Daniel lowered his voice.
“Richard Cole used an old administrator account to alter the passenger manifest.”
Her face went pale.
Daniel watched carefully.
“You know who Richard Cole is.”
“I don't.”
“Then why did you react?”
She said nothing.
Daniel continued.
“Someone sent the crew a message calling me a security threat.”
Her eyes shifted.
“Was it you?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
She whispered, “I don't know.”
“Who gave you the instruction?”
She looked toward the cockpit.
Daniel followed her gaze.
“The captain?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
She swallowed.
“The ground operations supervisor.”
“Name?”
“Tom Reeves.”
Daniel knew the name.
Tom Reeves was not supposed to have access to passenger-security alerts.
“Why would he have access?”
“I don't know.”
“You're lying.”
Her eyes filled with fear.
“I have children.”
Daniel stopped.
She lowered her voice.
“They told me if I caused trouble, I'd lose my job.”
“Who?”
“Richard.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“What does he want?”
“I don't know.”
“You do.”
She shook her head.
Then whispered, “He wants the Hale passenger.”
Daniel looked back toward Victoria.
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
“Where is he taking her?”
The flight attendant looked terrified.
“Portland.”
Daniel's heart sank.
“Why Portland?”
“There is a private terminal.”
“Pier 17?”
She nodded.
Daniel returned to his seat.
Victoria immediately asked, “What did she say?”
“Richard is waiting in Portland.”
“For me?”
“I think so.”
“Why?”
“I don't know yet.”
Victoria's phone vibrated.
Another message.
Get off the plane immediately. Do not let Brooks leave with you.
She looked at Daniel.
“This is getting ridiculous.”
Daniel nodded.
“Agreed.”
Then the plane began descending faster.
The captain's voice came over the speakers.
“We will be landing shortly. Please remain seated.”
Daniel looked at the flight map.
The aircraft was approaching Portland.
He noticed something strange.
The airport was not the original destination.
And yet the diversion had been entered into the system before the aircraft even departed.
Daniel stared at the screen.
The diversion had been planned at 4:31 a.m.
Before boarding.
Before the coffee.
Before the confrontation.
This entire flight had been manipulated from the beginning.
He turned to Victoria.
“Whatever happens when we land, stay with me.”
She nodded.
“You're not leaving me alone?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because you're the only person on this plane who can confirm what happened.”
She looked down.
“And you're the only person who believes me.”
Daniel nodded.
“Exactly.”
The aircraft touched down.
Passengers applauded lightly.
Daniel didn't.
He watched the terminal through the window.
Three black SUVs were waiting near the private aviation entrance.
No police.
No airline security.
Just three men in dark suits.
Victoria saw them.
“Are those your people?”
“No.”
“Mine?”
“No.”
The aircraft stopped.
The door opened.
Two airport employees boarded.
One approached Victoria.
“Ms. Hale?”
She looked at him.
“Yes?”
“We've been instructed to escort you to a private vehicle.”
Daniel immediately stood.
“She isn't going anywhere.”
The employee frowned.
“Sir, this does not concern you.”
“It concerns me now.”
Victoria grabbed Daniel's arm.
“Wait.”
The employee looked at her.
“Your father requested that you come directly to the terminal.”
“My father?”
“Yes.”
Victoria looked at Daniel.
He shook his head.
“Your father is not here.”
The employee's expression changed.
“How do you know?”
“Because I know.”
The second employee stepped forward.
“Sir, please sit down.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Who authorized this?”
Neither answered.
Then the aircraft's rear door opened.
Two more men entered.
Daniel recognized one of them.
Richard Cole.
Victoria gasped.
“Richard.”
He smiled.
“Victoria.”
Daniel stepped in front of her.
Cole's smile disappeared.
“Mr. Brooks.”
“Richard.”
“I was hoping we wouldn't have to meet like this.”
Daniel laughed quietly.
“You stole my seat.”
Cole's expression remained calm.
“No.”
“You changed my reservation.”
“No.”
“You used an old administrator account.”
Cole's eyes narrowed.
Daniel smiled.
“Now I know.”
For the first time, Cole looked genuinely concerned.
Victoria whispered, “What do you want?”
Cole looked at her.
“Your father.”
“He isn't here.”
“I know.”
Daniel looked at him.
That answer was unexpected.
Cole continued.
“He's somewhere else.”
“Where?”
Cole smiled.
“You'll find out soon.”
Then every phone in the cabin vibrated simultaneously.
Daniel checked his.
A news alert appeared.
BREAKING: JONATHAN HALE REPORTED MISSING AFTER VEHICLE FOUND ABANDONED OUTSIDE BOSTON.
Victoria screamed.
“No.”
Daniel grabbed her arm before she collapsed.
Cole stepped backward.
The men beside him moved toward the door.
Daniel looked at him.
“You planned this.”
Cole smiled.
“You still don't understand.”
“What?”
“The seat was never the objective.”
Daniel's blood ran cold.
Cole looked directly at Victoria.
“The objective was getting you both onto the same plane.”
Then he walked away.
Daniel watched him disappear down the stairs.
Victoria was crying.
“My father.”
Daniel looked at the news alert again.
His mind raced.
If Jonathan Hale was missing, then the flight was not about corporate sabotage.
It was about something much larger.
Someone had kidnapped a billionaire.
And they had used Daniel Brooks and Victoria Hale as pieces on the board.
Daniel did not sleep that night.
Neither did Victoria.
They spent three hours inside a private airport security office, answering questions from authorities while airline executives attempted to explain why their systems had been compromised.
Nobody had a convincing explanation.
Everyone had a different excuse.
The airline blamed an outdated system.
The airport blamed the airline.
The airline blamed an employee.
The employee blamed Richard Cole.
Richard Cole was nowhere to be found.
And Jonathan Hale was still missing.
At 2:14 a.m., Daniel finally stepped outside.
The Portland air was cold.
Victoria followed him.
She had changed clothes but still looked exhausted.
“My father is alive,” she said.
Daniel looked at her.
“You don't know that.”
“I know him.”
“That isn't evidence.”
“I have to believe it.”
Daniel nodded.
“I understand.”
She stared at him.
“You don't believe me.”
“I believe you.”
“You don't believe he's alive.”
Daniel was silent.
Finally, he said, “I believe someone wants us to think he's dead.”
Victoria looked surprised.
“Why?”
“Because fear makes people predictable.”
She folded her arms.
“What would you do?”
“If someone kidnapped a billionaire and wanted something from his company, I'd create chaos around the family first.”
“And then?”
“I'd make the family blame each other.”
Victoria looked at him.
“That's what they've done.”
“Yes.”
She sat on the bench.
“My father and I weren't close.”
Daniel remained standing.
“I know.”
“He was always working.”
Daniel sat beside her.
“So was mine.”
She looked at him.
“You never talk about your family.”
“There's not much to say.”
“That sounds like a lie.”
“It is.”
For a moment, they were quiet.
Then Daniel's phone rang.
Emily.
He answered.
“Tell me.”
Her voice was urgent.
“I found the original reservation logs.”
“What did you find?”
“The person who changed your seat didn't use Richard Cole's personal credentials.”
Daniel frowned.
“Then whose?”
“Jonathan Hale's.”
Daniel stood.
“What?”
“The override was authorized by an account registered to Jonathan Hale.”
Victoria heard him.
“What did she say?”
Daniel put the phone on speaker.
Emily continued.
“There's more. The account was active at 4:17 a.m.”
“That was before my seat changed.”
“Yes.”
“Who logged in?”
“That's the problem.”
“What?”
“The authentication was biometric.”
Daniel's expression changed.
“Whose?”
Emily paused.
“Jonathan Hale's.”
Victoria stared at him.
“That means my father changed his own seat?”
“That's what the system says,” Emily replied.
Daniel began pacing.
“No.”
“What?”
“It isn't him.”