The three of them took their positions. In the living room, the three dimwits were still shouting at each other. One of them, a curly-haired guy, was brandishing a gun and yelling that they should just kill the mother and daughter right now.
"LAPD, hands up!"
Jack and his team burst in, shouting. The curly-haired man, startled, instinctively tried to resist, lifting his gun only halfway.
"Bang!"
A bullet hole appeared in his forehead, and he collapsed backward onto the couch. The other two screamed and dropped to the floor, clutching their heads.
At the same time, the front door was kicked open. A tense-looking Tim charged in, relaxing only when he saw that it was Jack who had fired the shot.
---
Back at the Wilshire station, Jack looked a bit uneasy as he watched Cooper's family huddled together, crying.
He swore he hadn't fired the shot to get administrative leave, but that's how things turned out.
He was supposed to leave his position in two weeks, and he had a week of leave saved up. Now, with an additional week of administrative leave, he could effectively take a vacation until his official resignation date.
Captain Gray, half-amused and half-frustrated, was dealing with a lot of personnel changes. The new recruits hadn't even arrived yet, and now Jack was leaving early. He had to figure out how to coordinate with other precincts for extra manpower.
Meanwhile, Inspector Anderson was finalizing his transition, busy with his upcoming promotion, but Tim had taken over some of his responsibilities, preventing Gray's mood from getting even worse.
After a day of rest at home, Jack was already getting restless. His original plan was to fly with Hannah to Atlanta in two weeks to meet the Wolf brothers and then head to a remote town to take down a counterfeit operation.
Now, with nothing to do for half a month, he felt it was necessary to adjust his plans.
Just yesterday, his half-finished system had undergone another update, causing quite a commotion. He couldn't access it for a whole day, and just when he thought his system was done for, a notification popped up, saying the update was successful.
This system update gave Jack the final push to get out and take a trip.
He decided to take action. After his routine visit to the Hunter couple the next day, Jack shared his idea with Hannah.
"I want to take a road trip along Interstate 10."
Hannah, who was enjoying Jack's custom-built luxury bathtub for the first time, leaned back lazily against him, surprised by his words.
"Interstate 10? You mean driving from the West Coast to the East Coast?"
"Yeah. I've lived in LA for over 20 years, and apart from flying to Chicago twice, I've never driven out of the state. With this much time off, I want to see more."
Jack had done his research during the day. Driving along Interstate 10, there were plenty of interesting places to visit, like the Grand Canyon, the Mississippi River, Roswell, famous for UFOs, and Tombstone, the iconic setting for many Hollywood westerns.
Hannah looked conflicted. "But I promised to help Angela with her wedding. It's a battle between her and Wesley's mom, and I have to support her."
Jack's fingers formed a tiny figure that danced through the valleys, climbing mountains and sliding down slopes, before he finally spoke.
"I'll call you when I reach San Antonio, and we can meet up at the airport."
Hannah flipped over, pinning Jack's little figure under her. She looked at him intently, waiting for him to continue.
"You mentioned your parents are buried at your family ranch. Why don't you take me to see them?"
Hannah's excitement was palpable as she threw her arms around his neck. "Are you serious?"
"Uh, this isn't a marriage proposal. I told you I won't propose until I'm 30."
Before he could finish, he got a sharp elbow to the chest.
---
Since receiving the IRS bonus, Jack had more funds to work with. Deciding to go on the road alone, he knew he had to prepare thoroughly.
After a buying spree, Jack's Firebird was packed to the brim. The small trunk and the cramped back seats were filled with supplies.
From knives, compasses, fire starters, and sewing kits, to solar-powered flashlights, climbing ropes, rigging, tents, sleeping bags, plastic buckets, camping stoves, and even a dozen extra-large, thick condoms — not expecting any wild encounters but knowing they had many uses, such as makeshift waterproof bags.
And given the reputation of the southern states, he armed himself with extra magazines and two boxes of ammunition for his FK 7.5.
Hannah also gave him a collapsible Raven crossbow, which was perfectly legal in the USA. Jack tested it in his backyard, and despite not being skilled with it yet, he was impressed by its accuracy and power.
After spending half a day checking his beloved Firebird, Jack was ready to hit the road.
He chose Interstate 10 because it was the shortest east-west interstate in North America, spanning just over 2,400 miles (nearly 4,000 kilometers).
Starting in Santa Monica, it stretches across Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and ends in Jacksonville, Florida.
The best part about this route is its straight path, making for easy driving. Jack sat in the driver's seat, looking ahead at the road that extended in a straight line, disappearing into the light blue horizon.
Jack left at 10 AM. If he drove at a normal speed, he would reach Phoenix, the capital of Arizona, by evening.
But he wasn't in a hurry. His first planned stop was Joshua Tree National Park, a natural park spanning two deserts.
As he drove east, the temperature gradually rose. About an hour out of town, he passed the famous resort town of Palm Springs and soon found himself surrounded by endless desert.
After another half-hour of driving, he arrived at his destination for the day: Joshua Tree National Park, dotted with massive rocks and the iconic Joshua trees.
Joshua trees are actually a type of yucca plant. In his previous life, Jack had seen them in China, where they looked a bit like agave plants and only grew as tall as a person. But here in their native North America, they could reach up to 50 feet tall, towering and impressive.
Unfortunately, it was already May, and the flowering season was over, so he couldn't see their blooms. But he wasn't here for the trees; he was more interested in the numerous boulders scattered across the Mojave Desert.
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