Kayla was mourning the recent loss of her grandmother and wanted to return home after the funeral, unaware of the horror that awaited her on the flight.
Kayla was mistaken for someone else and had to rely on her own wits to overcome the difficulties she faced.
Tired of days of mourning, I dreamed of just falling into my bed.
Six months pregnant and emotionally drained after my grandmother’s funeral, I needed rest.
The funeral had been a difficult ordeal, saying goodbye to the woman who had been my rock throughout my life.
‘Are you sure you want to fly today?’ my mother asked as I packed my suitcase.
‘You could stay for a few days and just come to terms with this loss,’ she added.
I smiled sadly. ‘I know, but I need to get back to work and to Colin. You know my husband can barely cope without me.’
‘Going back to your comfort zone is probably the right thing for you,’ she said.
‘But Dad and I will stay here until the end of the week to tidy up Grandma’s house and sort out what needs to be done. I know Dad is already waiting to go home.’
‘I’m so sorry Grandma didn’t get to see the baby,’ I said, stroking my belly.
‘That’s all I wanted.’
‘I know, dear,’ my mother replied. ‘I’m sorry you and Grandma couldn’t share this moment, but at least you were here when she needed you most.’
Navigating the long queues at the airport was exhausting; I hated flying, but it was easier than driving home.
I couldn’t stand a twelve-hour car journey, especially when my bladder was constantly making itself felt.
Finally, I boarded the plane, ready to return to my husband.
‘I’ll take that, ma’am,’ said the flight attendant, reaching for my bag.
‘Thank you,’ I replied, sitting down in my seat, feeling my body crave rest.
‘Oh, I hate flying,’ said the woman next to me.
‘It’s the worst. But I also hate driving. I should have just stayed home.’
I almost laughed, agreeing with her completely.
Turbulence always made me anxious and made me feel vulnerable, as if I were losing control with every jolt.
As I settled in and prepared for takeoff, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me.
When I turned around, I noticed a man several rows behind me staring intently at me.
His gaze was disturbing, but I decided he was just someone judging a pregnant woman for travelling.
The noise of the engines became a soothing background sound as the plane began to climb.
‘Finally,’ said the woman next to me.
‘Let’s just get home quickly.’
I had no idea that a nightmare awaited me.
Ten minutes into the flight, a flight attendant approached me with a stern expression on her face.
‘Excuse me, madam. Could you come with me?’ she asked, her perfume overwhelming.
Reluctantly, I unbuckled my seatbelt and followed her to the area near the toilet.
Instantly, her demeanour changed.
‘Get on your knees immediately!’ she ordered, nodding to someone I couldn’t see.
‘What’s going on? Why? What happened?’ I exclaimed, completely shocked.
‘Now,’ she said sternly.
Shocked and confused, I obeyed.
Kneeling there, I couldn’t understand what was happening.
I hadn’t done anything wrong.
The man who had been watching me came closer.
‘Where is the gold chain you stole?’ he demanded, his voice sounding threatening.
‘What are you talking about? I didn’t steal anything! I just came back from my grandmother’s funeral!’ I protested.
He made a chuckling sound and showed me a series of photographs and documents.
“Here you are at the museum, two days before the exhibition was moved to the hotel.
Here you are in the hotel lobby where the necklace disappeared.
We tracked you to this plane after you fled the hotel.”
I looked at the photos.
They were blurry, but there was a strong resemblance to me, although there were noticeable differences.
‘Look,’ I said, pointing to my wrist.
“In these photos, the woman has a tattoo or scar on her wrist.
Look! I don’t have that!”
The man examined my wrists, his icy hands tugging roughly.
“See? No tattoos. No scars. Nothing.
‘You’ve got the wrong person!’ I insisted.
‘And I’m pregnant! The woman in the photos isn’t pregnant!’
I felt a sudden fear for my baby.
In the heat of the moment, the baby froze in my womb.
‘But it could be part of a disguise,’ he replied, clearly not entirely sure.
I wondered if the police were waiting for me at the airport and if I would be able to get out of this situation.
I just wanted to go home to Colin.
As if the thought of my husband had awakened the baby, a sudden jolt in my stomach made me act impulsively.
Without thinking, I grabbed the man’s hand and placed it on my stomach.
‘No, it’s impossible to fake,’ I said.
He sighed and looked visibly relieved, but also very embarrassed.
“I’m very sorry. You really do look a lot like her.
I was sure we were on the right track.
I’ll have to wait until we land to sort this out.”
‘Listen, I understand,’ I said.
“But it’s not me.
I’m just trying to get home,” I said, feeling calmer as I tried to get up.
Then the nightmare took a turn for the worse.
The flight attendant pulled out a gun.
‘Enough! Both of you, hands behind your backs!’
She took zip ties out of her bag and first tied the man’s hands, tying him to my back.
‘You’re not as stupid as you look,’ she said to him.
“You were right to follow me to the plane.
But you got the wrong person.”
Another wave of fear for my child made me act.
With her back to me, I saw my chance and hit her with all my strength.
She staggered and fell, dropping her weapon.
Distracted, she did not manage to finish tying the man’s hands, and he attacked her.
While he was doing so, we noticed a gold necklace hanging around her neck.
‘She’s a real thief,’ he said, after subduing her.
“She pretended to be different people to avoid arrest.
I don’t understand how she managed to pass herself off as a flight attendant on this flight.”
“You were so brave to do what you did.
Thank you for stopping her before she tied me up,” he said.
‘I was just afraid for my child,’ I said with a heavy sigh.
‘I acted on instinct.’
The rest of the flight was spent with the man offering vague apologies and explanations to the crew and authorities.
‘I’m Detective Connor,’ he introduced himself, shaking my hand afterwards.
The woman was arrested upon arrival, with about fifteen police officers waiting at the exit.
‘I’m really sorry you had to go through this,’ Connor said.
‘Just explain what happened,’ I replied, needing closure before going to my husband.
“We’ve been tracking this woman for several months.
She was stealing valuables and using disguises to avoid arrest.
I got a tip that she would be on this flight.
When I saw you and your hair, I thought…,” he trailed off, clearly regretting it.
‘You thought it was me,’ I finished for him.
“Well, it wasn’t.
And now you know that.”
“Yes, and I’m very sorry for my mistake, Kayla.
I hope you can forgive me.”
Despite all the horror, I felt a strange sense of relief.
When I walked through the door and saw my husband with yellow tulips and a big smile, I immediately felt at peace.
‘Welcome home,’ he said, hugging me.
‘I’m so glad you’re back.’
We drove home in silence, enjoying each other’s company.
When we got home, I sat down next to Colin and told him everything that had happened on the flight.
‘Are you okay?’ he asked, his eyes wide.
“Are you shaken up?
Maybe we should see a doctor to make sure everything is okay?”
‘No,’ I replied.
“I’m fine.
I just wanted to come home to you.”
My husband put his hands on my stomach and smiled at me.
‘I’m glad you’re home,’ he said again and kissed my stomach.
What would you have done in my place?
