Officer John McClane, dressed only in a white tank top and shorts, shakily stepped out of the van the police had used to transport him. As soon as John got out, the van sped away. Walter and his team couldn't be sure if Simon had posted anyone nearby to monitor their actions. They had to strictly follow Simon's instructions, leaving John with a sign reading "I hate N*****s" around his neck and immediately departing. Walter had received assurance from Captain Montgomery that someone nearby would do their best to ensure John's safety.
Standing at the entrance of his hardware store, Zeus saw John McClane get out of the van and noticed the potentially deadly sign around his neck. He knew this was the police officer Richard Castle had asked him to help over the phone. Rushing forward, he hoped to lead the unfortunate officer away before he attracted the attention of the idle street gang members.
Unfortunately, Zeus was a bit too slow. As John descended from the van with the sign, he had already caught the attention of the black gang members loitering on the street. John, a white man, wearing conspicuous white underwear, stood out. As soon as he got out of the van, the gang members noticed him.
When John McClane, carrying the deadly sign, stood on the street, at least five groups of various people noticed the sign's four large words: "I hate N*****s!" The black gang members who initially viewed this white man entering their neighborhood with amusement were instantly enraged. Their faces twisted in fury. A white man, alone in a black neighborhood, bearing such a sign? It was a blatant provocation. If they allowed this man to wander freely, no one would fear them anymore. They had to kill this audacious guy.
As Zeus rushed to lead Officer John McClane to safety, John, unarmed, was already surrounded by a mob of angry black men. Zeus had no choice but to draw his gun, forcing the crowd to back off. He managed to pull the bloodied John away from the mob, his head bleeding from being struck, and together they stumbled away. The crowd didn't disperse but followed closely, still looking for an opportunity to harm the man with the offensive sign.
Seeing the situation, Zeus reluctantly followed Castle's earlier suggestion. He used his gun to hijack a passing car, helping the bleeding John into the vehicle and urging the driver to speed away from the dangerous area.
Walter and his team, monitoring from a distance, breathed a sigh of relief. Montgomery hadn't lied; he had arranged for someone to assist John McClane. However, despite John's escape from the black neighborhood, Walter felt uneasy. He didn't know if the madman Simon would call again with more dangerous demands to satisfy his twisted mind. All Walter could do was wait for Simon's next call.
Meanwhile, the entire New York Police Department had been mobilized to search for more bombs Simon claimed to have planted around the city. However, the information they had was scant. Apart from Captain Montgomery's team at the 12th precinct, the rest had no idea what Simon's true intentions were.
At the site of the Fifth Avenue department store bombing, Detective Beckett was equally frustrated. She had rushed to the scene with Esposito, Ryan, and other officers, only to be joined shortly by the FBI and Homeland Security, who demanded jurisdiction over the case, claiming that any case involving explosives fell under their authority.
Beckett, knowing this explosion was just the beginning of Simon's plan, begrudgingly argued with the federal agents. She was merely following Captain Montgomery's instructions to secure the site until reinforcements from the NYPD headquarters arrived.
Beckett knew she would eventually have to cede the scene to the FBI and Homeland Security. But thanks to Castle's information, she knew this bombing was just an appetizer. So she feigned resistance, channeling her frustration at not being able to confront Simon directly.
Esposito and Ryan, each holding a coffee, stood across the street from the shattered department store, chatting leisurely. They knew this was just a small part of Simon's plan. They weren't worried, knowing the scene would soon be handed over to the eager federal agents. Beckett, although typically upright, couldn't resist giving these opportunistic agents a hard time.
Castle, unconcerned with the turf war between the NYPD, FBI, and Homeland Security, watched Simon prepare for his final heist. Simon's men were planting a massive bomb on the subway that, when detonated, would collapse the entire Wall Street station. This would allow Simon's crew to drive their stolen garbage trucks into the subway tunnel near the Federal Reserve's vault.
Once the bomb was planted, Castle leisurely called Beckett, instructing her to hand over the department store bombing scene to the FBI and Homeland Security. He then told her to evacuate Wall Street station immediately.
Beckett, shocked by the extent of Simon's madness, trusted Castle's information. She handed the scene over to the federal agents and rushed to Wall Street with her team to begin the evacuation.
Beckett also informed Captain Montgomery of the new intel from Castle, who reported it to NYPD headquarters. With Walter preoccupied with John McClane, the commissioner, trusting Montgomery and Castle, gave Montgomery full command of the operation.
Montgomery, seizing the opportunity, issued his first order: fully evacuate Wall Street station, leaving it empty for Simon's bomb. Only by doing this could they understand Simon's true target.
Meanwhile, the exhausted John McClane had just escaped the hostile black neighborhood, returning to the NYPD detective bureau office with Zeus, when Simon's call came in again!
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