What's inside? My clothes. Ryan ripped the zipper open. Everything spilled across the sidewalk. A worn jacket.
A toothbrush. A family photograph. A neatly folded Bible. A pair of work gloves. Nothing illegal.
Ryan looked disappointed. Eric kicked the photograph farther across the pavement. Marcus rushed toward it. Please, don't. Ryan shoved him again.
Harder this time. Marcus stumbled into the park bench. The crack echoed across the square. Nia instinctively reached for her phone. Her training told her to stay under cover.
Her conscience demanded something else. She discreetly opened the camera application. Across the street, Travis leaned closer to Marcus. You've been warned before. I didn't do anything.
You don't get to decide that. Nia pressed the record button. The small red light appeared on the screen. Every second mattered now. She had no way of knowing that one careless glance from Officer Dylan Hayes was about to change everything.
Dylan's eyes drifted across the street. They stopped. Locked directly onto the phone in Nia's hand. His expression hardened. He leaned toward Travis and murmured something too quietly for anyone else to hear.
Travis slowly turned his head. His eyes found Nia. Then they found the phone. His smile disappeared. Without saying a word, he started walking straight toward her.
Travis Cole's polished boots crossed the street with slow, deliberate confidence. Every step carried the silent certainty of a man who had never been told no. Nia Brooks lowered her phone naturally, pretending to read a text message instead of recording video. She kept her breathing steady. The instinct to reach for the FBI credentials hidden deep inside her tote bag flickered through her mind, but she buried it immediately.
Not yet. The investigation was bigger than one confrontation. If she exposed herself now, six months of work could disappear in a matter of minutes. Travis stopped only a foot away. What are you filming?
His tone sounded almost casual. Almost. Nia looked up with practiced calm. The town. Ryan Mercer and Dylan Hayes joined him, positioning themselves on either side of her.
Eric Nolan remained across the street with Marcus, while Kevin Ross stood halfway between both groups, watching everyone at once. The town? Travis repeated with a crooked smile. That's right. He held out his hand.
Let me see your phone. Nia slipped it into her jacket pocket instead. I'm not required to hand over my personal property. Ryan laughed. You hear that, Sarge?
She knows the law. Travis smiled even wider. I like people who know the law. His eyes hardened. They're usually easier to charge with obstruction.
Linda Foster froze behind the cash register inside her store. She had seen this routine before. It always began politely. It never ended that way. Outside, Marcus gathered his scattered belongings with trembling hands.