9:41 p.m. AST

Amid steady turbulence, Allie and Van return down the aisle, passing a fatigued Robin. A blond flight attendant follows, methodically lowering window shades and insisting passengers comply, increasing the sense of enforced blindness.

Frank Heck seizes Allie’s wrist and seats her beside him, buckling her in despite her wish to rejoin Van. When Van tries to return, the flight attendant orders him to sit, leaving Allie and Van separated. Heck’s intervention feels paternal yet controlling, and Allie notices the butt of a concealed pistol in his shoulder holster.

Nearby, an older man—who says he fought on Omaha Beach—refuses to lower his shade, but Heck confronts him, invoking chain of command, and the attendant proceeds to close more shades, including Robin’s and Van’s. The pilot addresses the cabin, attributing the sightings outside to a DC-10 from Thule testing instruments, a claim passengers openly doubt.

Heck turns to interrogate Allie, calling her “Allison” and revealing he knows she parked in a chauffeurs’ slot and left her keys—implying she expected not to return. He presses her on where she went when she left her seat earlier. As the plane shudders, Allie realizes Heck is armed and possibly coordinating with crew, while the official story strains credibility and the passengers are kept literally in the dark.