The White House crisis had been successfully resolved. Marines had now fully secured the grounds. Whether on the lawns or inside the White House itself, there were armed posts every few steps—tight and unrelenting security.
Owen was eventually carried out on a stretcher. His identity—and Staz's—were quickly confirmed. The members of Alloy Squad arrived shortly after.
Looking down at Staz's body, squad leader Sandman turned to Owen and asked, "Just him?"
Owen, still gasping for air, glanced at Sandman and gave a weary nod. A medic was busy bandaging the wound on his chest.
Sandman nodded to his team. Alloy Squad split into two groups and began sweeping the area again. Their mission wasn't just to rescue hostages—it also included eliminating the Delta Force defectors.
"Command center, this is Alloy Squad. Some of the hostiles are disguised as Marine personnel—be advised for identification."
"Command center copies. Alloy Squad will continue clearing the White House interior. External screening will be handled by the Marines."
Lieutenant General Pavell, the operation commander, immediately relayed the new order. Within minutes, gunfire erupted in the northeast corner. One of Staz's men, disguised as a Marine, was caught after giving the wrong password and was swiftly neutralized.
Seconds later, more shots rang out from the west—another impostor had been discovered.
Elsewhere, a wounded man was being loaded into an ambulance by two Marines. As a doctor checked his injuries, one of the soldiers received the command center's new alert. Turning to check the patient, he was met with a blade driven into his heart.
The impostor quickly killed the doctor and driver as well. The scene was witnessed by others outside, who immediately raised the alarm. The ambulance sped off, sirens wailing, but didn't make it past the first security perimeter before it was riddled with bullets and crashed into a tree—completely immobilized.
That one-minute knife fight had drained Owen more than the entire escape and gunfights before it. He was carried onto another ambulance by two Marines. The hostages in the engineering level were already being rescued; Owen didn't need to worry. Walker had already led a team to retrieve them—his girlfriend Jennifer was still there waiting for him.
The rest of the White House was swiftly cleared. By 7:00 PM, night had fallen, but it did little to dampen the media's fervor. Powerful floodlights bathed the surrounding areas in a dazzling brightness.
On the street outside, Jennifer leaned into Walker's arms as he gently stroked her hair and spoke on the phone.
"Yes, Dad, I'm fine. Everything's okay now. Yes, I'm with Jennifer, and she's fine too. Oh, Mom, please don't cry. I really am okay. What? You're coming to Washington tomorrow? You don't have to—really. Okay, okay, I'll come pick you up then…"
Nearby, Benjamin Affleck found his father, the Secretary of State, being examined by paramedics. When he saw him standing unharmed, tears streamed down his face.
"Dad, I…"
They embraced. The Secretary patted his son's shoulder with a smile. Standing off to the side, the Secretary of Defense and Owen silently observed them.
"Where's your family, son?" the Secretary of Defense asked with a kind smile.
"They're not in D.C.," Owen replied with a shrug.
The Secretary nodded, then suddenly stood at attention and saluted.
"I want to thank you. Not just for saving me, but for saving all of us. For saving America."
Owen nodded in acknowledgment, not rejecting the gesture.
"I want to thank you too. My name's Jonathan Affleck," the Secretary of State added, walking over with his son.
"Thank you for saving my father, Owen."
Benjamin gave Owen a warm hug, which made Owen wince in pain.
"Sorry! I forgot you were hurt," Benjamin apologized sheepishly, though his expression remained full of gratitude. Back when Owen was with the CTU in Los Angeles, Benjamin had been the assistant to the head of the FBI there—Womack. The two had worked together before. Who would've thought that after all this time, Owen would be the one to save his father.
…
Earlier that afternoon, it had been announced that President Palmer would deliver his first public address after the White House incident at 7:30 PM. The Marine Corps was conducting one final round of security sweeps. After such a catastrophic breach, the Secret Service was no longer deemed trustworthy—the President's security now rested solely with his direct Marine Corps guard.
Security was airtight. The address would take place on the White House's front lawn. Around 30 media representatives were present, surrounded by over ten times as many Marines. Every rooftop and potential sniper vantage point had been occupied by security forces to ensure absolute safety. At this point, democracy and civil rights took a back seat—presidential safety was paramount.
At exactly 7:30 PM, President David Palmer stepped onto the temporary platform in front of the fountain. The crowd erupted. This was his first public appearance since the crisis began, and camera flashes lit up the night sky.
Standing before the press and rows of soldiers, President Palmer's expression was solemn. He waited for the flashing to die down slightly, then began to speak in a low, powerful voice.
"Ladies and gentlemen, strong and resilient Americans—today, America fell for ten hours. It was a dark chapter. The White House was taken. I myself was placed in danger. Many agents, staff, and soldiers lost their lives. For that, I express my deepest sorrow.
Like 9/11, this is a lesson that will be recorded in history. America, and the world, stood on the brink of nuclear war. The madness of these terrorists was beyond anything we imagined. But—God bless America—we endured. The terrorists were eliminated. The White House has been retaken.
And let me reaffirm this—our resolve to eradicate terrorism has never wavered. The complete annihilation of terrorism is a mission the United States has pursued in the past, continues to pursue today, and will relentlessly pursue in the future.
So today, to all military personnel, to all law enforcement watching here or across the nation—and to the world—I declare: a new war begins today. America stands irreconcilably opposed to terrorism. We will actively participate in anti-terrorism efforts both at home and abroad. In this war on terror, we will stop at nothing to defeat terrorist organizations and wipe away this national disgrace."
President Palmer's gaze was unwavering as he delivered these words. At this moment, not only Americans but audiences worldwide were watching this live broadcast. Palmer had been in office just over a year—his stance now reflected America's stance on terrorism.
As his speech concluded, President Palmer stepped back and turned to face the White House. The cameras followed, focusing on the rooftop.
In every network's broadcast, under the eyes of the world, the Stars and Stripes began to rise once more atop the White House flagpole. News channels everywhere switched between footage of the terrorists burning the flag earlier and this moment of its proud return—playing the contrast over and over.
As Americans watched the images, a deep sense of pride welled up in their hearts. Cheers broke out in bars. People celebrated like it was the World Cup.
They might not have liked this President. But they loved their country. And their country was the strongest in the world—no question. That pride wouldn't let them be shamed by terrorism.
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