Police in America

"Pay close attention to anyone leaving this building, especially those wearing guard uniforms," Jack reminded Hannah before heading out.

As an agent from the local FBI office, Hannah was the liaison for the BAU's operations in Los Angeles. Lately, due to two recent cases, she and JJ had been interacting frequently.

Though both women were tight-lipped, Jack had noticed subtle hints that they seemed to have made some sort of agreement or reached an understanding. He hadn't pried into the details, but it seemed there was no need to worry about any internal conflicts. JJ and Hannah had effectively divided his free time between them, almost as if they were guarding their territory.

Fortunately, Jack wasn't much of an outdoorsman. He had a pretty good idea that if he ever planned a road trip again, he'd likely have an extra passenger in the front seat.

During this operation, Hannah had taken on some of the LAPD's command responsibilities. As Rossi had mentioned before, she was indeed considered a "rising star" within the Los Angeles office. The two agents accompanying her were, surprisingly, deferring to her, despite her status as a rookie.

Jack was well aware of Hannah's capabilities, but in this world, success wasn't solely based on ability. The Anderson family had mapped out her career path, aiming for her to become the head of the Los Angeles office, so naturally, they were paving the way early on.

In contrast, the BAU team Jack belonged to had limited room for promotion unless they transferred out. The most the team members could achieve was a promotion from Senior Special Agent to Supervisory Special Agent. Not everyone could reach the same level as Hotchner, who was the Special Agent-in-Charge.

However, the FBI had a separate ranking system for employees, akin to military ranks, ranging from A1 (the lowest) to D4 (the highest). These ranks were more closely tied to years of service and merit. It was quite possible that in the future, Jack's employee rank would surpass Hannah's, while their job ranks would be the opposite.

Once everything was ready, Jack prepared to join the SWAT team members as they ascended to the rooftop via ropes. 

The last time he used his climbing skills was during his visit to Joshua Tree's "Hidden Valley" to test his skill set after the system update. He vaguely remembered that night in the desert, where he encountered a significant "flood."

Shaking off his wandering thoughts, Jack easily reached the rooftop, keeping pace with the SWAT team members who regularly practiced this skill.

"A-Team calling in. We've reached the rooftop," Hondo reported over the radio.

"Copy that, A-Team," came the response.

Even though Jessica Cortez in the command vehicle could see their live footage through the cameras on their chests, Hondo still followed protocol by reporting in via radio.

By the time Hondo finished his report, Luca, who had also climbed up to the rooftop, had already used a power saw to cut through the metal grate covering the ventilation duct.

"One at a time. The duct can't handle too much weight," Luca said as he was the first to crawl into the duct.

Jack was assigned to go second to last. He was there to participate in the operation, not as a VIP to be escorted, so he couldn't stay in the middle of the team. Since he had never collaborated with a SWAT team in actual combat before, leading the charge or bringing up the rear weren't tasks for him. The second-to-last position was clearly the most suitable.

Jack didn't mind. He was here to save people, not to show off. If this were a game, he wouldn't hesitate to go for a perfect stealth run, leaving a trail of bodies behind, or even running through the entire prison with a cardboard box over his head.

They landed in a filthy, cluttered room piled with broken furniture. It was barely a storage room, and it didn't even have a door.

Hondo and Luca guarded the entrance while the others waited patiently. When Deacon, who was bringing up the rear, finally dropped down, he patted Jack on the shoulder and said, "Let's move!"

Hondo and Luca, with their 10-inch barrel HK416 rifles, alternated in providing cover as the team silently followed, their movements fluid and well-coordinated.

As they rounded a corner, they could clearly hear the noise of a fight in the corridor ahead. It sounded like a group of prisoners were brawling, with shouts, curses, and the thud of fists hitting flesh echoing down the hallway.

Hondo quickly peeked around the corner and signaled with a series of tactical hand gestures. Jack couldn't understand the signals but saw everyone else calmly sling their rifles to their sides and draw their batons.

"???" Jack thought to himself. Are we really going to fight hand-to-hand?

Since leaving the LAPD, Jack hadn't used a baton, and the SEALs certainly didn't include one in their gear.

"You can stay here," Deacon whispered with a barely suppressed laugh.

Screw that, Jack thought as he hung his HK417 on his tactical pack and assumed a combat stance. Who did they think they were underestimating? He could take down people even without weapons.

"Go!" Hondo shouted, leading the charge around the corner. The narrow corridor was packed with over a dozen prisoners locked in a furious brawl, exchanging brutal blows.

The six SWAT officers charged into the fray like tigers among wolves, their batons swinging. Within three minutes, they had subdued everyone, leaving the corridor filled with groans of pain.

"Stay still," Jack said, not even needing to use his fists. He followed behind, tying up the fallen prisoners like pigs with plastic zip ties, and then sealing their mouths with tape to prevent any more shouting.

"Let's keep moving. We're almost at the A-B Block junction."

The twelve bound and gagged prisoners were left where they lay. 

The so-called junction was one of the two stairwells that connected the third floor to the fourth, effectively splitting the A and B Blocks into separate areas, forming the long horizontal bar of the T-shaped layout. 

The passage to C Block was near B Block, which was why Hondo planned to clear A Block first.

Unlike typical residential buildings, the prison's stairwells were designed to be large and wide to accommodate prisoner movement. Four or five people could walk side by side without feeling cramped.

The prisoners had managed to block the stairwell to the third floor by organizing themselves and piling up a mass of clothing at the locked iron door, then dousing it with cooking oil.

A guard stripped down to his underwear was tied up in the middle of the corridor, while seven or eight black inmates stood around him, taunting him and making crude remarks about his family.

One of them, who seemed to be the leader, held a lighter and crouched in front of the guard, flicking it on and off to taunt him.

"Silencers on," Hondo ordered, and everyone attached silencers to their weapons.

"Mr. Talley, you're a good man. Since you've been decent to us, I'm going to give you a chance. If you make me and my brothers happy, I might consider switching you out with someone else," the leader said with a lewd grin as he stood up, handing the lighter to one of his lackeys before beginning to pull down his pants.

___________________

Read Ahead

[email protected]/Mutter