Chapter 27 : Showtime

We watched the operation unfold in Venezuela as the commander of the DSS team piloted the drones towards the perimeter of the embassy currently under siege. We noted the huge amount of firepower the Venezuelan army have on their hands, capable to tear the band of rebels apart. The commander and his second hand in command piloted a drone each, carefully maneuvering the drones in order to avoid detection. 


"How far is the range captain?" the President asked.


"Sir, the drone's range is capable in covering the entire embassy, but we have to scale down, in order to not endanger the civilians."


"Projection?" he asked.


"We have residential areas nearby, have to be careful." the commander said.


"I need a real time projection captain." he demanded. "Hold the attack."


"Yes sir." the footage then cuts away, replaced by an aerial view of the embassy's perimeter in general. "We have marked the embassy in red and the residential areas in blue. Sir, the winds are the problem. It might just carry the gas around."


"Have the areas been evacuated?"


"Hold on sir. Dispatching a surveillance drone." the view switches back to normal footage, the said drone hovering above the affected area and performing an infra red scan. "No known signs of life, probably's been scared off by the intruders or warned earlier."


"Clear to deploy the gas?"


"Clear sir." the commander replied. "We are prepared to strike, authorization is needed Mr. President."


"You have my authorization commander."


"Gas deploying in three... two... one." the captain counted down. We watched while holding our breaths as the drones flew across the perimeters, deploying the gas through the dispensers. Hearing gunshots we recoiled in shock but nothing was heard later on.


"What was that captain?" the President barked. 


"That was the initial response when the drones deployed their payload sir. All clear, I repeat, hostiles are down." 


"Confirmed?" the President asked.


"Confirmed sir. Preparing to extract hostages."


Caracas, Venezuela (Years ago)


Returning to the same hotel Andy and I wore casual outfits but hidden beneath our jackets is our FBI badges and handcuffs plus our service pistols. According to the intelligence reports from the headquarters in DC Justin Hammer hasn't left the country yet. The Vice President has given us the authorization to catch the culprit and we received full cooperation from our headquarters. We have to move fast as according to the MI6 the Venezuelans are aware about the FBI's operation in their country. But they aren't aware of the identities of the agents the FBI has planted in the country. "Target is on the ninth floor. Seems like he's alone." Ryan, the commander placed in charge of the arrest, said through our earpieces. "Proceed with caution, we don't want to startle him."


"Yes sir." Andy replied as the elevator arrived. We entered the elevator and he pressed the number of the floor. As the elevator takes us to the ninth floor we waited patiently but we kept our faces far from the camera, as the tech team back at DC is hacking into the systems, blinding the cameras from capturing our looks.


"Everything okay back there?" I whispered. 


"The systems is somehow very easy to hack." came the voice of Alexander Bannon, the resident tech expert in the Counterintelligence Division and a fellow colleague of ours. "I could just do it while having my eyes closed."


"Very funny Alex." I said. 


"Yeah, it's done." he then said. "I have set the entire security camera grid to play recording in loop." the elevator arrived at the designated floor and the door opens, revealing the hotel lobby. "He's in Room 9003." we looked at the plaque and it shows rooms on separate corridors. "Head left guys." we proceeded down the corridor to the left, the thick carpet cushioning our movements as we headed to Room 9003. 


"Don't show our badges yet Andy." I said as we walked. "Wouldn't want to lose the element of surprise."


"Can't wait to wipe that smug of his face." he replied. Reaching the room Andy knocked on the room door and waited. Five minutes later, the door opened and the man stepped out, dressed ready for a meeting or some sort.


"Oh hello." he said casually. "Are you here to accompany me to another meeting?" still, his charm won't work on us.


"No, you are under arrest Justin Hammer." I said, my voice icy. "We have evidence that you have helped to manipulate the Venezuelan presidential election with another cohort, Simon Harris."


"You can't arrest me. I'm a legitimate businessman." he protested.


"We have a reason to not believe in your cheap lies anymore." Andy said, slapping a pair of handcuffs on his wrists.


"Uh, guys, we have a problem." Alex said. "We're compromised."


"Grab him, we have to go." I told Andy. 


"Uh, not in that way guys." he added. "I meant the Venezuelan army. They've surrounded the hotel, and they're not leaving until you guys are dead."

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