“Maya.”
Something in his voice changed.
“Please.”
She looked at Torres.
“Turn west.”
Reeves stared.
“We’ll be going away from land.”
Maya nodded.
“Do it.”
Flight 417 turned.
Five minutes passed.
Then ten.
Fuel dropped.
Passengers sat in terrified silence.
Leo was brought into the cockpit.
Maya pulled him against her side.
He stared through the windshield.
“Mom?”
“Yes?”
“Is that Ethan?”
He pointed toward the fighter beside them.
Maya swallowed.
“Yes.”
“The one you said was my dad?”
Everyone went silent.
Maya looked at her son.
There was no good way to tell a child that his father had been a ghost.
“Yes.”
Leo studied the aircraft for several seconds.
Then asked:
“Does he know I like dinosaurs?”
Despite everything, Maya laughed.
A real laugh.
Tears filled her eyes.
“No.”
Leo looked through the glass.
“He should know.”
Ethan’s voice came over the radio.
“I heard that.”
Leo’s eyes widened.
