And he said nothing.
I was waiting.
Sergio looked at him again.
People like you always think you can get away with it. Not today.
Don Manuel spoke for the first time since they started.
“Agent Molina, when we get to the police station, check my prints very carefully.
Sergio let out a laugh.
“We will do that. And when they get out clean, the charges will still fall.
Don Manuel lay down.
His voice no longer sounded like a helpless man.
It sounded like a door closing.
“When those fingerprints come out on screen, you’ll need a union representative and an excellent attorney.
Richard was shaken awkward.
“Molina, drive.
The radio sounded again.
—All units, federal link requests urgent contact with police station for possible priority…
Ricardo stretched his hand and lowered the volume to zero.
—Interference.
Sergio nodded.
Because young agents trust their bosses.
That was his second mistake.
They arrived at the police station eight minutes later.
Sergio pulled Don Manuel out of the car in one fell swoop.
He took him down the main hall, passing with other officers who barely looked.
For them it was routine.
One more detainee.
One more Saturday.
But Agent Marta Salas, on guard duty at reception, looked at Don Manuel’s face and felt something strange.
Not fear.
No anger.
Calm.
A calm too great for an unjustly handcuffed man.
“Inspector,” he asked, “what are the charges?”
Richard didn’t stop.
Click the button below to read the next part of the story.
—Disobedience, disturbance of order and resistance. Normal registration.
In the identification room, Agent Ramos prepared the fingerprint reader.
Let’s see who it is.
Sergio took one of the wives, but kept his hand clenched on Don Manuel’s arm.
Ramos placed his fingers on the scanner.
Thumb.
Index.
Medium.
Cancel.
Pinky.
The screen processed.
A loud beep filled the room.
Then a red warning appeared.
“Confirmed coincidence: Manuel Rivas. Director General of the National Research Agency. Alpha priority. Immediately notify the Federal Prosecutor’s Office.”
Sergio leaned towards the screen.
His face lost all color.
“Inspector… that says…
Richard moved like lightning.
He pushed Sergio to the side and closed the laptop at once.
The sound rumbled in the room.
Failure of the system.
Ramos was frozen.
“But inspector, federal protocol demands…
Ricardo fulminated him with his gaze.
“I said it’s a failure. Manual processing. Now.
Sergio swallowed saliva.
“Yes, sir.
But he didn’t smile anymore.
Martha, from the door, had not seen all the words.
But he saw Ricardo’s panic.
He saw how he closed the laptop.
He saw how Sergio went white.
And he knew that was not a normal mistake.
Ramos hesitated three seconds.
Three seconds I would remember for years.
He then opened the laptop and deleted the local alert.
What neither understood was that the alert had already been sent.
The federal server saved it the moment it appeared.
Each click was recorded.
Every attempt to erase.
Every second.
Deleting a screen does not erase the truth.
Just add another crime.
They took Don Manuel to a gray cell.
They took away his belongings.
Sergio kept his mobile in his pocket instead of registering it properly.
Another mistake.
Another test.
The cell door closed.
Don Manuel sat on the metal bench, closed his eyes and began counting.
Not out of fear.
By precision.
Outside, Marta pulled out her phone and wrote notes.
I didn’t know exactly what I had seen.
But I knew that one day I would have to tell.
And that day was coming faster than anyone imagined.
Javier Robles entered the police station fifteen minutes after the arrest.
He was still carrying the burning body camera.
He saw Sergio next to the coffee machine, trying to act like he just did a good job.
“Molina,” said Javier. They told me you brought someone from the park.
Sergio lifted the chin.
“A problem. It’s already where it must be.
Javier’s blood was freezing.
He walked to the cell area.
He looked out the window.
Don Manuel was sitting with his eyes closed and his hands resting on his knees.
Then there was no doubt anymore.
It was him.
The man who saved his professional life.
Javier looked for Marta.
“File room. Now.
When they were alone, Javier spoke low, but every word weighed.
The man they brought is Manuel Rivas. Director of the National Agency.
Marta opened her eyes a lot.
The system confirmed it. Ricardo closed the laptop and ordered the alert to be cleared.
Javier felt a blow to his stomach.
“Then I knew it.
Marta nodded.
“I knew that.
They opened the internal file of complaints.
Javier knew old routes of the system.
Hidden folders.
Reports never sent.
Closed complaints without investigation.
The first file appeared.
Six months earlier.
Tomás Medina, accountant, arrested for “suspicious possession” after refusing to open the trunk for no reason.
The video showed Sergio sticking his hand in his own pocket.