"You should have thought about your patrol sergeant before you laid hands on a senior officer of the United States Armed Forces without probable cause," Alicia replied coldly. "Call your supervisor, now. And leave the radio on speaker."
Over by the convenience store entrance, Mitchell Davis was growing impatient, ignorant to the catastrophic shift in the power dynamic. He marched towards them, his chest puffed out in his tight tactical shirt.
"What's the hold-up, Officer?" Mitchell barked, jabbing a finger in Alicia's direction. "Cuff her and stuff her. Stop playing nice with these frauds. Read her rights and throw her in the back of the cruiser."
Finch spun around, his face pale and eyes wide with a mixture of terror and sudden, furious resentment towards the man who had initiated this disaster. "Back off, sir!" Finch yelled, his voice cracking. "Just back away from the vehicle and shut your mouth!"
Mitchell stopped in his tracks, blinking in confusion. "Excuse me? I'm the one who called you. I'm the patriot here."
"You're an idiot," Finch hissed under his breath, trembling as he reached for his shoulder mic. He pressed the button. "Dispatch, this is Unit 42. I need a sector supervisor at the Route 1 Shell immediately. Code three."
"Copy, Unit 42. Supervisor en route."
For the next four minutes, nobody moved. Alicia stood rigidly against her car, her posture perfect despite the steel biting into her wrists. Finch paced back and forth, dragging his hands over his face, occasionally glancing at the cameras recording his demise.
A heavy black SUV roared into the gas station lot, braking sharply next to Finch's cruiser. The door swung open and Sergeant William Lawson stepped out. Lawson was a 20-year veteran of the force, a man with graying temples who had zero patience for rookie mistakes.
Lawson took one look at the scene: a black woman in an immaculate army uniform handcuffed against a vehicle, and his junior officer looking like he was about to vomit.
"Finch!" Lawson snapped, striding forward. "What the hell is going on here?"