Chapter 98: Rescuing the Hostages
Soldiers and assassins--once they pick up a gun, they need to be ready to kill or be killed.
What Leo hated most was scum who went after civilians.
"Stop! Or we'll shoot!"
As soon as the two entered the house, two of the assassins immediately pointed their guns at them.
Leo and Vance stopped in their tracks.
They had considered forcing their way in, but all three assassins inside were elite members of the Nightfall organization.
These assassins had gone through the most brutal training. Unlike ordinary kidnappers who could be taken down with flashbangs and snipers, these professional killers would definitely pull the trigger and kill the hostages before dying.
"Put down your guns!"
One of the assassins shouted with a heavy Eastern European accent.
Leo and Vance exchanged glances and slowly placed their weapons on the ground.
"Turn around! No tricks!"
The lead assassin continued to command.
Leo and Vance looked at each other and slowly turned around.
Seeing how cooperative they were, the assassins were thrilled. They had been worried these two wouldn't care about the hostages' lives.
"Die!"
Seeing them throw down their guns and turn around, the three assassins moved their gun barrels away from the hostages and aimed at the back of Leo and Vance's heads.
All three handguns fired almost simultaneously.
In that instant, all three assassins' gun barrels left the hostages, with all firepower focused on Leo and Vance!
The moment they fired, Vance dove to the side while pulling a tactical knife from his boot and throwing it backhand at one of the assassins.
Leo was even more impressive--the instant the bullets left the barrels, he spun around, his right hand shooting out like lightning and actually catching the two bullets aimed at him!
The next second, Leo flicked his wrist, and those two bullets shot back like missiles, precisely piercing through the foreheads of two assassins!
Seizing this critical moment, Leo and Vance killed all three assassins.
After removing the C4 explosives from the hostages, the crisis was completely resolved.
Once the hostages were reunited with their families, the near-death experience had several of them crying together.
The mother held her five-year-old daughter, tears streaming down her face as she thanked Leo.
Staten Island, Interstate Highway.
Leo and his team had dealt with the Nightfall organization assassins who escaped into the community, but the gray-haired man was still nowhere to be found.
"Boss, we've got trouble here."
Just then, Olivia sent a brief communication through the earpiece.
Leo, along with Vance and Hayes, quickly rushed to Olivia's position.
Soon, they saw Olivia on the emergency lane of the highway, facing off against a Nightfall organization assassin.
Right now, the assassin had taken a hostage!
A Greyhound bus was parked nearby, with all the passengers forced to the front by the assassin.
A young man in jeans lay on the ground, his thigh bleeding heavily. The smoking Glock pistol in the assassin's hand made it clear what had happened.
"Olivia, go bandage your wound first."
Leo approached, seeing that Olivia's left shoulder had been grazed by a bullet, blood soaking through her black tactical suit.
"I'm fine, boss. Deal with this bastard first."
Olivia looked toward the assassin, the killing intent in her eyes almost tangible.
The assassin was no match for Olivia. During his escape, he had taken the passengers on this bus hostage. It was only by hiding behind the hostages and shooting that he barely managed to injure Olivia.
Like Leo, Olivia hated bastards who hurt innocent civilians the most.
"You'd better put down your gun and surrender right now."
Leo took a few steps forward, his voice ice-cold and piercing. "Otherwise, today, you're going to die an ugly death."
"Don't fucking come closer!"
The assassin had one arm locked tightly around a middle-aged female hostage's neck, his gun pressed against her temple.
"I know I'm no match for you! But if you dare touch me, I'll make these people die with me!"
The assassin roared, his eyes full of madness.
As he spoke, the assassin dragged several hostages backward, away from Leo.
"Don't follow me! Or I'll blow her brains out right now!"
The assassin threatened with his gun as he retreated.
Leo was afraid of hurting the hostages, so he could only hold back for now and see what this madman was up to.
Just then, a heavy semi-truck loaded with cargo came roaring from a distance on the highway.
It was the most common type of truck on American roads--a massive truck cab pulling a long trailer, making a deafening roar on the asphalt.
The assassin's eyes darted around, and an idea came to him.
He suddenly shoved several hostages hard toward the fast lane in the middle of the road, then turned and sprinted toward the trees by the roadside!
These ordinary civilians were no match for the assassin. With that push, they all stumbled and fell onto the roadway.
And at that moment, the semi-truck was approaching!
Although the truck driver noticed the problem and slammed on the brakes, a semi-truck loaded with forty tons of cargo had massive inertia--stopping it in a short time was simply impossible!
The sharp sound of brakes pierced the sky as the truck dragged long black tire marks across the road surface.
But if these hostages couldn't get up and move in time, they would definitely be crushed into pulp by the truck!
"Bastard!"
Olivia cursed and prepared to rescue the hostages.
Leo pointed toward where the assassin was escaping, then rushed toward the hostages himself.
In such a critical moment, there was no time for verbal communication.
Olivia immediately understood and, ignoring her shoulder wound, went after the assassin.
The semi-truck sped closer, already nearly upon them.
The hostages had just started getting up--there was no time to dodge!
The truck driver's face turned deathly pale as he pressed the brakes with all his might and desperately closed his eyes.
Just then, Leo finally arrived.
Taking them one by one was clearly too slow.
Leo took a deep breath and pushed forward with both hands!
"Get off the road!"
The people had just stood up when they were sent flying backward by a terrifying force.
Leo used tremendous force, sending these people flying straight toward the emergency lane by the roadside.
But only this way did these people have a chance to survive!
The moment the last person's body left the truck's path, the steel behemoth arrived!
With no time to dodge, Leo braced his hands against the truck's front bumper and used the momentum to flip backward, landing on top of the truck.
Even after absorbing most of the impact, the collision still sent Leo's blood surging.
A semi-truck loaded with cargo, weighing over forty tons and speeding toward him--that impact force was like being hit head-on by a high-speed train!
The people Leo had pushed flew heavily onto the concrete of the emergency lane, mostly with scrapes and bruises, but at least they kept their lives.
These people understood that without Leo's push, they would all have been crushed into pulp by the truck!
The semi-truck, carried by inertia, wobbled forward for several hundred more feet before finally coming to a slow stop.
Leo leaped down from the truck's top and landed steadily.
"Everyone, move off the highway lanes and stand by the emergency lane. The FBI and ambulances will be here soon."
Vance and Hayes immediately stepped forward to maintain order, settling the injured passengers in the safe area by the roadside.
Leo had just caught his breath when he saw Olivia walking back with a grim expression.
"Boss, when I caught up, I was stopped by that gray-haired man."
Olivia gritted her teeth, her eyes full of frustration. "His skills are above mine, and his movements are extremely strange. I couldn't hold them back."
"I don't usually go for total annihilation."
A cold killing intent flashed in Leo's eyes. "But this assassin is so depraved, using innocent civilians as human shields... how is he any different from terrorists?"
"I'll make him pay for this. That man's life--I'm taking it."