Chapter 2 - The Knock on the Glass
The heavy thud of Michael Carter’s fist against the station glass vibrated through the metal frame of the front doors.
Officer Daniel Reed remained motionless behind the front counter, his hand resting within arm’s reach of his radio holster. The station interior was otherwise silent, save for the dry rattling of the old box fan and the shallow, synchronized breathing of the two twins crouched near his knees.
Emma’s small hand was locked around Olivia’s wrist. Olivia’s eyes were half-closed, her face pale as parchment, the effects of whatever substance she had swallowed beginning to drag her down into a chemically induced stupor.
Outside, Michael shouted something muffled by the reinforced glass.
"Open this door right now!" Michael’s voice finally punched through, sharp and furious. "I know my daughters are in there. You have no right to keep them from me!"
Daniel stepped out from behind the counter, keeping his movements deliberate and unhurried. He walked toward the front entrance, positioning himself so that his uniform badge was clearly visible through the glass, but the girls remained completely shielded from view behind the heavy oak partition.
Through the glass, Michael looked frantic, though it was the franticness of a man losing control of his property rather than a parent terrified for his children. His hair was slightly disheveled, his expensive jacket zipped halfway up, and his face flushed red from the damp afternoon air. He banged his palm against the glass again.
"Officer Reed! I saw you lock that door!" Michael demanded, his tone shifting instantly from commanding to aggrieved as he spotted Daniel approaching. "My girls wandered off. They’re confused, they have medical conditions, and I demand you open this door immediately before I file a formal complaint with the precinct captain."
Daniel didn't reach for the deadbolt. Instead, he stared directly into Michael’s eyes, noting the slight twitch in the corner of the man’s left eye and the way his fingers curled into tight fists at his sides.
"Mr. Carter," Daniel said loudly enough to carry through the glass. "Step away from the door and return to your vehicle. You are currently trespassing in an active police facility during a child welfare investigation."
Michael’s expression hardened. The mask of the concerned father cracked, revealing a cold, calculating annoyance beneath.
"A welfare investigation? Are you out of your mind?" Michael barked, his voice rising in pitch. "They are my children! They refused their prescribed medication and ran out of the house. I called dispatch seven minutes ago to report them missing. Open this door or I’ll kick it in myself!"
"If you attempt to force entry into this station, Mr. Carter, you will be arrested for obstruction of justice and destruction of government property," Daniel replied evenly. "The ambulance is arriving right now. Wait by your vehicle."
As if on cue, the wail of a siren cut through the wet afternoon streets.
A red-and-white county ambulance swung sharply into the precinct lot, its emergency lights flashing brilliant strokes of crimson and amber across the damp asphalt. The vehicle pulled up directly behind Michael’s SUV, blocking him in.
Michael spun around, throwing his hands up in theatrical frustration as two paramedics jumped out of the cab with medical kits and heavy trauma bags.
Daniel unlocked the front deadbolt and pulled the door open just enough to let the paramedics slide past, keeping his body positioned in the threshold so Michael could not slip inside.
"In here," Daniel told the lead paramedic, motioning toward the rear counter where the girls were hidden. "Five-year-old female, acute abdominal distress, lethargy, unknown oral ingestion. Her twin sister is with her, uninjured but shaken."
One paramedic, a veteran named Sarah with kind eyes and steady hands, moved past Daniel immediately. The second paramedic, a younger man carrying the primary gear bag, stepped up to the door.
Michael lunged forward, trying to push his way through the opening.
"That’s my daughter! I’m coming in!" Michael shouted, his shoulder striking Daniel’s chest.
Daniel didn't budge an inch. He raised his left hand, planting his palm firmly against Michael’s sternum, halting the man’s momentum with immovable force.
"Stay back, Mr. Carter," Daniel ordered, his voice dropping into the cold, flat register reserved for hostile suspects. "One more step forward and you will spend the night in a holding cell."
Michael glared at Daniel, his chest heaving. "You are making a massive mistake. You have no idea who you're dealing with."
"I know exactly who I'm dealing with," Daniel said, his eyes locking onto Michael’s. "And right now, medical professionals are saving your daughter’s life while you stand out here trying to break into a police station."
Inside the station, Sarah knelt beside Olivia, gently checking her pulse and shining a penlight into her dilated pupils. Emma hovered close, her small fingers clutching Sarah’s jacket sleeve.
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"We need to get her to the hospital immediately," Sarah called out over her shoulder, her voice urgent. "Heart rate is elevated, blood pressure is dropping, and she’s sliding deeper into sedation. Let’s move."
Daniel stepped back, pulled the heavy glass door shut, and locked the deadbolt once more, leaving Michael standing alone in the rain-slicked parking lot, shouting obscenities at the closed glass.
