Chapter 93: First Encounter with the SWAT Team
Half an hour later, Owen arrived at the SWAT training facility.
The facility was located within the city. The FBI had to consider rapid response times—placing it in the suburbs might be safer, but it would also significantly delay deployment.
The security guards at the entrance had clearly been informed of his arrival. After Owen reported his CTU credentials, they let him through.
A staff member led him to a conference room, where a group of people in tactical gear was already gathered. They seemed to be in the middle of a briefing, led by a woman at the front.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Steve Owen, from Los Angeles CTU. Today's my first day here."
Owen greeted the group from the doorway.
"Whoa, he's the guy who jumped off the rooftop at Zhongchen Tower! Hey, kid, I like you!"
Someone in the crowd joked loudly, triggering laughter from the rest of the team. Owen shrugged—not a bad start, he supposed.
His eyes shifted toward the woman leading the meeting. She was also dressed in tactical gear, her hair tied into a braided ponytail.
This had to be Elisa Cohen, the elite SWAT commander that Womack had spoken so highly of.
"You must be Ms. Cohen—"
"STOP. Call me 'ASH.' And there are no 'Misses' here. Only commanders and team members."
She cut him off coldly before he could even finish his sentence.
Clearly, she wasn't one to be messed with.
Then, she turned to the rest of the team and announced, "This is the rookie I just mentioned. Campbell, he's yours now. Take some time to explain our rules to him."
A young Black man named Campbell responded with a nod.
Owen immediately recognized him—he was the same guy who had joked about his rooftop jump earlier.
"Today's training focus is CQB. Get ready—we start in 30 minutes at the training ground."
With that, the meeting ended.
One by one, the team members exited, barely acknowledging Owen's presence. Standing awkwardly at the door, he quickly realized that no one was particularly interested in welcoming him.
In the end, it was Campbell who walked over with a casual grin.
"Don't take it personally. They just haven't warmed up to you yet. Come on, I'll show you the ropes."
Campbell led Owen to the locker room and pointed to a locker.
"This one's yours. Get changed—training's starting soon."
Owen nodded, finding a full set of tactical gear inside. He began gearing up while Campbell did the same.
As they dressed, Campbell continued, "Alright, listen up. Rule number one—never call ASH by her real name. Everyone here knows she hates being called Elisa Cohen. So don't even think about it unless you wanna get your ass kicked."
"Rule number two—no 'Miss' or 'Ma'am.' You call her Commander or just Boss. Got it?"
Owen mentally noted both rules.
---
At the training ground, the SWAT team lined up, fully geared.
Owen stood at the end of the line, his expression slightly amused—because he had just spotted a familiar face.
It was Monica Weiss.
The same blonde woman he had competed against at the IPSC shooting range.
He hadn't expected to run into her here—but now, it made sense. No wonder her shooting skills were so sharp—she was SWAT.
What didn't make sense, however, was how she was completely ignoring him—as if she didn't even recognize him.
"Owen, you're on rear guard. Stay sharp and observe."
Training began.
Owen had assumed that, as a newcomer, he'd be a spectator for his first session. But ASH had thrown him straight into action.
That wasn't necessarily a bad thing—it gave him a closer look at SWAT's tactics and how the team coordinated in real time.
The rear guard position was a crucial role.
Most team members focused on what's ahead—but the rear guard was responsible for watching their backs, ensuring 360-degree security and covering blind spots.
It also meant he had to move backward for most of the mission.
Advance, advance!
The team entered the CQB training area.
Monica took the lead as the first breach operator.
Campbell was second.
ASH, as team commander, took third.
The fire support units followed behind.
Owen, as rear guard, took up the last position.
The training facility simulated various environments—hallways, door breaches, hostage situations.
Today's scenario was a hostage rescue.
Owen followed along, performing his role properly. ASH glanced at him a few times and seemed satisfied—he wasn't as incompetent as she had initially assumed.
They reached the target room—the door was locked.
ASH signaled, and the team stacked up on either side of the door.
The door was a standard American design—hinged on one side, locked on the other, with a possible chain lock inside.
ASH gestured to Campbell, who immediately slung his M4A1 onto his back and pulled out a Remington M870 shotgun.
This particular shotgun was specifically for breaching. It was loaded with breaching rounds—shells filled with zinc powder that generated high-temperature jets, destroying lock mechanisms.
SWAT teams typically used two types of shotguns:
- Remington M870 – for breaching.
- Benelli M1 Super 90 – for combat.
Campbell aimed at the door lock and fired.
BOOM!
There were two types of breaching:
- Cold breaching – using tools like battering rams or crowbars.
- Hot breaching – using firearms or explosives.
Hot breaching itself had two methods:
- Shotgun breaching – destroying the lock or breaking the chain.
- Explosive breaching – using detonation charges.
Explosive breaching had two main types:
1. Strip charges – attached to the door's hinge side, blasting it open.
2. Water charges – also known as "water bombs," using liquid pressure to safely blast doors off their hinges.
Campbell had gone with the simplest method—shotgun breaching.
The moment the lock shattered, he kicked the door open and threw in a flashbang.
BANG!
As the stun grenade detonated, Monica and ASH, as primary and secondary breachers, rushed in and took down the hostiles in seconds.
The fire support team followed immediately.
Fast. Precise.
By the time Owen entered, the hostage had already been secured.
As rear guard, he hadn't done much—but he had gained valuable insight into SWAT's tactics and teamwork.
The rest of the afternoon was spent repeating CQB drills—searching, clearing, and hostage rescue.
CTU and FBI must have negotiated something, because the level of training they gave Owen was exceptional—almost like a private session.
They rotated him through every role:
- Rear Guard
- Breacher
- Fire Support
- Secondary Breacher
- Primary Breacher
By the time he was assigned to lead entry, some team members protested.
"Are you serious? A rookie as the point man? This isn't a damn game."
At that moment, Monica spoke up:
"I don't know about his tactics—but his shooting is solid."
The room fell silent.
Monica's marksmanship was legendary in their unit. If she vouched for him…
Campbell's gossip radar flared up, but Monica shut him down with a glare.
Owen noted with amusement—this woman had wasted a perfectly good face on a permanent scowl.