If it weren't for his reluctance to pursue further, Hank could have investigated the gangsters to confirm if anyone had gone missing and deduce a lot, but doing so would have been pointless, and it might have sparked other issues. Circumstantial evidence was enough.

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

Jimmy was also bored, and he had no idea how long it would take for Tony's investigation to bear fruit, so after some thought, he made a call to Nia to see if she was free to travel to New Mexico.

Luckily, Nia and Chuck had several cases to deal with recently, but at least they still had their regular rest days. When he called that morning, Nia didn't want to wait till the next day. She suggested over the phone that if she left early in the afternoon, she could arrive by evening and they could have a good time for two or three days. Jimmy naturally had no objections, and that was settled.

Jimmy rented a car from a rental company and went shopping for picnic gear, including a double tent, sleeping bags, moisture-proof mats, headlamps, flashlights, and ground cloths, as well as a stove and fuel, mosquito repellent, and a first aid kit. Camping really was a cumbersome affair, especially for two people; it was marginally easier when done alone.

He got a rough idea of the attractions around Albuquerque; most of them were uninteresting, so he planned to discuss with Nia where to go after her arrival, depending on whether she wanted to see natural landscapes, ancient buildings, or just have a quick tour.

Jimmy stood at the airport exit waiting for Nia, jumping and waving excitedly when he saw her. It was a good thing he wasn't in a suit, or he would have looked too awkward.

Nia quickly approached the exit and threw herself into Jimmy's arms. It had been more than a month since they saw each other, and although they had kept in touch via phone, the reunion was still exhilarating. The sight of a handsome man and a beautiful woman embracing and kissing at the exit not only didn't annoy others but also attracted some applause and whistles, delighting the onlookers.

The two made their way to the parking lot, with Jimmy driving away from the airport towards downtown.

Nia gazed at the scenery on both sides of the highway. The airport wasn't far from downtown, and although it was nighttime, at least the streetlights were on, allowing a glance of the surroundings. On one side was a desert wasteland, which looked completely different under the lights and moonlight compared to its daytime's yellow-brown hues; on the other side were residential areas that looked nothing like New York, and looking towards downtown, there were no skyscrapers' lights in sight.

Nia gazed at Jimmy and asked, "Are we in Albuquerque? Why does it look so..."

Jimmy said, "Barren, desolate?"

Nia replied, "Yes, yes."

Jimmy continued, "That's normal. Albuquerque has only 500,000 people but covers more than 480 square kilometers, so it appears sparsely populated, which is normal. Once you leave downtown, you barely see any large towns around. Once we get to downtown, it will be more crowded."

Nia looked towards the desert, "Shall we browse the desert tomorrow?"

Jimmy turned to Nia, "Don't worry, I've got it all planned out. Once we get to the hotel, we can properly plan where to go. There are still quite a few places around here worth visiting."

Nia nodded, "How about you? Have you wrapped up your recent cases?"

Jimmy responded, "Pretty much wrapped up, that's why I have time to invite you for a trip. It's hard when you are out working. How's my apartment?"

Nia also had a set of keys to Jimmy's apartment, and his Mercedes CLS's keys were also there. He had informed her over the phone, so Nia had been almost living in Jimmy's apartment recently.

Nia said, "Everything's OK, no issues. With you not in New York, it seems the gunmen trying to attack you also vanished."

Jimmy laughed, "Don't worry, there won't be any more attacks, I've taken care of everything."

Nia then said, "Can you tell me now? What exactly happened?"

Jimmy shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road and driving normally, "There was an operation where an armed suspect was killed, and his relatives hired people to attack me. Now we've caught several gang members, and the mastermind behind it all has been dealt with."

Nia's smile suddenly vanished, "You're lying again, why would a gang arrange an ambush on the road to attack you?"

Jimmy uttered, "Oh", hesitating, as telling the truth wasn't an option now, but he seemed to find a scapegoat, "That's a different story. Remember the serial bombing case I handled before? The mastermind of that case fled abroad, and that ambush was arranged by him contacting collaborators inside the country. Now we've found the insider, and the headquarters in Washington, D.C. took care of him."

Nia sighed softly, "Your job is just too dangerous."

Jimmy, "Don't say that, it's all part of the job. There are bound to be some people who aren't thinking straight. Actually, regardless of the job, there are dangers involved. Don't worry, I am strong."

Nia, "By the way, have you guys changed policies?"

Jimmy blinked, "What policy?"

Nia, "The video of you being ambushed on the street has been pixelated and aired, and they clearly stated it was an FBI agent. I think anyone who knows you could guess it was you. The only thing I'm uncertain about is why that video could be broadcast when it should be confidential, in theory?"

Jimmy didn't respond until after he had turned at a junction, "Maybe the bureau had some other idea in mind, I've not been in New York lately, and no one has informed me."

Nia giggled, "Actually, if they aired all your previous videos together, it would probably cause quite a stir, and you would become famous."

Jimmy, "Forget it. If they really did that, it might not be a good thing. Sure, I'd become famous, but I'd also get targeted by all sorts of so-called associations, organizations, and agencies. There are more than a couple of people I took down in those videos."

Nia, "But once you're famous, other people would think twice about whether they can take you down. That might spare you some trouble."

Jimmy, "Then they wouldn't choose to ambush and assassinate. They'd go straight for a bombing or assault on a far larger scale. I don't think I could survive a bomb attack. Let's not think too much about it. Hughes and others will consider these things, I can't interfere with the TV stations either. We're here."

The hotel was already in sight, and Jimmy quickly changed the subject; it was a topic that couldn't be pursued any longer without possibly leading to more problematic discussions.

Jimmy parked the car and led Nia upstairs, "Ah, finally, I can rest properly." Nia entered the hotel room, ran a few steps, and dove onto the bed.

Jimmy, "Looks like you're really tired today. Get up and wash up; we'll go out for dinner soon." He patted Nia's rear end and put her bag next to his suitcase.

Nia got up from the bed, walked over to Jimmy, took a small pouch from her bag, and entered the bathroom.

Jimmy, "This time we're here for work, so I chose this hotel. Looks like the room is still a bit small."

Nia, "It's pretty good... After all, it's just for a few days." While removing her makeup, Nia spoke intermittently, to which Jimmy replied, "Don't talk, get on with what you're doing."

Once Nia had taken care of her personal matters, Jimmy and she went downstairs, and drove to a nearby border restaurant for Mexican food. It was quite late by then, and the two restaurants near the hotel were about to stop serving, so they had to go a bit further.

Nia had gone back to fetch her luggage in the afternoon and went straight to the airport, skipping dinner. The Mexican food was quite good, and chatting while eating made it a relaxed and comfortable experience.

Jimmy had been eating Mexican food for many days now, and this place was indeed better than the ones he usually visited.

After dinner, the two drove back, ignoring the disturbing zombies on the roadside, and enjoyed a pleasant and relaxing night.

The neighbors did not complain or even come over to bang on the walls, suggesting that the hotel had soundproofing. Jimmy discovered this for the first time, and he approved.

The next morning, Jimmy unexpectedly woke up late. When he woke up, he found Nia already awake, leaning against the pillow and watching TV. It seemed his alertness had decreased? He hadn't even noticed the sound of the TV.

The awake Jimmy's hands started to wander, but today they had plans, so he skipped the morning workout, deciding it was best to get up and prepare, as Nia's vacation wasn't much longer.

(Chapter two is less than 2000 words; updating today, but probably won't post until 1 AM.)

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