Security Officer: Somebody grab her! She assaulted a federal employee!
Two younger airport guards rushed over from the scanning lane, their hands hovering over their belts.
Junior Guard: Ma'am, stop right there! Don't move!
Clara: Stand down, son. You don't want to get involved in this.
Junior Guard: Ma'am, you just kicked Officer Miller! That's a federal crime!
Clara: Officer Miller just put his hands on a civilian without cause and shoved her to the ground.
Miller pushed himself up off his knees, clutching his ribs while coughing heavily.
Miller: She bypassed the lane! She refused to show her boarding pass!
Clara: That is a lie, and you know it. The security cameras directly above us recorded every second.
Miller: I don't care about the cameras! Cuff her right now!
The junior guard looked nervously between Clara's calm posture and Miller's red, angry face.
Junior Guard: Officer Miller... maybe we should check her ID first before we make an arrest.
Miller: I said cuff her! Are you refusing a direct order from your supervisor?
Junior Guard: No, sir! But the passengers are filming this on their phones...
Miller: Let them film! She hit me first!
Clara folded her arms across her chest, watching Miller make his mistake deeper.
Clara: You really don't know who I am, do you, Miller?
Miller: I don't give a damn who you are! You're a traveler in my terminal, which means you answer to me!
Clara: This isn't your terminal. You're an employee hired by a private contractor.
Miller: I have full authority here! I can put you on a no-fly list for the rest of your life!
Clara: Is that so? Who signed your contract, Miller?
Miller: What are you talking about?
Clara: Who is the regional director of security operations for this entire airport system?
Miller paused for a second, wiping sweat off his bald head as a shadow of doubt crossed his mind.
Miller: That's classified executive management! You don't know anything about our management structure!
Clara: Try me. Does the name Director Vance ring a bell?
Miller's face lost a bit of its color, but he quickly sneered again.
Miller: Director Vance is in Washington! He doesn't care about a low-class troublemaker like you!
Clara: Director Vance retired three months ago. I replaced him last Monday.
Miller stared at her, his eyes blinking rapidly in confusion.
Miller: You... what did you say?
Clara: My name is Director Clara Sterling. I am the new Regional Chief of Aviation Security.
A heavy silence fell over the security lane as the guards stopped moving.
Miller: You're lying... You don't even have a uniform on!
Clara: I was conducting an unannounced undercover inspection of this shift. And you just failed spectacularly.