I looked back at him. He was still standing exactly where he’d been, hands at his sides, eyes calm. “Stay here,” I said. “Don’t go anywhere.” He nodded, immediate and compliant, like that instruction made perfect sense. That was it. No argument. No irritation. I hesitated a second longer than I should have.
Long enough to feel the weight of my badge press against my chest. Then my radio crackled again—urgent this time—and instinct took over. I jogged back to the cruiser and pulled away, tires crunching softly as I accelerated. The whole drive, my thoughts kept circling back to him.