No tactical spectacle.
Plain clothes.
Windbreakers carried over arms.
The lead agent, Laura Chen, entered conference room and looked at Maya's wrists.
“You all right?”
“Yes.”
Laura looked through glass at Reyes.
“That him?”
“Yes.”
She nodded.
“Good.”
Hale blinked.
“Good?”
Laura's expression remained neutral.
“Good that he’s still here.”
That was when fire alarm went off.
A piercing bell shattered the station.
Every officer moved instinctively.
Reyes stood.
Maya turned toward the hall.
“Do not evacuate evidence areas.”
Hale shouted:
“Hold positions!”
A desk officer called:
“Smoke report basement!”
Reyes moved toward side door.
Priya blocked him.
“Sergeant.”
“Move.”
“Captain said nobody leaves.”
“This is fire alarm.”
“Then use front lobby.”
Reyes's face changed.
“Move, Malik.”
“No.”
He shoved her.
Hard.
Priya struck the wall.
Maya moved instantly.
Reyes reached for garage door.
Maya grabbed his wrist.
He spun.
For the first time, his arrogance disappeared completely.
He swung his free arm.
Maya ducked.
Laura and another agent closed in.
Reyes kicked backward, trying to break free.
Priya recovered and slammed the emergency bar lock on the garage door.
Reyes stopped.
Three federal agents surrounded him.
Maya held his wrist against wall.
“Don't.”
He breathed hard.
“This is insane.”
“No.”
Maya said.
“This is the first sensible thing you've done all night.”
“What?”
“You finally showed us which exit mattered.”
The fire alarm stopped.
No smoke.
No fire.
A pull station had been triggered manually in basement hall.
Laura looked toward Hale.
“Lock the building.”
Hale nodded.
Reyes was cuffed.
This time by a federal agent.
He looked at Maya.
“You planned this.”
“No.”
“Bullshit.”
“I didn't know someone would pull an alarm.”
“Then how—”