Eighteen months after the night in the rain, Nia returned to Laam’s Gas & Go.
Daylight this time.
No operation.
No microphone.
No marked cash.
She drove her own vehicle.
A modest gray sedan that Marcus regularly insulted.
The canopy had been replaced.
Pump 6 remained.
The bad sodium lamp was gone, replaced by bright LEDs.
Dylan was behind the counter.
He was twenty-one now and attending community college.
He recognized Nia immediately.
“Whoa.”
She smiled.
“Very professional greeting.”
“Sorry.”
“No, it fits.”
Kareem came from the office.
He looked older than Nia remembered.
Then smiled.
“Agent Brooks.”
“Nia is fine.”
He shook her hand.
Dylan pointed toward the coffee.
“Free.”
“Federal bribery.”
“Then pay one dollar.”
Nia laughed.
She bought coffee.
They stood near the window.
Kareem looked toward Pump 6.
“My wife wanted us to sell after that.”
“Why didn't you?”
“Because then Keller wins twice.”
Nia nodded.
Kareem continued.
“Business got better.”
“People stop here because of the story.”
“That seems strange.”
“It is America.”
Fair.
Dylan reached beneath the counter and produced something.
A printed still image.
Nia at the pump in the plum suit.
Keller approaching in the background.
Taken from the hidden camera.
She stared.
“I've never seen this frame.”
“My dad printed it.”
Kareem looked embarrassed.
“I was going to throw it away.”
“Why keep it?”
He thought.
“Because before everything happened, you just looked like a woman buying gas.”
Nia looked at him.
Kareem continued.
“Afterward everybody looked at the same picture and saw FBI.”
“Undercover operation.”
“Corruption case.”
“News.”
“But the picture didn't change.”
“You were the same person before they knew.”
Nia stared at the photograph.
That was the entire case in one frame.
Before badge.
After badge.
Same woman.
Same rights.
Same truth.
Only other people’s behavior changed.
She handed the photograph back.
“Keep it.”
“You don't want it?”
“No.”
“Why?”
Nia smiled.
“You understood it better.”
Chapter Fifteen: What the Badge Could Not Do
Nia remained with the FBI another twelve years.
Operation Lantern followed her everywhere.
New agents knew the story before meeting her.
Sometimes they asked inappropriate questions.
“Did it hurt?”
“Yes.”
“Were you scared?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know the SUVs would arrive that fast?”
“No.”
“Were you tempted to hit Keller?”
Very.
She usually answered:
“The difficult part wasn't staying calm.”