You're a US police officer, what are you thinking about going back to the East for?

Chapter 152 Counter-Tracking (3k)

Leon stared at his phone screen for a few more seconds, then casually pressed the lock button and tossed the phone back into the storage compartment.

We absolutely cannot do anything to the people from Raytheon right now.

If you rush back to your old apartment at this point, or ask around, it would be like trying to hide something obvious.

Those two Thor agents are just casting a wide net and gathering information, while I, a police officer who has just been promoted and received a raise, have moved to a luxury apartment in the city center, leaving my old house empty and still occupied. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

All I need to do is stay put and pretend I don't know anything.

"Alright, stop guessing."

Lyon turned to Chloe, who was still staring at him, and stepped on the gas, driving the Ford Explorer back onto the main road: "Some personal spam. Buckle up, we're back on patrol."

Time flew by, and it was already late at night.

ACU's night shift has ended.

Lyon traded his black Dodge Challenger for his own car in the precinct’s underground parking garage and drove into the empty streets of Seattle.

Deep, bass-heavy radio music was playing in the carriage.

Lyon had one hand on the steering wheel, preparing to drive towards his new apartment in the city center.

Just as the car was crossing an intersection.

A slight, stinging sensation rose without warning from the base of his neck and quickly spread throughout his spine.

The system-granted "Danger Perception" has been triggered.

A sense of being secretly watched, as if someone's gaze was glued to his back.

Someone is following him.

Lyon didn't glance around; he simply raised his eyes naturally and focused his gaze on the rearview mirror inside the car.

There were three cars behind.

A taxi, a van, and a gray Honda Civic.

Lyon did not immediately slam on the gas or brake.

If you floor the gas pedal and speed up to 100 mph right now, or simply pull out your police lights and put them on the roof, the other party will immediately know that they've been exposed.

He wanted to make these followers think he was still in control.

Lyon kept one hand on the steering wheel, maintaining a speed of 40 mph within the speed limit. He stopped obediently at red lights and signaled his turn for three seconds before changing lanes.

He looked exactly like an ordinary police officer, tired and unsuspecting after get off work.

But even as he was driving, his mind was racing.

"People from Raytheon?"

The first thing that popped into Lyon's mind was the two men in suits who had checked the apartment during the day.

But he immediately dismissed the guess in his mind.

too fast.

Even if the two agents found the list of tenants in the old apartment and discovered the name Leon Vance, as corporate security personnel, they had no reason to immediately lock down themselves without solid evidence, let alone send people to follow them in the middle of the night.

"It seems to be a different group of people."

Lyon tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel, having already made up his mind.

Gang remnants, or assassins on the dark web.

He is now a role model erected by the mayor, a hero of Seattle, and a celebrity in the spotlight.

Fame not only attracts capital and privileges, but also lures hungry wolves who want to make a name for themselves or collect bounties.

The most dazzling person is often the one with the most enemies.

Lyon continued to maintain a steady speed and drive along the original route, but at the next intersection, instead of taking the main road, he turned on his turn signal and turned onto a slightly more secluded secondary road.

In the rearview mirror, the gray Honda Civic didn't follow; instead, it drove straight away.

Lyon's sense of danger had not subsided.

About half a block later, a black Ford pickup truck emerged from a side alley and loomed far behind the Dodge Challenger.

"Tracking the car. That's professional enough."

The other party did not get too close, maintaining a distance of about two blocks, and knew to use different vehicles to relay the baton.

However, does this mean you want to target a cheater with LV4 special driving skills?

Lyon still showed no signs of realizing he was being followed, but his route began to slowly change.

Using his absolute familiarity with Seattle's streets, he led the pickup truck behind him around to the border of the West Side Industrial Zone.

Turn left into the old residential area, then turn right through the abandoned railway tracks that don't even have streetlights.

The car in the rearview mirror continued to follow at a leisurely pace, clearly indicating good driving skills.

As the car entered a series of bends where the view was completely blocked by the high walls of the cannery, the terrain became extremely complex. Towering shipping containers were arranged like a maze on both sides of the road.

Lyon spotted a sharp right-angle bend ahead with a huge blind spot.

Just a second after the Dodge Challenger completely disappeared into the blind spot of the curve and was out of sight of the car behind.

Lyon slammed his foot on the clutch and simultaneously turned off all the headlights with lightning speed with his left hand.

The heavy black muscle car let out a deep roar in the darkness, like a black panther disappearing into the night, and accelerated instantly.

Lyon slammed on the handbrake and turned the steering wheel all the way.

The Dodge Challenger executed a beautiful, unlit drift on the gravel surface, sliding straight into a dead end consisting of a factory and three stacked shipping containers.

As soon as the car came to a complete stop, the Lyon turned off its engine.

Everything returned to deathly silence.

A few seconds later.

The black Ford pickup truck that had been following them came up from around the bend.

The pickup truck slowed down noticeably, and the driver, looking at the empty container yard ahead, slammed on the brakes.

He stopped at the intersection, rolled down the window, and a man wearing a baseball cap leaned out, looking around, clearly confused by the complicated terrain and the sudden disappearance of his target.

Lyon sat in the dark cargo compartment, peering through the gaps in the container at the pickup truck parked at the intersection, without getting out immediately.

He turned around, reached into a black gun holster from the back seat, unzipped it, and pulled out a heavy Remington M24.

The sniper rifle was taken out.

With a flick of his wrist, he slung the gun strap across his back.

Then, he picked up an M4A1 police patrol rifle with a tactical single-shot sling and hung it directly on his chest.

Despite carrying a heavy load of firepower, Leon, who possesses 15 points of strength, felt no burden whatsoever.

He gently pushed open the car door, not daring to close it, for fear of making a slamming sound.

Then, like a ghost, he crept close to the cold metal of the shipping container, using the shadows as cover, and slowly made his way to the Ford pickup truck that was stopped at the alley entrance.

The distance has been shortened.

The driver's side window of the pickup truck was down, and the man wearing a baseball cap was pressing his Bluetooth earpiece in his ear, speaking in a very low voice.

Lyon held his breath, leaned against the corner of the container, and listened intently.

"K, I've lost him."

The man in the baseball cap sounded frustrated. "He just disappeared around that blind spot bend ahead. He was going too fast; I didn't even see his taillights."

A faint static hum came from the other end of the earpiece, followed by a muffled male voice. The night was extremely quiet, and with Leon's exceptional hearing, he faintly caught the other person's voice: "Did he get caught? Why is he suddenly coming to this run-down industrial park in the middle of the night instead of going home?"

"It's hard to say."

The man in the baseball cap looked up and glanced around, then looked at the few searchlights that occasionally shone from the surrounding factory buildings: "Although this area is remote, there are still a few canneries and processing plants operating on night shifts, and trucks pass by on the road from time to time."

"It's not unusual for our pickup truck to be here; this isn't some remote or deserted place. Normally, it shouldn't raise any red flags."

He paused, then continued his analysis: "But don't underestimate him. Vance is a very dangerous guy with a strong counter-surveillance awareness. He might have actually spotted me and is deliberately taking a detour to shake me off."

"Of course, it's also possible that he's hiding a secret base in this run-down industrial area or is coming here to meet someone. Either way, I can't find him now."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the headset, followed by the instruction: "Don't stay outside. Now that we've lost him, continuing to wander around will only give us away. Go back immediately to avoid being falsely accused. We'll come up with a new plan at the safe house."

"receive."

The man in the baseball cap released his hand from the earpiece, stepped on the gas, and the pickup truck's engine roared back to life as it began to make a U-turn on the narrow road.

Lyon stood in the shadow of the container, watching the pickup truck prepare to leave.

He didn't plan to go back to driving that conspicuous Dodge Challenger right away.

The sound of a car engine starting is too obvious at night. If you drive directly after it, it's easy for the other driver to spot you in the rearview mirror, not to mention that the other driver already recognizes your car.

He looked up and glanced at the four-story factory building next to him.

Without any hesitation, Lyon walked straight toward the vertical red brick wall.

With a thought, the [Gecko Wall Climbing] skill, which had been redeemed with 2,000 points, was instantly activated.

Leon stretched out his hands and placed them on the rough brick surface, bracing his feet against the wall, instantly defying gravity.

He was like a giant human gecko, silently and rapidly climbing up the vertical wall.

In just a few seconds, he had landed steadily on the flat roof of the factory.

The higher you stand, the farther you can see.

Lyon walked to the edge of the rooftop, crouched down, and looked down at the black pickup truck that was driving away from the industrial park.

He reached out and moved the M4 rifle from his chest to the side, knelt on one knee, and took the M24 sniper rifle off his back.

Open the dust cover on the scope and place your eye on the eyepiece.

The crosshairs firmly secured the pickup truck's tail plate.

He didn't intend to fire; he simply used a high-powered scope to pinpoint the other person's escape route.

They came to stalk me in the middle of the night, but when they realized they couldn't follow me, they just dusted themselves off and wanted to go back to their hideout to sleep.

Do you really think that only you guys know how to do stalking?

Leon watched the car recede into the distance through the scope, stood up, and slung the M24 back over his shoulder.

Today, I'll give these rats hiding in the shadows a lesson in both forehand and backhand techniques. I'll also go and observe them to see what kind of people they really are.