Keller leaned forward.
“Location?”
“Later.”
“Hostile strength?”
“Unknown.”
“Extraction window?”
“Restricted.”
Reed frowned.
“That’s not much.”
“It’s more than you had five minutes ago.”
Nobody argued.
I continued.
“The target possesses knowledge capable of compromising critical defense infrastructure.
Under no circumstances will operational information be transmitted outside this aircraft.”
Briggs raised a hand slightly.
“Are communications isolated?”
“They are now.”
I had ordered the aircraft network physically segmented before departure.
If the leak originated inside my team, whoever caused it was temporarily trapped with us.
I watched reactions.
Nothing obvious.
Then Cole spoke.
“Chief.”
“What?”
“You said recovery.”
“Yes.”
“Is the target cooperative?”
“We don’t know.”
“Then it could turn into a forced extraction.”
“That possibility exists.”
He nodded.
Professional now.
Completely different from the man in the airport lounge.
People are rarely one thing.
That makes them dangerous to judge.
The aircraft suddenly jolted.
Not turbulence.
A warning tone sounded.
Keller looked toward the cockpit.
“That wasn’t weather.”
Another tone.
Then the aircraft banked sharply left.
Nguyen grabbed the seat beside her.
“What the hell?”
The cockpit door opened.
A crew chief appeared.
“Possible avionics fault. Stay secured.”
Keller immediately stood.
“I’m aviation.”
The crew chief shook his head.
