Hanger was wondering what McVeigh was up to as he watched the
younger man step out of the battered Mercury. Most people just sat in their
cars, nervously waiting for the trooper to approach. By stepping out of his
car, McVeigh put Hanger on edge.
This seemed like a fairly routine traffic stop, just a missing license plate.
But during another seemingly routine traffic stop exactly two weeks earlier,
twelve miles north of this spot, a motorist had pulled out a gun and fired at another Oklahoma trooper. That incident—which ended with the trooper fir- ing back and wounding the motorist—had Hanger and other Oklahoma cops on guard.
Now, Hanger stood behind his open car door, watching McVeigh's hands
closely as he approached his patrol car. Cautiously, Hanger began walking
toward McVeigh.
Hanger looked at the Mercury, then back at McVeigh.
"You don't have a license plate,'' he said. McVeigh glanced at the rear bumper of his car. "Huh. No," McVeigh said. Hanger began making notes in a book he was carrying, but the trooper
kept a wary eye on McVeigh.
"Do you have insurance?" Hanger asked.
"No, I just bought the car." "You have a registration? Do you have a bill of sale?" "Not yet, but I have a license."
McVeigh reached back into his pants pocket and pulled out his camou￾flage wallet. As McVeigh took out his Michigan state driver's license, Hanger noticed
a bulge under McVeigh's windbreaker.
"What's that?" Hanger asked.
"I have a gun," McVeigh said. McVeigh spoke calmly. He wanted to avoid showing any signs of aggres￾sion or inflaming the situation. Hanger reached out toward McVeigh and felt for the Glock. Then he
pulled out his own gun and pointed it at McVeigh.