Jimmy didn't find a doorbell, so he just stood by the door and knocked. Someone inside walked toward the door, and based on the physique, Jimmy figured it was either a muscular or a portly man.
Jimmy, "Hello, officer from Plaskey County Police, may I ask if you are the homeowner, Thomas Weber?"
The man replied, "Yes, what can I do for you, officer?"
Jimmy handed over a warrant, "We received a tip earlier that someone resembling the person in this warrant has been reported in the vicinity, and we need your help to see if you've seen her. Also, are there any other people at home? I'd like to ask for their assistance as well."
The man glanced at the warrant and handed it back to Jimmy, "Haven't seen her. We're just here for a gathering today and don't usually live here."
Jimmy, "Oh, I see, thank you for your help. Goodbye."
Jimmy, holding the warrant, turned around and left the front of the house to return to the police car. He drove away from Thomas's home, turned around to get back to the highway, and as soon as he was out of their sight, he immediately called Harten.
Harten practically picked up the phone in a second, as if it had never left his hand.
Harten, "Jimmy, is there anything urgent? If not, let's talk after work."
Jimmy, "It's somewhat urgent, you're mainly dealing with counter-terrorism right now, aren't you?"
Harten, "Yes, that's the most pressing matter at the moment."
Jimmy, "I have a lead here, not sure if it should go to you or to the ATF."
Harten's interest was piqued, "Tell me more."
Jimmy, "You know the case you gave me earlier, the one possibly involving a cult? While I was checking out the villas along the Arkansas River, I just found a house where people were gathering, and there might be a significant number of weapons.
This is the riverbank, not the woods, there's no place here for them to hunt, so I think there might be a problem."
Harten, "How many people, location."
Jimmy, "I didn't get a clear view, but I estimate 4-6 people, with two SUVs. The location is near the banks of the Arkansas River on the east side of Ritzville."
Harten, "You stay far away and keep surveillance for now, I'll get in touch when I'm nearby." With that, Harten hung up the phone. Jimmy pocketed his phone, then parked his car on the side of the road, turned on the hazard lights and popped the hood, and then sat down on the ground by the roadside, starting to smoke.
From the FBI's local office to here, it would take at least half an hour, nearly an hour. Jimmy planned to wait by the roadside for half an hour, then move to the junction to wait for Harten.
As for how to fake a car breakdown, Jimmy was quite experienced, as long as no one came to check the car, he should be fine, just say he was waiting for a tow truck, there were plenty of excuses.
After waiting for about fifteen minutes, Thomas and the others hadn't come out, which seemed to indicate that they hadn't been alerted, a good thing for Jimmy. It was much better to wait for Harten and the others to come than to have a firefight.
Another fifteen minutes passed, probably over half an hour by now, and Harten should have already left Little Rock. Jimmy got up and went to the front of the car, ready to close the hood, when he suddenly noticed the two SUVs reversing onto the road.
Jimmy bent over and rubbed his hands with grease from the engine, then stood up and lowered the hood, pressing down with both hands, just as the SUV came up beside Jimmy's car.
The first SUV stopped, the passenger window rolled down, and Thomas leaned out from the driver's seat to ask, "Officer, do you need some help?"
Jimmy showed his greasy hands, "It's fixed now, thanks. Where are you guys headed?"
Thomas, "Since it's fixed, then goodbye, officer."
Thomas did not disclose their destination, rolled up the front passenger window, started the car, and drove off, with the following SUV also leaving.
Jimmy wrote down two license plates, scraped the grease off his hands with soil, and whatever remained, there was no helping it. He started the police car and quickly followed.
Jimmy made a call to Harten while driving.
Jimmy, "Harten, have you left Little Rock yet?"
Harten, "Yes, we're almost to Ritzville. What's up? Any news?"
Jimmy, "Yes, they've left in two cars and are now on their way to Little Rock. I think they're heading that way. I'm trailing them from a distance. You guys turn around right away. I'll give you the plate numbers, and then you can follow."
After Jimmy relayed the two plate numbers, he hung up the phone. The reason Jimmy was so anxious was that he had just scoped out the situation inside the two cars—the drivers were fine, but all the passengers in the back were armed with rifles in hand.
Because the SUVs had dark tinted windows, Jimmy couldn't directly see the back seats, and he couldn't alert Harten and the others directly, so he had to arrange it this way.
Once Harten and his team caught up, Jimmy would temporarily leave. He couldn't follow for too long as a county police officer. In Little Rock, he could still claim to be on the same route, but if he continued to follow the two SUVs within the city, even a fool would know they had been exposed.
Jimmy needed to see their route before deciding whether to continue the pursuit in the city. In case Harten and his team couldn't withstand the suspects' firepower, the situation would become quite serious.
Approaching Little Rock, Jimmy spotted three cars driving slowly, well-spaced on the road. He called Harten to confirm it was them, who were already tailing the two SUVs. Jimmy then turned off in Little Rock, not going far, but continuing to follow two streets behind, not hanging up the phone with Harten, not the time to worry about the phone bill.
Jimmy checked the time, 4:50 PM, almost the two hours he had agreed with James. But since there was a situation, there was no need to return to the station punctually.
Harten, "Jimmy, the two cars have split up. We're following them separately."
Jimmy, "Received."
Jimmy continued to follow a street behind, following Harten's instructions. In the city, unlike rural highways, the complicated traffic wasn't the only issue. The biggest problem was that Jimmy lacked enforcement authority and could only get involved in an incident that he stumbled upon accidentally, and he also needed to coordinate with the dispatch center.
While Jimmy was waiting for the traffic light, Harten's voice came through the speaker, "Damn, their target is an armored truck."
"FBI, drop your weapons, drop your weapons."
"Bang, bang, bang," shots rang out. Jimmy's phone was on speaker, resting on the dashboard as Harten's voice came through. Jimmy took advantage of the green light to turn and rush toward the neighboring block.
By the time Jimmy arrived at the scene, an armored truck was stopped under an overpass, with two SUVs blocking its path, one in front and one behind. Harten and his two colleagues were further out, their car sideways on the road, taking cover behind it and returning fire sporadically with their handguns, while the six robbers, all wearing black ski masks and Bullet-Proof Vests, each held an M16.
"A28 calling dispatch center, armored truck robbery in Little Rock. I've arrived at the scene, requesting backup, six robbers with heavy firepower."
"Dispatch center received."