"And I told you to stop resisting."
Cross twisted his head toward Marcus.
"You think you're in charge now?"
Marcus looked at him.
"No. I'm trying to keep this from getting worse."
That answer seemed to enrage Cross more than any insult could have.
He jerked his arm again.
Marcus tightened his control just enough to prevent another sudden movement.
"Don't," Marcus warned.
Cross went still.
For the first time since entering the restroom, he appeared to recognize that the situation had moved beyond his ability to control it through intimidation.
He had grabbed another officer by the uniform.
He had shoved him against a wall.
And now he was on the floor, held in place by the very man he had attempted to provoke.
Cross's eyes shifted toward the door.
"Somebody's going to hear about this."
"They should."
"What?"
Marcus kept his voice steady.
"I said they should hear about it."
Cross stared at him.
Marcus continued.
"You grabbed me. I told you to let go. You shoved me. I defended myself. There are cameras outside this room, and there may be witnesses who heard us."
"You think a camera is going to save you?"
"No."
Marcus glanced at the small security sensor mounted above the door.
"I think the truth should be documented."
Cross's expression changed.
The word documented had struck a nerve.
He knew what the department's review process looked like. He knew how reports were written, how statements were collected, and how a few carefully chosen words could change the way an incident was understood.
He had spent years watching officers argue over details that seemed insignificant until those details determined who was believed.
And he knew that Marcus had not been the first officer to challenge him.
But he had never expected Marcus to do it physically.
Cross lowered his voice.
"Listen to me."
Marcus said nothing.
"We can handle this without making it a whole thing."
Marcus looked at him.
"You want to discuss it now?"
"I'm saying we don't need to destroy each other's careers over a misunderstanding."
Marcus's expression hardened.
"A misunderstanding?"
Cross swallowed.
"You know what I mean."
"No, Daniel. I don't."
Cross looked away.
Marcus waited.
Finally, Cross said, "You could have walked away."
"I tried."
"You could have just let go."
"You were holding my uniform."
"You didn't have to throw me down."
Marcus's voice became colder.
"You had your hand on my collar. You shoved me into a wall. What did you expect me to do?"
Cross did not answer.
Marcus continued.
"I gave you an opportunity to stop. You chose not to."
Cross's breathing grew heavier.
"You think you're better than me."
"No."
"You think because you're calm, you're somehow better than everybody else."
Marcus looked at him for a long moment.
Then he said something Cross did not expect.
"I think you are scared."
Cross went silent.
Marcus did not raise his voice.
"I think you're scared of something, and you decided to take it out on me."
Cross's face tightened.
"Don't pretend you know anything about me."
"I don't."
"Then shut up."
Marcus looked toward the door again.
"Help is coming."
Cross frowned.
"What?"
"I heard someone outside."
A faint sound reached them from the corridor.
Footsteps.
A pause.
Then a voice called through the door.
"Everything all right in there?"
Marcus did not take his eyes off Cross.
"No," he answered. "We need assistance."
Cross immediately began struggling again.
"Don't you dare!"
Marcus held his position.
"Stop resisting."
The voice outside became louder.
"Open the door!"
Marcus called back.
"Give me a moment. An officer has been injured."
Cross's eyes widened.
"Injured? You're the one who threw me!"
"And you were the one who grabbed me."
The footsteps moved away, followed by the sound of a radio being activated.
Marcus knew the next few minutes would be difficult.
He would have to explain the confrontation.
He would have to account for the takedown.
He would have to submit to an investigation, even if the evidence supported his actions.
He accepted that.
What worried him was not the review.
It was what would happen when people learned why he had been injured before Cross entered the room.
Because the small cut at the corner of his mouth had not come from an ordinary accident.
It had come from an incident the previous evening.
An incident that was supposed to have been documented.
An incident that had somehow disappeared from the department's records.
And an incident that Marcus had been ordered not to discuss.
CHAPTER 3 — THE OFFICER WHO WOULD NOT EXPLAIN
The restroom door opened several minutes later.
Sergeant Laura Bennett entered first, followed by a second officer who remained near the doorway.
Bennett stopped when she saw the two men on the floor.
"Marcus. Daniel. What happened?"
Marcus answered immediately.
"Officer Cross grabbed my collar and shoved me into the wall. I used a defensive takedown when he continued pulling me forward. He resisted while I attempted to control his movement."
Cross lifted his head.
"That's a lie!"
Bennett looked at him.
"Officer Cross, do not interrupt."
"He attacked me!"
"I said do not interrupt."
Cross fell silent, though his expression remained furious.
Bennett looked at Marcus.
"Is he still resisting?"
"No. He's stopped trying to get free."
"Can you release him safely?"
"Yes."
Bennett motioned toward the second officer.
"Give them space. Nobody touches either officer until we've assessed the situation."
Marcus carefully eased his control and moved away.
Cross rolled onto his side, then pushed himself upright.
He immediately pointed at Marcus.
"He threw me to the floor!"
Bennett looked at him.
"Did you grab his uniform?"
Cross hesitated.
"I was trying to get his attention."
"Did you grab his uniform?"
"Yes, but—"
"Did you shove him?"
"He was disrespecting me!"
Bennett's expression became stern.
"That was not my question."
Cross looked away.
Marcus sat against the wall, breathing heavily.
Bennett crouched beside him.
"Are you hurt?"
"My shoulder is sore. My lip opened again."
"Do you need medical attention?"
"No, but I'll have it checked."
"Good. You will both be examined and photographed if necessary. Neither of you will discuss the incident with potential witnesses until the investigators have had an opportunity to obtain their accounts."
Cross stared at her.
"You're treating me like a suspect."
"I'm treating this as an incident involving two officers and an allegation of physical misconduct."
"He attacked me!"
"And he has given an account of what happened before the takedown. Both accounts will be examined."
Bennett stood.
"Daniel, remain here. Marcus, come with me when medical staff arrive."
Cross shook his head in disbelief.
"You know who I am, right?"
Bennett turned toward him.
"Yes."
"Then you know I have never been written up for something like this."
"Your record does not determine what happened in this room."
Cross's face darkened.
"You can't be serious."
"I am."
Bennett looked toward the second officer.
"Please notify the duty commander and request preservation of the corridor camera footage. Also document the condition of the restroom and any visible damage."
The officer nodded and left.
Bennett then turned back to Cross.
"Do not contact anyone about this incident outside the formal reporting process."
Cross gave a disbelieving laugh.
"You're taking his side."
"No. I'm securing the evidence."
"That's what people say when they've already made up their minds."
Bennett held his gaze.
"Then the evidence should help establish whether that accusation is true."
Cross looked away.
Marcus rose slowly.
Bennett noticed the way he favored his left shoulder.
"Are you sure you can walk?"
"Yes."
"Then let's get you checked."
As Marcus moved toward the door, Cross spoke again.
"You know what your problem is, Reed?"
Marcus stopped.
Bennett immediately intervened.
"Officer Cross, enough."
But Marcus turned anyway.
He looked at Cross, who was standing beside the sink now, one hand pressed against his ribs.
For a moment, Marcus seemed to consider answering.
Instead, he said, "I think you already know."
Then he left the restroom.
Cross remained behind, furious and humiliated.
He had expected Marcus to insult him.
He had expected a threat.
He had expected the other officer to gloat about winning the confrontation.