Josephine nodded to the two men in suits, standing quietly in the corner of her very spacious office room. Officer Wyatt Miller," Josephine said, shifting her gaze to the terrified rookie. Wyatt jumped slightly in his chair. "Yes, Chief," he croked, his voice cracking. "You are 3 months out of the academy.
Last night, you stood by and watched a senior officer violate the civil rights of a motorist. You did not intervene. You did not report it. Why?" Wyatt swallowed hard, tears brimming in his eyes.
He told me to keep my mouth shut, chief. He said, "That is how things work here. I was scared. I am sorry. I know I failed my duty right there completely."
Josephine studied the young man for a long moment. The anger in her eyes softened, replaced by a stern, maternal disappointment. Fear is not an excuse for cowardice, Miller, but I know what it is like to be a rookie under the thumb of a corrupt veteran. Then came the twist that made his heart stop completely. What Tagert does not know is that you were not assigned to his cruiser by accident.
I selected you, Miller, because I needed an unimpeachable witness who was not already on his payroll to corroborate the footage we were going to capture there. Tagert whipped his head around to stare at Wyatt, sheer betrayal and fury flashing across his face. "You set me up," Tagert snarled, lunging out of his chair toward the rookie. Before Tagert could even take a full step, the two agents were on him. They grabbed his arms, twisting them painfully behind his back, and slammed him face first onto the polished mahogany desk.
"Stay down!" One of the agents barked, pressing his forearm firmly against the back of his thick neck. Tagot gasped for air, his cheek pressed flat against the cold wood of the mahogany desktop. "I did not set you up, Derek," Josephine said calmly, remaining perfectly still as the violent scene unfolded directly in front of her. "I simply drove my car on a public highway.
You chose to pull me over. You chose to break the law. You set yourself up. I just provided the stage. She stood up, walking around the desk to look down at the disgraced officer.
Officer Derek Tagot, you are officially terminated from the Oakport Police Department. Effective immediately. Furthermore, you are under arrest for civil rights violations, official oppression, and battery under color of state law today. The broken man wept softly as they dragged him away.
Oakport was finally safe under her new firm command forever. Karma never misses an address, especially when arrogance blinds you to the truth. This powerful grandmother proved that true authority does not need to shout. It only needs to wait for the perfect moment to strike.