Chapter 489: A Gift for Justin

The Southwest Medical Center had provided one of its best soundproof rooms for a certain brave federal agent, and Jack had to admit—the soundproofing was excellent.

Last night, he also got to witness a new side of Jessica. Even though they had been in a relationship for quite some time, Jessica was more "reserved" compared to Zoe and Maureen, who were more experienced, or Hannah, who was playful despite being less skilled. But last night, with her in a tight nurse's uniform and lace garters, Jack almost threw his back out from the surprise "attack."

Emily, being Jessica's close friend, must have whispered something to her. Back during Christmas, Jessica had accompanied Jack home, only to witness Hannah dressed up as a reindeer to surprise him. Could this be the women secretly competing in certain areas? Jack couldn't help but entertain a dark thought: if not for the possibility of a tragic outcome, living this way forever didn't seem so bad.

The next morning, Jack took a walk around the hospital to check on the other injured patients. Surprisingly, the man who had been literally stabbed through the heart had survived. It was said that the Southwest Medical Center had assembled their best cardiac surgery team, working for 12 hours to miraculously repair his damaged left ventricle and pull him back from the brink of death.

His girlfriend was also doing fine, and Jack hoped this couple, having faced such a near-death experience, would have a bright future together.

The baby who had been shielded by her mother was in good condition too. Since her father had been searching everywhere for the unknown federal agent who saved her, Jack decided not to visit directly. He wasn't trying to be an unsung hero; he just couldn't stand the awkwardness that would come from the inevitable scene. The thought alone made his skin crawl.

Besides, he wasn't exactly an anonymous hero. At least those around him knew, and Jessica's "reward" had been more than satisfactory.

Walker had been moved out of the ICU and into a regular room. He had only just learned about the previous night's events. When he saw Jack's bandaged hand, he was shocked.

"That area of the border belongs to the Reyes gang. If the suicide bombers you encountered last night are connected to the ones I faced, then things could get ugly in Texas," Walker said after listening to Jack recount the events of the previous night. His already throbbing head from his injury now felt even worse.

As a Texas Ranger, Walker had the duty to protect the state. But he was also a father of two, living in the area. Terrorists tended to target populated places like supermarkets, churches, and schools, which made Walker's concern all the more personal.

"The border will likely be sealed off tightly for a while, so things might not get too bad," Jack offered some hollow comfort. After a bombing, border closures were a given, but who knew how many of these guys had already been smuggled in before the crackdown?

Terrorist attacks were often part of a chain, and last night's assault could very well be just the beginning. Another, larger attack could happen tonight, tomorrow, next week, or even next month. This wasn't needless worry but a real possibility. The best they could hope for now was that the BAU team would crack the case quickly and root out the perpetrators.

However, Jack had a question he needed Walker to answer. "Smuggling terrorists seems like a shortsighted strategy. With the border sealed tightly, wouldn't that be bad for their drug trafficking operations?"

Walker chuckled and shook his head. "Do you know how much the price of cocaine rose after 9/11? As long as the drug supply lines aren't completely cut off, a border closure will only benefit their business."

Ah, Jack realized he had fallen into the trap of misunderstanding the drug trade based on his knowledge from his previous life. After all, this was America.

Yet, things don't always go as people hope. Three days later, while recuperating at the Four Seasons, Jack received news from Rossi. The BAU team had been forced to halt their investigation into the terrorist attack. As they dug deeper, it turned out that the attackers had ties to New Jersey, seemingly unrelated to the smugglers or drug cartels.

This was a far cry from what certain politicians had hoped for. The president, known for his love of red ties, had just announced plans to designate certain Central and South American drug cartels as terrorist organizations. Meanwhile, the Secretary of Defense had labeled the Dallas bombing an all-out declaration of war on federal military forces.

Under pressure from various political factions, Rossi and Hotchner had no choice but to temporarily withdraw the BAU team back to Los Angeles. Thankfully, the case had only been frozen for now. While Hotch wasn't pleased, he hadn't gone rogue to conduct a private investigation either.

If this case had been more personal, like the targeted attacks against Emily and Jack before, there's no way the upright FBI team would have backed down so easily.

Oddly enough, the political maneuvering worked out in Jack's favor. Shortly after, Matt called, arranging a meeting at a restaurant in Austin for the following night.

Leisurely days pass quickly, and Jack closed his laptop after sending a short story manuscript titled The Double Life of a Billionaire Husband to Justin.

Of course, this wasn't the "meticulously crafted" detective novel Jack had been working on. Instead, it was a side project he'd tailored specifically for a certain reclusive hacker.

Feeling bored during his recovery, Jack had a sudden flash of inspiration. He thought of the web novels that had been wildly popular in his previous life and the cheesy short dramas that came with them. So, he did a little research and found that this might actually work.

In this world, Ceres seemed like a forgotten corner of the globe. Aside from globally popular industrial products and small commodities, it didn't export any cultural content, remaining more mysterious than even the "GOLD Dynasty" of North Korea.

This also seemed tied to the stereotypical portrayal of Ceres in American media, but Jack wasn't in a position to probe further. Any attempt to investigate the matter caused him severe headaches.

That didn't stop Jack from using his experiences from his past life. Chris had generously spent over a million dollars to help him acquire that small farm and was now managing it on Jack's behalf. Though the investment would eventually be deducted from his future profits, Jack figured he needed to offer something in return.

Justin, despite her growing bond with Garcia, still led a solitary existence, unable to enjoy life like a typical American girl. Yet, she had her own little world—one that existed in the virtual space of the internet, where she reigned as a hacker in her own personal domain.

Jack's plan was to "contaminate" that world a bit. There were plenty of otaku in the West, but their imagination often fell short. Jack decided to bring over some popular cultural trends from his previous life, starting with CEO romance novels.

In just three days, Jack had written three short stories: Don't Leave Me: The Billionaire's Secret Heiress, Goodbye, My CEO, and The CEO's Contract Wife.

After suppressing his disgust and shaking off the chills, Jack sent the manuscripts to Justin, asking for her thoughts.

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