Chapter 7 - Twelve MinutesThe next twelve minutes became a race through terror.
Alessandro ordered the cockpit secured.
His guards moved everyone away from the first-class cabin.
Isabella remained beside me.
Maya held my hand.
Luca slept against my chest.
I didn't know which child I was supposed to protect.
Maybe both.
The aircraft began descending.
Fast.
Too fast.
The captain's warning alarms screamed.
Alessandro looked at the instruments.
“What's happening?”
The guard shook his head.
“The flight system has been overridden.”
“Can you regain control?”
“No.”
The captain smiled.
“You should have stayed out of my business.”
Alessandro grabbed him.
“Fix it.”
“It's already done.”
“Who?”
The captain laughed.
“You still don't understand.”
He leaned closer.
“The crash isn't for you.”
I felt cold.
“Then for whom?”
He looked at Maya.
“For the children.”
Everything stopped.
Alessandro released him.
“Emma.”
I looked at him.
“Take Maya.”
“What?”
“Take both babies.”
He turned to Isabella.
“You're coming.”
“I know.”
They moved toward the rear emergency section.
The plane suddenly rolled.
Maya screamed.
Luca woke.
I held both children.
“Mommy!”
“I've got you.”
The lights flickered.
The oxygen masks dropped.
Alessandro shouted:
“Brace!”
Then the plane leveled.
Silence.
We were alive.
But our altitude was falling.
A warning sounded.
The bodyguard checked the display.
“Sir.”
“What?”
“We have another problem.”
“What?”
He held up a small device.
“The aircraft's transponder was switched.”
“To what?”
The bodyguard looked at me.
“An emergency medical flight.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because whoever hacked the aircraft wants us treated as something we're not.”
Alessandro's eyes narrowed.
The cabin phone rang.
Nobody moved.
It rang again.
Alessandro answered.
A man's voice came through.
“Good evening, Alessandro.”
Alessandro froze.
“Who are you?”
“You know me.”
“No.”
“You've spent fifteen years trying to kill me.”
The voice laughed.
“But tonight I'm doing something much more interesting.”
“What?”
“I'm giving you your family back.”
The call ended.
Alessandro stared at the receiver.
Isabella whispered:
“Victor.”
He looked at her.
“No.”
“It's him.”
“Victor is dead.”
She shook her head.
“No.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“He died the night our son was born.”
Alessandro slowly looked at Luca.
Then at Maya.
And at me.
“What happened that night?”
Isabella didn't answer.
I forced the words out.
“Tell him.”
She closed her eyes.
“There were two babies.”
I waited.
“One belonged to us.”
She looked at Maya.
“And one belonged to Victor.”
My heart broke open.
“Why did they switch them?”
“To protect one child.”
“Which one?”
Isabella's lips trembled.
“Maya.”
I stared at her.
“Why?”
“Because Victor's son was dying.”
She looked at Luca.
“And he needed a mother.”
A terrible realization hit me.
I wasn't chosen randomly.
I had been chosen years ago.
My job.
My daughter.
My entire life.
Then the captain spoke.
“Three minutes.”
Alessandro looked at him.
“Until what?”
The captain smiled.
“Rome.”
May you like
Outside the window, the city lights appeared.
And between them, a helicopter rose toward us.
