“You think you're important?”
Daniel said nothing.
“You think because you're sitting in first class, you're above everyone else?”
Still nothing.
Steven leaned slightly toward him.
“People like you are the reason passengers become impossible.”
Daniel finally smiled.
It wasn't an arrogant smile.
It was almost sad.
“You don't know anything about me.”
“I know enough.”
“No,” Daniel said. “You know what you saw.”
The distinction seemed to irritate Steven.
He turned toward the cabin.
“Everyone remain seated.”
Then he looked directly at Daniel.
“You're getting off.”
Daniel nodded once.
“All right.”
Several passengers exchanged confused looks.
The CEO of Northstar Airlines had just been ordered off one of his own aircraft.
And he was complying.
But before standing, Daniel picked up his phone.
He unlocked the screen.
A message appeared.
ELENA: Are you on board?
Daniel typed:
Yes. Something unexpected just happened.
He paused.
Then added:
Don't interfere yet.
He put the phone away.
He stood.
Steven stepped aside.
Daniel walked toward the aircraft door.
As he passed Claire, she whispered,
“I'm sorry.”
Daniel stopped.
“Don't be.”
He looked at her.
“You did nothing wrong.”
Then he walked off the plane.
The door closed behind him.
Steven exhaled.
“Good.”
But he didn't know that Daniel Mercer had not been testing the airline.
He had been testing its people.
And Captain Steven Parker had just failed.
The Passenger Nobody Recognized
Daniel Mercer stood inside the airport jet bridge and watched the aircraft through the glass.
Flight NS 418 was scheduled to fly from New York to Chicago.
The route was ordinary.
The passengers were ordinary.
The captain was not.
Daniel checked his watch.
Twenty minutes until scheduled departure.
He didn't call security.
He didn't call the airline president.
He didn't even complain.
Instead, he walked toward a quiet seating area and sat down.
A few minutes later, his assistant Elena Shaw arrived.
She was thirty-eight, precise, efficient, and almost impossible to surprise.
Almost.
“What happened?”
Daniel looked up.
“Captain Parker removed me.”
Elena blinked.
“He did what?”
“Removed me.”
“From NS 418?”
“Yes.”
“Does he know who you are?”
Daniel smiled faintly.
“I don't think so.”
Elena stared through the glass at the aircraft.
“That's impossible.”
“Apparently not.”
She sat beside him.
“What reason did he give?”
“He said he didn't trust me.”
Elena's expression hardened.
“That's not acceptable.”
Daniel raised a hand.
“Don't call anyone.”
“Daniel—”
“I want to know why.”
Elena studied him.
“You think this was deliberate?”
“I don't know.”
He looked back at the aircraft.
“But something about it felt rehearsed.”
Elena opened her tablet.
“I'll check the incident logs.”
“Quietly.”
“Of course.”
She began typing.
A minute passed.
Then another.
Her face changed.
“What?”
“There was an incident before boarding.”
Daniel looked at her.
“With me?”
“No.”
Elena rotated the tablet.
“Airport security reported an argument involving Captain Parker and a gate agent.”
Daniel read the report.
The captain had allegedly demanded that a passenger be removed from the boarding area.
The passenger had been an elderly man.
A retired mechanic.
He had been traveling with his granddaughter.
The argument had been resolved after the gate supervisor intervened.
Daniel frowned.
“Was he removed?”
“No.”
“Then why did Parker board?”
“Because the supervisor determined the passenger had done nothing wrong.”
Daniel leaned back.
“Interesting.”
Elena continued scrolling.
“There are more complaints.”
“How many?”
“Four in the last six months.”
“Against Parker?”
“Yes.”
“What kind?”
“Rude treatment. Threatening language. Discrimination claims. One passenger said Parker humiliated him in front of his family.”
Daniel's expression became serious.
“Were they investigated?”
Elena hesitated.
“Some.”
“And?”
“Most were closed.”
“Why?”
“Insufficient evidence.”
Daniel looked through the glass again.
Something bothered him.
Not merely Parker's behavior.
The speed with which everyone seemed willing to dismiss it.
A flight attendant from NS 418 suddenly appeared at the far end of the terminal.
Claire Bennett.
She was carrying her handbag and looking around nervously.
When she saw Daniel, she approached.
“Mr. Mercer.”
Daniel stood.
“Claire.”
She looked uncomfortable.
“I shouldn't be here.”
“You're not on duty anymore?”
“No.”
She lowered her voice.
“I wanted to apologize.”
“You already did.”
“I mean it.”
Daniel nodded.
“Thank you.”
Claire looked toward the aircraft.
“Captain Parker shouldn't have done that.”
“Why didn't you stop him?”
She looked down.
“Because I was afraid.”
Daniel didn't react.
“Afraid of losing your job?”
Claire nodded.
“He has a reputation.”
“For what?”
“Intimidating people.”
Daniel waited.
Claire looked around.
“Crew members know not to challenge him.”
“Why?”
“Because he has friends in management.”
Daniel's expression changed slightly.