I pretended not to notice anything. Experience told me panic could ruin everything.
In the mirror, I saw the man whisper something into the girl’s ear. She flinched. I felt a wave of anger rising in my chest.

At the next stop, I reported over the radio:
— Possible abduction. Route 52, heading south. Requesting backup.
And, as if nothing had happened, I opened the doors to let new passengers in.

The man started getting nervous. He noticed I was watching him too often.
— Hey, — he said harshly. — Keep your eyes on the road.
I nodded and smiled. But inside, I was boiling.

A few minutes later, I stopped the bus near a police station — under the pretext of a “technical stop.”
— Everyone off, — I said loudly. — Brake check, five minutes.

When the doors opened, he pulled the girl toward the exit. But at that moment, two police officers ran up to the bus.

The man tried to run, but they tackled him immediately. The girl stood on the sidewalk — confused, trembling, but free.

She looked up and whispered:
— Thank you.

For the first time that morning, I exhaled. And I realized: sometimes a single word can change not just a day — but an entire life.