Daniel looked at Sandra, his expression softening into a quiet, heavy sigh. “Look, I get it. You saw a woman making a distress signal, and you thought you were protecting someone. She played on your best instincts. But because your mid-flight call brought the extra security to the gate, she was completely boxed in from both sides anyway.”
He reached out, offering a genuine handshake to the completely humbled flight attendant. “You accidentally helped us finish the trap.” Daniel turned to follow the uniformed officers into the security office, finally bringing an agonizing night to a victorious close. Sandra stood alone in the bustling terminal, watching the crowd part around them, deeply relieved that justice had finally found its way home.