Counterterrorism in America

Inside the Skyscraper

Owen climbed laboriously inside the elevator shaft, every muscle in his body screaming in pain after his near-death bungee jump. He had hoped to catch a lucky break and hitch a ride on a service elevator, but luck wasn't on his side this time. The freight elevator in this section hadn't moved for hours, forcing him to climb one painful floor at a time.

Meanwhile, Hans was seated in his office, pondering his next move to capture the two troublemakers who had been sabotaging his plans. These two pests, whom the media had dubbed "the Dynamic Duo," had caused more problems than he anticipated. If they were allowed to roam free, the entire operation could be jeopardized. He needed them found—and fast.

But therein lay the challenge. The duo had vanished like rats into the walls. Security cameras hadn't captured any trace of them after the rooftop encounter. Even more puzzling was how they had reached the 55th floor without being spotted on the surveillance system.

Hans narrowed his eyes in thought. The cameras hadn't been tampered with, yet they managed to move undetected. Then it dawned on him—the elevator shafts.

Grinning at his deduction, Hans grabbed a radio. "Attention, all units. Those two rats might be hiding in the elevator shafts. I want everyone near an elevator shaft to be on high alert."

"Copy that."

"Roger."

"Understood."

Owen grimaced as he heard Hans's announcement over the stolen radio he carried. His current position—stuck between two floors in the elevator shaft—suddenly felt a lot more precarious. If the robbers found him, he wouldn't have anywhere to run.

Just as he feared, the sound of metal screeching echoed from above as someone pried open the elevator doors with a tool. Looking up, Owen saw a robber's head poke into the shaft, grinning down at him like a cat that had cornered its prey.

"Hey, Hans! You were right!" the robber called out through his radio, laughing. "Guess who I found? Want me to bring him up so you can have some fun?"

Owen sighed deeply. He was out of options. Trapped halfway up the shaft, there was no escape route. If the robber fired at him, his only choices were to be riddled with bullets or fall to his death.

"No. Kill him," Hans's cold voice crackled over the radio.

Owen closed his eyes, bracing for the inevitable. He prayed that the gunman would be mercifully quick and spare him the agony of a slow death.

"Rat-a-tat-tat!"

Gunfire erupted from above. Owen winced, waiting for the pain, but... nothing. Slowly, he opened his eyes. He was unharmed. Blinking in confusion, he looked up—and saw a familiar smirking face leaning into the shaft.

"Hey, buddy! Looks like I just saved your ass. Guess we're even now," McClane called down, flashing that infuriating grin. "Bet you were pissed I got two freebies, huh?"

Owen couldn't help but laugh along. He had been cursing his terrible luck all night, but now, with McClane's timely arrival, it seemed his fortunes had finally turned. The protagonist's aura had returned.

"Adams? Adams, come in! What's going on? Report!"

The radio attached to the now-dead gunman's body buzzed with desperate calls, but Owen and McClane ignored it. They quickly climbed out of the elevator shaft and vanished down the corridor.

Moments later, two more robbers arrived at the scene, finding only Adams's corpse.

"Adams is down," one of them reported into his radio. "His equipment's gone, but there's no sign of anyone else."

Hans slammed his fist into the desk in frustration. Behind him, the blond man—Alex—ground his teeth angrily. Their fury was soon interrupted by something on the television that caught their attention.

Outside the Building

In a news van parked near the scene, journalist Elvin celebrated as his phone buzzed. He eagerly grabbed a freshly printed fax from the machine beside him, eyes gleaming with excitement. The fax contained detailed dossiers on both McClane and Owen, including photos and even family information.

The American media's investigative prowess was formidable. Elvin's colleagues in New York had quickly pulled together everything they could find on the two police officers, beating the authorities to the punch by mere minutes.

But it wasn't just the documents that had Elvin so thrilled—it was the discovery that McClane's wife, Holly, wasn't just an ordinary hostage. She was the senior vice president of the very corporation targeted by the robbers.

"You sure we should air this?" the van's cameraman, a heavyset man, asked hesitantly. "We might be putting that guy's life in danger."

Elvin's expression darkened. "Our job is to report the truth. People have a right to know. You just do your job and record, understand? Leave the rest to me."

The cameraman frowned but said nothing more. He knew journalists like Elvin all too well—obsessed with "freedom of the press" but blind to the consequences of their actions. He wanted to quit on the spot but couldn't afford to. He had kids to feed.

Minutes Later—Live Broadcast

"Good evening, viewers. I'm your host, Elvin, reporting live from the scene of the hostage crisis at the Nakamura Tower. We interrupt regular programming to bring you breaking news...

Our team has uncovered exclusive information about the two unnamed heroes involved in the crisis. Their names are John McClane and Steve Owen, both police officers. McClane is a sergeant with the NYPD, while Owen serves as a detective with the West Hollywood Police Department.

But that's not all. We've also uncovered a shocking connection between McClane and the hostages inside. Take a look at this photo behind me..."

Inside the Building

Hans and Alex watched the broadcast with triumphant smiles. The media had just handed them the perfect weapon. Their elusive adversaries now had exposed vulnerabilities.

Hans turned his gaze to the hostages visible through the office window. His eyes locked onto Holly Gennero—McClane's wife. After Aoki's death, she had become the de facto spokesperson for the hostages. Now, Hans had the leverage he needed.

"Alex," Hans ordered calmly, "bring her to me. It's time to give Sergeant McClane a little family reunion."

Alex grinned wickedly and left to carry out the command, the cruelty in his eyes unmistakable.

_________________________

[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [[email protected]/Mutter]