Jack gripped Simon's shoulder firmly, preventing him from falling due to his weak legs.
While seducing a married woman was certainly abhorrent, it wasn't a capital offense, at least according to current American moral standards, and he ultimately failed.
Therefore, Jack was simply trying to scare the guy, as Harry had requested.
"You must be mistaken. I'm not a terrorist. You've got the wrong guy. I'm innocent." Feeling the chill of the night breeze ruffling the hair on his legs, Simon's legs trembled and sweat poured down.
"You think you can fool me that easily, Carlos, you son of a bitch!" Jack deliberately pushed him, causing the guy to howl again.
"I swear to God, my name is Simon, not Carlos. I'm just a used car salesman. Please let me go. I won't tell anyone about what happened today."
Simon cried bitterly, only to be horrified to discover that Jack had removed his mask.
"Ah! Ah! No, I didn't see anything! I didn't see anything! Don't kill me to silence me! Please!"
Jack turned speechlessly to Jessie, who had joined in the fun. She was still wearing her mask, originally meant to play the cold-blooded "killer," but now she lowered her head, her shoulders shaking slightly, clearly struggling to hold back her laughter.
"Ah, it's you!" Simon, stealing a glance at Jack, was suddenly overjoyed, clearly recognizing the mustache and square jaw he had seen yesterday. "By the way, do you still want that car? I can give you a 20% discount." He
was surprisingly dedicated. Faced with such a clown, Jack felt like he couldn't continue his role.
"Stop pretending. You're a spy, and selling cars is just your cover. We've been following you for a long time, spending a lot of federal money. Do you think we'll give up so easily?"
Jessie, suddenly caught up in her role, threatened in a low voice.
Simon instinctively tried to kneel, but Jack lifted him up again. His features were contorted with fear, and with tears streaming down his face, he looked both disgusting and pitiful.
"Please, I'm just a car salesman. I have nothing to do with terrorism. I'm actually very timid. The moment I see a gun, I'll..."
Then he saw Jessie pull out her pistol and wave it in front of him.
Simon's eyes turned cross-eyed, his head spun around the muzzle twice, and finally a snot bubble burst from his nostril. "Oh my God, don't kill me. I'm really not a spy.
I'm nothing. I'm a coward. I can only get into bed with women by lying, and I haven't succeeded many times because my brother is too young."
Before he finished speaking, a sound of dripping water could be heard. Jack and Jessie turned their heads and looked down at the same time, only to see that the stream had gathered into a small pool at his feet.
Simon's wails echoed above the deserted dam. "Oh my God, have you ever seen a spy pee on himself? Huh? Please let me go! There's no need to waste bullets on a piece of trash like me. Please!"
Jack smiled bitterly and shook his head at Jessie. With a look of disgust, he pulled the guy back to the side of the road. "Alright, alright, take care of yourself. Don't play those spy games anymore."
Unexpectedly, the guy was still trembling and trying to pull Jack's arm away. "No, no, you guys were kidding me, right? I know you'll shoot me the moment I turn around, just like in the movies."
Impatient Jessie fired several shots at his feet, "Get lost, you piece of shit!"
Like a scene straight out of a Western, Simon breakdanced on the spot. When he came to his senses, he saw the red taillights of the Audi R8 vanish into the night. It
was
still Omega's underground conference room, and Harry, Jack, and Gibson were still there.
Fun and fuss aside, business couldn't be delayed. Although the intelligence coming back from various DHS (Department of Homeland Security) departments was ambiguous, it at least confirmed that Dark Jihad was intent on causing trouble on American soil.
All known members of the group, both domestically and internationally, had vanished. Intelligence suggested they were likely gathering in a small Caribbean nation for a supposed "final showdown."
"Has the CIA's investigation into the nuclear bomb still yielded no results?" Jack asked.
Gibson shook his head with a bitter face. "At least not much has been achieved. The European Division has dispatched a large number of agents using specialized equipment to conduct a comprehensive sweep of Greek ports.
However, since the USS Ronald Reagan recently sailed through the Mediterranean, radiation levels at monitoring stations along the way have been regularly exceeding limits, making the investigation extremely difficult." "
The USS Ronald Reagan leaked again?" Jack's expression showed no surprise.
"The Navy hasn't admitted it," Gibson shrugged, continuing.
"We suspect the bombs have been secretly shipped to the United States again. We've notified the Coast Guard to increase patrols and have instructed ports along the Atlantic coast to strengthen radiation monitoring. Don't worry, those are three 15,000-kiloton thermonuclear warheads; they wouldn't be easily infiltrated."
Harry and Jack weren't as optimistic as Gibson. While nuclear bombs often cause elevated base radiation levels wherever they pass, that's only true if they've been stored for a long time. The
three missing W-80s were all relatively new models, meaning their fuel was well-preserved and unlikely to leak, but it also made them relatively difficult to detect.
"What about the FBI?" Harry looked at Jack.
"Not very optimistic." Jack shook his head, placing a document on the table.
"We're investigating all engineers with relevant backgrounds, even those who've worked at nuclear power plants. The list is incredibly long. Just looking at those with relevant religious backgrounds, there are at least 15 people whose whereabouts remain unaccounted for. We don't expect any results anytime soon."
He sighed. "Regardless, current indications suggest this crisis is imminent. I can't return to New York for the time being, so I'll follow this mission through to the end.
The military has also recalled Team A and Team B of DEVGRU. They'll be on 24/7 standby after a two-day rest."
"So all we have to do now is wait and see, right?" Harry rubbed his chin, a look of deep thought.
Jack had a bad feeling. Could this guy even be interested in watching his wife striptease at this hour? What kind of forced plot continuation was this?
Sure enough, Harry winked at his partner and said, "Let's proceed as planned. Since Helen needs an exciting spy adventure, I'll assign her a mission."
(End of this chapter)