“Understood, Sandra,” the captain replied, his voice grim and focused. “We are forty minutes from touchdown. Keep the cabin completely calm. I will notify JFK Port Authority to handle this discreetly at the gate so we don’t cause a mass panic on a fully loaded aircraft.” As the plane began its steep drop toward New York, the intercom crackled to life, instructing passengers to fasten their seatbelts.
The sudden change in cabin pressure caused Daniel to snap awake. He instantly looked at Chloe, his eyes narrowing to slits as he noticed the subtle shift in her posture. She was leaning heavily toward the aisle, her eyes locked on Sandra. Daniel’s fists balled up instantly, tighter than before.
He leaned in close again, whispering through his teeth, his face dark with renewed fury. Chloe let out a sharp, audible sob, burying her face in her hands as the aircraft’s engines roared, fighting the low-altitude wind shear. Sandra stood like a sentinel, her hands gripping the galley counter. The plane’s wheels finally slammed onto the runway, beginning the tense taxi to the terminal.