The name hit Harlan like a physical blow. Harrison Lang was the most feared civil rights attorney in the state.
He didn't just sue police departments. He dismantled them.
He had bankrupted three counties in the last five years.
"I am representing Mr. Darius Kane," Lang announced, playing to the news camera, "and we just caught you attempting to plant evidence on live television."
Harlan looked at the camera. The red light was on.
He looked down at his boot. The corner of the baggy was sticking out.
"I— I found this," Harlan lied, his voice cracking. "It fell out of the car."
"We have been filming for two minutes, Officer," the reporter said, stepping forward. "We saw you pull it out of your pocket."
Harlan panicked. He backed up.
"This is an active crime scene. Get back."
"The only crime being committed here is by you," Lang said, his voice projecting so the neighbors could hear.
"You are tampering with evidence. You are fabricating a crime to cover up an illegal arrest, and you are doing it to a decorated war hero."
Lang held up his phone. "I just spoke with the district attorney.
He has ordered a stand-down. You are to return to the precinct immediately.
Do not touch that car. Do not touch that evidence."
Harlan stood frozen. His world was collapsing.
The narrative he had built, the drug dealer, the thug, was dissolving.
Back at the precinct, the doors swung open. It wasn't the press.
It was two people in dark suits, followed by a man in an Army service uniform with the rank of colonel.
Colonel Vance had arrived, and he wasn't alone. The two agents in suits flashed badges that said, "Federal Bureau of Investigation, Public Corruption Unit."
They walked past the desk sergeant, past the dispatcher, and entered Captain Thorn's office.
Thorn jumped up. "Can I help you?"
The FBI agent, a woman named Agent Sterling, didn't smile.
"Captain Elias Thorn, you are being placed under investigation for conspiracy to violate civil rights and falsification of police records. We are seizing your servers.
We are seizing your body camera data, and we are taking custody of Mr. Kane."
Dez stood up from the wall where he had been leaning. He straightened his shirt.
He looked at Agent Sterling. "Took you long enough."
"Traffic was bad, Master Sergeant," Vance said, offering a hand to Dez. "Good to see you, Dez.
You look like hell."
"Rough day at the office, sir," Dez replied, shaking the hand.
Thorn looked around, wide-eyed. "This is— This is a misunderstanding.
Harlan. It was Harlan.
He told me there were drugs."
"We'll see what the logs say," Agent Sterling said.
"We pulled the cloud data from Mr. Kane's home security system minutes ago.
We have 4K video and audio of Officer Harlan admitting he didn't like the way Mr. Kane looked.