Chapter 3 - The Manager's Mistake
"All right, show's over! Step back!" Marcus Vance barked, pushing his way through the medical circle alongside two uniformed airport security guards. He pointed a trembling, accusatory finger straight at Ethan.
"There he is! That's the insubordinate employee!" Marcus screeched, his voice cracking with righteous indignation. "He abandoned his station, assaulted a manager, and violated multiple liability protocols! Grab him, officers! Drag him out to the curb and ban him from Port Authority property permanently!"
The two security guards exchanged hesitant glances, looking down at Ethan, who was quietly wiping his bloody hands on a paper towel, his shoulders slumped in total defeat. They stepped forward, reaching for Ethan’s arms.
"Wait."
The single word cut through the ambient noise of the terminal like a blade of ice. It came from the stretcher.
Richard Bennett, propped up slightly on the gurney with an oxygen mask resting under his chin, raised a frail, trembling hand. His pale blue eyes were fixed entirely on Marcus Vance, glowing with an intensity so cold it made the supervisor freeze mid-step.
Marcus blinked, putting on an oily, corporate smile. "Ah—sir, please don't worry about this disruptive individual. We've taken care of his termination. Apex Terminal Services prides itself on strict operational discipline—"
"Quiet, you miserable little toad," Richard rasped, his voice sounding like dry gravel, yet carrying an absolute, seismic authority that vibrated through the steel beams of Terminal B.
Marcus’s smile faltered. "Sir? I... I beg your pardon?"
"You heard me," Richard said, his gaze shifting slowly to the two security guards. "Take your hands off this young man, or I will have both of your badges stripped before you reach your lunch break."
The security guards instantly dropped their hands as if Ethan’s uniform were coated in acid.
Marcus stammered nervously, his face turning an ashen gray. "Sir, surely you don't understand. This employee broke direct management orders. He left Gate 14 unattended! He's just a low-level cleaner—"
"A low-level cleaner," Richard repeated softly, a dark, humorless smile touching the corners of his lips. He slowly swung his legs off the medical gurney, ignoring Captain Vance’s frantic protests. He stood up, towering over Marcus despite his recent cardiac event, pulling a custom-tailored leather folio from his inner jacket pocket.
"Do you know who I am, Mr. Vance?" Richard asked quietly.
"N-No, sir," Marcus mumbled, his knees suddenly knocking together.
"My name is Richard Bennett," the old man stated, every word landing like an iron hammer. "I am the billionaire chairman of Bennett Global Aviation Holdings. And more importantly for you, Mr. Vance... I am the man who holds the master lease for this entire international airport, and the sole owner of the parent corporation that funds Apex Terminal Services."
The surrounding travelers who had gathered to watch the drama suddenly went dead silent. Cell phones dropped to people's sides.
Marcus Vance’s eyes bulged out of his head. He opened and closed his mouth like a stranded fish, color draining entirely from his face until he looked like a ghost. "The... the chairman? You're... you're Richard Bennett?!"
"The very same," Richard replied coldly. He turned his head toward the two security guards. "Escort Mr. Vance to the administrative basement, confiscate his keycard, and lock him out of the management network. He is fired with forfeiture of all pension and severance benefits."
"You can't do this!" Marcus shrieked, panic finally piercing his arrogant armor as he lunged forward. "I have a contract! I've been with Apex for twelve years! You can't fire me over some punk kid who broke rules!"
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"I can, I have, and the moment my legal team finishes reviewing your employment history—including the wage theft and harassment complaints your subordinates filed last month—you'll be facing criminal prosecution," Richard retorted smoothly.
As security hauled the weeping, broken former manager away, Richard turned his full attention to Ethan Carter.
