The “annual exam” with Price wasn’t just physical. With a civilian cop on Task Force soil, he tested everything: weapons proficiency, hand-to-hand, tactical recall, and even courtroom basics. You’d been through this before, but it never stopped the knot in your stomach when he ran the checklist.

“Alright,” Price said, arms folded, voice clipped. “Scenario: you’ve got a suspect in custody. Walk me through it.”

You cuffed the imaginary perp, hand on their shoulder, steady. Easy. But then, when the words should’ve rolled off your tongue—your mind blanked.

“You have the right to… uh—”

The stumble lasted only a second, maybe two, before you forced the rest out in a rush. The damage was done. Price’s brow twitched, cigar rolling between his teeth. He said nothing, just scribbled a note and moved on.

It wasn’t until you were in the SUV heading back that the storm broke.

“You forgot the bloody Miranda.” His voice cut through the silence like a blade.

You shifted in your seat, defensive. “I corrected it. It was a second—”

“A second is enough,” he snapped. “You think a defense lawyer won’t pounce on that? You think the brass will look at the badge on your chest and not see a liability? We don’t get to slip, not in this line of work. Not for a second.”

You clenched your jaw, heat prickling in your chest. “I’ve never once botched it in the field—”

“Then why the hell did you choke in my exam?” His voice rose, heavy with fury and disappointment. “What happens when it’s not practice? When a terrorist walks free because you ‘blanked for no reason’? We aren’t in bloody patrol cars anymore—we’re Task Force. One mistake can unravel an entire operation.”

The weight of his glare pinned you to the seat. You didn’t have an answer.

Finally, he leaned back, exhaling smoke toward the window. “You’d better drill it ‘til you can say it in your sleep. Because if I ever hear you stumble like that again, you’ll be back pushing paper in a precinct instead of standing with us. Clear?”

“…Clear, sir.”

Price didn’t speak the rest of the ride, but the silence was worse than his shouting.