I had to break it to show her it wouldn't fool anyone. General Thorne followed the gesture. His eyes landed on the broken badge piece lying on the hood.
The fractured federal seal caught the sunlight, its damaged edges sharp and accusing. For a moment, the general said nothing. His jaw worked slowly like a man swallowing something bitter.
You broke her federal credentials. Fake credentials, Voss insisted, but his voice lacked conviction. Anyone can order convincing replicas online nowadays.
"I was protecting legitimate government operations from—" "Release her now." The command carried absolute finality. Voss looked around desperately, seeing soldiers watching, seeing other customers staring from their cars, seeing his authority crumbling in real time. Sir, I still need to verify.
Officer. General Thorne's voice dropped to a whisper that somehow felt more threatening than shouting. Remove those handcuffs immediately or I will have you removed from my sight.
Voss's hand trembled as he reached for his keys. But before he could unlock the restraints, Danielle spoke for the first time since the convoy arrived. General, wait.
Both men turned toward her in surprise. Don't remove him yet, Danielle said quietly. I need him here.
General Thorne's eyebrows rose. Agent Cross. Something's wrong, sir.
Officer Voss didn't just challenge my credentials. He became violent specifically when I mentioned pump 6. Danielle looked directly at Voss.
He's terrified of letting anyone near that particular pump. I want to know why. Voss's face flushed red.
I'm not terrified of anything. "This woman is a fraud trying to—" Then why did you throw yourself between me and the fuel area before you even asked for my identification? Danielle's voice remained calm, but her eyes never left Voss's face.
Why did you become most aggressive when I mentioned inspecting the pumps? Why are you so desperate to keep me away from pump 6 specifically? General Thorne studied Voss carefully.
Interesting questions, Agent Cross. I think his reactions should be preserved, not interrupted, Danielle continued. Let him explain why a routine fuel inspection threatens him so much.
Voss fumbled with his keys, his hands shaking now. The handcuffs clicked open, and Danielle rubbed her wrists where the metal had bitten into her skin, but she made no move to step away from him. You're twisting everything around, Voss said, his voice rising.
I was doing my job, protecting this station from criminals and con artists. By destroying federal credentials, by stopping someone who, Voss stopped himself, realizing his voice was carrying across the parking lot. General Thorne picked up the broken badge piece from the SUV hood.
He examined the fractured federal seal, the bent metal, the damaged identification number stamped into the back. This is a legitimate Army CID credential, he said quietly. Badge number A4427, issued to Special Agent Danielle Cross on October 15th, 2016.
The blood drained from Voss's face. Another patrol car turned into the station parking lot, its engine growling as it approached the growing crowd of vehicles. The car stopped near Voss's unit, and Captain Everett Shaw stepped out.