man in the chair didn't act like a
criminal; he acted like an apex predator
who had allowed himself to be
momentarily caged just to see what the
zookeeper would do.
Suddenly, the heavy silence of the
precinct was shattered. It wasn't the
sound of sirens, but the aggressive
screeching of tires and the slamming of
heavy doors. From the main bullpen
outside the interrogation room, chaotic
shouts erupted. The desk sergeant was
yelling something, followed by the heavy,
lowered but their posture screaming
imminent violence.
Behind them walked a man in a
sharp charcoal suit. Section Chief Robert
Harris was a terrifying figure, a veteran
of federal law enforcement who
commanded respect through sheer
presence. He bypassed Miller entirely,
walking straight to the table where
Marcus was sitting.
Harris looked down at the
handcuffs, his jaw muscle twitching.
"Agent Vance. My apologies for the delay."
"Traffic in this town can be brutal,
Chief," Marcus replied evenly.
Harris turned to the tactical agents.
"Get these cuffs off my agent. Now."
One of the agents stepped forward
with a universal key, and with a swift
click, Marcus's hands were free. He
rubbed his bruised wrists, standing up to
his full height. Without the cuffs, he
seemed to grow even larger, filling the
small room with an overwhelming
presence.
Miller was backed against the wall,
hyperventilating. His eyes darted
between the heavily armed federal
agents and the man he had just dragged
out of a cemetery. "He... he fit a
description..." Miller whispered, a
pathetic, trembling excuse falling from
his lips.
Chief Harris finally turned his
attention to the local patrolman. The look
of pure, unadulterated contempt on
Harris's face was enough to make Miller
want to sink through the floorboards.
"You arrested a decorated federal agent
at his mother's funeral," Harris said, his
voice deadly quiet. "You didn't follow
Officer Miller here is going to surrender
his badge and his sidearm, and he is
going to be taken into federal custody."
The local Chief looked at Miller, his
face turning pale. "Ray... what did you
do?"
"He dug his own grave," Marcus
said quietly, stepping past the trembling