Chapter 8 - THE COVER-UP
David hit CALL BACK.
The number rejected him.
He tried again.
Blocked.
Lena pulled the copied image from the isolated terminal.
“Drive duplicated.”
“Make three copies.”
“I only have one clean storage device.”
“Then put one in the cloud through a machine Mesa doesn’t control.”
“We just said systems may be compromised.”
Malik raised his phone.
“My hotspot?”
Everyone looked at him.
David almost said no.
Then he saw the logic.
Malik’s phone was personal, not on Mesa Wi-Fi, and not tied to Johnson Aerotech.
“Airplane mode off. Cellular only.”
Malik tapped the settings.
“Done.”
Lena connected a small laptop to the hotspot.
The upload began.
Catherine paced once across the office.
“I have something.”
David looked at her.
“From two weeks ago.”
She unlocked her phone and opened a hidden photo album.
A screenshot filled the screen.
CABIN ODOR REPORT — DO NOT ENTER ELECTRICAL FAULT. LOG AS GALLEY APPLIANCE EVENT.
At the bottom were two approval initials.
EV.
David looked up.
“Elliot Vance?”
“That’s what I thought.”
“Why did you save it?”
“Because the smell wasn’t from the galley.”
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
“It came through the floor vents. Hot plastic. I filed an electrical report. Ten minutes later the report disappeared and this instruction came in.”
“What flight?”
“614.”
Lena searched on her terminal.
Her eyes widened.
“Flight 614 diverted to Richmond six hours later.”
“Official cause?” David asked.
“Coffee maker short.”
Catherine laughed without humor.
“There was no coffee maker failure.”
The upload hit 19%.
A knock struck the door.
Everyone froze.
“Airport police,” a voice called.
Lena opened it two inches.
A uniformed officer held up identification.
“Federal aviation security is ten minutes out. I’m here to preserve the room.”
Lena let him in.
His radio crackled.
“Gate 14, prepare to resume boarding.”
David turned.
“What?”
The officer looked at his radio.
“That came from ramp control.”
Catherine ran to the window.
Passengers were lining up again.
Mercer stood beside the podium.
He was smiling at people.
Inviting them aboard.
David shoved through the door.
“Stop boarding!”
Heads turned.
Mercer raised both hands.
“Mr. Johnson, you need to return to the office.”
“Flight 227 is not safe.”
A woman holding a toddler stepped out of line.
“What does that mean?”
Mercer moved quickly.
“It means nothing. We have a passenger creating a disturbance.”
David pointed through the glass.
“Your own diagnostic system shows an overheating electronics bay.”
“It showed a faulty sensor.”
“You don’t know that.”
“We have a maintenance release.”
“Signed after you pressured the mechanic.”
The line broke apart.
Passengers started talking over one another.
Phones came out.
Mercer’s smile disappeared.
“You are interfering with airline operations.”
“Good.”
Catherine stepped beside David.
“Flight 614 had the same electrical warning two weeks ago.”
Mercer’s eyes snapped to her.
“You were instructed not to discuss internal reports.”
“Then fire me.”
His expression barely changed.
“We already are.”
Catherine’s hand flinched.
For half a second, David saw the hit land.
Then she lifted her chin.
“Great. Now I can talk.”
A few passengers laughed nervously.
Mercer leaned toward her.
“You have no idea what you’re doing.”
“I know exactly what I’m doing.”
Malik appeared behind the glass, holding Lena’s laptop.
“Dad.”
The upload bar showed 61%.
Then the screen flickered.
Once.
Twice.
The terminal lights went out.
A collective gasp moved through the gate.
Emergency lights snapped on in red strips along the floor.
Across the glass, Flight 227’s cabin went black too.
Then came a faint sound from inside the aircraft.
Tick.
A pause.
Tick.
Tick.
Malik’s face went pale.
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“Dad... what’s that?”
