Adrien looked at the manager, then at Patricia, who was staring at her keyboard, avoiding eye contact. "I'll stand. Thank you," Adrien said calmly. A moment later, the heavy glass doors of the bank swung open. The heavy rhythmic thud of combat boots echoed across the marble floor.
Adrien didn't need to turn around to know who had arrived. The local police were here. Officers Greg Miller and Thomas Jenkins of the Oakbrook Police Department, entered the bank with the kind of urgent, aggressive energy reserved for an active robbery. Miller, the younger of the two, was red in the face, his hand resting instinctively on the butt of his duty weapon. Jenkins, a heavier, older veteran, flanked him, his thumbs tucked into his utility belt.
"Officers, thank God," Caldwell called out, his voice suddenly pitching an octave higher in feigned distress. He pointed a trembling finger directly at Adrien. "That's him. He's been demanding an $85,000 withdrawal. His ID looks fake, and he's refusing to leave."
Adrien slowly turned around to face the officers. He made sure both of his hands were completely empty and held away from his body at waist height. He knew the statistics. He knew how quickly movements were misinterpreted. In his line of work, he neutralized threats.
Today, he was being treated as one. "Sir, step away from the counter." Officer Miller barked, closing the distance rapidly. "I am the account holder," Adrien stated, his voice projecting clearly across the lobby, calm and authoritative. "My name is Adrien Cole.
I am attempting to complete a legal transaction. My verified identification is sitting on that counter." "I said, step away from the counter and put your hands behind your back!" Miller yelled, his adrenaline clearly spiking. Jenkins moved in from the left.
"Don't make this difficult, buddy. Do what the officer says." Adrien took a single slow step back. "Officers, I am fully cooperating. But before you proceed, I need to inform you that I am a federal—" Shut your mouth," Miller interrupted, grabbing Adrien's right arm with excessive force, twisting it behind Adrien's back.
Adrien's instincts screamed at him to break the hold. With his close quarters combat training, it would take him exactly 2 seconds to disarm the young officer and put him on the ground. But he forced his body to remain entirely limp. He allowed Miller to yank his arm up at an uncomfortable angle. "Officer," Adrien said, gritting his teeth slightly against the joint manipulation.
"You are making a significant mistake. I strongly advise you to listen to me." "The only one making a mistake is you, coming into this town thinking you could pull off a scam like this." Jenkins sneered as he grabbed Adrien's left arm, slapping a cold pair of steel handcuffs around his wrists. The ratcheting sound of the cuffs locking into place echoed loudly in the now dead silent bank.