The Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU) had branches in major U.S. cities, each responsible for counter-terrorism operations in their respective regions. The Los Angeles CTU managed all counter-terrorism activities across California. Nearby San Francisco had a smaller, third-tier division focused solely on field operations, with command and intelligence analysis handled by L.A. CTU. Similarly, the Miami CTU covered Florida's anti-terror efforts.
The news that over 70% of Miami CTU's staff had been killed or injured in a single incident was both shocking and deeply unsettling.
"What's our next step?" Owen asked Jack.
"Nothing for now. We don't have enough intel. Tony and his team are already on their way to verify a few leads, but they're stuck in traffic. All we can do is wait..."
Before Jack could finish, Chloe interrupted urgently, "Jack! The communication filter just flagged a call mentioning the phrase 'Cruel Angel.' The call lasted nine seconds. The caller is registered as Sara Beauvoir, a German national. Location is near the intersection of Maclear Street and Isaac Avenue."
"Notify Tony... No, wait. Owen, you'll handle this. Chloe, send the coordinates to Owen."
"Got it."
Owen nodded and quickly walked to his locker. He stashed his luggage, equipped his sidearm and tactical gear, and prepared to leave.
Jack caught up to him and tossed him a set of car keys. "This is just reconnaissance. If anything changes, Chloe will notify you. If there's any trouble, call for backup immediately. Take my car."
"Understood."
Grabbing the keys mid-air, Owen sprinted toward the front entrance, hearing Chloe's voice calling from behind.
"The mission details are already on your phone!"
"Thanks."
Owen jogged to the parking lot, located Jack's car, and climbed in. He quickly scanned the mission briefing on his phone, started the car, and drove out onto the highway.
Unbeknownst to Owen, a few blocks away, a parked, idling Ford sedan watched him leave. Inside, two men confirmed his departure.
"It's him. The car matches Jack Bauer's vehicle exactly."
"Follow him," came a command from the back seat.
"Wait... Are you sure about this? The 'Cruel Angel' group just caused a huge mess. Isn't this risky?"
"That's precisely why we need to act now. Did you hear the news? Miami CTU's director was killed by them. If we don't take action, people will only remember Cruel Angel, not the Red Front. We can't allow that. Now, follow him!"
The Ford merged with traffic and trailed behind Owen's car from a distance. Owen, unaware of the tail, drove on, focused solely on the mission ahead.
Not long after Owen left, a box truck pulled into the CTU parking lot. It moved slowly, circling the area before stopping near a wall some distance from the building's main entrance.
Two CTU guards noticed the unusual behavior and approached the truck. Inside the cab, the driver—sweating profusely—crossed himself and appeared to be praying nervously. The guards exchanged puzzled glances and cautiously moved closer.
Without warning, the driver seemed to make a final decision.
BOOM!
The truck exploded in a massive fireball. The guards closest to the blast were thrown like ragdolls, their bodies shredded by the explosion. Burning debris scattered across the parking lot, setting off car alarms and causing severe damage to the building's entrance and surrounding vehicles.
Inside CTU, Jack Bauer and several other personnel were thrown to the ground by the shockwave. A large section of the wall behind them crumbled, leaving a gaping hole. Flames and smoke poured in from outside.
Groans of pain echoed in the debris-strewn room. Jack lay pinned under a chunk of concrete but remained conscious. Slowly, the injured personnel were pulled from the wreckage and taken to the medical unit. Fortunately, the thick walls had absorbed most of the blast's force, preventing any fatalities. Jack, however, had a fractured leg and was temporarily immobilized.
With Tony out on assignment, Nina took command of operations. The situation inside was chaotic, but CTU personnel worked quickly to restore order.
They finally received confirmation from Miami CTU: two men posing as hardware technicians had infiltrated the facility and detonated a bomb from inside, causing the catastrophic casualties.
Los Angeles had narrowly avoided a similar fate. Traffic delays had prevented the attackers from executing a simultaneous strike. Unable to penetrate CTU's tightened security, the terrorists had resorted to detonating their bomb outside the entrance instead.
"Isa, report the attack to headquarters," Nina ordered.
"Chloe, upgrade Cruel Angel's threat level to the highest category."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Naima, pull the surveillance footage. I want to trace where that truck came from."
"On it."
"Dominic, call 911 and request emergency medical services."
Despite the whirlwind of activity, Jack Bauer appeared in the command center, hobbling slightly but resolute. Everyone paused to look at him with concern.
"Jack, are you okay?" Nina asked, stepping forward.
"I'm fine," Jack assured her, waving off further questions. He quickly took control. "They hit two CTU offices with large amounts of explosives. We need to trace the source of those materials. Also, alert Tony..."
Before he could finish, someone interrupted.
"Hold on! Cruel Angel just released a statement taking responsibility for both attacks!"
The team gathered around as a staff member turned his monitor to display the video. The projection wall had been destroyed in the blast.
On-screen, a masked figure under dim lighting declared that Cruel Angel was behind the attacks in Miami and Los Angeles. The speaker claimed the bombings were retaliation for the recent arrest of their members.
For most CTU agents, such propaganda videos were routine. Yet this one hit closer to home. Jack, however, remained unfazed.
"Intelligence team, run a voice analysis and cross-check it against our database. And notify all field agents—tell them to be on high alert. They may be targeted next."
"Understood," one agent replied, already dialing a phone.
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [www.p@treon.com/Mutter]