Chapter 4

Andrew's POV

I burst into the control tower. Everyone was already there.

On the radar screen, the blinking red dot representing Flight 863 flickered, as though it could disappear at any moment.

The supervisor looked relieved when he saw me. "Andrew, you take over. You know the crew of Flight 863 better than anyone."

That was right. On that aircraft were two people who used to be the most important people in my life.

I closed my eyes, practically able to picture exactly what was happening inside the cabin. I put on my headset and took a deep breath.

"Flight 863, this is Tower. Report your situation."

The moment Hayley heard my voice, she sounded noticeably calmer. "Tower, Flight 863. We have a landing gear indication malfunction. Requesting a low-pass inspection."

I pinched my thigh to keep my voice steady. "Flight 863, copy. Execute a low pass on Runway 02 at 300 feet. Tower will conduct a visual inspection."

I raised a pair of binoculars. I saw the aircraft roaring past the tower. The landing gear compartment door hung partially open, but the main landing gear had not deployed.

My stomach dropped. Suppressing my fear, I grabbed the microphone. "Tower. The left main landing gear is not deployed. Recommend emergency release procedure."

The frequency fell silent for several seconds. Mechanical noises crackled through the headset. Then, Hayley spoke again, "Emergency release procedure completed. Indicator lights remain abnormal."

"Flight 863," my voice sounded hoarse but calm, "prepare for a belly landing. Runway 02 has been cleared. Fire and medical teams are on standby."

I had spoken those words countless times in simulator trainings and emergency drills. I had never once imagined that I'd say them to Hayley.

"Tower, copy."

A moment later, I heard Dylan's voice sound through the frequency.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the aircraft will be making… uh, an emergency landing… Please follow… follow the instructions of the cabin crew…"

My heart instantly clenched. This wasn't Dylan's normal state.

I snatched the microphone. "Flight 863, check cabin condition, especially the overhead compartments."

"Cabin crew, quiet!" Hayley shouted from the cockpit.

Dylan stopped talking.

The atmosphere in the control room was tense. Staring at the descending aircraft, my heart twisted into knots.

The moment the aircraft hit the runway, I felt the impact even from inside the tower. The aircraft's belly scraped across the asphalt, sparks erupting behind it. Fire trucks raced alongside as sirens blared through the glass.

"Flight 863, report status!" I screamed into the microphone, my voice trembling.

After a few seconds of silence, Hayley's hoarse voice finally came through, "Passengers injured. At least five. Situation unclear. Lead flight attendant Dylan Humphrey is injured."

I slowly let go of the microphone. Only then did I realize my palms were drenched in sweat.

Thankfully, it was nothing serious.

The tension finally drained from my body as investigators began preparing their accident review.

Two hours later, I was called to a conference room. Hayley was already there. She had changed out of her uniform. When I entered, she immediately looked away.

"Andrew," the airline's safety director called out. "During the emergency landing of Flight 863, there were serious errors in your handling of air traffic control communications."

I froze and instinctively turned toward Hayley. But she kept her head down, avoiding my gaze.

"According to the flight crew's report, your instructions were ambiguous, causing delays in executing the emergency release procedure."

I stared at Hayley, my voice firm. "Hayley, tell them the truth."

Finally, Hayley raised her head. Her eyes flashed with reluctance, hesitance, and conflict before it all disappeared beneath a bottomless calm.

"I confirm that delays in tower instructions led to the aircraft's loss of control, and the resulting impact caused the overhead compartments to open, injuring passengers."

"This is clearly Dylan—" I was about to refute but stopped myself.

Suddenly, I understood. Hayley had known everything all along. She knew Dylan hadn't been in the right state of mind and that the cabin had been in turmoil. Then, she made a choice to protect Dylan and sacrifice me.

"Andrew." The safety director slid a document across the table. "The airline has decided to terminate your employment effective immediately."

I looked down at the paper. I had been just one day away from resigning.

Then, it struck me. Blaming the employee who was already leaving was the most convenient outcome. Hayley thought so, and so did the airline.

Without another word, I signed the document and then got up and walked out.

Hayley hurried after me. She grabbed my arm, her voice tense. "Andrew, let me explain—"

I cut her off, "Dylan was drunk last night, wasn't he? You two went to a bar again, right? You spent the entire night with him, and you helped him pass the alcohol screening. You knew the overhead compartments weren't properly secured. You knew that it was his mistake!"

I pulled out my phone, reading to file a report. But Hayley slapped the phone out of my hand. The disappointment in her eyes cut deeper than the sharpest knife.

"For once, can you think rationally? Can you look at the bigger picture? We're getting married soon. Even if you lose your job, you'll still have me. But Dylan is different! If he loses this job, he'll have nothing!"

I shoved her away. I couldn't believe the nonsense she was spouting.

"Alright. Let's look at the bigger picture." I sneered coldly. "From now on, that picture doesn't include me."

With that, I turned and left.

The final instruction had been issued. This time, everything was over.