睡了一觉醒来，已经是第二天早晨。阳光从窗帘缝里钻进来，刺得我眯了眯眼。电视开着，警局的新闻发布会又在播，波尔站在台上，声音低沉："警员迈克·格林在昨晚的行动中英勇牺牲，为保护同僚和市民献出了生命。我们追授他城市英雄勋章，以表彰他的无畏精神。"镜头扫过人群，我盯着屏幕，手指攥紧又松开。我深呼吸，把情绪压下去。
After waking up from sleep, it was already the next morning. Sunlight crept through the gaps in the curtains, making me squint. The TV was on, broadcasting another press conference from the police station. Paul stood on the stage, his voice deep: "Officer Mike Green heroically sacrificed himself in last night's operation, giving his life to protect his colleagues and citizens. We posthumously award him the City Hero Medal to commend his fearless spirit." The camera panned across the crowd, and I stared at the screen, my fingers clenching and releasing. I took a deep breath, suppressing my emotions.
我洗了把脸，换了件衣服，决定去找艾琳。咖啡馆里，她坐在老位子上，低头翻着一本书，眼角的青紫还没散，嘴角的血迹倒是擦干净了。我走过去坐下，她抬头看我，脸上挤出个笑："你来了。"我看着她那张憔悴的脸，自己也好不到哪儿去，胡子拉碴，眼底黑得像熊猫。两人对视一眼，突然都笑了，像被什么戳中了笑点。她捂着嘴说："我们俩这狼狈样，真是绝配。"我咧嘴笑："可不是？"
I washed my face, changed clothes, and decided to find Erin. In the café, she sat in her usual spot, looking down at a book, the bruise around her eye still not faded, though the blood at the corner of her mouth had been cleaned up. I walked over and sat down, she looked up at me, squeezing out a smile: "You came." I looked at her haggard face, myself not looking much better, with stubble and eyes as dark as a panda's. We looked at each other and suddenly both laughed, as if something had hit a funny spot. She covered her mouth and said, "The two of us in such a mess, we're a perfect match." I grinned, "Aren't we?"
笑完，她伸手碰了碰我的手，指尖冰凉却像带了电。我心跳猛地一跳，看着她的眼睛，确信了某种东西——我们相爱了。那一刻，所有的糟心事都被抛到脑后，我低声说："走吧，去个安静的地方。"她点点头，眼神里多了点羞涩和期待。
After laughing, she reached out and touched my hand, her fingertips cold yet electrifying. My heart skipped a beat, and looking into her eyes, I was certain of something—we had fallen in love. At that moment, all the upsetting things were thrown to the back of my mind, and I said softly, "Let's go, to a quiet place." She nodded, her eyes showing a hint of shyness and anticipation.
我们找了家街角的小旅店，房间不大，暖黄的灯光洒在床上，像一层薄纱。我关上门，她站在窗边，转身看我，眼里闪着光。我走过去，抱住她，她没躲，轻轻靠在我胸口。我们没说话，就这么亲热在一起，彼此拥有了对方。那一刻，我如释重负，像卸下了千斤重担；她心花怒放，笑得像个孩子。床单皱成一团，窗外是戒严后的寂静，可屋里却暖得像春天。
We found a small hotel at the corner of the street. The room wasn't large, warm yellow light spilling onto the bed like a thin veil. I closed the door, and she stood by the window, turning to look at me, her eyes sparkling. I walked over and embraced her; she didn't shy away, leaning gently against my chest. We didn't speak, just being intimate together, possessing each other. At that moment, I felt relieved, as if I had put down a thousand-pound burden; she was overjoyed, smiling like a child. The sheets were crumpled, outside the window was the silence after martial law, but inside the room it was as warm as spring.
与此同时，特勤局那边传来的消息却冷得像冰。欧文打电话给科尔，声音低沉："烧焦的尸体查出身份了，是本国一个退役军人，三年前失踪。档案显示他当过雇佣兵，背景不干净。"特勤局没犹豫，从莱曼德空军基地调了特种部队，搭乘直升机直扑那家伙的老家。可到了那儿，只剩一片废墟——房子被烧得只剩焦黑的框架，显然有人先一步毁了证据。
Meanwhile, the news from the Special Services Bureau was as cold as ice. Owen called Cole, his voice low: "We've identified the charred body, it's a retired soldier from our country who went missing three years ago. Records show he was a mercenary, with a shady background." The Special Services Bureau didn't hesitate, calling in special forces from Lemand Air Force Base, who took helicopters straight to the guy's home. But when they arrived, all that remained was ruins—the house had been burned to just a blackened frame, clearly someone had destroyed the evidence first.
机队没停，又转向卡尔的老家摩尔庄园。那地方是个乡下大宅，周围全是田野，可一样空无一人。特种部队翻遍了每个角落，只找到几把未登记的非法枪械，藏在地下室的一个铁箱里。欧文站在废墟前，右肩的伤还没好，低声骂："这帮家伙，跑得比兔子还快。"
The air fleet didn't stop, then turned towards Karl's old home, Moore Manor. The place was a large country house, surrounded by fields, but equally deserted. The special forces searched every corner, finding only a few unregistered illegal firearms hidden in an iron box in the basement. Owen stood in front of the ruins, his right shoulder wound still not healed, cursing under his breath: "These guys, running faster than rabbits."
科尔接到消息后，找到我，把卡尔失踪的事说了。我愣了下，转身告诉艾琳。她坐在旅店的床上，裹着毛毯，听完后沉默了一会儿，脸上却没太多惊讶，反而平静得有点奇怪。她低声说："他走了也好，我早就习惯了。"她顿了顿，抬头看我，"其实我一直觉得，他不是个好人。可他是我爸，我没办法。"她笑了一下，像卸下了什么，眼里多了点释然。
After receiving the news, Cole found me and told me about Karl's disappearance. I was stunned for a moment, then turned to tell Erin. She sat on the hotel bed, wrapped in a blanket, and after listening, remained silent for a while. There wasn't much surprise on her face; instead, she was oddly calm. She said softly, "It's good that he's gone, I've gotten used to it long ago." She paused, looked up at me, "Actually, I've always felt he wasn't a good person. But he's my father, I had no choice." She smiled a little, as if she had put something down, her eyes showing some acceptance.
我坐在她旁边，手搭在她肩上，没说话。艾琳靠着我，低声说："卢卡斯，不管他去哪儿，我只想跟你在一起。"我点点头，心里却沉甸甸的。
I sat beside her, my hand on her shoulder, saying nothing. Erin leaned against me and said softly, "Lucas, no matter where he goes, I just want to be with you." I nodded, but my heart felt heavy.