“I had six London rotations.”
“Then none.”
The CEO looked toward the front galley.
The Senior Flight Attendant stood there pretending to review catering.
She glanced back once.
Saw the younger attendant crouched beside seat 2A.
Her expression hardened.
The Junior Flight Attendant stood quickly.
“I should go.”
The CEO said:
“Wait.”
The younger woman froze.
“Do not send me anything.”
She looked confused.
“Why?”
“Because I’m involved now.”
The CEO leaned back.
“If you have records, keep them.”
“If other employees have records, they keep theirs.”
“Do not coordinate stories.”
“Do not exaggerate.”
“Do not speculate.”
The Junior Flight Attendant nodded.
The CEO continued:
“Facts survive better when people stop trying to improve them.”
The younger woman gave a tiny smile.
Then walked away.
The CEO watched.
That should have been the most serious discovery of the morning.
It was not.
The cockpit door opened.
The Captain stepped into the cabin.
Silver hair.
Fifty-three.
Tall.
Calm.
One of the most respected pilots in the airline.
He had flown for Atlantic Crown for twenty-seven years.
The CEO knew him.
Not socially.
Professionally.
He chaired several safety committees and had once openly disagreed with her during a fleet meeting.
She had promoted him afterward.
Not because she enjoyed disagreement.
Because he had been correct.
The Captain looked toward seat 2A.
His expression was wrong.
Too serious.
He walked forward.
The Senior Flight Attendant followed him.
Pale now.
The Junior Flight Attendant stood near the galley doorway.
The Captain stopped beside the CEO.
“Ma’am.”
“Captain.”
“May I speak with you privately?”
The CEO looked toward the Senior Flight Attendant.
“What happened?”
The Captain glanced toward the cockpit.
Then handed her a folded sheet of paper.
Crew manifest.
Printed before departure.
The CEO unfolded it.
Pilot names.
Cabin crew.
Route.
Aircraft registration.
Standard.
Then she saw the bottom.
One sentence had been written in red ink.
DO NOT LET CROSS REACH BOSTON.
The CEO looked up.
The cabin seemed suddenly much smaller.
The Senior Flight Attendant whispered:
“Captain, don’t.”
The Captain ignored her.
The CEO asked:
“Where did this come from?”
“Attached to the crew packet.”
“Who found it?”
“First officer.”
“When?”
“Four minutes ago.”
“Why only now?”
“He thought it was some kind of dispatch annotation.”
The CEO looked at the handwriting.
Red ink.
Block capitals.