Chapter 8: Saving People

North Hole Prison is a facility specifically dedicated to incarcerating women. While the prison itself is neither particularly important nor terrifying, the women held within its walls are far from ordinary. It is also one of the few prisons in the United States that is entirely managed by female guards and has never been embroiled in any scandals.

The prison's unique characteristic lies in housing women who pose political threats or harm to the state. This official explanation is merely a facade; in reality, the true purpose of the prison is to gather rare female criminal masterminds together to serve the nation. Notably, the Black Widow once served time here before being recruited by Nick Fury into S.H.I.E.L.D.

Driving about ten kilometers away from the prison, Peter found himself in a rocky area formed by desert mountains. Glancing at the map, he began to feel conflicted. The woman named Misty Knight seemed to have committed a serious offense—she had freed a man labeled a terrorist. Moreover, Misty Knight's background was quite tragic.

Growing up in a poor neighborhood, she worked hard in school. Unfortunately, amid the chaos of her living situation, her cousin was raped and subsequently murdered. In her grief, Misty refused to pursue a path of vengeance and instead aspired to become a police officer who could help prevent tragedies like her cousin's from happening to others.

Her innocence as a child was commendable. Misty Knight graduated from the New York Police Academy with top honors and became a patrol officer...

"What's the connection between this woman and the old man? They don't even look alike!"

The photo of Misty Knight didn't resemble the old man much at all, raising doubts about their supposed father-daughter relationship. Misty Knight had a father; if the old man knew her mother, did he perhaps live next door or stay with them at some point?

Peter disguised his car with rocks and secured the fabric with nails to prevent it from blowing away in the wind. He suited up in full combat gear—two submachine guns, twelve magazines, a grenade launcher, and three grenades, plus five additional grenades strapped to his waist, should be sufficient for his needs. His handgun had an infinite supply of ammunition; whenever a magazine was spent in the void, another would mysteriously appear in his pocket for reloading.

With everything prepared, he donned his night vision goggles, focused on the direction, and began to sprint. The side kick not only provided him with powerful close-range attacks, but it also enhanced his physical capabilities. He covered ten kilometers in half an hour without breaking a sweat. By eleven-thirty at night, he approached the prison walls. Since the patrols were all female, this was not particularly dangerous, and threats could be dealt with using bullets.

Attaching a suppressor to his submachine gun, he secured his handgun at his waist and disengaged the safety. He didn't plan on blowing a hole in the five-meter-high wall with a grenade, as that would attract too much attention. After all, there was a U.S. military base thirty kilometers away, and Black Hawk helicopters could reach the scene in as little as fifteen minutes. At that point, he wouldn't just be battling a group of prison guards, but rather contend with the full might of the U.S. military.

He retrieved a knife from his backpack and climbed the five-meter wall silently. There were two electric fences above, but Peter pulled out his prepared banana pliers. The entire setup had cost him over ten thousand dollars; asking the old man for twenty thousand and then haggling felt rather audacious. 

After successfully scaling the wall, he noticed the defenses were quite lax. There were no searchlights at night, and the patrolling women seemed more like they were leisurely strolling than actively guarding. The area felt more like a hideout for criminals, as the internal doors lacked even basic alarm systems. He easily used his knife to cut through the wall and pry open the door.

"Cell 356…"

The back of Misty Knight's photo bore her cell number. He carefully approached along the corridor, noticing how bare it looked. The layout of the corridor was quite symmetrical; he found himself in a blind spot, which seemed to be the only gap available. Peter felt a headache coming on but decided to walk boldly forward.

Within five minutes, alarms blared. He didn't know the prison's internal structure well, but following the map and wall diagrams, he quickly located Misty Knight's cell. He wondered if Americans were truly foolish enough to leave maps inside a prison, fearing that inmates might escape. Were they preparing for another season of *Prison Break*?

As footsteps drew nearer, he tossed a grenade to collapse the entrance and fired his submachine gun toward the corridor's opposite side. The patrolling female officers seemed unwilling to approach and gradually retreated. This saved Peter a lot of trouble; bullets cost money. He located the elevator and pressed the button. Though he thought the elevator might be controlled to stop midway, his assumption proved to be incorrect. The elevator functioned normally, taking him to the second floor, right in front of Misty Knight's cell.

"Crap!"

The cell door was already open. It seemed someone had rescued Misty Knight before him. Quickly dialing the phone, Peter suspected that the old man might be playing tricks on him. The elevator might have been tampered with, allowing it to function normally. Misty Knight must have many friends.

"Hello! Old man, someone beat me to it! How do we settle this?!"

Two paths lay ahead: one led to the guards' resting area, while the other seemed to lead to the rooftop. Noticing hurried signs on the ground, he spotted a footprint exiting a nearby room, heading toward the roof. With a sense of gamble, he decided to pursue the rooftop route, securing his submachine gun behind him and chambering a round in his handgun as he cautiously advanced toward his target.

"Do you know your phone signal can be traced? …F**k! …"

The old man's furious voice erupted over the phone, loud enough to compete with the blaring alarms surrounding him. Peter quickly pulled the phone away from his ear, waiting for the old man to finish his tirade before asking again.

"I spent over ten thousand on gear; can you reimburse me for that?"

"Get lost! Just make sure she leaves safely, and I'll still give you twenty grand!"

After hanging up, the old man seemed to have aged ten years from the stress Peter caused him. Following the upward path, he reached the fourth floor. He was too lazy to seek other exits, pulling a grenade from his waist and counting to three before tossing it toward the ceiling. The explosion shattered the skylight, creating an opening. He jumped lightly and pulled himself up through the gap.

"Another woman? Are these two not a couple?"

A helicopter hovered nearby, piloted by a striking woman clad in a bright white, snug-fitting suit with long golden hair. From below, Misty Knight, with her signature frizzy hair, was the only one of her kind in the entire prison, holding a notebook as if she were stealing some information and not boarding the helicopter.

"Misty Knight?!"

The two women clearly noticed Peter. The golden-haired woman leaped down from the helicopter, and Peter quickly raised his hands above his head. "Lady, don't you see I'm armed to the teeth? You've got a knife, and we're over thirty meters apart! You think you're Hanzo, ready to unzip my pants at will?!"

"Who are you?!"

The blonde woman boldly drew her weapon, but she quickly realized that Peter didn't seem to be there to capture Misty Knight. Peter pulled a photo from his pocket, waving it as he approached and handed it to the woman. Misty Knight appeared to have completed her mission; it was clear that she hadn't been captured but had chosen to enter the prison voluntarily to experience life there. The old man was worried for nothing!

"I'm here to rescue you from prison, but it seems I might have come in vain."

Seeing the photo, Misty Knight looked puzzled. After explaining, Peter pointed to the helicopter and then turned around, switching his gun to fire at the exit. His ears were sharp; the approaching footsteps clearly did not belong to another group coming to rescue Misty Knight. He quickly tossed a grenade, not looking back at the two women. His mission was to ensure Misty Knight's safe departure, and a helicopter was undoubtedly a far better means than dragging her out himself.

The two women showed no intention of inviting Peter aboard the helicopter or offering him a ride. They took off quickly, disappearing into the night sky. Peter swiftly fired to block the exit, watching the helicopter vanish before retreating in the opposite direction. He did not intend to kill anyone; instead, he fired indiscriminately. If he hit someone, it would be purely by chance; it wouldn't reflect his aim but rather their misfortune...

The prison's design on one side led to a completely enclosed road. On the other side of the basketball court was barbed wire; no one would think that anyone could escape from there. Jumping from a height of nearly twelve meters, he rolled upon landing to absorb the impact. He then tossed a grenade toward the barbed wire, and as it exploded, Peter accelerated, diving through the newly created opening like a cheetah sprinting away towards his car in the vast desert ahead.