Tamed by the Police Officer

“Get out of the way!”

A man shoves me aside, slamming my body against a lamppost. Pain rockets up my back as I slump to the ground and catch a glimpse of my assailant. He’s sprinting down the quiet city street. Wearing a dark gray hoodie and holding a polished chrome handgun, he runs with panicked, frenzied movements.

I pull myself to my feet and dust off my clothes while he darts down an alleyway. What the fuck was that about?!

But then I hear it—police sirens in the distance.

I barely have time to register the sound before an aggressive voice calls out behind me.

“GET ON THE GROUND!”

I whirl around to see a police officer with his gun pointed directly at my forehead. My eyes widen with fear as I stare down the barrel. The officer’s expression is stern and hostile. A scowl rests on his masculine face while his dark blue eyes bore into my flesh.

Adrenaline pulses through my bloodstream as I raise my hands toward him, the palms pointing forward.

“I SAID GET ON THE FUCKING GROUND!”

I collapse to my knees, staring up at his imposing figure. His intensely muscular physique bulges from his uniform, giving off an aura of physical superiority and commanding authority. As he steps toward me, I stare at the veiny hands gripping his gun. My gaze travels up his bulky forearms coated in pale skin and dark black hair. This guy is huge. He doesn’t even need the gun—he could easily overpower me.

His shadow looms over my tiny body while I look up into his eyes. They burn with adrenaline and rage. They cause me to tremble and cower in fear.

“I-I didn’t do anything!” My voice shakes as he shoves me onto my stomach against the rough concrete.

“Don’t bullshit me!” He kneels on my back, pressing his full weight into my body. “You perfectly match the suspect’s description.”

It immediately dawns on me—I’m wearing the same type of gray hoodie as the man who dashed into the alleyway. We have a similar build too.

“No! It wasn’t me! The guy you want ran that way!” I glance ahead. “I saw him carrying a gun!”

“Save it for questioning. We’ll search the area—I’m sure you just tossed your gun into a dumpster.” He pulls out handcuffs and binds my wrists behind my back. “Get in the fucking police car!”

He pulls me to my feet and shoves me forward. I stagger as he rests one of his huge hands on my shoulder. Fuck…this is bad. This is really bad.

“Please, officer! You’ve gotta listen—” My voice grows panicked.

“Shut up.”

We round a corner, and he pushes me into the back of his vehicle.

“You’re being arrested for armed robbery. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in court. You have the right to have a lawyer with you during questioning. If you can’t afford a lawyer, one will be appointed for you,” he says before slamming the door closed.

I just sit in the back of the car, listening to the muffled sound of him speaking into his radio outside. How could this happen? I was just walking home after helping my girlfriend move into her new apartment, and now I’m being arrested for a robbery I didn’t commit? I’m sure once we get to the station, I can explain myself and they’ll let me go. It should be obvious that they’ve got the wrong guy.

The officer gets into the car and peels away from the curb. I stare out the window in silence, watching the city fly by. Hues of pink and orange are splashed across the autumn sky like paint on a blue canvas. This is such a calm evening…it feels at odds with what’s happening here.

“You thought you’d get away with it, didn’t you?” The officer glances back at me through the rear-view mirror.

“No…” My voice trails off.

I watch the officer while he drives. He has thick shoulder and neck muscles that ripple beneath his skin whenever he turns his head. His black hair is shaved, giving him an almost militaristic appearance. Something about this guy scares me. He makes me feel powerless.

Maybe I should try chatting with him? Maybe I can show him I’m not a bad guy?

“W-what’s your name, sir? I’m Adam.”

“Officer Rodriguez.” He smirks. “But you can call me Blake. We’ll get to know each other really well. I’ll be the one handling your questioning.”

I gulp.

“Is this going to last long? I’m starting a new job tomorrow. I just recently graduated from college with my computer science degree, and I landed my dream job with one of the top tech companies in the area. If I miss my first day because I’m in jail, that’ll torpedo my career.”

“Well, maybe you should’ve thought of that before you decided to rob that jewelry store. I don’t make the laws—I just enforce them.”

I slump down in my seat. I can tell this is pointless. He *wants* to lock me up—I can feel it.

Blake pulls me out of the police car once we arrive at the station. He ushers me into the lobby, and I can instantly feel the eyes of officers and detectives combing over me. There’s a palpable sense of unease in the air. I’ve never been arrested before. I don’t belong in a place like this.

I’m escorted into a tiny interrogation room, and my heart sinks when I see the setup. The space is plain and utilitarian, with nothing but a rickety table and two chairs. Harsh fluorescent light rains down over the windowless space, giving it a soulless atmosphere.

“Take a seat.” Blake motions toward the table.

I sit opposite him as he slides me a pen and paper.

“What’s this?”

“I need you to sign that before we can talk. It states that I’ve already read you your rights.”

I sign the document and pass it back to him.