He nodded toward Marcus. Detain him. Two officers immediately grabbed Marcus by both arms. The young man struggled instinctively. Let me go.
Within seconds he was forced face first against the hood of a patrol cruiser. Nia's pulse quickened. This was exactly why she had accepted the assignment. Not because corruption existed, because innocent people had been living with it every single day. She looked directly at Travis.
This ends today. He laughed. I've heard that before. No. Her voice remained calm.
You haven't. For the first time since meeting her, something about her confidence unsettled him. Most people cried, argued, begged. This woman did none of those things. She simply watched.
Almost as though she already knew how everything would end. His radio suddenly crackled. Unit 12. Travis grabbed it. Go ahead.
A dispatcher spoke. Be advised, we've received multiple anonymous calls regarding possible officer misconduct near Willow and Main. Travis's expression darkened. Disregard. A brief silence followed.
Then the dispatcher answered carefully. Copy. He clipped the radio back onto his shoulder. Ryan frowned. "Anonymous calls?
People get nervous." Travis looked toward the remaining bystanders. "Let's give them something worth calling about." He nodded at Ryan. "Cuffer."
This time Ryan pulled the handcuffs from his belt. The metallic click echoed across the silent parking lot. Kevin took one step forward. "Sergeant." Travis didn't even turn around.
"If you stop me again," he spoke so quietly only the nearby officers could hear, "you'll be turning in your badge before sunset." Kevin froze. His hands slowly fell to his sides. Ryan reached for Nia's wrists. Nia didn't resist.
She looked beyond the officers, far beyond the frightened crowd, toward the highway stretching across the Georgia countryside. Because somewhere beyond that horizon, black FBI SUVs were already closing the distance. She couldn't hear them yet, but she knew they were coming. And so did the encrypted watch on her wrist. A tiny vibration, almost impossible to notice, confirmed what she had been waiting for.
"Emergency response team on route." Nia slowly exhaled. She had only one job left. Hold the line. Just a little longer.