He took out his cellphone and glanced at it, knowing there was no hope for a signal in this desolate place, but the GPS information was still accessible.

Jimmy logged the coordinates, crawled out of the ditch beside him, and realized this place was no longer safe—no signal, no way to call for a clean-up.

Back at his car, he collected all the spent cartridges from the ground, wiped the car door handle and the steering wheel, got out of the car, and stared silently at the license plate. He had no tools to remove it. No choice but to leave it be.

Dragging his suitcase, Jimmy followed the route they had ambushed from and soon found two cars. He checked them and drove one away from the place. As he drove, he checked his phone until he had signal and then called Tony at the CIA.

Jimmy: "Tony, it's Jimmy. Got a pen and paper?"

Tony: "Hold on... go ahead."

Jimmy gave the GPS coordinates, "Bring our guys to clean up, and also, take care of that car for me. Thanks."

Tony: "No problem, leave it to me.

Jimmy had no choice; when he initially concocted the startle-the-snake plan, he had considered the risk with his car's license plate readable and his information traceable—it was part of the scare setup. But he hadn't expected Scott to be so bold, challenging him to a midnight duel after discovering his location.

Now he had left too much of his own information behind. The secondhand car he bought was riddled with bullets, certain to reveal the fact he had taken action.

What he left was a mess—ten dead, spent cartridges and bullet holes littered the scene. If left unattended, it wouldn't be just a couple of people stirred up, it could lead to a major investigation by multiple agencies.

Driving back to the suburbs, Jimmy disposed of the car using the old method, walked with his suitcase for a while, then called a cab to return to the hotel.

As for Jimmy's own affairs, this episode was over, with only the cooperation with Caitlin remaining. That depended on news from Tony. Jimmy transferred the cash from the suitcase to his own, ready to dispose of the rest.

This southwest operation was indeed a loss, aside from the vengeance. Oddly, he owed Justin fourteen Gold Coins, something he had to seriously consider how to repay, scratching his head.

-----------------

Hank and Steven were slacking in the DEA office. DEA differs from FBI; their main duty is to investigate organized drug traffickers to combat drug trafficking, not to arrest every petty criminal on the streets, while the FBI deals with all kinds of federal crimes including terrorism, cybercrime, financial crimes, and violent crimes.

Generally, DEA agents spent more time investigating and surveilling, somewhat more relaxed than the FBI, but of course, the DEA had significantly fewer personnel, about a third of the FBI's size.

When Jimmy had called Steven, Hank was beside him. Jimmy and Steven agreed to meet that evening, and naturally, Hank wanted in, especially since surveillance on Tim had been canceled and handed over to Jimmy, which Hank wasn't too pleased about.

Hank, seeing Steven hang up the phone, said: "Steven, let's step out for a bit."

As they reached the parking area, Hank asked, "So, what's the deal with Jimmy?"

Steven had pondered over it for a couple of days. Tom was dead; no one could finger him, so it didn't really matter anymore, as long as he didn't spill any forbidden secrets: "Jimmy is the nephew of one of my mentors. He is with the FBI, but he came here for personal reasons. I was just helping him track someone, and he provided the intel."

Hank shook his head: "And? That's not enough."

Steven: "We'll get Tim's records and his stuff; it should help us dismantle a part of Azte's forces."

Hank frowned, not quite trusting what Steven said. He could be sure that part of what Steven said was accurate, but the hidden details were what mattered most.

Hank: "That's it?"

Steven nodded: "That's it."

With a mind full of doubt and not wanting to push his partner too hard, Hank could only nod, "Let's go, let's take a walk."

-----------------

After work that evening, instead of going straight home, Hank planned to meet Jimmy with Steven. They met at a coffee shop next to Jimmy's hotel. Jimmy had arrived early, placed his suitcase beside him, and ordered a coffee to wait for them.

Once they arrived and ordered their coffees, Steven looked at Jimmy: "How'd it go? All smooth?"

Jimmy nodded, "Everything went well." He patted the suitcase, "This is your gift, thanks."

Steven chuckled, "Glad to hear it. Are you heading back to New York soon?"

Jimmy shook his head: "I need to wait a bit longer; I still have some other things to handle. Pretty simple

— just waiting for someone. Don't worry about me. What about you guys? You seem to have quite a bit going on here."

Steven glanced at Hank: "Actually, it's pretty good, just the usual business."

Hank: "Jimmy, can we talk to Tim?"

Jimmy curled his lip, "I don't think you guys can see him right now; someone else is handling him. This should be enough for you to use."

Hank: "We've been chasing them for a while but never had much solid intel; do you have any other leads?"

Jimmy: "Are you talking about Atz?" Jimmy pondered for a moment. The CIA was targeting Atz's boss Barrio, but there seemed to be no directive to eliminate anyone else. Previously in New York, Razor had provided a clue to Ruiz.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.