They waited.
The cabin behind them stayed quiet except for occasional crying and whispered prayers. Dana could hear Bradley demanding to know whether his phone would work soon. Somehow, that steadied her.
Normal human selfishness was reassuring.
Then Viper raised a closed fist and opened it.
CLEAR.
The emergency frequency came alive at the same moment.
“Civilian Flight 782, hold position. Ground interference source contained. Communications restoration in progress. Maintain engines at idle.”
Rourke answered immediately.
Dana stepped back from the windshield.
Her work was done.
At least that was what she told herself.
Then Viper’s voice came through the guard channel.
“Wraith, if you’re in that cockpit, acknowledge.”
Dana froze.
Rourke looked at her.
She reached for the headset.
Her fingers stopped an inch above it.
Two years earlier, the last voice she had heard on a military frequency before walking away had belonged to Lieutenant Ethan Vale.
“Wraith, take them home. I’ve got your six.”
Then fire.
Then static.
Dana had not flown since.
She put on the headset.
“Viper, Wraith. I read you.”
Silence.
Then Jack Reyes breathed out a laugh that cracked halfway through.
“Yeah. That’s you.”
Dana stared straight ahead.
“You have the ground source?”
“Security does. Modified maintenance transceiver. Somebody piggybacked a false emergency code onto the airport disruption. They were trying to force a military response and ground departures. We do not know why yet.”
