The predator had officially become the prey. “Agent Collins,” Khloe said, never breaking eye contact with Miller. “Relieve the officer of his duty belt. We wouldn’t want any accidental discharges.”
Collins stepped forward, his face a mask of professional disdain. He didn’t ask for compliance. He demanded it with his hands. In three swift, practiced motions, Collins unbuckled Miller’s heavy leather utility belt, stripping him of his spare magazines, his taser, his pepper spray, and his handcuffs.
The belt hit the dirt with a heavy thud. “Now,” Khloe instructed, her voice ringing out in the cold air. “Turn him around!” Collins grabbed Miller by the shoulders, spinning him forcefully against the very same trunk of the Taurus where Khloe had been pinned moments before.
The poetic justice was not lost on anyone present. Collins pulled a pair of heavy-duty zip ties from his tactical vest, cinching them tightly around Miller’s wrists. The plastic zipped with a harsh final sound.
“You can’t do this,” Miller stammered, his voice cracking, devoid of its previous bass and bravado. “I’m a police officer. This is my jurisdiction. Chief Kowalski will have your badges for this. You don’t know who you’re messing with.”
Khloe let out a short, hollow laugh. “Actually, Harrison, I know exactly who I’m messing with.” Before Miller could process her words, the wail of another siren pierced the night.
A sleek black Dodge Charger with exempt plates roared down Route 119, screeching to a halt just outside the federal barricade. The doors flew open and out stepped Thomas Kowalski, the chief of the Oakbrook Valley Police Department.
Kowalski was a heavy-set, red-faced man who wore expensive tailored suits instead of a uniform. A man who treated his police force like a private militia. “What in the hell is going on here?” Kowalski bellowed, marching toward the perimeter with an air of untouchable arrogance.
“Who authorized a federal raid in my town? Stand down. I order you to stand down.” Agent Collins immediately raised his hand, signaling two tactical agents who stepped forward, their M4s held at the low ready, effectively blocking Kowalski’s path.
“Chief Thomas Kowalski,” Khloe announced, stepping out from behind the wall of federal agents into the blinding glare of the headlights. She smoothed out her gray hoodie, looking remarkably composed. “You’re right on time. We were just discussing you.”
Kowalski’s face flushed a deep violent crimson. “Who the hell are you? Let my officer go immediately or I’m calling the governor. I have Gregory Mitchell on speed dial. He’s the best defense attorney in this state and he will bury your entire task force by morning.”
“You can call Gregory Mitchell if you’d like, Chief,” Khloe replied, her tone conversational but laced with lethal intent. “But you might have trouble reaching him. The bureau raided his downtown law offices about 20 minutes ago.”
