Thorn narrowed his eyes. "Who are you calling?
A local ambulance chaser? I wouldn't advise that.
This is a small town. Lawyers here have to work with us."
Dez didn't answer. He dialed a number from memory.
It wasn't a local number. It was a direct line to the Pentagon's Office of the Judge Advocate General, specifically a contact he had acquired during his time working with JSOC, Joint Special Operations Command.
Thorn watched, unnerved, as Dez waited for the connection.
"Colonel Vance," Dez said into the phone. The room went silent.
Thorn stiffened.
"It's Master Sergeant Kane. Yes, sir.
I'm good. Listen, I have a situation.
I've been detained by local law enforcement in Oak Haven. False arrest, assault, Fourth Amendment violations."
"No, sir. They took the clearance ID.
Yes, the Yankee White card."
Dez paused, listening. A faint smirk touched his lips.
"He thought it was fake. Yes, sir.
I'm currently in the captain's office. Captain Elias Thorn."
He listened.
"Roger that, sir. I'll wait."
Dez took the phone off speaker. "Captain, Colonel Vance from the JAG Corps would like a word."
Thorn stared at the phone as if it were a live grenade. He cleared his throat.
"Captain Thorn speaking."
"Captain?" The voice on the other end was like grinding steel.
It wasn't shouting. It was the terrifying calm of a man who commanded battalions.
"This is Colonel Vance. I am looking at Sergeant Kane's service record right now.
Do you know what classified means, Captain?"
"I— Of course, Colonel."
"Then you understand that when your officer seized a classified Department of Defense identifier and entered it into a non-secure local police database, he committed a federal offense. That card contains biometric data linked to national security assets.
By taking it, you've technically compromised a federal operation."
Thorn's face went pale. "We— We didn't scan it.
We just looked at it."
"I'm deploying a JAG liaison from the nearest base to your precinct. They will be there in 45 minutes.
Do not destroy any evidence. Do not wipe any body cams.
Do not let that officer leave the building."
"If I find out a single frame of video is missing, I will bring the full weight of the United States military down on your pension. Do we understand each other?"
"Yes, Colonel," Thorn squeaked.
"Good. Put Kane back on."