"We are police officersi not soldiers. i, But the Colonel interrupted him. Prime Minister, let my men deal with this problem. They have killed a man now and they'll kill another one in half an hour. We must attack that planel We are commandosi we know how to do it!" Helen was still watching the dead body of the man on the tarmac. She thought a hand moved, for a moment but no, he must be dead by now. There was a pool of blood on the tarmac now, around his head. He could not possibly be alive. For a moment she did not hear the voices around her. In half an hour. "Prime Minister'Yes." She turned towards them, 'Yes, Colonel Carter, bring your men here, immediately. Meet me in ten minutes with your plan. But I warn you, it must be a good one. I don't want any more dead passengers." "Yes, Prime Minister. At once." The Colonel turned to Inspector. "Yes, madam'I want those two prisoners brought here from the prison. At once. You have twenty-five minutes, no more. Do you understand? But Prime Minister! You can't do thatl' The Inspector and the Colonel stared at her in surprise. can and I will.' "But these men are dangerous criminals terrorists!
they tried to put a bomb on a plane! They are in prison for"For thirty years, Colonel. I know. But they are only two men, and there are over a hundred innocent people on that plane. My job is to save their lives, and I need time to do it.' The Inspector stood up very tall and straight in his fine uniform. "Prime Minister, I strongly advise you not to do this. You don't understand Helen interrupted him, her voice ice-cold and angry. I understand very well indeed, Inspector. And I thank you for your advice. But I think I must make the decisions, and you must obey my orders. You now have only twenty-four minutes. Bring those prisoners here, please. "Yes, madam." The Inspector and the Golonel left thc room, looking very unhappy. Prime Minister?' "Yes, Michael?" She turned, and saw that Michael was smiling quietly. are here. Do"The American and British Ambassadors you want to see them?' to? Of She groaned, and sat down suddenly, "Do I want course I don't! But I suppose I must talk to them because that man was an American. Send them in. They can have five minutes with me, that's all.' telephone. Yes, Prime Minister." Michael picked up a telephone.
When the girl came back into the cabin she was shaking. Her hands were. shaking and she was crying and smoke was coming out of her gun. One of the passengers, an American, stood up and shouted at her. "You're a murderer!' he shouted. "You're a dirty, murdering b She turned and pointed the gun at him and fired. The man sat down in his seat and the bullets went above the seats, all along the plane, and out through the roof. After ten seconds the girl stopped firing and shouted. "You shut up! You shut up and sit down or l'll kill you all! I am a soldier of the People's Liberation Army and I'll kill you, all of you!" But she was crying too, and the young man in the black shirt put his arm around her and held her. She leaned against him, crying, and he whispered something in her ear. It was then that Harald moved. He got out of his seat, bent low, and ran very fast along the aisle towards the front of the plane. The young man and the girl did not see him coming and he caught them both around their legs and knocked them onto the floor. Harald fell on top of them and he tried to take one of the guns, but the girl pulled his hair and the young man hcld his arms. Then the bearded man came out of the Captain's cabin and hit
Harald hard on the head with his gun. Harald fell on the floor and lay still. The bearded man pointed his gun at the passengers and shouted"SIT STII l very loud indeed. None of the passengers had moved except Carl, and he was too slow. He stood very still in the middle of the aisle five metres away from the bearded man's gun. The other two hijackers were still on the floor, and Carl saw the Captain move in the cabin behind the bearded man. But the young man in the black shirt saw him too, and stood up and pointed his gun at the Captain. Both Carl and the Captain were too late. "I am getting old," Carl thought. "When I was young, I could move as fast as Harald. But not now." Carl sat down in his seat, very slowly. The bcarded man watched him all the time. He pushed Harald with his foot. Search him," he said to the girl. "Then handcuff him to the door. He will be the next one.' The girl pulled Harald to the door. She found some handcuffs in his pocket and handcuffed him to the door. Then she searched his other pockets. In one of his pockets she found a newspaper. She looked at it and saw the photo of Harald and Carl. She stood up slowly and showed it to the bearded man. He looked at the photo, and then he looked at Carl carefully and for a long time.