WebNovels

Chapter 15 - You're Dreaming

"What in the name of the gods are you doing? Do you want your good leg to turn lame?"

As the car skidded to a halt, a fresh wave of curses erupted from within.

Then, a younger voice broke through the din, responding with a full-throated roar.

"Shut your mouth, fool! I already told you to stop the car!"

As this voice echoed, the two inside the vehicle began to bicker fiercely.

"Yes, damn it, you asked me to stop! I chose to ignore you, but is that why you dared to slam on my brakes?"

"The car was going one hundred twenty miles per hour just moments ago! Do you wish to perish?"

"And what of it? Did you not see that someone was being robbed on the roadside? I am a police officer!"

"Is a trainee a police officer? Besides, what does it matter to me whether you wear a badge or not?"

"I was burglarizing a house only half an hour ago. I even ran over a whole crew just a moment ago. You're a cop, but you mean nothing to me. I'm not even afraid of death right now!"

"A lame officer wishes to bring a murderer along to catch a damned robber? Are you mad, or am I the one gone mad, William the Wretched?"

"Shut up and put the car in reverse, damn it! Back it up!"

"Get lost! Why don't you just go die? I deserve to have a neighbor like you! Don't grab my steering wheel!"

"Listen to me, back the car up, or I will blow your head off!"

"You're out of your mind, fool!"

Swish!

The car in the distance suddenly turned and sped toward the gas station.

As Ford drew closer through the shadows, Madison snorted heavily and swiftly disengaged the safety on his shotgun.

Gavin holstered his revolver, resting his right hand upon its handle with an air of nonchalance, then took two steps forward to stand beneath the gas station lights, making his presence more prominent.

At the same time, he whispered to Madison, "Old Mac, keep an eye on that driver."

"I understand. A thief and a policeman, with the thief at the wheel—an interesting combination. I'll watch him!" Madison replied, positioning himself firmly beside Gavin.

While they waited, the old Ford approached the gas station, circled, and came to a stop roughly twelve meters away from Gavin, its passenger door facing them.

In an instant, the figure in the driver's seat seemed to vanish, likely curling up and hiding.

The Ford's passenger window slowly descended, and the young policeman's voice emerged from inside.

"DPD (Dallas Police)! Cease your actions at once! Raise your hands and get on the ground! Drop your weapon! Put your gun down!"

As he shouted, a head cautiously peeked from the passenger window, followed by the muzzle of a pistol aimed at Gavin.

"Don't make me shoot! On the count of three, drop your gun and raise your hands... Gavin? What the hell, Gavin? Oh, no?!!"

The policeman's voice faltered, replaced by astonishment.

As he exclaimed, he quickly flung open the car door, unfastened his seat belt, and leaned out, gazing at Gavin in disbelief.

Gavin noted the young policeman's blond hair and blue eyes; he was indeed the very image of a typical young man from Dallas.

As Gavin watched, the young policeman unbuckled his seat belt, placed his left foot on the ground, and staggered toward Gavin, his right leg curled awkwardly.

"Oh my gods, how could I see the legendary King of Cowboys on the roadside at four in the morning!"

"Gavin! Is that truly you, Gavin? Are you on a television show?"

"And Madison Konacek, wow, you two... you both are enormous..."

As the young policeman drew closer, his remaining leg moved slower and slower. When he finally halted, he involuntarily gazed up at the two of them.

Of course, he looked up more to Madison, towering at 2.07 meters.

While the young policeman hopped on the ground, the driver also emerged cautiously, peering at Gavin and the other man with suspicion.

Upon glancing their way, he gasped in surprise and quickly scanned the surroundings.

Realizing there were no cameras in sight, he suspiciously retrieved his revolver, pushed open the car door, and leaped out.

As he exited, Madison slowly shifted his gun to aim at him.

Seeing Madison on guard, the young policeman froze for a moment and swiftly waved his hands at Gavin and Madison.

"Don't be like that! He's with me. We're neighbors and friends from childhood."

"I watched you grow up, William!"

The driver chimed in, then maneuvered around the car, gripping the left wheel as he approached Gavin and Madison, cautiously observing the convenience store from a distance.

After ensuring there were no bodies within, he craned his neck to peer into the bed of the Tyrannosaurus Rex pickup truck.

Failing to find anything amiss, he sighed in relief and carelessly tucked the revolver into his belt.

Meanwhile, the young policeman quickly holstered his weapon and excitedly addressed Gavin.

"I never expected to find you here! You're a big star, the hottest star in Texas!"

"Especially you, Gavin! You are the pride of Texas! I grew up watching your games. The Cowboys will forever be my team, through to the end!"

"Oh my gods, how can there be a quarterback as flawless as you in this world? Five consecutive championships! We have claimed five consecutive victories!"

"I even attended the Cowboys' championship parade just the day before yesterday! Gods, I'm so fortunate! We must shake hands! Can we shake hands?"

With that, the young policeman nervously extended his hand toward Gavin.

Seeing this, Gavin grasped the young policeman's clammy hand with an expressionless face.

The moment their hands clasped, the young policeman eagerly used both hands to shake Gavin's palm up and down excitedly.

While they shook, he introduced himself in a rush.

"My name is William, William Heimward. I'm twenty-four years old. I started watching you play in college. Oh, and I'm also a Dallas police officer! Actually, I want to play football too..."

"Shut your mouth, trainee officer! No one wishes to hear that!"

His neighbor interrupted him sharply.

William felt a bit embarrassed as his neighbor repeatedly emphasized his intern status, so he awkwardly yelled back at him, "Shut up!"

After silencing his neighbor, William turned back to Gavin, his excitement renewed.

"This is Eugene Lampard, my neighbor and cousin. I've known him for twenty years."

"Good heavens, how lucky we both are, Eugene!"

"This is Gavin! The Cowboys' savior! The miracle of Texas! And the god of football!"

"Can you sign for me? Please, sign for me, Gavin!"

With that, William eagerly pulled back his hands, then tugged at his police uniform, flipping over the chest of his shirt to present it to Gavin.

Clutching his shirt tightly, William's eyes sparkled with eagerness and pleading, like a rabbit spotting a carrot.

Not far off, Eugene eyed the gun Madison was still aiming at him with suspicion before moving closer to William.

Seeing William's beseeching gaze, Eugene paused for a moment, rolled his eyes, and then spoke to Gavin in a reckless, drunken tone.

"Big star, isn't it fate that we meet in this little roadside shop in the early hours of the morning?"

"I say, just sign one for this kid. It won't kill you. It's not any harder than—well, you know."

As soon as Eugene finished, Madison, positioned behind Gavin, immediately began to scold him.

"Keep your mouth clean, you son of a bitch!"

"Fuck you! I thought you could only wave that big gun around and jerk off, but it turns out you can also spew nonsense!"

Eugene raised his middle finger at Madison, returning the insult with a displeased glare.

"In my day, if I saw someone like you pointing a gun at my refuse, I would have blown your worthless hide to kingdom come with a single shot!"

"Did you hear what I said? Did you hear me strike someone? Only a filthy pig like you thinks they can claim a bounty on my head!"

"Fuck it! Even if I've taken down a bunch of people, I haven't issued a bounty yet. What are you thinking? Samoff will feast on it!"

Eugene's anger swelled to a boiling point, and he swiftly drew his revolver, aiming it squarely at Madison. 

But just as the pistol ascended, Gavin seized his wrist with a firm grip.

In that same instant, Gavin's right hand drew his own weapon, forcing the muzzle directly into William's astonished mouth.

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