The three-story library building at El Centro Central College was surrounded by a massive wall of soldiers, and the three FBI agents who had come to assist were escorted to a command vehicle that was being used as a makeshift operations center.
This vehicle was similar to the one used by the Most Wanted Squad, a large command vehicle built by Mattman using a Freightliner MT-55 truck chassis. Judging by the paint job, it likely belonged to the DPD.
The DPD SWAT team was already in position, broadcasting messages through a loudspeaker to the second floor of the library. The gunman, trapped in a corner of the hallway, responded with a disjointed song.
Two hours had passed since the incident. If the situation could be described as a game, the outcome was already decided, and the game had entered garbage time.
"Thank you for your assistance, FBI," the chubby police chief offered his hand to the three. But upon taking in Jack's features, his expression brightened.
"Ah! Why are you here again? No, I mean, Agent Taverer!"
"Hello, Chief David Brown, long time no see." Jack shook hands with the middle-aged, white chief with a large beer belly.
"I can't believe we're meeting again at such an awkward time. I hope the city of Dallas hasn't left a bad impression on you." The DPD chief forced a grimace on his chubby face.
Jack was surprised that the chief recognized him. They had only met once, during his first trip to Dallas, when he tragically encountered a terrorist attack at a local supermarket (Chapter 486).
Trooper Walker was injured during a border patrol, and Jack went to visit him in Hannah's place. While buying an electric toothbrush at the supermarket, he was nearly blasted into space by four suicide bombers.
This attack led to Jack's second trip to Mexico, and the subsequent death of Matt, the "Thanos."
During the suicide bombing, Jack rescued a baby and rushed himself to the hospital. During this time, he received numerous visits, including the DPD chief.
"Like before, it was likely an accident. My colleagues and I were sent here by Attorney General Jackson to conduct some investigative work," Jack's seemingly casual explanation softened Chief David Brown's scowl.
It wasn't that someone was selling out Attorney General Jackson, but rather that he needed to clarify the FBI's role in the current attack.
Federal agents causing trouble in local areas without informing local police were a frequent occurrence, and both incidents involved an FBI agent, so Chief David Brown inevitably harbored some doubts.
But Jack wasn't about to play the "innocent self-innocence" game. His friendship with the prosecutor wasn't enough to warrant him taking the blame, even temporarily.
"Has the shooter been identified?" Now that he was speaking to the chief, he asked.
The FBI certainly had nothing to do next. It was now virtually certain there was only one shooter, and his intentions were clearly to target the DPD.
Even a small police department would likely be savage enough to fight to the death, let alone a major city like the DPD. Moreover, this was Texas, a state steeped in martial virtue.
"He calls himself Micah Johnson. Details are still under investigation. He served in the Army Reserves and was deployed to Afghanistan."
Chief David Brown, though personally in charge, was essentially a figurehead, with detailed command delegated to his subordinates. Therefore, he wasn't particularly busy at the moment, even offering his own explanation to the three FBI agents.
"He refused to surrender and claimed he only spoke to black officers, making communication nearly impossible. You heard it, his singing was terrible,"
he said, gesturing to the live footage on the screen.
Jiejie was well aware of Jack's experience in Dallas; after all, they had played a game of nurse and patient in the hospital room afterward. After whispering her explanation to Aubrey, she asked the question that concerned everyone.
"We noticed the bomb squad had entered the scene. Did the shooter have explosives?"
Chief David Brown nodded. "We found a suspicious package in the underground parking garage. Micah Johnson also claimed to have time bombs planted in the parking garage and elsewhere in downtown, but we believe it's just a bluff."
Despite his words, the FBI understood why the DPD was only surrounding the area, not attacking.
Judging from the current situation, Micah Johnson was clearly a suicide bomber, a self-proclaimed hero whose sole goal seemed to be to kill more police officers.
The DPD clearly had no intention of capturing him alive, fearing that the Democratic Party media would exploit the situation to further incite opposition among the Black population, while also fearing that he was actually carrying a bomb.
Micah Johnson was now trapped in the corner of the corridor, blocked on both sides by SWAT officers, and with snipers aiming at him from the window. He had no way out and no way out.
But this position was also awkward for the DPD. The snipers in the distance had no clear view, and the SWAT officers outside the corridor didn't dare to enter casually.
What if that guy really was carrying explosives, even just a grenade, the lethality in a confined space like a corridor would be astonishing.
Enough police officers had been dragged down by Micah Johnson, and the DPD didn't want to lose more pensions.
For now, they could only hold out and wait for the other side to slowly "bleed out." "I heard that Agent Tavola shot him once. Where did he hit him?" Time was ticking away, and Chief David Brown glanced at his watch anxiously. It was almost midnight.
Jack waved his hand, disclaiming the credit. "I shot him in the back, but the bullet was probably stopped by the bulletproof plate. Micah Johnson's injuries were most likely inflicted by other officers.
But judging by the blood dripping from the scene, his injuries aren't serious."
This was evident from the man's still-vigorous singing, which seemed quite lively.
Unlike the ambush and shootout in Charlotte, Jack and his companions weren't of much help this time.
Initially, the situation was unclear, not even the number of attackers was known. The constant influx of reinforcements created chaos, and Jack, with only Aubrey and Jiejie by his side, chose to proceed cautiously.
By the time they reached the intersection, Micah Johnson was already retreating, fighting.
If it weren't for the two campus police officers who fought tooth and nail to hold the main entrance, he wouldn't have been able to break in and continue the massacre. And then there was the fallen officer's failed attempt to outflank the group, which was still considered heroic.
I'm afraid that by the time Jack arrives, he might not even be able to see the other person's fleeing back.
(The previous chapter made some basic mistakes. After I corrected them, the paragraphs may have changed, which caused the book review that the book friend pointed out to be lost. I would like to express my special thanks to the two book friends for correcting me.)
(End of this chapter)