Police in America

"Pop! Pop!" 

With a few soft sounds, the lead prisoner and the one who had taken the lighter fell to the ground. Before the remaining inmates could react, the SWAT team stormed in, pressing their guns against their heads.

Hondo and Luca had taken the shots, aiming for vital areas in the torso. The two men, with their lungs and hearts pierced, didn't even have time to scream.

"Don't move! Don't move!"

"Hands up! Don't move!"

"Face down! Get down!"

Under the harsh whispers of the SWAT team, the remaining prisoners obediently knelt with their hands behind their heads.

"Thank God, you're finally here." The guard who had almost become their victim was so relieved he nearly shouted.

"Shut up! What's your name?" The only female SWAT member, Chris, restrained him but didn't immediately untie his hands and feet. Instead, she looked over at the deputy team leader, Deacon.

"Tally Abboton, thank you, thank you for saving me."

Deacon had a tactical pad strapped to his wrist, directly connected to the database in the command vehicle outside. He entered the name, and relevant information popped up on the screen.

"All clear. The photo matches. He's one of the guards."

Chris pulled out a knife from her boot and cut the ropes binding his hands and feet.

"Thank you so much. I really thought I was done for this time." Tally Abboton hastily wiped the snot and tears from his face with the only piece of clothing left on him, a tight-fitting t-shirt, before clumsily picking up his guard uniform from the ground and putting it on.

"You still have your keys?" Hondo asked curiously as he watched Abboton hang a large bunch of keys back on his belt.

"Yes, I have most of the keys for A Block. After they took over the control room, they stole the spare keys from there, so they didn't bother taking mine." Tally Abboton nodded quickly.

"We need to find your other colleagues. Do you know where they are?" Jack asked.

"Yes, I can find them. I saw them being locked in cells, but the 'Nineteen Gang' is tough to deal with, especially their leader, Kettle Porter." Tally Abboton looked visibly shaken as he spoke.

"Are they tougher than us?" Hondo grinned, showing his teeth.

"You have two choices. We'll lock these guys up, and you can stay with them until we clear A Block. Then the LAPD officers will open the iron gate and come up from the third floor."

"Or you can come with us, guide us, and help rescue your colleagues."

Tally Abboton glanced at the tied-up prisoners and instinctively swallowed. "Why not open the gate now?"

"The LAPD officers aren't trained for this kind of operation. We need to clear A Block first before letting them in. Otherwise, it'll just lead to more casualties."

While they were talking, the SWAT team had already herded the prisoners into a storage room, binding their hands and feet together and dragging the two bodies in as well.

"Now, make your decision," Hondo said, holding the door and looking at the young guard.

"I'll go with you. I feel safer with you guys." Tally Abboton answered decisively.

Hearing this, Hondo closed the storage room door and signaled for Abboton to lock it with his keys.

"Stick close to me and don't fall behind." Jack glanced over at the guard, who didn't look like he had any training, and asked casually, "How long have you been working here, and what did you do before this?"

"Six months. I used to be a packer." Tally, who was timidly following behind Jack, looked every bit the ordinary person.

"No training before taking this job?" Deacon, who was bringing up the rear, was surprised.

"Maybe in other prisons, but not here. I saw they were hiring, so I came. Now I'm thinking the $11 an hour might not be worth it."

"Heh, private prison," Tan, the Asian SWAT member who hadn't spoken until now, snorted.

"Alright, this isn't our concern for now. Focus on the mission at hand. We can talk later," Hondo cut off the conversation and began assigning roles.

"Chris, Street, and Tan, you stay here and wait for us to return. If something goes wrong, fall back to the stairs and have the guys downstairs open the door for you to retreat."

"We won't leave you behind," Chris protested, but Hondo shut her down with a glare.

"That's an order. We'll figure out a way to evacuate through the safety door if needed. You'll need to provide cover outside. Of course, that's the worst-case scenario. B-Team is already on their way and will head straight up to meet you when they arrive."

"Understood." The three didn't argue further, finding positions to hide.

Hondo and Luca continued to lead the way, with Tally, the guard, in the middle, and Jack and Deacon bringing up the rear.

"A-Team to Command, we're moving deeper into A Block. No hostages found so far."

"Copy that, A-Team. The negotiators are buying us time. You'll have the advantage before the gangs realize you're there." Jessica Cortez's voice came through their earpieces.

With a guard who knew the layout, the team moved much faster. 

Though Tally claimed he hadn't received any specialized training, he had been working inside for six months and knew the layout far better than the SWAT team, who only had a flat blueprint to rely on.

He led them through staff-only corridors, avoiding most of the areas where prisoners might be gathered.

"Up ahead is the guard's lounge. Through here, we can reach the cells at the deepest part of A Block, but that's where Kettle Porter, the leader of the 'Nineteen Gang,' and his men are likely holed up," Tally said, unlocking a door at the end of the corridor and pointing to a room around the corner.

The lounge was noisy, with the TV blaring at full volume, and occasional strange yells made it sound like there was a party going on.

Luca crouched by the door, holding the handle, and looked at the others. Seeing Hondo nod, indicating they were ready, he yanked the door open.

"Hands up!"

"Let me see your hands!"

"What the hell?"

The three who stormed the room with their guns ready froze in place. Luca followed them in, baffled by the sight before him. Five or six prisoners in orange jumpsuits were sitting quietly on the couches, each holding a large tub of ice cream, eating happily.

Seeing the guns pointed at them, the prisoners raised their hands in unison, looking annoyed.

"You guys know there's a riot going on in the prison, right?" Luca asked, lowering his gun, utterly bewildered.

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