That same day, Monica returned to the FBI training base. It was easy to imagine how much quieter the base had become. Team B had been completely wiped out, Team A was severely wounded, and even Team C had taken losses in their battle with the mercenaries that night. The SWAT team had suffered a devastating blow.
Womack was surely having a headache over this. The elite team he had painstakingly built was now in shambles.
The FBI's part in this was mostly done, but for CTU, the real work was just beginning. The mercenaries who had gone into hiding were no different from ticking time bombs—CTU had to find them before they struck again.
To aid in this, CTU requested assistance from the NSA. The fact that these mercenaries had entered Los Angeles with heavy weaponry meant that they couldn't have been entirely self-sufficient.
Their hideouts, weapons supply, intelligence sources, and internal communication would all have some form of connection. NSA's biggest strength was surveillance, and that was exactly what CTU needed.
This intelligence agency, which fell under the Department of Defense, wasn't particularly well-known, but it had a larger budget than the CIA. Every day, it processed an enormous amount of data, and any American's phone calls, voicemails, emails, or internet activity could potentially be under its monitoring. CTU hoped that NSA would provide some useful information…
CTU was running at full speed. Clues were being uncovered one by one, and field agents were continuously being sent out on missions. Some were tracking vehicles, others were investigating the sources of weapons, hideouts, identities, and how these mercenaries had entered Los Angeles. Every aspect had a dedicated team assigned to it.
This time, Owen and Heartbeat were tasked with tracking the vehicles, especially the two modified Humvees. Since Owen himself was a street racer and well-connected in the car scene, he was familiar with the underground world of vehicles. High-end modified Humvees were rare in Los Angeles, making this an ideal lead for them to follow.
Owen reached out to multiple car dealers and modification enthusiasts. They investigated the two Humvees but found no leads. In this matter, the underground world often had better intel than the legal one.
Carlos introduced Owen to his friend Dominic, a veteran in the underground modification scene. Dominic straddled the line between the legal and illegal world, a well-connected figure in Los Angeles who had access to all kinds of information and was a car expert himself.
Since the Humvee had been riddled with bullets by the military and was no longer drivable, Owen had it towed to Dominic's repair shop.
After inspecting the vehicle, Dominic ran his hands over the battered body and spoke in his deep voice. "The paint job is fresh, the suspension has been modified, front and rear reinforcements added, and the chassis number has been scraped off. The bulletproofing was custom—this wasn't done by the manufacturer."
He knocked on the bullet-riddled exterior.
"As far as I know, only a handful of people in L.A. can do this kind of work. But they usually only take jobs from people they trust. You might want to check out Phoenix. There's been a pair of Irish brothers there lately who seem to specialize in this kind of thing…"
"Thanks, man!"
Owen and Dominic bumped fists, then clashed shoulders in an unspoken sign of respect.
The underground world had its own way of doing things. They didn't care about laws or authority—they only cared about trust and reputation. If they respected you, they would help you. If not, it didn't matter if you were FBI or CTU; they wouldn't give you the time of day.
Dominic's lead was incredibly valuable. He truly was a kingpin in the L.A. underground scene, with access to extensive intel. Owen also owed Carlos for this—if it weren't for his introduction, even with Owen's background in the scene, Dominic wouldn't have bothered with him.
Owen immediately reported the lead to Jack Bauer. Since Phoenix was in Arizona, CTU L.A. couldn't operate there directly. The Arizona CTU office would have to take over the investigation.
Jack had already arranged for the Arizona team to be contacted. They would have to wait for further updates before making any moves. With the vehicle investigation temporarily stalled, Owen checked the time—it was getting late. He told Heartbeat to head back to CTU while he took care of some personal matters.
A shadow loomed over Owen's mind.
By taking down Alex, he had made himself a major target. As Bryan had warned, Montell's retaliation was inevitable, and given their usual methods, they would almost certainly go after his family as well.
Now, Owen regretted his impulsiveness. Bryan had been right—he needed to learn how to control his emotions.
If Montell came for him personally, he didn't care. But if they went after his family, that was something he couldn't allow.
He had to find a way to deal with this problem. So, he called Bryan. He had an idea but wanted to run it by the professional first. Bryan had also promised that if he survived, he would help him figure something out.
As soon as the call connected, Bryan's voice came through.
"Oh, Owen, I see you're still alive. That's good news..."
"Cut the crap, Bryan. I'm not in the mood for jokes. You know why I'm calling."
"Yeah, I get it. Of course, I do. But now's not a good time—I'm about to take Kim to her piano exam. We're just about to go in. How about we meet tonight? Seven o'clock at the 'Palm Tree' bar on Maple Street."
"Alright. See you tonight."
Since it involved Kim, Owen knew there was no rushing Bryan. When it came to his daughter, everything else had to wait.
After setting up the meeting, Owen called his mother and Amanda. He knew Montell wouldn't move on them immediately, but he still warned them to be cautious.
Ever since Salim's men had come after his family, he had emphasized security. His mother now carried a Ruger LC9s in her bag at all times.
Owen had transferred the gun to her name and used his CTU connections to fast-track her concealed carry permit. As for Amanda, she was still too young to legally own a firearm, but she carried pepper spray in her bag every day.
With those precautions in place, Owen decided to visit the hospital to check on George, Old Man, and the others.
He had spoken to Monica earlier and knew that Heatwave and Ash weren't in critical condition. Heatwave had already been discharged, and Ash was just resting. Only Campbell's condition was more serious.
Campbell had suffered a vascular injury. Though it wasn't a major artery, it had been severe. If Heartbeat hadn't applied pressure to the wound in time, he might not have made it. Even the doctors who operated on him considered his survival a miracle. However, he was now stable and just needed time to recover.
George, on the other hand, was in the worst shape. He had been shot multiple times in the car and suffered massive blood loss. He was still in critical condition in the ICU.
When Owen arrived, George was still unconscious. Carlos had come with him, and surprisingly, Chief Wayne Haviland was also there.
Carlos was George's right-hand man, while Haviland had been his longtime friend and rival. Both were deeply concerned about his condition.
The hospital room was filled with flowers—gifts from his colleagues at the precinct. George had never married or had kids, but he was well-loved by those who knew him.
Haviland had ensured that George received the highest level of medical care, and the hospital staff had pledged to do everything possible to save his life.
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