Eric Nolan smirked. "I've arrested people who claim to be senators." Dylan Hayes added. "Last month one guy said he worked for the CIA." Ryan pointed at Nia.
"And now we've got an FBI fairy tale." The laughter echoed across the parking lot. Only Kevin Ross remained silent. Something felt terribly wrong. Nobody who had just been unlawfully arrested should have looked this calm.
Travis stepped closer. "You've been acting mysterious all afternoon." He folded his arms. "So tell me, who exactly do you think is coming?" Nia's eyes never left his.
"You'll know soon enough." The answer irritated him more than any insult could. Without warning, Travis snatched the canvas tote bag from the hood of the patrol car. "If you're hiding something," he turned the bag upside down. "Let's find it."
Pens scattered across the pavement. A notebook landed near Ryan's boots. A small flashlight rolled into the gutter. A portable phone charger bounced twice before stopping beside the curb. "Nothing unusual."
Ryan laughed. "I told you. She's just another nobody." Travis wasn't convinced. He grabbed the empty tote and shook it violently.
Something caught inside the inner lining. A small leather wallet slipped free. It struck the pavement. The clasp popped open. A gold badge slid halfway out before coming to rest face up beneath the afternoon sun.
Everything stopped. Ryan looked first, then Eric, then Dylan. The words stamped across the badge were impossible to ignore. Federal Bureau of Investigation. For 2 long seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Ryan barked out a nervous laugh. "No way." Eric picked it up. His eyebrows narrowed. "This has to be fake."
Travis snatched the badge from his hand. He examined the engraved seal. The serial number, the polished eagle, it looked real, too real. But admitting that possibility meant admitting everything they had done over the past hour. His pride refused.
He forced a laugh. "You expect me to believe this?" He held the badge up for everyone to see. "You can order one of these online." Ryan immediately joined in.
"Exactly. Movie props." Dylan nodded quickly. "Anybody can buy fake credentials." Kevin looked at the badge, then at Nia, then back at the badge.
His stomach tightened. He had attended joint federal training 2 years earlier. He remembered those credentials. Every tiny security engraving, every microscopic detail. This one looked authentic, very authentic.
His voice almost disappeared. "Sergeant." Travis ignored him. He stepped directly in front of Nia. "So, this is your little trick?"
Nia answered quietly. "You should hand that back." Travis smiled. "Or what?" "You already know the answer."
"No." He tossed the badge onto the hood of the cruiser. "I really don't." Then, a low rumble drifted across the highway. Ryan glanced toward the sound.
Thunder? The sky remained perfectly clear. The rumble grew louder, deeper, multiple engines, powerful engines. Every person in the parking lot slowly turned toward the highway. Marcus Hill lifted his head.