Bram: Trash. You got bark on my pants.
A loud slap cracked across the clearing, followed instantly by a sharp gasp as Elena's head snapped sideways.
Elena stumbled against the frozen ground, her coat catching on the rough edges of the wood stump.
Elena: You are going to pay dearly for that assault in a court of law.
Bram: I'll pay nothing because nobody is ever going to find your body out here in the timber.
The man violently kicks the woman, sending her crashing down onto the ground near a woodpile.
A violent kick echoed through the clearing, accompanied by a heavy thud as Elena struck the stacked logs.
The woman lies motionless on the ground next to stacked logs while other men stand watching in the background.
A low groan escaped Elena's lips as a scuffle of gravel marked the onlookers shifting uneasily in place.
Worker: Boss, maybe you shouldn't go that far with a civilian attorney.
Bram: Shut your mouth if you want to keep collecting your weekly paycheck here.
Worker: She's still breathing, Bram. We don't need a murder investigation on our hands.
Bram: She tripped over a log while trespassing on private industrial timberland. That's our story.
Elena: Help... someone...
Bram: Save your breath, city girl. Nobody is coming out this far down the logging road.
Bram kicked a loose piece of firewood toward her limp hand with absolute disdain.
Worker: Look down the dirt road! Isn't that an unmarked county vehicle coming up?
Bram: Let whoever it is turn right back around. We're closed for private business today.
A black car drives slowly down a dirt road past wooden buildings and stacked woodpiles, its engine idling.
The sound of tires crunching over gravel grew louder as the vehicle came to a complete halt near the edge.
Bram: Who authorized a county vehicle to drive past our security gate without calling first?
Worker: I don't know, boss, but the driver looks like he means business.
A man in a police uniform steps out from near the car and walks rapidly toward the group.
Footsteps on gravel hammered a fast rhythm as the officer closed the distance with grim determination.
Bram: You're out of your jurisdiction, officer. Turn that cruiser around right now.
The police officer reaches the man in the fur jacket and immediately slaps him hard across the face before confronting him.
A sharp slap cracked through the freezing air, followed instantly by a collective crowd gasp from the workers.
Police Officer: Do you know who you just kicked?
Another officer stands firmly behind him, resting his hand on his holster with practiced authority.
Bram: What the hell is your problem?! I'll have your badge by the end of the week!
Police Officer: You won't even have a civilian uniform after what we just witnessed on our dashcam.
The man in the fur jacket clutches his burning cheek, looking back with shock, panic, and realization.