American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others.

“Renault direction, line up to get on,” he shouted in a hoarse voice.

Passengers picked up their luggage and headed towards the bus doors.

Lynn and Kevin also stood up and got into the car with the crowd.

The bus interior was cleaner than the exterior. The seats were upholstered in dark blue velvet, worn smooth in some places, but at least clean. A faint scent of lemon air freshener lingered in the air, barely masking the musty smell of the seats. Some packages and backpacks were already on the overhead luggage racks, and a gray rubber mat covered the aisle.

Lynn chose a seat in the back row by the window. The advantage of this seat was that it offered a wide view, allowing her to observe the movements of most of the passengers in the carriage. It was also close to the rear door, so she could evacuate quickly in case of an emergency.

Kevin sat down next to him and placed his backpack on his lap.

The family of three sat two rows in front of them. The man sat on the aisle side, the little girl Sofia sat in the middle, and the woman sat by the window. As soon as Sofia got on the bus, she knelt on her seat, leaned against the backrest, and peered back, her two soft gray rabbit ears peeking out from between her arms.

Her gaze fell on Lynn again.

"Hello," she said suddenly, revealing a smile with a missing front tooth.

Lynn paused for a moment, then smiled back. "Hello."

“Your hat is so dirty,” Sofia pointed out bluntly.

Lynn looked down at his baseball cap, which was indeed covered in dust and stains. "Yeah," he said, "got it dirty at the construction site."

Are you the one who builds houses?

"I guess so."

"My dad said that building houses is very hard work."

“Sophia, don’t bother her.” Her mother turned from the front row and smiled apologetically at Lynn. “Sorry, that’s just how she is, she talks to everyone she meets.”

“It’s okay,” Lynn said. “She’s lovely.”

The woman smiled and nodded, then pulled Sophia back into her seat. "Sit tight, the car's about to leave."

"I don't want to sit still, I want to see the uncle behind me."

"We'll see later, first fasten your seatbelt."

Sofia pouted and reluctantly turned around, but her gray rabbit was deliberately left on the back of the chair, its two soft ears drooping there, as if it were continuing to observe the strangers in the back row for its owner.

At 2 p.m. sharp, the bus emitted a low engine roar and slowly pulled out of the station.

The view of San Francisco outside the bus window began to recede. First, the gray walls of the bus station and other buses in the parking lot appeared, then rows of low-rise shops and residential buildings, followed by overpasses and highway ramps. The bus merged into the traffic on Interstate 101, heading east with countless cars, trucks, and motorcycles.

The city's silhouette gradually shrank in the rearview mirror—the iconic skyscrapers, steep hillsides, and the Golden Gate Bridge, faintly visible in the distance, all slowly blurred and disappeared in the afternoon sunlight and mist.

Lynn looked out the window, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her.

When he arrived in San Francisco, he was "Jack Bryan," dressed in a respectable suit, taking a taxi into that unassuming trading company in Chinatown. Now he leaves as an anonymous construction worker, wearing stolen clothes, riding in a dilapidated bus, fleeing the city like a hunted wild animal.

"What are you thinking about?" Kevin's voice was very soft.

"nothing."

“Don’t worry,” Kevin said. “It’ll be much safer once we’re out of California.”

Lynn didn't answer. He knew things weren't that simple, but he didn't want to discuss them in the car.

The bus entered Interstate 80 and headed northeast. The scenery outside the window changed from the concrete jungle of the city to the pastoral landscape of the San Francisco Bay Area—rolling hills, golden pastures, and slopes dotted with oak trees. Occasionally, farms could be seen, with white fences surrounding green meadows, and a few black and white cows grazing leisurely in the sunshine.

The carriage gradually quieted down. Most passengers had found their own way to pass the time—some were listening to music, some were looking at their phones, and some had already started to doze off. The young backpacker had placed his backpack against the window and was dozing off with his head resting on it. Two Mexican women were still chatting quietly, but their voices had become much softer. The elderly Black man in the top hat was reading a worn paperback book, occasionally turning a page lightly with his finger.

Sofia quieted down and was lying on her mother's lap eating a bag of gummy bears, occasionally looking up at the scenery passing by outside the window.

The bus traveled smoothly for about an hour, passing Fairfield and Wakkaville, the scenery outside the window becoming increasingly desolate. The distance between towns grew ever greater, replaced by vast stretches of open fields and the occasional gas station. The distant mountains appeared as blurry outlines in the heat, the sky high and clear, almost cloudless.

Lynn began to feel a little relaxed.

Perhaps he really can leave safely.

Just then, the bus suddenly slowed down.

Lynn immediately became alert, leaning forward to look out the car window.

A temporary checkpoint appeared on the highway ahead. Two black SUVs were parked diagonally on the side of the road, and a white van was parked across the road, leaving only a narrow passage for vehicles to pass. Several people wearing black jackets stood by the roadside, stopping and inspecting passing vehicles one by one.

Lynn's blood froze instantly.

Those men didn't look like police officers—no uniforms, no flashing lights, no law enforcement insignia. Their black jackets and sunglasses, along with the bulging holsters at their waists, made them look more like—

“The Brotherhood.” Kevin’s voice was tinged with obvious fear.

“Don’t panic,” Lynn said in a low voice, “we’re not sure yet.”

But he already had a feeling. This wasn't a regular traffic check; it was a Brotherhood search—a search of him.

The vehicles ahead formed a short queue. The bus driver clearly noticed the unusual situation; he slowed down, muttered something, and then honked the horn.

Lynn quickly glanced around the carriage, assessing the situation.

There were about twenty passengers in the carriage, most of whom were oblivious to what was happening ahead and continued with their own activities. Only the young backpacker looked up and glanced ahead, puzzled.

"What should we do?" Kevin's voice trembled.

“Take off the hoodie,” Lynn said quickly. “Put the bag under your feet, not on your knees.”

"Then what?"

"Then do nothing. Sit still, look out the window, and don't make eye contact with anyone."

Kevin did as he was told. He stuffed his backpack under the front seat, took off his hoodie, and turned to look out the window, but his jaw muscles were taut and his face was almost transparently pale.

The bus continued moving slowly forward. Lynn saw a red Toyota pickup truck ahead be stopped. A man in a black jacket walked to the driver's side window, bent down, and said something. The pickup driver rolled down the window and handed over something—probably a driver's license or other documents. The man in the black jacket looked at it, glanced into the passenger compartment, and then waved for the pickup to pass.

They're looking for someone. They're looking for a specific person.

Looking for him.

Lynn's mind raced. He couldn't run off the train—on this open highway, he'd have nowhere to hide and would be a sitting duck. He couldn't hide under the seats or in the luggage rack either—that would be too obvious; anyone searching the carriage would spot him immediately. His only hope was to remain unrecognized.

But his fraternity has already circulated his photo everywhere. Even with sunglasses and a hat on, people can still recognize him if they look closely.

“Lynn,” Kevin’s voice sounded like it was being forced out through clenched teeth, “what if they get in the car to check?”

Lynn did not answer. His gaze fell on the family of three in the front row.

Sofia's father also noticed the commotion ahead. He frowned slightly, glanced out the window, then turned to his wife and whispered a few words. The woman's expression tensed up, and she instinctively placed her hand on Sofia's shoulder.

Sofia was completely unaware of all this; she was "feeding" the gray rabbit with two gummy bears, making "Ah~ open your mouth~" sounds.

The bus moved forward a few more meters, getting closer and closer to the checkpoint.

“Wait a minute,” Lynn suddenly made a decision.

He stood up and walked towards the front row.

Kevin looked up in alarm. "What are you doing?"

Lynn didn't answer. He walked to the family of three's seats, squatted down in the aisle, and said to the man with glasses—

"Sir, excuse me for disturbing you."

The man looked at him with some surprise. "What is it?"

Lynn took a deep breath, lowered his voice, and said as frankly as possible, "I know this sounds strange, but I need your help. Those guys at the checkpoint up ahead—they're not police. They're looking for me."

The man's eyes widened instantly. His gaze swept from Lynn's face to the checkpoint outside the car window, and then back to Lynn.

"What do you mean?"

“I’m a law enforcement officer,” Lynn said, knowing he was taking a huge risk, but he had no other choice. “Those men are members of a criminal organization. They want to arrest me because I have incriminating evidence against them. If they recognize me, I could die in this car.”

The man's wife turned deathly pale upon hearing this. Her hand unconsciously tightened around Sofia's shoulder, pulling her daughter closer to her.

"How can you prove what you're saying is true?" The man's voice was low, his tone filled with wariness and unease. "How can you not be one of them?"

“I can’t prove it,” Lynn looked him straight in the eye. “I have no identification, no badge, nothing. The only thing I can say is—if I were a bad guy, I wouldn’t ask a man with a wife and daughter for help on a crowded bus.”

The man stared at him for a few seconds, his lips pressed tightly together.

The woman peeked out from behind her husband, looking at Lynn with a mixture of fear and hesitation.

“Matt,” she whispered her husband’s name.

“I know.” The man—Matt—raised his hand to signal his wife to calm down. He glanced at the checkpoint outside the window, then looked back at Lynn.

"What do you want me to do?"

The bus moved forward a few more spaces, the engine emitting a low, trembling sound. Lynn felt as if time was being stretched out, each second becoming exceptionally long.

“Let me sit next to you,” he said quickly. “If anyone gets in the car to check, I’ll be a friend of your family, and we’ll go to Renault to see your mother. That’s it, nothing else.”

Matt was silent for a moment, then looked down at Sophia. The little girl was still playing with her gray rabbit, completely oblivious to what the adults were saying. She looked up, saw Lynn squatting beside her, and immediately flashed her missing-toothed smile.

"Uncle Hat! Are you coming to play with me?"

Looking at her innocent face, Lynn felt a pang of sadness. "Yes, Uncle came to play with you."

Matt took a deep breath. He glanced at his wife—the woman bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded slightly.

“Okay,” Matt said, his voice soft but steady, “come sit down.”

A wave of gratitude washed over Lynn. "Thank you."

He went back to the back row, bent down, and said to Kevin, “Stay here and don’t move. Put your hat on and pretend to sleep by the window. If anyone asks you questions, say you’re from Los Angeles working in Reno and don’t understand English very well.”

"And you?"

"I'll go ahead."

Kevin opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. He took a knitted hat out of his bag, pulled it over his head, buried his face in his arms, and leaned against the window, motionless.

Lynn took the newspaper and walked back to the family of three in the front row. Matt had already moved a seat, making room for the aisle.

“Sit here,” Matt said. “Sophia, come sit on Daddy’s lap.”

"Why?" Sophia asked, puzzled.

“Because Uncle Hat is going to sit here,” the woman replied, her tone as gentle as if she were stating the most ordinary thing, “Uncle is coming with us to see Grandma.”

Sofia's eyes lit up. "Does Uncle know Grandma too?"

“I know him,” Matt said, pulling Sophia onto his lap. “Uncle is Daddy’s old colleague.”

What is a "long-time colleague"?

"Someone I used to work with."

“Oh,” Sophia nodded as if she understood, then turned to Lynn, “Uncle, what’s your name?”

Lynn sat down, hesitated for a moment. “John. You can call me Uncle John.”

"Uncle John, why are you so dirty?"

“Sophia!” the woman whispered reprimandingly.

“It’s alright,” Lynn smiled, “because Uncle has been working on the construction site all day and hasn’t had a chance to shower yet.”

“You should take a bath,” Sofia said seriously. “Mom says that if you don’t bathe, germs will grow.”

"You're right, I'll definitely wash it when I get back."

The bus was now second in line before the checkpoint. Lynn could clearly see the men in black jackets—six in total, scattered along the roadside. They were all muscular, their movements swift and efficient, searching each vehicle quickly yet thoroughly. (End of Chapter)