The loud bang ripped through the quiet apartment, the door that had been double-locked mere minutes ago now flying wide open. Hushed voices followed, growing louder as sets of soft marching feet advanced.

I stiffened, not able to move a muscle from my seat in front of the computer. The dim glow of the screen was the only light in the room, casting long, distorted shadows around me. Slamming doors echoed through the apartment, a methodical search for its occupant. Then, silence, as they reached the last door.

Two uniformed men filled my doorway, their faces snarled. One flashed a blinding light in my eyes, the other held a gun to my head. I met their glare with an equal measure of defiance. This was it. The moment I had prepared for.

“I think I found the culprit!” one officer shouted, his voice cracking with urgency. “Don’t move! Stay in your position!”

I pushed the chair back, standing slowly, deliberately. “I said stay in your position!” he roared again, but I dismissed his erratic order, my ears deaf to his commands. I continued my act, a sugary-sweet smile spreading across my face as I raised both hands in surrender. They stepped closer, closer, until I was within their reach.