The first officer opened his mouth, stammering, trying to find words of apology, trying to claim it was all a misunderstanding. But the words died in his throat. There was no defense.
"Pick up my documents," Victoria ordered, pointing to her license and registration still lying on the roof of her car.
The first officer scrambled to grab them, wiping the dust off the cards with his sleeve before handing them back to her with a trembling, submissive hand. Victoria took them, sliding them back into her pocket before extending her hand again.
"Give me my badge," she said.
He handed the leather case back to her as if it were a live grenade. Victoria slipped it securely back into the right pocket of her shorts. She then took out her smartphone, the one they had tried to prevent her from using, and tapped a few buttons. She looked up at the two men, memorizing their faces, their cruiser number, and the license plate.
"Your precinct captain will be receiving a call from my office in exactly ten minutes," Victoria stated coldly. "You are both suspended effective immediately pending a full, criminal investigation into your conduct tonight. Do not attempt to log into your systems. Do not attempt to speak to each other to coordinate a story. I suggest you both call your union representatives."
With that, Victoria turned around, opened her car door, and slid back into the driver's seat. She started the engine, the purr of the motor cutting through the night air. As she pulled away from the shoulder, merging back onto the highway, she glanced in her rearview mirror one last time.
The two traffic police officers were left standing on the side of the dark, lonely road, illuminated only by their own flashing red and blue lights. They stood motionless, staring after her taillights, knowing their careers were over and that justice, swift and unyielding, was coming for them. Victoria drove on into the night, her spirit unbroken, continuing her peaceful drive home.