firearm. The man was operating on
adrenaline and ego, a volatile
combination that could turn deadly in a
fraction of a second. If Marcus reached
into his jacket to produce his FBI
credentials, Miller might use the sudden
movement as an excuse to draw his
weapon. In the close quarters of the
bother opening it to check the ID; he just
shoved it into his own cargo pocket.
"Let's go. Move."
Miller shoved Marcus forward,
forcing him to stumble slightly on the
wet grass. Marcus caught his balance, his
face an impenetrable mask of stone. As
he was marched past the casket, he
bowed his head slightly. I'm sorry, Mom.
I'll be back.
He was paraded through the
cemetery, paraded past the shocked and
horrified faces of his family, his
neighbors, his childhood friends. It was a
walk of manufactured shame,
orchestrated by a man who thrived on
inflicting humiliation. When they
reached the cruiser, Miller roughly
pushed Marcus's head down and forced
him into the cramped, hard plastic
backseat.
The doors slammed shut, enclosing
Marcus in the smell of stale sweat and
cheap vinyl. Through the rain-streaked
window, he watched the rookie climb
nervously into the front passenger seat.
Miller got behind the wheel, a smug,
satisfied grin plastered across his face.
He threw the car into reverse, tearing up
the grass as he backed out, the siren
blaring unnecessarily as they sped away
from the cemetery.
In the back seat, Marcus sat
perfectly still. The handcuffs were tight,
cutting off the circulation to his hands,
but he didn't complain. He didn't speak a
single word. He simply stared at the back
of Miller's head, his mind operating with
cold, clinical precision. Officer Ray Miller
thought he had just bagged an easy
target, a man he could bully and
intimidate to boost his own ego. He had
absolutely no idea that he had just
arrested a ghost.
Marcus was already calculating the
logistics. His undercover op was over,
meaning his true identity was no longer
classified for operational security. The
moment he made his phone call, the full
weight of the federal government was
going to descend on this small-town
department. The storm brewing outside