Chapter 72 She looked like me
Flora
"You want to give Kask the embryos?" Rafael stared at me like I'd lost my mind. "After everything we've been through?"
"I want him to think we're giving him the embryos," I corrected. "There's a difference."
Catherine leaned forward. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking Kask wants those twenty two embryos more than anything," I said. "He's obsessed. And obsessed people make mistakes."
"What kind of mistakes?" Marco asked.
"The kind where they walk into traps," I said. "Because they're so focused on getting what they want, they don't see what's right in front of them."
Rafael shook his head. "This is too risky. If something goes wrong..."
"Something's already wrong," I interrupted. "Kask has my sister. A newborn baby. And Dr. Rossi betrayed us. We're out of options."
"We still have one option," Rafael said. "We tell the authorities. Let them handle it."
"And in the time it takes them to organize a rescue, Kask disappears," I said. "He takes my sister and vanishes. We'll never find her."
"Flora's right," Catherine said slowly. "This is our only shot. But it has to be perfect. One mistake and we lose everything."
"So what's the plan?" Marco asked.
I took a deep breath. "We tell Kask we'll give him the embryos. We arrange a meeting. Somewhere public. Somewhere with witnesses."
"He'll never agree to that," Rafael said.
"He will if we make it sound like we have no choice," I said. "We tell him the authorities are closing in. That we need to make the trade fast before we get arrested."
"And then?" Catherine asked.
"And then we show up with fake incubators," I said. "Empty ones. Or ones filled with medical equipment that looks right from a distance."
"He'll check them," Rafael said. "The moment we hand them over, he'll verify they're real."
"Not if we don't give him time," I said. "We make the exchange fast. In a crowd. Then we grab my sister and run."
"That's insane," Rafael said.
"It's all we have," I said.
Catherine was already on her laptop. "If we're doing this, we need to move fast. Kask gave us twelve hours. That's not much time to prepare."
"Where do we make the exchange?" Marco asked.
"Somewhere with cameras," I said. "Security. Police nearby. Somewhere Kask can't just shoot us and take what he wants."
"An airport," Catherine suggested. "International terminal. Hundreds of people. Security everywhere."
"Perfect," I said. "Jakarta airport. Tomorrow morning. Six AM."
"That's only eight hours from now," Rafael said.
"Then we better get started," I said.
We spent the next three hours preparing. Catherine contacted Kask through an encrypted channel. Told him we were ready to trade. The twenty two embryos for my sister and safe passage out of Indonesia.
Kask agreed. But he had conditions.
"Only two people can come," Catherine read from his message. "Rafael and Flora. No one else. Any sign of authorities and the baby dies."
"He knows we'll try something," Rafael said.
"Of course he does," I said. "But he also can't resist. He wants those embryos too badly."
Marco and Catherine worked on creating fake incubators. Medical equipment packed into portable cases that looked convincing from the outside.
"They won't fool him for long," Marco warned. "Maybe thirty seconds once he opens them."
"Thirty seconds is all we need," I said.
At midnight, we reviewed the plan one more time.
"Rafael and I arrive at the airport at five thirty AM," I said. "We go to the international terminal. Departures level. Kask will be waiting with my sister."
"We make the exchange," Rafael continued. "Hand over the fake incubators. Grab the baby. Then we run."
"Catherine and Marco will be nearby," I said. "In the crowd. With the real embryos secured at the hospital."
"What if Kask brings security?" Marco asked.
"He will," I said. "But in an airport, surrounded by witnesses, he can't just start shooting. He'll have to be careful."
"And if he's not careful?" Rafael asked quietly.
I didn't answer. Because we all knew what that meant.
At three AM, we left the hospital. The twenty two embryos were secure in a special care unit with armed guards. Detective Walsh had promised to keep them safe.
"You're really doing this?" Walsh asked as we left.
"We don't have a choice," I said.
"There's always a choice," Walsh said. "You could wait. Let us handle it."
"And let Kask disappear with my sister?" I asked. "No. This ends tomorrow. One way or another."
Rafael and I drove to the airport. We arrived at five fifteen. The sun was just starting to rise.
The international terminal was already busy. Travelers rushing to catch flights. Families saying goodbye. Business people checking laptops.
Normal people living normal lives.
I envied them.
"You ready?" Rafael asked, carrying the two fake incubators.
"No," I admitted. "But let's do it anyway."
We walked into the terminal. Scanned the crowd for Kask.
My phone buzzed. A text. Unknown number.
Gate 47. Come alone. Any tricks and the baby dies.
"Gate 47," I said to Rafael.
We headed that direction. Through security. Down the long corridor.
Gate 47 was at the far end. Away from most of the crowds.
And standing there, holding a baby carrier, was Victor Kask.
He looked worse in person than on video. The burn scars covered half his face. His arm was in a sling. But he was smiling.
"Flora. Rafael. So good of you to come."
"We brought what you wanted," Rafael said, setting down the incubators.
"And I brought what you wanted," Kask said, gesturing to the baby carrier.
Inside, I could see her. Tiny. Sleeping. My sister.
"Let me see her," I said.
"Let me verify the embryos first," Kask countered.
"That wasn't the deal," Rafael said.
"The deal changed," Kask said. He gestured. From behind a pillar, Dr. Rossi appeared. She walked over to the incubators. Started opening them.
My heart raced. This was it. The moment she'd discover they were fake.
Dr. Rossi opened the first incubator. Looked inside. Frowned.
"This isn't..." she started.
That's when the explosion happened.
Not in the terminal. Outside. A massive blast that shook the entire building.
The lights went out. Emergency alarms blared. People started screaming.
In the chaos and darkness, I ran toward Kask. Toward my sister.
But strong hands grabbed me. Pulled me back.
Not Rafael's hands.
Someone else's.
"Got you," a voice said. A voice I didn't recognize.
I struggled. Tried to break free.
The lights flickered back on.
Kask was gone. The baby carrier was gone. Dr. Rossi was gone.
And standing in front of me, holding my arms, was a woman.
A woman who looked exactly like me.