“Take your hand away from your firearm.”
Mitchell smiled.
“Or what?”
“I’m not threatening you.”
“Sure sounds like it.”
Barnes stepped closer.
“Craig, stop.”
Mitchell turned his head.
“You want to go sit in the cruiser?”
“No.”
“Then shut up.”
Daniel watched Barnes.
Young.
Maybe twenty-eight.
Old enough to know.
Not yet brave enough to decide what knowing required.
Mitchell turned back.
“Nobody out here knows who you are.”
Daniel's expression hardened.
“Nobody needs to.”
Mitchell smiled.
“No cameras now.”
He tapped the inactive body camera.
“No little courtroom speech.”
Daniel looked toward the stopped civilian vehicle farther down the shoulder.
A woman inside held a phone toward them.
Mitchell had not noticed.
Daniel did.
“You sure about that?”
Mitchell followed his gaze.
Saw the phone.
His face changed.
“Put that away!”
He shouted toward the civilian.
The woman did not.
Mitchell stepped toward her.
Daniel spoke:
“Leave her alone.”
Mitchell spun.
“You giving orders now?”
“No.”
“I’m preventing you from making another mistake.”
Mitchell marched back.
“Turn around.”
Daniel remained where he was.
“Why?”
Mitchell grabbed his arm.
“Turn around.”
Daniel did.
Hands behind back.
Metal cuffs.
One wrist.
Then the other.
Too tight.
Daniel flexed his fingers once.
“You're under arrest.”
“For what?”
“Obstruction.”
“What act?”
“Failure to cooperate.”
“I cooperated with every lawful instruction.”
Mitchell leaned toward his ear.
“You don't get to decide what’s lawful.”
Daniel's voice went low.
“Neither do you by yourself.”
Mitchell pushed him toward the Tahoe.
Daniel stumbled one step.
Barnes moved forward.
“Craig, that's enough.”
Mitchell ignored him.
Daniel said:
“Officer Barnes.”
Barnes looked at him.
“Your partner has deactivated his body camera.”
Barnes's eyes flicked toward Mitchell.
Daniel continued.
“He searched after you said you smelled nothing.”
Barnes swallowed.
“He has federal credentials in hand.”
Mitchell shouted:
“Shut up!”
Daniel kept his eyes on Barnes.
“This is your decision too.”
Barnes looked miserable.
Mitchell grabbed Daniel's upper arm.
“Walk.”
Daniel stepped.
Mitchell kicked the back of his right knee.
Hard.
Daniel's leg buckled.
His restrained hands prevented him from catching himself normally.
He twisted instinctively, dropped onto one knee and then one palm against the rough edge of the shoulder.
Pain flashed through his wrist and knee.
Not severe.
Sharp.
Real.
The civilian filming shouted.
“Oh my God!”
Barnes lunged forward.
“Craig!”
Mitchell stood over Daniel.
“Stay down, boy.”
For the first time, Daniel's control nearly broke.
Not because of the kick.
The word.
Again.