Jimmy, although he found the USSS's procedures excessively meticulous, didn't voice any objections; he just followed their lead, knowing that slacking off wasn't limited to whether or not one was inside the police station.
Highway 365 ahead passed through Ritzville and Woodson, then it would leave Plaskey County; Jimmy guessed their destination was probably Ritzville or Woodson. Although he didn't frequent this area, he had never heard of any notable places nearby. Why would the Vice President come here?
In Ritzville, the USSS not only monitored intersections but also inspected surrounding buildings and rooftops. Unfamiliar with the area, Jimmy called in officers from the South District precinct to provide the necessary information to the Special Service Bureau, including details about local gang members, if any.
They then continued forward until they reached Woodson.
Jimmy and an officer from the South District precinct had spent the whole day touring with them before they finally arrived at the small southern town of Woodson.
There was something peculiar about Woodson; although small, the town had several churches. Jimmy usually avoided coming here, as the place made him feel uncomfortable.
The USSS team inspected each intersection and then arranged for vehicles to take Jimmy and the officer back to the station.
After completing the guiding task, Jimmy couldn't discern their ultimate destination. He noted that they checked every location thoroughly, including the woods along the road, sending people in to inspect portions, and using devices for checks.
Jimmy found it all rather baffling; he had seen in movies the meticulous checks carried out by Special Service Bureau bodyguards, but this "carpet-style" search seemed a bit much, although they hadn't gone as far as to check the ground themselves. Still, it went beyond Jimmy's understanding of road condition inspections.
Having returned to the station, Jimmy changed out of his gear. Since his task was completed, he planned to report for rotation leave, which had been due but was canceled because of the wait for the USSS.
After signing out, Jimmy left the station and went straight to the gym. Since getting injured over a year ago, the only time he had, Jimmy had slightly increased the frequency of his gym visits; working on fitness and weight loss, and also boosting his general physical condition.
Of course, the additional benefits of the gym were also a motivator.
Police officers frequenting gyms is quite common, as they spend most of their days sitting and consuming high-calorie meals, leading most officers, irrespective of gender, towards a tendency for obesity.
After working out and resting for over an hour, Jimmy changed his clothes, left the gym, and went home to shower and rest.
The next day at the station, he received some discouraging news. After their inspection of Highway 365 the day before, today LRPD personnel accompanied the USSS to start another investigation from different routes in southern Plaskey County.
It seemed Jimmy's initial belief that they had been over-thorough was mistaken; they not only inspected one road but also brought different personnel to inspect other routes. Despite this, Jimmy still could not deduce the ultimate destination.
The reason for pessimism lay in the possibility Jimmy deduced from their actions: the upcoming visit of the Vice President might not be safe. The USSS must have received some prior information to warrant such careful scrutiny.
Theoretically, for a trip of just a few dozen kilometers, wouldn't it be simpler to borrow a helicopter from a nearby military base, retrofit it as Army Two, and fly directly to the destination?
The areas they were inspecting were all outside Little Rock, meaning they were under county and state police jurisdiction; it looked like Jimmy's upcoming days wouldn't be easy.
With his shift over and starting his two days off, Jimmy thought about how it had been a few days since his last bar visit. Recently, with no private jobs available, Jimmy had lost interest in hanging out at bars constantly.
Today, though his shift had ended, Jimmy decided to visit a bar to relax a bit and see if there was any fun to be had, especially since he might not have time once the Vice President's schedule was fixed.
Jimmy, sticking to his usual routine, sat at the bar. Many regulars recognized him, as he was the only Chinese person there and thus easy to recognize. Exchanging greetings with other patrons, Jimmy enjoyed his rare leisure time.
Justin didn't appear yet; instead, Justin came forward from behind the bar first.
Justin grabbed a drink, clinked glasses with Jimmy, drank it, then put the glass into the recycling rack.
Jimmy was surprised, as Justin seemed to never drink while on his bartender duty.
Jimmy, "Justin, anything good happening?"
Justin, "Of course, there's great news, but it's not really related to you, so I won't tell you."
Jimmy, "Wow, sounds like a big surprise. How about a round on you then?"
Justin, "Oh, no way. No one gets free drinks from me."
Jimmy, "You're such a Scrooge! So stingy."
Jimmy blurted out a phrase in Chinese, which Justin probably didn't understand, "What did you say?"
Jimmy, "Nothing. Just some local slang from my hometown. Anyway, just to let you know, I've got things to handle recently, so I won't be taking any private jobs for a while."
Justin, "No problem, I still know a few people at the station."
Jimmy, "Just be careful these days, don't take on just any job."
Jimmy casually mentioned, then picked up his drink and walked over to a girl sitting by herself.
Though Jimmy had just mentioned it in passing, Justin didn't ignore the remark. Watching Jimmy, he frowned, instructed the other bartenders, then turned and went through the door behind the bar into a back room.
After a relaxing night, Jimmy left the girl's apartment and hurried home to quickly sort some things out. He then went to a storage unit he rented, which, over time, was getting increasingly filled; he took the opportunity during his rest to organize it, deciding to clear out some unnecessary items, or else he would have to rent another storage space soon.
Old furniture, outdated appliances, clothes he couldn't wear at the moment—it looked like a worthless junk storage from the outside.
Jimmy took some $20 bills of Old Banknotes for everyday use and also cleared a shelf to prepare for setting up a small armory there.
Previously, Jimmy had acquired a 92F with a silencer from a gang leader, which he had already brought here. He planned to take it home as a backup gun; this firearm had no connection to him, and even if the ballistics were analyzed, it wouldn't lead back to him.
The serial number had been traced, no doubt; it was an unregistered gun.
After sorting things out, Jimmy left the warehouse and returned home.