"You have made the greatest mistake of your career today, Officer."
Inside the municipal precinct, booking procedures proceeded with mechanical indifference until the intake officer ordered Marcus to empty his pockets. From the prisoner's belongings emerged a heavy, embossed leather folio containing credentials municipal cops rarely encountered: a gold-plated badge bearing the seal of the United States Department of Justice, alongside high-level security clearance identifying Marcus Vance as the Special Assistant Director of Federal Operations. The color drained entirely from the desk sergeant's face. With trembling fingers, he picked up the secure line to dial the precinct captain’s private extension.