Holden went to contact the police, while Dean sat with Alvin on the stairs outside the door.
The cool breeze passing through the door dissipated the blood and heat in the air.
"So you've been hiding in the house across the street since you came from Compton, Los Angeles?"
Dean looked up and saw a gray wooden house sitting across the road, with a similar structure to the house they were in.
"There was no one in that house, so I stayed in it." Alvin rubbed his face covered with green stubble and wrinkles.
The brown hair that had not been washed for too long and became sticky in bunches exuded a pungent smell of sweat in the wind. Dust and food residue were shaken off the dusty jacket. There were a pair of thick black bags under the eyes. People look old and decadent.
Dean asked again,
"Why don't you live in your relative's house? By the way, what is his specific relationship with you? What is his name?"
Alvin hesitated for a second, then said sadly,
"He was my biological brother, Panon Garcia, who settled in Henderson and I lived in Compton."
"The time I came here was very unlucky. He was not at home, and a week passed without seeing anyone."
"And for some unknown reason, I couldn't sleep well in Panon's house, so I moved to the house opposite. I was able to have a good night's sleep and luckily avoided the blood gang killers."
Dean's "God's Perspective" turned on and discovered that when the man said "not sleeping well", a trace of fear flashed across his face.
"To this day, Mr. COP."
"Dean, call me Dean. I am just a reserve volunteer of the LVPD. Holden Ford just now is a real COP."
"That makes no difference to me. Thanks to you for subduing the killer, otherwise I would never have the chance to see Panon again." Alvin gratefully stretched out his hand and shook Dean's hand.
His hands were covered with thick, dark calluses, dead skin, and cracks, like a pair of old hard-shell gloves.
Dean saw this and asked, "What kind of job are you doing in Compton, Los Angeles?"
"I have been unemployed for many years and have been living on the streets of Compton." Alvin smiled at himself,
"Before this?"
Alvin looked at the sky in ecstasy,
"Before this, I had a big house and a decent job, but suddenly one day the economy went down and I was laid off. I couldn't find a job for a long time. I had to pay off my credit cards and pay alimony to my ex-wife. I was burdened with overwhelming bills. Come down."
"Within a few months, the house was auctioned and I was in debt and bankrupt and had to take to the streets."
A typical middle-class American nightmare.
Dean sighed and was about to continue asking for details.
Holden appears on the street.
…
"In about five minutes, someone from the Henderson Police Department will be here."
Holden and Dean learned about the conversation just now, sat down on Alvin's right, and looked up and down.
"You are really good at hiding."
"I'm sorry, you know how the Blood Gang behaves. Today, you also saw what they did - from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, they did not hesitate to send people to chase me and kill me for hundreds of kilometers. I have no money. A penniless homeless person will surely die if he doesn’t leave.”
"Where did they know your brother Panon's address?" Dean interjected,
"I told a few street friends that I have a relative in Henderson. Well, the Blood Gang must have gotten the news from them." Alvin thought.
"Let's get back to the point." Holden advised, "In my opinion, it is safer for you to stay in Compton, Los Angeles. The police department will send people to protect you as an important witness."
"You're right, you have a strict witness protection plan. But that was before I appeared in court to testify, after the sentencing was over and the criminal was sent to jail?" Alvin asked with some fear, "I still have no respect for the police department. Is it valuable? Will you still send people to protect me? Will the Blood Gang let me, a little person who offended them, go?"
Faced with repeated questions, Holden sighed.
"If you are willing to go back and testify again, after the matter is over, I promise you..." Holden's tone was solemn, "The Compton Police Department will send you out of Los Angeles and find a safe place for you to settle. A sum of money.”
Dean raised his eyebrows after hearing this.
Can the FBI do this for a case that has nothing to do with him?
Alvin was silent, covering his face, thinking for five minutes, then took a deep breath,
"Look, you two, thank you for your help today, and for that, I'm willing to risk my life back in Compton."
His tone paused,
"But before that, I have a request. I don't want money, and I don't need you to send me to a safe place. I just want to meet my brother Panon. He was supposed to live in this house, but I have been waiting. Not enough people.”
"He is the only relative I have left, and I can feel that he is somewhere nearby."
"I must see him as soon as possible!"
He stood up in excitement and roared so hard that his voice became hoarse.
Then he suddenly clutched his stomach and hissed, his facial features bunched up, red and congested.
"What's wrong, buddy? Why don't I take you to the hospital?" Dean quickly stood up and supported him.
"No, no! It's not a big problem."
He grabbed Dean's hand tightly, his body trembled and his face twisted. It took him a full minute to calm down. He wiped the sweat from his face and said apologetically,
"I've had some gastrointestinal problems over the years, but it doesn't matter. I just ask for your help to find Panon."
Alvin finished his words.
A large piece of bright red text passed before Dean's eyes.
You triggered a new event - Brothers (1/1)
You found Alvin Garcia, a witness to a homicide in Los Angeles in Henderson. He agreed to go back as a witness, but he made an additional request to you——
Help Alvin Garcia reunite with his brother Parnon Garcia and witness their end.
Event Difficulty: Medium
Progress (5/100)
Deadline: one week
Reward: Basic reward 110 experience points + special reward (depending on the result)
Punishment: None…
…
"I have acquaintances in the government departments in Henderson and Vegas." Holden called back Dean's attention, "I immediately asked them to find someone, Panon. Garcia, right? I remember it, but I can’t guarantee it. This is America, and there are countless people who go unaccounted for every year.”
"No, Panon is not missing, he just went out for a trip..."
Alvin's tone was firm, but his eyes were wandering, as if he didn't even believe the answer.
"I hope so." Holden muttered, "You can follow me to a safe place later. Also, help prove that we were attacked by blood gang killers and had no choice but to fight back."
…
Soon, someone from the Henderson Police Department arrived.
Because someone died at the scene, several police cars and an ambulance arrived at once.
A bald police officer got out of the car. After confirming Holden's FBI ID, he shook hands warmly and began to understand the whole process from him.
Several police officers set up a cordon at the scene, took photos for documentation, and collected bullet casings and traces left by Dean and the two killers.
The personnel in the ambulance checked the two killers and after confirming that they were both dead, took away their bodies first.
At the request of a police officer, Dean handed over the murderous Colt M1911A1, and was hugged by two strong men and put into a police car bound for the Henderson Police Station.
If Holden hadn't argued hard, he would have been handcuffed.
In the narrow carriage, he looked at two armed police officers standing close to him on the left and right.
Dean felt a little helpless. The Lake Mead incident where three people were killed in a row was not so large, and now he was just a criminal being escorted back to prison.
But it was useless to think too much, so he looked at the system information with peace of mind.
"Sure enough, the FBI's Holden was a mission trigger, and a new incident was contributed on the first day of cooperation."
And it is a medium difficulty that has never been seen before, with 110 experience points, which exceeds the rewards of the previous three easy difficulties, including 80 points for the Lake Mead incident.
But the phrase "witness their ending" in the incident made Dean feel inexplicably heavy and depressed.
"Is it possible that finding Panon Garcia is more troublesome and dangerous than facing three gunmen with AK47s at the same time in Lake Mead?"
…
Henderson Police Department.
The scale is far smaller than that of the Las Vegas Central Police Department.
Most of the police officers were out on duty, and there were only a few people in the office area, which seemed unusually deserted.
Dean was sent directly into the interrogation room with four white walls. There was only a table on which his handcuffed hands were placed, and a small, uncomfortable chair.
Dean stayed bored for a long time.
Finally, two young police officers in suits with cold faces pushed open the door and began to interrogate. They also recorded how Dean fought back from arriving at the door of House No. 369, knocking on the door, and being suddenly attacked. He broke into the door and shot. Kill two criminals, all the details.
"How do you determine the specific location of the enemy on the second floor?" A police detective with a wide chin asked curiously with his hands on his hips, "Can you hit the target even though there is a layer of wood?"
"The situation was dangerous at the time. If you walked up the stairs to the second floor, you would be putting your head towards the muzzle of the gun." Dean thought for a while, "But I heard him running on the second floor, and the footsteps were loud, so I just took the shot based on my feeling. After a few shots, I didn’t expect to hit the target.”
Dean explained, giving himself a reminder.
It's so troublesome to kill two bastards from the Blood Gang, so in the future, either not to kill any of them, or to ensure that there are no witnesses or surveillance at the scene, and no one is left alive.
"Holden, thank you for your advice."
…
The two police officers exchanged glances, and another middle-aged police officer knocked on the door of the interrogation room and called them outside to chat for a while.
When the two returned again, their eyes became apologetic and surprised.
"Are you Dean from Lake Mead?"
"I'm Dean, an eleventh grade student at Nevada State High School." Dean answered truthfully.
"That's it. The great hero of Las Vegas has faced three AK47s. No wonder he can kill two blood gang killers." The detective's attitude changed drastically, and he untied Dean's handcuffs neatly. He changed his previous coldness and his tone was unusually gentle, "I'm sorry for locking you up for so long, but this is the rule of the bureau. We can only act in accordance with the rules and regulations."
"I understand where the responsibility lies."
"Then what happened today..."
"Don't worry, I have no interest in talking nonsense to the media." Dean said, wondering if the current police department is so afraid of public opinion?
The two police detectives were obviously relieved, and their eyes suddenly became more affectionate when they looked at him again.
"Where's my gun?"
Dean rubbed his sore wrist, twisted his neck, and felt a crisp sound all over his body.
"After we confirm the identity of the deceased and close the case, you can come and pick it up. Well, two days at most."
Dean nodded. He also kept a spare Colt in his car for self-defense.
…
Before Dean left, the two police officers thoughtfully asked him if he needed professional, free psychological counseling.
Dean decisively refused.
There was no sense of guilt in this killing, but rather excitement. He did not think he had any psychological problems.
The two began to try their best to win over each other again,
"Little brother, your skills should not be wasted as a COP. After graduating from high school, if you are interested, you can come to the Henderson Police Department to report. We are different from large police departments like LVPD. We are happy to open to talents." The "fast admission channel" omits the tedious steps and strict admission requirements. Depending on your skills, you only need to work for a few years before you are bound to be entrusted with important tasks."
"I will consider."
…
On the roadside in front of the police station.
Dean plopped into the passenger seat of the white Bronco and turned to look at the back seat. Alvin smiled at him.
Holden, who was holding the steering wheel, noticed his stinky face and curved the corners of his mouth, feeling inexplicably happy.
"Is everything resolved?"
"Well, I didn't expect that the title of the Hero of Lake Mead could be used as a 'talisman'."
"The trend has become more and more obvious in recent years. The influence of media reports and public opinion on the police department and the government has expanded rapidly, and sometimes it can even completely change the outcome of a case."
"Let good and evil be reversed."
Holden seemed to recall the bad past, and a trace of melancholy flashed across his face, but it soon turned into determination.
"Dean, wait until tomorrow when Panon's house is unsealed. Take Alvin with you to check it out, and then visit other residents in the block to collect clues."
"I'm going to find connections to investigate about Panon Garcia."
"OK."
