I promise. They walked into the house together and for exactly 40 minutes over spaghetti and a plate of garlic bread Carol had clearly made with shaking hands. Ethan Cole almost managed to forget that his entire carefully buried past had just detonated in front of 200 people and a documentary crew. Then his phone rang. Unknown number.
He almost didn't answer it. Then some old instinct. The same instinct that had told him 3 days ago to check the tail rotor coupling made him pick up. Ethan Cole, a woman's voice, brisk professional. Who's asking?
My name is Denise Park. I'm a producer with National Nightly News. We got hold of the footage from Sky Nova's demonstration today, and we would love the opportunity to Ethan hung up. The phone rang again 30 seconds later, different number. Mr. Cole, this is with the Associated Press.
We're doing a story on the Sky Nova incident and we understand you have a background as a He hung up again. By the time the fourth call came in, Sophie had stopped eating and was watching him with wide, worried eyes, and Carol had reached over and gently taken his phone out of his hand. "Let me handle this," she said. "Eat something." Carol, you don't understand.
This isn't going to stop. I know. She was already scrolling through his notifications with a grimace. You have 41 missed calls, Ethan. 41 in the last hour.
Ethan put his fork down. His appetite had evaporated completely. There's more. Carol said slowly, still scrolling. You've got messages from three different news networks.
Two literary agents. Apparently, somebody wants to write a book about this already. And she paused, frowning at the screen. This one's from Sky Nova's legal department. Legal department.
Why would legal be calling me? Carol turned the phone around so he could see the message preview. Mr. Cole, this is Marcus Webb, general counsel for Sky Nova Aerospace. Given today's incident and the ongoing federal review, it is critical that we speak before you engage with any media outlets. Please call at your earliest convenience.
This is time-sensitive. Ethan felt something cold settle in his chest. Federal review, he repeated. That's what it says. Across the table, Sophie was watching all of this unfold with the particular silent intensity of a child who understood without being able to name it that something big and frightening was happening around her father.
Daddy," she said quietly. "Are you in trouble?" Ethan reached over and squeezed her small hand. "No, sweetheart. I don't think so.