of infection at all. The wound should be completely healed in two or three days."
"What a shame! If you weren't injured, Kono would definitely take you surfing. She's the best surfer I know," Cheng Hao said with some regret.
Jack looked at him with a look of confusion. "Have you all forgotten that I grew up in Los Angeles?"
Well, in fact, he had only been in Los Angeles for a few years in his life, and he hadn't really been to the beach much. His true enjoyment of the beach and sunshine was when he was in Florida with Hannah.
Later, he trained with the B team in Virginia Beach. During that time, he swam around a small island in the sea more than once, but he hadn't experienced much serious surfing. After all, with his current physical condition, it was difficult for him to enjoy such extreme sports.
"Wow, you're from Los Angeles too? I thought you were from New York." Compared to the more dour Karen, Hannah was more talkative and knew how to liven things up.
"You're right, New York," Jack explained briefly, explaining how he'd been "tricked" into coming to New York. The originally agreed-upon two years were quickly approaching three, and then three more.
"Sounds like we both have a good boss," Karen smiled, finding common ground. "By the way, I haven't thanked you properly yet."
Jack, knowing he was referring to the shot he'd just fired, waved his hand dismissively. "Don't overthink it. I was just trying to make the report easier to write."
His single shot to Comescu had certainly saved a lot of trouble—or more accurately, for Karen's superior, Grandma Heidi.
Jack wasn't familiar with the grudge between Karen and Comescu. After all, it was an old show. He'd barely forgotten the plot of the main NCIS series, let alone the spinoff. He only remembered Grandma Heidi's uncharacteristically protective nature.
But Karen's earlier use of the word "blood feud" spoke volumes.
While the situation was certainly urgent, Karen's actions could still be accused of personal vendettas. Therefore, Jack's shot wasn't meant to steal credit, but to help the other party resolve a potential problem.
"So, what are your plans going forward?" Danny's mood brightened when he saw that Karen was a sensible person and didn't dwell on personal revenge.
"Comescu is dead, our mission is accomplished, and we should be back in Los Angeles tomorrow." Hannah shared his thoughts and smiled at Jack.
"Do you want to take a flight? You can stop by Los Angeles."
Jack hesitated, thinking about the terrible passenger experience on military transport planes, and finally shook his head. "Forget it, I'd better stay in Hawaii for two more days. It would be best if we could find the guy who modified the virus. I always feel that this may be a hidden danger."
At this moment, Cheng Hao's phone rang. Seeing that it was Kono calling, he turned on the speakerphone directly. "Cousin, what's wrong? Are you on your way here?"
Kono's voice on the phone sounded a little annoyed. "I'm sorry that your boys' party is cancelled. I'm on my way back to headquarters. I just got a call from Dr. Dusek at the CDC laboratory. The vials taken from Comescu did not contain smallpox virus, but ordinary saline solution."
(End of this chapter)