Chapter 1 - The Leather Badge
The heavier officer, whose nametag read Miller, let out a harsh laugh that scraped against the quiet country air. He traded a mocking smirk with his partner, Vance, whose hand still lingered on his service weapon as if expecting a violent ambush from a twenty-two-year-old girl pinned against a dusty sedan. Miller stepped closer, deliberately invading Victoria's personal space to assert dominance, before slipping two fingers into the right pocket of her denim shorts. He expected a handful of loose change, maybe a rolled joint, or perhaps just a petty bluff meant to buy time before they tossed her into the back of their patrol cruiser.
Instead, his thick fingers brushed against smooth, cold metal and rigid leather. He pulled the item out into the blazing midday sun. Vance stepped forward with an arrogant grin, ready to mock whatever trinket she had hidden, but the smirk died instantly on his face.
Resting in Miller’s hand was a polished gold shield set into heavy, embossed leather. Above the emblem, etched in razor-sharp black enamel, were the words: FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION - OFFICE OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY & INTERNAL AFFAIRS. Tucked directly behind the badge was an official credential card featuring Victoria's photo, her real surname—Special Agent Victoria Cross—and an authorization seal that granted her absolute oversight over state and municipal law enforcement misconduct.
Miller’s jaw slackened. The color drained from his weathered cheeks so fast he looked like a corpse standing on the asphalt. His fingers began to tremble, nearly dropping the heavy leather case onto the gravel.
"What... what is this?" Vance stammered, his aggressive posture collapsing as his voice cracked into a thin, terrified squeak.
Victoria slowly turned her head, her dark eyes locking onto Miller with the calm precision of a seasoned predator. The helplessness they had tried to force onto her vanished entirely, replaced by an aura of cold, unyielding authority.
"That, officers, is the reason you should have introduced yourselves," Victoria said, her tone level and devoid of emotion. "That is also the credential of the lead investigator currently running an unannounced audit on Precinct 4’s systemic roadside extortion racket. You pulled over an unmarked federal observer without probable cause, physically assaulted an officer of the Department of Justice, and illegally applied restraints without reading a single right."
Miller swallowed hard, a dry, choking sound escaping his throat. Sweat beaded across his forehead and dripped down into his collar. "Ma'am... Agent Cross... listen, this was a misunderstanding. Out here on Route 9, we get smugglers, violent runners. We have to take extra precautions. You reached for your phone so fast, we thought—"
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"You thought you found an easy target to intimidate," Victoria cut him off sharply. "Unlock these cuffs. Right now."
Vance scrambled forward, his hands shaking so violently that he dropped the small brass key twice into the dust before managing to insert it into the lock. The metal clicked open, and Victoria rubbed her reddened wrists, never once breaking eye contact with the two terrified men.
