He cleared his throat and tried again. "That's got to be fake. " "Special agent. Naomi Carter," she said, her quiet voice carrying in the stunned silence. "Currently assigned to the public corruption and civil rights division. Each word was precise despite her pain.
"Would you like to verify my credentials with the bureau? " Officers began backing away from Donny's desk as if it were radioactive. The earlier bravado evaporated, replaced by the sudden realization of what they'd done and to whom they'd done it. "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 staires 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 stroed into the room, her heels clicking authoritatively on the Lenolium. "I'm. Carla Menddees, 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. Karn 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 pald 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 Karna'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.