"Although all your previous speculations were correct, I still want to confirm one thing. Are you really going to use the behavioral logic of a normal person to speculate on the next plan of a mentally ill person?"
Gibbs couldn't remember how many cups of black coffee he had drunk. The handsome old man's white hair was now a mess, and the deep bags under his eyes made him look particularly tired.
The others were only slightly better than him. Only Hannah looked fine. This girl often stayed up late playing games on her days off.
Abby, who came to work early in the morning, was also drafted in. She had just brought in a laptop and was sitting next to Alice, whispering to her.
Jack's response came over the conference call on the desk. "Not from a normal human's perspective, but from a Navy SEAL's perspective.
This is all part of Luke Dolan's plan. He kidnapped the general not to use him as leverage, but to draw out who he believes is behind this—us."
"So you think he'll follow you back? This isn't the Pentagon, but it's the Navy's administrative center. Do you really think he'd take this risk alone?" Gibbs still had some doubts about Jack's judgment.
Jack chuckled. "You said he's a psychopath. Luke Dolan feels completely alone, surrounded by enemies, so he has nothing to lose.
He's on a rescue mission, trying to get his wife and daughter back. As long as he maintains that perspective, he'll try to infiltrate quietly.
Luke knows the Navy compound. He's been here more than once to receive commendations with his crew. So be prepared, we'll bring him back."
"Okay, keep your speed up. Give me a minute." Gibbs hurried back to his desk and picked up the intercom.
"
Do you think this plan is feasible?" Clay's expression grew increasingly uneasy as they approached the Washington Navy Yard.
Jack didn't answer his question, instead asking, "Are you sure he's behind us?"
"It's probably the FedEx van two cars down. He's already followed us around three intersections." Even though he knew the other party couldn't see him, Clay tried not to overly notice his gaze in the rearview mirror.
The Audi R8 began to slow down. Ahead was the checkpoint leading to the NCIS office building, where uniformed Marines were on duty.
They certainly couldn't possibly lure Luke Dolan into the Washington Navy Yard, the state-of-the-art administrative center of the US Navy and the official residence of the Chief of Naval Operations, to cause a scene. So they stopped before the checkpoint.
The FedEx van also pulled over, hiding among a row of parked cars.
Soon, the checkpoint barrier lifted, and a black Suburban drove out, parking in front of the Audi R8.
The door opened, Jiejie and Hannah got out, and one of them helped a person wearing a black hood out from the Saab car. One could only roughly distinguish them from the body shape and clothing as two women, one big and one small.
The two whispered a few words to Jack and Clay who also got out of the car to greet them, and then stuffed the two women wearing black hoods back into the Saab car.
But unexpectedly, an accident happened at this time. The petite woman, or the little girl, suddenly struggled to break free from Jiejie's support, staggered a few steps, but fell to the ground in embarrassment because she couldn't see anything.
Jiejie quickly stepped forward and pulled her up from the ground, but the little girl let out a shrill scream, and then turned into a cry for help.
"Daddy! I want Daddy! Save me and Mommy! Daddy! Daddy."
Apparently hearing her daughter's cries for help, the other hooded woman struggled, but was easily subdued by Hannah. The two were bundled back into the Suburban, and Hannah followed, closing the door.
Just then, a covered military truck pulled out of the checkpoint. Trying to turn left, it was blocked by two vehicles parked outside, making a transfer. The driver rolled down the window, honked his horn, and complained loudly.
A brief argument ensued, until Jack produced his ID, and the driver finally retreated and stopped talking.
They swapped cars, with Clay taking the driver's seat of the Suburban. Jack and Jiejie reversed in the Audi R8, both vehicles making way for the military truck.
The truck successfully turned left, and the Audi R8 passed through the checkpoint, driving into the naval compound and disappearing. The Suburban slowly started forward, continuing its journey.
As the Suburban approached the next intersection, the parked FedEx van started up again, ghostlike, following.
"Be careful, he's about to attack." Hearing Jack's warning through his earpiece, Clay glanced calmly in the rearview mirror, feeling a strange sense of relief. So far, the plan had gone smoothly.
Just as the Suburban was accelerating past the first intersection, the FedEx van, unable to hold back, slammed the accelerator and overtook it.
The Suburban was a full-size SUV with considerable tonnage, but the van's weight was not much less.
The impact was quiet, the van's front end colliding with the Suburban's right rear wheel at a perfect pitch angle. The Suburban instantly lost its trajectory, its massive body gradually tilting sideways amidst the screeching of tires against the road.
The van's accelerator remained fully depressed until it formed a T-shape with the Suburban, stopping.
Luke Dolan pushed open the car door, MP5 submachine gun in hand, and was about to exit when two stun grenades flew out of the Suburban's open window, landing right at his feet.
Before he could react, the stun grenade exploded, and Luke Dolan covered his ears in agony.
At the same moment, the side door of the Saab Ban was flung open, and Jack lunged at him like an arrow from a bowstring. The two rolled twice on the ground, wrestling fiercely.
"Jack!" Clay jumped onto the hood of the van, his Sig Sauer pistol in hand.
"Got it!" Jack pushed Luke Dolan, who had been strangled unconscious, away from him, stood up with a relaxed expression, and dusted himself off.
Clay, who had jumped in front of him, nervously scanned him up and down. After confirming he was alright, he bent down to pick up the MP5 from the ground and put the safety back on. He then bent down to feel Luke Dolan's carotid artery, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Sirens blared in the distance, but before the police cars arrived, an Audi R8 arrived. Aubrey was driving with Jiejie, followed by the military truck with a canopy. Gibbs, dressed in navy camouflage, was behind the wheel, acting as the driver.
(End of this chapter)