Chapter 594: Meeting
"Drive two miles northwest and find a hidden spot to park," Alaric finally marked several ambush points on the map for the team.
The driver followed Alaric's instructions, and after the car stopped, they hid it in the forest and everyone got out.
The terrain was too steep for the car to go any further, so they had to proceed on foot. Alaric divided the team into four groups and assigned them their ambush locations.
Neil, the actual police captain, couldn't get a word in edgewise and eventually gave up trying.
"Mr. Jackson, I can't tell who's in charge anymore," Vernon couldn't help but say.
"Me too," Neil said, feeling frustrated. Today, he was just following Alaric's lead.
"But Mr. Knight was a colonel in the military. After Tommy revealed Tiger's hideout, Mr. Knight took one look at the satellite map of this mountain and drew the entire terrain map from memory. Can you do that?"
Vernon sighed immediately. "I can't either. He's got the experience, and Tiger has been his nemesis for years. I get it. Let's just treat this like a drill and follow orders."
Vernon couldn't help but jump up and say seriously, "Mr. Jackson, this isn't a drill. We're dealing with the leader of an international terrorist organization. We don't even know how many people are in there. This is life and death."
"If you're afraid of dying, why are you a cop? If you're scared, get out of here!" Neil said disdainfully.
"I'm not afraid of dying. I'm just being realistic. This is serious. Shouldn't we be coordinating with the military for such a big operation?" Vernon couldn't believe they weren't working with the military.
"Didn't you hear Alaric? They have hostages. We need to act quickly to save them. Besides, I'm in charge of the Storm family case, and the person who killed Brennan is here. Of course, I should be the one to catch him," Neil said.
"I still think this is a bit reckless. This is life and death. What if I die here today? I haven't even written a will."
"Shut up!" Just as Neil finished speaking, Alaric walked over, having completed the deployment. "Neil."
"All set?" Neil asked.
"Sorry, Neil. I took over," Alaric explained.
"No problem. You did a great job," Neil said, "You remind me of Mr. Emberlyn. You're truly his student."
"I'm flattered. If I have even a tenth of my teacher's skills, I'd be lucky," Alaric said. "Back to business."
Alaric took out the map and pointed to a central location. "This is Tiger's hideout, a hidden underground cave in the forest."
"Tiger in the forest, he really thinks he's a tiger," Neil said.
"Ten years ago, a fake Tiger died, and the real one escaped. This time, I will catch him myself!"
The operation ten years ago was brutal. Although Alaric was severely injured and unconscious, it was considered a success because Tiger was thought to be dead.
But it turned out that the one who died was a decoy. Today, the real Tiger was here, and they couldn't let him escape again.
"I know you have a grudge with him, but you're retired now. You're just a civilian. You can't participate in this operation," Neil said. "You've done the deployment. Leave the rest to us. You can go down the mountain."
He came all this way, and now they wanted him to leave?
"If I wanted to leave, I wouldn't have come up here," Alaric said firmly. "Besides, he has hostages. If it comes to a standoff, he'll demand to see me. There's no avoiding it."
"But you're just a witness in my case. I have a duty to protect you. If anything happens to you, it's more than just losing my job."
"Don't worry, Neil. You won't lose your job. Catching this Tiger will earn you a promotion," Alaric said, then ordered, "Let's go meet this Tiger."
Neil was exasperated. Although Alaric was capable and didn't need protection, if anything happened to him, Neil would be in serious trouble. So he followed closely, determined to protect Alaric at all costs.
They hiked up the mountain for a long time, and the other teams were in position. They had notified the military, but it would take time for them to arrive.
With the other teams in place, Alaric and Neil led an elite team to the central point, surrounding the underground cave.
Guns and sniper rifles were loaded, ready for action.
As they found the entrance to the cave and prepared to storm in, a voice suddenly echoed from above.
"Alaric, I've been waiting for you for years. You finally came."
Everyone was stunned, not knowing where the voice came from.
"I thought it took too long," Alaric replied. "But I found you in the end."
Alaric didn't know where the voice was coming from, but he knew Tiger could hear him.
"Really? I'm looking forward to it."
After the voice finished, Neil sternly warned, "Listen up, you're surrounded. Surrender now, and it's your only chance to live!"
"So noisy!" The voice responded with disdain.
"Let Alaric come in alone. We're old friends. We need to have a good chat."
"No way!" Neil warned again. "You're trapped. You have no right to negotiate!"
"Really? So the police don't care about hostages' lives? I have more than one hostage here, including someone very close to Alaric. If you force your way in, I'll have to kill them."
The closest people to him now were Stellan, Caspian, Harry, and Elisa, and they were all safe.
"If you don't believe me, that's fine. Just don't regret it later," the voice said leisurely, showing no urgency or fear.
Neil was about to say something when Alaric interrupted, "Fine, I want to talk to you too. I have a lot to say."
"Alaric!" Neil was immediately worried. "Don't listen to him. He's just trying to scare you. It's too dangerous."
They had no idea what was inside the cave. If Alaric went in alone, it could be disastrous.
"Do you dare to talk or not? Give me a straight answer. Don't waste my time!"
Alaric remained resolute. "Of course, I want to talk."
He then turned to Neil. "Don't worry, Neil. I won't die."
With that, Alaric walked into the cave entrance. Neil, filled with concern, ordered, "Surround the cave. Find all the exits. Snipers, get ready. Move in."
As Alaric entered the cave, it was pitch black. Someone came to guide him, leading him through a winding path until it suddenly opened up.
"Sir, I've brought Alaric."
"Good." In the center sat an old man, playing with two iron balls in his hands, looking relaxed. He wore a mask, hiding his expression.
It had been ten years. When Alaric was on that mission, he was only twenty. Now he was thirty, and he had waited long enough for this day.
Alaric looked at him and smirked. "We're so familiar, yet you still wear a mask to talk to me. Isn't that a bit too formal?"
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