Hayes contacted the ground supervisor again. Have those two people placed their identification against the door camera. The woman complied. Her credential identified her as Rebecca Shaw, state child protection officer. Ask for the verification phrase, Peter said.
What phrase? Every emergency guardian transfer involving an unaccompanied minor requires a spoken phrase selected by the family. Hayes checked the twins original documents. The phrase field was blank. Nia touched the stitches on Mr. Buttons.
Mom would not leave it blank. Zuri examined the yellow pouch under the reading light. The false label covered more than their names. Its lower edge concealed a thin strip of handwriting. She peeled it back.
Seven across, four down, seven back. Under the numbers, Simone had written, "Ask them which sister was born first." Officer Hayes transmitted the question. The woman outside looked through the window at the twins. "Zuri," she answered. Nia almost spoke, but Zuri squeezed her hand.
Neither sister was born first. They had been delivered by emergency surgery at the same recorded minute. Their mother used the question because anyone reading a normal family profile would assume one twin had to be older. "Wrong," Zuri said. The woman outside stopped smiling.
The masked man stepped away from the door. Airport police finally moved between them and the aircraft. The woman struck one officer in the throat and ran down the jet bridge. The masked man threw his false identification, vaulted over a baggage barrier, and disappeared toward the service stairs. Ground officers pursued both.
For the first time since landing, the twins timers stopped. Nia exhaled. "They know we caught them." "No," Peter said. They know we stopped this handoff. That is not the same thing.
The screen changed. Subjects rejected transfer. Activate secondary recovery. Officer Mercer locked the aircraft door manually. Captain Cole ordered ground crews to keep all service panels closed.
Then the cargo door warning illuminated. Someone beneath the plane had opened it. The aircraft was surrounded by airport staff, police vehicles, and cameras. Still, an authorized ground worker had reached the cargo hold during the confusion. Peter looked toward Mr. Buttons.
They are not trying to enter the cabin. Then what do they want? Zuri asked. The original travel archive is stored in the checked case Simone registered for you. Zuri shook her head.
We didn't check a case. Peter's expression changed. Then someone checked one in your names. Captain Cole pulled up the baggage record. A black hard shell case had been loaded under Zuri's identification.
A second case had been registered to Nia. Their weights were identical. Their tracking numbers differed by one digit. The ground camera showed a worker removing both from the hold. Officer Hayes radioed airport police.
Stop that baggage cart. The worker abandoned it and ran. Police secured the cases where they stood. Neither had a conventional lock. each displayed a handprint scanner and one of the twins names. Peter explained that Simone divided her evidence in two.
One child's identity opened the passenger records. The other opened the employee instructions that created them. That is why the order requires separation, Zuri said. Peter nodded. Once you were placed with different officers, each impostor could force one of you to open a case.