Alcatraz Prison went through two periods from its establishment to its closure. Initially, it was a military prison under the jurisdiction of the military. Later, it was transferred to the federal government and became a federal prison.
As many people know, for various reasons, federal prisons are managed not only by the BOP (Bureau of Prisons), but also by the FBI and DEA. Even the powerful IRS has its own independent prison system.
In other words, some prisons fall under the joint jurisdiction of the BOP and FBI, and Alcatraz is one of them. For this reason, everyone present turned their gazes to the FBI officers.
Rossi's "Little Muffin" - the female assistant director tapped her pen lightly on her notepad, a look of worry on her face.
"The previous warden died ten years ago. We've contacted other prison guards, but they haven't been able to provide much useful information.
After all, they're responsible for guarding, not figuring out how to escape. None of them have ever been down in those underground tunnels."
Sensing a hidden meaning, Admiral Al Kleiman understood her meaning. "Are you saying we're looking for prisoners who have successfully escaped from Alcatraz?"
"Are there really such people?" someone asked in confusion.
A real-time aerial view of Alcatraz prison was displayed on the big screen. The isolated island was surrounded by steep cliffs, the sea constantly lapping against the jagged rocks that appeared and disappeared. What kind of person could escape from such a place?
Rossi and "Little Pancake" exchanged a glance and were about to speak when they were interrupted by Commissioner Jim Womack, whose face changed drastically.
"I know a prison escape expert named Ray Breslin. He might be able to help."
Jack was stunned for a moment, not realizing what a prison escape expert meant. And there was someone who specialized in that.
Then Jim Womack continued, explaining, "He's a prison security expert at the NSA (National Security Agency). He's an expert in finding loopholes in prisons of all kinds. He's managed to escape from 14 high-security prisons in eight years."
Jack's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he wanted to ask his director if this Ray Breslin had, before his prison escape career, even fought the Soviets in Afghanistan with a heavy machine gun.
"We're trying to get into this prison, not out of it, which has been turned into a tourist attraction, Jimmy," Rossi sighed and shook his head, addressing the director by name.
"What we need now is someone who's extremely familiar with those underground tunnels. You know who Evelyn was talking about? He might be able to help."
The director gave Rossi a dangerous look, remaining silent for a long moment. After a long pause, he suddenly stood up and walked to a small conference room nearby.
Rossi also stood up and followed. After taking two steps, he gave his disciple a look. Just when Jack was confused, the female assistant director smiled and patted him on the shoulder, indicating that he should follow.
Seeing Jack gently close the conference room door, Rossi lowered his voice to Director Jim Womack and said, "Jim, this is related to national security."
The director's face flushed. "We locked him up 20 years ago for national security. I knew this would happen sooner or later, but I will never allow you to do this! Forget him, he doesn't exist now."
Rossi seemed to be worried that he was too excited and slowed down his tone. "But he does exist. You are right. We would rather forget him and let him never see the light of day again. It seems that this will protect those secrets forever.
But we need his experience now. If I remember correctly, when he escaped from Alcatraz Prison, he passed through those underground tunnels."
Jim Womack seemed to realize he was getting a bit too excited, but his hands couldn't help but tremble at the thought of the jerk who had caused him such an embarrassing experience.
"Have you forgotten how much trouble he's caused us? He's a guy who's escaped from two high-security prisons."
"Let go of the past. He was certainly a formidable intelligence agent from the SAS (British Special Air Service), but it's been over 20 years. Look at you and me, we're not young anymore."
Rossi said, turning his gaze to Jack, who stood at the door with a bewildered look on his face.
Jim Womack glanced back at Jack, still hesitant. "We can't risk letting him out. What if he escapes onto the streets? None of us can afford that.
Even now, some secrets remain secrets."
Rossi snorted, a hint of dissatisfaction. "Come on, Jim, those secrets or truths you're talking about have long been buried in countless conspiracy theories.
Instead of dwelling on these trivial matters, consider the calamity that would result if this were leaked. We announced the destruction of all VX three years ago."
Jim Womack closed his eyes, hesitating for a moment before turning to Jack. "Tai, Jack, I have an important mission for you." Jack knew who the two old men were talking about, but he had to pretend ignorance. After all,
the
man Rossi and Jim Womack were talking about had been imprisoned in a secret FBI prison long before he was born.
However, he was the first to know that such a high-security prison existed deep beneath an FBI facility at Quantico.
The security here was so tight that even though he'd come here on the Commissioner's orders, he still had to navigate numerous checkpoints and undergo tedious identity verification.
It took Jack a full twenty minutes before he finally stood at the door of a single cell, surrounded by a group of burly, fully armed prison guards. This was enough to give him a glimpse into the dangers of someone held there.
When the door opened, an elderly Caucasian man with long, white hair, his face black only for his eyebrows and a beard between his nose and lips, appeared before Jack.
"John Mason?" Jack looked at the old man with a wave of emotion. He was familiar with, or even liked, three actors who had played 007: Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore, and the original Sean Connery.
As for Daniel Craig, he had no interest in him. He felt he shouldn't be playing 007, but rather a special actor playing a Russian president who had a KGB background.
"Is the FBI so short of manpower that it needs to recruit underage children as agents?"
Jack was mercilessly mocked upon his first meeting with this old man.
(End of this chapter)