Blackmail at 35,000 Feet
Anonymous: Are you awake?
Charlotte: Who is this?
Anonymous: I need you to do something for me.
Charlotte: Who is this?
Anonymous: That's not important.
Charlotte: Seriously?
[Charlotte glances at the time on her phone.
[She's only halfway through the five-hour flight to Paris.
Anonymous: I'm someone you owe a favor.
Charlotte: Um, nice try, creep.
Charlotte: Blocking your number.
Anonymous: WAIT!
Anonymous: You don't want to do that.
Charlotte: I don't want to block your number?
Charlotte: Doubtful.
Anonymous: If you do, the woman sitting three seats in front of you will die.
[Charlotte's eyes shoot open.
[She desperately searches the crowded cabin of the 737 airplane, but most of the passengers are fast asleep.
Anonymous: You can look all you want.
Anonymous: You'll never find me.
Charlotte: I don't know who this is, but this isn't funny!
Anonymous: I'm not trying to be funny.
Charlotte: What do you want?
Anonymous: I told you...
Anonymous: I need you to do something for me.
Charlotte: Why would I do anything from someone texting me from a blocked number?
Anonymous: Because you owe me a favor.
Charlotte: A favor?
Anonymous: I know what you did, Charlotte.
Anonymous: I've been keeping your secret for two whole years.
Charlotte: What I did?
Charlotte: What does that even mean?
Anonymous: You thought no one would ever find out...
Charlotte: You're lying.
[Charlotte's phone dings, a picture of her and Lucas pops up on the screen.
[It's the last photo they ever took together.
[Charlotte brings a shaky hand to her mouth.
Anonymous: You look surprised.
[The color drains from Charlotte's face.
Charlotte: Who are you?
Anonymous: I haven't decided if I should tell you yet.
Anonymous: But, you're wasting precious time.
Charlotte: What do you want me to do?
Anonymous: Go to the lavatory at the back of the plane.
Anonymous: When you get in, open up the towel dispenser and peel off the taped package.
Anonymous: I'll send directions once you have it.
Charlotte: No.
Anonymous: Excuse me?
Charlotte: I said, "No!"
Anonymous: Charlotte, you don't want to do that.
Charlotte: Are you threatening me?
Anonymous: It's not a threat, it's a promise.
[A cold shiver snakes down Charlotte's spine.
Anonymous: Now get into the lavatory or that woman in 11A won't be waking up.
[Hands trembling, Charlotte gets up and makes her way to the back of the plane.
[Someone is already in the bathroom.
[Charlotte's head spins and her heart thumps rapidly in her chest.
[Finally, a man with short black hair exits, and she ducks in.
[Fumbling, she manages to open the paper towel dispenser.
[Taped to the inside is a pink envelope.
Charlotte: I've got it.
Charlotte: What's in here?
Anonymous: Open it and find out.
[Charlotte slides open the envelope.
[Inside is a picture of a man in his mid-fifties, a pair of latex gloves, and a small vial.
Charlotte: What am I supposed to do with this stuff?
Anonymous: The man you see in the picture is sitting in seat 27C.
Charlotte: And?
Anonymous: Don't get snappy with me, Charlotte!
Anonymous: One wrong move and I'll tell everyone about your little secret.
Charlotte: Shut up!
Anonymous: You're really pushing it.
[Charlotte's phone dings again.
[The anonymous texter has sent her a picture of an outstretched hand.
[Charlotte's head starts to spin.
[She knows exactly when that picture was taken...
[The night Lucas died.
Charlotte: What do you want me to do?
Anonymous: Put on the gloves.
Charlotte: Why?
Anonymous: Well, you're welcome to get the vial's contents on your skin, but I wouldn't recommend it.
[Charlotte's chest constricts.
[She goes over her options.
[She could tell a flight attendant, maybe they'd make an emergency landing.
[Charlotte chews on her lower lip, what if this person really does have something on her?
[Something about Lucas...
[Something she's kept hidden for two years.
Anonymous: Do you have the gloves on?
[Several minutes pass.
[Charlotte is frozen solid in fear.
Anonymous: You have ten seconds to answer me or the woman in 11A is dead.
Charlotte: Please don't hurt anyone!
Anonymous: Oh, good to see you're still with us.
Anonymous: Are the gloves on?
Charlotte: Yes.
Anonymous: Good.
Anonymous: Open the vial and carefully pull out the clear strip inside.
Charlotte: Why?
Charlotte: What will it do?
Anonymous: It's better if you don't know.
Charlotte: Is it dangerous?
Anonymous: I wouldn't touch it if I were you.
[Another picture comes through, it's of Lucas' obituary.
[When her phone dings again, ice radiates through Charlotte's veins.
[It's a picture of a broken tequila bottle, the jagged edges are covered in Lucas' blood.
Anonymous: Such a shame...
Charlotte: Stop it!
Charlotte: I'm doing what you ask!
Anonymous: Just making sure you aren't getting cold feet.
Charlotte: I'm holding the strip.
Charlotte: Now what?
Anonymous: I need you to put it on the back of the neck of the man in the picture.
Anonymous: He's asleep right now.
Anonymous: But you need to be quick.
Charlotte: What will it do to him?
Anonymous: Nothing you haven't done before.
Charlotte: Don't say that.
Charlotte: It was an accident.
Anonymous: Tick tock, Charlotte.
Charlotte: I can't.
Charlotte: I won't hurt anyone else.
Anonymous: What if I told you it would just send him into a deep sleep.
Charlotte: Why do you need him to be in deep sleep?
Anonymous: You ask too many questions.
Anonymous: Now do what I've told you or you're going to be sorry!
[Charlotte rips up the picture and envelope before throwing them away.
[She swallows the lump in her throat and exits the lavatory.
[Spotting the man, Charlotte pretends to put her hand on the back of his seat.
[In one swift motion, she places the small strip onto the back of his neck.
[As she makes her way back to her seat, she nonchalantly slips off the gloves, making sure to keep them inside out.
Charlotte: It's done.
Charlotte: Now please, leave me alone.
Anonymous: Oh, Charlotte.
Anonymous: We're just getting started.
[Someone screams in the back of the plane.
[Charlotte turns around, her eyes landing on the man in the picture.
[His eyes are wild and he's foaming at the mouth.
[Two air stewardesses rush to his side and desperately call out for a doctor.
Charlotte: WHAT WAS IN THAT VIAL?
Anonymous: Nothing you need to worry about, just as long as you didn't touch it.
Charlotte: Is he going to die?
Anonymous: Yes.
Charlotte: You lied to me!
Anonymous: You lied to the police about Lucas.
[Commotion in the back of the plane sends sharp pains shooting through Charlotte's chest.
Charlotte: Why did you target that man?
Anonymous: He's the air marshal.
Anonymous: Now I'm free to do this...
[An alert dings overhead.
Airplane Captain: This is your captain, please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for an emergency landing.
Charlotte: What's going on?
Charlotte: We aren't in Paris yet?
Anonymous: No, we're in Moldova.
Charlotte: Why?
Anonymous: The United States doesn't have an extradition treaty with Moldova.
Charlotte: Extradition treaty?
Charlotte: What have you done?
Anonymous: Oh...
Anonymous: A little of this and a little of that.
Charlotte: You're disgusting!
Anonymous: And you're a killer.
Anonymous: Well, this concludes our little session.
Anonymous: Thanks for your help, Charlotte.
Anonymous: Oh, and if you ever tell anyone about what happened tonight...
[Charlotte's phone dings.
[Her stomach clenches as her eyes land on a picture of another vial, this one with her name scrawled across it in red letters.
Anonymous: Goodbye.
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