"East Security, status check."
Reed answered quickly. "One individual detained. Pending identification."
The dispatcher responded, "Copy name."
He looked through the glass at Maya. "Maya Williams."
A short pause followed. "Spell the last name."
Reed did. The radio went quiet again.
Maya remained seated. Reed turned back to the computer. A minute later, Marcus saw him begin typing faster. Whatever happened next, the official record was already moving ahead of the facts.
Reed ended the radio call and kept working at the computer. He did not look back toward the room for several minutes. Maya watched him through the narrow glass panel in the door and noticed that he still had not contacted Judicial Administration.
He had her full name. The internal directory was available, and the dispatcher now had the same information, but Reed continued writing.
Inside the room, Maya stayed seated and kept her attention on what could be verified later. The wall clock showed that several more minutes had passed since the detention began. The camera above her remained dark.
When Reed finally returned, he carried the printed report, and his baton was back on his belt.
"You're staying here until identification clears," he said.
"You already have enough information to clear it. You are choosing not to."
"I'm following procedure."
"You stopped following procedure when you refused verification."
Reed placed the report on the table but kept one hand on it. "You were told to leave the restricted area and you did not comply."
"You told me to leave after your scanner failed. I gave you my name and told you how to verify me. That is compliance with a security check."
"You challenged every instruction."
"I challenged the parts that were wrong."
Reed leaned closer. "That is exactly the attitude I'm documenting."
Maya looked at the paper. "Then document the full exchange, not the version that protects you."
He pulled the report back. "You keep talking like you're in charge here."
"I am telling you that your authority has limits."
His face changed again. The issue was no longer access, and both of them knew it.
Reed stepped toward the door. Maya stood.
"Bring your supervisor in now."
"Sit down."
"You have delayed verification, misstated what happened, and refused supervision. I will not pretend this is routine."
Reed turned sharply and pulled the baton from his belt. He did not swing it. He struck the edge of the table twice.
Tap. Tap.
"Sit down."
Maya remained standing. "Put the baton away."
"You are being given a lawful order."
"You are using a weapon to pressure a person who has not threatened you, touched you, or tried to leave by force."
"You stepped toward the door."
"I walked toward an exit after you refused a supervisor. That is not an attack."
Reed moved into the doorway and held the baton across the opening. "You are not leaving this room."
"Then you are physically enforcing the detention. Include that in your report."
His grip tightened. "You really want to keep pushing this?"
"I want you to stop changing the facts."