Chapter 7 - THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT WHO KNEW ELENA
Jillian went white when she saw the transmitter.
“I never touched that bear.”
I believed her.
Which meant someone else had.
Cabin movement had been restricted.
Passengers remained seated.
Crew access was limited.
The possibilities were shrinking.
Then Norah looked at Jillian.
“You know my mom.”
Jillian froze.
I turned.
“What?”
Norah pointed at the small silver necklace around Jillian’s neck.
A tiny airplane charm.
“Mom had one like that.”
Jillian’s face changed.
I stood slowly.
“Jillian.”
She looked toward the floor.
“You knew Elena?”
For several seconds, she didn’t answer.
Then she nodded.
“Yes.”
My blood turned cold.
“How?”
“She was my sister.”
I stared.
“What?”
Norah sat upright.
“Mom had a sister?”
Jillian’s eyes filled with tears.
“Half sister.”
I could barely process it.
Elena told me her family was gone.
Parents dead.
No siblings.
Now a flight attendant on the exact plane Arthur booked claimed to be her sister.
Jillian sat across from us.
“My mother had Elena before she married my father.”
“Why didn’t Elena tell me?”
“Because she didn’t trust anyone connected to our family.”
My jaw tightened.
“Why?”
Jillian looked toward the cockpit.
“Our father worked aviation security.”
My stomach dropped.
“Name?”
She swallowed.
“Elias Ward.”
The world stopped.
Elias.
Elena’s father.
Jillian’s father.
My commanding officer.
The man I thought died nine years ago.
Norah whispered:
“Grandpa?”
Jillian nodded through tears.
“Yes.”
I felt sick.
Elena knew Elias long before she met me.
That meant our marriage hadn’t been random.
My past and hers had been connected from the beginning.
“Did Elena know I served under Elias?”
“Yes.”
“And she never told me?”
“No.”
“Why?”
Jillian wiped her eyes.
“Because Elias told her not to.”
Anger surged through me.
“Where is he?”
She looked at me.
“London.”
I stared.
“He staged this?”
“No.”
“Then why threaten the aircraft?”
“He didn’t.”
I laughed bitterly.
“I heard his voice.”
“Arthur used recordings.”
I stopped.
Jillian continued.
“Dad sent me because he knew Arthur might target this flight.”
My chest tightened.
“So you knew we were in danger before departure?”
“I knew there was a risk.”
“And you let my daughter board?”
Her eyes flashed.
“I begged your airline security team to intervene. Someone buried the warning.”
“Who?”
She swallowed.
Then looked toward the front cabin.
“The captain.”
I stared.
“What?”
Jillian shook her head.
“Not the man flying.”
She lowered her voice.
“The original captain assigned to Flight 718 was replaced at O’Hare.”
My blood ran cold.
“By whom?”
May you like
She whispered:
“By a pilot Arthur Cole has been paying for six years.”
