The killer had not been caught. It had been a woman, or so they thought. The name she gave was Telli Wonder. She had recently been hired as a chauffeur and bodyguard to his mom, one of the world’s richest and most beautiful women, CEO of Winton Cosmetics Industries International; a company she had built from scratch into a corporate behemoth. Julie Winton had also been the star of the highly acclaimed reality TV show, “The Beautiful You,” which she also produced and directed. It was believed that Telli Wonder, or whatever their real name might be, could be the mysterious hit person known as the Ghost. *** Passengers on the plane screamed. Some sat mouths agape, unable to get a sound out. Others prayed. Though it seemed forever, it was but a few moments before the captain’s cheerful, yet assuring voice popped out of the intercom speakers: “Whoops! Them potholes surely need a fixing Sorry folks. Hope no one was hurt. Something seems to have flown into our starboard engine, and we were forced to shut it down. But worry not, we have another engine that will fly us safely back to Ben Gurion for repairs.” “As you can see, we have things well in hand, as the plane is already leveling off and is no longer doing an Irish jig. Once we’re back on the ground and get an assessment of the damage, we’ll let you know how long the repairs will take; if not expeditiously fixable, how long it will take to get us another aircraft. Either way, we will work to get you back in the air and on your way as soon as possible.” A quick check found that no one was hurt when the plane plunged down. Everyone had been seated with seatbelts snugly in place. Just a couple of stomachs whooped. Upon landing safely, the ground crew found the cause: a Rüppell’s Griffon Vulture had been sucked into the jet and was responsible for the engine’s failure. They had no choice but to replace the entire engine. Griffon Vultures are the world’s highest-flying birds, tracked as high as 37,000 feet. Found throughout Africa and the Middle East, they have been known to be a danger to airplane traffic. In this case, however, the crew found something highly unusual. Pieces of metal not belonging to the blades of the engine were mixed with bird parts. The vulture appeared to have been carrying a metal object. Traces of gunpowder or another explosive were also found. The engine needed to be replaced and would take a crew several hours. Luckily, another plane had been at Ben Gurion airport for servicing and was made ready for everyone to re-board within a couple of hours. *** Back in the air, the remainder of the flight went smoothly. When their flight was less than an hour out of Kennedy Airport, the captain announced they would soon begin initial descent for arrival at JFK. The weather was good with mostly clear skies, a slight breeze from the north, with a temperature of 58 degrees. Passengers were advised the seatbelt sign would be turned on momentarily. Those not in their seats should return. The aircraft gently nosed down, leaving cruising altitude. Shortly the seatbelt sign was illuminated. Riana, the senior flight attendant, came on the PA with a reminder to fasten seatbelts and return tray tables to their upright position. Other flight attendants came down the aisles collecting headsets and bagging leftover trash. After completing their tasks, they returned to their assigned jump seats awaiting the “prepare for landing” command from the flight deck. As the aircraft continued its descent, passengers and crew settled down. It was that quiet time when people seemed to contemplate the end of their trip; waiting for the final approach and landing, anticipating the winding, grinding sound of flaps extending, the bump-thud of landing gears dropping into place, the screeching of tires as the aircraft touched down, and finally the ear-shattering reversal of the engines breaking the plane’s forward motion. As the flight ended its oceanic route, El Al 760 skirted coastal New England, and Jonathan gazed out the window in the early afternoon light. The landscape below revealed the varying colors of autumn. Soon, the view would change to towns, then cities, and finally the Big Apple itself, New York City. With the first-class gallery secured, Riana turned to take her position on the forward jump seat and found her way briefly blocked by the relief pilot exiting the pilot rest area. The two of them did a little dance as they tried to move out of each other’s way. Regulations require flights of more than eight hours to have at least one additional pilot assigned to the crew in relief. Ari Mizrahi was typical of El Al pilots, an Israeli Air Force veteran. As the least senior of the flight crew, he was assigned to relief duties. Riana was aware that Ari had a reputation as a charmer at El Al, boasting to the flight attendants of his relationship with his cousin Isaac Mizrahi, the American fashion designer with whom he claimed to visit during layovers in New York. Both taken by surprise, they excused each other in their awkward pirouette. Riana continued to her jump seat; Ari turned toward the cockpit door. Due to the added security adopted following 9/11, Ari proceeded with the protocols necessary to override the enhanced security program. When unlocked, he opened the cockpit door, took one step in, and was at once greeted by an ear-shattering staccato burst of sound. Ari felt a hot sting. Another sting. He felt himself falling.