Gerald had Thorne pinned against the door frame, but the doctor was stronger than he looked, driving his elbow into Gerald’s ribs.

Gerald groaned, his grip slipping as he gasped for air.

I swung the flashlight again, aiming for Thorne’s shoulder blade.

The blow landed hard, and Thorne grunted, his knees buckling beneath him.

Gerald used the momentum to push Thorne down onto the floor of the galley transition.

“Hold him,” I told Gerald. “Hold him down.”

I reached into my apron pocket and pulled out the heavy plastic zip-ties we kept in the cabin safety kit.

My hands shook as I looped the plastic around Thorne’s wrists behind his back.

I pulled the tie tight until it clicked repeatedly, locking his hands together.

Thorne lay on his stomach, breathing heavily, his face pressed against the blue carpet.

“It doesn’t matter,” Thorne whispered, a thin line of saliva hanging from his lip. “The circuit is already broken.”

Gerald sat back against the galley wall, clutching his ribs and panting.

“Is he… is he secure?” Gerald asked, his voice trembling.