pulse remained steady. There was no surge of panic, no suffocating rush of adrenaline like in a typical high-risk felony stop.
Instead, a strange, almost surgical clarity settled over me.
“With your left hand, open the door from the outside. Step out slowly.”
I rolled down the window. The freezing night air hit my face, carrying the metallic tang of rain on asphalt and the low hum of three idling police cruisers.
I reached for the outer handle and pushed the heavy door open. Gravel crunched sharply under my boots
