One palm had begun bleeding from the fall.
His voice remained steady.
“No.”
He looked directly at the Sheriff.
“I’m giving you one final opportunity to stop making this worse.”
The Sheriff snapped the baton against the hood again.
“Here’s what’s going to happen.”
He pointed toward the SUV.
“We’re searching that vehicle.”
“No.”
The Sheriff’s face twitched.
“You don’t tell me no.”
The General answered:
“I just did.”
The Deputy looked toward the body camera on his own chest.
Red light blinking.
His camera had been recording since arrival.
The Sheriff’s remained dark.
The General noticed both.
The Sheriff stepped toward the rear door.
The Deputy spoke.
“Sir.”
The Sheriff ignored him.
“Sir.”
“What?”
The Deputy lowered his voice.
“We should wait.”
“For?”
“Maybe call—”
The Sheriff cut him off.
“No.”
He grabbed the SUV handle.
Locked.
“Open it.”
The younger officer said nothing.
The General said:
“No.”
The Sheriff turned.
“Deputy.”
The younger Deputy hesitated.
“Get the keys.”
The Deputy looked toward the General.
Then his commanding officer.
“I don’t think—”
“You don’t get paid to think.”
The Deputy froze.
The sentence landed harder than the Sheriff intended.
He pointed toward the younger officer.
“Search him.”
The Deputy did not move.
“Now.”
The Deputy approached the kneeling officer.
The younger officer looked at him.
Neither spoke.
The Deputy searched the outer pockets.
Found the SUV key fob.
He held it.
The General watched.
“Deputy.”
The younger man looked toward him.
“If you use that key after being informed the container is protected government property, document that I warned you.”
The Deputy’s fingers tightened.
The Sheriff shouted:
“Give me the keys.”
The Deputy did.
The Sheriff unlocked the SUV.
The rear door opened.
He reached toward the sealed case.
The General said:
“Do not touch that seal.”
The Sheriff grabbed the handle anyway.
A small green status light changed to amber.
Nothing dramatic happened.
No alarm.
No siren.
The Sheriff smiled.
“Looks harmless.”
The General lowered his head.
Not defeated.
Calculating time.
2:58.
Two minutes.
The Sheriff inspected the case.
“Combination?”
“No.”
“What’s inside?”
“Material you are not authorized to access.”
The Sheriff looked at the Deputy.
“You hearing this?”