“Thank you,” Victoria said. “You’re welcome.” The flight attendant nodded and continued on her way. For now, everything was fine. Perhaps the passengers’ complaints were exaggerated, perhaps they were just isolated incidents. But about an hour after takeoff, the atmosphere on board changed. From the back of the cabin came the sound of a child crying. Victoria turned around. A young mother was trying to soothe a baby who was clearly fussy. The child was about two years old. He was screaming and squirming in his mother’s arms.
One of the flight attendants approached them. “Ma’am, you need to calm the child down,” she said sternly. “He’s bothering the other passengers.” “I’m trying.” The mother looked bewildered and tired. “He’s just fussy, he’s teething. That’s no excuse.” The flight attendant crossed her arms over her chest. “You should have prepared for the flight, brought calming toys.” Victoria frowned. The flight attendant’s tone was harsh, completely unacceptable. This is not how Asure Wings employees should behave.
The mother grew even more agitated. The child cried louder. Other passengers began to turn away. Someone clicked their tongue in disapproval. Victoria wanted to get up, approach, intervene somehow, but she stopped herself. She’s here undercover. She can’t reveal herself. No, now she needs more information. The situation was resolved when another flight attendant, older, clearly higher in rank, approached the mother and kindly offered her warm milk for the child. The little boy gradually calmed down, but a bad taste remained.
Victoria mentally noted the rude flight attendant’s name. Her name tag read Clara Mitell; she’d have to deal with her later. The flight continued. Victoria dozed, gazing out the window at the clouds. Below, the green fields of France drifted by. Then mountains began to appear—the Alps. But with about 20 minutes to go before landing, what Victoria had embarked on this whole adventure for happened: turbulence. The plane shook quite violently. The passengers gasped in fear. Victoria knew this was normal.
especially as they approached the mountainous coast. But for ordinary passengers, it’s always stressful. Captain Hartley’s voice crackled over the loudspeakers. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have entered a zone of turbulence. Please take your seats and fasten your seatbelts.” His tone was irritated, almost annoyed, as if the passengers were to blame for the bad weather. The plane continued to shake. Someone among the passengers laughed nervously. The elderly woman next to Victoria took her husband’s hand. “Everything will be all right, my dear,” he reassured her.
