Chapter 14: Securing the Identity

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The next day, Jimmy found Amy and filled out a form, then was told to go back and wait for further notice. From what he knew about the police recruitment process, the current procedure seemed completely out of the ordinary.

After Christmas, Jimmy told Jon about his plan to become a police officer. Although Jon didn’t fully understand Jimmy’s decision, he expressed support and told him he could leave anytime if he wanted—a good friend indeed.

On the evening of January 1, 2000, New Year’s Day of the new millennium, Jimmy was busy at the restaurant when he suddenly received a call from Amy, urging him to come to the police station immediately. Jimmy asked Jon for time off and called a taxi affiliated with the restaurant to rush to the station.

Upon arrival, Jimmy found the lobby completely empty. He walked into Amy’s office.

“Amy, what’s the rush?” he asked.

“Jimmy, go to the holding room and complete some formalities. Someone inside will tell you what to do,” Amy whispered, glancing outside to ensure no one was around before adding, “Don’t talk to anyone inside.”

Jimmy was puzzled by the secrecy. He knew exactly where the holding room was and headed straight there. Inside, a middle-aged man sat on a bench positioned lengthwise, with a black box about the size of a 24-inch suitcase and a regular briefcase beside him.

“Jimmy?” the man asked. Jimmy nodded.

“Come over and register your information.” The man opened the black box, revealing a monitor on the lid and numerous devices and sealed bags inside, with a keyboard in the center.

“First, scan your fingerprints—ten fingers all,” the man said, pointing to a device on the left with a recessed area for fingerprint scanning. Jimmy complied.

“Sign here.” The man handed over several documents and pointed to the signature lines.

“Give me a hair.” He then opened a test tube and placed one of Jimmy’s hairs inside.

“Stand in front of the white cloth and take a photo, then change into this uniform and take another.” The man grabbed a camera and pulled a blue uniform out of the box.

Jimmy noticed a white backdrop already hung on the holding room wall. He first took a photo in his casual clothes, then changed into the uniform and took another. Next came a police academy training outfit, and finally, a headshot wearing a T-shirt. To differentiate the photos, the man adjusted Jimmy’s hairstyle several times. Though the length remained the same, each style looked like it belonged to a different era.

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“All done. Wait by the door and don’t leave.”

Jimmy turned and waited outside the holding room with his back against the door.

About ten minutes later, the man called him back inside.

“Take this bag to Amy. Goodbye.”

The man slung the briefcase over his shoulder, grabbed the black box, and left the holding room, heading straight out of the police station. Jimmy, confused, carried the briefcase back to Amy’s office.

“Amy, this is for you.” He handed over the briefcase.

“Jimmy, give me your driver’s license.” Amy took his license and pulled a card out of the briefcase. “Use this from now on. Come with me.”

Amy led Jimmy to the chief’s office. Chief James was inside. Amy waited for Jimmy to enter, then locked the door behind them.

“Chief, everything’s done.” Amy handed over the briefcase.

“All right, Amy, you can go back now. Jimmy, come with me.”

Chief James opened a back door in his office, one Jimmy recognized—it led directly to the rear parking lot.

They walked out to an empty space in the lot, with no one else around.

“Jimmy, I know you have many questions, but I can’t tell you much. Just remember, your information has been updated. You’ve already completed police academy training and have been transferred from the Third Patrol Unit of the Eastern District Highway Patrol to our county police department. Now you can go familiarize yourself with your new record.”

The chief handed Jimmy a sheet of paper from the briefcase, patted him on the shoulder, and returned to his office.

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Jimmy began to understand, though many mysteries remained. None of these questions felt urgent; the most pressing matter was that he hadn’t yet examined the driver’s license he had just received.

While pondering in the parking lot, a patrol car pulled in. The driver was a familiar face—Noah.

“Hey, Jimmy, what are you doing here? Waiting for a ride home?”

“Yeah, Noah. You know I haven’t bought a car yet.”

“Wait a moment. After my shift, I’ll give you a ride.” Noah grabbed his patrol gear from the trunk and went back inside the station. A few minutes later, he emerged and drove Jimmy home in his own car.

Jimmy didn’t return to the restaurant but went straight to his rented apartment. Once inside, he took out the license and the paper to examine them.

The license still bore the name Jimmy Yang, but it was now an Arkansas license instead of California. The address matched his rental apartment, and the ID number was different. His birthdate had changed from 02/07/1980 to 01/18/1976—meaning he had aged from 20 to 24. The paper was a résumé listing his new identity’s timeline from elementary school through high school, police academy, and entry into the state police force.

Details like classmates or teachers were absent, but with these basic timeframes, it was clear the new identity was legitimate and verifiable. Presumably, all files could be found in the citizen information system.

Lying on his bed staring at the ceiling, Jimmy faced only one question: why?

From Chief James on Christmas Eve to the mysterious man today, it seemed he had been drawn into a conspiracy. Amy had taken his original license, which would likely be canceled soon, leaving him with only this new identity. But would this new identity carry hidden problems, such as enemies made in the past?

That man earlier reminded him of characters from spy movies—the Bourne series, Mission: Impossible—classic espionage style. How had he not suspected anything at the time? What if he had been mistaken for a criminal and sent to prison? What if he was a double? What if someone wanted him dead? The thought grew more terrifying the more he considered it—fear feeding fear.

Moreover, only the chief and Amy seemed aware of this. The rest of the police force probably didn’t know. How should he act around them? Would they become suspicious? Was it believable that an AP officer could become a police officer over Christmas and New Year’s? Did they treat everyone like unfeeling NPCs? Or did everyone know except him?

All these thoughts tormented Jimmy, keeping him awake deep into the night.