Marcus stood inside her doorway.
“Local police stopped me.”
Brooks noticed his wrists.
Then the dust on his clothing.
Her expression changed.
“Sit.”
Marcus remained standing.
“They handcuffed me, destroyed the fleet SUV during a search, found my credentials, continued searching, tried to disable a body camera, and impounded the vehicle.”
Brooks stared for one second.
Then:
“Sit down and start at the beginning.”
Marcus did.
Brooks interrupted only for details.
Exact time of stop.
Location.
Officer names.
Statements.
When the vehicle mismatch became known.
When credentials were found.
When Hollis arrived.
Who ordered the impound.
She photographed Marcus’s wrist marks.
Then called the local department’s records unit.
“This is Supervisory Special Agent Elena Brooks, FBI. I am issuing a preservation request for all dispatch recordings, CAD logs, body-worn camera footage, vehicle telemetry, tow records, incident reports, supervisor communications, and evidence-access records connected to the Vance stop on Riverside Drive.”
Marcus listened.
Brooks’s voice did not rise.
It did not need to.
After the call, she looked at him.
“Do not contact Mercer.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“Do not contact Hollis.”
“That one I was considering.”
“Don’t.”
Marcus nodded.
Her computer chimed.
A public statement from Riverside Police had already been released.
Brooks opened it.
Marcus read over her shoulder.
The statement claimed officers had detained a driver whose vehicle matched credible narcotics intelligence. It said officers conducted a lawful search based on suspicious behavior and discovered federal credentials only after the detention was underway.
No mention of the blue sedan.
No mention of the government registration.
No mention of Mercer ordering Danner’s camera disabled.