Garrett pointed toward the end of the tunnel:
“Tyler found that card three weeks ago, Emily.
He discovered what his father had done to his grandfather.
And he knew that if Harrison found out, Tyler would be silenced before the evidence could reach the authorities.”
“That is why Tyler told the judge he wanted to live with Harrison,” Garrett breathed, tears shining in his eyes:
“He volunteered to walk into that snake pit so he could get close to Harrison’s encrypted travel terminal.
He sacrificed your love, he endured your heartbreak, and he handed you that card at the airport because you are the only person on this earth he knew would never surrender it!”
My tears fell hot and fast, splashing against the cold black titanium in my palm.
My thirteen-year-old boy.
My brave, brilliant, selfless son who had stood in that courtroom and called his mother a failure so he could avenge his grandfather and save our family from annihilation.
At that exact second, from the primary synchronization terminal at the end of the gangway, a loud, continuous, red-phosphor alarm klaxon began to pulse:
*BEEP.
BEEP.
BEEP.*
A high-definition green digital status line illuminated across the central command screen:
`TELEMETRY ALERT: SATELLITE INTERCEPT // AIRWAYS WEST`
`AIRCRAFT IDENTIFIER: GULFSTREAM G650 // TAIL N-774-VALKYRIE`
`PASSENGERS: HARRISON ARTHUR COLE, TYLER RICHARD COLE`
`ORIGIN: DULLES INTERNATIONAL // FLIGHT PLAN: ZURICH VIA REYKJAVIK`
`STATUS: DIVERTED MID-FLIGHT BY CABIN EXECUTIVE COMMAND`
`NEW DESTINATION: PRIVATE AIRSTRIP // GREAT FALLS REDOUBT`
`ESTIMATED TIME TO LANDING: 12 MINUTES`
Garrett lunged to the console, his fingers flying across the mechanical keyboard:
“The plane didn’t leave the country!”
Garrett gasped, his eyes wild:
“Harrison checked his luggage manifest over the Atlantic!
He realized the titanium card was missing from his briefcase!
He ordered the pilot to turn the aircraft around!”
The screen flashed crimson:
`SECURITY INTERCEPT: INCOMING SATELLITE AUDIO TRANSMISSION`
`SOURCE: CABIN COMMUNICATOR // H.
COLE`
