บท 123: Chapter 123: Tracking the Robbers
"Alright, there's no one else here. Tell us exactly what's going on."
Jack urged, and even John, who was standing nearby, could tell that something was off about this man. No bank robber in Los Santos would be this scared.
"They took my wife and daughter! They want $250,000. I have no choice. Please, let me take the money and leave. My daughter is only eight years old!"
Cooper burst into tears, clutching the canvas bag to his chest as if it were his only hope.
John quickly tried to calm him down. "Don't panic, relax. Who took your family? Where are they? We'll find a way to save them."
Cooper shook his head, threw away the gun, and squatted down, covering his face with his hands.
"I don't know. This morning, three armed men broke into our house, took us hostage, and demanded $250,000. But I recently lost a lot of money in investments and we're barely getting by on credit cards. We couldn't come up with that much cash, so they took my wife and daughter and told me to get the money by tonight, or they'd kill them."
Jack pointed outside. "Are the kidnappers in that van? Is your wife and daughter in there too?"
"There are two people in the van, but my wife and daughter aren't with them. Another person took them somewhere else. I don't know where."
This was getting tricky. Jack and John exchanged a look, realizing this situation was more complicated than they had thought.
John moved forward and handcuffed Cooper. Jack picked up the discarded revolver, checked the cylinder, and saw it was empty. He was starting to believe Cooper's story.
"Got any ideas?" John asked. It was a given now that Jack was the guy with the plans, so John didn't even bother to think.
Jack pondered for a moment, then smiled. "Do you think if the kidnappers saw Cooper dead, they would inform their partners to kill the hostages, or would they regroup and come up with another plan?"
John hesitated, unsure. "If they forced Cooper to rob a bank, they probably won't give up that easily, right?"
Jack, grinning, turned to the bewildered Cooper and said, "So, we need you to 'die' for us."
After all, it's not like they're dealing with superhumans; using the same trick twice shouldn't be a problem.
Jack picked up the radio and contacted Captain Gray, explaining the situation and outlining his plan.
Soon, gunfire erupted inside the bank. A group of police officers stormed in, and shortly after, an ambulance arrived. A body was zipped into a body bag and carried out on a stretcher.
The whole operation didn't take long. The LAPD began to pull back, with fewer officers guarding the scene. It seemed like no one paid much attention to the van parked on the street.
When the police had left and the area was cordoned off, leaving just one officer eating a donut on the steps, there was movement in the van. Someone crawled from the back to the driver's seat, looked around, and slowly drove away.
"No need to follow too closely. Gray has arranged for five cars to tail them in relay; those two won't get away," Neila instructed the team over the radio.
Jack's new temporary partner was Neila, as Lucy was tasked with picking up the 'dead' Cooper from the ambulance halfway and taking him back to the station. Robbing a bank was still a crime, but considering the circumstances and that no serious harm was done, it was likely the DA wouldn't press charges.
Since a police car might be too conspicuous, Hannah had brought Jack's Firebird to the scene. Additionally, four other civilian cars were manned by officers, and a police helicopter was on standby in case things went south.
The police helicopter hovered at a distance to avoid detection, while a dozen squad cars followed from about two kilometers away, ready to provide backup.
Jack's Firebird was too noticeable, so it kept a good distance, with Tim driving his Dodge pickup at the front of the convoy. After a shopping trip with Angela, Tim had been urgently called back from his leave to help out.
"Jack, switch places with me. Looks like they're getting on the freeway. When they exit, John will take over," Tim's voice came over the radio.
Jack lightly pressed the gas, overtaking Tim's pickup and becoming the lead car following the van.
After about ten minutes on the freeway, the kidnappers' van exited. John then took Jack's place.
Not long after leaving the freeway, John spoke nervously. "Hey guys, they're slowing down. They might be turning. They signaled a right turn at the intersection of Oakmont and Arbor."
Tim quickly ordered, "Maintain your speed and drive past. Oakmont Street ends in a dead end. You'll be spotted. The rest of you get out and approach on foot."
Jack parked the Firebird to the right and got out with Neila, who was holding a rifle. They rounded the corner and saw the van parked in front of a gray house.
"Hey guys, what do you see? Are they in sight?" John caught up with them, slightly out of breath.
"They've gone inside," Neila pointed at the house and picked up her radio.
"Command center, check the owner information of the vehicle parked outside the gray house."
She read out the license plate of a new Cadillac XT5 parked next to the van.
"The vehicle is registered to Charles Lindsey Snelling. He has a restraining order and a prior armed robbery conviction on record."
"Got it," Jack said, glancing back. The backup officers were arriving.
Tim, being the highest-ranking officer present, naturally took command.
"Tavoler, Harper, and Nolan, go around to the backyard and see if you can enter the house without alerting them. Be careful; they have women and children as hostages."
Jack nodded, drew his Glock, checked it, and led the way, followed by John with a shotgun and Neila with an AR-15 rifle.
Reaching the cluttered backyard, Jack tried the handle of the wooden door. It opened silently.
They entered one by one. Inside, they heard men arguing loudly. Jack leaned against the hallway, listening carefully while focusing his senses.
From the direction of the living room, he heard three men. From a room at the end of the hallway, there were faint sounds of a child crying and a woman trying to comfort them. Jack breathed a sigh of relief. The hostages and the kidnappers were in separate locations, which simplified things.
He held up three fingers and pointed toward the living room on the left, then held up two fingers and pointed towards the room at the end of the hallway. John and Neila nodded in understanding.
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