Ridiculous.
That was everyone's first reaction. Then came the anger.
Since the attack on CTU, they had endured immense pressure, working tirelessly through the night. The field agents and intelligence analysts were exhausted. Yet, Director Allen's lack of understanding left them cold.
"Shouldn't he be in Washington apologizing to the President right now? Instead, he's here throwing his weight around..."
Chloe grumbled while aggressively squeezing her stress pillow.
A thought struck Owen. The television had been shut off just before the President's speech. Something didn't add up. He grabbed the remote and turned the TV back on.
The screen flickered to life, and suddenly, the room went silent.
"The United States established CTU for one purpose: counterterrorism. Our stance on terrorism has never changed. America will not negotiate with terrorists, nor will we ever bow to terrorism... CTU is not as weak or incompetent as some may believe. Quite the opposite—they have sacrificed much. This world has never been peaceful; it is only so because brave men and women bear the burden for us."
The President's words boosted morale. The room, which had been filled with frustration, now seemed a little lighter.
But then, the tone of the speech shifted.
"However, the attacks on two CTU divisions, resulting in the death of one director and the injury of another, are a failure of leadership—an inexcusable mistake. Therefore, I am officially removing Scott Allen from his position as CTU Director. CIA Director Martin Davis will assume temporary control of CTU until a permanent replacement is selected."
The announcement stunned everyone. The head of CTU had been fired. The current administration had never taken such drastic action before. The camera cut to Scott Allen, who was in Washington at that very moment, his face twisted in humiliation.
The CTU agents in the room couldn't hide their satisfaction. Just minutes ago, Allen had been barking orders at them, and now, he had lost his job. The irony was delicious.
But something didn't feel right.
Owen glanced toward the doors where Allen had exited moments earlier, then back at the television. The broadcast was live.
Which meant—
"Wait a minute… if Allen is in Washington right now, then who the hell was that just standing here?"
The realization hit the entire room at once. No wonder he had insisted they turn off the TV.
Nina shot up from her seat. "Chloe, pull up the traffic cameras! Find him!"
"Neimar, run facial recognition on those two 'bodyguards'—I need to know who they are!"
"Issa, check how they bypassed our security systems, and inform Jack about this immediately!"
The data support team sprang into action. Meanwhile, the field agents wasted no time.
"I'm going after them," Owen declared. "Chloe, send me the location as soon as you have it!"
They sprinted toward the parking lot. By now, Allen and his team—whoever the hell they really were—had vanished. Owen and Tony jumped into their respective vehicles, engines roaring to life as they peeled out of the CTU lot.
They had no exact coordinates yet, so the agents split up, covering different directions until Chloe could pinpoint their target.
Back at CTU, Chloe's fingers flew across the keyboard.
She muttered curses under her breath, still fuming. Suddenly, her screen flashed.
"Got him!"
She immediately patched into the field team's comms.
"Owen, he's heading eastbound on Maple Avenue. You're the closest!"
"On it."
Owen yanked the steering wheel, tires screeching as he maneuvered onto Maple Avenue.
He had guessed the wrong direction initially, but not by much. If he pushed his driving skills to the limit, he could still catch up.
Knowing the streets of Los Angeles like the back of his hand, he avoided major roads and instead cut through alleys and side streets, making up the lost distance. Thanks to Chloe's updates, he was closing in fast.
On Maple Avenue, a black Buick cruised at a steady speed.
Inside, the supposed "Allen" sat in the back with Salim.
"Stop the car."
The two "bodyguards" immediately complied, pulling over.
"Allen" reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash, handing it to them.
"Your job is done. Here's your payment."
The men's cold, professional demeanor instantly melted into gleeful grins.
"Man, this gig was amazing. Way better than my usual acting jobs! If you ever need someone again, call me!"
The "bodyguards" were nothing more than Hollywood extras.
As they walked away, "Allen" glanced around to ensure no one was watching. Then, he reached up to his face.
With a firm tug, he peeled off a hyper-realistic silicone mask.
Underneath—
Was Ethan Hunt.
Just then, a voice crackled in his earpiece.
"Ethan, they figured it out."
"How much time do we have?"
"Two blocks."
"Luther, buy me some time."
"Got it. Leave it to me."
The Buick's engine roared to life as it suddenly accelerated, weaving through traffic at over 140 mph.
Meanwhile, Chloe's voice came through Owen's earpiece.
"Owen, they're right in front of you—two blocks ahead!"
Owen slammed the gas pedal.
But just as he gained on the Buick, something strange happened.
The traffic light ahead, which had just turned green, suddenly flipped back to red.
Several cars, unable to stop in time, crashed into each other, causing chaos.
Owen's eyes darted to his rearview mirror.
Something's not right.
He swerved hard, narrowly avoiding another wreck.
Then—
Another traffic light changed right as he approached.
More cars collided, blocking the entire road.
Forced onto the sidewalk, Owen dodged pedestrians and street obstacles. His side mirror snapped off as he scraped against a pole, but at least he made it through.
"Chloe! Something's wrong! They're manipulating the traffic lights—every intersection ahead of me is suddenly red!"
Chloe's voice came back, tense.
"I see it! Damn it… someone hacked the traffic system. Give me a second—I'll trace them!"
Owen dodged another near-collision and finally spotted the Buick ahead.
"Chloe, hurry up!"
"I'm working on it!"
A few seconds later, her voice returned.
"Owen, I can't override their control, but I can match it. If they can manipulate the lights, so can I!"
"What does that mean?"
He got his answer instantly.
Ahead, the Buick's traffic lights began flickering wildly—just like his had moments ago.
One after another, rapid traffic changes forced multiple crashes, slowing the Buick's escape.
Inside the Buick, Ethan clenched his teeth.
"Luther, what the hell is going on?!"
"It's not me! Their tech guy figured out what I was doing, so they're using the same tactic against us!"
"They're cheating!"
Suddenly—
CRASH!
A double-decker bus plowed into Owen's car, flipping it into the air.
Luther sighed in relief.
"Problem solved."
But before he could celebrate—
SMASH!
A truck slammed into the Buick, flipping it over.
The car tumbled across the asphalt, landing upside down like a helpless turtle.
Ethan groaned.
"Luther… we might have a problem."
_________________________
[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]