Falling at 30,000 feets

The pilot lounge buzzed with low conversation the next morning. Coffee machines hummed steadily, dispensing dark brew into ceramic cups. Chairs scraped softly against the tile floor as staff shifted positions, and uniformed pilots and crew drifted in and out between flights, their voices carrying snippets of talk about weather patterns and flight schedules.

Jenny sat at a corner table tucked away from the main traffic flow, stirring her coffee slowly-far longer than necessary, her spoon clinking against the porcelain cup in a rhythmic, nervous pattern. Her eyes were fixed on the dark liquid swirling in her cup, but her thoughts were elsewhere, racing through every possible way this could unfold.

Unsteady. Fragile. Like ice on thin water.

Across the room, Jane stood at the coffee machine, calm as ever, preparing her drink with deliberate movements. She measured out her creamer precisely, added just a touch of honey, and stirred once-slowly-before lifting the cup to her lips. Her posture was straight, her expression relaxed, as if she had no idea what was about to unfold.

The door swung open with a sharp bang against the wall.

Reuben stepped in-his jaw set, his expression serious-followed by two members of the airline's investigation crew. Both wore crisp blazers with Aurelia's logo embroidered on the lapel, and carried leather folders thick with documents.

The atmosphere shifted instantly. Conversations died down to whispers, then fell completely silent as everyone turned to watch the newcomers.

One of the crew members-a woman with short dark hair and sharp eyes-stepped forward, scanning the room with a practiced gaze. "Who here is Jane Harley?"

Jenny's grip tightened around her cup, her knuckles turning white. The spoon clattered against the rim as her hand trembled slightly.

Her heart dropped.

They know.

Before she could react-before she could even stand up-

Jane turned around from the coffee machine, her cup held casually in her hand.

"I am," she said evenly, her voice carrying clearly across the quiet room. "What's the issue?"

Jenny's head snapped up in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief. She stared at Jane, her mouth slightly open as she processed what she'd just heard.

The investigator raised her phone, tapping the screen to display a photo-Rosa seated in the captain's chair, a glass of red liquid raised in her hand, smiling proudly at the camera. The control panels were clearly visible in the background.

"The aircraft in this image is your regularly assigned plane-GC2711," she said, her eyes fixed on Jane. "We need your cooperation in an ongoing investigation into unauthorized access and potential safety violations."

Jane's eyes darkened slightly-but she remained composed, taking a slow sip of her coffee before setting the cup down on the counter.

"Yesterday," she replied, her voice steady and clear, "I submitted a formal request for a full maintenance check on that aircraft. I noted concerns about possible contamination in the flight deck."

A ripple passed through the room. Pilots exchanged worried glances, and a few leaned forward, their interest piqued.

Jenny shifted in her seat, her confidence slipping as she watched Jane take control of the conversation.

No... no, this isn't how it should go.

Her breathing quickened, her chest tightening with panic.

Then suddenly-

She stood up.

Her chair scraped loudly against the floor, the sound echoing sharply in the quiet room.

"Jane!" she called out sharply, her voice cutting through the silence.

All eyes turned to her now-investigators, pilots, even Reuben, who'd been standing quietly in the background.

"You're lying," Jenny said, her voice firm despite the tremor underneath. She stepped away from the table, forcing her shoulders back as she faced Jane. "You were the one who led them in. You invited your family to tour the aircraft and took them straight into the cockpit."

A pause. The room held its breath.

Jane smiled.

Not warm. Not friendly. Amused-like she was watching a poorly performed play.

"You think deflecting blame will work?" she asked lightly, tilting her head slightly as she looked at Jenny. "After everything that happened yesterday?"

"It's the truth," Jenny insisted, stepping forward now, forcing confidence into her posture and her voice. "I can prove the woman in the photo is her aunt-"

She turned to the investigators, gesturing toward Jane with a steady hand.

"And she is the captain assigned to that aircraft. She has full authority over who enters the flight deck."

"Captain Harley," one of the investigators said, stepping closer to Jane, "we'll need you to come with us to the investigation office. We have a lot to discuss."

Jane exhaled slowly, her gaze sweeping across the room-lingering for a moment on Jenny's tense face, then on Reuben's satisfied expression-before nodding calmly.

"Of course," she said. Then she spoke again, her voice carrying to every corner of the lounge.

"Yesterday, the woman in that photo who is Jenny's mother-"she said calmly, her eyes meeting the investigator's directly. "I discovered them inside the cockpit, I deleted all images on the device they were using. That one must have been missed-"

Jenny's expression faltered.

Just for a second. Her eyes darted away from Jane's gaze, then quickly back, her jaw tightening.

Jane continued, her tone steady and unwavering.

"I will accept any penalties related to delayed reporting or procedural delay-I should have notified security immediately rather than trying to handle it privately. But I will not take responsibility for actions I did not authorize, nor for violations I did not commit."

Silence. Heavy and charged, hanging in the air like storm clouds.

Then-

"Jane..."

Jenny's voice changed. Softened. Almost pleading. She took a small step forward, her eyes welling with what looked like tears.

"My mother has always treated you well," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "She made you meals when you were studying for your exams,"

She paused, wiping a fake tear from her cheek.

"And I warned you not to take them inside," she continued, her voice growing stronger. "I told you it was against regulations. But you insisted-you said you were the captain and would take full responsibility if anything went wrong."

Murmurs spread across the lounge. Pilots leaned toward each other, whispering as they looked from Jenny to Jane and back again.

Reuben's lips curved slightly into a satisfied smile. He'd been waiting for this moment-waiting to see Jane brought low.

Jenny pressed on, her performance growing more convincing by the second.

"That's why my mother followed you," she said, her voice earnest and sincere. "She trusted you. Otherwise... as a co-pilot, I would never dare bring anyone into the cockpit without captain approval. I know better than that."

She lowered her gaze slightly-playing the part of the loyal subordinate who'd been caught in her superior's mistake.

Innocent. Controlled. Just following orders.

Reuben stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on Jenny's shoulder.

"Jane," he said, his tone filled with disappointment, his voice carrying clearly across the room. "I expected better from you. You've always been such a dedicated pilot-one of our best."

Jane didn't react. She stood perfectly still, her expression calm and unreadable.

"I thought you'd at least take accountability," he continued, shaking his head slowly. "Instead, you're trying to shift the blame to Jenny-someone who's worked so hard to build her career here."

A beat. He paused for effect, letting his words sink in.

"Earlier yesterday," Reuben added, pulling out his own phone and scrolling through messages, "you requested authorization from me for an external tour of the aircraft. I approved it in good faith, thinking you wanted to show family members the tarmac and boarding areas."

A subtle shift. The blame-redirected, solidified, impossible to ignore.

"I never imagined you would escalate it into cockpit access," he said, his voice heavy with regret. "Or that you would put the safety of our aircraft and passengers at risk like this."

The room grew quiet. So quiet you could hear the hum of the overhead lights.

Everyone watching. Waiting.

Jane said nothing at first. She simply walked over to the nearest chair-Jenny's chair, as it happened-and sat down.

Relaxed. Composed. She crossed one leg over the other, resting her hands casually in her lap.

Then she leaned back slightly, her gaze lifting to meet Reuben's.

Sharp. Unmoved. Like she was looking at something irrelevant.

"Are you certain," she said slowly, her voice low but carrying perfectly across the quiet room,

"that I initiated the entry?"

She paused, letting the question hang in the air.

"Of course," Jenny said, her face tight with worry-though her eyes flickered with something harder, more desperate. Across from her, Jane only watched-calm, almost entertained, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup as if she were simply observing a particularly uninteresting flight pattern.

"Who else but you?" Jenny pressed, stepping closer, her voice carrying just enough to reach every corner of the quiet lounge. "Jane, I suggest you admit your mistake now. If you cooperate fully, you might get leniency-maybe just suspension instead of termination."

Reuben slid his hands into his pockets, a faint, calculating smile playing at the corners of his lips. He'd positioned himself near the investigation crew, making sure he was seen as the responsible authority figure. "But..." Jenny added, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, her movements deliberate and practiced, "even with cooperation, you'll likely be grounded for at least a year. Maybe longer."

"She deserves it," Reuben cut in smoothly, his voice heavy with disappointment. "She knows better than anyone that unauthorized personnel can't enter the cockpit. Safety protocols aren't suggestions-they're there to protect everyone on board."

Jane lowered her gaze, a quiet smile forming on her lips-soft, almost amused.

"Yet she did it anyway," Reuben continued, his tone shifting to something more authoritative. "I'll be filing a formal request for termination... and compensation for Aurelia's reputation loss-one million dollars. That's the minimum we can do to show regulators we take this seriously."

Jane lifted her head slowly, her eyes locking onto his. The amusement was gone now, replaced by something cold and steady.

"I refuse."

The room stilled. Every breath, every movement seemed to stop as those two simple words hung in the air.

Without another word, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. A soft tap on the screen-and then-

Jenny's voice filled the lounge, clear and unfiltered through the phone's speaker:

"Jane, stay out of this... I just informed Reuben and he already gave me a special visitation approval."

Silence.

Jenny's hands began to tremble, her face draining of color as she stared at Jane's phone.

Reuben turned sharply toward her, shock flickering across his face-followed by something darker. Disappointment. Calculation. His hand tightened in his pocket, knuckles white against his phone.

"You recorded us?" Jenny's voice cracked, tears welling in her eyes-but there was no real sadness there, only fear. "That's illegal! You can't record people without their permission!"

Jane stepped forward, her tone steady, cutting through the rising panic.

"Illegally entering the cockpit is serious," she said, her voice carrying clearly across the room. "With your history of spreading rumors and falsifying reports, preserving evidence was necessary. Or should I have waited for you to frame me? To let you destroy my career because you couldn't admit you made a mistake?"

"You-" Jenny began, her voice rising to a shriek-

But the investigation crew stepped in, two members moving to stand on either side of her.

"First Officer Jenny Burrows," the lead investigator said, her voice firm but calm, "you will need to come with us to the investigation office. We have more questions for you-"

Jenny tried to resist, panic breaking through her carefully constructed composure as she stumbled backward. "No-wait-"

But firm hands gripped her shoulders and led her out, her protests echoing down the corridor-"It's not fair! She set me up!"-as the door closed behind her with a final, decisive click.

The lounge erupted into murmurs. Pilots and crew members turned to each other, whispering excitedly, their eyes darting toward Jane with a mix of admiration and surprise.

Reuben stood frozen for a moment-then turned to Jane, his face carefully schooled into an expression of regret.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, stepping closer. "Jenny told me you requested the approval... showed me messages she'd fabricated to look like they were from you. That's why I signed off on it-I thought it was legitimate."

"Reuben Lincoln," Jane cut in, her voice sharp enough to make him flinch. "Bring your brain to work next time."

He flinched, running a hand through his hair as he avoided her gaze. "This is my fault-I should have verified it. I take full responsibility for approving the access without proper checks." Then, hesitating, he added, "But... could you help Jenny? Just a little?"

Jane stared at him, her expression unreadable.

"You're already a captain," he continued, pressing on despite her silence. "With your record, they won't punish you harshly. Probably just a fine, maybe a short suspension. But if you tell them you encouraged the tour-just a little-you could take some of the heat off her."

Her disbelief was unmistakable, her eyes widening slightly as she looked at him.

"So you want me to take the blame for her?" she asked, her voice low but clear. "After she lied about me, tried to destroy my career, and contaminated an aircraft that could have put hundreds of lives at risk?"

Reuben gave a strained smile, reaching out as if to touch her arm-then pulling his hand back when she stepped away. "She's still young. Because of... everything before-her failed captain's exam, the earlier misconduct investigation-she's already struggling at the airport. Another scandal like this-she'll be terminated for good. She'll never fly again."

Jane tilted her head slightly, her expression softening-into something that looked like pity. Not for Jenny, but for him.

"If you care about her so much," she said slowly, her voice carrying a weight he couldn't quite place, "why don't you take the blame yourself? Tell them you knew exactly what she was doing, that you approved it because you wanted to help her impress her family."

"Jane-" Reuben's tone sharpened, his patience wearing thin. "Don't be heartless. She's your cousin-family means something, doesn't it?"

"And she's your mistress," Jane replied instantly, stepping closer, her voice low but cutting through the quiet room like a blade. "You've been sneaking around with her for months-Why don't you help her out? Take responsibility for the mess you both created."

The words landed like a slap. Reuben's face flushed bright red with embarrassment, then darkened with anger as he glanced around to see if anyone had heard. A few pilots were watching them closely, their whispers growing quieter as they focused on the exchange.

Before he could respond, Jane turned and walked past him, her steps steady, unhurried. She didn't look back, didn't give him another word-just headed for the door, her posture straight and proud.

Reuben stood there, jaw tight, watching her retreating figure. His hand slowly curled into a fist at his side, his knuckles white with suppressed fury.

Anger replaced embarrassment.

Calculation returned.

He pulled out his phone and stepped into a quiet corner of the lounge, dialing a number from memory. It rang twice before being answered.

"...Dad," he said, his voice low, his eyes fixed on the door Jane had just exited through. "I need one more favor."

A pause on the other end-then a deep voice replied, "What is it this time?"

"Claim the cockpit breach was done by Jane Harley," Reuben said, his tone cold and determined.

Jayden sat behind his desk, flipping through a stack of documents with calm precision. The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office, casting warm light across the polished wood and leather furniture. The office was quiet-save for the soft scratch of his pen and the gentle hum of the air conditioning-until the door creaked open without warning.

Michael slipped in, trying to move quietly despite his large frame. His head was slightly bowed, his usual cheerful demeanor replaced by a more serious expression as he sneaked a glance at Jayden... and immediately straightened when he caught the sharp glare directed at him.

Without a word, he pulled out a thick file he had been hiding behind his back and strode toward the desk with exaggerated confidence-though his hands trembled slightly as he set it down.

"Your wife's about to get fired," he said casually, dropping the file in front of Jayden with a soft thud. "And you're sitting here like you're reviewing flight schedules? This relaxed?"

Jayden didn't look up immediately, finishing his notes on the document before him. "What happened?"

"See for yourself."

Jayden picked up the file and began flipping through it-reports, witness statements, even doctored photos that appeared to show Jane leading Rosa and the others toward the aircraft. His expression shifted-subtle at first, a slight furrow of his brow, then firm as he recognized the inconsistencies. He exhaled slowly, shaking his head in disbelief.

"She wouldn't do this," he said flatly, setting the file down. "This report is falsified. The timestamps don't match, the witness statements contradict each other... even the photo metadata shows they were edited."

Michael raised a brow, feigning surprise. "That confident? The evidence looks solid-Bennett Lincoln personally signed off on it, and half the board is backing his version of events."

Jayden closed the file and looked straight at him, his eyes dark with resolve. "I trust Jane."

Michael clicked his tongue, studying him for a long moment. "...First time I'm seeing that look on you. The 'don't mess with what's mine' look."

Jayden's head tilted slightly, a faint crease forming between his brows. "What look?"

Michael smirked, leaning against the edge of the desk. "Only one word for it-smitten. You've gone soft for her."

Jayden rolled his eyes, turning back to his computer screen. "Ridiculous. This is about upholding standards and protecting innocent personnel."

He handed the file back to Michael, his voice growing more serious. "Investigate. Every lead. I want to know who really doctored those documents, who pressured witnesses to lie, and how far the Lincolns are willing to go to protect their own."

Michael took the file slowly, his expression shifting from teasing to serious. "I already did. It was Bennett Lincoln-he pulled strings with the IT department to alter the flight deck access logs. Paid off two maintenance workers to say they saw Jane leading the group in."

Jayden's gaze darkened slightly, his jaw tightening.

"And his son," Michael added, leaning in closer, lowering his voice. "Reuben Lincoln. Your wife's ex-though I'm guessing you already knew that part."

A pause. The air in the office grew heavy with unspoken anger.

"To protect his mistress," Michael continued, shaking his head in disgust, "he pinned everything on Jane. Even told the board she has 'emotional instability issues' from her childhood, that she can't be trusted with command."

Silence settled between them. Jayden's fingers curled into fists on the desk, knuckles white against the dark wood.

Michael exhaled heavily, pushing off the desk and walking toward the window, hands in his pockets. "She's being bullied right in front of you, Jayden. You're really not going to do anything? Let them destroy her career just because you're still hiding who you are?"

Jayden picked up a pen and began rolling it between his fingers, his expression unreadable. He was quiet for a long moment, staring at the city spread out below them.

"What's your advice?" he asked calmly.

Michael turned, his eyes flashing with his usual fire. "Simple. Break Reuben's legs-metaphorically speaking, of course. Drive the Lincolns out of Seattle, out of the airline industry entirely. That's what top CEOs do-protect what's theirs and crush anyone who stands in their way."

Jayden glanced at him, unimpressed but not entirely dismissive. "We are a lawful society, Michael. We don't solve problems with threats. We gather evidence. Submit to regulators. File formal complaints with the FAA and the Department of Transportation. Lifetime grounding for anyone involved in falsifying safety records... massive fines that will drain their personal and corporate accounts."

He paused, the pen stilling in his hand.

"That will ruin them more effectively than any physical violence ever could."

Michael turned, eyes widening slightly in surprise. "...Wow. First time you've sounded this ruthless. I always knew there was a tiger hiding under that calm exterior."

He leaned closer, peering into Jayden's face with a knowing look. "You're really falling for her, aren't you?"

Jayden said nothing, turning back to his desk and pulling up a new document on his screen. But the faint smile that touched his lips gave him away.

"Well," Michael added with a shrug, heading for the door, "our little Jane deserves it. She's one of the best pilots Aurelia has-she shouldn't have to fight battles like this alone."

The pen in Jayden's hand slammed against the desk with a sharp crack, the plastic casing splitting slightly at the impact.

"...Little Jane?" he repeated, voice low and dangerous.

Michael froze mid-step, then quickly slapped his own cheek lightly, laughing nervously. "My apologies. Slip of the tongue. Captain Harley is more than capable of handling herself-and she's certainly not 'little' in any sense of the word."

Jayden held his gaze for a moment longer... then returned to his documents, already typing out instructions for the legal team.

Three hours later

A notice stamped with the Chief Pilot's official seal was pinned to the airport's main bulletin board-large, bold, impossible to miss. Within minutes, staff began gathering around it, craning their necks to read the words printed in black and red ink.

Murmurs spread quickly through the crowd, growing louder with every passing second.

"So the cockpit incident... it was Jenny's mother?"

"Unbelievable... they had us all believing she'd lost her mind."

Two air hostesses leaned closer, reading carefully over each other's shoulders.

"She blamed Captain Harley? Fabricated evidence and everything?" one whispered, her eyes wide with shock.

"So shameless," the other replied, shaking her head.

Nearby, two first officers exchanged grim looks, their voices low but serious.

"Captain Lincoln is finished this time. The board's already voting to strip him of his title."

"Even selling his shares won't cover those fines-they're talking twenty million dollars for falsifying safety records."

"Aurelia's reputation..." one muttered, running a hand through his hair. "They've dragged everyone into investigation-"

"They deserve to be fired. Maybe even charged criminally for endangering passengers."

Jane stood among them, silent, her hands clasped calmly at her sides.

She swallowed once-then stepped forward, her voice clear and steady enough to cut through the chatter.

"Enough," she said firmly. "This changes nothing about our responsibilities. There's a flight to Denver this afternoon-we're already behind schedule preparing the aircraft. Back to work."

"Yes, Captain," they chorused, dispersing quickly, their respect for her growing even stronger now that her name had been cleared.

The crowd cleared, leaving Jane standing alone by the board. She stared at the notice for a moment longer-then turned to head for the tarmac.

And then-

Footsteps rushed in from behind, loud and frantic against the tile floor.

"Jane!"

Jenny's voice-sharp, panicked, tears streaming down her face as she pushed through the last of the crowd.

Jane turned slowly, her expression calm and distant as Jenny grabbed her arm tightly, her breath coming in uneven gasps. Reuben stood just behind her, his jaw tight, his face pale with anger and fear.

"Go explain this to them!" Jenny demanded, pointing toward the regulators' office down the corridor. "Fix this! Tell them it was all a mistake-you can still take responsibility, right?"

Jane stared at her-calm, like one would look at a child throwing a tantrum in a public place. Unmoved by the drama, unbothered by the unfair demand.

"If not for your negligence," Jenny continued frantically, her nails digging into Jane's arm, "would I have let them in? You should have stopped us! How can you blame me for this?!"