they arrive.’ ‘I see.’
‘There’s one other thing, Prime Minister,’ Colonel Carter spoke for the first time. His voice was very quiet, almost gentle. ‘They say we must bring the prisoners to the airport in two hours. If not, they will kill a passenger. They said this one hour ago.’
‘So we have one hour left?’
‘That’s right, Prime Minister. Just one hour. Then they will kill the first passenger.’
‘I see.’
Helen walked slowly to the window and stared out at the plane. It was still raining and
a strong wind was blowing. She turned round. ‘Thank you, gentlemen. I will have to talk to them. But first I need a few minutes to think. Colonel Carter, Inspector, please go to the other room. Tell the hijackers I will talk to them in five minutes. Michael, stay here.’
‘But...yes, madam.’ Inspector Holm looked unhappy, but he went out, slowly, with the Colonel. Michael sat quietly, looking at her. He knew what she was thinking. ‘Have you got the passenger list, Michael?’
‘Yes, Prime Minister. Here you are.’
She picked up the list of names and looked at it carefully. ‘Oh my God!’ His name was near the beginning. She dropped the list, sat down at the table, and ran her hands through her hair. For a long minute she said nothing. Then she looked up.
‘This is going to be very difficult, isn’t it, Michael?’
‘I’m afraid so, Prime Minister. Very difficult indeed.’
Helen stood up and walked to the window, thinking hard. Outside in the rain, the
American Ambassador’s car stopped by the door.
Chapter 6
Carl looked through the window and watched the cars arrive at the airport building. There were a lot of cars now and a lot of lights in the building. Inside the plane it was hot and quiet. There was nothing to do. He remembered other times when he had been in a plane at night with his wife and daughter. That had been fun because they were excited and going on holiday. His daughter had always asked lots of questions in the plane. Now, no-one said anything at all. Carl sat, and thought, and felt his face become wet with sweat.
‘Your passports, please!’
‘What?’ he turned suddenly. One of the hijackers, a young man in a black shirt, was just behind them. He had a bag in his hand, and he was taking everyone’s passports and putting them in it.
‘Why...?’
‘Be quiet!’ Harald whispered. ‘Let me talk, sir. Remember?’
‘Your passports, please.’ The young man stood by their seats.
‘Here you are.’ Harald gave the man his passport.
‘Thank you. And his?’
‘He has no passport. I am a police officer and he is my prisoner. I am taking him to
prison in my country.’
‘I see.’ The young man looked at them both in surprise. ‘Stand up, you!’
Carl stood up and the young man searched his pockets, but he found nothing. He told
Carl to sit down, then he opened Harald’s passport and looked inside.
‘Police pig!’ he said. ‘Now you are our prisoner!’ Then he hit Harald in the face, looked
at Carl, and laughed. ‘And perhaps we will set him free!’
they arrive.’ ‘I see.’‘There’s one other thing, Prime Minister,’ Colonel Carter spoke for the first time. His voice was very quiet, almost gentle. ‘They say we must bring the prisoners to the airport in two hours. If not, they will kill a passenger. They said this one hour ago.’‘So we have one hour left?’‘That’s right, Prime Minister. Just one hour. Then they will kill the first passenger.’‘I see.’Helen walked slowly to the window and stared out at the plane. It was still raining anda strong wind was blowing. She turned round. ‘Thank you, gentlemen. I will have to talk to them. But first I need a few minutes to think. Colonel Carter, Inspector, please go to the other room. Tell the hijackers I will talk to them in five minutes. Michael, stay here.’‘But...yes, madam.’ Inspector Holm looked unhappy, but he went out, slowly, with the Colonel. Michael sat quietly, looking at her. He knew what she was thinking. ‘Have you got the passenger list, Michael?’‘Yes, Prime Minister. Here you are.’She picked up the list of names and looked at it carefully. ‘Oh my God!’ His name was near the beginning. She dropped the list, sat down at the table, and ran her hands through her hair. For a long minute she said nothing. Then she looked up.‘This is going to be very difficult, isn’t it, Michael?’‘I’m afraid so, Prime Minister. Very difficult indeed.’Helen stood up and walked to the window, thinking hard. Outside in the rain, theAmerican Ambassador’s car stopped by the door.Chapter 6Carl looked through the window and watched the cars arrive at the airport building. There were a lot of cars now and a lot of lights in the building. Inside the plane it was hot and quiet. There was nothing to do. He remembered other times when he had been in a plane at night with his wife and daughter. That had been fun because they were excited and going on holiday. His daughter had always asked lots of questions in the plane. Now, no-one said anything at all. Carl sat, and thought, and felt his face become wet with sweat.‘Your passports, please!’‘What?’ he turned suddenly. One of the hijackers, a young man in a black shirt, was just behind them. He had a bag in his hand, and he was taking everyone’s passports and putting them in it.‘Why...?’‘Be quiet!’ Harald whispered. ‘Let me talk, sir. Remember?’‘Your passports, please.’ The young man stood by their seats.‘Here you are.’ Harald gave the man his passport.‘Thank you. And his?’‘He has no passport. I am a police officer and he is my prisoner. I am taking him toprison in my country.’‘I see.’ The young man looked at them both in surprise. ‘Stand up, you!’Carl stood up and the young man searched his pockets, but he found nothing. He toldCarl to sit down, then he opened Harald’s passport and looked inside.‘Police pig!’ he said. ‘Now you are our prisoner!’ Then he hit Harald in the face, lookedat Carl, and laughed. ‘And perhaps we will set him free!’
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