Chapter 11 in the parking lot

Chapter 11 in the parking lot

"Are you alright?" Angela offered a cup of coffee.

Jack shook his head and accepted the coffee. "The feeling of forcibly separating a close relative from a child is truly terrible. I checked, and this individual has no criminal record. His actions yesterday were just a mistake. Prior to that, he was an honest and good man."

Angela shrugged: "I never claimed that patrolling is an easy job, whether physically or psychologically. He might have been a good man, but it doesn't change the fact that he committed a crime."

Jack said, sipping the coffee two or three times, before shrugging, "Perhaps, poor kid, the world can be cruel." But an idea was already forming in his mind.

In the afternoon, everyone was summoned back to the police station. In the morning, while Jack and Angela were apprehending the child's father, officers John and Talia Bishop arrested a wanted man who had escaped from court.

The wanted criminal's escape was to attend his daughter's coming-of-age ceremony. John, the compassionate officer, refrained from arresting him in public, which earned him gratitude, and the criminal provided a crucial clue to a drug transaction. Superintendent Gray called a meeting in the conference room, assigning tasks to everyone.

"The drug deal will take place at the parking lot behind Stone's Home Goods Store on Sunset Boulevard. At three o'clock in the afternoon, a car will arrive from Mexico carrying 80 kilograms of cocaine and park there."

Lucy took notes and asked, "So, the criminals are going to meet and conduct the deal in broad daylight?"

Tim, with experience, explained, "This kind of department store parking lot is an excellent choice. The entrances and exits are smooth, and the large crowd provides the perfect cover."

Superintendent Gray added, "The transaction process is straightforward. The driver will leave the vehicle, leaving the key, and the buyer will follow closely. They'll get into the car and drive away. The whole process will take less than a minute."

"According to the informant, the drugs are concealed in a red Honda Civic with a Nevada license plate. There are only two entrances and exits to the parking lot. Here's the specific division of labor." After listening to the deployment, Jack, not mentioned by name, raised his hand, confused. "What about me?"

Superintendent Gray pointed to him, "You'll drive a police car and follow me alone. I'll be in civilian clothes, observing in the parking lot, and you'll provide cover."

At 2:55 PM, Jack parked the police car behind Superintendent Gray's old Buick and pretended to issue a ticket to him. The African-American commander, holding a small telescope, surveyed the parking lot, then picked up the walkie-talkie and said, "I've spotted a buyer. Three Latino-looking suspects in a blue Dodge Ram, and the red Honda Civic has not been found yet."

John, Lucy, two rookie teams, and another group consisting of Hannah and Angela were hiding in the two alleys. They acknowledged the message via walkie-talkie.

Five minutes later, a red Honda Civic with Nevada license plates slowly entered the parking lot. A guy wearing a wool cap got out of the car and hurriedly walked to an unattended Toyota pickup at the other end of the parking lot.

Simultaneously, a man alighted from the blue Dodge Ram, climbed into the driver's seat of the Honda Civic, started the car, and prepared to leave.

"Action!" Following Superintendent Gray's order, two police cars activated their sirens and blocked the entrances and exits of the parking lot. The suspect died on the spot, and the Honda Civic, loaded with drugs, forcefully drove through the green belt to escape. A group of police cars, including Lucy and Tim, accelerated and pursued the vehicle.

Superintendent Gray also started his Buick, followed by the Dodge Ram, and Jack quickly kept up.

The Dodge Ram, about to escape, discovered that John and Talia Bishop's police car was blocking the road ahead. A gangster in the passenger seat jumped out of the car and used a nearby parked car as cover while firing with a semi-automatic rifle.

The Dodge Ram accelerated recklessly, screeching tires and gunshots echoing throughout the parking lot.

With a loud crash, the Dodge Ram collided with Superintendent Gray's Buick, and the airbag instantly knocked the African-American commander unconscious. The thug stepped out of the car and started shooting at the Buick's cabin.

Jack, who had just parked the police car about 20 meters away, was terrified when he witnessed the scene. He didn't have time to turn around and retrieve the M16 from the backseat. He couldn't even get out of the car to confront the assailant.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment, and the firefight between the other thug and John's group, not far away, sounded distant yet magnified. Jack could even see the bloodshot veins around the thug's pupils.

As the criminal raised the AK, Jack's Glock also fired, and the gunshots kept going until the magazine was empty.

Pressing the button on the gun's handle, the empty magazine automatically dropped due to gravity. Jack swiftly advanced, replacing it with a new magazine. The thug on the ground was already lifeless.

Without bothering to inspect the body further, Jack kicked the AK on the ground and continued moving forward. He approached another thug who was still resisting, pointing his gun at the thug's back and ordering, "Drop the weapon and put your hands on your head!"

Seeing John moving forward to handcuff the surrendered thug, Jack finally relaxed. He noticed his concerned colleagues gathering around him, and a thought crossed his mind. He trembled and leaned against the car, feeling nauseated.

Superintendent Gray, who had regained consciousness, stood beside him, patting him on the shoulder and asking, "Are you okay?"

Jack feigned weakness, waving his hand and saying, "I'm fine, maybe I was just too nervous."

Superintendent Gray's usually stern face displayed a somewhat eerie smile as he praised, "Well done, kid. You saved my life."

At that moment, a call came through the intercom. Lucy and Tim, who were pursuing the Honda Civic, successfully apprehended the last suspect.

Hannah, covering her mouth while checking the bodies on the ground, and Angela, who appeared composed, also approached Jack. Angela playfully punched Jack in the chest and said, "All that daily gun practice at the shooting range in the past few weeks paid off. You're the best rookie I've ever seen with on-the-spot responses. It's the first time I've witnessed someone hitting 15 shots with a Glock from over 20 meters away in a real combat situation."

Jack was taken aback and approached the corpse. He saw multiple gunshot wounds in the lower abdomen and neck, with the chest nearly blown apart, a gory and chaotic sight. He couldn't fathom how Angela managed to count all 15 shots.

Although every detail of the shooting was still fresh in his memory, Jack couldn't help but feel uneasy. He wondered if he had been too aggressive in his performance. Even if he missed a couple of shots, it would be easier to explain later.

With a sudden realization, he accessed the system in his mind and saw a new notification: "Congratulations to the host for successfully utilizing mental power in actual combat, and pistol shooting proficiency has improved."

He understood that mental power and physical attributes and skills were interconnected. Thankfully, he had broken through the mental power threshold of 20 earlier; otherwise, not only would his pistol shooting not have improved, but Superintendent Gray might have lost his life.

This system didn't provide clear explanations, forcing him to rely on his own exploration, which was truly frustrating.

As a result of the parking lot shootout, all the officers who fired their guns were granted three days of administrative leave, pending confirmation of the legality of the shots by the District Attorney's Office. Before leaving work, Jack approached Superintendent Gray alone and made a request.

"You bailed out the guy who stole your evidence?" After another intense battle, Zoe, now completely exhausted, drew circles on Jack's chest as usual.

"Yeah, this guy couldn't come up with $2,000, but the bail was $5,000. But most of my recently received salary is gone. I might not eat well this month." Now feeling refreshed, Jack also joked, hugging Zoe as he complained.

As a rookie LAPD officer, the annual salary was only around $70,000 to $80,000, which meant over $6,000 a month. Taking out $5,000 all at once was truly distressing for Jack. He prayed that the guy wouldn't get into trouble again during the bail period; otherwise, he would be in big trouble.

Fortunately, he didn't have the problem of pre-consuming like ordinary Americans, facing a pile of bills at the end of the month. Plus, he lived at Hannah's place, who was a wealthy woman, where he could eat, drink, and stay for free. Other than the money for bullet training, he had few major expenses.

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