Fly by Wire: A Novel by Ward Larsen Read Free Book Online Page A

up.
    Once the big jet was at cruising altitude, the ship's resonance settled to a businesslike hum. It was an oddly serene coalescence -- air vents hissing, massive engines droning, and a five hundred knot slipstream outside. Davis found it comforting, even relaxing.
    A flight attendant came down the aisle carrying a stack of pillows -- he knew if you called them "stewardesses" they'd look at you as if you were a dinosaur. Her dress, hair, and smile were all taut and professional. She handed over a pillow as gracefully as anyone could, and said, "Are you sure I can't get you a drink, sir?"
    "No," he replied, swirling his juice cup, "this is fine."
    "So you and the captain are old friends?"
    He smiled. "We flew together a long time ago."
    "You're not one of those pilots who hates flying in back, are you?"
    "Doesn't bother me a bit."
    "The first officer I'm dating doesn't like it. I guess it's a control thing," she said.
    On hearing those words, Davis fumbled his thoughts. "Yeah, I guess," he managed.
    The young woman smiled her pert company smile, went back to her deliveries.
    A control thing. The words pinged between his ears. It was the last thing Diane had ever said to him, the ending volley of a silly spat they'd had, delivered as she was heading out the door. It was funny how memories worked. The good ones -- and there were a lot when it came to Diane -- were there if you went looking for them. But the bad came looking for you. They popped up in your dreams, whispered in your ear, drifted on a familiar scent. All it took was the slightest odd association. And there wasn't a damn thing you could do.
    Davis pushed it all away, tried to settle in for the ten-hour crossing. He was familiar with riding in coach on long flights -- you got to know the people around you. But here in first class it seemed different. There was more space. With a quick look around, Davis decided that might not be such a bad thing. An older woman across the aisle, dripping with diamonds and accessories, sat sipping champagne from a fluted glass. He had watched her slam down two before they'd even left the ground. One more, he figured, add in the cabin altitude, and she'd be out for the count.
    In front of her, a middle-aged guy with slicked black hair kicked off his boat shoes and propped his bare feet on the table he'd be eating from in a few hours. Ahead of him was an angry-faced kid dressed like a rapper. He had a gold chain around his neck that would have anchored a trawler, and hanging from that was a gold bucket that reminded Davis of the things priests swung around to disperse incense. And he was already standing, even though the fasten seat belt sign was on. He was an idiot.
    Davis didn't like it up here. Didn't like being pampered. Jen would have loved it, though. He wished this assignment had come in the summer when he could have brought her. Davis felt for the cell phone in his pocket. They'd made him shut it off before getting airborne, which bothered him. He knew the thing would be useless while they crossed the pond, but it was his umbilical, his only link to Jen. Since Diane's death, his life had revolved completely around his daughter, a wobbling existence driven by the inertia of school dances, meet-your-teacher nights and swim meets. Not that he minded -- it was a good whirlwind. And so blasting off to Europe seemed wrong. It was too damned far away.
    The cabin lights went dim. Davis figured the flight attendants were trying to lull everyone to sleep. He looked out the window and saw a moonlit night sky. Soft white reflections played on a scalloped cloud deck below, a subtle image of the moon echoing upward from a smooth lake. It was a pretty night, the same kind of night Captain Earl Moore and First Officer Melinda Hendricks had certainly seen a thousand times.
    Davis settled into his seat, pressed the recline button until he was almost lying flat. It was comfortable, and if a career in the military had taught him anything it was