Her meeting had already been delayed long enough that the federal office might soon begin asking why she had not arrived at the scheduled briefing. She checked her phone and saw a missed notification from her team coordinator.
She did not immediately open it.
The sealed envelope in her hand contained a summary of several developments that had emerged during the previous evening. The details were sensitive, and the briefing had been arranged specifically to prevent the information from being distributed through ordinary channels before the relevant investigators had an opportunity to review it.
The longer she remained in the lobby, the more difficult it would become to keep the day's schedule intact.
MAYA CARTER:
"Sir, I understand that you need to establish the facts. Could we complete the verification and arrange the meeting while that happens?"
SENIOR OFFICER:
"Yes. Daniel, contact the administrative liaison. Let them know Agent Carter is here and that we need the supervising officer to come down."
DANIEL HAYES:
"Right away."
Daniel reached for the telephone.
Ryan watched him dial, his expression growing increasingly rigid.
The senior officer then turned toward Ryan.
SENIOR OFFICER:
"I need you to give us some room to finish this."
RYAN COLE:
"I'm not interfering with anything."
SENIOR OFFICER:
"Then this should be easy."
Ryan looked away.
Several officers returned to their desks, although their attention remained fixed on the reception area. The immediate confrontation had quieted, but nobody seemed convinced that it was over.
Maya stepped slightly to one side, leaving the counter clear for Daniel.
She had spent years learning that the most effective response to an unnecessary confrontation was often to stop feeding it. Anger could be justified and still be strategically useless. A raised voice might satisfy an immediate impulse, but it could also give someone else an excuse to ignore the facts.
She preferred facts.
And the facts, she believed, would eventually speak for themselves.
Daniel's call connected.
DANIEL HAYES:
"Administrative office, this is Officer Hayes at reception. Agent Maya Carter is here for the scheduled briefing. We have the appointment confirmation, but we need the designated supervisor to meet her."
He listened.
DANIEL HAYES:
"Yes, sir. I can provide the confirmation number."
Another pause followed.
Daniel looked at the screen, then at Maya.
DANIEL HAYES:
"Understood. I'll let him know."
He ended the call and placed the receiver back in its cradle.
SENIOR OFFICER:
"What did they say?"
DANIEL HAYES:
"The administrative liaison confirmed the appointment. The watch commander is being notified, and someone from the command office should be here shortly."
The senior officer nodded.
SENIOR OFFICER:
"Good. We'll wait for the commander and complete the handoff properly."
Maya gave a small nod of acknowledgment.
MAYA CARTER:
"Thank you."
Ryan let out a short breath through his nose.
RYAN COLE:
"So now we need a commander for a routine visitor?"
The senior officer turned toward him.
SENIOR OFFICER:
"We need the person responsible for the appointment. That was the purpose of the meeting from the beginning."
RYAN COLE:
"I still don't see why this couldn't have been handled without all this."
MAYA CARTER:
"It could have been."
Her answer was quiet.
It was also the first time she had directly addressed Ryan since the senior officer intervened.
He looked at her.
MAYA CARTER:
"I asked for the appropriate supervisor, presented my credentials, and waited for verification. That's all I requested."
Ryan's expression hardened again, but the senior officer raised one hand before he could respond.
SENIOR OFFICER:
"That's enough. We'll let the commander review the situation."
The instruction ended the exchange.
For several moments, the only sounds were the ringing telephone, the tapping of keyboards, and the muted conversations coming from the investigation rooms.
Then Maya's phone vibrated.
She checked the screen.
A message from her team coordinator appeared above the notification she had missed earlier.
TEAM COORDINATOR:
"Status check. The briefing team is assembled. Please confirm that you're with the local supervisor."
Maya typed a brief response.
MAYA CARTER:
"Still at reception. Appointment confirmed. Waiting for the watch commander."
She sent the message and returned the phone to her pocket.
The senior officer noticed the movement.
SENIOR OFFICER:
"Are they expecting you at a specific time?"
MAYA CARTER:
"Yes. The briefing was scheduled to begin shortly after my arrival here. I've informed the team that the meeting is delayed."
SENIOR OFFICER:
"I'll make sure the commander understands that."
MAYA CARTER:
"I appreciate it."
Ryan stood a few feet away, listening.
He had begun the morning convinced that Maya was attempting to force her way into an area where she did not belong. The appointment record, Daniel's confirmation, and the administrative office's response had steadily weakened that interpretation.