glancing at the cards inside before pulling out her
driver's license. "Maya Sterling," he read aloud,
his tone dripping with condescension. "Alright,
Maya. Let's see what kind of warrants you've got
hiding in the system."
He grabbed his shoulder mic, pressing the
button. "Dispatch, this is Unit 4-Bravo. I need a
10-27 and 10-29 on a female. Last name Sterling,
S-T-E-R-L-I-N-G. First name Maya. Date of
birth, 09/14/1984."
The radio crackled with static for a few
long, agonizing seconds. The younger officer
stood nearby, a smug smirk playing on his lips,
convinced they had just taken down a dangerous
fugitive. Maya simply stared at them, her dark
eyes piercing through their arrogance, waiting
for the inevitable drop.
"Unit 4-Bravo, copy that," the
dispatcher's voice came through, sounding bored
and routine. "Stand by for records check."
The silence that followed stretched out,
heavy and thick in the humid summer air. The
older officer leaned against the cruiser, tapping
his fingers impatiently. Then, the radio crackled
again, but this time, the dispatcher's voice
sounded remarkably different. The boredom was
gone, replaced by a sharp, urgent tension.
"Unit 4-Bravo... can you confirm the
spelling of that name? And the address of your
current location?" the dispatcher asked, her voice
tight.
The officer frowned, exchanging a
confused look with his partner. "Affirmative,
Dispatch. S-T-E-R-L-I-N-G. Maya. We are
currently at 412 Elmwood Drive."
There was another pause. When the
dispatcher returned, she didn't just give a status
update; she issued a frantic, high-priority alert.
"Unit 4-Bravo, are you physically detaining that
individual? If so, you need to uncuff her
immediately. I repeat, release her immediately.
You are at the wrong address. The suspect was
apprehended two blocks away by Unit 7 on
Miller Street ten minutes ago."
The older officer’s face went pale.
"Dispatch, we have a combative subject here..."
"Unit 4-Bravo, listen to me very
carefully," the dispatcher's voice dropped to an
urgent, terrified whisper that echoed loudly in the
quiet street. "That is not a suspect. That is the
Honorable Judge Maya Sterling of the State
Supreme Court. You have just assaulted the
Chief Administrative Judge of this district.
Release her now, and the Watch Commander is
en route to your location. ETA two minutes."
Chapter 5: The Realization and
Panic
The color drained completely from the
faces of both officers. The smug smirk on the
younger officer’s face vanished, replaced by an
expression of pure, unadulterated horror. The
older officer’s hand trembled slightly as it
hovered over his radio mic. The air around them
seemed to suddenly freeze, the suffocating heat
of the afternoon utterly forgotten.