Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 623 - 597 Forced Takeoff

Chapter 623: Chapter 597 Forced Takeoff

Gao Yi boarded the plane and followed Nevan into the massive transport aircraft.

The cabin was filled with chairs, none of which were fixed or had seatbelts. If turbulence were encountered mid-air, everyone in the cabin would be tossed up and down, and if it was severe, it could potentially result in fatalities.

The chaotic arrangement of the chairs went without saying.

Now, the cabin was almost full, leaving only a crooked passageway in the middle. Gao Yi planned to find a random seat at the tail of the aircraft, but Nevan stopped him, whispering, "Not here, wait a moment."

Gao Yi boarded the plane alone, but this was only the beginning, not the end.

The standoff continued, but since the Gardener Ben was looking for had already boarded the plane, it seemed there was no longer any need to stop the remaining people from leaving.

Nevan stood at the tail of the plane, looking out.

If Ben decided to withdraw and continue surrounding the plane, then their true target was indeed Gao Yi, and they just wanted to capture the Gardener.

If Ben’s people continued to surround the convoy, it meant capturing the Gardener was just an excuse, and their real target was still Amos.

After a short while, Ben’s men, who hadn’t dared to shoot at Gao Yi, suddenly dispersed.

Nevan felt mixed emotions. He turned to Gao Yi and said, "It really is because of you. This is troubling. Amos is fine, but you’re in trouble."

Ben ignored Amos, the real culprit, but wouldn’t let go of Gao Yi.

Gao Yi had nothing to say.

The convoy moved again, the Secret Action Bureau escorting it directly to the tail of the plane. Then, surrounded by a few from the Secret Action Bureau, Amos boarded the plane.

The C5 transport aircraft was big, capable of loading and unloading large cargo from both the front and rear cabins. However, for a quick takeoff, this C5 didn’t raise the nose to open the front hatch.

The rear hatch alone was sufficient, and the vehicle carrying Amos drove directly onto the plane.

No need to get out of the vehicle, just board the plane directly.

Once on the plane, it was Nevan’s area, essentially CIA territory.

Nevan signaled, and several CIA agents took Amos from the Secret Action Bureau’s group and seated him in a specially designated area.

Ben’s soldiers surrounded the plane and had no intention of leaving, but Nevan seemed reassured, exclaiming joyfully, "Everyone is on board. Close the hatch, take off."

The cabin was packed with quite a few people, at least 200, but at least a quarter of the chairs were still empty, meaning at least fifty more people could board.

But Nevan ordered takeoff without hesitation, and soon after giving the order, a man in a suit approached him, whispering, "We have more people arriving soon. Please wait ten more minutes; they’ll board by then."

"Sorry, this plane has a more important mission."

He refused the request to wait without hesitation, continuing with the intercom, "Ground crew, clear the area, we need to take off immediately."

A soldier on the transport came over urgently to Nevan, saying, "Sir, the captain says our path is blocked. Starting the engines now would severely harm those on the ground."

"Ignore it! Don’t worry about anything, I’ll take responsibility for any issues. Charge ahead, go directly to the runway for takeoff."

In a situation where transportation capacity was extremely tight and precious, Nevan decided to leave many behind. Even when Ben’s soldiers blocked the plane’s path, Nevan insisted on taking off immediately.

He exuded a truly reckless attitude, yet Gao Yi had a question: did Nevan even have the authority to make these decisions?

Seeing Gao Yi’s puzzled look, Nevan approached him, whispering, "Director’s orders: ignore everything. At least for now, the White House will undoubtedly protect you. We need to run quickly to prevent any sabotage in secret."

The United States was never united, with many openly opposing the president and even more secretly against him.

But Panetta was truly a thorough ally. Now Gao Yi might not trust anyone, but he certainly trusted Panetta.

He couldn’t see outside the cabin, but Gao Yi knew Nevan’s words held weight, because after Nevan’s order, the aircraft engines indeed started.

The engine noise was extremely loud, hard to imagine how it felt for those standing under the wings at that moment.

"We’re in the upper cabin, but let’s take off first, we’ll head up later."

Gao Yi nodded, feeling there wasn’t much more to say. Nevan leaned closer, continuing in a whisper, "Actually, this plane full of people is here to protect you as hostages."

Gao Yi was shocked, looking at Nevan incredulously.

Nevan nodded and continued softly, "If it were just you, Ben might actually shoot down the plane. But now, there are diplomats onboard, military families, many important people. Do you think Ben would dare shoot it down now?"

"Uh, indeed... Thank you."

"I’m just following orders, but this strategy was suggested by the Director and approved by the President."

Nevan specifically pointed out this detail, not to take credit for himself, but to let Gao Yi know what Panetta did for his safety.

Indeed, Panetta was the true ally, the real comrade.

Gao Yi nodded, then Nevan’s intercom sounded again. Although Gao Yi couldn’t hear the conversation, Nevan would relay the external situation to him.

"Ben’s vehicles moved aside, the people too, many were blown away by the engines."

Nevan, not without a hint of pride, spoke a few words, but his expression quickly changed. He pointed to someone in the cabin and said, "What’s he doing? He’s on the phone; stop him, confiscate his phone."

Nevan’s face immediately became tense. At first, Gao Yi didn’t understand, but he quickly caught on.

All Ben’s communications were cut off, so anyone still making calls must have a special status, with wartime communication privileges.

CIA agents swiftly maneuvered through the disordered seats, directly reaching the person on the phone and snatching away the satellite phone.

After listening to a couple of words, the three agents signaled to Nevan that it was safe, no issues.

The plane was taxiing, though not at high speed.

Nevan breathed a sigh of relief, telling Gao Yi, "Time’s tight, manpower’s insufficient, there’s no way to check everyone who boarded, but identities were verified individually, so there shouldn’t be any issues."

Gao Yi felt nothing in particular; he had no sense of impending danger.

Nevan, however, seemed extremely tense, continuing quietly, "As long as we take off, it’s fine. Can’t let anything go wrong. Must keep an eye on everyone boarding. Safety first."