"So as you can see," said Caputo, leaning forward over the lectern, "It is absolutely imperative that we all remain calm and keep order."
The room was dead silent. A sea of shellshocked faces looked back at him.
"I know you're gonna want to call your families. We'll be doing that in shifts. After I'm done with you guys I still have to talk to the rest of the staff— infirmary's next— so you're gonna keep quiet about this in the halls. There's procedure to follow. We still have a job to do." A couple people nodded. The rest just stared. One of the newest COs— a young one, only his second month on the job— muffled a sob, and the woman sitting next to him put an arm around his shoulders.
"The warden has ordered the prison be put on full lockdown. No one enters or leaves this building until the military shows up to evacuate us. I want two guards at every door to the outside. I want all inmate radios and listening devices confiscated. I want the public phones shut off. I don't want any of you guys listening to the media, making calls, or using the internet unless you're in a staff-only area, behind a closed, locked door. We are not telling the prisoners about this yet. Is that clear? As far as they're concerned, this is a normal day."
"Sir." Another young CO put her hand up. "What do we tell them about the radios and the phones? They're going to—"
"We don't tell them anything," Caputo interrupted. "We tell them this is a federal prison, not a country club, and they'll get them back when they get them back. Our job is to protect these women, not to be their friends, and right now we need to avoid a full-scale panic. Keep them in the dark. Is that understood?"
There weren't any protests, and if Caputo hadn't been at the center of attention right then, he would have let out a long sigh of relief. This was unbelievable. All his excitement and eagerness over his promotion had evaporated the moment the warden had called with the news. It was all he could do to keep his voice from shaking as much as his hands— shoved into his pockets and hidden from view— were. If the COs had rioted, he doubted he would have been able to stop them.
"Good." He clapped his hands, straightening up. "Halloran, you disconnect the public phones. Bennett, go around and collect the radios. Thomas, Reilly, Bell, Franklin, Gomez, Ricci— come up here for your door assignments. The rest of you, carry on as usual. I'll call people down when it's their turn to call home. We're gonna get through this, everybody." He wondered if he should try for a reassuring smile— but he wasn't sure if he could pull it off, and not landing it would be more unnerving than not trying at all. Instead he kept his face serious and professional, and stepped away from the lectern, signaling to everyone that they could go. It was a moment or two before anybody moved. Then somebody stood, and one by one the rest did too.
"Hey." Bennett jumped when Bell touched his arm.
"I— yeah?"
"You okay?" There wasn't a single person in the room who didn't look shocked, afraid, or both, but Bennett looked worse than most. Bell had been sitting next to him, and she'd noticed him tense up when Caputo had started telling them how to handle the situation with the inmates.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine; don't worry, I'm fine. But listen, I gotta go. You heard him, I have to— you know. The radios."
Bell nodded and let go of his arm. He gave her a returning nod over his shoulder, then hurried out of the meeting room, turning left down the hall and making a beeline for C-Dorm.