“You have a permit?”
“Federal credentials cover official carry.”
“Stop talking.”
Naomi stopped.
Mercer radioed dispatch again.
“Need backup.”
“Reason?”
“Armed subject with questionable credentials.”
Naomi almost turned.
He shouted.
“Face forward.”
She obeyed.
Across the road, a pickup slowed.
The driver looked.
Mercer noticed and waved him on.
Two minutes passed.
Then the radio crackled again.
But this time the voice was different.
Not the dispatcher.
A supervisor.
“Unit Twelve, repeat subject name.”
Mercer pressed the microphone.
“Naomi Carter.”
Pause.
“Middle initial?”
Mercer looked at her license.
“R.”
Longer pause.
Then:
“Unit Twelve, step away from the subject.”
Mercer frowned.
“What?”
“Step away from the subject.”
His hand remained on Naomi’s arm.
“Who is this?”
“Lieutenant Harris. Release her.”
Mercer’s posture changed.
Only slightly.
But Naomi felt his grip loosen.
“Lieutenant, she’s carrying what appears to be fraudulent federal—”
“Grant.”
The radio voice became sharper.
“Release her. Now.”
Mercer looked toward Naomi.
She met his eyes.
No smile.
No satisfaction.
Just silence.
He let go.
Naomi slowly lowered her arms.
Mercer stepped back.
“You call someone?”
“No.”
“How did they—”
His radio interrupted.
“All units, priority traffic. Federal liaison confirms Director Naomi Carter is operating in the district under joint-authority status.”
Mercer went completely still.
Naomi adjusted the sleeve of her black jacket.
The radio continued.
“Unit Twelve, do not detain. Repeat, do not detain.”
Mercer stared at the SUV.
Then at Naomi.
“What exactly are you?”
She walked to the passenger seat, retrieved the credential wallet, and opened it.
This time she held it at eye level.
“My name is Naomi Carter.”
He said nothing.
“I oversee the regional interagency task force your department joined six weeks ago.”
The blood drained from his face.
Behind them, sirens approached.
Two patrol vehicles.
Then another black SUV.
Mercer removed his sunglasses.
For the first time Naomi saw his eyes.
Fear had replaced arrogance.
“Director?”
Naomi closed the credential wallet.
“Yes.”
“I didn’t know.”
“That’s obvious.”
“No, I mean—”
“You didn’t know who I was.”
“Yes.”
She looked directly at him.
“That is not the defense you think it is.”
The first backup cruiser arrived.
Officer Marcus Bell stepped out.
He looked from Mercer to Naomi.
Then at Mercer again.
“What happened?”
Mercer started speaking quickly.
“She presented questionable credentials, she was evasive, armed—”
Naomi raised one hand.
Bell stopped listening to Mercer and looked at her.
“Director Carter?”
“Yes.”
Bell’s expression changed.
He had attended a briefing two weeks earlier.