Chapter 4 - The Threat in Seat 4B
Marcus moved down the center aisle of the Boeing 777 with quiet efficiency, returning thirty seconds later with three-year-old Maya tucked under one arm and her gray-brown rabbit clutched in her hand. Maya rubbed her sleepy eyes, burying her face into Leah’s stomach the moment her feet touched the carpet.
"Leah? Where are we?" Maya murmured, confused by the wide leather suites and the darkened cabin.
"We’re safe, sweetie," Leah whispered, smoothing down her sister's messy curls. "We’re with family."
Julian looked at Maya, his eyes shining with unshed tears. He saw his sister’s jawline, the same stubborn tilt of the chin. But there was no time for a reunion.
"Marcus," Julian said, keeping his voice beneath the rumble of the engines. "Who has access to the forward cabin?"
"Eight passengers in first class, twelve in business," Marcus replied, reviewing the manifest on his phone. "The disc on Noah had to be planted before takeoff, likely during the pre-boarding chaos at JFK. But the data uplink pinging the ground right now? That requires a local relay device within thirty feet of Suite 1A."
Leah looked down the narrow aisle of first class. To their left sat an elderly couple asleep under noise-canceling headphones. To their right, an empty seat. But in Seat 4B, three rows back, a man in a crisp navy blazer sat with his laptop open, typing furiously without looking up.
"He hasn't taken off his sunglasses," Leah whispered.
Julian followed her gaze. "Arthur Pendelton. Supposedly a venture capitalist from Zurich. He boarded last."
"Look at his hands," Leah noted. Her voice was steady, trained by months of watching her mother analyze security protocols. "He isn't typing words. His fingers are just hitting the spacebar and the enter key in a rhythm. He’s watching the reflection in the window."
Marcus drew a breath. "I’ll subdue him."
"No," Julian stopped him. "If he triggers a dead-man's switch on his phone, the flight controls or cabin pressurization could be compromised. We don't know what malware they uploaded to the onboard satellite system."
"Then let me do it," Leah said.
Julian stared at her. "Absolutely not. You're ten years old."
"And that’s why he won't look at me," Leah said firmly. "He thinks I’m a scared kid from economy who wandered up here because my baby brother was crying. If Marcus walks toward him, he hits enter. If I walk toward him, he ignores me."
May you like
Before Julian could grab her arm, Leah picked up an open can of ginger ale from the galley counter, turned on her heel, and walked straight down the aisle toward Seat 4B.
---
