In the hall, three people walked down from the second floor. Tony and Nina looked at them with puzzled expressions, unable to figure out what had just happened inside.
A moment ago, Womack had been so furious that he smashed a cup in his office. The noise was loud enough that everyone in the first-floor lobby had noticed. Now, as they saw Owen and his group coming down, they all observed them, some discreetly, some openly.
Owen spotted the field team members but didn't offer any explanation. Instead, he led the two people behind him straight out of CTU.
Just as they were about to get into the car, Chloe came rushing out.
"Owen, Jack asked me to give this to you. He said you might find it useful."
"What is it?"
"All the details of Operation Weed Out..."
Owen nodded and tucked the USB drive Chloe handed him into his pocket.
Even though they were anxious and eager to head to Colombia immediately to take out the drug lord and rescue Monica, such an impulsive move was entirely unfeasible.
They couldn't even guarantee Monica's safety.
The simplest example: if the enemy discovered them during the rescue attempt, they could execute Monica on the spot, rendering all their efforts worthless.
So, whether they planned to negotiate an exchange or extract her by force, they needed leverage to make the enemy think twice. That leverage was Alex.
Jack Bauer obviously understood this as well. He had said he wouldn't help, but in reality, he was still taking risks to assist them. Owen knew about Operation Weed Out—it was a plan to transfer Alex from prison to CTU.
The original goal of the plan was to leak this information through a mole, then use the opportunity to take out all the mercenaries hidden throughout Los Angeles in one fell swoop.
By giving Owen the full details of this operation, Jack was essentially giving him extra preparation. After all, the prison was guarded by 200 soldiers. The idea of breaking Alex out from under their noses was pure fantasy.
That meant the best opportunity was during transport. There would certainly be other groups trying to intercept him as well, but if CTU loosened their grip just a little, Owen's team would have a chance.
"Owen, I don't know what you're up to, but if you need anything, you can come to me. Good luck!"
Chloe left, but Owen could feel the deep bond forming—not just with Jack, but with Chloe as well.
She might not know exactly what he was planning, but she knew it was dangerous. Even so, she was still willing to help, which meant she already saw him as a friend.
Owen smiled, but he had already made up his mind—no matter what kind of trouble he ran into, he would not let it drag her down.
---
At Brian's House
Things had changed. Their previous plan had to be adjusted.
The details of Operation Weed Out were spread out on the table as they carefully analyzed every detail. On the whiteboard in front of them, the entire route for Alex's transfer from the military camp to CTU was clearly marked.
Every segment of the journey was measured in meters. The number of traffic lights along the way, the number of lanes, and even the estimated traffic conditions had all been noted down. But so far, no one had come up with a solid plan.
They had even considered the possibility of letting another mercenary group make the first move and then intercepting them afterward. However, they couldn't predict how those mercenaries would act, and that uncertainty made things even harder.
They had also brainstormed about breaking Alex out of prison directly—digging a tunnel or using a helicopter during outdoor exercise time—but those ideas were equally unrealistic.
A tunnel would take too long. CTU had scheduled the transfer for the next day, meaning they had less than two days. There simply wasn't enough time.
A helicopter was even more absurd. Those 200 soldiers weren't just there for show. A helicopter would likely be shot down before it even got close. Owen still remembered the feeling of standing outside the prison with sniper rifles and machine guns aimed at them. Who knew what other defenses were hidden in the shadows?
No matter how they analyzed it, intercepting the transfer en route seemed like the best option. But exactly how to do it still required careful planning.
A direct attack was out of the question. Compared to the other groups likely to go after Alex, their firepower was the weakest and their numbers the smallest. If they somehow succeeded through brute force, it would be nothing short of a miracle.
So they had to be smart about it. The group began racking their brains.
Meanwhile, across Los Angeles, news had started to spread. The information about the drug lord Alex—who had a staggering $100 million bounty on his head—being quietly transferred from prison to the Department of Defense in Washington had been leaked by an internal mole. Now, an unknown number of people in the city were deep in thought, plotting their own moves.
Two hours later, after a lot of hair-pulling, Owen finally came up with a brilliant plan. What made it so ingenious was that it incorporated each team member's strengths, and every step was linked seamlessly to the next.
Brian reviewed the plan and made a few refinements. Everyone agreed that the plan had a high chance of success. But for it to work, they still needed to make some preparations.
"I'll handle the vehicles..."
Owen was an expert racer with connections in the underground world. He took responsibility for acquiring unmarked vehicles for the mission. Since these vehicles would be crucial for their escape, they needed to be both powerful and reliable. He would also oversee any necessary modifications.
"I'll take care of all the explosives..."
Explosives were a key element of the plan, and Heat was the expert in that area. It was only natural that he would take responsibility. As for obtaining the explosives, Owen would help with that. During his time as a cop, he had met plenty of people who could supply what they needed. If it was available on the market, Owen could get it.
"I'll handle the hacking. I happen to know someone..."
This time, it was Ash who spoke.
No successful heist or escape was possible without a skilled hacker providing remote support. Controlling something as simple as traffic lights could buy them precious time. Owen still vividly remembered how Luther had used the traffic system against him during the Key Island incident.
However, Owen himself didn't have any hacker contacts. Chloe would have been a perfect choice, but he refused to involve her. So when Ash mentioned knowing a hacker, Owen immediately asked, "Can they be trusted?"
Ash responded confidently, "Don't worry. This person is Monica's best friend. If I explain the situation, she'll agree to help. Plus, she's a senior technical advisor for the NSA. Her skills are top-tier."
Owen raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected Monica to have such a powerful ally. It was true—elite people only associated with other elites.
An NSA senior technical advisor. Their expertise in electronic surveillance was unparalleled. If she was on board, their technical support would be rock solid.
With everyone clear on their roles, only one person remained.
"Leave everything else to me..."
Brian had the most experience, and many of the finer details had been his contributions.
He also had the necessary connections. After they secured Alex, they would need to leave Los Angeles, get to Colombia, and then rescue Monica. Owen and the others had no way of handling that. Everything would depend on Brian's contacts.
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