Reigns fumbled with the device, suddenly discovering that his technical problems had miraculously resolved themselves. The camera light blinked to life.
"Excellent," Marcus continued. "Now, I want you to preserve every recording from this traffic stop. Chain of custody documentation will be required."
Voss stepped forward desperately. "Captain, look, there's obviously been some kind of misunderstanding here. Why don't we all head back to headquarters, handle this internally, work out whatever confusion—"
"There's no confusion, Sergeant," Marcus interrupted. "Officer Reigns demanded $500 cash to avoid arrest and impoundment. When I asked him to repeat the amount, he did. Then he explained the consequences of refusing to pay."
Reigns's face had gone gray. "Sir, that was... I was joking. Bad joke, I admit. This driver was being aggressive, uncooperative. I made a stupid comment trying to defuse the tension."
"A joke?" Marcus repeated flatly.
"Yes, sir. Completely inappropriate humor, poor judgment on my part. But this civilian was making wild accusations, getting hostile—"
"This civilian," Marcus said, his voice carrying steel, "is your commanding officer. And your joke was extortion."
The word hung in the air like a loaded weapon.
Voss tried again, his voice pleading: "Captain, surely we can resolve this matter without... without making it bigger than it needs to be. Officer Reigns made an error in judgment. We can handle appropriate discipline—"
"You're going to handle discipline?" Marcus asked. "The same way you handled his disabled body camera? The same way you supported his unlawful search demand? The same way you authorized my arrest on fabricated charges?"
Neither officer responded. They both understood their positions had become indefensible.
Marcus pulled out a small notebook and began writing methodically. "Patrol Unit 772. Body camera disabled at approximately 0540 hours. Officer Derek Reigns. Sergeant Calvin Voss, responding supervisor. Traffic stop initiated 0535 hours on Highland Avenue." His pen continued moving across the page with deliberate precision. "Extortion demand made at approximately 0550 hours. Amount specified: $500 cash."
"Sir," Voss said desperately, "please—"
"I'm not finished," Marcus replied without looking up from his notes. "Unlawful search authorized by responding supervisor. Arrest threatened on false charges. Pattern suggests systematic misconduct."
He closed the notebook and looked directly at both officers.
"Here's what's going to happen. We're all driving to headquarters separately. Officer Reigns, you will follow me directly to the station: no stops, no detours, no radio conversations except emergency traffic."
Marcus walked toward his SUV, then paused.
"And gentlemen, everything that happened here will be fully documented and investigated: every detail, every threat, every lie you told."
He climbed into his vehicle, started the engine, and pulled onto the roadway. In his rearview mirror, he could see Reigns following him—the same officer who had demanded $500, now trailing behind the man he'd tried to shake down. The irony wasn't lost on either of them.
The fluorescent lights of Westbridge Police Headquarters hummed overhead as Marcus pushed through the glass doors. Behind him, Reigns and Voss followed like reluctant prisoners being led to execution.
The morning shift was arriving. Officers clustered around the duty desk, checking assignments and grabbing coffee. Their conversations died when they saw Marcus walking purposefully toward the administrative offices with two patrol officers trailing behind him.
"Morning, Captain," said Officer Jennifer Torres, a young patrol officer Marcus had met briefly during orientation. Her greeting carried genuine respect. She didn't know what had just happened on Highland Avenue.
"Morning, Torres." Marcus nodded professionally, then turned to address the room: "I need all personnel to understand that effective immediately, Officer Derek Reigns is placed on restricted administrative assignment pending internal review."
The announcement hit the room like a physical blow. Officers stopped moving. Coffee cups paused halfway to lips.
Reigns stepped forward, his voice carrying across the suddenly silent space: "This is harassment, plain and simple! The captain here set up an elaborate sting operation on his first day, pretended to be some random civilian, baited me into a conversation, then manufactured a complaint when I tried to handle an uncooperative driver!"
Marcus remained calm. "Officer Reigns—"
"No, let me finish!" Reigns's voice rose with desperate anger. "This man deliberately provoked a traffic stop to create grounds for discipline! He's been planning this since before he even arrived in Westbridge! Ask yourself why a new captain would be driving around at 5 in the morning looking for trouble!"
Murmurs rippled through the room. Several officers exchanged glances that suggested Reigns's version might be plausible.
Voss stepped beside his subordinate, adding institutional weight to the accusation: "I've supervised Officer Reigns for 8 years. He's a decorated veteran with an excellent service record. This morning, his body camera experienced genuine equipment failure. We've had technical problems with that unit all month."
"Convenient timing," someone muttered.
Voss heard it and pressed harder: "The captain's behavior was suspicious from the start. Refused to provide clear answers during routine questioning. Became argumentative when asked standard traffic stop questions. When Officer Reigns made what was obviously a sarcastic comment about the situation, this individual immediately claimed extortion."
Marcus watched their coordinated defense with growing understanding. This wasn't panic or improvisation; Reigns and Voss had done this before—turned accusations around, questioned complainants' motives, created reasonable doubt where none should exist. Their experience showed in every calculated word.
"That's an interesting theory, Sergeant," Marcus said calmly. "But I'm not destroying anyone's career based solely on my authority. Every questionable traffic stop connected to Officer Reigns will be reviewed objectively: complete documentation, independent analysis, full transparency."
The measured response seemed to surprise Voss more than immediate suspension would have. His confident expression flickered with something that looked like worry.
"Sir, with respect," Voss said carefully, "reviewing years of legitimate police work because of one misunderstood encounter seems excessive."
"How many years?" Marcus interrupted.
"What?"