Chapter 14 - The Weight of the Badge
""Drop the weapon, Vance!"" Trooper Martinez drew his sidearm in a fluid motion, leveling it squarely at the deputy chief’s chest.
Across the highway, four other state troopers unholstered their firearms, forming a semicircle of lethal force pointed directly at their county colleague.
""He's a ghost, Martinez!"" Vance shouted, sweat dripping down his temples despite the morning chill. ""Cole died in the fire! This is an orchestrated setup by a rogue cell!""
""I'm not a ghost, Vance,"" Tommy said, stepping past the troopers until he stood ten feet away. He tossed the damp memory card onto the hood of Martinez's cruiser. ""Miller recorded your execution squad on Blackwood Ridge before you put a bullet in him. The file is uploaded to the federal relay. It’s over. Look at the sky.""
From the east, above the treeline, two dark military-grade helicopters bearing the insignias of the Federal Bureau of Investigation cut through the clouds, their searchlights pinning Vance in a cross of unyielding white light. Over the loudspeaker, a booming voice echoed:
“This is the Federal Tactical Unit. All local personnel stand down and drop your weapons immediately. Deputy Chief Vance, you are under federal arrest for conspiracy, arson, and capital murder.”
Vance’s hand began to tremble. The chrome of his service pistol seemed suddenly too heavy to bear. He looked at Marcus, sitting chained on the asphalt; he looked at Liam, who had reached his father and was clinging desperately to the orange cloth of Marcus’s jumpsuit.
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With a hollow clatter, Vance dropped his pistol onto the wet road.
Two state troopers immediately tackled him to the pavement, driving his face into the gravel and wrenching his arms behind his back with double-locking cuffs.
