"Are you threatening a lawsuit?" Thorn asked. Dez shook his head. "I'm telling you what happened. The next part depends on what you choose to do about it." Thorn's pen began tapping against the desk.
It was the small, relentless sound he made when he felt his authority slipping. "You should be careful about accusing public servants," he said. "It goes both ways." Dez looked toward the framed photograph of Thorn shaking hands with the mayor. "So does the law."
Dez asked to use his telephone. It had been returned with his personal effects, but his hands were stiff and the screen did not immediately recognize his touch. He called a number he had memorized years before, then waited while an assistant connected him to Colonel Adrian Vance, an Army lawyer who had become a trusted adviser during the complicated last years of Dez's service. Vance answered with a familiar, clipped greeting. At the sound of the colonel's voice, Dez felt a small part of his shoulders relax.
"I'm home, sir," he said. "I ran into a problem with local police." Vance listened without interrupting as Dez described the stop, the seizure of his credential, and the refusal to verify his identity. He asked whether Dez was injured, whether he was still being detained, and whether the department had copied any restricted information. He did not promise to send soldiers or take over a civilian investigation. Instead, he said he would contact the appropriate Defense Department security office, make sure any possible credential compromise was assessed, and assist Dez in reaching independent counsel and civilian investigators.
Dez handed the phone to Thorn at Vance's request. The captain accepted it with the weary confidence of a man who expected another angry friend. That confidence faded as Vance identified himself and explained that the credential was genuine, that handling it required proper procedures, and that any evidence relevant to the detention must be preserved. Vance's tone remained courteous, but he asked for a written acknowledgement of the preservation request and the name of the officer responsible for the evidence system. Thorn reached for a notepad. For the first time all afternoon, he was taking notes rather than tapping his pen.
"This isn't a military takeover, Captain," Vance said after Thorn began stumbling through an apology. "The facts determine whether an offense occurred, not Mr. Cain's rank. I am asking you to make sure your personnel don't damage evidence or create another problem while the appropriate agencies review this." Thorn replied that he understood.