Keller leaned close behind Cedric's shoulder. "You got weapons in the house?"
"I legally own firearms locked in a safe."
Briggs looked back toward Keller instantly. "There we go."
"They're registered! I'm military—everything is legal!" Cedric insisted, but the officers stopped listening.
A neighbor holding a small dog stepped onto his lawn and called out loudly, "Guess the neighborhood tip line actually works."
Cedric closed his eyes, overcome not by fear, but by pure, burning anger. Nobody around him seemed shocked. It was as if they had been waiting for this.
Keller shoved Cedric forward toward the patrol car. "Walk."
Cedric stumbled slightly but caught himself. Body camera footage later showed him standing beside the cruiser, sweat dripping down his face under the flashing red and blue lights as neighbors gathered on the sidewalks.
Then, Officer Briggs emerged from the front porch holding a framed military photograph, the expression on his face completely changed.
***
Officer Nolan Briggs walked down the porch steps holding the framed photograph in one hand, his eyes locked on Cedric. The picture showed Cedric in uniform standing alongside two fellow soldiers overseas, their boots covered in dust, smiling like brothers.
For the first time since arriving, Briggs looked uncertain. "You really served?" he asked quietly.
"Yes," Cedric answered, sweat rolling down his temples as the cuffs dug into his skin. "Fourteen years active duty."
Keller stepped beside Briggs and glanced at the photo. His face hardened almost immediately. "That doesn't mean anything," he muttered.
Briggs lowered his voice. "Maybe we should slow this down."
Keller ignored him. "Search the property."
Cedric turned sharply. "Search my property for what?"
"You got something to hide?" Keller snapped.
"No, but you can't just—"
"We can," Keller interrupted with a dangerous mix of confidence and disrespect.
Briggs hesitated near the porch. "We still don't have confirmation on the call."