“Victor.”
“Yes.”
Cole sat down.
For the first time, Daniel saw genuine fear in his eyes.
“That's impossible.”
“Why?”
“Because Victor told me yesterday he had never spoken to Parker.”
Daniel's expression hardened.
“Then someone is lying.”
The Reason
Victor Lang called an emergency board meeting.
He arrived fifteen minutes early.
That was unusual.
Victor was sixty-one, polished, charming, and known for controlling conversations before they began.
Daniel entered the boardroom last.
Ten people sat around the table.
Victor looked at him.
“Daniel.”
“Victor.”
“I understand you've been making accusations.”
“I've been asking questions.”
“About me.”
“Yes.”
Victor smiled.
“Then ask.”
Daniel placed a folder on the table.
“Did you meet Captain Parker yesterday?”
Victor didn't hesitate.
“No.”
Daniel nodded.
“Did you communicate with him?”
“No.”
“Did you instruct anyone to contact him?”
“No.”
“Did you tell anyone I was interfering with flight operations?”
“No.”
Victor leaned back.
“You see?”
Daniel said nothing.
Victor looked around the table.
“This is ridiculous.”
Daniel opened the folder.
“Then you won't mind seeing this.”
He placed the photograph on the screen.
Silence.
The image showed Victor standing beside Parker near a restricted corridor.
Victor's face remained controlled.
But his fingers tightened around his pen.
“I don't remember that.”
“You don't remember?”
“No.”
“That's convenient.”
Victor looked toward the others.
“This photograph proves nothing.”
“It proves you met.”
“It could be old.”
“It was taken yesterday.”
Victor's eyes narrowed.
“Where did you get it?”
“Airport security.”
“Without authorization?”
“No.”
Daniel closed the folder.
“Victor, why did you want me removed from that flight?”
“I didn't.”
“Then who did?”
“I don't know.”
Daniel looked around the table.
“Someone used Richard Cole's credentials.”
Victor glanced at Cole.
Cole stared back.
“You suspected Richard.”
“I suspected everyone.”
Victor smiled.
“Very diplomatic.”
Daniel ignored him.
“Then I discovered something else.”
He pressed a button.
A recording began.
It was audio from the airport corridor.
Victor's voice was unmistakable.
“Parker, you need to make sure Mercer doesn't board.”
Several board members froze.
Victor's expression collapsed.
The recording continued.
“He thinks he can walk into this company and change everything.”
Parker's voice answered.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Make him leave.”
“On what grounds?”
“Find a reason.”
The recording ended.
Nobody spoke.
Victor looked at Daniel.
“Where did you get that?”
“Airport security.”
Victor's face turned red.
“This is entrapment.”
“No.”
Daniel's voice remained quiet.
“It is evidence.”
Victor stood.
“You have no right.”
Daniel stood as well.
“I have every right to know why the chairman of my company tried to remove me from an aircraft.”
Victor's anger became desperation.
“You were destroying Northstar!”
The room went silent.
Daniel stared at him.
“Explain.”
“You cut contracts.”
“Yes.”
“You eliminated executive bonuses.”
“Yes.”
“You questioned the loyalty of senior employees.”
“I questioned their performance.”
“You were going to replace half the board.”
Daniel paused.
“That was true.”
Victor slammed his hand on the table.
“You were going to take Northstar away from the people who built it!”
Daniel looked at him.
“No.”
Victor's breathing became heavy.
“You don't understand.”
“I understand perfectly.”
Daniel walked around the table.
“Northstar was built by pilots, mechanics, engineers, flight attendants, dispatchers, gate agents, baggage handlers, and thousands of ordinary employees.”
He looked directly at Victor.
“Not by people sitting in boardrooms.”
Victor shook his head.
“You think you're better than us.”
“No.”
Daniel's voice softened.
“I think the company is better than us.”
Victor said nothing.
Daniel continued.
“And that's what you forgot.”
The board remained silent.
Then the door opened.
Captain Steven Parker entered.
He looked confused.
“What's happening?”
Daniel turned.
“Captain.”
Steven stopped.
He looked at Victor.
Then at Daniel.
Then at the recording equipment.
His face changed.
“You knew?”
Daniel asked.
Steven swallowed.
“Knew what?”
“That you were being used.”
Steven looked down.
Victor spoke quickly.
“Steven, don't say anything.”
Daniel turned toward him.
“Why?”
Victor remained silent.
Daniel looked at Parker.
“You were told I was dangerous.”
Parker said nothing.
“You were told I was interfering with operations.”
Still nothing.
“You were told I had to be removed.”
Parker lowered his head.
“Yes.”
“Who told you?”
He looked at Victor.
Then at Daniel.
“Mr. Lang.”
Victor's face hardened.
“You're making a mistake.”
Parker shook his head.
“No.”
He looked at Daniel.
“I made the mistake yesterday.”
Daniel waited.
Parker continued.
“I didn't know who you were.”
“I know.”
“I thought I was protecting the flight.”
“You weren't.”
Parker's eyes dropped.
“I understand that now.”
Daniel nodded.