Then watch the front door of the plane. You can see it well, I hope?’
‘Yes.’ Helen’s voice was quiet now, almost a whisper.
‘Then watch. There is an American spy behind it. And remember, we have many American spies, and many important business people on this plane. In half an hour I will ask you again about my brothers.’
Helen stared out at the plane. Its front door was very small and far away. Colonel Carter touched her arm.
‘Here are some binoculars, Prime Minister. You will be able to see more clearly with these.’
She did not want to look, but she had to. She had decided not to free the prisoners, so now she had to see what happened to the passengers. She picked up the binoculars and stared at the front door of the plane.
The door opened slowly. There were no steps outside the door, so it was about four metres above the ground. Standing in the door was a short, fat man, his hands above
his head. His face was white and he looked very frightened. Then he jumped. But as he jumped, a girl came to the door and shot him. Some bullets hit him in the air, and more hit him as he lay on the ground. One of his arms moved a little and blood ran out of the side of his head onto the wet tarmac. The girl continued shooting him for ten, maybe fifteen seconds. Then someone pulled her back into the plane and the door closed.
For a long time everyone was silent. Then Colonel Carter spoke. ‘Inspector, why didn’t your men shoot? That girl was in the doorway for nearly fifteen seconds! Why isn’t she dead?’
‘We...are police officers, 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 plane! We are commandos; 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 go.
‘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 that!’ The inspector and the Colonel stared at her in
surprise.
‘I can and I will.’
‘But those 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 very straight in his fine uniform. ‘Prime Minister, I
Then watch the front door of the plane. You can see it well, I hope?’‘Yes.’ Helen’s voice was quiet now, almost a whisper.‘Then watch. There is an American spy behind it. And remember, we have many American spies, and many important business people on this plane. In half an hour I will ask you again about my brothers.’Helen stared out at the plane. Its front door was very small and far away. Colonel Carter touched her arm.‘Here are some binoculars, Prime Minister. You will be able to see more clearly with these.’She did not want to look, but she had to. She had decided not to free the prisoners, so now she had to see what happened to the passengers. She picked up the binoculars and stared at the front door of the plane.The door opened slowly. There were no steps outside the door, so it was about four metres above the ground. Standing in the door was a short, fat man, his hands abovehis head. His face was white and he looked very frightened. Then he jumped. But as he jumped, a girl came to the door and shot him. Some bullets hit him in the air, and more hit him as he lay on the ground. One of his arms moved a little and blood ran out of the side of his head onto the wet tarmac. The girl continued shooting him for ten, maybe fifteen seconds. Then someone pulled her back into the plane and the door closed.For a long time everyone was silent. Then Colonel Carter spoke. ‘Inspector, why didn’t your men shoot? That girl was in the doorway for nearly fifteen seconds! Why isn’t she dead?’‘We...are police officers, not soldiers. I...’ But the Colonel interrupted him.‘Prime Minister, let my men deal with this problem. They have killed a man now andthey’ll kill another one in half an hour. We must attack that plane! We are commandos; 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 go.‘Inspector.’‘Yes, madam.’‘I want those two prisoners brought here from the prison. At once. You have twenty-fiveminutes, no more. Do you understand?’‘But Prime Minister! You can’t do that!’ The inspector and the Colonel stared at her insurprise.‘I can and I will.’‘But those 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 very straight in his fine uniform. ‘Prime Minister, I
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