Morrison's mouth went dry. "What kind of call?"
Marcus smiled, neither angry nor smug, only knowing. "The kind that ends careers, Captain. The kind that makes headlines. The kind that changes companies forever."
As if on cue, Morrison's phone buzzed. The caller ID read Southwest Operations Center. Urgent.
Marcus leaned back in his seat. "You might want to answer that."
Morrison lifted the phone to his ear.
"Captain Morrison, this is Southwest Operations. We're monitoring social media. Your flight has 42,000 live viewers. Handle this quietly and quickly."
Forty-two thousand people were watching his every move.
Morrison wiped sweat from his forehead as two airport security officers boarded: Janet Kim and Mike Rodriguez, both carrying restraints.
"What's the situation?" Kim asked, surveying the cabin.
Jessica pointed at Marcus with a shaking finger. "This passenger has been disruptive for 30 minutes. He's threatening crew members and refusing to move to economy, where he belongs."
Marcus remained perfectly still, hands folded in his lap. Only his eyes moved, tracking every person, every camera, every witness.
"Sir," Kim said, addressing Marcus, "we need you to come with us voluntarily."
"I'm in my assigned seat with a valid boarding pass," Marcus replied. "I'm not going anywhere."
Rodriguez stepped closer, one hand moving toward his zip ties. "Sir, you're interfering with aircraft operations. Federal offense. Last warning."
"Six minutes to departure," the gate agent announced over the intercom.
Emma's livestream chat exploded.
This is insane.
Sue them all.
Call every news station.
Make this viral.
The businessman in 1C finally lost his patience. "Captain, I paid premium prices to avoid exactly this kind of situation. I have a connecting flight in Phoenix."
Other first-class passengers murmured agreement. The woman in 2D held her phone higher, making sure she captured every angle. A teenager in 4A livestreamed to her TikTok followers.
"Sir," Kim said to Marcus, "this is your final opportunity to comply voluntarily."
Marcus looked at his watch, a gesture that everyone now interpreted as defiance.
"Officers, before you proceed, I have one question."
"We're not here for questions," Rodriguez snapped.
"Are you familiar with the legal ramifications of unlawful detention?"
Kim hesitated. That was lawyer language, specific and technical.
"You're trespassing," Morrison interjected. "Southwest Airlines has the absolute right to remove a passenger."
"Actually," Marcus said, reaching slowly toward his briefcase, "let me clarify something about those rights."
Rodriguez tensed. "No sudden movements."
"I'm retrieving documentation that you requested," Marcus said calmly.
"Five minutes to departure."
Morrison's radio crackled again.