Nia laid down covering fire while Tessa sprinted to the median's concrete barrier. Daniel provided additional suppression, his shots careful and precise despite his wound. One attacker tried to flank their position but slipped on scattered glass. As he stumbled, something fell from his tactical vest. A black police-issue radio earpiece.
It bounced once and slid toward the gutter, clearly stamped with county inventory markings. Tessa had her phone out, recording faces and details whenever she could safely peek over the barrier. " Got clear shots of two of them," she whispered. " And their vehicle plates. " Sirens wailed in the distance, getting closer.
The attackers heard it, too. Their coordinated assault began to fall apart. " We need to move," one of them shouted. " Now! " They retreated in stages, two providing cover while two ran back to their SUV.
Nia didn't chase or take unnecessary risks. She maintained defensive fire only when they presented clear threats. The black SUV peeled away just as the first legitimate police units appeared at the far end of the intersection. Nia carefully set her weapon down and raised her hands, making sure approaching officers could see she was complying. " Federal agent," Daniel called out again, displaying his credentials. "
We were attacked by armed suspects impersonating law enforcement. " The scene quickly filled with real police cars, paramedics, and crime scene units. But Nia noticed how some officers exchanged looks when they saw the county-issued earpiece. A few touched their own radio sets self-consciously. She realized they couldn't trust any local evidence chain.
The corruption went too deep. Traffic backed up for blocks as investigators photographed bullet casings and impact marks. Paramedics bandaged Daniel's arm while Tessa gave a preliminary statement, carefully omitting any mention of the storage facility or documents. Nia stood beside their ruined car, watching the controlled chaos of the crime scene. The attack had been professional but rushed, likely triggered when someone spotted them leaving the storage facility.
The fake officers had expected an easy ambush against unprepared targets. Instead, they'd faced trained resistance and fled when witnesses appeared. But they would try again, probably somewhere more isolated next time. Nia retrieved her father's gun and the spent casings from her position, legally documenting everything through proper channels. But she kept the earpiece separate, wrapped in a clean handkerchief.
That piece of evidence would go directly to federal authorities, along with the rest of what they'd recovered from the locker. A detective approached with a notebook, ready to take her statement. Nia composed her face into a calm mask, prepared to share only the minimum required by law. The real investigation would have to happen outside local jurisdiction. The evening sun cast long shadows through Evelyn's kitchen windows as Daniel winced under Maria's careful cleaning of his arm wound.
The retired nurse from three doors down had come as soon as Evelyn called, bringing her medical kit and decades of experience treating everything from scraped knees to gunshot grazes. " Hold still," Maria muttered, dabbing antiseptic on the cut. " At least it's shallow. " Across the kitchen table, Tessa's fingers flew over her laptop keyboard, creating backup after backup of the evidence they'd recovered. Her phone lay beside her, streaming the local news coverage of both the morning siege and afternoon shooting. "
This is garbage," Tessa said, gesturing at the screen. " Listen to how they're spinning it. " The news anchor's voice filled the kitchen. " Questions remain about this morning's law-enforcement operation at the home of a local resident with alleged ties to missing federal property. Sheriff Larkin's office describes the incident as an unfortunate miscommunication that escalated unnecessarily.