Desmond Hayes was a phantom in the financial world, but to airline CEOs, he was a god. You didn't cross Hayes Capital. They owned the leverage that kept the airlines in the sky.
"Why?" Rick demanded, throwing the bedsheets off and sprinting toward his home office. "We are current on all payments. We just renegotiated the terms in Q2. What is the triggering event?"
"I just received the automated legal docket from their COO," Thomas replied, reading off his screen. "It cites the moral turpitude and reputational harm clause. Specifically, it lists unlawful removal and harassment of lessor principal Desmond Hayes from Flight 88."
Rick froze. The phone nearly slipped from his sweaty grip.
"Flight 88. That's the New York to Heathrow route. Did my crew just kick our biggest institutional landlord off a plane?"
"It appears so, sir."
"Get Captain Mitchell in the cockpit of Flight 88 on the secure radio. Now!" Rick roared. "Patch it directly to my cell."
Back in New York, Captain Mitchell was sitting in the left seat of the Boeing 777, glaring at the flashing warning lights on his centralized flight display.
The tug had abruptly disconnected from the nose gear, and JFK Ground Control had just barked at him over the radio that his flight plan had been federally suspended.
"Ground, this is Global 88. Confirm you said federally suspended?" Mitchell asked, thoroughly bewildered.
Before Ground could respond, the secure company channel crackled to life. It wasn't standard dispatch. It was the frantic, hyperventilating voice of his CEO.
"Mitchell, this is Rick Halloway. What the hell did you just do?"
Captain Mitchell jumped. "Mr. Halloway. Sir, I'm not sure what's going on. We were pushing back, and suddenly we've got a ground stop."
"I know about the ground stop, you absolute fool. I'm asking who you just removed from your aircraft."
Mitchell swallowed hard, looking over at his first officer, who was staring at him in shock.
"Sir, we had a disruptive passenger in first class. He was in the bulkhead seat, refusing to move for Preston Montgomery. Mr. Montgomery is a high-value corporate client. He felt threatened, so I made a command decision to deplane the disruptive individual to avoid a security incident."
There was a silence on the radio so profound, Mitchell thought the connection had dropped.
When Rick Halloway finally spoke, his voice was deathly quiet, laced with an apocalyptic rage.