Then a bank transfer he described to himself as consulting compensation.
He never believed he was taking money to deny passengers their seats.
That was too ugly a description.
He preferred to think he was helping important clients obtain better travel experiences.
But the records told a different story.
And now the airline's CEO had encountered the scheme personally.
The supervisor stared at his computer.
He knew corporate compliance would examine the logs.
He knew the captain might blame him.
And he knew the gate agent had submitted a report.
His first impulse was to delete his messages.
Then he remembered the operations hold.
The preservation notice.
And the fact that access logs could show what he did.
He sat motionless.
For a long time, he stared at the screen.
Finally, he reached for his phone.
Called the captain.
No answer.
Called again.
Still nothing.
Then a message appeared.
Your operational access has been temporarily restricted pending review. Contact compliance for further instructions.
The supervisor looked toward the office door.
His hands began trembling.
For the first time, he understood that the people he spent years intimidating might have more evidence than he could explain away.
The German Shepherd noticed the change in the CEO's breathing before anyone else did.
She was standing near the operations-room doorway, listening to an update from the Chief Operating Officer.
The immediate situation was stabilizing.
The captain had been removed from the active assignment.
A reserve captain was available at the airport and was being evaluated for the flight under the necessary crew and operational requirements.
The seat records were preserved.
The disputed boarding code had been isolated for review.
And passengers were receiving revised information.
But the CEO was exhausted.
She had slept poorly the previous night.
Spent the morning in meetings.
Traveled through a crowded terminal.
Then endured a confrontation involving public humiliation, sudden physical contact, and accusations about her service dog.
She remained composed externally.