The airport was always crowded, with people of all kinds pushing their luggage and heading towards their destinies.
Callie, under the escort-or rather, control-of her bodyguards, walked towards the VIP lounge, waiting for seven o’clock to arrive.
Outside, a light drizzle began to fall, the raindrops hitting the glass windows as if they could sense her somber mood. It was strange, Callie thought, that she could still feel sad at this point.
“Miss Marsh, it’s time to board,” a bodyguard handed her the boarding pass.
Callie lowered her eyes and took it, walking alone towards the jet bridge and onto the plane. Her seat was surrounded by Nelson’s bodyguards; they would personally escort her to New Zealand.
The flight attendant announced the weather and flight time over the intercom, reminding passengers to turn off their phones. Callie complied and leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes for a nap.
The bodyguards exchanged glances, surprised by her compliance, which made them even more tense.
The plane started and hovered at low altitude. Everything seemed settled. However, just as it was about to soar into the sky, a portly man in the front row suddenly stood up and shouted, “I want to report! There’s a bomb on this plane!”
The cabin immediately fell into chaos, with people panicking and screaming. The flight attendants hurried to calm everyone down.
The bodyguards sprang into action to stop the man, but he was frantic, repeatedly shouting, “Don’t take off! There’s a bomb on this plane! We will die!”
The police arrived quickly and detained the man, causing another round of commotion.
Callie slowly opened her eyes, her expression unusually calm.
The disturbance continued as the plane returned to the ground. After nearly half an hour of deadlock and failed negotiations, the bodyguards returned to Callie. She tilted her head and asked, “What happened?”
“Air traffic control received a bomb threat. They need to conduct a search, so there will be a delay.”
All passengers had to disembark for investigation.
Callie smiled openly. “This counts as force majeure, right? Tell Mr. Oconnor not to blame me.”
The bodyguards were on edge, never expecting such a mess; it almost seemed prearranged.
After disembarking, the police conducted individual searches. This was the only chance to separate from the bodyguards.
Callie stepped forward first. After being checked, she looked troubled and said to the female officer, “I… I have my period. Can I go to the restroom? You can follow me if you’re worried!”
Seeing this, the bodyguards wanted to follow but were stopped by the female officer.
They could only watch as Callie walked further away. Sensing something was wrong, they immediately called Nelson.
After finishing in the restroom, Callie saw the female officer receive a call and then look at her with a subtle expression. “You can go.”
“Thank you.”
Leaving from the restroom direction, Callie exited directly from T3. The street outside was bustling with people and vehicles. She stood at the end for a while, calculating how long it would take for the bodyguards to find her.
She wanted to escape Nelson’s surveillance without force but through wit. Leaving openly from the plane was the only way. Breathing in the fresh air, Callie had to admit Jamir was meticulous.
However, as time passed and Jamir’s arranged vehicle did not appear, Callie’s palms began to sweat. Just as she was about to make a call, a car stopped in front of her. Her eyes lit up as she saw several strong men get out from the back seat.
“You are…”