Chapter 11: The Tedious First Time

Noah drove to the scene and saw from a distance that the crowd had already scattered by the time the police car arrived. When Noah got out of the vehicle, there was not a single soul in sight.

“Adam47 reporting: no suspects found at the scene, cancel the alert.”

“Jimmy, patrols are often like this. By the time we arrive, the suspects have fled. For non-critical incidents or when there’s no emergency, if no one is found, the alert is usually canceled right away.”

“Yeah, anyway, APs rarely get to respond solo. I’ll just stick with you and assist.”

“Exactly. Follow my lead. If I don’t let you out of the car, stay put and wait for my instructions. Don’t believe all those things they told you in training about the workload. In reality, when on a call, APs mainly set up barriers and help watch over suspects already in handcuffs. The paperwork? That’s for the officers to handle. Got it?”

“No problem. I’ll be the best little baby, the kind with a pacifier.”

Jimmy had picked up some local slang over the last few months, making him sound more like a native than he did in his previous life.

The police car continued to patrol aimlessly through the streets. Thanksgiving seemed to be a special day—calls to the police were few and far between.

“Adam47, domestic disturbance reported at 480 Grant Street. Neighbor reports loud noises and crying.”

“Adam47 received.”

The police car headed directly to the address.

“Jimmy, wait in the car,” Noah instructed before stepping out and approaching the yard.

“Praski County Police, open up!” Noah knocked again. The crying inside continued unabated. Drawing his weapon, Noah kicked the door open and entered.

Jimmy watched from the car as Noah came out shortly after, escorting a white male suspect. He locked the man in the rear seat cage and sat in the driver's seat to report.

“Adam47 reporting: situation handled. Transporting suspect back to the station.”

On the way back, Noah and Jimmy didn’t exchange a word. Once the suspect was secured in a holding cell, Jimmy finally asked Noah what had happened inside.

“That bastard was beating his wife and smashing up the kitchen furniture. Went in, arrested him, brought him out. Simple as that.”

Well, no surprise there—an old cop handles these matters efficiently and cleanly.

“Still patrolling tonight?”

“Of course. You’ve got an hour and a half left. Let’s go, Jimmy.”

***

The patrol resumed. Jimmy took the chance to ask about some of Noah’s past cases. Time flew by when people chatted, and before long, it was 11:30 p.m., nearing the end of Jimmy’s shift. Noah steered the car back toward the station.

“All units, be advised: shots fired on West 19th Street. Nearby officers, respond immediately. Repeat: shots fired at West 19th Street. Officers nearby, respond at once.”

“Adam47 received. En route.”

“Jimmy, overtime tonight.”

“Okay, let’s go!”

Noah sped with sirens blaring, arriving at the scene within five minutes. Jimmy stayed in the car while Noah ran toward the other officers. The radio crackled with updates about the suspect’s whereabouts, but once Noah left, Jimmy couldn’t hear any of it.

Sitting in the car, Jimmy glanced around. Due to the gunfire and sirens, all nearby residents had turned off their lights and hidden. The whole block was lit only by a few street lamps and the flashing police lights. Bored and unable to touch anything in the car, with no smartphone to pass the time, he just sat and stared blankly.

Jimmy began counting the grid of nearby houses and wooden fences when he suddenly noticed a shadow on the roof across the street. The figure hunched over, slowly moving toward the side where a storage rack stood—just the right height to step on. The shadow slid down, stepped onto the rack, then jumped down and ran behind the house.

Something felt off to Jimmy. Four police cars with flashing lights and sirens—could a suspect really sneak down from a roof here? But Noah had just told him that APs were to stick to simple tasks; chasing suspects was not one of them.

“AP105 reporting: at [address on West 19th Street], observed a person descending from the roof, running south—opposite direction from police search.”

“Dispatch copy. Stand by for further instructions.”

“AP105, do you still see the suspect?”

“AP105 reporting: no, suspect disappeared behind the house. Following officer’s orders, I’m staying in the car and not pursuing.”

“AP105, remain at your location.”

“AP105 received.”

Having made the report, Jimmy breathed a sigh of relief. He’d done all he could; now it was up to the officers.

After half an hour waiting in the car, the officers returned one after another with no sign of the suspect. It seemed tonight would yield nothing.

Noah started the car, turned off the sirens and lights, and headed back to the station.

“Well done, Jimmy. Timely reporting of the suspect’s location exceeded my expectations for an AP.”

“Yeah, my first patrol and I stumble on a shootout—too bad I couldn’t see what was going on.”

***

“If you want to see a shootout, wait until you become a cop.”

“APs becoming cops? That’s a pipe dream. Seriously, Noah, have you ever seen an AP take the police entrance exam?”

“In all my years on the force, not once.”

“So, I won’t bother dreaming about it. Police school is tough—you need six months of training, pay for your own uniform, gear, and vehicle. I don’t have the money for any of that.”

“Fair enough. Now, put your gear away, I’ll take you back to the diner. By the way, if you apply directly to the police academy yourself, you pay out of pocket. But if you’re hired through the police department, they cover all your expenses.”

“Okay, give me two minutes.”

***

Thus ended an eventful night. Back at the diner, Jimmy felt wide awake, not the slightest hint of sleepiness.

The conversation with Noah had planted a somewhat unrealistic thought in his mind.

After more than two months of living here, he felt certain he couldn’t make a career as a server forever. Being Chinese in a community that was over 90% white made him somewhat uneasy. Yet he had no special talents; politics and business, which required high intelligence and wealth, were beyond his reach. Even starting a small business would need capital—he needed a starting point.

But whether being a cop was a good career remained to be seen.

Also, from what he’d learned, this world’s technology seemed somewhat more advanced than his previous one, though fragmented. Ordinary people’s access to information was somewhat less than before, but news and newspapers provided some insights that were once unimaginable.

Relying on a single idea to get rich quick was clearly wishful thinking.

For now, he just needed to support himself and save up money before moving to a big city on the East or West Coast.

***

After Thanksgiving, the whole team gathered at the diner. Hearing that Jimmy had completed his first AP patrol, John happily announced an extra meal for him, and Jacob said he would prepare a special filet mignon for Jimmy that afternoon.

The joyful first patrol was successfully completed, and Jimmy returned to his busy life as a server.