Chapter 40 Summary
Samir Patel, plagued by anxiety about his upcoming trip to San Francisco, wakes early and contemplates cancelling his travel plans. However, when the cab driver arrives unexpectedly early, Samir feels pressured to proceed, especially given the favor Thomas Allen did in arranging the opportunity. Despite his growing sense of unease and even catching a glimpse of news coverage of the Learjet crash in Chicago, Samir decides to continue with his journey. On the way to the airport, Samir has a friendly exchange with the cab driver, although he remains burdened by an ominous gut feeling.
Mark Peltier, posing as Tyler Winslow, prepares for the same flight. Running on little sleep due to lingering stress over Charley’s CID complaint and Colonel Weaver’s threats, he decides to portray himself as a bodyguard, though he hasn’t yet settled on a backstory for his San Francisco presence. Mark is determined to strike up a meaningful, strategic conversation with Patel during the flight to assess his mental state.
At the airport, Mark successfully checks in under the alias and initially receives a seat several rows away from Samir. Using a clever ruse, he convinces the airline agent to seat them together.
