"Cough. Cough. Cough. Ugh." Goosby, nearly choked to death after being lifted from the water by Clay, retching repeatedly as the sewage poured into his mouth and nose.
Neither Captain Jason nor Jack had expected that, confidently expecting the enemy to send down a swift and decisive blow, they would instead receive a homemade thermobaric bomb made from a gas canister.
Fortunately, the tunnel contained only rainwater, not methane, and the sewer pipe was long enough for those hiding in the tunnel outside to dive into the floodwaters as soon as they noticed something was amiss, preventing any casualties.
Although it was a false alarm, everyone's faces were filled with hope.
As expected, these days, no one should be fooled. While the enemy wasn't a T1-level special forces unit, they were equally experienced, not to mention led by a highly decorated and combat-oriented general.
"Change of plan! Head straight to the prison hospital before we're discovered," Jason said decisively.
"Are you sure those missiles were hidden in the morgue, Doctor?" Jack was a little unconfident now.
Gusby had just cleaned his mouth with water from the kettle and was now furious, "Of course, but I don't recommend fighting the enemy there.
If there really are VX missiles stored there, even a stray bullet could kill everyone on the island."
"Don't worry, we won't let your fiancée become a widow." Jack patted his shoulder, "When we get back, I'll treat you to a beef hot pot, the kind that'll set your butt on fire."
Gusby's eyes lit up, "Will there be cigars and Seres liquor this time?"
"I can get you all the good things you can think of. As for cigars." Jack patted the waterproof bag hidden in his chest, "That's for the celebration after the victory."
After that, he looked at the old man who was cleaning the mud off his beard, "Mr. Mason, please lead the way."
-
At the same time, on the Fisherman's Wharf, only two kilometers away from Devil's Island, the friends of the Wanted Criminals Team and the people of the BUA Team, some stared at the images transmitted by the drone, and some simply set up cannon-shaped high-powered telescopes, all concentrating on observing every move on the island.
The explosion in the drainage pipe blew open several manhole covers. Although the flames were not obvious, they were clearly visible in the night vision imagery.
A commotion suddenly broke out in the dock warehouse. Chief Womack, who had been waiting in front of the monitor, nervously leaned over to the screen. "What happened? Did they fall into a trap?"
"Calm down, Jim," Rossi placed a hand on his shoulder. "They're the best guys. It won't happen easily."
"Sir, should we contact Eagle?" asked the communications officer of Team B's logistics support group.
"No, maintain radio silence," replied Major Eric Black, the commander of Team B (appeared in Chapter 601), expressionless.
He had experienced too many spectacular events with SEAL Team B, and this was just the beginning.
"Sir, there's a new communication request from General Hammer," another communications officer reported loudly.
"Come in," Chief Womack said impatiently, but Rossi stopped him. "No, wait!"
He looked at Chief Womack seriously. "Jim, stay calm. Since the Eagle hasn't broken radio silence, it means they haven't been discovered. This is probably just a test."
The chief took a deep breath, his eyes gradually clearing up. "You're right, David. I'll leave this place to you for now. I'm going to go out and get some fresh air."
After watching Director Womack's slightly hunched back disappear, Rossi said to the waiting communications sergeant, "Pick up the communication."
Soon General Hammer appeared on the screen with a gloomy face, the anger in his eyes almost tangible, "You made a mistake, thinking that sending in a few little mice would do anything."
"I don't understand what you are talking about, General Hammer, we just noticed that there seemed to be an explosion on the island. What happened? Are the hostages safe?"
Rossi showed a puzzled expression, his innocent look impeccable.
General Hammer, recognizing him, flashed a hint of surprise. "Why are you here? Where are Al (Admiral Kleiman) and your FBI Director?"
Rossi continued to feign innocence, even checking the time on his wrist. "They should be in the White House right now, negotiating the payment with the President. You know how important this matter is.
I'd like to ask if you could extend the ultimatum, even just for a few hours. You know how inefficient those bureaucrats are."
General Hammer seemed to have completely forgotten that he was here to accuse him, and was easily distracted by Rossi's rambling.
"No, there are only 14 hours left, more than enough for you. You have no room for negotiation, and don't even try to test my patience. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind killing a few hostages or launching a VX missile to demonstrate my resolve."
He ended the call bluntly.
"Do you think he'll actually launch the missile?" asked Hotchner, who had been observing from Rossi's side.
Rossi was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't know. I always thought Hammer was a pure soldier."
"Perhaps that's why he took such extreme action," Hotchner muttered, then received a warning look from Rossi.
——
"How much longer will we have to go?" The group followed Mason underground for nearly half an hour. The stains on Goosby's face had been washed into small grooves by sweat, making him look a little funny.
"Be patient. We are now in the oldest part of Alcatraz Island, an old mine left over from the gold rush. The prison hospital we are heading to is a converted bunker left over from the Civil War."
Mason still seemed in a very good mood and even gave him some scientific knowledge.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Mason, but I'm not in the mood to study history right now. How much longer are we going to have to walk in this damn tunnel?
Those bad guys have probably already noticed us and could launch missiles at any moment."
Before Goosby finished speaking, Mason stopped in front of a pile of rotten wood. "We're here."
The old man stepped aside and tilted his head slightly to Jack. "There's a stone staircase at the back. Going up is the prison hospital that was converted from a bunker."
Jack nodded to show that he understood. He leaned forward and listened for a moment, then beckoned to Sonny, who was still strong, to help him clear the debris blocking the exit.
Mason's claim that he had been groping underground for three days must not be an exaggeration. When the rotten wood was carefully moved away, a cool moonlight penetrated the midnight sea mist and shone on the two of them.
(End of this chapter)