Jimmy, although aware of the significance of that event, had never planned to do anything, and had even pulled out all the investnt money, making the incident completely unrelated to him.
Having been shot, Jimmy was on leave from ho for a while, and his days had been in total disarray, so he hadn't noticed it was already 9/11. Watching the news about the Twin Towers on TV was like reliving mories for him.
Between phone calls and watching TV, the girl next to him also woke up. Jimmy, leaning against the headboard, wrapped an arm around the girl as they watched TV together.
When the second plane crashed into the other tower, Jimmy knew that the incident was nearing its conclusion. He guessed it wouldn't be long before the Twin Towers would collapse, but certainly not within the next few minutes.
Jimmy and the girl each freshened up, and then the girl left. Jimmy kept the TV on, waiting for further updates.
Given the magnitude of today's events, clearly there was no mood for amorous activities. Jimmy had originally planned to leave early and return to Little Rock, but it now seed better to stay and wait for further information, as the news on TV was clearly more accurate than anything he would hear on the radio while on the road.
Not long after, the third plane crash occurred: the Pentagon, the United States Ministry of Defense building was gashed open by an aircraft.
When he saw this news, Jimmy realized his mory had been flawed; he rembered that in addition to the Twin Towers, another governnt building was hit. He thought it had been the White House, so he had deliberately avoided Washington, D.C. when choosing his vacation spot, but in reality, it was the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.
Speaking of Virginia, Jimmy had a map showing that Tom's cell phone was over there, in Langley, ho of the CIA headquarters.
Seeing no new reports on TV, Jimmy began packing his things, ready to head back to Little Rock.
Even though the big event happened in the North and had nothing to do with them, Jas had called first thing in the morning, clearly still worried about Jimmy wandering around during his vacation. Anyway, since Jimmy had already taken care of what he needed to do in Texas, he simply decided to go straight back to Little Rock.
Jimmy checked out of his room and drove back to Little Rock the sa way he ca. Along the way, he mostly refrained from listening to music as the car radio ceaselessly discussed the aftermath of the 9/11 incident and various comntaries. For Jimmy, this was as good as a new experience, since he was too young to fully comprehend it in his previous life.
Listening to the radio news, Jimmy was relieved that he hadn't tried to do anything, whether to stop the event or to profit from the chaos. From governnt officials to military organizations, from Wall Street to Hollywood, agencies and industries at every level were mobilized, and public opinion was ignited.
At the mont, there was no tally of casualties, but considering the two comrcial buildings and the number of people inside, along with the airplane passengers and the soldiers in the Pentagon, casualties were estimated to be in the thousands.
The U.S. stock market crashed with the 9/11 event and then closed down, reopening nearly a week later. Global markets also plumted, resulting in massive losses for countless people.
The President declared a state of ergency nationwide, and the National Guard in all the states were put on alert to prevent any further terrorist attacks.
On the road, Jimmy received another call from Jas, ordering him to get back to the station and be on duty as soon as possible. Already en route, he promised Jas he would be at work on ti the next day, and Jimmy's vacation ti was once again cut short.
After resting at ho for one night, Jimmy arrived at the station the next day and was imdiately detained there, with a walkie-talkie on hand, ready to deploy for support at a mont's notice. Also, Jimmy received Jas's permission to deal promptly and severely with violent criminals.
Undoubtedly, this granted Jimmy trendous latitude, and there were surely those praying not to encounter Jimmy on duty.
anwhile, the station also warned local gangs through informal ans to not cause trouble amid the national ergency. Of course, such warnings would not be officially issued but were conveyed by officers in private.
In the United States, the line between police and criminals is often blurred in reality, which should surprise no one.
Not only the county police, but city police had all vacation canceled, and patrol officers were on full city patrols, as if facing a formidable enemy.
A portion of the National Guard was mobilized to guard near state governnts and significant agencies and had all leaves canceled. The National Guard, which is essentially the state-level military, was fully assembled on alert, ready to respond to any call from the state governnt to handle terrorist attacks.
Eliminating gangs, which were a major source of danger, the rest were lone wolves or petty thieves with no substantial backing. Police found it easier to deal with them.
After a busy two or three days, Jimmy finally had so ti to rest. He had been living at the station practically full-ti, with shifts lasting over 12 hours.
Compared to other precinct officers, those at headquarters like Jimmy were more exhausted due to fewer personnel, which forced them to rotate in two shifts, and Jimmy was not only part of this rotation but also served as reserve force at the station.
There's a saying that with great power cos great responsibility; for Jimmy, it ant that more ability translated into more overti.
Fortunately, there hadn't been too many foolish people these past days, mostly ordinary public order cases and dostic disputes. Jimmy had yet to encounter any vicious cris.
After he got off work, Jimmy went to Justin's bar—yes, this was his place to relax. He hardly went to other bars. Even though it was a bit far from his apartnt, it was close to the station, so he could co directly after work.
Jimmy was very grateful to Justin; he had asked Jimmy to withdraw his funds before. Over the past few days, Jimmy had contacted the previous institutions and confird an awkward fact: they indeed shorted the stock market, but the crash was so severe that so institutions and big players were not only facing heavy losses but, at present, were also searching for the masterminds behind the attacks. These organizations were now too scared to quietly pocket profits and instead feared being targeted for retribution. The incident was too massive, and the entire industry trembled as they awaited decisions from those at the top.
As for Jimmy, since he had already retrieved his money—although losing so on transaction fees—he was spared such worries and considered himself quite lucky.
At the bar, Jimmy ordered a drink, and while he was sipping it, his phone rang. He went to the lounge to answer the call.
Jimmy: "Hey, Harten, long ti no talk. What's up?"
Harten: "Where are you? Can we talk in person?"
Jimmy: "Of course, I'm at the Calot Bar next to the station. You know the place."
Harten: "OK, I'll be there in a bit."
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