"Now wait a minute,"Donnelly stammered, his face going from red to gray. "This is all just a misunderstanding. We had a report of a shoplifter. Save it. Naomi cut him off.
Her voice was steel wrapped in velvet. Every second of your assault on a federal agent and her infant son was recorded by multiple witnesses. Your body cameras too, I assume. She smiled thinly. Unless they were conveniently turned off.
Taylor's hand unconsciously moved to his camera, which was very much on. His expression suggested he was calculating exactly how many years in federal prison that footage might cost him. Heavy footsteps approached from the hallway. Sergeant Bill Karns appeared, his bulk filling the doorway. He took in the scene, the blood on the floor, the injured woman, the silent officers, and finally the FBI badge still gleaming in Naomi's hand.
"What's going on here?"he demanded, though his eyes said he already knew. The slight tremor in his usually commanding voice betrayed his understanding of just how bad this was. "Sergeant Karns,"Naomi acknowledged him with a slight nod. "Your officers just unleashed K-9 units on a federal agent without warning, cause, or provocation. They allowed the dogs to continue attacking even after seeing I was protecting an infant." She shifted Elijah gently, showing the cut on his cheek.
They injured my three-day-old son. Karns's jaw clenched. He was already seeing the headlines, the lawsuits, the federal investigation that would tear his precinct apart. I'm sure we can handle this professionally, he began, reaching for his practiced diplomatic tone. These things are always more complicated than they appear.
10 minutes. Naomi interrupted, her voice barely above a whisper. Blood still dripped from her arm onto the floor as she spoke. "That's all it takes for a career to end. One phone call to my supervisor, one email to internal affairs, one press conference." Her eyes moved from face to face, memorizing each one.
10 minutes. The silence that followed was absolute. Even the usual background noise of the precinct, ringing phones, radio chatter, shuffling papers, seemed to die away. Every officer in the room stood frozen, understanding that their comfortable world of impunity had just shattered. Elijah whimpered softly, and Naomi adjusted her hold, wincing at the movement.
Her wounds still bled. Her body screamed for medical attention, but her eyes never wavered. She had spent years building cases against corrupt officials. She knew how the system worked and how to break it. Karns opened his mouth, then closed it again.
For the first time in his career, he had no play to make, no strings to pull, no favors to call in. This wasn't some local complaint he could bury in paperwork. This was federal, and it was personal. The sound of Naomi's blood dripping onto the floor echoed in the terrible silence. 10 minutes.
That's all it would take. The precinct's first aid room smelled of antiseptic and fear. A paramedic carefully cleaned the deep puncture wounds on Naomi's arms while she sat on an examination table, still holding Elijah close despite the medic's gentle attempts to take him for examination. Ma'am, we really should check the baby thoroughly, the paramedic, Sarah, said softly. Her kind eyes showed genuine concern, unlike the hostile stares from the officers outside.
I'll hold him while you do it, Naomi replied firmly. Her FBI training had taught her to trust no one, especially not here. Not now. She shifted Elijah slightly so Sarah could examine him, revealing the angry red scratch on his perfect cheek. Sarah dabbed the cut with antiseptic and applied a tiny butterfly bandage.
"He's lucky it wasn't worse,"she murmured, her hands gentle, but her voice tight with controlled anger. "Those dogs?" "Yeah,"Naomi said shortly. She didn't want to think about how close it had been. If she'd been a fraction slower in covering Elijah. The door burst open and Daniel Carter rushed in, his face ashen.
Naomi. Oh, God. Naomi. He crossed the room in two strides, carefully embracing his wife and son while trying to avoid her injuries. His eyes widened at the sight of the deep bites being cleaned and bandaged.
"I'm okay,"Naomi assured him, though her voice shook slightly. It was harder to maintain her professional facade with Daniel here. We're both okay. Daniel touched the bandage on Elijah's cheek with trembling fingers. They said there was a police incident, but this his teacher's vocabulary failed him.
How could they? Sir, please step back while I finish these bandages. Sarah interrupted professionally, though not unkindly. She continued cleaning and wrapping Naomi's wounds, documenting each injury with clinical precision. Through the partially open door, they could hear voices in the hallway.
Sergeant Karns was speaking in urgent, hushed tones to officers Donnelly and Taylor. Wasn't supposed to be there, Karns whispered harshly. The schedule showed. Naomi's head snapped up, her FBI instincts suddenly screaming. The schedule?
What schedule? She caught Daniel's eye, and he nodded slightly. He'd heard it, too. The whispered conversation cut off abruptly as quick footsteps approached. A woman in a sharp business suit strode into the room, her heels clicking authoritatively on the linoleum.
"I'm Carla Mendes, civil rights attorney,"she announced, her dark eyes taking in the scene with professional fury. And this is absolutely unacceptable. Carla moved to Naomi's side, her presence somehow filling the small room. "I want all injury documentation sent to my office immediately,"she ordered Sarah, who nodded. "And I need to see the body camera footage right now.
The footage isn't available,"Officer Taylor said from the doorway, looking uncomfortable. "Excuse me,"Carla's voice could have frozen. In hell. Technical malfunction, Taylor muttered. Both cameras failed during the incident.
Both cameras? Carla's laugh was sharp and humorless. What an amazing coincidence. And I suppose the dash cam failed, too. Taylor's silence was answer enough.
Fortunately, Carla continued with dangerous sweetness. I've already obtained copies of civilian videos from three different angles. Would you like to see them? The part where your K-9 units attack an unarmed mother and her newborn is particularly clear. Taylor retreated quickly, leaving the door open.
Through it, they could see Karns in his office, making call after call with increasing agitation. Sarah finished bandaging the last of Naomi's wounds. "You need antibiotics,"she said firmly. Dog bites have a high infection risk and these should be properly stitched at a hospital. I'll make sure she gets proper medical care, Carla assured her.
But first, we need to document everything. She pulled out her phone and began photographing Naomi's injuries. This won't go away with a simple cover up. Daniel paced the small room, his normal, calm demeanor cracking. I don't understand, he said.
Even for them, this is extreme. To attack a woman clearly just leaving the hospital with a newborn. That's just it, Naomi said slowly, pieces clicking into place in her mind. Karns said I wasn't supposed to be there. He mentioned a schedule.
She looked at Daniel, her expression hardening. They knew when I was being discharged. They knew my route home. This wasn't random. Are you saying?
Daniel's face paled further. This was planned, Carla finished grimly. But they didn't know who you were. Or they did, Naomi countered. And that was the point.
She shifted Elijah to her other arm, wincing at the movement. I've been investigating police corruption cases for the bureau. Several of them connected to this precinct. Through the door, they could see more officers arriving, huddling with Karns's intense conversation. The atmosphere in the precinct had shifted from arrogant to anxious.
The conveniently failed body cameras, Carla used, the targeting of a specific time and route, the immediate attempt to craft a false narrative. She shook her head. This reeks of an inside job. Daniel moved closer to Naomi and Elijah. His protective instincts in overdrive.
We need to get you both to a real hospital, he insisted. Somewhere safe. First, we need to, Naomi began, but her words were cut off by a commotion outside. Several high-ranking officers had arrived along with what appeared to be a police union lawyer. They clustered around Karns's office, faces grim.
They're circling the wagons, Carla observed. We should move quickly before evidence starts disappearing. Naomi watched the activity through the door, her investigator's mind cataloging every detail, every whispered conversation, every nervous glance in her direction. The pieces were forming a picture she didn't like. She turned to Daniel, her voice low but intense.
This wasn't a mistake, she said. They came for me. The only question is who gave the order. Late that night, the Carter home was quiet except for the gentle hum of the baby monitor. Daniel stood over Elijah's crib, carefully adjusting the blanket around their sleeping son.
The tiny bandage on the baby's cheek seemed to glow accusingly in the dim light of the nursery. In their bedroom, Naomi lay rigid on her back, unable to sleep despite her exhaustion. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the dogs lunging toward Elijah. Her bandaged arms throbbed with each heartbeat, a constant reminder of the morning's horror. The painkillers the hospital had prescribed sat untouched on her nightstand.
She needed her mind clear. Daniel entered their bedroom quietly, his footsteps careful on the hardwood floor. "He's finally settled,"he whispered, sitting on the edge of the bed. How are you holding up? I keep seeing it, Naomi admitted, her voice tight over and over.