“Put the flight attendant on.”
Maya looked toward Claire.
Then shook her head even though her father could not see.
“No.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want you fixing it like that.”
Marcus paused.
Maya knew him well enough to imagine his expression.
“What do you want me to do?”
She looked toward Whitmore.
He was watching over the edge of his newspaper now.
The passengers were watching too.
Maya spoke quietly.
“Dad, they took my seat.”
Then:
“Shut it down.”
Marcus did not answer immediately.
Maya wondered whether she had gone too far.
Then he said:
“Stay where you are.”
The call ended.
Whitmore laughed softly.
Claire heard it.
“What?”
He folded his paper.
“Children.”
Maya slipped the phone back into her pocket.
Claire lowered her voice.
“Miss Bennett, please sit down so we can finish boarding.”
“I’m waiting.”
“For what?”
Maya looked toward the closed cockpit door.
“My father.”
Whitmore smiled.
“He’s coming to the airport?”
“No.”
That ended the conversation.
For eleven seconds, nothing happened.
Then Claire’s tablet vibrated.
She glanced at it.
Her face changed.
Maya watched every trace of relief disappear.
Claire read the message twice.
Then looked toward Maya.
Then toward Whitmore.
The cabin door was still open.
A gate agent standing near the entrance suddenly lifted a hand to her headset.
Her posture became rigid.
A second employee appeared.
Then a third.
The overhead chime sounded.
Every passenger looked forward.
The captain’s voice came through the speakers.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is Captain Reeves from the flight deck.”
Maya knew the captain’s name from the boarding announcement.
His voice sounded controlled.
Professional.
But different now.
“We have received an operational hold from company control.”
Passengers immediately began murmuring.
“We will remain at the gate until further notice.”
Whitmore’s newspaper lowered.
A man in row four groaned.
Someone asked how long.
Captain Reeves continued.
“At this time, we do not have an estimated departure.”
The announcement ended.
Whitmore turned toward Claire.
“What is this?”
Claire did not answer.
Her tablet vibrated again.
She read.
Maya saw her throat move as she swallowed.
Whitmore’s voice sharpened.
“I asked you a question.”
Claire looked toward him.
“Operations has frozen the aircraft release.”
“For what reason?”
“I’m waiting for clarification.”
“This is absurd.”
Maya said nothing.
Whitmore looked at her.
Then at the phone in her hand.
For the first time, something uncertain entered his expression.