Chapter 2

"What the hell do you want, Lara?" My tone was beyond frigid as I stared at the rolling black clouds ahead.

Lara didn't answer right away, and through my headset, I heard pages being turned slowly on her end. She behaved as if she were in a regular ground drill instead of dealing with a plane that could crash at any moment.

"Turn on the PA system and tell every passenger that you betrayed our marriage five years ago and walked out on me on our wedding day for another woman. Then, look into the cockpit camera and slap yourself a hundred times."

Bewildered, Jacob snatched up the auxiliary aviation headset and snapped, "Are you out of your damn mind, Lara? The plane's about to crash! You're playing with the lives of 327 passengers!"

Lara's tone grew grave. "Remember your station, First Officer. Right now, I'm in charge of the safety of the airspace in the area. Interrupt me again, and I'll declare your cockpit out of control and block every one of your routes!"

Gritting his teeth, Jacob slammed his fist against his armrest. "Captain, we'll punch in a squawk code. We can still force an emergency landing according to protocol even without instructions from the control tower!"

fixed my gaze on the airport in the distance. A dark, crimson storm cloud lay between the passenger aircraft and the airport.

There was no landing route, no runway lights, and no guidance from ground control. A forceful entry and landing was equivalent to hitting the ground with over 300 passengers while blindfolded.

Lara sputtered as though in response to Jacob's suggestion. "You could disobey me, Anthony, but can you be certain that the runway is cleared of any other aircraft? Are you willing to stake a blind landing on the lives of 327 passengers?"

I closed my eyes. I felt like a massive boulder was crushing my lungs.

Lara knew me too well. She knew that I'd risk my life, but never the lives of my passengers.

A loud noise exploded through the interphone. Bethany's voice barely cut above the cacophony of cries and screams as she yelled, "Captain! An elderly passenger in row 17 has gone into cardiac arrest, and a six-year-old child is experiencing seizures from acute low oxygen."

I heard the loud bang of metal snapping, followed by the cries and screams in the cabin.

"Please save my son! He's only six!"

Cries and the sirens' blaring immediately filled the cockpit. We had 12 minutes of fuel endurance, and the temperature of the right engine began to climb again.

Jacob's eyes were red as he looked at me. "Captain, you can't agree to her terms. Once those words get out, your license, honor, and future will be ruined!"

I gazed down at the captain's badge on my chest.

Since that first day in flight school, it took me 15 years to become the youngest international airline pilot. I'd clocked thousands of flight hours and gone through countless tests to get to where I was that day.

Lara wanted to see me destroy all that with my own hands.

"11 minutes left, Anthony," she reminded me with a chuckle. "Every second you hesitate could cost you another passenger."

At that moment, I finally understood—she didn't care about the passengers at all. The 327 passengers were nothing but leverage to make me obey her.

I unbuckled my seatbelt and adjusted the cockpit camera.

Jacob grabbed my wrist. "Captain!"

I turned to look at him. "What's the first rule for pilots?"

His lips parted, and his voice was hoarse. "To do our best to ensure the safety of everyone on board under any circumstances."

"Then we'll have to obey orders." I shook off his grip and dialed the cabin interphone. "Bethany, turn on the aircraft's PA system."

Bethany was silent for a couple of seconds. "Are you sure, Captain?"

"Yes."

The PA system's light came on. At that moment, I felt the souls of 327 passengers weigh on my shoulders. I grabbed the hot mic and addressed the cabin, "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, this is your captain speaking. My name is Anthony Griffith."