The air in the cabin feels suffocating, thick with the weight of everything Jack and I have just uncovered. My mind races, replaying Jacob’s cryptic phone call over and over, each word dripping with implications of a plot far more sinister than I had imagined. Tomorrow night. No mistakes. Carter’s handling the final details.
I sit on the edge of the bed, my hands gripping the edge tightly to steady myself. Jack paces back and forth, his brow furrowed and his blue eyes burning with a mix of determination and worry. The soft hum of the ship’s engine vibrates beneath us, an ever-present reminder of the isolation surrounding us.
“Do you think ‘Carter’ is Alex?” I ask finally, breaking the tense silence.
Jack stops pacing, turning to face me. “It has to be. Alex Carter. His behavior, his con
