Chapter 3: Shadows in the Hangar
The news hit Mark like a physical blow. Liquidated? Evelyn hadn't mentioned anything about losing the company.
“You have no jurisdiction here, Sterling,” David growled, stepping in front of the aircraft.
Sterling waved a legal document. “Evelyn is grounded. Board's orders. Her assets are frozen pending a safety investigation. Someone tipped the FAA about critical maintenance failures on her primary jet.”
Mark’s aviation instincts flared. Evelyn’s jet was meticulously maintained—by his own father, and later by David. There were no safety failures. He watched as Sterling’s mechanics moved toward the backup fleet. They weren't inspecting them; they were tampering with them.
Stripped of his badge and authority, Mark waited until midnight. He slipped past airport security, navigating the blind spots his father had taught him years ago. He broke into the hangar office and dug into the archives, finding his father’s old leather-bound maintenance logs.
He matched the serial numbers. Sterling wasn't just taking over; he was fabricating evidence of structural failure to force Evelyn out of the CEO position. Worse, Mark saw Sterling's head mechanic adjusting the hydraulic lines on Evelyn’s personal backup plane. It was sabotage.
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Before Mark could record the crime on his phone, a heavy flashlight cracked against the back of his head. He crumpled to the concrete. He woke up zip-tied to a chair, Sterling standing over him.
“Like father, like son,” Sterling sneered. “Always sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. Let the police know we caught a disgruntled ex-employee trying to vandalize the planes.”
