novelraw Chapter 1526 819: Honors Earned
Chapter 1526 819: Honors Earned
This time, Jimmy didn't encounter any trouble. He watched the watch and counted the time, and when the time was up, he immediately tapped the cover above. Although he had seen someone come here before, he didn't know if the person outside was old George; if something went wrong, it would be problematic.
Fortunately, there were no surprises this time. The stone moved away, the cover lifted, and Jimmy successfully emerged from the tunnel.
He got in his car, and after arriving at the church, Jimmy took out a wad of cash from his pocket, without counting how much it was, and directly placed it on the seat. "Thanks, George."
"Ah, a tip? You should know someone already paid."
"Of course, just take it. I appreciate your professionalism and punctuality. Goodbye."
Jimmy waved, got back into his car, carefully checked the things left inside to ensure nothing was missing, then immediately drove away from the small village.
The cash was something Jimmy had casually picked up, initially thinking to keep it for emergencies, but now that he's back in the United States, he didn't need it anymore.
This time, he intended to calm himself, mainly because Gus's earlier disappearance was a bit frustrating. Originally planning to take down a big drug lord, it suddenly turned to capturing small fry. A 100% accomplishment turned into a 60% result after more than a month of investigation. Anyone would find that annoying.
Unexpectedly, he saw Gus and the others alive at Eladio's Mansion. Now, with Alejandro, who was highly suspected to be CIA, assisting, there shouldn't be any problem escorting three people back from Mexico. Moreover, it gave him an evident accomplishment. If he let them go, it would be even more interesting.
Before Gus and the others returned to Albuquerque, Jimmy wouldn't reveal this to others. He'd wait for Alejandro to inform about the return process later, believing that Alejandro could handle it.
Returning to the hotel for a shower, feeling refreshed, Jimmy went out for dinner, finally coming back to his senses. The long journey had been tense, worrying about exposure. Now relaxed, he called home and checked on his kids. In a good mood, he could shake off the ominous feeling he had.
The DEA interrogation was not over yet. There were too many people, and the DEA didn't have enough agents to participate, so it inevitably took a lot of time. Jimmy visited the DEA office during the day to check the progress and kill time, waiting for Gus and the others to return, so he could then go back.
Gus could confirm that it was the Salamanca family from Eladio's Mexican Cartel Group who attacked Hank because their family member, Toku Salamanca, was killed by Hank, and the one who informed them was Gus's previous leader, Borsa. Considering the Salamanca family's original boss, Hector, had a stroke and was paralyzed, they didn't have a leader, so Borsa stepping in was natural.
Only when Gus got involved in the testimony could everything be connected. Now that Eladio and Borsa were dead, with only a stroke-stricken Hector Salamanca left, Gus's testimony carried the most weight. This made the evidence chain for Hank's attack complete. With the case closed, Jimmy could account to all parties.
After two days, the DEA arranged for a SWAT team to cross the border, taking three suspects back from Juarez to Albuquerque.
Jimmy initially thought Alejandro would secretly send them back, but he ended up directly passing through Washington to contact the DEA, arranging the suspect transportation openly, which was a bit unexpected for Jimmy. Using official channels required reporting a lot of information.
Nonetheless, the cause of Eladio's death was hidden. Alejandro specifically called Jimmy to explain this matter, assuring that his presence would not be disclosed, merely stating that he hired someone to perform a decapitation operation on Eladio.
This was beneficial, as it officially excluded Jimmy from the investigation. Even if someone suspected him, they would first have to deny the official investigation results.
On the day Gus was sent back, Jimmy had an open conversation with him in the interrogation room, of course before the official interrogation started. Some things were better discussed face-to-face, concerning Gus's drug empire and Hank's case.
Gus naturally understood what Jimmy meant, his appearance first and foremost was a warning. On one hand, they shouldn't mention Eladio's Mansion, and on the other hand, be honest about Hank's attack. As for the drug cartel case, the existing evidence was already sufficient; there was no need to hide anything further.
Having received a positive response, Jimmy then called the DEA agents into the interrogation room and left the scene himself, informing Hank of the good news that his attack case was closed.
For the DEA, breaking up Gus's drug cartel was a significant achievement. Originally, Jimmy planned to return to New York immediately, but he was forced to stay, waiting for the joint press conference a few days later, hosted by the DEA. Jimmy, as a member of the cross-department joint investigation team, needed to attend, take photos, and receive commendation from the DEA.
DEA Albuquerque's agent supervisor, Hans Land, personally awarded Jimmy a DEA Distinguished Service Cross, a high-level honor awarded to those who demonstrate exceptional courage, leadership, and contribution in executing their duties. It's usually only given to DEA members, but this time was an exception, mainly because Jimmy conceded so much, and they gained far more than just a medal.