‘Perhaps. But your children think you’re a famous man, I’m sure. Here, take it, and show it to them.’
‘OK. Thanks.’ Harald smiled, and put the newspaper in his coat pocket. ‘I think I’ll have a cup of coffee, too.’ He called for the air hostess, but she did not come. Harald looked surprised.
‘What’s the matter?’ Carl asked.
‘The air hostess,’ Harald said. ‘She’s sitting down talking to those two men.’
Carl looked up and saw the young air hostess. She was sitting in a seat at the front of the
plane with two young men. They looked worried and nervous. Suddenly, one of the young men picked up a bag and walked into the pilot’s cabin! The other man and the air hostess followed him.
‘That’s strange,’ said Carl. ‘What are they doing?’
‘I don’t know. It’s very strange,’ said Harald. ‘I don’t like it at all.’ He began to get out of his seat, but then stopped and sat down again.
For one or two minutes nothing happened. None of the other passengers moved or spoke. They had seen the young men too. It became very quiet on the plane.
A bell rang, and for a moment they could hear two voices arguing. Then the pilot spoke.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, this is the captain speaking. Please do not be afraid. There is a change of plan. We have to land at another airport before we finish our journey. There’s no danger. We will land in fifteen minutes. Please stay in your seats and keep calm. Thank you.’
Then the air hostess came out of the cabin. She looked very different now because she had a machine gun in her hand. She stood at the front of the plane and watched the passengers carefully.
Chapter 3
‘Here we are, madam.’ The big black car stopped and a police officer opened the back door.
‘Thank you.’ Helen Sandberg smiled at him as she got out. Another police officer opened the front door of her house.
Inside the house it was quiet. Her daughter was reading. She put the book down.
‘Hello, Mummy. You’re late. You said you’d be home by ten o’clock. I wanted to talk to you about my homework, remember?’
Helen sat down. ‘I’m sorry, Sarah. I did remember, really. But I had a very busy day. Anyway, I‘m home now. What’s the problem?’
‘It’s this book,’ said Sarah. ‘I have to write about it at school on Friday, and I don’t understand it.’
‘All right, said Helen. Bring the book into the kitchen and I’ll look at it while you make me a cup of coffee.’
They sat in the kitchen and talked for nearly half an hour. Then Helen looked at her watch. ‘OK, Sarah, that’s enough for now. It’s nearly midnight, and I must be up at six tomorrow. I’m going to bed. Goodnight.’
Alone in her bedroom, she undressed and got into the big empty bed. She was very tired. She closed her eyes and in three minutes she was asleep.
The phone rang at 12.15 a.m.
Helen groaned and picked it up.
‘Hello......What?......Who?......Do you know what time it is?’
She ran her hand through her hair and turned the light on. ‘What, now? I don’t believe it.