Andrew looked at her.
“You think someone did this intentionally?”
“I think somebody wanted your first officer unable to fly.”
The aircraft began descending toward an emergency airport in northern Spain.
Then another warning appeared.
Hydraulic pressure controlling the right landing gear began dropping.
Almost immediately afterward, the cockpit keypad sounded.
Someone outside was attempting to gain access.
Andrew checked the camera.
“It’s Richard Sterling.”
“Who?”
“Director of Flight Operations for the airline. He’s traveling in first class.”
The lead flight attendant called through the interphone.
“Captain, do not open the door. Mr. Sterling is demanding to enter and says his executive position gives him authority.”
Laura’s expression hardened.
Nothing about the situation felt accidental anymore.
Moments later, the flight attendant called again.
“The doctor found a small plastic cap beneath the first officer’s seat. It looks like it came from a vial.”
Andrew turned toward the windshield.
Through heavy rain, runway lights finally appeared in the distance.
“We land first,” he said.
Laura slid into the unconscious co-pilot’s seat and fastened the harness.
“Agreed. Whatever else is happening can wait until we’re on the ground.”
The airliner descended through intense rain and powerful crosswinds.
Andrew lowered the landing gear.
Two green indicators appeared.
The third did not.
The right main landing gear had not confirmed that it was securely locked.
Andrew’s jaw tightened.
“If that gear folds when we touch down, we could leave the runway.”
Laura placed her hands on the secondary controls.
“I’ll back you up.”
“You’ve never landed this type of airliner.”
“No.”
Laura stared toward the runway.
“But I know how to keep an aircraft straight when systems start failing.”
The jet crossed the runway threshold.
The wheels struck the pavement.
For one terrifying second, the aircraft tilted toward the right.
The questionable landing gear groaned beneath the enormous weight.
Laura immediately compensated with rudder and asymmetric thrust.
Andrew kept the nose aligned.
Then a loud mechanical clunk echoed beneath them.
The landing gear lock finally engaged.
Reverse thrust roared.
The aircraft slowed.
Seconds later, it came to a complete stop.
Behind the cockpit door, nearly three hundred passengers erupted into applause, crying and cheering at once.
Laura remained silent.
