Page 102 of Gilded in Blood

The pilot spots us and walks over. “Good afternoon, sir.”

“Captain.”

He gives me a reassuring smile.

“She’s ready to go. We completed the pre-flight inspection, fueled her up, and filed the flight plan. Weather is clear all the way to New York.”

I look past him at the jet. Something still doesn’t feel right.

“Sure you’ve checked everything?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Everything?”

He nods.

“The exterior inspection, control surfaces, hydraulics, landing gear, fuel levels, oil pressure, avionics, flight controls, engines. We ran through the entire checklist.”

I don’t answer. Instead, I keep staring at the aircraft. The feeling in my gut only grows heavier.

“Captain…”

He follows my gaze.

“…run it again.”

His smile disappears. “Sir?”

“The inspection.”

“We already completed it.”

“I know.”

“And my crew went over it twice before your arrival.”

“I heard you.”

He hesitates.

“We’re cutting it close for our departure slot. If we don’t push back soon, Air Traffic Control may move us to the next window.”

“I don’t care.”

He studies me for a second.

“Run it again.”

Milana steps closer. “Kirill. If the captain says they’ve checked everything…” She slips her hand into mine. “…then they’ve checked everything.”

I wish I believed that.

“What’s going on?” she asks softly. “Do you think something’s wrong?”

I open my mouth. Nothing comes out. Because I don’t know what’s wrong. I don’t know if anything is wrong.

“I don’t know,” I admit quietly.