Monique stepped forward, the blood-soaked compress still pressed against her temple, her icy gaze sweeping slowly over each of them.
Nobody moved.
The car alarm kept wailing somewhere behind them, a shrill sound that seemed to match the tension rising in the air perfectly.
"Harlan," she said finally. "I have to admit, I'm almost disappointed. Almost."
"Ma'am, I—" he started, his voice breaking instantly.
"Shut up," she cut in, without even raising her voice.
He fell silent, his whole body curling in on itself, as if trying to make himself smaller than he already was.
She gave a nod to the agents flanking her, their weapons rising slowly, spreading into a silent half-circle around the small group.
"Arrest all of them," she ordered.
No agent moved.
Nash stood there at the center, hands in his pockets, his posture perfectly relaxed despite the guns pointed at him.
"You might want to listen before giving orders nobody here feels like following," he said.
