The sharp scent of disinfectant lingered in the air as travelers streamed through Otopeni International Airport’s Terminal D. The loudspeakers echoed flight information in Romanian and English, mingling with the clatter of rolling suitcases and murmurs of hurried conversations. Officer Andrei Popescu, standing tall in his uniform, watched the tide of people flow past the security checkpoint. Every breath he took was measured, every glance deliberate.
Beside him, Luna, his German Shepherd partner, padded silently. She was muscular yet graceful, her dark fur sleek under the sterile lighting. Her ears were perked, her movements precise. A veteran of high-risk operations, she had never failed a detection drill. Her instincts had kept them both alive in more than one tense situation.
For Andrei, working with Luna was more than a job—it was trust personified. They’d trained together, eaten together, faced down threats together. Luna’s gaze could read a crowd in ways no technology ever could. It wasn’t just about training—it was intuition. Raw, refined, loyal.
The checkpoint at Gate D was crowded with passengers boarding a late-night international flight. Families with children, business travelers, and weary tourists all bustled about under the fluorescent haze. Andrei swept his eyes across the terminal. To the untrained eye, it was just another routine night. But he knew better. There were always undercurrents in crowds like these—tensions that went unseen until it was too late.
Suddenly, Luna froze.