And she was not going to let the assault disappear into the silence of an empty roadside.
When the call finally connected, Victoria straightened in her seat, held the phone close to her ear, and began explaining what had happened.
The first words she spoke changed the expression on Officer Grant Miller's face.
Because the person answering the call was not someone he had expected her to contact.
And the name of the agency she was about to mention was one he had never wanted to hear in connection with his own badge.
Victoria kept the phone pressed against her ear, trying to control the tremor in her breathing. Her neck hurt, her wrist was sore, and her thoughts were moving so quickly that she struggled to arrange them into a clear explanation.
The person on the other end of the call introduced herself as an FBI intake specialist and asked Victoria to describe the incident from the beginning.
Victoria looked through the open window at the two officers standing beside her Mercedes.
Grant Miller was watching her with an expression that had changed dramatically since the confrontation began. The confidence he had displayed when demanding money was fading, replaced by a nervousness he could no longer completely conceal.
Officer Ethan Brooks remained between Miller and the driver's window.
VICTORIA: "My name is Victoria Hayes. I'm on the roadside outside the city. A police officer stopped my car, demanded two thousand dollars, and then grabbed me by the throat when I refused to give him the money."
She paused, swallowing carefully.
VICTORIA: "Another officer intervened and pulled him away. I'm frightened, and I need someone to tell me what I should do next."
FBI SPECIALIST: "Ms. Hayes, are you in immediate danger right now?"
VICTORIA: "I'm still sitting in my car. The officer who grabbed me is standing outside, and the other officer is keeping him away from me."
FBI SPECIALIST: "Can you safely remain where you are while we document the information? Do not put yourself at additional risk. Tell me your exact location and whether you need emergency medical assistance."
Victoria glanced at the navigation screen and read out the nearest road marker.
VICTORIA: "I'm near the eastern bypass, just past the exit for Westbrook Avenue. I don't know whether I need an ambulance, but my neck hurts."
FBI SPECIALIST: "I understand. I'll record what you've reported and advise you on the appropriate next steps. If you believe you remain in immediate danger, contact emergency services. Please preserve any evidence you have and avoid confronting the officers further."
Victoria nodded even though the specialist could not see her.
For the first time since Miller had reached through the window, someone was listening without telling her that she was making the situation difficult.
She explained that the officer had asked how much cash she carried, demanded two thousand dollars, attempted to take her handbag, and then seized her wrist when she reached for her phone.
She described the moment his hand closed around her throat.
She also explained that the second officer had physically intervened.
The specialist asked her to identify the officers if she could do so safely, including any visible nameplates or badge numbers. Victoria had not paid close attention to their badges before the confrontation, but she could still see the uniforms and the markings on their shoulders.
VICTORIA: "I can try to read their names. The officer who grabbed me is Grant Miller. The other one called him Grant, and I heard him identify himself as Ethan."
She looked carefully through the window.
Miller noticed her attention and instinctively turned his body, making the badge on his chest harder to see.
Victoria leaned slightly toward the window, but Brooks noticed what was happening.
BROOKS: "Grant, stop moving around and give her some space."
GRANT: "She's trying to make this into something it isn't."
BROOKS: "Then stop giving her more reasons to be afraid."
Miller looked at his colleague with open irritation.
GRANT: "You really think you know everything that happened?"
BROOKS: "I know what I saw."
Victoria returned her attention to the call.
The specialist explained that the information would be documented and that she should follow the appropriate reporting process. The call itself did not mean that an investigation had already been opened or that anyone had reached a conclusion about the officers' conduct.
That distinction mattered.
Victoria wanted accountability, not promises that could not yet be kept.