"We don't care about that. I only know they don't even let us watch TV normally, but today, we not only got ice cream from the cafeteria, but we can also sit here comfortably and enjoy our favorite TV series."
A burly black man sitting at the very end, seeing everyone lower their guns, also lowered his raised hands and scooped a large spoonful for himself.
Jack glanced back at the TV behind him; it was playing *Young and Restless*.
This was a super long series; even he, who was so bored in his previous life that he watched Arican dramas every day, wouldn't dare to try it lightly. After all, this show had been airing since 1973, and now it had almost 12,000 episodes.
"Okay, the movie party is over." Hondo sighed and pulled out a plastic cable tie.
"Hey, co on, guys, for the sake of us not hurting anyone, why can't you just leave us here, close the door, and leave?" the burly black man said angrily, waving his spoon excitedly.
"We work seven days a week, four of us cramd into one cell. All we want is one day of relaxation. Is that too much to ask?"
"Is he telling the truth?" Jack glanced at the prison guard, Tari, behind him.
"Yes, the warden said there aren't enough cells here, the governnt subsidies are too low, and they need to earn their own food." Tari hesitated for a mont, then nodded in agreent.
"If I rember correctly, the federal governnt gives each prisoner a daily subsidy of $58." Hondo's expression turned grim.
"Actually, if you're willing to behave, it's not impossible to make an exception." Jack said with a smile, pleading for them.
When everyone left the guards' break room, six prisoners remained, their hands and feet bound with plastic zip ties, their mouths taped shut.
Jack even thoughtfully adjusted the sofa so they could sit facing the television.
"Good kids shouldn't eat too much ice cream, it'll give them cavities."
Closing the door, Vice-Captain Deacon subtly voiced his opinion. "This prison doesn't give a good feeling."
"Let's deal with the riot first," Hondo said sternly, indicating this wasn't the ti for that.
Passing through the corridor outside the guards' break room, the SWAT team saw a row of empty cells, a scene of utter chaos, torn sheets and burnt debris scattered everywhere.
"Turn left ahead, through a corridor, that's the cell where my colleague is being held,"
Guard Tari pointed tremblingly ahead. A dozen or so corpses lay haphazardly around the corner, as if the apocalypse had just occurred.
"Hondo?" Jack whispered a reminder.
"Keep going." Hondo seed unconcerned, but his left hand abruptly went behind his back, making a tactical hand signal.
Before they even turned the corner, two prisoners with pistols suddenly appeared before them. Seemingly startled by the sight of the SWAT team, they turned and ran.
"Halt! LAPD SWAT!" Hondo roared, grabbing his HK416 and leading the chase down the long corridor.
"Drop your weapons, or we'll shoot!"
"Hands up!"
Hearing the footsteps fade into the distance, most of the "corpses" in the corner scrambled to their feet, pulling out hidden weapons, intending to flank them.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
Two stun grenades exploded almost simultaneously, hitting the group of cosplayers squarely.
"Fuck!"
"Damn it!"
"What happened?" Screams erupted as a tall, thin black man collapsed to the ground in agony, still fumbling for his fallen pistol.
"Thud!" Jack smashed the butt of his rifle into his head, rendering him completely incapacitated.
"Keitel Porter? I heard you're a smart guy. Playing dead, huh? Is that all the brains you have?"
These guys playing dead were utterly unprofessional; their heavy breathing couldn't escape Jack's heightened senses.
Reminded by him, Hondo imdiately noticed the anomaly. He gestured for them to stay put, while he and Luca pretended to fall for the trap, leading the prison guard Tari into the exposed corridor.
Keitel Porter, the leader of the "Nine Gang," intended to ambush the SWAT team from both sides by feigning death. However, he was imdiately seen through. Jack and Deacon remained motionless, and before the guys could even get up, they each threw a stun grenade, giving the feigning "Nine Gang" leader and his henchn a satisfying wake-up call.
"Don't move, or I'll shoot." Deacon's thick military boots slamd into the back of one of the restless hands, causing the other to howl in pain.
"Hondo?" Deacon, his eyes fixed on the group, called out slightly into the corridor.
"All done." Hondo and Luca returned, each dragging a corpse, with the prison guard Tari, pale with fright, behind them.
The stun grenade explosion masked the gunshots. They had only taken a few steps into the corridor before decisively opening fire, killing the two prisoners acting as bait. After confirming there was no threat ahead, they retreated with the bodies.
"Next ti you want to play dead, rember to face outwards, and don't close your eyes, make sure they're wide open."
Jack tied the group of n together in pairs, smiling as he patted Keitel Porter's cheek.
"I tried it. None of these guys could keep their eyes open, including myself."
The tall, thin black man was dejectedly locked back in his cell.
"Hey, Tari, well done." On the other side, five prison guards, stripped down to their underwear, were released by Tari and patted him on the shoulder in thanks.
"Where are their uniforms and protective gear?" Jack glanced around, patted the iron bars of the cell, and gestured for Keitel Porter to confess.
"The 'Spicy Eagles' took them. They opened the armory, and the guns are all in their hands. Gunnar Card offered to trade these pistols for the guards' uniforms and protective gear."
In so ways, Keitel Porter was indeed a smart man, knowing that the situation was hopeless, and beca very cooperative.
Jack and Hondo exchanged a glance. "Gunnar Card is planning to disguise himself as a prison guard and sneak out?"
"It shouldn't be that simple. The outside is full of our people, and everyone who goes out will be strictly screened."
Hondo also couldn't figure out what Gunnar Card, the leader of the 'Spicy Eagles,' was up to, but it was clear that he was likely the culprit behind everything.
"Command, Keitel Porter and his 'Nine Gang' mbers are back in their cells, and the hostages have been found. Let the LAPD officers go into Block A to handle the aftermath."
After finishing the call with command, Hondo pointed to the other end of the cell block and said to guard Tari.
"Take your colleagues and go out through the fire escape over there. The LAPD officers are waiting at the door. Thank you for your help."
Tari nodded gratefully. "Thank you for saving too, thank you."
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