After dinner and some casual chatting, it was time for the nightly TV ritual. His mother and Amanda were very committed to their shows.
Owen, not a fan of binge-watching, retreated to his room to call Monica.
Newly in love, they had endless things to talk about. Owen stayed on the phone for nearly two hours, to the point where his phone started heating up, yet he still wasn't ready to hang up.
Amanda, done with her drama, chatted with their mom for a bit before heading upstairs.
Just as she was about to enter her room, she suddenly remembered—it had been a while since she last hung out in Owen's room.
Since he was back now, why not pop in for a chat?
But as she reached his door, just about to knock, she heard him talking inside.
She paused, listening carefully.
Wait…
Was he flirting with someone?!
Steve has a girlfriend!!!
The flames of gossip burned brightly in Amanda's heart. She had to share this discovery.
And who better to share it with than—Mom.
Two minutes later, two figures tiptoed up the stairs and pressed their ears against Owen's door.
Inside, Owen remained blissfully unaware of the eavesdroppers.
He had just cracked a dirty joke, making Monica burst into laughter.
Women were funny that way—if they liked you, dirty jokes were charming. If they didn't, you were just a creep.
Surprisingly, Monica, usually cool and reserved, was very into raunchy humor. She had practically drained his supply of jokes already.
Suddenly, Owen noticed a slight shift in the light beneath the door.
A shadow.
Someone was outside.
Frowning, he put his phone down and jumped off the bed, yanking the door open in one swift motion.
Standing there were Amanda and their mom—both looking guilty as hell.
"Mom? Amanda? What… exactly are you two doing?"
"Uh…"
The two women exchanged awkward glances.
"Well… it's getting late, so I came to remind you to get some rest…"
"Uh, yeah, me too."
They turned on their heels and bolted, not giving Owen a chance to say anything.
Of course, he immediately knew what they had been up to.
Amanda practically sprinted into her room.
Their mom retreated too, but just before closing her door, she threw in one last comment.
"Oh, by the way, Steve… that third joke was pretty good. I liked it."
Click.
Owen stood there, expressionless, his brain short-circuiting.
Then Amanda popped her head back out.
"Uh, Steve… who's the girl? How's her figure? Super hot?"
Her face was full of gossip-hungry curiosity.
Then she saw the way his expression darkened, and—slam!—her door shut immediately.
The next morning, neither his mom nor Amanda woke him up for breakfast.
They probably figured he was exhausted and wanted him to rest.
By the time Owen woke up, the house was empty.
Glancing at the clock, he realized it was already 10 AM.
Damn, he really had been drained.
Despite the afternoon nap yesterday, his body had gone straight into deep sleep mode at night.
There was a lot he needed to do today.
After a quick shower, he grabbed his phone, debating who to call first.
Just as he was about to dial Jack, his phone rang.
Jack.
"Hey, Jack, I was just about to call you."
"Owen, you're back?"
"Yeah, got home yesterday afternoon."
"Alright. Chloe told me to call you this morning. What's the big intel?"
Owen had wanted to contact Jack from the cargo ship using their satellite phone, but with so many people around, it didn't feel safe.
So instead, he'd asked Chloe to relay the message for him.
Since he hadn't had his phone with him during the mission, he had to wait until he was back home.
"It's about something we found at Montel's hideout.
We ran into a guy claiming to be part of an organization called 'White Mask'…"
Owen quickly summarized everything about White Mask.
Jack's voice was serious.
"Got it. I'll increase the threat level on them and notify the NSA and CIA to help dig up more intel."
Owen nodded.
"What's the situation with the Montel family?"
"Gone. Wiped off the map.
Two days ago, someone systematically attacked all remaining Montel family members. Even the third-generation heirs studying abroad weren't spared.
All 21 members of the Montel bloodline—men, women, children—dead.
The Colombian government is calling it 'civilian conflict,' but we all know it was rival cartels carving up the remains."
Hearing that even the women and kids were executed made Owen pause.
But the feeling passed quickly.
That was just how it worked.
He hadn't personally pulled the trigger—so by cartel standards, he had already been merciful.
Still, damn.
Sam and the others had predicted the collapse of the Montel family, but even they probably hadn't expected it to happen this fast.
"We were out at sea after rescuing Monica, so we didn't get updates right away. I figured they'd be finished, but not this quickly."
Jack shifted topics.
"By the way, some of my contacts in the CIA are planning to take credit for the Montel job."
Owen nodded.
He had already been briefed on this by Sam.
Since ASH and the others would likely inform Womack too, there was no reason to keep it secret from Jack.
"Yeah, I know. Just wanted to give CTU a heads-up."
Jack's voice was calm.
"Already got the memo. The CIA reached out to me yesterday."
Owen blinked.
Damn, Sam's guys work fast.
They had only just returned to L.A., and the CIA was already making moves.
Still, that wasn't Owen's problem.
Once the CIA, FBI, and CTU started their political chess game, small fries like him had no place in it.
"Oh, by the way—when can I go back to work? Am I reporting to CTU tomorrow?"
Owen cared about his own situation.
His suspension had been a protective measure, but now that the mission was done, there shouldn't be any more obstacles.
"No. Wait a little longer."
Jack's voice was firm.
"This is a sensitive time.
You just vanished, and then—boom—the Montel family gets wiped out.
Then, right after that, you suddenly reappear?
That's way too suspicious.
Stay low for a couple of days. I have other plans for you."
Owen sighed.
"Fine."
Once he hung up, he grabbed his car keys, ready to head out.
But just as he reached the door, he paused.
Then he sat back down, pulled out his phone, and dialed Chloe.
"Hey, Chloe. It's Owen."
"Oh, Owen. What now? Another message relay?"
Her voice sounded light—clearly, she was in a good mood today.
"No, no. This time, I need a favor."
"You need a favor? Oh boy. What kind of trouble are you dragging me into?"
Owen chuckled.
"You once said I could ask for your help if I needed anything…"
"Alright, alright. What do you want?"
"Find me an apartment near CTU.
Something decent. One-bedroom. I'm moving out."
A long silence.
Owen could imagine Chloe puffing up her cheeks in irritation.
After a moment, she sighed dramatically.
"Owen… you do realize you're making me use government resources to run your personal errands, right?"
Owen grinned.
"One order of dry-fried beef noodles."
"…Deal."
Minutes later, an email arrived on his phone.
The listing was thoroughly detailed.
Damn, this was way better than if he had searched on his own.
"Chloe, you're amazing."
"You're an idiot. But hey, if you need more help in the future… make sure the bribe is good enough."
Yep.
Dealing with food lovers was so much easier.
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