"I'm conducting a lawful detention," he said. But his voice cracked slightly. Federal personnel are interfering with local police authority. He reached for his radio with his free hand, keeping his grip tight on Marcus'ss arm. "Dispatch, this is Sergeant Briggs.
I need my commanding officer at the Meridian downtown immediately. Federal agents are obstructing a police investigation. " Pike stepped forward as the hotel manager hurried away. His command presence filled the ballroom like a storm cloud rolling in. The 30 federal agents remain standing, but Pike ignored them completely. This entire venue is now an active investigative scene, he announced.
His voice carried the weight of decades in uniform. Nobody leaves until we sort this mess out. Marcus stayed near the aisle where Briggs had dragged him. The handcuffs bit into his wrists. His wedding jacket hung crooked on his shoulders.
Dalton moved closer to Pike. Those restraints come off my agent right now. Your agent is detained pending identity verification, Pike replied. He didn't look at her. His eyes swept the federal badges still visible throughout the room.
We have protocols for situations like this. What protocols? Elena's voice cut through the tension. She stood beside Marcus now, her prosecutor instincts fully engaged. Show me the paperwork that gives you authority to handcuff anyone at a private wedding.
Pike's jaw tightened. Sergeant Briggs responded to an emergency tip about someone using false federal credentials. Everything he did followed proper procedure. That's nonsense. Dalton stepped directly in front of Pike.
Your sergeant had no warrant, no probable cause, no legal justification for anything that happened here. Marcus watched the argument unfold around him, but his mind drifted back to those first moments at the altar. Briggs had grabbed him roughly, yes, twisted his arms behind his back, but there had been something else. Briggs kept reaching for his jacket. Not his pockets, not his waistband where someone might carry a weapon, specifically his jacket.
The inside left panel where Marcus always kept his phone during formal events. Except tonight was different. Tonight, Marcus carried something far more valuable than his phone. The realization hit him like ice water. Hidden in the inner pocket of his wedding jacket was a secure hardware key connected to an encrypted federal evidence archive.
The key contained authorization codes for tomorrow morning's coordinated raids on six businesses suspected of laundering money through police protected channels. Briggs hadn't been looking for a weapon or identification. He'd been looking for the key. Marcus tested the theory in his mind. Someone would need to know about the planned operations to understand the keys importance.