OFFICER MILLER: "I have plenty."
DANIEL BROOKS: "Then ask them."
Miller looked at the identification again.
There was something about Daniel's composure that continued to bother him. Most travelers who found themselves in this situation displayed at least one recognizable sign of distress. Some argued. Others became nervous and began talking too much. A few pleaded for the officers to reconsider.
Daniel did none of those things.
He stood with his shoulders square, his breathing steady, and his eyes fixed on the officer.
Miller had spent years dealing with passengers, and he believed he could usually tell when someone was hiding something.
But Daniel was giving him nothing to work with.
The officer slid the identification back across the table.
OFFICER MILLER: "Do you understand the seriousness of this situation?"
DANIEL BROOKS: "Completely."
OFFICER MILLER: "Possession of illegal narcotics can have serious consequences."
DANIEL BROOKS: "So can making a false accusation."
The words landed harder than Daniel had intended, or perhaps exactly as hard as he had intended.
Miller's expression tightened.
He stepped closer to the table, keeping the evidence bag in his hand.
OFFICER MILLER: "You keep talking as if you know something we don't."
Daniel looked at the bag once more.
Then he met the officer's eyes.
DANIEL BROOKS: "Maybe you should ask yourself why you're so certain this is going to end the way you planned."
Ryan went completely still.
Miller stared at Daniel for several seconds before forcing a small smile.
OFFICER MILLER: "You watch too many movies."
DANIEL BROOKS: "I don't need to watch a movie to recognize what is happening in front of me."
OFFICER MILLER: "And what exactly do you think is happening?"
Daniel paused.
Not because he had run out of words, but because he wanted Miller to understand that the next statement was not an emotional reaction.
It was a direct accusation.
DANIEL BROOKS: "You are trying to make me look guilty before you've established what actually happened."
Miller shook his head.
OFFICER MILLER: "You're making this much harder than it needs to be."
DANIEL BROOKS: "Then stop making it harder for yourself."
For a brief moment, the two men simply watched each other.
The evidence bag remained between them, its transparent surface catching the fluorescent light. Beyond the inspection area, passengers continued moving toward their gates, unaware that a routine-looking security check had turned into a confrontation neither officer could easily dismiss.
Miller finally looked toward Ryan again.
OFFICER MILLER: "Get the paperwork started."
Ryan hesitated.
OFFICER RYAN: "What paperwork?"
OFFICER MILLER: "The incident report. What do you think?"
OFFICER RYAN: "We haven't finished the inspection."
OFFICER MILLER: "We've found what we needed to find."
Ryan's eyes moved briefly toward Daniel.
It was a small reaction, but Daniel caught it.
DANIEL BROOKS: "Have you?"
Miller turned back toward him.
OFFICER MILLER: "You need to stop talking."
DANIEL BROOKS: "You need to stop assuming that nobody is paying attention."
The words seemed to unsettle Ryan more than they unsettled Miller.
The younger officer's gaze shifted toward the ceiling, where a security camera was mounted above the inspection area. He looked away almost immediately, but not before Daniel noticed.
Daniel followed the movement with his eyes.
He did not smile.
He did not explain what he had noticed.
He simply returned his attention to Miller.
OFFICER MILLER: "What's that supposed to mean?"
DANIEL BROOKS: "It means exactly what I said."
OFFICER MILLER: "Are you threatening me?"
DANIEL BROOKS: "No. I'm giving you an opportunity to think carefully about what you do next."
Miller let out another short laugh, but this time it sounded forced.
OFFICER MILLER: "You really believe you have some kind of leverage here."
DANIEL BROOKS: "I believe the truth doesn't become less important just because you have a badge."
The officer's face darkened.
He placed the evidence bag beside the open suitcase and reached for his radio.
OFFICER MILLER: "Control, I need assistance at the secondary inspection checkpoint."
A crackle came from the device.
A distant voice answered, but Daniel could not make out the words.
Miller pressed the radio again.
OFFICER MILLER: "Suspected narcotics recovered during a passenger inspection. We need to process the individual."
Daniel remained still.
He watched Miller describe the situation over the radio as though the officer were already delivering a summary of a completed investigation.