The Senior Officer extended one hand.
“Show me.”
The Supervisor hesitated.
“It’s internal.”
“Then explain it.”
“There appears to be a security flag.”
“On me?”
“We’re still determining that.”
The Senior Officer’s expression did not change.
“You have my identification.”
“Yes.”
“You have the escort orders.”
“Yes.”
“You have the transfer authorization.”
“Yes.”
“You have confirmation from ground operations.”
The Supervisor glanced toward the Gate Agent.
“I believe so.”
The Senior Officer looked directly at him.
“Then what is flagged?”
The Supervisor folded his arms.
“That’s what we’re trying to determine.”
The Senior Officer nodded.
“Good.”
He stepped slightly to one side.
“I’ll wait here.”
The Supervisor seemed surprised.
“We may need you to leave the boarding area.”
“No.”
The answer was quiet.
The Supervisor stiffened.
“Sir?”
“I’m assigned to remain with that transfer.”
He pointed toward the flag-draped case.
“I’m not abandoning it because your computer generated a question nobody can explain.”
The Supervisor’s smile disappeared.
“This is a restricted operational area.”
“I’m standing in a passenger terminal.”
“You know what I mean.”
“No.”
The Senior Officer looked toward him.
“I know exactly what my responsibilities are.”
The line behind them became quieter.
The businessman stopped checking his watch.
A woman in a denim jacket leaned toward her husband.
“What’s happening?”
The husband shook his head.
The Airline Supervisor lowered his voice.
“We need cooperation.”
“You have it.”
“That means stepping aside while we resolve the matter.”
“I already stepped aside.”
“Further away.”
“From the transfer?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
The Supervisor stared at him.
The Senior Officer continued.
“If you have a lawful security instruction requiring physical separation, state it.”
The Supervisor’s jaw tightened.
“This isn't a courtroom.”
“No.”
“It’s an airport.”
“Then airport procedure should be easy to identify.”
Behind the counter, the Gate Agent stared at her monitor.
The Supervisor took one step closer.
“You’re making this unnecessarily difficult.”
The Senior Officer looked down at him.
The height difference was significant.
He did not use it.
Did not lean forward.
Did not raise his voice.
“I arrived with complete documentation.”
“I answered every question.”
“You are unable to identify the security problem.”
“And now you want me separated from the transfer I’m assigned to escort.”
He paused.
“Which part did I make difficult?”
A low murmur traveled through the line.
The Supervisor heard it.
That irritated him more.
He turned toward the Gate Agent.
“Call airport security.”
The Gate Agent looked up.