Just as Jack expected, in the holding area, two black cops were pressed against either side of the corridor entrance, peering inside with night vision goggles. The drawbacks of police gear were becoming apparent—signal jamming rendered the station unable to call for help, but it also crippled battlefield communication. At the very least, the frequency-hopping function of the black cops' comms wasn't advanced enough to overcome this level of jamming.
The commander could hide outside the jamming zone to direct operations, but he couldn't communicate in real time with those inside the station's perimeter. The black cops had no choice but to act according to pre-arranged plans, independently. They didn't know the progress of attacks from other directions, nor could they learn about casualties.
After losing contact with the two teammates who had entered through the broken window, another pair was sent in. They threw several flashbangs before nervously slipping inside. But by then, the holding area was already empty. The four prisoners had been released by Ronick and were searching for weapons in the evidence room, so the flashbangs were wasted.
The two black cops found their comrades' horribly mutilated bodies in the holding area and immediately hesitated. Still, distant but unmistakable gunfire and explosions from the front entrance told them the fight was ongoing.
As they lingered in indecision, Jack had already reached the office closest to the holding area. A soft rustling behind him came with a hint of perfume, faintly masking the ever-present scent of smoke and blood.
Jack shot a glare at the psychologist tiptoeing behind him but said nothing. He just tilted his head toward the office door, indicating the enemy was right outside.
"I'll help you," Alex mouthed exaggeratedly, very close to Jack, but made no sound—clever enough to understand the situation. Clearly, she hadn't taken Jack's earlier warning to heart and was still wearing that backless evening gown, now shivering from the cold.
At least she had taken off her heels and was walking barefoot. Otherwise, Jack would've noticed her tailing him much sooner.
The two black cops were still watching the corridor uncertainly. After a brief game of charades between Jack and Alex, he finally had enough. He grabbed her and whispered in her ear.
"We need to lure them over. They've got night vision—I can't take both at this range."
Alex's eyes lit up. She deliberately pushed her chest out, making the already daring dress dip even lower, forming two graceful curves right in front of Jack.
"I'll be the bait. That's how I handled that bastard earlier with the three guys."
She even made a flirtatious gesture with her dress, making Jack roll his eyes. He didn't know the exact details of what happened earlier, but he figured she probably pretended to be scared and distracted the enemy before shooting. That would match the scream and gunshot they'd heard, after which the three prisoners had stormed in to finish the job.
But Jack was certain if she tried the same stunt now, the two black cops—already on edge—would immediately turn her into Swiss cheese the moment she stepped into the hallway. Through infrared night vision, even the most flawless legs would only look like glowing red strips.
Still, her dumb idea sparked something in Jack. His eyes narrowed as he suddenly slipped his hand into the slit of her dress.
Alex's eyes widened instantly, but she didn't make a sound. She just stared hard at him, clearly confused as to why he'd get frisky at a time like this. Jack's eyes also widened—not because of the soft, egg-smooth feel beneath his hand, but because he was genuinely impressed she didn't scream. Maybe psychologists really did have nerves of steel.
"Scream."
With both of them acting outside the bounds of common sense, the result was unexpectedly counterproductive. Left with no choice, Jack leaned in and whispered again while applying slight pressure with his hand.
"Ahhhh~~~"
Alex let out a trembling, wavering scream—less frightened and more...pleasured.
The gunfire from the front entrance had been fading, now almost inaudible. The two black cops, already thinking about retreating, perked up at the sound. They exchanged a glance, nodded, and cautiously moved into the hallway, covering each other.
Jack filtered out Alex's rapid heartbeat and pressed his ear against the wall, silently counting footsteps in the hall.
Timing it just right, he shoved Alex aside, pulled the pin from a flashbang, waited a couple seconds, and tossed it into the corridor.
The loud bang had limited effect on those wearing noise-canceling headsets, but the intense flash instantly blinded the two black cops with night vision.
Modern NVGs have automatic brightness control and CMOS protection circuits, so the goggles wouldn't fry immediately—but older models recover more slowly.
The first instinct of the two blinded cops was to rip off their goggles. But the brief delay was more than enough for Jack, who had been waiting for just this moment.
He sprang from the room like lightning, ducked under the first cop's reflexively raised weapon, and pulled the trigger on his SIG Sauer before the man could react.
The bullet entered under the chin. The 10mm hollow-point tore through with a spray of hot blood, smashed through the skull, and stopped just inside the steel helmet like a tiny lead flower.
The second black cop behind him hadn't even processed what happened before he felt his rifle jerk upward. He reflexively pulled the trigger, and bullets shredded the ceiling as dust rained down.
The suppressor also muffled the muzzle flash, but a faint glint of steel flashed in the dim light. He felt a sharp pain under his left armpit—then his strength vanished. A wave of weakness spread through his body, and his legs gave out as he collapsed.
Jack didn't bother pulling out the knife that had gone straight into the man's heart from the side—it didn't matter whether it bled or not; removing it would just make a mess. He dragged the body into the office.
After realizing all the black cops invading the station were using similar gear, Jack had a new idea forming in his mind. But the time wasn't right yet. He would have to wait.
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