The Officers Arrive
The first patrol car appeared within minutes.
Then two more.
The lead officer, Officer Dana Mitchell, stepped out and read the scene quickly.
The stopped SUV. The riders holding traffic back. Leah standing near Rook with her arms wrapped around herself.
Officer Mitchell walked over.
“Who called it in?”
Rook raised a hand.
“I did.”
“Tell me what happened.”
He gave her the facts. Calm. Clear. No embellishment.
The signal. The vehicle. The riders. The stop.
Officer Mitchell listened carefully. Then she looked toward Leah.
“Ma’am, are you able to come with me?”
Leah nodded.
Before she followed the officer, she turned back to Rook.
Her eyes filled, but she did not break.
“I practiced that signal so many times,” she said. “I never thought I’d be the one using it.”
Rook looked at the fading circle on her palm.
“That’s why you practiced.”
Leah swallowed hard.
“How did you know it was real?”
Rook answered without hesitation.
“Because your hand was asking for help, but your eyes were begging me not to miss it.”
