The Arrival

In Flight to Buenos Aires, Jessica sat next to Leanna in first class, staring out at the clouds as the plane cruised smoothly at altitude. The hum of the engines was calming, but her thoughts weren’t. She had relied on Leanna for so much over the years, and now, sitting beside her, she realized just how much she had missed her. How much she needed her.

Hannah and Kevin were sitting together across the aisle, relaxed, whispering to each other with the comfort of a couple who no longer had to hide their engagement. Olivia sat behind Jessica, typing away on her laptop, using a secure VPN to dig deeper into the shell corporations tied to Vanguard Biotechnics.

Jessica finally tore her gaze from the window and looked at Leanna. "Do you ever think about how different things could’ve been?"

Leanna smirked, sipping from her wine glass. "All the time. But we don’t get do-overs, do we?"

Jessica sighed. "No. We don’t."

The group engaged in light conversation, enjoying the food and free drinks, keeping things as normal as possible. They knew what waited for them on the ground would be far from normal.

******************************

The mood changed the moment they landed. As they moved through the passport checkpoint, a uniformed officer pulled them aside. "Random security check," he said in a tone that made it clear there was nothing random about it.

Jessica’s stomach twisted as they were led to a secondary screening area. Their luggage was searched, their passports scrutinized. Olivia remained calm, answering questions with casual confidence, her Swedish accent flawless.

Kevin shot Jessica a look, his jaw tight. They all thought the same thing: Had they been discovered? Minutes stretched like hours before the officer finally waved them through, their documents handed back without explanation.

As they walked away, Hannah whispered, "What the hell was that?"

Leanna kept her voice low. "Either we got lucky, or they already know we’re here."

No one spoke as they made their way through customs and out into the humid night air of Buenos Aires.

******************************

Their Hotel was a second-rate stay in a non-tourist part of town. Their taxi dropped them off in front of a nondescript three-story hotel, far from the glamorous districts of Buenos Aires. The neon sign flickered above the entrance, and inside, the air smelled of old wood and damp carpet.

Jessica tossed her bag onto the bed and sat down, exhaling deeply. "Welcome to our new home."

Kevin flopped onto his mattress, staring at the ceiling. "Feels like a place where people disappear."

"Let’s make sure we’re not those people," Olivia muttered, locking the door behind them.

Jessica sat back against the headboard, her fingers brushing against her fake passport. The night outside was alive with the sounds of the city, but inside, they all knew the real danger was just beginning.