The Wolf of Los Angeles-Chapter 348 - : Raid Successful

[Chapter 348: Raid Successful]

Near the east side of town, the Avalon Club stood with its doors shut tight, silence reigning within. At the entrance, a security guard dozed off in the surveillance room, eyes glued to the monitors.

Inside the VIP area, Barack Bernanke and Fernando Crane rode the elevator down to the basement level.

Fernando said, "So what's your pick for tonight? After a long day, you deserve a treat."

"Let's see," Barack replied as he stepped out of the elevator into the long corridor, slowing his pace to take a look at the rooms lining both sides. Each room boasted thick, clear glass doors, revealing the contents inside.

Inside each room, either a girl or a boy was confined. The oldest girl couldn't have been more than 20, while the boys were mostly just over ten.

Following Buddy Ackerman's orders, the club was temporarily closed for Barack to gather important documents in preparation for a location change. The boss planned to purchase an island and turn it into a paradise.

Suddenly, Fernando stopped, pointing to one of the boys -- a Mexican -- through the glass door. "I'm picking him; what about you?"

Barack frowned. "Why would you go for a boy?"

Fernando responded seriously, "Well, I used to be a priest, and I was one in Japan -- it's not a good memory; the Japanese really disliked priests."

Barack, being the straightforward type, couldn't keep up with that reasoning. "Why is that?"

"Because priests are known to have a preference for little boys, and the Japanese especially detest them."

Just then, a loud thud echoed from the ventilation shaft, sounding like an explosion.

Barack instantly grabbed his two-way radio and shouted, "What's happening? What's going on?"

No reply came. Instead, there was static interference.

"That's bad; the radio's been cut!" Fernando rushed back while pulling out his handgun.

Realizing something was off, Barack hurried to the nearest guard station and picked up the landline, but all he connected to was a busy signal.

...

Two SWAT teams from the FBI, having severed the Avalon Club's external communications, attacked through the front and back entrances. The team at the front jammed the surveillance system and blew open the main doors with C4.

The guard in the security room had just crawled out from under the desk when the sound of a shotgun blast shattered the glass doors, showering him in shards. Two grenades were thrown through the breach.

Two explosive sounds followed as agents stormed inside, one holding a weapon for cover while another rushed in.

After a flurry of gunfire, the guards met their fate.

"Clear!" shouted one of the agents.

Dozens of agents, clad in helmets, masks, and night-vision goggles stormed in through the front entrance.

...

Jennifer, acting as the temporary commander, followed at the back. She had pulled the club's blueprints during the prep phase. The club wasn't large on the surface but had two basement levels.

Jennifer shouted, "Target ahead! Eliminate all threats!"

"Move forward!" ordered the SWAT captain. "Snipers, set up observation posts!"

Gunfire erupted from one of the rooms, and immediate retaliatory shots rang out.

As snipers took their positions, Jennifer spoke into her comms, "Tiger One, Tiger Two, breach and provide cover fire!"

Two armored SUVs rolled in through the blown-out doors. Heavy machine guns mounted on top erupted, targeting the enemy positions.

Taking advantage of the covering fire, other agents swiftly advanced.

Bang!

A sniper shot rang out, and amid the shrieks, someone fell from the building's rooftop.

At the same time, the rear door exploded open as another SWAT team belonging to the FBI charged in.

Caught in a double envelopment, they quickly pressed deeper into the building.

...

Fernando emerged from the basement, turning the corner from the elevator just as he saw four to five armed men pointing their guns at the entrance. As he prepared to direct them, two objects flew in unexpectedly.

Reacting quickly, he dove to the side. A thunderous roar enveloped him, leaving him dazed and unable to see clearly, tears and mucus streaming down his face.

Before he could even regain his senses, more gunfire erupted.

Any agent entering the area did not hesitate to shoot anyone with weapons nearby.

After a shot rang out, a large hole opened in Fernando's head.

The disparity in equipment, training levels, and command capabilities was overwhelming.

Especially since the club's communications had been severed, they could only rely on shouting.

...

Barack raced down to the second basement level, entering an office to attempt contacting the outside world through a direct line.

There was a problem that needed to be reported to the Ackerman estate.

Yet the direct line failed to connect as well.

Barack realized they were facing formidable opponents -- very likely federal forces.

"FBI! Let me see your hands!" a voice boomed from outside the office, along with gunfire.

Those attempting to resist tasted bullets.

Barack fell back into a chair, opening a desk drawer that revealed a P9 handgun.

He slowly reached out, thinking about the gun, wondering if he could even stand against the FBI's professional agents. More so, thinking about what he had done, with the FBI capturing him, he knew it might lead to a fate worse than death.

Typically, he hadn't found it objectionable to see those who suffered fatal injuries; in fact, he believed death was a release for the dead girls and boys.

However, when it came to him, as his hand brushed against the grip, he felt as if he'd been electrocuted and recoiled.

"FBI..."

Upon hearing those words, Barack quickly raised his hands, fearing causing a misunderstanding.

An armed agent stood guard, while another entered the office, scrutinizing Barack. He radioed, "Target One located in T2 office! Repeat, Target One located in T2 office."

...

When the agents pulled Barack out and cuffed him, Jennifer promptly arrived, flanked by trusted agents.

She recognized Barack at once, asking, "Name, position."

Barack remained silent, wanting to say something about being a lawyer and about power, but before he could utter a word, Jennifer signaled with her eyes.

The masked agent aimed his gun, and with his rifle butt, struck Barack in the stomach.

Barack doubled over in pain, spitting saliva and tears.

Jennifer pressed on, "Name, position."

"I'm Barack Bernanke, chairman of the Ackerman Charity Foundation," he hurriedly replied.

Jennifer waved her hand, and two agents left the office to stand guard outside.

The trusted agent shut the door behind them.

...

Jennifer then asked directly, "Where are the photos and videos of the girls you filmed? You know what I'm talking about. You have ten seconds; if you don't talk, you will die. If you don't satisfy me, you will also die."

Her lips curled into a cruel smile. "I'm giving you a chance to collaborate with the FBI; you're well aware of the way things work internally. Even if you say nothing, once the FBI announces your arrest, every crime committed by the club will fall upon the suicidal you."

"Starting the countdown now, 10..."

With Jennifer's countdown, Barack thought of his deceased friend BrodeRik, whose orders were once executed by him.

He hadn't taken the plunge into suicide; he lacked the courage to pick up the gun and fight back. He quickly yelled, "I know where they are!"

...

In the adjacent office on the same level, Barack retrieved multiple discs and USB drives.

Jennifer quickly scanned through them, noticing each disc was marked with a name, one inscribed with Edwards.

She unplugged the office's computer network cable, powered it on, and remarked, "Take him away. You're personally overseeing him with Jackson."

Jennifer gathered her findings and headed back upstairs, getting into her car where she pulled out one of the prepared USBs to make multiple backups.

...

The club had been secured; the number of girls and boys in the basement exceeded expectations.

Additionally, dozens of corpses were discovered in the auxiliary building's icehouse, alongside various hides, leather goods, and dismembered pieces.

This case was extremely complex.

...

Jennifer stepped out of the car, approached the perimeter, and handed the collected materials to Hierro, who was clad in full FBI gear and wore a mask. "Everything is here."

Hierro nodded, secured the items, and drove off.

...

Jennifer pulled out a backup phone and called the commander Hawke: "Found the evidence; I've sent someone with it. The situation here is complicated; we have many dead and many captives. I need to call for backup."

Hawke replied, "Handle it per your procedures."

The call ended promptly.

...

After a moment's thought, Hawke dialed Brian's number: "The items have arrived; your team can proceed."

Brian answered, "Understood."

...

Hawke looked to Edwards. "Notify Harley Wayne through Twitter groups."

Edwards had already logged into a Twitter account and sent a message, tagging Harley Wayne within the group.

...

Hawke made another call, "Sean Ackerman is at the Malibu villa. Given the usual circumstances, once the Ackerman family receives this information, they'll immediately summon him back to the estate. Capture him, preferably alive."

...

At the Fox Television Center, the show was winding down; Harley Wayne stepped out of the studio. Applause erupted around her, as everyone involved in the show recognized they had just reported outstanding news.

Roger Ailes approached, shaking her hand. "You did a fantastic job."

Harley replied, "Thanks for the support." Turning to the crowd, she added, "Thank you all for your support."

Having worked in media for years, Roger understood that Fox needed employees like Harley and needed them badly. He advised, "You'll be staying at the Fox tower, and a few bodyguards will protect you around the clock."

Harley displayed bravery when needed and wasn't foolish about her safety. "I'll follow the company arrangements."

With the news broadcasted, disconnected phones, mobile devices, and internet signals returned to normal.

Roger's phone rang repeatedly.

Harley's phone buzzed with a notification; she quickly pulled it out to find someone had sent her a message on Twitter.

Th𝓮 most uptodate nov𝑒ls are publish𝒆d on ƒreewebηoveℓ.com.

...

It was from a resident in the victim support group on Twitter, informing her that just over twenty minutes ago, dozens of FBI agents had raided the Avalon Club.

Having already received word, Harley knew Avalon Club was a newly established clandestine venue by the Ackerman family.

Seeing Roger still there, she rushed over after he finished his call to share the news tip she had just received, insisting the television center arrange a helicopter and a capable team to head to Avalon Club.

Roger had just gotten off the phone with Rupert and was aware that everything was being orchestrated. This was the moment Harley needed to lead the charge.

*****

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