“The captain says we may be diverting.”
“Where?”
“Denver.”
Victoria looked at Marcus.
He shook his head.
“No.”
That one word exposed him.
Sarah noticed.
“So we're not diverting,” she said slowly.
Marcus looked at her.
“You don't understand.”
She stood straighter.
“I am the lead flight attendant.”
“And I'm telling you there is a security concern.”
Sarah looked at me.
Then Victoria.
Then Marcus.
“Whose security concern?”
Marcus didn't answer.
Sarah's expression hardened.
“Exactly.”
She walked toward the cockpit.
For the first time, the crew was beginning to act like a crew.
And someone didn't like it.
The Captain Takes Control
Captain Michael Grant came out of the cockpit.
He was a tall man in his fifties with silver hair and the calm expression of someone who had spent decades dealing with emergencies.
He looked at Marcus.
“Who are you?”
Marcus identified himself.
The captain shook his head.
“Your name isn't on my passenger manifest.”
Marcus smiled.
“Corporate security.”
“Then show me your authorization.”
Marcus reached into his jacket.
Captain Grant held up a hand.
“Don't.”
Everyone froze.
“Leave your hands visible.”
Marcus complied.
The captain turned to Sarah.
“Get me the original passenger manifest.”
Sarah nodded.
Then he looked at me.
“Mr. Brooks?”
“Yes.”
“Are you the passenger assigned to 1A?”
“Yes.”
He held out his hand.
I gave him my boarding pass.
He examined it.
Then he looked toward Victoria.
“Ma'am, may I see yours?”
She handed it over.
He compared the two.
His expression changed.
“Both are 1A.”
“Yes.”
He looked at Sarah.
“Who authorized the duplicate?”
“We're trying to determine that.”
The captain nodded.
Then he spoke quietly.
“Lock the cabin.”
Sarah understood immediately.
No one leaves first class without authorization.
Marcus stepped forward.
“Captain, you are making a serious mistake.”
Captain Grant looked at him.
“Perhaps.”
Then he pointed toward his seat.
“Sit down.”
Marcus hesitated.
“Now.”
Marcus sat.
The captain returned to the cockpit.
The cabin exhaled.
Victoria looked at me.
“I owe you an apology.”
“For what?”
She looked embarrassed.
“For the way I treated you.”
I nodded.
“You do.”
“I thought…”
She stopped.
“I know what you thought.”
She looked down.
“My husband used to tell me that arrogance is often just fear wearing expensive clothes.”
I almost smiled.
“He sounds wise.”
“He was.”
She looked out the window.
“I don't know if he's alive.”
I didn't know what to say.
So I didn't pretend.
“I hope he is.”
She nodded.
Then Sarah returned.
“Mr. Brooks.”
“Yes?”
“The captain wants to speak with you.”
I followed her.
Inside the cockpit, Captain Grant closed the door.
He looked at me.
“I've received a message from Northstar.”
“What does it say?”
“They want you removed from the aircraft upon landing.”
I wasn't surprised.
“Why?”
“They claim you're carrying proprietary information.”
I looked at him.
“That's false.”
“I know.”
I stared.
“How?”
The captain reached into a drawer.
He pulled out a sealed envelope.
“Because I received this before departure.”
My name was written on it.
Inside was a single note.
If Daniel Brooks boards Flight 718, protect him.
No signature.
No explanation.
Only one final sentence.
Do not trust Northstar security.
The Man Who Was Supposed to Be Missing
The captain asked me to stay in the cockpit for a few minutes.
I showed him the messages from Melissa.
I explained the acquisition.
I told him about the flash drive.
He listened carefully.
Then he said:
“There's something you need to know.”
“What?”
“Your flight was originally scheduled to land in San Francisco at 4:20.”
“Yes.”
“But someone changed the arrival slot.”
“To what?”
“3:05.”
“That doesn't make sense.”
“It does if someone wants you on the ground before the people you're meeting arrive.”
I looked at him.
“Who?”
“Northstar security.”
Then the cockpit door opened.
Sarah appeared.
“Captain.”
“What?”
“There's a passenger asking for Mr. Brooks.”
“Who?”
She hesitated.
“A man named Thomas Harrington.”
Victoria's husband.
I stood.
“Where is he?”
Sarah stared at me.
“That's the problem.”
She whispered:
“He isn't supposed to be alive.”
We walked into first class.
A man stood near the galley.
Thin.
Exhausted.
His face was bruised.
His left arm was in a sling.
Victoria froze.
“Tom?”
He looked at her.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then she ran toward him.
They embraced.
Victoria began crying.
Tom whispered:
“I couldn't call you.”
“Where were you?”
“I found out who was moving the money.”
He looked at me.
“Daniel Brooks?”
“Yes.”
He nodded.
“I'm sorry.”
“For what?”
“They used your acquisition to hide the final transfer.”
My stomach tightened.
“Explain.”
“They planned to move the remaining funds through a shell company.”
“Whose?”
Tom looked toward Marcus.
Marcus stood.
“Enough.”
Tom's face went white.
“That man is one of them.”
Marcus suddenly lunged.
Captain Grant stepped between them.
Security procedures were no longer enough.
This was now a real threat.
Tom pointed at Marcus.
“He was there when they took me.”
Marcus denied it.
But Tom continued.
“He told me nobody would believe me.”
Then Tom pulled a folded document from his pocket.
“The evidence is here.”
I took it.