Chapter 5 - The Precinct Threshold
The fluorescent lights of the central precinct buzzed with a low, oppressive hum that seemed to match the collective tension in the squad room. Marcus escorted Sarah Miller through the swinging glass doors, her hands still cuffed behind her back, drawing the immediate, stunned attention of every desk sergeant and detective on duty.
Captain Thomas looked up from his cluttered mahogany desk, his glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose as he took in the bizarre tableau. He stood up slowly, leaning his palms flat against the wooden surface.
"Vance, what is the meaning of this?" Captain Thomas demanded, his voice echoing off the concrete walls. "Explain why you’re parading a ten-year veteran through my squad room in restraints."
"Officer Miller was apprehended at the Elmwood terrace site for official misconduct, racial profiling, and unauthorized data extraction," Marcus reported crisply, guiding Sarah toward a vacant holding chair.
Sarah tossed her head back, letting out a sharp, theatrical sigh. "Captain, tell this insubordinate rookie to take these cuffs off. I caught a trespasser poking around active construction zones, and instead of backing me up, he decided to settle some kind of personal vendetta."
Captain Thomas directed a long, impenetrable stare at Marcus, then shifted his gaze to Maya, who had followed them inside, her leather clipboard clutched firmly against her ribs.
"Ms. Vance, is it?" Captain Thomas asked, walking around his desk and stepping closer. "You're the structural engineer who triggered this mess?"
"I am," Maya replied, unzipping her camo bag and extracting a heavily tabbed binder. "And I have reason to believe Officer Miller was attempting to intimidate me into destroying public safety reports regarding the Elmwood development."
Before the captain could respond, the precinct's primary fax machine whirred to life in the corner, churning out a continuous stream of paper that instantly jammed the tray. A young rookie pulled the sheet free, glanced at the header, and turned pale.
May you like
"Captain," the rookie stammered, holding up the smoking paper. "It's an emergency directive from the state attorney general's office. They're freezing all municipal permits for Elmwood Terrace, effective immediately."
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