Relief flooded Jenny so quickly her knees nearly buckled. But her mind was still racing. Why had he gone so far? Why that level of aggression, suspicion, intimidation?
She closed the trunk carefully, but the emotional whiplash left her shaken. She didn’t feel safe yet—not even close.
“Am I free to go?” she asked.
The officer met her gaze for a long, uncomfortable beat. Then, finally, he nodded. “Drive safe,” he muttered, before turning and walking back to his cruiser without another word.
Jenny climbed back into her car, her fingers fumbling with the ignition. As the engine started, her heart was still pounding—but now it thudded with both fear and fury.
She drove off slowly, still trying to make sense of what had happened. But one thing was clear: she would not let this go.
Without hesitation, she reached for her phone—thankfully tucked safely beneath a pile of papers—and pressed stop on the recording app she had activated when the lights first flashed behind her.
She had caught everything.
And she had good reason to be worried. Jenny froze as a sudden flicker of rage flared in the officer’s eyes.
His patience had completely evaporated, replaced by something colder—something almost inhuman. Without warning, he lunged forward and gripped her arm tightly. “GET OUT OF THE CAR NOW!” he roared, his voice thundering through the night. Jenny’s breath caught in her throat. What was happening? Why was he acting like this?
Then, just as suddenly, he stopped. He turned and cast a quick, almost anxious glance toward his patrol car. Jenny’s pulse pounded like a war drum in her ears. She held still, staring him down, refusing to show her fear. Abruptly, he spun on his heel and stormed back toward his cruiser.
“Don’t move!” he barked over his shoulder. “Stay right there or you’re in deep trouble!” His voice echoed with raw authority, slicing through the tension-thick air.
Jenny’s thoughts swirled in a storm of confusion and fear. What is he doing? Where is he going? Every instinct screamed for her to drive away. But what if she did? What then? She hadn’t done anything wrong—fleeing would only make things worse. She knew the risks. People who ran from police were often painted as guilty no matter what the truth was.