At half past midnight, Jimmy was sound asleep when the sudden ring of the phone woke him.
Picking up the phone in a daze, Jimmy asked, "Who is it?"
Cage: "Jimmy, it's Cage. I need backup. I've found the kid."
Jimmy, still groggy, responded, "Which kid?"
Cage: "That damn guy who got Nick hooked on drugs."
Jimmy suddenly jolted awake. He had initially started working on the Frog crew just to help Cage find this guy.
Jimmy: "Didn't the DEA take that bastard away? I was on the day shift, and now I need to go back to the station to get my gear."
Cage: "No need, just come straight over. Just help me keep an eye on things; they've got a few too many people."
Jimmy: "Got it, send me the address. I'm heading out now."
Jimmy got out of bed, dressed, clipped his county police badge to his belt—due to wearing a jacket, he didn't use his belt holster but instead an under-the-arm holster—and stuffed two quick loaders into his pockets before heading out to drive to the target location.
This damned scoundrel directly caused Cage's son, Nick, to become a drug addict, indirectly leading to the wipeout of the Frog gang, and yet he had managed to escape unharmed from the DEA's grasp. It was unclear whether it was due to his low profile, not being on the DEA's list, or whether the DEA was only after the big fish, ignoring the small fry.
This time Cage had encountered him, and certainly couldn't let him get away.
Jimmy lived quite a distance from the Northwest Division where Cage was, taking nearly half an hour to get there. Even though it was night, he did not intend to challenge the State Police highway patrol. In Little Rock, Group A of the highway patrol had a substantial presence, and you never knew where they might be hiding.
Jimmy drove his own blue Mercury Tracker, not a patrol car. If ASP got wind of him, at best he'd get a ticket; at worst, he'd be PIT maneuvered. Jimmy was quite fond of his old car, even though it was eight years old, it functioned very well, and the repair shop cooperated with the station was really solid, not only cheap but also providing a thorough check-up.
Finally arriving at Cage's location, he was at an outdoor settlement. In the United States, there are many such encampments set up in open fields, usually of the trailer park variety, where many people park their RVs and trailers. Naturally, the security of such places is highly questionable, and unless it was absolutely necessary, Jimmy would not want to go there, even in uniform.
Cage's squad car was parked by the side of the road, and Jimmy pulled up alongside. Cage got out of the car, looking extremely agitated, clutching Jimmy's arm and pointing towards the settlement.
Cage: "Jimmy, sorry for making you come out this late. The target is in there."
Jimmy: "Don't talk like that, Cage. Just tell me what you need me to do."
Cage: "I got a tip tonight. That son of a bitch is coming here to pick up goods. Since the Frog crew got taken down, the supply in Little Rock has been cut by more than half, lots of guys got busted, so these street punks haven't been active for a while. We must catch him tonight, arrest him red-handed, and throw him straight into jail."
Only after hearing Cage did Jimmy realize that Cage was planning something big. Since the kid was coming to pick up the goods, there was likely more than one person involved, potentially not just a single supplier. It could be dangerous for just Cage and himself; they might end up capsizing in a ditch.
Jimmy: "Calm down a sec, Cage. You're letting that kid get to you."
Cage: "What? What are you trying to say?"
Jimmy: "Since the kid is coming for the goods, there will be more than one or two people here. Do you think the two of us can handle it? Calm down and think for a second, come on, Cage, you're not the impulsive type."
Cage suddenly froze, stiff as a board. His son's situation had been tormenting him for a long time, and every visit to the rehabilitation center, where he saw his son, added to his rage. Now, suddenly getting a tip about that kid, he was nearly out of his mind with rage. Calling Jimmy for backup was probably the last rational move he could think of.
After a brief pause, Cage slumped as if deflated, leaning against Jimmy's car. He bowed his head, hands rubbing back and forth over the grip of the gun on his belt.
Cage: "Sorry, Jimmy. I wasn't thinking. You better go back."
Having said that, Cage straightened up and walked towards his squad car.
Even though the car lights were off, the moonlight above made it easy for Jimmy to see Cage's movements. This was no joke; Cage was definitely contemplating something very bad.
Jimmy reached out and grabbed Cage.
Jimmy: "Hold on, Cage. What are you thinking of doing? Have you lost your mind?"
Without turning around, Cage replied: "Jimmy, my son is nearly ruined, all because of that bastard. No matter what, I have to make him pay. I won't let him have an easy life, no matter the cost."
Jimmy felt helpless as things took a turn for the worst.
Jimmy: "Wait, Cage. Let's think of another way. It's only 1 a.m., no one's come out of there yet, they're most likely resting inside. We still have an opportunity, plenty of time. Let's think of a solution."
Jimmy dragged Cage to the side of the road; they sat on the curb, looking at the nearby settlement and pondering their options.
As Jimmy mulled over the situation, he considered that assembling Cage's entire team wouldn't muster many people, and since they still didn't know how many were inside the settlement, he needed to conduct a nearby observation to decide.