The doctor explained that the officer’s symptoms could be consistent with exposure to a toxic substance or another medical cause that required investigation.
Laura immediately looked around the cockpit.
“Where’s his coffee?”
The flight attendant checked.
“It was here earlier.”
“Where is it now?”
Nobody knew.
Laura felt a chill.
A failing flight-control system.
An unconscious first officer.
And now an item that might contain evidence had disappeared.
She looked at the captain.
“Lock the cockpit door.”
The captain stared at her.
“You think someone caused this?”
“I think we need to consider that possibility.”
The flight attendant suddenly called from the cabin.
“There is someone trying to reach the cockpit.”
“Who?”
“Richard Sterling.”
The captain’s face changed.
“Who is that?”
“Our airline’s director of flight operations.”
Laura frowned.
“Why is he trying to enter?”
“He says his position gives him authority to come inside.”
Laura didn’t like the sound of that.
The captain checked the cockpit camera.
Sterling was standing outside the door.
Moments later, the doctor found something else beneath the first officer’s seat.
A small plastic piece that appeared to have come from a medical or chemical container.
Laura looked at the object.
Then at the captain.
“We land first.”
The captain nodded.
Whatever was happening, they needed to get the aircraft safely on the ground.
The Landing
The aircraft was approaching Spain.
Heavy rain covered the windshield.
The wind was becoming stronger.
Then another warning appeared.
The hydraulic pressure associated with one of the landing-gear systems began falling.
The captain attempted to lower the landing gear.
Two indicators confirmed that the gear was properly positioned.
The third remained uncertain.
The right main landing gear had not fully confirmed that it was locked.
The captain tightened his grip.
“If that gear doesn’t hold, we could have a serious problem when we touch down.”
Laura took the secondary controls.
“I’ll help you keep the aircraft aligned.”
“You’ve never flown this aircraft.”
