He moved sideways, allowing Daniel's momentum to carry him past, then turned and delivered a short counterstrike against the padded front of the navy uniform. Daniel staggered a step, recovered, and raised both arms to protect himself.
The exchange had become relentless.
Every attack was met with a block, a dodge, or a counter. Neither man stood still long enough to dominate the encounter. Their jackets shifted with every movement, their shoes slid against the wet asphalt, and their bodies collided with heavy, controlled impacts.
Daniel had expected to frighten Adam into surrender.
Instead, every aggressive move seemed to confirm that the officer was desperate to maintain control.
ADAM REED: "You could have walked away from this."
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "You don't tell me what to do!"
ADAM REED: "Then stop giving me a reason to defend myself."
Daniel's face tightened.
He rushed forward, grabbed Adam's jacket, and attempted to drive him against the sedan. Adam twisted his upper body, broke the grip, and pushed Daniel backward. The officer's hip struck the side of the vehicle, producing a hollow metallic thump.
For a brief moment, Daniel glanced toward the dark windows of the nearby buildings.
He was checking whether anyone had seen what was happening.
Adam noticed.
That small movement told him more than Daniel's angry words had. The officer was not simply trying to arrest a man he believed had committed an offense. He was concerned about witnesses.
ADAM REED: "Looking for someone to blame this on?"
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "Shut your mouth!"
Daniel swung again.
Adam blocked the strike, stepped inside the officer's reach, and pushed him away before another blow could follow. Daniel responded with a forceful kick, but Adam shifted aside and caught the movement on his forearms.
Adam countered with two fast punches.
The first was deflected. The second forced Daniel to retreat toward the rear door of the sedan.
A sharp impact rang through the quiet street.
Daniel's shoulder brushed the car, and his hand slapped against the metal as he regained his balance. He stared at Adam, breathing heavily, his eyes narrowed with a mixture of anger and disbelief.
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "Who the hell are you?"
Adam did not answer.
The question had come too early, and Daniel seemed to realize it himself. He had spent the encounter treating Adam as an ordinary civilian whose fear could be manipulated. Now, he was beginning to wonder whether he had misjudged the man standing opposite him.
Adam adjusted the front of his charcoal-black jacket.
ADAM REED: "Someone who knows when a police officer has crossed the line."
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "You think you know the law?"
ADAM REED: "I know enough to recognize what you've done tonight."
Daniel's expression shifted.
For the first time, his eyes moved toward the small plastic bag he still held. He had nearly forgotten about it during the struggle. The supposed evidence had been the center of his plan, yet the confrontation had become so chaotic that he had failed to use it effectively.
He looked down at the bag, then back at Adam.
The sight seemed to restore some of his confidence.
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "You can talk all you want. I've got what I need."
ADAM REED: "You mean the thing you put in my pocket?"
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "I found it on you."
ADAM REED: "You planted it."
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "That's your story."
ADAM REED: "It's what happened."
Daniel lifted the bag slightly, holding it where the streetlight could illuminate the plastic.
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "You know what people will believe? They'll believe the evidence. They'll believe the report. And they'll believe the officer who found you carrying this."
Adam studied him for several seconds.
ADAM REED: "Is that what you tell yourself?"
Daniel's fingers tightened around the bag.
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "What?"
ADAM REED: "That if you write something down, it becomes the truth?"
The question struck a nerve.
Daniel stepped forward, his face flushed with anger.
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "You have no idea how this works."
ADAM REED: "Perhaps you should explain it."
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "I'll explain it at the station."
ADAM REED: "Under what charge?"
Daniel hesitated.
It lasted less than a second, but Adam saw it.
The officer had a bag of suspected drugs, an uncooperative civilian, and a physical confrontation that he could attempt to describe as resistance. What he did not have was a credible explanation for why he had approached Adam in the first place or why his actions had escalated so quickly.
Daniel recovered by raising his voice.