A Tough Job
She never imagined what would happen on Delta Airline Flight 310 when she reported for duty.
The job she did always came with a couple of complications. A calm attitude is required when managing hundreds of people.
Her instincts were needed this time so she could try to save someone before it was too late.
Her Passion
Meeting new people and traveling the world were always Lorraine’s passions. In her childhood, she dreamt of being a flight attendant and traveling to exotic locations. As soon as she finished high school, she applied to every airline she knew and eventually landed a job at Delta Airlines.
It wasn’t always easy, and Lorraine missed home at times, but she loved her job. Her experience allowed her to see the world, meet new people, and help others.
On Flight 310, she was about to encounter some difficult passengers and situations that she hadn’t seen before.
Her First International Trip
In addition to passengers settling into their seats, Lorraine and the flight attendants performed their preflight routine as usual.
It was a diverse group of people. Having worked on domestic flights for much of her career, Lorraine would be working on an international flight for the first time.
It was an exciting trip from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Helping Those In Need
A lot of elderly people and some young children traveling alone always needed her assistance. Her constant presence ensured that they had everything they needed.
Her favorite part of her job was dealing with children.
Whenever they were afraid, she had something ready that would grab their attention and distract them from their fear.
Something Was Off
The situation was different today, however. An anxious and fidgety man appeared in Lorraine’s back row as the plane took off. He was accompanied by two young girls.
The man avoided eye contact and kept his face hidden behind a baseball cap when she attempted to approach him.
Throughout the flight, Lorraine kept a close eye on him because her instincts told her something wasn’t right.
Fears
In the course of the flight, Lorraine noticed that the man was frequently looking at his watch and checking the cabin.
Additionally, she observed that he did not appear to be comfortable in his seat and was not carrying luggage.
The woman held her breath, hoping that her fears were unfounded, as she worried that he might be carrying something dangerous.
She Found It Strange
At mealtime, the man and the two girls ordered only one meal for themselves. Her curiosity was piqued by the fact that he did not order separate meals for the girls, but she didn’t rush to conclusions.
While carrying the meal tray, she noticed that the girls weren’t eating. Both were staring at their laps, their faces pale and withdrawn.
The thought that something was very wrong made Lorraine’s heart sink.
They Did Not Seem Happy
Her attention was drawn to the girls’ silence and their gazes downward. As opposed to some parents who bring along coloring books and crayons or an iPad, these kids had nothing to keep themselves occupied.
There seemed to be something wrong with them, and she wondered whether their dad had scolded them.
To lift the girls’ spirits, Lorraine planned something special for them.
A Rude Man
A few sandwiches and juice boxes were gathered to be taken to them. There was no doubt that they would smile after seeing this.
She approached them, and the man looked at her disapprovingly and replied, “No”. As a result of his defiant behavior, Lorraine was taken aback.
Despite her best efforts, this man was determined to prevent her from bringing joy to the children.
Getting Concerned
There was a sense of loss and a desire for attention in their eyes. It also seemed like they hadn’t combed their hair in days, and they looked somewhat untidy.
How can a parent allow their children to live in such conditions?
Having children was always something she wanted, and she could not stand the idea of not taking care of them and leaving them to their own devices.
A Plan In Mind
Lorraine knew she had to do something. She couldn’t ignore her gut feeling any longer.
She quickly made a plan to discreetly ask the girls if they needed help and to signal the pilot for assistance if necessary.
Lorraine’s heart was racing as she approached the man and his daughters. She put on a smile and leaned down to speak to the girls.
A Polite Conversation
“Hi, do you like drawing?” she asked, trying to start a conversation.
The girls nodded shyly, and Lorraine handed them the coloring books and crayons. As they began to color, she asked them if they were okay and if they needed anything. They looked up at her with sad eyes and nodded their heads.
But the man gave an angry stare at her that made her blood run cold.
An Uneasy Feeling
As the flight continued, Lorraine couldn’t shake the feeling that something was not right.
She noticed that the man was becoming increasingly agitated and was pacing back and forth in the aisle.
Lorraine watched him closely, ready to intervene if necessary. She also kept a close eye on the girls, hoping that they would be okay.
No Proof
During the flight, she noticed the man had eventually let them each watch a movie. They had their headphones on and seemed a little more at ease.
But Lorraine knew that something wasn’t right. She hadn’t seen this kind of behavior from children before, and she was worried that they might be in danger.
But there was one problem, she couldn’t prove it.
Finding A Way To Talk To Them
She needed to find a way to communicate with the girls alone. None of them were getting up to go to the bathroom so Lorraine found it difficult to work on her plan.
She continued to watch them as she wheeled the food along the aisles.
They looked somewhat happy, but she could see fear in their eyes.
Trying To Send A Message
She wanted to send a secret message to them that they could only read. How was she going to do that without getting caught by their father?
Lorraine was good with kids, so she tried to come up with a fun way to distract them to get the message out to them.
It was not going to be easy.
Asking For Help
She asked one of the other flight attendants for advice and help. It was a difficult situation indeed but her long-time friend, Ava, came up with a possible solution.
They just needed to execute it perfectly so as to not arouse any suspicion from their father. Lorraine’s nerves were shot.
This was her only chance to see if these girls needed her help.
The Plan
Ava suggested that Lorraine offer the girls a game of tic-tac-toe, with the winner receiving a special prize.
The prize would be a note that Lorraine would secretly slip to the winner with a message to meet her in the bathroom.
Lorraine thought it was a good plan and began to put it into action.
The Game
Lorraine approached the girls with a smile and asked if they wanted to play tic-tac-toe. They eagerly agreed, and Lorraine gave them each a piece of paper and a pen.
As they played the game, Lorraine made sure to keep an eye on the man.
He was busy watching a movie and didn’t seem to notice what was happening.
A Tense Situation
It was a tense situation. She was really trying to do something without the man noticing, and it was becoming very difficult.
At one point, the man glared at her and the girls to see what exactly was happening.
But he figured that it was innocent and went back to watching his movie. It was a close call for Lorraine and the girls.
The Secret Message
When the game was over, Lorraine gave the girls their special prize. She whispered to the winner to meet her in the bathroom in five minutes. The girls nodded, and Lorraine went back to her duties.
She watched them closely. She could see they were finding it difficult to get up and go to the bathroom without the man getting suspicious.
But five minutes later, the winner knocked on the bathroom door, and Lorraine let her in.
The Conversation
Lorraine asked the girl if she was okay and if she needed help. The girl nodded and told her that her father was not her birth father.
Her lips started trembling, her eyes growing glossy.
She looked behind her as if the man was listening in. “It’s okay,” Lorraine said. If only she knew what she was getting herself into.
The Truth
What Lorraine had feared throughout the flight was seemingly coming true. The man and the two girls were not related.
Lorraine swallowed a hard lump of air as she considered the implications of what she’d just gotten herself into.
Wouldn’t it be wise for her to pull the plug on her operation before it was too late?
Going To Ava
The worried flight attendant thought about reporting the matter to Ava first. Her friend had always helped her keep a clear head during such difficult moments.
Lorraine also wasn’t sure if the girls were in actual trouble just because the man wasn’t their dad.
What if she caused a stir only to end up being sued for defamation or something along those lines?
Are You Okay?
Lorraine’s mind raced so much that the girl asked if she was okay. Lorraine nodded, her lips curling.
That the girl had asked her if she was okay was enough to tell her what she needed to do.
She’d always helped people, whether it was dangerous. She wasn’t about to stop now. But before she could do anything here, she’d have to help the girl back to her seat. It would be wise if the man she was with didn’t suspect anything.
More Questions
Lorraine considered asking the girl a few more questions. She needed more context for what was happening.
But the girl had already been away for long enough. The man would be looking for her soon.
Unlocking the bathroom door, Lorraine asked the girl if their mom was alright with the man taking her and her sister away. The girl’s answer would make her freeze in place.
A Shocking Answer
“Mommy wasn’t home,” the girl whispered, sadness lacing her voice. Lorraine had to shake herself back to reality. “It’s going to be okay,” she whispered, even though fear had petrified her.
Men capable of doing the things this man was doing weren’t the kind to play around.
The same way she did while inside the bathroom, Lorraine wondered if getting involved here was a wise choice.
Going Back To Her Seat
She led the girl back to her seat. After strapping her in, she walked over to Ava, using everything within her to remain calm.
Ava saw her face, devoid of emotion, and stopped everything she was doing, accompanying her to the flight attendants’ seats.
“So?” she asked, and Lorraine nodded. “We were right. Something’s very wrong.”
Sharing The News
Lorraine explained everything that the girl had said. But she also shared that the information deserved more context.
What if the girls’ father needed them flown out? What if their mom had arranged the whole thing?
Interfering in private matters was never a good thing. But what if the girls truly needed help?
Making A Choice
“What do you want to do, Lorraine?” Ava asked. “Help,” answered Lorraine with a straight face.
She was realizing that getting in trouble for meddling in someone’s personal issues wouldn’t be as bad as regretting not having helped.
Ava smiled and said, “We need a clear plan, then. We have one shot at this. We cannot afford to mess up. What’s on your mind?”
Assessing Everything
“We need to assess what we know and don’t,” said Lorraine. She checked her watch. “We have two hours before the plane touches down.”
“Two hours isn’t enough,” Ava answered. “What do we know?” “The man has taken the girl and her sister from their mother,” said Lorraine.
“He’s flying them to a different country, which isn’t a good sign.”
Remaining Objective
“We know there isn’t much we can do here,” she continued. “But we can continue acting like we don’t know what’s happening. We don’t want to spook him.”
She suggested asking the captain for help, seeing as he was the one who had access to the plane’s communication systems.
He was the only one who could convince the authorities to arrive on time.
At The Cockpit
With the two hours counting down, Lorraine and Ava hurried to the captain and explained the situation. The captain was astounded and couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
Although he agreed that this case might not be something huge, he couldn’t take any chances.
He had heard about cases like this, and he knew what he had to do.
Explaining Everything That’s Happened
The captain contacted the authorities, explaining the situation at hand.
He went over everything Lorraine and Ava had shared, from how scared the girls looked to how apprehensive and on edge the man was.
He explained that Lorraine had made contact with one of the girls and ascertained that the man wasn’t their dad. But that wasn’t all.
An Hour From Rio
The captain shared that the girls were taken when their mom wasn’t home, which made the situation even more serious.
Since the plane was about an hour from touching down in Rio, the captain requested the authorities send a few squad cars and an ambulance and wait at the runway.
He wouldn’t be taking any chances.
The Waiting Game
After the call, he thanked Lorraine for her initiative, asking her and Ava to remain calm and carry on their duties as usual. “We don’t want to spook him,” he said.
As far as Lorraine saw it, she’d done her part well.
Now she only needed to hold on for sixty minutes, and the girls would be safe.
Remaining Calm
The man looked at Lorraine suspiciously as she passed them. He looked at the girls, and they just continued watching their movies as per Lorraine’s instructions.
They just had to endure it for another half hour before they finally landed in Brazil.
It was important for them all to remain calm as if nothing was going on for them to execute the next steps in the plan.
It’s Coming To An End
As the final minutes of the flight came, a serene quietness took the plane. But in the silence, emotions were charged.
On one end, Lorraine’s heart thumped in her ears as she wondered whether her plan would work.
On the other end was the man, nervously craning his neck so he could catch a glimpse of what was happening outside the plane.
The Descent
As the flight was coming to an end, the captain made the necessary announcements.
Everyone sat back as the plane slowly made its descent.
Lorraine watched one last time as the man began talking to the girls. He was probably giving them instructions on what to do once they landed. It seemed like even he couldn’t afford to mess this up.
Wanted To Make A Swift Exit
As the plane touched down, Lorraine knew it was now or never. She needed to spring into action and save the girls before it was too late.
She saw the man get up and the girls had desperate looks on their faces. He wanted to quickly exit the plane from the back, but the girls resisted.
Lorraine knew they were panicking.
It was Now Or Never
He grabbed their hands, and one of the girls shouted. Lorraine made her way to the girls.
The other passengers were looking as they could see the commotion.
Luckily the captain also came to help. Lorraine separated the girls from the man, and the captain apprehended him as authorities made their way onto the plane.
The Arrest
The man was immediately arrested. Lorraine and the girls were escorted off the plane and taken to a safe location in the airport.
The girls were visibly shaken but relieved that they were finally safe. Lorraine stayed with them until the authorities came to take their statements.
It was then that Lorraine discovered something even more shocking.
A Cold Case
The two girls were eventually taken into protective custody. It seems that Lorraine had helped break open a cold case that had been going on for years.
The man had been on the run for a long time, and thanks to Lorraine’s quick thinking and actions, he was finally caught.
The girls had been missing for two years. Lorraine was baffled by the revelation.
The Aftermath
After the incident, Lorraine was hailed as a hero by the authorities and her colleagues. She had saved two young girls from a life of misery and had helped bring a dangerous criminal to justice.
The cops were able to bust open the whole operation and arrest everyone involved.
Lorraine knew she had to do more to fight human trafficking. She volunteered with organizations that helped victims of trafficking.
What If
She also made it her mission to educate others on the dangers of trafficking and how to identify and report suspicious activity.
She later learned that the girls were reunited with their mom and were doing well. She was so relieved that she listened to her instincts and acted when she did. (https://artisantalent.com/) Who knows what would’ve happened if she didn’t?
Disclaimer: In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.