Jimmy: "Ryan said there were two gunmen, one was Black, with very little hair, almost bald, and the other seemed to be a mixed-race Black or Mexican, with a darker skin tone, slightly curly hair, wielding a semi-automatic pistol with a suspected extended magazine."

Jimmy paused for a moment, then decided to voice the direction he had been considering on the road, "I have an idea that the people who attacked Ryan might not be the same group who attacked the Thompson family."

Hughes: "Oh? Tell me your thoughts."

Jimmy: "The pickup truck crash involving the Thompson family was two days ago. Carmen, who survived, has already left the hospital and returned home. If it truly was arranged by drug dealers, they should be monitoring her around her home, possibly even using other means to attack Carmen.

Ryan and his team were investigating near the crash site, mainly to trace the pickup driver. The gunmen were also nearby, and they were very far from Carmen's home. If they were targeting the Thompson family, their location wouldn't make sense.

I suspect Ryan and his partner were just unlucky, likely knocking on the door of some gang henchmen or criminals with arrest warrants. Shouting 'FBI' outside probably incited the people inside, who, fearing arrest, opened fire on Ryan and his team."

Hughes: "Makes sense, you go ahead and follow up. The shooting scene is being investigated by Senior Agent Lauren Taylor from the field office; you go directly to him and take over the case if necessary."

Jimmy: "Let him continue with the investigation. I'll check the results and then we can push forward together. Also, inform me if you have any news on the drug dealers so we can pursue multiple leads simultaneously."

Hughes: "You make the judgment yourself, go ahead."

Jimmy took Lauren Taylor's phone number from Hughes and turned back to his office. Prior to officially going out on the case, he needed to be well-prepared. Jimmy returned to the office, grabbed his gear bag, and headed downstairs, driving his issued Suburban to Brooklyn.

Arriving at 51st Street, seeing the surrounding environment, Jimmy finally understood why both of them were shot simultaneously.

Here, the street is lined not with high-rise apartments but with two-story buildings closely packed together. Ryan and his partner were likely questioning the residents outside the front door, maybe not directly facing the entrance but within the wedge-shaped area, allowing those inside to shoot them.

If it were a high-rise apartment, they would be knocking from the hallways, whether standing on either side or the same side, making it difficult to shoot them from inside due to angle differences. Additionally, the walls at the entrance of high-rises are typically load-bearing, unlikely to be penetrated by a handgun.

The scene was already cordoned off, with some NYPD patrol officers guarding the perimeter, and several people were investigating and collecting evidence both inside and outside the house, while others were observing from nearby.

"FBI." Jimmy showed his credentials, walked inside the cordoned area, "Who is Agent Lauren Taylor?"

"That would be me. Who are you?" A white middle-aged man who was originally standing at the doorway turned around to look at Jimmy upon hearing someone calling.

Jimmy: "Manhattan office, Jimmy Yang."

Taylor: "Oh, you must be Jimmy, I know you." He reached out to shake Jimmy's hand, "Did Hughes assign you to handle this case? Great, that's very good."

Jimmy shook his head, "You'll continue with the case investigation, but keep me updated on the leads, and I'll sync my investigation with yours, ensuring no interference."

Taylor nodded, understanding the implicit meaning behind having him handle this matter. No problem; anything was possible—colleagues getting shot is a serious matter in any department. A unified front is necessary.

Taylor: "We haven't gleaned much; found some fingerprints inside the house, they've been sent back for analysis, but too many to sort through, no feedback yet.

The gunmen should have grabbed something urgently in the house after shooting Ryan and his partner and fled. When we arrived, most of the house was normal, but the two bedrooms were a bit messy.

No weapons or identification were found inside the house, a few casings on the floor, but the number didn't match the number of shots fired at Ryan and Derek. They probably took some casings with them, but likely unintentionally—given the remaining casings, if clearing, they wouldn't have left any.

This is a residential area, no surveillance, cannot determine their escape route at present.

I've already asked around the neighboring houses. This house has been rented out, and the landlord is not here. It was rented through an agent, but we need to wait until they return home to find the agreement to ascertain who they rented it to, which might take until evening."

Jimmy: "Are there any witnesses around?"

Taylor shook his head: "It was already cordoned off by NYPD when we arrived; asked around these nearby houses, but no one witnessed the shooting incident. They hid at home upon hearing gunshots and called the police, only emerging after the police arrived."

Jimmy: "Nobody knows the residents here?"

Taylor: "Just know there are two Black residents, but generally little communication. Look around and you'll understand."

Jimmy glanced around, noting most of the observers were white, with only a few having darker skin, he understood.

Jimmy: "Ryan said the shooters were a Black man and a darker-skinned man, possibly mixed-race Black or Mexican."

Taylor: "Should be them."

Jimmy: "Understood, let me know when the bureau identifies the fingerprints."

The two exchanged phone numbers, and Jimmy stepped onto the street, checking both sides. The streets of New York have little distinguishing feature; too many possible escape routes for two individuals from the house. Plus, the traffic wasn't light, coupled with the lack of surveillance, finding leads was impossible.

Jimmy pulled out his phone and dialed Ruiz's number, relying on him being the most dependable.

Jimmy: "Ruiz, who's responsible for this Brooklyn East 51st Street area?"

Ruiz: "Not sure, need to check back, why?"

Jimmy: "Don't you know? Agent Ryan from the field office was shot, I'm investigating at the scene, but the residents around have no familiarity with this household. There are two Black residents here; I thought maybe some group members might have information."

Ruiz: "I know someone in the field office got shot, but not the details. Your thinking is possible, but not likely; gang members sometimes are very sensitive about certain matters."

Jimmy: "Derek, Ryan's partner, he died, shot alongside Ryan, who is still in the ICU."

Ruiz: "Fxxk!"

Jimmy: "Help me find who covers this area; I'll persuade them to cooperate."

Ruiz: "It's chaotic there; not sure if I can find them, might need to look up quite a few people."

Jimmy: "Doesn't matter, however many you can contact, as long as we find leads, everything else is negotiable."

Ruiz listened to Jimmy's steady voice, devoid of any emotional agitation, which was unlike his usual self. Thinking over his words, "I got it. I'll now return to the office to research; wait for my updates."

Jimmy actually had no personal connection with the deceased Derek, nor opportunities for collaboration, but for a colleague within an institution, there was still enough empathy.

When he was a police officer, there was the thin blue line rule; now that he's FBI, naturally he would project such sentiments onto his colleagues.

For ordinary people, at most they may lament or shed a couple of tears at the memorial, and that's it, but Jimmy is not ordinary; he has sufficient ability to do more for his colleagues.

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