North America Gunman Detective

Chapter 1498 - 805: Gus's Suspicions

Although Jimmy wasn't a specialized surveillance team member, he had done practical surveillance exercises many times before and had no issues using a camera. However, he was alone this time, without an assistant, so he didn't bring a telephoto camera but rather a regular digital camera. Although he could adjust the zoom, it was different from professional telephoto tracking photography, with discrepancies in clarity.

Jimmy captured images of Badger and his friends, and now he got footage of Jesse getting into their car. This was the relational evidence needed for a complete evidence chain. Jimmy drove and followed them, right hand on the camera, ready to take pictures whenever they stopped. The distance was a bit far, but since he had followed Badger's group here, if someone was watching near Jesse's motel, they likely wouldn't notice anything unusual about Jimmy's car.

The group arrived at another house, and the three of them got out of the car and went straight inside. Jimmy waited outside, watching them play on the living room sofa after going to the bathroom. Apparently, this was either their safe house or someone's house, and it seemed like they wouldn't leave anytime soon.

Jimmy moved the car slightly, parking it two houses away. Aside from watching Jesse, the key was to see if the surveillance personnel around Jesse would show up.

Jimmy's guess was correct. After he changed his parking spot, within two minutes, an SUV parked nearby. Jimmy could see the driver, a bald man or perhaps with a buzz cut, from a slight distance. Jimmy reclined his seat, lowered his body, and took two photos with his camera. Now he could start a proper investigation.

He couldn't go directly to apprehend anyone. His current identity was an FBI agent, not an assassin stirring trouble in Mexico...

With new findings, Jimmy immediately called Miguel, "Miguel, prepare the image recognition. I'll send them over; you must identify their identities immediately... Hmm, apply for permission. If impossible, I'll go to the FBI office... Fine, call me. Also, notify the previous surveillance team to come over; I've found Jesse."

It's really troublesome not being on home turf. The technical department of the FBI New York office rarely refused Jimmy's requests, even if authorization was needed, it's just a phone confirmation—no delay.

Jimmy checked the time. There were now three possible places Jesse might go; once he leaves, the surveillance team will keep an eye out, ideally, nothing majorly wrong will happen, and maybe the person behind everything will surface soon.

The surveillance team was smart. They called Jimmy as they approached the location, and Jimmy instructed them to stop from a distance, not to attract the attention of the person surveilling Jesse—an object of surveillance who could easily lead to someone behind the scenes.

Jimmy started the car, turned around directly, and left without passing by the SUV of the bald man. Instead, he circled around and arrived beside the surveillance truck.

DEA's surveillance car, like the FBI's, was also fond of using such vans. With ample space for equipment, large space convenient for agents' long-term use, Jimmy took out the memory card from the digital camera and had them send the photos to Miguel for processing. Then he synchronized his staking findings, reminding them to watch out for Jesse and be mindful of the trails behind.

Professionals handle professional tasks, and DEA's surveillance teams are also professionals. Though they aren't as handy as Jimmy in pinpointing hidden individuals, they're more suitable than Jimmy for surveillance, tracking, wiretapping, and installing cameras.

A surveillance team typically involves three people, allowing for 24-hour rotational monitoring. The recordings, videos, photos they obtain can be used directly as evidence. But with only one person, Jimmy's surveillance time can't be continued indefinitely, and crucially, without anyone to cross-check, actions require internal verification to determine usability. If targeted, questioning authenticity becomes challenging.

With matters settled, Jimmy could finally take a rest. Prolonged solitary surveillance is tiring, especially when restricted to a cramped car space, leading to fatigue.

Apart from resting due to fatigue, another reason was Hank had succeeded in obtaining Gus's fingerprints. He had received Hank's phone call notification earlier, and after resting, he must return to the DEA office as Hank had new discoveries.

In the office, Hank couldn't keep the smile off his face; Assistant Agent Supervisor Hawke (similar to Hughes and Ruiz's position) was also involved in the meeting. Once Jimmy arrived, Hank presented his investigation findings.

"These are case materials provided by Tim from the police department—a guy named Gale was shot dead. The guy was a chemical genius, outwardly a nerd but actually the top drug manufacturer, and his signature product was blue meth."

While talking, Hank displayed the materials, taking out Gale's notebook copies to show others. "I've verified the chemical products and formulas recorded in this notebook. It's accurate; my brother-in-law Walter confirmed as well—oh, he's a chemical expert, completely trustworthy."

Hawke: "Is this guy Heisenberg, the one you've been looking for?"