Jimmy adjusted his mindset, treating it as a high-speed driving exercise. As long as he didn't act recklessly and followed the State Police's car, there shouldn't be any problems.
The State Police ahead continued to accelerate, overtaking Mason and closing in on the suspect's car. However, due to the heavy traffic on the highway, they were unable to perform a PIT maneuver and had to keep following behind.
Jimmy followed behind Mason, gradually increasing his speed, reaching a top speed of over 130mph, 208kmh. For the Victoria Crown, this speed was nearing its limit, with a maximum speed of 150mph, 240kmh.
After about 10 minutes of high-speed pursuit, the flow of traffic on the highway remained uninterrupted, preventing the State Police from attempting a PIT maneuver. Finally, a sharp right turn appeared ahead, the suspect's car dramatically slowed down, and there were fewer vehicles on the road. After taking the turn, the State Police decisively accelerated and rammed into the right rear bumper of the suspect's vehicle. The rear wheels of the suspect's car lifted off the ground, skidding sideways, and the vehicle came to a halt after spinning half a round. Mason and Jimmy, following behind, also reduced their speed, positioning their police cars in front of and beside the suspect's car to prevent any further escape.
Mason and Jimmy got out of their cars. Jimmy drew his gun and aimed at the driver, while Mason turned and walked a distance back, directing traffic to proceed through the cleared lane.
The State Police made a U-turn and parked behind the suspect's car. After disembarking, they immediately drew their pistols and aimed at the driver's seat.
"Arkansas State Troopers, don't move, put your hands out the window where I can see them."
"Use your left hand to unbuckle your seatbelt, open the door, and get out."
"Turn around, lie down, hands on your head."
The State Police approached the suspect to handcuff him, then pulled him up and laid him on the hood of the police car for a search.
Jimmy went over to the suspect's car to check inside. Finding no one else and no obvious weapons, he opened the trunk. After ensuring it was empty, he signaled to the State Police that there was no danger.
"Thanks, brother."
The State Police put the suspect in the backseat cage, expressed their thanks, and went to the police car to call for a tow truck to remove the suspect's vehicle from the highway.
"Goodbye." Jimmy and Mason got back into their police cars and drove along the highway for a while before taking the nearest exit to return to their respective patrol areas.
After exiting the highway, Jimmy drove leisurely. It was the first time in his life he had driven over 200 km/h. The adrenaline had shot up; now that the high-speed pursuit had ended, he suddenly felt both exhausted and particularly exhilarated.
He couldn't keep driving. Jimmy found an intersection, stopped the car, and got out to light a cigarette. It was still January, and the cold wind blowing on his face helped him to calm down somewhat, though his hands were still slightly trembling.
He now understood a bit why "The Fast and the Furious" was so popular in his previous life. High-speed chases among normal traffic, the danger and excitement, the imminent risk of accidents and death—such experiences stimulate the brain and draw people into the intoxicating sensation.
After standing in the cold wind for a few minutes, he had completely cooled down. Jimmy returned to the police car and continued back to his patrol area.
Jimmy considered stopping by a United States bank en route to handle his bank card situation and deposit the checks and some cash he had on hand.
It was already January, and tax season wasn't far off. As Jimmy drove, he pondered the errands he had to run today, when suddenly, a very fatal problem occurred to him: his identity was taken over midway. So, for the past two years while he was a police officer, did he have a regular income, and did he file taxes?
Breaking out in a cold sweat, Jimmy was well aware of the IRS's fearsomeness from both past movies and his recent months of research, which was enough to send a chill down anyone's spine. If they found any problems upon investigation, he might very well end up in deep trouble right here.
With these thoughts, Jimmy immediately drove back to the police station. Thank god, Amy was still in her office. He glanced around, noticing that most people had gone out, and only a few were at their desks. Jimmy walked into Amy's office, shut the door, and said:
"Amy, I've discovered a big problem, a fatal one."
"The identity you guys provided for me includes 2 years of police experience after graduating from the police academy, which means, according to normal procedures, there should be 2 years of income, and likewise, two years of tax returns. Now that tax season is upon us, what should I do? Should I only report these past two months of income?"
"Wait, calm down, just calm down. Go outside and let me think for a bit."
Jimmy knew now was not the time to make a fuss. He went to the break room, poured himself a cup of coffee, and sat waiting for news, trying to steady his emotions as well. If it weren't for thinking about the bank card and subsequent issues, he might have completely overlooked this serious situation.
Amy sat in her office and thought for a while, then entered the chief's office. After communicating for a few minutes, Amy left the police station.
After finishing his coffee and realizing Amy wasn't in her office and that he couldn't directly talk to the chief about such matters, Jimmy prepared to head out and continue patrolling.
Jimmy went to the food truck outside the police station, bought a Mexican tortilla and a hot dog for lunch, then drove away from the station.
Having lunch didn't necessarily mean sitting in a restaurant, but standing on the side of the road wasn't enjoyable either. Jimmy had already found a nice spot in advance, a shaded area by the trees on the grasslands by the Arkansas River. A riverside, shade, and grass—if he had a mat and a lounger, it would feel like camping.
He never dared to imagine such days before. When he was a firefighter, he had to reserve his days off to visit and stay with family back home; he didn't even have weekends to himself, as the fire truck always needed to be ready to go.
Lunchtime ended, and Jimmy sat napping in the police car for a while. A siesta wasn't essential, but he really wasn't in the mood to patrol, with his own issues unresolved and his identity's gaps unfilled. If the IRS actually caught up with him, the problems would be huge.
In the afternoon, Jimmy continued his patrol. Currently, he was mainly responsible for patrolling the West Suburb of Little Rock and the outer areas of a few nearby towns. There wasn't a specific location; he just needed to drive around on the roads waiting for dispatch orders. He hadn't yet encountered the kind of proactive criminal discovery while on routine patrol.
Aimless patrolling was quite boring. Following the experience taught by Noah and the others, typically after half an hour to an hour of patrol, they would park the car on a side road and rest, while also checking for any unlucky speeders to issue a few tickets.
Jimmy didn't have a radar speed gun. Noah and the others usually just followed the target vehicle with the police car and then checked their own speed. If the excess speed wasn't much, they'd let it go, but if it was significant, they'd turn on the police lights to signal the driver to pull over, which usually worked since most drivers would stop obediently upon seeing a police car following them.
If they encountered someone bold, with something to hide, or a drunk driver who didn't stop, then they would execute a high-speed interception, also known as the move everyone loved the most, the PIT.