“It's the passenger.”
Daniel raised an eyebrow.
“Seat 1A?”
“Yes.”
“What about him?”
“Something doesn't sit right.”
Daniel smiled faintly.
“You're talking about the man you almost kicked off the plane?”
“I didn't kick him off.”
“You announced you wouldn't fly while he was sitting there.”
Steven frowned.
“There's a difference.”
“Not to the passengers.”
Steven looked through the windshield.
Daniel waited.
Finally, Steven said:
“Do you know who he is?”
“Malcolm Reed.”
“Northstar.”
“I know.”
“CEO.”
“I know.”
Steven leaned back.
“He's not just some corporate executive.”
Daniel shrugged.
“Most people in 1A aren't.”
“Northstar controls half the aviation technology contracts in the country.”
“More like a quarter.”
“Whatever.”
Daniel smiled.
“You're bothered because he didn't argue with you.”
Steven looked at him.
“What?”
“People who argue are easy.”
Daniel returned his attention to the instruments.
“People who stay calm make you wonder what they know.”
Steven said nothing.
Daniel was right.
And Steven hated that.
Meanwhile, in the cabin, Malcolm Reed sat with his eyes closed.
He was not sleeping.
He was thinking.
His black folder rested on the seat beside him.
Inside were twelve pages.
Twelve pages that could change the future of Northstar Aviation.
And possibly the future of the airline operating Flight 814.
Three hours earlier, Malcolm had received a message from Northstar's board chairman.
We need you in London before the vote.
That was all.
No explanation.
No context.
But Malcolm knew.
For the past six months, someone inside Northstar had been leaking information.
Contracts.
Security specifications.
Engineering documents.
Passenger-data architecture.
At first, the leaks had looked random.
Then Malcolm noticed a pattern.
Every leaked document had passed through the same internal approval system.
Someone with executive-level access was copying files.
Someone with knowledge of corporate security.
Someone who knew how to hide.
Someone close.
Very close.
The London board meeting was supposed to determine whether Northstar would move forward with a massive partnership.
The partner was the airline.
And the contract was worth more than four billion dollars.
Malcolm had spent the last month investigating.
Yesterday, he found something.
A name.
Steven Parker.
Not because Steven was involved.
Because his name appeared in a flight-security database attached to several unusual incidents.
Five flights.
Five reports.
Five passengers removed or delayed after disputes with the captain.
All five had one thing in common.
They had connections to Northstar.
Malcolm had initially assumed coincidence.
But there were too many similarities.
And this morning, someone had tried to stop him from boarding Flight 814.
That was why he had remained calm.
He was waiting.
He wanted to know whether the captain was simply difficult.
Or whether someone had instructed him to create a problem.
Malcolm opened his eyes.
Maya walked toward him.
“Mr. Reed?”
“Yes?”
“Can I get you anything?”
“No, thank you.”
She hesitated.
“Can I ask you something?”
Malcolm smiled.
“You just did.”
Maya smiled despite herself.
“Why did you stay so calm?”
Malcolm looked at her.
“When?”
“When Captain Parker confronted you.”
He thought for a moment.
“Because anger rarely improves a situation.”
Maya nodded.
“Most people would have been furious.”
“Most people don't have to make decisions while angry.”
She looked toward the cockpit.
“Is he always like that?”
Malcolm didn't answer immediately.
“Do you think he is?”
Maya lowered her voice.
“No.”
“Then what changed?”
She looked uncomfortable.
“I don't know.”
Malcolm studied her expression.
“Did someone speak to you before boarding?”
Maya hesitated.
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“Ground operations.”
“What did they say?”
“That your case was sensitive.”
“And?”
“That I should call the cockpit if anything unusual happened.”
Malcolm nodded.
“Did they mention my name?”
“Yes.”
“What exactly did they say?”
Maya looked around.
“Can we talk somewhere else?”
Malcolm stood.
They walked toward the galley.
Maya lowered her voice.
“Someone called from a private number.”
“When?”
“About thirty minutes before boarding.”
“What did they say?”
“They told me Captain Parker had concerns about you.”
Malcolm's expression changed.
“Before I boarded?”
“Yes.”
“Interesting.”
Maya swallowed.
“They said you might be carrying something dangerous.”
Malcolm stared at her.
“Did they tell you to report anything?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
“Anything that seemed unusual.”
Malcolm nodded slowly.
“Thank you.”
Maya looked nervous.
“Should I be worried?”
“No.”
“You sound very certain.”
“I am.”
He returned to his seat.
But his mind was moving quickly.
Someone had known about his travel plans.
Someone had contacted the cabin crew before he boarded.
Someone had attempted to make Captain Parker suspicious.
The question was why.
Then Malcolm remembered something.
The silver emblem on his folder.
The three letters beneath it.
CEO.
Steven had seen it.
Everyone had.
But only a few people knew what the folder actually contained.
Malcolm opened it.
Inside was a printed document.
At the top:
NORTHSTAR INTERNAL — BOARD EYES ONLY
Below it was a list of names.
One name was circled.
Malcolm stared at it.
Then he heard a voice behind him.
“Mr. Reed?”
He looked up.
Maya stood there.
“The captain wants to speak with you after we reach cruising altitude.”
Malcolm nodded.
“Tell him I'll be available.”
She walked away.
Malcolm looked toward the cockpit.
For the first time that morning, he smiled.
The captain wanted to talk.
Good.
Because Malcolm had questions too.
Chapter 3 — The Captain's Doubt
Two hours later, Steven Parker left the cockpit.
Daniel looked at him.
“Where are you going?”
“Cabin.”
“You want me to come?”
“No.”
Steven walked into first class.
The cabin was dim.
Most passengers were sleeping.
Malcolm Reed was awake.
He was reading.
Steven stopped beside him.
“Mr. Reed.”
Malcolm looked up.
“Captain.”
“Can we talk?”
“Of course.”
Steven sat in the empty seat across the aisle.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Finally, Steven said:
“I owe you an explanation.”
Malcolm closed his folder.
“You do.”
Steven appreciated the directness.
“I received information before departure.”
“From whom?”
“Operations.”
“About me?”
“Yes.”
“What did they tell you?”
“That you had requested special handling.”
“Anything else?”
Steven hesitated.
“That there were concerns about your behavior.”
Malcolm's eyes narrowed.
“What behavior?”
“They didn't specify.”
“And you confronted me anyway.”