A security officer opened the gate.
“Nightglass team, boarding.”
We moved through.
No commercial aircraft waited outside.
Instead, a gray military transport sat beyond the jet bridge area, engines already turning.
Rain streaked across the windows.
I watched each member of the team as we boarded.
Not their faces.
Their hands.
Hands reveal anticipation better than eyes do.
Reed flexed his fingers.
Nguyen tightened a strap.
Pike touched the pocket containing his credentials.
Keller checked his watch.
Cole adjusted his tactical bag.
Briggs did nothing.
Interesting.
Inside the aircraft, everyone secured equipment.
I took the forward seat.
Cole sat across from me.
The engines deepened.
Moments later we were moving.
Sea-Tac disappeared behind curtains of rain.
Nobody knew where we were going.
Nobody knew the real mission.
And somewhere among the six people sitting in front of me might be someone who had already betrayed it.
Thirty minutes into the flight, I began the briefing.
“Operation Nightglass is compartmentalized.”
Every face turned toward me.
“You will receive information only as required.”
Pike smiled.
“So basically a normal Tuesday.”
“No questions until I finish.”
His smile disappeared.
“Our objective is recovery of a high-value technical specialist currently believed held outside allied control.”
