I give the orders." "Actually," a new voice boomed from the hallway, "I give the orders." Chief Wade Garrick walked into the booking area. Garrick was a relic of the old South, a man with skin like leather and a belly that hung over his belt buckle. He wasn't a good man, but he was a pragmatic one.
He didn't like noise, and Bryce was making a lot of noise. "What is this circus, Callahan?" Garrick asked, eyeing the well-dressed couple in cuffs. "Chief, I caught big fish," Bryce said, rushing over. "Drug runners, Range Rover, concealed weapon, and look at this."
He tossed the badges onto the counter. "Fake federal IDs." Chief Garrick picked up Kendrick's badge. He felt the weight of it. He ran his thumb over the engraving.
He frowned. He'd seen fake badges before. They were usually light, cheap metal with glued-on centerpieces. This badge was solid brass. The enamel was perfect, and it had a chip embedded in the back for secure building access.
Garrick looked up at Kendrick. He looked at the handcuffs. "Who are you?" Garrick asked quietly. "Special Agent in Charge Kendrick Voss," Kendrick said.
"FBI, Atlanta Field Office." "And if you don't take these cuffs off me in the next few moments, Chief Garrick, I will personally ensure that this building is turned into a parking lot." Garrick looked at Bryce. "Did you run the badge number?" "It's fake, Chief.
Why would I run a fake number?" Bryce insisted, sweat pouring down his face. "Now run it," Garrick ordered Frank. "I can't," Frank said, typing on his keyboard. "System slow."
Garrick looked at the woman's ID, Voss. Same last name. "You arrested a husband and wife?" Garrick asked. "Siblings," Serena corrected, "and partners on the task force."
"Task force?" Bryce scoffed. "What task force? There's no task force in Pine Creek." Kendrick smiled.
It was a terrifying smile. "That's because you're the target, Callahan." The air left the room. "What did you say?" Bryce whispered.
"We aren't passing through," Kendrick said, his voice dropping to a low rumble that vibrated through the room. "We've been tracking a money laundering scheme involving Langley's Personal Injury Law and kickbacks to local law enforcement for months. We were on our way to meet with our local informant when you pulled us over." Bryce's face went white. The billboard.
He sat under that billboard every day. He took cash envelopes from Langley every week to ignore certain DUIs. "He's lying!" Bryce shrieked. "He's trying to scare you.
Chief, put them in the cell." Chief Garrick looked at the badges. He looked at Bryce, a liability he'd kept around too long. And then he looked at the phone on the wall. "Uncuff them," Garrick said softly.
"No!" Bryce yelled. He drew his taser. "Nobody touches them. They are my collars."
"Bryce, put the taser down!" Riley shouted, drawing his own gun. The station was in a standoff. Police versus police. "This is it," Kendrick said calmly.
"The moment you decide how your life ends, Officer Callahan. You tase me, I sue you. You shoot me, my team outside turns this place into Swiss cheese. Or you put the weapon down and we talk about a plea deal." Bryce's hand shook.