Police in Los Angeles

Travis Air Force Base is located in Fairfield, California, just northeast of San Francisco. It is also the home of the 60th Air Mobility Wing. The main functions of this wing are air transport and aerial refueling, equipped with C-5, C-17, and KC-10 tanker aircraft. So, when Jack got off the plane, all he saw were these massive machines.

Their C-130 looked like a rhino next to an elephant when compared to these strategic transport aircraft, completely dwarfed.

"I could stand here and watch these fascinating feats of engineering take off and land all day without getting bored," Jack sighed.

"Let's go, I won't let you be embarrassed," Jess said, giving him a push. As soon as she heard that many people had come to welcome them home, Jack's expression turned uneasy.

Anyone who didn't know better might think he had social anxiety, but Jess knew he was genuinely nervous. He had flirted with too many women. Knowing that he had survived a plane crash and a battle with terrorists, they were all eager to come and greet him.

Before boarding the plane, Jess had watched coldly as Jack made numerous phone calls, offering countless promises to calm down the two older women.

However, he couldn't escape the inevitable confrontation. While he could persuade others to wait for a proper explanation later, his official girlfriend, Hannah, was definitely coming, and Jack couldn't find any excuse to avoid it.

They didn't carry much when they got off the plane. Jess's suitcase was left on the island, so her pretty dresses were naturally gone. Jack had only carried a backpack at the time, which was discarded at the hospital due to quarantine.

Theoretically, they should have returned empty-handed, but Jack ended up with two more suitcases. 

This was the advantage of returning on a military plane. He brought back the full set of equipment given to him by the SEALs, including the HK417 with the Schmidt-Bender scope and the SEALs' exclusive MK24 pistol with a golden anchor logo.

Jack also brought along the QBZ97 he had captured and the original AK47 from the Red Empire era that Gasparé had. Both guns held significant sentimental value for him, especially the former, as it was the first Chinese-made firearm he had acquired.

A soldier from the base drove them out in a Humvee, where Rossi and Hannah were already waiting.

Jack braced himself and walked up, only to be tightly embraced by Hannah, who had been terrified for days and couldn't stop crying upon seeing him. This was the first time Jack had seen the sweet girl cry like this, filling him with overwhelming guilt.

Fortunately, Hannah knew this wasn't the right place for such emotions and soon composed herself, wiping away her tears and stepping aside.

"Thank you, David," Jack said sincerely to the visibly exhausted Rossi.

"I had to get you back as soon as possible, otherwise, I was worried you'd take out all the armed militants on the island by yourself, and then the CIA wouldn't let you off," Rossi joked, though it wasn't particularly funny.

The ride back was somewhat awkward. When they came to pick up Jack, Hannah had driven with Rossi. On the way back, Jack drove, with Rossi in the passenger seat, and the two men occasionally chatted about what had happened in the past few days, while the two girls in the back remained silent.

The sniper case in Des Plaines had just been solved, with Reid playing a significant role. The perpetrator was a "heroic killer" who aimed to injure his victims and then appear to rescue them. After a psychological profile identified the killer, a dramatic conclusion ensued. Hotchner and Reid confronted the killer in the hospital to prevent a massacre. Jack's persistent shooting training with Reid paid off, as the killer's arrogance led him to underestimate Reid, who successfully neutralized the threat with a precise shot to the forehead.

Hotchner, Reid, and Emily were on their way back to Los Angeles, eager to catch up with Jack and Jess.

The drive from the Air Force base to Los Angeles took nearly six hours. By the time they dropped Rossi off at his Beverly Hills mansion, it was late at night.

Throughout the journey, Rossi had sensed the tension between the two girls in the back seat. As he got out of the car, he gave Jack a knowing look and silently mouthed, "Good luck."

With Rossi gone, Jack felt even more pressured. He asked tentatively, "Uh, who should I drop off first?"

"Your place!" the two girls replied in unison, startling him. Though he mostly feigned his fear, there was genuine concern. If a fight broke out, he wouldn't dare help Jess, knowing Hannah could easily overpower her. And if he sided with Jess, he'd just hope Hannah wouldn't shoot him in the head.

The girls, of course, didn't go to his place to fight. They dropped Jack and his two suitcases at his doorstep, then drove off together.

Whatever happened afterward was unknown, but the next day, Hannah showed up at Jack's place as usual, acting as if nothing had happened, though Jack discreetly checked with Jess to ensure she was okay.

Despite Jack's subtle probing, he couldn't glean any information from either girl. Everything seemed normal yet somehow different.

Jack wasn't one to overthink things. Since nothing major had happened, and the girls weren't avoiding him, he decided to let it go for now, planning to investigate later.

The forced landing incident had caused a significant stir worldwide. Pioneer Airlines spent heavily to secure strict confidentiality agreements with the survivors. The FBI also intervened to ensure the identities of their two agents were not exposed. Fortunately, the passengers were unaware of Jack and Jess's true identities, seeing them only as the captain and a flight attendant, both of whom signed several secret documents.

During the following period, Pioneer Airlines released some half-true, half-false accounts of the incident to the media, making Captain Hightower a national hero. 

Well, a Scotsman who didn't consider himself British becoming a U.S. national hero seemed odd but somehow fitting.

Writing transition chapters is tough, so I'll get some sleep early today. I'll work on a few more cases later and try to make them interesting.

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