“Forty-seven people?”
Marcus nodded.
“Forty-seven passengers whose travel data was accessed or modified.”
“Why?”
“Most were connected to corporate negotiations.”
Daniel understood.
“Travel intelligence.”
“Yes.”
Zara frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Marcus explained.
“Knowing where someone is going can be valuable.”
“For what?”
“To predict meetings.”
“To know who is negotiating with whom.”
“To identify executives.”
“To sell information.”
Zara looked at her father.
“Who would buy it?”
“We don't know.”
Daniel looked at Richard.
Richard spoke quietly.
“I might.”
Everyone turned.
Richard explained:
“Martin Vale had dinner with several executives in London three nights ago.”
“Who?”
He gave the names.
Daniel recognized several.
Competitors.
Consultants.
People connected to major transportation companies.
Daniel's face became cold.
“So this is bigger than the airline.”
Richard nodded.
“I think so.”
Marcus said:
“We believe the airline system was only one source.”
Zara looked at her father.
“Your company?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Possibly.”
She knew that hesitation.
“Dad.”
He sighed.
“We're checking.”
“Could someone inside your company be involved?”
“I don't know.”
That answer frightened her more than anything else.
Because Daniel always had answers.
Now he didn't.
Elena entered.
“We found another record.”
She handed Marcus a document.
Marcus read it.
Then handed it to Daniel.
Daniel's face changed.
“What?”
Zara asked.
He looked at her.
“Someone requested your travel information for tomorrow.”
“But I don't have a flight tomorrow.”
“Exactly.”
“Who requested it?”
Daniel looked at Marcus.
Marcus answered:
“Martin Vale.”
Zara felt a chill.
“Why would he need tomorrow's information?”
Nobody answered.
She looked at her father.
“Dad?”
Daniel took her hand.
“Because we don't know what he was planning next.”
Richard spoke.
“Then you need to assume he isn't finished.”
Daniel looked at him.
“You're right.”
A few moments later, Marcus received another call.
He listened.
Then said:
“Understood.”
He ended the call.
Daniel asked:
“Vale?”
Marcus nodded.
“We located him.”
“Where?”
“London.”
“Doing what?”
“Preparing to leave the country.”
Daniel's voice became colder.
“Stop him.”
“We're trying.”
“Try harder.”
Marcus nodded.
Then he added:
“He's not alone.”
Daniel looked at him.
“With whom?”
Marcus hesitated.
“Someone from your company.”
Zara looked at her father.
“Who?”
Marcus gave the name.
Daniel went completely still.
It was his chief security officer.
The man responsible for protecting his family.
The man he had trusted for years.
Zara whispered:
“Dad?”
Daniel didn't answer.
She realized something.
The danger wasn't only outside.
It might be inside.
THE PHOTOGRAPH OF ZARA
The security footage was delivered at 1:15 p.m.
Marcus placed it on the screen.
The man in the dark jacket appeared.
Zara immediately pointed.
“That is him.”
“You're certain?”
“Yes.”
The video showed the man walking behind her.
He stopped.
Looked at her boarding pass.
Then walked away.
Marcus paused the footage.
“What exactly happened?”
“He bumped into me.”
“Accidentally?”
“I thought so.”
Marcus restarted the video.
The man didn't look accidental.
He had positioned himself deliberately.
He had looked at the boarding pass.
Then checked the nearest security camera.
Then walked away.
Zara stared.
“He knew.”
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.”
“About me?”
“Probably.”
She swallowed.
“Why?”
Before Daniel could answer, Marcus opened another file.
A photograph appeared.
Zara entering the terminal.
Timestamp: 8:47 a.m.
She stared at it.
“That was taken today.”
“Yes.”
“Where did you get it?”
“Bennett International's corporate security server.”
Richard immediately stood.
“What?”
Marcus looked at him.
“The photograph was stored on your company's system.”
“I had nothing to do with that.”
“We believe you.”
Richard stared at the photograph.
“Who took it?”
“We don't know.”
“Then why is it there?”
“Someone with access put it there.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“Show me the metadata.”
Marcus did.
The photograph had been uploaded at 8:52.
Five minutes after it was taken.
User ID.
MV-17.
Martin Vale.
Zara stared at the screen.
“That's me.”
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.”
“Why would he photograph me?”
No one answered.
She looked at her father.
“Dad.”
Daniel took a breath.
“He wanted to identify you.”
“Why?”
“We don't know.”
“Because I'm your daughter?”
“Possibly.”
“Or because of my travel profile?”
“Possibly.”
Zara looked at Marcus.
“What exactly could he do with my travel information?”
Marcus answered carefully.
“Know where you would be.”
“That's all?”
“Potentially.”
“Could he find Dad?”
“Yes.”
“Could he find meetings?”
“Yes.”
“Could he know where executives would be?”
“Yes.”
She understood.
He wasn't interested in her because she was fourteen.
He was interested in her because her movements could reveal someone else's.
Daniel's.
Zara looked down.
“So I was a map.”
Daniel looked at her.
“What?”
“My itinerary.”
She pointed to herself.
“I was a map to you.”
Daniel didn't deny it.
“Yes.”
She nodded.
That made sense.
Then Richard spoke.
“There was something Vale said.”
Daniel turned.
“What?”
“He said the passenger in 2A had to be moved.”
“When?”
“Before I boarded.”
“What exactly did he say?”
Richard thought.
“He said the seat had to be cleared.”
“Cleared for whom?”
“I assumed me.”
Daniel stared.
Richard shook his head.
“Maybe I was wrong.”
Zara looked at him.