Serena called out. "Probable cause." Bryce shouted back. "I smelled marijuana." "You are lying."
Kendrick said. "Neither of us smokes. This is illegal." "Tell it to the judge." Bryce muttered.
He dove into the car. He tore through the center console, mints, a charging cable, a pair of Ray-Bans, nothing. He opened the glove box, insurance papers, rental agreement, Hertz, rented in Atlanta. "Drug runners always use rentals." he confirmed to himself. He reached under the driver seat.
His hand brushed against something cold and metal. Jackpot. Bryce's heart hammered against his ribs. He pulled it out. It was a SIG Sauer P320, black matte finish, standard capacity magazine.
He scrambled out of the car, holding the gun up in the air like a trophy. "Gun!" Bryce screamed. "Gun! On the ground!
Get on the ground now!" He leveled his own service weapon at Kendrick's chest. Kendrick didn't drop. He stood up slowly from the hood, turning to face Bryce. His face was etched with a dark, dangerous resolve.
"Officer." Kendrick said, his voice deadly calm. "Put that weapon down. That firearm is legal." "Get on the ground or I will drop you."
Bryce was shaking now. Adrenaline was flooding his system. "You're under arrest for illegal possession of a concealed weapon." "It's not illegal." Serena said, her hands still in the air, but her eyes tracking Bryce's trigger finger.
"Check the wallet, officer. Open the wallet you threw on the hood." "I don't care about your fake IDs." Bryce yelled. He keyed his radio on his shoulder.
"Dispatch, 10-18. I need backup. I have two suspects at gunpoint. Weapon recovered. Send everyone."
"You are making a mistake that will cost you everything." Kendrick said. "Look at the badge next to the gun." Bryce paused. He looked at the gun in his left hand.
There was a small leather holder clipped to the belt he had missed under the seat. He hadn't pulled the holster out, just the gun. "Shut up!" Bryce yelled. Sirens wailed in the distance.
The cavalry was coming. Bryce felt a surge of power. He was going to parade these two through the station. He'd be on the nightly news. Two more cruisers screeched to a halt behind him.
Dust billowed everywhere. Out popped Officer Riley and rookie Deputy Ellis. "Cuff 'em!" Bryce shouted. "Resisting arrest, illegal firearm."
Riley, a younger version of Bryce but with less confidence, rushed Kendrick. He grabbed Kendrick's arm and twisted it behind his back. Kendrick didn't resist physically, but his muscles were so dense, Riley struggled to bring the wrists together. "I'm a federal agent." Kendrick said loudly, clearly, so the dash cams of the new cars would pick it up.
"My badge is in the wallet on the hood. If you put those cuffs on me, you are kidnapping a federal officer." Riley hesitated. He looked at Bryce. "Bryce, what's he saying?"
"He's lying!" Bryce screamed. "They all say that. Cuff him!" Riley snapped the cuffs on.
Click. Click. Ellis grabbed Serena. She allowed herself to be cuffed, her eyes never leaving Bryce's face. She was memorizing him, every mole, every sweat stain, every badge number.