Although he remembered some of Roland's words, Jimmy still decided to set them aside for now. Roland was already aware that he wasn't Jimmy and had made it clear he didn't want him showing up again. If he went to ask about the meaning of the two paintings now, he probably wouldn't get any good results, and it might even worsen their relationship.
Jimmy repackaged the two paintings into the envelope and stored them in the drawer. That would do for now.
Lately, Jimmy had gradually shed his nickname "The Butcher." In his support role at the police department, he rarely killed anyone these days. The biggest recent shootout only resulted in injuries, and no cops were hurt.
Jimmy's criteria for deadly force were actually very subjective. First were the murderers—if he could take them out, there was no need to waste prison resources. Just send them straight to God and let God pass judgement. Second were those who fired at officers. After more than a year as a cop, he still had a protective instinct for his policing community. Any suspects who dared to fire at police officers shouldn't get the chance to appear in court.
As for other situations, it would depend on the circumstances at the scene. After all, Jimmy is human. If the other party wasn't egregiously out of line, it would suffice to injure and arrest them, adding one more worker to the prison labor force.
Speaking of meeting God, after Jimmy became a believer, he had indeed taken the time to participate in a few activities and incidentally met colleagues from other departments. This news gradually spread, and it turned out to be quite useful. Some officers from outside the department no longer called him "The Butcher" upon meeting him, but "brother" instead—a welcome development.
An officer from the department came in; it was time for the shift change.
"Hey, Jimmy, did you hear? A suspect being transferred from the detention center to court escaped."
"What case? Dispatch didn't notify me."
"Hahaha, it happened this morning. He ran out of the courthouse in prison clothes and just happened to encounter an LRPD patrol car. He was caught as soon as he ran out."
"This guy has rotten luck, huh? What was he charged with?"
"Possession of contraband."
"Well, looks like he's going to be a long-term resident of the prison."
"This is the first time I've heard of someone running out of court. His brain's not working right."
The officer went to return his equipment while speaking, and Jimmy just took it as a joke. In the United States, there's always someone who defies expectations in the most bizarre ways.
After waiting a bit longer, Jimmy changed his status, ready to clock out. He still drove a police car home lately. On one hand, it justified the pay the police department gave him, and on the other, it was also more convenient, especially for the occasional side gig.
Just as Jimmy was about to leave, he received a call from Chief James.
James: "Jimmy, are you still at the department?"
Jimmy: "Yes, I'm still here. Is there something you need, Chief?"
James: "Wait for me for 10 minutes, I'll talk to you at the department."
Jimmy hung up and continued to wait, sitting down. It was rare for such a situation to occur, and Jimmy wondered what matter couldn't be discussed over the phone and needed the Chief to speak in person.
Chief James arrived at the department about 15 minutes later, signaled Jimmy, and then returned to his office.
Fully equipped, Jimmy entered the Chief's office, where James pulled out a document from his bag and handed it to Jimmy.
James: "We've received a notice from the USSS. Within the next two weeks, the Vice President will be visiting, and we'll be responsible for roadblocks and security of certain outer areas of the city.
The specific route and destination haven't been notified yet. USSS personnel will come over in the next 2-3 days, and by then, you'll accompany them to verify the route. Just letting you know in advance, remember to keep it confidential, and all leaves are canceled for now."
Jimmy: "Will I be the only one handling such an important task?"
James: "Yes, initially you'll be the one accompanying the USSS to verify the route, and we'll dispatch more people if necessary later. Also, we're not the main force in cooperation, LRPD and the State Police are mainly responsible for the external security."
Jimmy: "Understood. It's just about guiding them, getting familiar with the surrounding roads and environment, so they can plan the route."
James: "Alright, you can go."
Jimmy turned and left the Chief's office. It was time to get off work, so he went directly to the parking lot and drove away.
This was the first time he had encountered such a task given by James. The USSS, United States Secret Service, were the guys in charge of protecting the President, although the department had broad authority. If a dignitary needed to go somewhere, they were in charge of planning the route in advance and setting up security measures.
Usually, their arrival is kept confidential, and they would only contact other departments for assistance when needed. James being able to get the news in advance showed he had some deep connections.
For Jimmy, this was a good thing. With James, an influential figure, on his side, at least no one in this jurisdiction could give him a hard time.
As for the assigned task, it wasn't life-threatening; it was simply escorting people around. Jimmy didn't see it as a big deal, so he didn't take it too seriously.
A couple of days passed by, and a black Chevrolet Suburban arrived at the county police, with two individuals stepping out and walking into the station lobby. Chief James had been informed in advance and called Jimmy to welcome the two men into his office.
James introduced the men to Jimmy, "This is Assistant Sheriff Jimmy Yang from our department. He'll be accompanying you throughout."
Jimmy reached out to shake their hands: "Jimmy Yang."
"John," "Tom," the two men introduced themselves, though the names seemed a bit too common, obviously fake.
Jimmy: "Is there anything I need to prepare?"
John: "No need, we're already prepared. Just follow us."
Jimmy nodded, not saying anything more. He hadn't cooperated with the USSS before and didn't want to take any liberties.
After John and Tom bid farewell to Chief James, the three of them climbed into the SUV parked outside. Jimmy noticed another driver in the car. He sat in the passenger seat, while John and Tom took the back seats. The vehicle then left the county police premises.
The driver seemed to already know the route, heading directly towards the highway. They went on the highway and then got off, and Jimmy identified their target: Highway 365.
They drove south along Highway 365, out of Little Rock's jurisdiction, and met up with a box truck parked on the side of the road. At every intersection, they got out to collect information and images of the surroundings, and Jimmy had to answer questions, including whether there were any known dangerous spots nearby.
For every high point in the vicinity, they sent out someone to inspect it and launched drones to observe, making sure to understand all the details of the intersections before continuing to the next one.
Watching them busily working, Jimmy found it hard to believe. He had driven this road many times, with lots of roadside forests and a few small towns in between. Although he didn't know their destination, this level of scrutiny seemed overly meticulous—it was certainly not a job that could be completed quickly.