Kayla, grieving the recent loss of her grandmother, was returning home after the funeral, oblivious to the nightmare that awaited her on the plane.
Mistaken for someone else, Kayla had to rely on her wits to get through the trouble she found herself in.
Exhausted from the days of mourning, I wanted to collapse in my own bed. Six months pregnant and emotionally exhausted from my grandmother’s funeral, I needed some rest.
The funeral was difficult, a moving farewell to a woman who had been my rock all my life.
“Are you sure you want to leave today?” »My mother asked as she packed her suitcase. “You can wait a few days if you just need to accept this loss.”
I smile sadly at him. “I know, but I need to get back to work and find Colin. You know my husband can barely manage without me.
“It’s probably good for you to get back to your comfort zone,” he said. “But your father and I will stay until the end of the week to tidy up Grandma’s house and finish everything that needs to be done. “I know Dad can’t wait to come home.”
“I just wish Grandma had been there to see the baby,” I said, rubbing my stomach. “This is what I wanted from the beginning.”
“I know, honey,” my mother said. “I wish you and my grandmother had had this moment, but at least you were there when she needed you most.”
Going through long lines at the airport, I hated flying, but it was easier than driving home. I couldn’t handle a twelve hour car ride with my bladder constantly fighting.
Finally, I got on the plane, ready for the return trip to my husband.
“I’ll take this, ma’am,” a flight attendant said as she grabbed my bag.
“Thank you,” I replied, leaning back in my seat, my body aching for the rest.
“Oh, I hate flying,” said the woman next to me. «This is the worst. But I also hate driving. “I should have stayed home.”
I almost laughed because I completely agreed. The turbulence made me feel uncomfortable and anxious, like I was losing control with every jolt.
As I sat back, ready to take off, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me. When I turned around, I saw a man a few rows back, watching me carefully. The look on his face was unsettling, but I dismissed it as someone judging a pregnant woman for traveling.
The hum of the engines became a soothing background noise as the plane began to climb.
“Finally,” said the woman next to me. “Let’s go home”.
Little did I know that a nightmare was about to unfold.
Ten minutes into the flight, a flight attendant approached me with a stern expression. «Excuse me ma’am. Could you come with me please? she asked, the smell of her overwhelming her.
Reluctantly, I unbuckled my seat belt and followed her to the area near the bathroom. Immediately her demeanor changed.
“You must kneel immediately!” he ordered, nodding at someone he couldn’t see.
” That? Because? What happened? » I exclaimed, completely surprised.
“Now,” he said simply.
Surprised and confused, I obeyed. When I knelt down, I didn’t understand what was happening. He hadn’t done anything wrong.
The man who had been staring at me earlier came closer. “Where is the gold necklace you stole?” he asked in a menacing voice.
“What are you taking about? I didn’t steal anything! I just got back from my grandmother’s funeral! »I protested.
He chuckled and pulled out a collection of photographs and documents. “You are at the museum two days before the exhibition moves to the hotel. It’s you in the hotel lobby where the necklace disappeared. “We followed you to that plane after you fled the hotel.”
Look at the pictures. They were blurry but bore a striking resemblance to me, although there were clear differences.
“Look,” I say, pointing to my wrist. “The woman in these photos has a tattoo or scar on her wrist. Look at! I do not have any of that!
The man examined my wrists and his cold hands pulled sharply. ” You see? No tattoos. No scars. Nothing. You have the wrong person! «I insisted. “And I’m pregnant!” Not the woman in the photos!
I felt a sudden surge of fear for my baby. In the heat of the moment, my baby was still.
“But it could be a disguise,” he replied, not entirely convinced.
I wondered if the police would be waiting for me at the airport and if I could escape this situation. I just wanted to get home to Colin.
As if thinking about my husband had called the baby to wake up, a sudden kick in the stomach made me act impulsively. Without thinking, I took the man’s hand and placed it on my stomach.
“No, you can’t fake that,” I said.
He sighed, looking visibly relieved but also very embarrassed. “Very sorry. You look a lot like him. He was convinced that we were on the right path. I have to wait until we land to fix this.”
“Look, I get it,” I said. “But I’m not her. I’m just trying to get home,” I said, feeling calmer as she tried to pick me up.
Then the nightmare took a darker turn. The stewardess pulled out a gun. ” Enough! You two, with your hands behind your back!
He reached into his pocket and pulled out zip ties, first tying the man’s hands with his back to me.
“You’re not as stupid as you look,” he told him. “You did well to follow me to the plane. But you had the wrong person in mind.”
Another wave of fear for my baby made me act. With his back to me, I saw an opportunity and kicked him as hard as I could. She stumbled and fell, dropping her gun. Distracted, she hadn’t finished tying the man’s hands, so he approached her.
As he did so, we saw the gold necklace hanging from his neck.
“She’s the real thief,” he said, reassuring her. “She pretends to be different people to avoid being captured. I have no idea how she managed to get on that flight as a flight attendant.”
“You are so brave for doing what you did. Thank you for stopping her before she tied me up,” she said.
“I was just scared for my baby,” I said, sighing. “I acted on instinct.”
The rest of the flight was a blur of apologies from the man and explanations to the crew and authorities.
“I’m Detective Connor,” he said, shaking my hand afterwards.
The woman was detained upon landing, while about fifteen police officers waited at the door.
“I’m so sorry for what you went through,” Connor said.