Irene wove through the crowded baggage claim area, her elegant navy dress a stark contrast to the travel-worn passengers around her. Five years had changed her – the scared young woman who’d fled Silver City was gone. Now her attention was fixed solely on her children.

“Remember to stay close,” she said, checking her phone for their baggage claim number. “This place gets crazy during peak hours.”

The triplets stood perfectly poised beside their mother, drawing admiring glances from passersby. Alex clutched his beloved tablet while maintaining a protective watch over his siblings. Lucas straightened his silk bow tie – his own idea of proper travel attire. Lily, in her matching blue dress, hummed quietly while swaying to some melody only she could hear.

“Oh, would you look at those adorable little ones!” A elderly lady nudged her husband, beaming at the children. “Such beautiful manners, and those matching outfits!”

“They’re like little dolls,” another passenger whispered to her friend. “And so well-behaved for their age!”

A flight attendant walking past couldn’t help but smile. “I had them on my flight – absolute angels. The little one even helped comfort a scared toddler during turbulence.”

“Carousel four,” Alex announced, his tablet already displaying the airport’s luggage tracking system, though Irene pretended not to notice her eldest’s casual hacking. Some battles weren’t worth fighting.

They’d just spotted their first bag when Lily started doing her telltale dance.

“Mommy, I gotta go…” She tried to whisper, but her urgency was clear.

Irene sighed. “Why didn’t you say something on the plane, sweetie?”

“I didn’t have to go then!” Lily protested, shifting from foot to foot.

“What about you two?” Irene turned to the boys. “Last chance before we head to the hotel.”

Alex didn’t look up from his tablet. “Nah, we’re good. We’ll keep an eye on the stuff.”

“Yeah Mom, we got this!” Lucas added with a bright smile that would have made Irene suspicious if she wasn’t distracted by Lily’s increasingly urgent wiggling.

“Alright, but stay right here. We’ll be quick.” She took Lily’s hand, already mentally mapping the fastest route to the nearest restroom.

As soon as their mother and sister disappeared into the crowd, the boys’ innocent expressions shifted into something far more focused. Alex perched on their largest suitcase, fingers flying across his tablet as he pulled up the airport’s security feeds. Lucas, meanwhile, began a careful survey of their surroundings, his five-year-old energy channeled into sharp observation.

“Anything?” Alex murmured, eyes scanning between screens.

“Not yet, but—” Lucas cut off abruptly. His eyes widened with excitement. “Look, Alex!” he whispered, nearly bouncing in place. “That’s the person we’ve been looking for – Mr. Haven! Could he really be our…you know…”

Through the shifting crowds, they could see him clearly. Adam commanded attention even from his wheelchair, his expression stern as he conversed with his assistant. Even from a distance, his irritation was evident.

“Another specialist must have turned him down,” Alex muttered, remembering the encrypted medical consultation requests they’d been tracking.

Then he noticed something that made his eyes widen. “Wait…” He nudged his brother. “Look at his suitcase. It’s exactly like Mom’s!”

Lucas squinted. “The black business one? They look identical…”

“Same model, same color…” Alex’s voice dropped even lower. “Even the same scratch on the corner.”

A grin spread across his face—the kind that usually preceded either brilliant success or spectacular trouble. “Got it! You thinking what I’m thinking?”

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