She wanted the incident recorded accurately, evidence preserved, and the people responsible held to the same standards that would apply to anyone else.
VICTORIA: "I understand. I want to make a formal report, and I want the incident documented. I also want medical attention if that's what I need."
FBI SPECIALIST: "We'll record your account. Make sure you retain any relevant information, and follow the instructions provided by the appropriate emergency or investigative personnel. If the incident involves possible criminal conduct, the appropriate agency can assess the information and determine jurisdiction."
Victoria thanked the specialist and ended the call after receiving instructions about the next steps.
When she lowered the phone, Miller was staring at her.
GRANT: "You called the FBI?"
Victoria held his gaze.
VICTORIA: "I reported what happened."
GRANT: "You don't even know what you're getting yourself into."
VICTORIA: "I know exactly what happened to me."
Miller gave a short laugh, but it sounded forced.
GRANT: "You think one phone call is going to change anything?"
VICTORIA: "I think you should have considered that before you demanded my money."
BROOKS: "Grant, that's enough."
Miller turned sharply toward him.
GRANT: "Why are you taking her side?"
BROOKS: "I'm not taking sides. I'm telling you to stop making statements that could make this situation worse."
GRANT: "She's accusing me of a crime."
BROOKS: "Then let the facts be examined."
The answer left Miller momentarily speechless.
He had expected resistance from Victoria, perhaps even a complaint, but he had not expected his own colleague to challenge him openly.
More importantly, he had not expected the woman he had tried to intimidate to remain composed enough to document what happened.
Victoria looked down at her hands.
They were still shaking.
She pressed them together, then carefully placed the phone on the passenger seat. She could feel the pressure around her neck whenever she moved, and she was beginning to understand how close the confrontation had come to becoming even more dangerous.
The expensive Mercedes, which had seemed like a symbol of independence only minutes earlier, now felt like a small enclosed space in which she had been trapped by someone who should have been protecting her.
She wanted to leave.
But she did not want to drive away before receiving clear instructions or ensuring that the incident had been properly recorded.
VICTORIA: "I want to know whether I'm free to leave."
Brooks looked toward Miller.
BROOKS: "Has she been cited for anything?"
Miller hesitated.
GRANT: "I'm still dealing with the stop."
BROOKS: "What offense?"
Miller did not answer immediately.
That silence was more revealing than any explanation he had offered so far.
Victoria looked between them.
VICTORIA: "You stopped me, demanded money, and put your hand around my throat. You still haven't told me what I supposedly did wrong."
GRANT: "You were being uncooperative."
VICTORIA: "That isn't an explanation."
GRANT: "You refused a lawful instruction."
VICTORIA: "Which instruction? You asked me for two thousand dollars."
Miller's face reddened.
GRANT: "You need to stop talking."
VICTORIA: "And you need to explain the reason for this stop."
Brooks raised one hand, signaling for both of them to pause.
BROOKS: "Let's keep this calm. Victoria, I'm going to make sure the situation is handled properly. Grant, step back from the car."
Miller looked as though he wanted to argue, but he finally took several steps away from the window.
Victoria watched him retreat toward the front of the Mercedes.
He was still wearing his badge, still carrying his equipment, and still standing beside a police cruiser. Nothing about his appearance suggested that he had suddenly become an ordinary person without authority.
Yet his behavior had changed.
He no longer spoke with the same certainty.
He looked toward the road repeatedly, as if expecting another vehicle to arrive.
Victoria wondered whether he was frightened because he understood the seriousness of what he had done, or because he feared the consequences of being reported.
She could not know.
She could only record what she had witnessed and allow the evidence to speak for itself.
A few minutes later, Brooks returned to the window.
BROOKS: "Ms. Hayes, I recommend that you get your neck checked. We also need to make sure this incident is documented accurately."
VICTORIA: "Are you going to write down that he demanded money?"
Brooks hesitated briefly.
BROOKS: "I'm going to report what I witnessed and what you've told me. I can't make promises about the outcome, but I can make sure my account is accurate."