At the sheriff's office, Claire was still working behind the dispatch desk.
Several calls were coming in.
A deputy was requesting assistance with a vehicle recovery, another officer needed authorization for a routine report, and Daniel was standing near the booking counter discussing the arrest with Jared Miller.
The sheriff was telling the younger deputy how the incident should be described.
He wanted the report to emphasize Maya's alleged attitude and refusal to cooperate.
Miller listened.
He knew that the body camera had recorded the roadside encounter.
He also knew that some of the sheriff's statements did not accurately reflect what had happened.
He had not yet decided how to handle the situation.
Then the telephone rang.
Claire looked toward the desk.
One of the main lines was flashing.
She reached for the receiver and answered professionally.
"Oakridge County Sheriff's Office. How may I direct your call?"
A man's voice came through the line.
It was calm, controlled, and unusually formal.
"This is Colonel Michael Hayes calling from the United States Department of Defense. I need to speak with Major General Maya Bennett."
Claire stopped moving.
She looked at the computer screen.
Then she glanced toward the corridor leading to the holding cells.
For a moment, she wondered whether she had heard the name correctly.
The caller repeated it.
"Major General Maya Bennett. She should have arrived at a scheduled secure briefing. We have been unable to establish contact."
Claire slowly straightened in her chair.
Her expression changed.
The woman who had just been booked into the county jail was not an ordinary traffic suspect.
She was a Major General in the United States Army.
Claire looked toward Daniel Cross.
The sheriff was still speaking to Miller.
He had no idea who was on the telephone.
And he had absolutely no idea what was about to happen next.
Claire Morgan remained seated behind the dispatch desk, holding the telephone receiver against her right ear.
For several seconds, she did not speak.
She looked at the computer screen, then toward the corridor leading to the detention cells. The information she had just received did not match the image of the woman who had been brought into the station less than an hour earlier.
A Major General.
The woman Daniel Cross had described as a disorderly traffic suspect was a senior officer in the United States Army.
Claire swallowed nervously.
CLAIRE: "I'm sorry, sir. Did you say Major General Maya Bennett?"
COLONEL HAYES: "Yes. That's correct. She was scheduled to attend a secure military briefing this afternoon. We lost contact with her shortly before the meeting."
Claire looked toward the booking counter again.
CLAIRE: "Sir, I believe she's currently being held at our facility."
There was a brief silence on the other end.
COLONEL HAYES: "She's being held where?"
CLAIRE: "At Oakridge County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Daniel Cross brought her in earlier today."
The caller's tone immediately became more serious.
COLONEL HAYES: "Put your sheriff on the telephone. Immediately."
Claire slowly lowered her eyes.
CLAIRE: "Yes, sir. One moment, please."
She kept the receiver against her ear while looking toward Daniel.
The sheriff was still standing near the booking counter, speaking with Deputy Jared Miller. He had a folder in one hand and was pointing toward a document with the other.
Claire raised her free hand.
"Sheriff?"
Daniel barely looked at her.
"What?"
"There's a call for you."
"Who is it?"
Claire hesitated.
"Someone from the Pentagon."
Daniel stopped moving.
He looked at her.
"What did you say?"
"Someone from the Pentagon. They are asking for you."
Daniel gave a short, dismissive laugh.
"Probably another government office trying to reach somebody in Washington. Tell them to call back during business hours."
Claire did not move.
"Sir, they're specifically asking about Maya Bennett."
The sheriff's expression changed slightly.
He glanced at Jared.
"What about her?"
Claire lowered her voice.
"They said she's a Major General."
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Jared looked up from the paperwork.
Daniel stared at Claire.
Then he laughed again, although this time the sound was much less convincing.
"That's ridiculous."
Claire remained serious.
"They have identified her by name, Sheriff. They want to speak with you."
Daniel placed the folder on the counter.
He walked toward the dispatch desk.
"Give me the phone."
Claire handed him the receiver.
Daniel lifted it to his ear.
"This is Sheriff Daniel Cross. Who am I speaking with?"
COLONEL HAYES: "Colonel Michael Hayes, United States Army. I'm calling from the Pentagon."