Chapter 30: Most Wanted
After hanging out with them at the police station, Ethan left with a stack of search posters. Although he knew it was useless work, he couldn't go home while the others were busy.
When he posted the reward notice outside a store, he was suddenly paired with a yellow Pontiac GTO Convertible from '68. I soon identify Job who greeted him with a gesture, they spoke for a second, in the end he asked Ethan to follow the car.
Looking around, Ethan returned to the car, started the engine, and followed him.
Not far away, the classic yellow convertible car was parked on the side of the road, and Ethan also stopped.
— Is there anything about surveillance? —Ethan asked.
—Not yet, I told you, this will take time, it is not easy there are too many blind spots in this shitty town —replied Job, scratching his bald head with his fingertips —. We can talk?
Ethan was puzzled by Job's sudden proposal. — What do you want to talk about?
He got out of the car and sat on a bench next to Jabber.
Jabber reflected for a while before speaking:
— What is your purpose in helping us?
—I don't understand what you mean.
—You are a policeman, and yet you chose to help us fight the Rabbits. Tampco will do nothing to expose Hood's false identity. So what is your purpose? What do you gain from this?
—There is no evidence against you, for the disappearance of the Moody brothers, as Hood said. No one would believe an impostor, so it would be the word of an ex-con by impersonating a Sheriff, against that of a police officer with a clean record. You gain nothing by exposing your neck for helping us.
Etha let him continue, it was true that for now he did not earn anything, for now.
—Rabbit is extremely dangerous, but you were not his main target. Even if you hurt Orek, you were just doing your job. There is no personal rancor between you.
—So I've been turning the matter around, can't I help but think about your purpose? —Job took out a cigarette, hit the pack, and continued — To be honest, you don't earn anything and you risk a lot with us. Why did you decide to get involved?
After hearing Job's words, Ethan was silent for a long time. Finally, he took the box from his hand and took out a cigarette and lit it.
—We all have our problems, and I'm no exception —Ethan started, exhaling a puff of smoke —. When I graduated from the police academy, I went to a bar to celebrate with the other cadets and met a very sensual Spanish girl, with whom I spent the night.
Memories of his previous life were still vivid in his mind. Although he had traveled back in time to Ethan Morgan's body, after the fusion of memories, what Ethan experienced was also his life.
Ethan continued:
— Do you know how I woke up the next morning? The cold barrel of a pistol was pressed against my forehead. I was never so afraid of dying, I felt the cold touch of death on my neck.
—I will never forget that man. He was fat and with a British accent. After making a call, he just pulled the killer trigger on Cecilia, shot her in the head, and not content with it, unloaded his pistol magazine on her body.
Ethan's fingers trembled, causing the ashes of the cigarette to fall.
—I could barely escape, jump out of a third-floor window. If it hadn't been for the fruit stand below, he would have been disabled or dead. I ran naked through several streets before losing sight of him.
—So, you ask me, what is my purpose? —Ethan stared at Job —.I don't give a damn who Hood is, if it's false or true, but now he's indebted to me just like you. And if my enemies come through my head it is better to have friends with whom to bury a corpse.
Job snorted, he hadn't investigated this boy enough.
— Is that why you threatened Sugar last time?
— What do you mean?
—Last time you told Sugar not to point a gun at you again. It seemed like a joke, but I know you were really threatening him.
—If you were in my place, I don't think you would have reacted differently.
—You are absolutely right. I would have cut off that old man's hand. —Job thought seriously and nodded.
Job threw the butt and got up, looking at Ethan.
—I will investigate everything you say. If what you say is false, no matter what your purpose is, I will find a way to kill you.
— What if I'm telling the truth?
—Then we will see how to handle the matter.
Soon Job's yellow convertible walked away. Ethan, after silently finishing his cigarette, returned to the car and continued his work, checking empty locations around town, but there was no luck or news about the boy. Maybe Rabbit would wait until things calmed down, to escape.
Along the way, the anxious Carrie also arrived at the police station and had a fierce argument with Hood in the Sheriff's office. When he came out, his face reflected despair.
After Hood was silent in his office for an hour, he went out alone.
When night fell, Ethan returned to patrol. Not knowing that Job had gotten a lead, so seeing Hood's message, he turned the wheel and drove to the Davis Bar.
A poster of "Closed" It hung on the porch of the bar, but there was light inside.
Ethan opened the door, only to discover that it was closed on the inside. He had no choice but to hit twice hard.
—Sugar, open the door. I am Ethan.
Not long after, the curtain on the window next to him opened a little and Sugar looked out.
When he finally entered the bar, he found Job anxiously looking at a computer. At a pool table on the side, an arsenal of weapons and various magazines was deployed. I think Hood had decided to storm Rabbit's lair himself.
After Sugar closed the door, he sat in a nearby chair, had a glass of wine, and continued cleaning the double-barreled shotgun in his hands.
— Any news? —Ethan asked.
—So far there is not much. I was able to locate his approximate course but there are too many places abandoned by the place. If we make a mistake or send the FBI, we will alert them and they will be more cautious. —Job replied, shaking his head —
—Check a couple of them, in the day. You can remove them from your list. — Ethan said handing him a folded paper, with locations that had been reviewed by the police and the FBI.
—By the way, do you know how to use computers? It would be faster if more people helped.
Job left what he was doing and looked at him.
Ethan thought for a moment:
—Only if playing Age of Empires counts as skill, am I the man you should look for.
—Fuckyou, have you ever lived a stable? —Job looked at him with disdain — Forget it, don't answer and stop fucking with me. — Job fired him with a look of disdain, and Ethan timidly walked to the side and found a chair to sit on.
Shortly after sitting down, someone knocked on the bar door.
Sugar stopped cleaning and approached the window with the shotgun. Then he hesitated and opened the door.
Ethan squinted, seeing Carrie's figure appear at the entrance. Unlike her usual housewife outfit, she now wore a black combat suit.
Sugar stepped aside, and Carrie, after noticing Ethan's presence, was stunned for a moment before entering.
Carrie threw the black bag she was carrying on the floor with a thud.
—Hey, Job, a long time without seeing you —he said in a tired voice.
—Fuckyou, bitch.
Ethan soon realized that Job was not joking when he spoke to him, the words had a different connotation than usual.
As much as he and Sugar pretended not to hear anything, he took the glass of wine and took a sip. The bar was silent, and the atmosphere became a little uncomfortable.
Seeing Job's angry gaze, Carrie said helplessly:
—I can't change what happened, someday you will forgive me.
Job smiled and said:
—Hood has been in prison for more than ten years for that incident. To track your whereabouts, Rabbit used his prison contacts to torture Hood for years, cheated on me, and used us to escape. He sacrificed himself for you. And how did you pay him? You handcuffed him and handed him over to Rabbit, to save your own neck again.
Faced with Job's question, Carrie pursed her lips and, after a while, said slowly:
—I warned him that his presence would attract Rabbit. But he didn't listen to me and insisted on staying. What did you want me to do? I have a family, my daughter and my son are here, and I have to keep them safe.
—And that gives you the right to hand him over to be killed, right? —Job scoffed
—I know what I did was wrong, Job, I beg you to help me find my son.
Carrie choked and said:
—If ever, our friendship meant to you, please help me.
—Fuckyou ...
This time, Job's tone softened, and then he sighed deeply:
— What do you think I do now? Save your pitiful tears, that only works with Hood.
—Use this computer, I hope you know how to use it.
Job turned the laptop over to Carrie and continued to complain:
—At least you will be more useful than those two bastards.
Ethan coughed awkwardly and reached out to take Sugar's beer away.
Sugar shrugged and secretly smiled. .
Ethan played boring with the bottle half empty and watched Job and Carrie busy in front of the computer.
At that moment, his cell phone rang.
—Ethan, good news, Gordon's son Max has returned home —Siobhan's voice came from the phone.
— What? Say it again.
—Not long ago, Max appeared alone at his door, safe and sound.
—Okay, I get it.
Ethan hung up the phone and several people looked at him. He said slowly:
— How much was the last time you spoke to Hood?
Just as several people looked at each other, someone knocked on the wooden door of the bar.
Carrie quickly reached into the bag she had just brought in and pulled out a gun. Job held his hand to keep him from getting excited.
Sugar approached with a shotgun and, this time, opened the door quickly.
Gordon looked at the shotgun in Sugar's hand and then entered the bar.
—Max is back.
— What are you talking about? What do you mean Max is back? —Carrie got up, holding the back of the chair.
Gordon put his hands in his pockets and said:
—Now he's safe, with Deva and the FBI. He just came home recently.
—No, I don't understand why he came back suddenly.
—The doorbell rang and appeared at the door. Max said his captors left him at an intersection near his house and walked there.
Gordon took a few steps forward and continued:
—Max also said that a white-haired man asked him to bring you a message.
— What message?
—He said that you have been forgiven and that you can get on with your life.
Recalling what Ethan had just asked, Carrie's expression changed and she leaned heavily on the chair:
—Hood replaced Max.
— Ah damn Hood! —Job was so angry that he pushed aside the keyboard in his hands.
Gordon stuttered:
—I don't understand why Chief Hood decided to do this, but don't worry, I will immediately notify the FBI and they will be able to rescue Hood.
—Wait a minute, Job, how did you find Hood last time?
— How could I forget it?
Job clapped his head:
—Before I installed tracking software on Hood's phone, I can directly locate its location.
He wrote on the keyboard for a while, and the satellite map on the screen kept shrinking and looking at a location.
—Sugar, can you come here and tell me where this place is?
Sugar ran quickly, stood in front of the computer screen, and looked closer, then hit the table.
—This is Buttermouth. There is an abandoned metal factory.
As soon as he finished speaking, Job quickly got up, looked at Ethan, and grabbed the gun placed on the bar.
Ethan also stood up, holding the Glock 17 around his waist, and Sugar quickly took the shotgun to follow him.
Carrie bent down, opened the black bag she was carrying, took out the holster with a gun, and put it on her waist.
—Wait a minute, what are you doing? What we must do now is notify the FBI.
—I can't do this. Hood could die at any time. He sacrificed himself to get Max back. I have to go save him immediately.
—Hey, I don't know what role Hood played in this, but here we have two little kids who are very scared. Their lives are completely upset and they need their mother to be there to help them.
Gordon continued saying, excited:
—You can't leave right now, there is nothing more important than our Carrie children.
—And you, Ethan, are the Banshee Police Officer. What do you think you're doing?
Ethan shrugged:
—Gordon, I understand how you feel. You're right. I am the Banshee Police Officer. I'm going to save the Sheriff now. I think there should be no problem with that.
After talking, Ethan left the bar.
Sugar and Job followed him. Before Job came out, he looked at Carrie, who was in a dilemma, not knowing what decision he would make.
After Ethan left the bar, he walked behind his Dodge Challenger, opened the trunk, and pulled out the M4A1 and several replacement chargers placed in the dimensional space.
Ethan put the spare charger on his belt, threw the M4A1 in the passenger seat, and tightened his Pietro Beretta in the cover under the ribs. He started the vehicle and drove alongside Job.
—We are likely to die. Are you sure you want to do this? —Job solemnly said, sitting in the passenger seat.
—Of course. Don't worry about me, I'm rougher than I appear. —Sugar was holding the wheel with a nervous look on his face.
But he didn't realize that when Job spoke, his eyes fell on Ethan.
Ethan said nothing, just hit the gas.
When the vehicle was about to leave, Carrie left the bar with a bag in hand.
— Is there still room in this car?
Ethan looked at Carrie with a determined expression on his face and nodded, so Carrie opened the car door and leaned down to sit in the back seat.
Ethan noted that when Carrie came out, there was a smile at the corner of Job's mouth.
At that time, Gordon also left the bar with heavy steps.
He crossed his arms and solemnly watched as the two cars in front of him quickly disappeared into the night.