The real life of an American police officer: Winning over others with virtue

Chapter 228 Bomb
"Excuse me?" the female train attendant asked softly.

There was clearly no response from inside, but since the door was closed, there must be someone in this bathroom.

"Is everything alright inside?"

After the female train attendant spoke up, there was still no response from the restroom.

In Eric's eyes, the female train attendant, who had been maintaining a professional expression, changed instantly in less than a second after the second inquiry, facing the deathly silent bathroom door.

The professional smile froze completely on his face, not disappeared, but frozen in an instant.

At the same instant the pupil contracts, the intercanthal and depressor intercanthal muscles converge and pull downwards very quickly, creating a brief but deep frown line at the center of the forehead.

These are not wrinkles of thought, but rather an explosive signal of intense worry and fear.

Her pupils first dilated slightly in confusion, then contracted very briefly but violently. This is the primal reaction of the limbic system in the brain when faced with a potentially huge threat, that is, the instinct of fear.

From this, Eric gleaned a piece of information: the female train conductor knew what was wrong on the train, which was why she was so terrified.

Eric stood still, doing nothing, but watching as the female train conductor immediately left as if facing a formidable enemy, retracing her steps.

Compared to before, the female train attendant didn't even glance at him, and hurriedly returned to the carriage behind.

Eric glanced at the bathroom, then turned and followed.

Now that an insider has emerged who knows there's a problem, he no longer needs to go to such lengths to find out what the problem actually is.

However, based on the current situation, Eric believes the most likely scenario is that there is a bomber on the train.

This is very difficult.

Eric thought helplessly that if he could return home safely this time, he would definitely buy statues of Guanyin, Jesus, and other deities to worship and ward off bad luck.

Follow the female train attendant into the inner compartment connecting the two rear carriages.

Eric saw the female train conductor holding a satellite phone and immediately understood everything.

Seeing the mixture of confusion and fear on her face, Eric quickly pulled out his patrol badge from his pocket, a badge he always habitually carried with him.
Because this identity makes it easier to gain the trust of others than for an ordinary person.

“I am Eric Stevens, a second-degree ranger from the West Canyon Police Department of the Los Angeles Police Department.”

Before the female train conductor could speak, Eric spoke in a very calm and persuasive tone.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

The female train attendant glanced at Eric's unfolded identification, her face full of wariness.

Eric understood that this was a defensiveness born of extreme fear, a distrust of others, and a trust only in the person on the other end of the phone.

"Did you receive a message that mentioned a South Asian man in his thirties on the phone, and that you should pay special attention to South Asian passengers?"

This South Asian man in his thirties was, of course, the man he saw making a phone call from outside the window.

This is the only absolutely accurate piece of information.

Upon hearing this, the female train attendant was taken aback, and an incredulous expression appeared on her face: "How did you know?"

Eric knew that wasn't enough; he had to give a reason he knew. "When the train stopped, I saw a suspicious South Asian man, and when you stopped in the front carriage to observe him and check the restrooms, I knew something had happened."

Eric watched as the female train attendant's expression gradually relaxed a little, and then continued, pointing to her satellite phone as he spoke.

“Listen to me, even though I’m just a second-level patrol officer, I can become a detective if I want to, and I can work for the FBI if I want to.”

I think the person who called you probably knows my information, or even if they don't, they should at least look it up.

I'm saying all this not for any particular reason, but simply to show you that I'm someone you can trust, someone you absolutely can trust!

Eric emphasized the point, saying earnestly, "So what's the plan? I think time is running out."

Flagstaff Station is very close to Los Angeles. By this time, the train had been traveling for quite some time, and Eric thought that it should be arriving in Los Angeles soon.

"You don't have time to think about all that. At least someone like me is more professional than you! I know more than you, and nobody on this train is better than me!"

Under Eric's relentless and forceful barrage of questions, the female train conductor quickly lost control of the situation. Without further hesitation, she had no choice but to tell him everything.

It was as if a tall person had finally held up the collapsing sky.

The FBI has issued an alert, suspecting a suicide bomber is attempting to board a train bound for Los Angeles.

Also, we received orders to stop at the old freight marshalling yard of the Riverbed Hub before Union Station in Los Angeles.

Eric's expression remained unchanged, but his pupils contracted, indicating that he had obtained accurate intelligence.

This old freight marshalling yard, located on the south bank of the Los Angeles River, is only 6.2 miles (about 10 kilometers) from Union Station in Los Angeles.

The track still connects to the main line leading to Union Station in Los Angeles, but no regular trains stop there anymore.

As for how he knew, it was because this used to be the designated site for the Los Angeles Police Department's (LAPD) counterterrorism exercises, where a train hijacking incident had previously been simulated.

Fate played a cruel trick on him; he happened to participate in that simulation exercise, even though he was just slacking off.

The female train conductor's next words provided the answer: "That's a remote, abandoned station; we've never stopped there!"

The female train attendant said in a worried tone, "After the train stops, HRT (FBI Hostage Rescue Team) personnel will board the train."

This is tricky! From that single sentence alone, Eric fully understood the seriousness of the situation.

If there was a suicide bomb on the train, then this incident would definitely be handled by a multi-agency team with the FBI at its core.

Because under Section 233 of Chapter 18 of the United States Code, the FBI has priority in enforcing laws against domestic terrorism.

Since the city of Los Angeles is involved, the Los Angeles Police Department will also be implicated.

However, they should all play supporting tactical roles, responsible for blockade, evacuation, and perimeter security.

"So how much longer until we reach our destination?" Eric asked.

"Seven minutes!" The female train conductor's tone still carried a sense of urgency, but seeing Eric's calm expression, her worries lessened.

Whether it was her imagination or not, ever since this young man appeared, the female train attendant felt her body, which had been stretched to its limit, relax a little for a moment.

(End of this chapter)