"Okay, got it. Thank Red for me."
Having broken radio silence, Jack quickly received the intelligence analysis provided by the Doll Encyclopedia.
This was a detail he hadn't noticed when he first watched the movie, but upon closer reflection, it seemed quite plausible.
As a highly decorated general with years of frontline combat experience, Hammer clearly couldn't be the type to talk big but lose control of his troops.
Therefore, the scene near the end of the original series where he was betrayed by his subordinates felt a bit abrupt.
Now it seemed that either he had missed some foreshadowing, or the world had automatically filled in the gap.
It made sense; if General Hammer's troops were all elite, the attack wouldn't have been so anticlimactic.
The SEALs were operating in stealth, and their ammunition was extremely limited. To keep Sonny's light machine gun fueled, everyone in the task force, except Mason and Goosby, shared in the 5.56 NATO rounds.
On the other hand, General Hammer brought two helicopters when they landed on the island, and the MH53 Pave Low had a load capacity of up to 16 tons.
It was still a long time before daybreak, and even if they couldn't break into the prison hospital for a while, they could adopt a siege strategy and try to consume the SEALs' ammunition instead of hastily evacuating after suffering casualties.
But if nearly half of them were really "mercenaries" who came for the money, it seems easy to explain.
Those who were paid to do things might obey orders and participate in the operation, but from the files that Red had read, these people were far from being elite in terms of both subjective will and tactical ability.
"This might be a good breakthrough." Jason thought thoughtfully, "Does this mean that if we can launch a decapitation operation to kill Hammer, or eliminate those who are loyal to him, the rest will not be a big deal."
"That's hard to say." Jack frowned. "The FBI checked General Hammer's assets. Most of his income was donated to the families of the fallen soldiers, and there has been no obvious cash flow in the past two years.
I think those mercenaries obviously didn't receive much advance payment. If they didn't get the money, what do you think they would do?"
Jason understood immediately and said in a deep voice, "A good commander is not afraid of the failure of an operation. Even when he knows that something is impossible, the best strategy is to retreat decisively to cut losses.
Assuming that this is military blackmail, like what we did in the South China Sea, then the general should start considering retreating now."
Jack continued with his thoughts, "But those mercenaries who didn't get the money won't agree so easily. They are very likely to force General Hammer to carry out the blackmail to the end, just like a Japanese captain who tried to start a war between the two countries."
At this point, he couldn't help but feel a slight movement in his heart. In the movie, General Hammer did order the launch of a missile with the wrong coordinates, which eventually fell into the sea, causing a false alarm.
However, that was a threat made after the 40-hour deadline he'd given the Pentagon had expired, and his conversations with his men revealed that he had never intended to launch a massacre of civilians.
But now the situation had changed dramatically, and it was unclear whether the missile would still fall into the sea due to the incorrect coordinates.
Although Jack didn't know that General Hammer's trusted men had been decimated, and morale had already begun to falter,
as long as the enemy still had two VX missiles ready to launch and 81 hostages held in the prison building, their mission wasn't accomplished.
Jason scrambled to unfold a satellite map of Alcatraz on the worn operating table, the wrinkles between his brows twisting into a knot.
Old Man Mason had previously said that there was no tunnel leading to the lighthouse at the island's northernmost tip. Therefore, the prison building, perched high in the center, served as a fortified barrier between the prison hospital and the lighthouse.
Its east and west sides were built against the cliffs, meaning that to reach the north end from the south end, one had to pass through this high-lying structure in the middle.
In an instant, the offensive and defensive positions shifted, and it was their turn to face a headache.
Everyone, too, was worried as they gazed at the map. Although it was night, the enemy could easily have two spotters equipped with night vision goggles stationed inside the building
, providing a commanding view of the entire area. Considering the snipers had been able to focus their fire from above, the SEALs would be discovered
the moment they left the prison hospital. Unless, "unless we wait until daybreak, when the fog starts to rise in the early morning," said Lieutenant Commander Ray Perry.
San Francisco's fog, formed by the interaction of relatively warm waters and cold air, drifts from the sea toward the city nearly half the time of year.
"But it's summer now, the time of year when San Francisco experiences the least fog." As a commander, Jason was accustomed to considering the most pessimistic view.
"Let's wait a little longer. Maybe the situation will change,"
Jack observed as Dr. Goosby removed the green "grapes" one by one. Their successful defense against the enemy's attack had altered their plans, and the Joint Command Center had ordered them to prioritize transporting the VX.
A frontal assault would almost certainly result in casualties. Who could guarantee the enemy would only have one machine gun and one anti-material sniper rifle?
Forget the two VX missiles and 81 hostages, and there's also an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter armed with Hellfire missiles on the island.
Even though the MH-53 Pave Low is a military transport helicopter, it can still carry defensive weapons. Don't
be fooled by the fact that helicopters are usually destroyed in movies and TV series, with bullets always chasing the protagonists.
In reality, only those who have actually seen attack helicopters will understand why they are called "low-altitude tanks."
Heavy attack helicopters are armored to withstand large-caliber heavy machine gun rounds and even 23mm cannons. On this island with a panoramic view, even a Navy SEAL would retreat to the underground tunnels to continue playing the role of a rat.
Even if Jack were offered a Barrett, he would firmly refuse such a powerful weapon. After all, fixed and slow-moving targets are completely different from the high-speed helicopters.
He had no intention of testing the power of the 23mm cannon and Hellfire missiles with his own flesh and blood.
"Dr. Goosby, how much longer do you need?" Jack asked as he entered the morgue, seeing the distant skyline already turning pale.
Aside from the few guards, most of the SEALs were busy in the morgue. Dr. Goosby was drenched in sweat, his face pale as if he would collapse at any moment.
Two large boxes had been added to the morgue. The team members were working with Dr. Goosby to remove the crystal-clear glass balls, the size of ping-pong balls, and place them into the sponge grooves inside the boxes like eggs.
"This is the last one." Dr. Goosby put down the glass ball, removed his gloves, and breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the SEALs close the lid of the box.
The box had been dropped from two heavy-duty rotary-wing drones at low altitude. Each VX missile contained 50 glass balls, 10 in a string, for a total of 600 glass balls for the 12 missiles. While it was a bit of a hassle to unpack, it wasn't particularly heavy.
Using drones to transport these dangerous items wasn't just a spur-of-the-moment idea from the Joint Operations Center, as drones flying low over the sea at night were virtually undetectable.
Even if they were shot down on their return flight, unlike the atomized VX that would disperse into the air after an explosion, dropping it into the sea wouldn't cause any catastrophic consequences; the seawater would quickly dilute it to a harmless level.
The two heavy-lift drones arrived with two individual Stinger anti-aircraft missile launchers, a welcome relief, ensuring the SEALs wouldn't be completely defenseless should they face a real attack helicopter.
"Looks like luck isn't on our side this time," Jason said, his expression grim as he watched the two heavy-lift drones, carrying the boxes, soar close to the surface of the sea toward the coast.
The sun was about to rise, but the sea fog hadn't appeared as expected. The temperature around San Francisco was very close to the sea today, so the lack of a temperature difference meant no fog.
"Then let's show our strength," Jack said, grabbing the deputy's SR25 and cocking it with a domineering gesture.
"We'll move at first light. We need all our team members this time. Is it okay to leave that old man with the doctor?"
Jason asked, glancing at Mason, who was snoring in the corner. The "all-hands-on-deck" approach included Jack, the FBI agent, but clearly didn't include Mason and Goosby.
Jack knew he was worried that Goosby, a "frail scholar," wouldn't be able to keep an eye on Mason, and indeed, he certainly wasn't, but he didn't care.
"My orders were simply to cooperate with us and complete the mission, and he's done it, hasn't he? No matter the outcome, when it's over, he'll be considered a hero who saved hundreds of thousands of people."
Jason heard the implication and raised an eyebrow in surprise, but said nothing more.
He knew Mason was a secret FBI prisoner, so he didn't take it seriously. If the old man were a terrorist, Jason might have paid attention, but judging by Jack's attitude, that was clearly not the case.
As for the FBI versus Jack, Jason naturally chose Jack's side. They'd shared guns and loot, faced life and death together, and he'd even saved his wife. The captain of Team B had some emotional intelligence.
As he said, "Anyway, this has nothing to do with Team B."
Jack glanced calmly at the old man snoring in the corner, clutching his Noveske N4, and a slight smile played on his face.
This was too fake. They were quiet when they were chatting quietly just now, but now they're snoring so loudly.
However, just as Jason was calling all the team members to assemble and prepare to assign tasks, a shrill whistle suddenly resounded throughout the island, followed by the voice of General Hammer.
"Task force, whether you are SEALs or 'DEVGRU', you have my stuff in your hands, to be precise, those 12 missiles.
I admit that you have done a pretty good job before, but now I need to remind you of one thing. I not only have 81 hostages in danger, but also 2 missiles that can be launched at any time."
As expected, what is coming will eventually come, although it is unclear why the other party has delayed so long.
Jack looked at the place where the sound came from. It was a loudspeaker installed above the corner of the wall. This kind of broadcasting system is everywhere on the island.
Amidst a few shouts and curses, a sobbing male voice rang out. "My name is Larry Henderson. I have three children, and they're holding a gun to my head."
General Hammer's voice shifted again. "You have ten minutes to think about this. After that, I'll kill one hostage every minute until you show up."
"Help! Please, save me, wuwuwu!" the man's sobs rang out again.
"Oh, please, they're really that mean!" Sonny yelled in exasperation.
"Full Metal" Scott Carter, who rarely spoke, scoffed. "They don't really think they can get us to surrender like this, do they?"
Jack and Captain Jason exchanged a glance, each catching a smile in the other's eyes.
In the hours before dawn, they discussed various possibilities and discussed various countermeasures with everyone at the Joint Operations Center.
If the enemy remained holed up in the prison building, they had no real recourse but to launch a forceful assault. Upon hearing this announcement, Jack breathed a sigh of relief and began to remove his equipment as the others watched in astonishment.
"What are you going to do?" Dr. Goosby, who had just rehydrated, looked much better. He had a vague idea of Jack's intention, but he still couldn't believe it.
"Of course, talk to our General Hammer and get him to abandon his awful plan," Jack laughed.
"Shit, you're going to commit suicide!" Not only Goosby, but even the other SEALs were shocked.
"Don't worry, the BAU team has profiled General Hammer. He's not the type to act rashly. I should be able to buy him enough time."
"What do you mean by buy him time?" Clay keenly sensed the hidden meaning in Jack's words.
"It buys us time to infiltrate the lighthouse,"
Jason answered for Jack. "Jack and I have discussed this. Instead of storming the prison building, we should attack the lighthouse directly.
He'll buy us time, distract Hammer and his men, while we approach the lighthouse from underwater and climb up the cliffs facing the sea."
Everyone looked at each other, unsure what to say.
Jack spread his hands in reassurance, "Don't worry. Compared to what you're about to do, my risk isn't much higher. I'm just a negotiator, and that's what I'm good at, isn't it?"
Unfortunately, no one present had attended the previous meeting at the Pentagon, otherwise someone would have jumped in to refute it. It was this guy who had originally argued that sending a negotiator was a tactical act.
Seeing that everyone was speechless and unable to voice an objection, Jason clapped his hands and prepared to assign the task.
"Goosby and Mr. Mason, go back through the tunnel to where we entered. Once you've locked the iron gate, you'll be safe.
The rest of you, prepare your climbing gear. Bravo 4 (Trent Sawyer) and Bravo 5 (Brock Reynolds) will carry the climbing ropes."
It wasn't that Jason wasn't worried about Jack, but someone had previously shown off their skills, demonstrating a single-handed victory right in front of him.
Even the veteran SEAL couldn't react quickly enough. In the blink of an eye, Jack grabbed his elbow and held it in front of him. A general who hadn't seen the battlefield in over a decade would have been no match for him.
"I'll go with you," an old voice suddenly called out from the corner. Mason tossed Goosby the assault rifle Jack had given him and stood up with his head held high.
Goosby looked from left to right at Jack, then from left to right at Mason, confused as to what was going on.
Jack, too, gave the Englishman a puzzled look, wondering why he was doing this.
He arranged for the two to return to the tunnel, essentially giving Mason a chance to escape. The diving suits and other items were still there, and there was more than enough oxygen.
(End of this chapter)