Minutes later, officers located Rusk inside a restricted control room. He surrendered without resistance. Celeste closed her eyes. The records were secured. The impostor was captured.
The twins remained together. For the first time, it appeared the trap had failed completely. Then, Zuri's anonymous channel sent another message. Rusk is not 417. He wanted you to open both cases. check the live camera before the police move them.
Officer Hayes turned toward the baggage card outside. Both black cases were gone. In their place sat two empty shells, and the officer who had been guarding Simone's original evidence lay unconscious beneath the jet bridge. Officer Mercer reached the jet bridge first. The unconscious guard was breathing, but a red mark covered the side of his neck.
His body camera had been removed. The empty case shells rested beside him. Simone's files, notebook, and damaged camera were gone. Officer Hayes ordered every airport exit sealed. No ground vehicle leaves this terminal.
Search the jet bridge, service stairs, and baggage lanes. The ground supervisor hesitated. Deputy Chief Rusk already ordered the South Service Road opened for emergency traffic. Rusk is under arrest. The order came through his account 30 seconds ago.
Peter looked through the aircraft window. They captured his body, not his access. Rusk's copied identity could continue issuing commands from anywhere inside the airport. Zuri checked case 417. No new message appeared.
It warned us before the cases disappeared, she said. How did it know? Officer Hayes looked toward the ceiling camera. Maybe the channel can see the aircraft feed. Or the sender took them, Mercer replied.
Nia shook her head. Mom wouldn't create a channel for the thief. Your mother did not reopen it today. The warning had saved Zuri's video and exposed the false guardian. It had also pushed the twins to open both cases.
If the cases were easier to steal after opening, the sender might have been guiding them into another trap. Clare remained beside the galley under the second flight attendant's watch. She looked through the door at the unconscious officer. The person who attacked him knew exactly when the locks released. Celeste gave a bitter smile.
You knew too. Clare did not look away. So did everyone watching the cabin screens, including you. Airport police searched the nearest service corridor. They found a maintenance jacket, the guard's missing body camera, and a flexible mask carrying Peter's face.
The masked impostor had changed appearance again. The body camera contained 18 seconds of footage before it was torn away. A ground worker approached the guard pushing a catering cart. He wore a face shield and cap. When the guard leaned toward an open compartment, the worker pressed something against his neck.
The image tilted. Before the camera went dark, the cart turned toward the south service elevator. Hayes radioed the search team. Lock that elevator. Too late.
It had reached the baggage level and opened beside three identical catering vehicles. All three left in different directions under Rusk's emergency order. One headed toward the police control center. One moved toward the cargo warehouse. The third approached a private aviation gate beside the south runway.