Then raised his hands.
“My identification is in the left inside pocket of my jacket.”
Dunn said, “Don’t reach for it.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“Then stop talking.”
Jonah looked at Dunn.
“He just told us where the ID is.”
Dunn ignored him.
“You trespassing?”
“No.”
Preston answered for him.
“Yes.”
Adrien looked at Jonah.
“Please retrieve my credential.”
Jonah stepped forward.
Preston said, “He’s been pretending to be some kind of federal official all morning.”
“I am a federal official.”
Dunn laughed.
“What agency?”
Adrien gave him the name of the liaison office responsible for the evaluation.
Dunn looked unimpressed.
“Never heard of it.”
“That does not affect whether it exists.”
Several people in the crowd laughed.
Dunn’s face reddened.
“You think you’re funny?”
“No.”
“Get on your knees.”
Jonah looked sharply at him.
“Caleb.”
Dunn repeated himself.
“Knees.”
Adrien remained standing.
Not in defiance.
In calculation.
He looked at the concrete.
Then at Dunn.
“My credential can resolve this in thirty seconds.”
“Knees.”
“Officer, I am cooperating.”
“Then kneel.”
Adrien slowly lowered himself.
One knee touched the concrete.
Then the other.
A woman in the crowd raised her phone higher.
Preston smiled.
“That’s better.”
Adrien looked toward him.
“Keep recording.”
Preston laughed.
“Oh, I will.”
Jonah reached into Adrien’s jacket.
He removed the credential.
The card was heavier than an ordinary identification card.
There was a holographic seal.
A government verification number.
A photograph.
Name.
Clearance classification.
Rank.
Jonah looked at Adrien.
Then at the card.
“Caleb.”
Dunn was standing behind Adrien.
“What?”
“We should call this number.”
Preston stepped forward.
“Are you serious?”
Jonah held up the card.
“It looks legitimate.”
“You know how easy fake IDs are now?”
“It has a federal verification line.”
Preston laughed.
“My family has hosted senior officials here for years. I know what those people look like.”
Adrien turned his head slightly.
“What do they look like?”
Preston’s mouth opened.
He did not answer.
Dunn grabbed Adrien’s shoulder.
“Face forward.”
Adrien did.
Jonah took out his phone.
“I’m calling.”
Preston reached toward the phone.
Dunn said, “Forget it.”
Jonah stared at him.
“What?”
“Captain’s already on the radio.”
Dunn’s shoulder microphone crackled.
Captain Grant Wexler’s voice came through.
“Detain the subject.”
Jonah pressed the radio button.