Counterterrorism in America

Finally, night fell, and at the Wildcat Bar, Owen met up with Carlos and Carl.

"Cheers!" the three shouted, clinking glasses before downing their drinks.

Owen had been worried he'd face another gauntlet of reporters tonight, just like during the day. However, when he left home, not a single paparazzo was waiting.

It wasn't until they were chatting at the bar that Carlos filled him in: something huge had happened in Hollywood.

Since Los Angeles is the epicenter of the entertainment industry, gossip is often more important than hard news there. In the morning, the Zhongchen Tower hostage crisis had been the top headline, with Owen and McClane as focal points. Reporters had swarmed to cover their story.

But by noon, everything changed. A bombshell scandal broke: world-famous rock star Amir Flett was publicly outed as gay—with irrefutable evidence. The media frenzy was unprecedented, with outlets across the country scrambling to cover the revelation.

Journalists abandoned the Zhongchen story en masse, rushing to Flett's home in hopes of exclusive interviews. Overnight, the national conversation shifted completely. No one cared about the hostage crisis anymore; economic and political news were sidelined. All anyone wanted to discuss was the superstar's sexuality.

Unbeknownst to Owen, CTU had orchestrated the media diversion. In their world of high-stakes counterterrorism, they dealt with threats to national security that had to remain classified. Manipulating public attention by leaking celebrity scandals was an effective tactic to steer media away from sensitive matters.

"Wait... CTU offered you a job? You're thinking about joining them?" Carlos asked in shock.

"Yeah, but I haven't decided yet. I want to talk it over with my family first," Owen replied, shrugging.

"Are you serious?! What's there to think about? It's CTU! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" Carlos exclaimed, almost spilling his drink in excitement.

Carlos had always dreamed of joining a federal agency like the FBI or CIA. He had applied to the CIA three times but was never accepted. Hearing that Owen had received an offer from CTU filled him with both admiration and envy.

Owen, however, felt a twinge of disappointment. He had expected Carlos to express some sadness about the potential end of their partnership. He had even prepared to comfort him. But instead, Carlos seemed more thrilled than anything else.

"Don't listen to him, Steve," Carl interjected, chuckling. "Carlos just wants you to get into CTU so you can recommend him later."

Carlos grinned sheepishly. "Well, hey, CTU is a step up from being a cop. But yeah, if you join, you'd better hook me up with an introduction!"

Owen sighed and shook his head. "Carlos, you're buying tonight's drinks."

"Ugh... fine. Even though the CIA is still my dream, I suppose CTU isn't bad," Carlos muttered, raising his glass.

A few days passed, and Owen finally sat down with his mother and Amanda to discuss the CTU offer. Neither of them had strong opinions on the matter, leaving the decision to him. They didn't fully understand what CTU was, assuming it was just another branch of law enforcement like the FBI.

With the CTU issue temporarily shelved, another matter came to the forefront: how to use the $20,000 bonus.

Amanda had been dreaming of a trip to Europe. Owen had planned to surprise her with a full-family vacation. However, their mother had recently started a new job at a defense contractor and couldn't take time off. Meanwhile, Amanda had already made plans to attend a U2 concert in Europe with her friends. All Owen needed to do was fund her trip.

Amanda made it clear that she didn't need him tagging along, effectively dismissing any notion of sibling supervision.

When Owen raised concerns about her safety, Amanda reassured him that one of her friends, Cynthia, was a French immigrant whose family owned a house in Paris. They would be staying there for the duration of the trip.

Amanda's excitement was palpable as the departure date approached. She flitted around the house like a cheerful sparrow, chatting non-stop about her upcoming adventure.

On the day of the flight, Owen took time off to drive Amanda to the airport. He had even used police databases to confirm Cynthia's background and verify her family's address in Paris, just to be sure. Satisfied, he packed Amanda's bags into the car and headed to LAX.

Finding a parking spot took longer than expected, and Amanda grew increasingly impatient, urging him to hurry. At the terminal, she grabbed her luggage and led the way.

"Cynthia! Kim!"

"Amanda!"

Amanda waved excitedly as she spotted her two friends. The three girls hugged each other tightly.

"Have you been here long?" Amanda asked.

"Nope, just got here," Kim replied.

"Cynthia, did you come alone?"

"Of course. I fly between L.A. and Paris all the time. It's no big deal," Cynthia said with a confident smile.

"Wow, that's so cool!"

The girls chattered away, their laughter echoing through the terminal. Owen stood back, smiling quietly as he observed. Near the group, a middle-aged couple—likely Kim's parents—watched as well. Owen gave them a polite nod, which they returned.

"Is that your brother? The heroic police officer?" one of the girls whispered, glancing shyly at Owen. After receiving confirmation, she blushed and began stealing curious glances at him.

"Alright, kids, time to board," Kim's father announced. The airport's PA system chimed with a boarding call.

The girls grabbed their luggage, waved goodbye, and disappeared past the security gate. Owen sighed and shook his head, feeling slightly unimportant.

"Brian Mills. I'm Kim's father," the man introduced himself, extending a hand.

Owen shook it and smiled. "Steve Owen. I'm Amanda's brother."

"Pleasure to meet you."

Outside in the parking lot, Owen exchanged phone numbers with Kim's parents.

"Well, Mr. Mills, Mrs. Mills, I've got to be going. It was nice meeting you," Owen said with a wave before getting into his car. He drove off, reflecting on how quickly Amanda was growing up.

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