From beginning to end, it had taken less than three minutes.
More precisely, not even one minute.
At the designated positions, after comparing the bank's floor plan retrieved by headquarters with the robbers' locations on the surveillance footage, the two assault teams immediately began their forced breach from both sides according to the original plan.
Yet, for some reason, the moment they entered through a blasted-open doorway, all contact vanished without a trace.
"First Team, report your status. I repeat, report your status!"
"What about Second Team? Second Team, speak up!!!"
No one answered.
The communications channel was utterly silent, completely cut off.
From the plaza, they could faintly hear gunfire from inside, along with roars and shrill cries.
"Ambush! It's an ambush... no, that's not right..."
That piercing voice abruptly cut off, becoming impossible to hear clearly.
Inside the command room, everyone's faces darkened at once. They stared fixedly at the surveillance monitor in the corner, only to see... those figures in headscarves holding weapons were still patrolling, talking loudly as though nothing had happened.
Even the planned entry points were completely undamaged.
Thus, the command room became so quiet that even breathing could not be heard.
Only cold sweat slowly seeped from their foreheads, winding down in droplets.
The director's expression gradually went blank.
Fake.!!
This surveillance footage was all fucking fake!!!
BOOM!!!
The moment the action teams entered the bank, beyond the breach, in the hall around the corner, there were no robbers or terrorists lying in wait, nor were there any of the numerous hostages shown in the surveillance footage.
There was only an empty space, where over a dozen paper targets printed with the likeness of the East City Governor stood upright. The life-sized standees even waved at them, gesturing with the Governor's signature amicable