There was no other option. Tom looked across the runway at the monster A380. Kano and Lela followed his gaze and winced.
“Not again,” they whispered in unison.
“OK. Can you fuel up the 380, please,” said Tom to the ground crew.
The flying arrangements were quickly rearranged and the teams boarded the A380 for the final leg of the journey. Tom took the Captain’s seat, input their destination and then made a quick phone call to arrange additional transport at the other end. He then made corrections for the weight of the plane and prepared for take-off. Kisho, his First Officer, assisted with the final checks as Tom taxied onto the runway. Moments later, they were airborne and Lela and Kano applauded an extremely smooth take off. It did not, however, reassure them enough to stop them praying for a safe landing.
Chapter 61
The flight was uneventful and the landing proved the theory again. The bigger the plane, the softer the landing. The airport was unexpectedly empty,
“Where are we?” asked Lela turning to Tom. “I thought we were landing in Glasgow?”
“We are, we’re at Glasgow Prestwick, just thirty miles South of Glasgow.”
“Why here?”
“I thought they might be at the main airport waiting for us and this is just a bit too obvious,” Tom gestured back to the plane. “So I thought it better to land here.”
“OK, so how do we get home?”
“Sorted,” said Tom pointing to a row of Porsche Cayenne Turbo S’s.
“Did you forget one small thing?”
“What?”
“Although we have lots of guys with us, they can’t drive, there are no roads on the island. You have four cars and no drivers.”
“Damn, I never thought of that. I should have asked Colin for some drivers,” said Tom. Colin’s father owned all the Scottish Porsche franchises.
“We can drive,” offered Kisho and Kano. “And so can I,” another islander offered. Those three had learnt to drive during their stint in the army.
“That leaves one spare,” said Tom looking at Lela.
“Why are you looking at me?” she asked.
“Because I know Saki lets you drive the cars and you’re wicked in a go-kart,” replied Tom.
“Yeah but that’s not on the main road.”
“I just flew a bloody plane!”
“Good point, well made. Give me the keys,” she said. Tom knew that Lela was well qualified to drive, she loved cars, especially fast ones.
In less than forty minutes, the cars pulled up at the Estate, headlights off out of sight of the security system. Tom who had travelled in Lela’s car assured her that those forty minutes were more terrifying than his fifteen hours of flying. She told him not to be such a pussy.
Chapter 62
Reaper was awake. He was waiting for the AlbAir flight to land. Two of his men had been sent to the airport to follow the kids back to the Estate. He would not be happy until they were safely tied up in the Lodge House and within his control. A room had been dressed in the Lodge and a camera set up to film the children being watched by knife wielding guards. Reaper had disguised the room as he did not want the parents to know that their kids were close by.
Leo walked into the kitchen.
“Any news?” he asked.
“The flight is in a holding pattern above the airport. Can you believe it. It’s 3.00 a.m. and it has to wait to land.” Reaper was exasperated. “I’m telling you, it will take all my strength to stop myself from killing those bloody kids when they walk through that door.”
“I know exactly what you mean,” said Leo.
“Have you got the message to the schools?” asked Reaper changing the subject.
“Yes, at 10.00 a.m. our time, our guys will let the terrorists make their demands and to show they mean business, they’ll kill 50 kids at each school.”
“I thought we said 100?” asked Reaper nonchalantly.
“They’ve all agreed 50 is fine.”
“OK. Well that should cause enough confusion and news for the next month. No-one will pay the slightest bit of attention to the deal. Perfect,” said Reaper, relishing the tactics.
“He is one cold bastard, this client,” said Leo.
“I know. He’s the only guy I’ve ever met who puts a shiver down my spine,” responded Reaper.
“And that’s saying something. Are you absolutely sure he wants that many kids killed?”
“He was adamant. His exact words were that it would be excellent cover for his transaction.”
“Cold bastard.”
“Very,” said Reaper and then changing the subject asked, “Do our Team Leaders have an exit?”
“Yes. When the kids are slaughtered, they’ll be dressed as ambulance men and will stretcher one of the bodies out when the time comes. They’ll leave their teams behind to what we’re sure will be a swift response from the authorities.”
“Yeah, fifty dead bodies will bring an end to the softly, softly approach,” said Reaper watching the hostage scenes which looked like the usual media circus, all brightly lit with news cameras from around the world vying for position.
“What if we have to call them off?” asked Reaper.
“No can do. It’s a one time communications burst. The system only allows one message and that’s what makes it so secure. Once the message has gone, it effectively self destructs so nobody can tap into it. We’re told it’s the only system the NSA can’t beat,” said Leo referring to the ultra secretive American National Security Agency whom it was said could listen into any conversation or read any message in the world.
“So there’s no going back?”
No. The orders are irreversible. At 10.00 a.m., 200 kids are going to die.”
“WHAT THE HELL???” Reaper screamed at Leo as he watched the TV screens.
Chapter 63
The A380 was not the only plane to have left Masirah, four of the six available Citation X’s had taken off right behind it. They were to be joined by an Airbus 319CJ, a Scramjet and another Citation X which had taken off from Kota Kinabalu. In total, eight aircraft were aloft that morning for Operation Retribution.
The Airbus 319CJ landed in an airfield just outside Moscow and had four Porsche Cayenne Turbo S’s waiting for it.
The Scramjet had left Kota Kinabalu long after any of the others and landed well before them despite having almost twice the distance to travel. It landed on a secret base just outside Washington and again was met by a row of Porsche Cayenne Turbo S’s.
The final plane from Kota Kinabalu, the Citation X, had a much shorter flight plan. It headed to a remote island in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
The four Citations from Masirah flew in formation for almost 3,000 miles before two broke off and landed in Paris, while the other two made their way across the Channel to London.
At each of the airports, a row of Porsche Cayenne Turbo S’s sat waiting for the islanders. Tom owed the Porsche family a huge favour.
Tom listened to his earpiece as each of the teams checked in at their various locations. Everybody was exactly where they should be with five minutes to spare. Tom could not believe that everything had gone so smoothly.
At exactly 3.30 a.m. Glasgow and London time, 10.30 p.m. in Washington, 4.30 a.m. in Paris and 6.30 a.m. in Moscow, the four hostage sites would be plunged into darkness. At exactly the same time and at each hostage site, the police and army commanders in charge and some of their top men would receive emergency phone calls from their own children. The confusion would create the window required for Operation Retribution.
***
Reaper screamed at Leo.
“What the hell is happening?! Every one of the schools is in darkness! Check in with your men immediately!”
Leo checked the screen. Only forty four blips were showing. These accounted for thirty seven guards, the comms man, the parents, Mark, himself and Reaper. The other two men were at the airport.
“It’s fine, all accounted
for, no extra bodies here.”
Reaper called his men at the airport.
“Has the flight landed?”
“Yes.”
“Can you see the kids yet?”
“No they’ve not come through yet.”
“What do you mean they’ve not come through yet?”
“It’s a big plane and there are still people filtering through.”
“You imbecile! They were in First Class and had no luggage, they should have been off first! Get back here now!”
“Leo! Kill the mother, the kids have screwed us.” Reaper could not believe it.
Chapter 64
Papa waited with his islanders. He was in London. They were all dressed in black, from head to toe and were, to all intents and purposes, invisible. Their dress, skills and expertise meant that if they did not want to be seen, they wouldn’t be. Even the Ghurkhas, famed for their camouflage, marvelled at the islanders’ skills. There were fifteen islanders at each of the schools, more than enough to deal with fifty terrorists.
The lights went out and the islanders moved in. The power would return in five minutes and in that time, they had to complete their task and get out. Mobile phones buzzed all around them as they made their way silently and “invisibly” through the security cordon around the school.
It was the same at each of the four schools. Twenty seconds after the lights were extinguished, sixty islanders were in the terrorists’ dens.
Each islander carried an array of weapons, many of which would be considered non lethal. However, in the hands of the islanders, there was no such thing. They also carried a pack containing a variety of contraptions to aid the mission.
The islanders broke into groups of three and swept through the schools systematically. The terrorists did not know what had hit them. One moment they were watching the area around them, the next they were down.
Outside, the confusion was growing. News filtered through that the lights were out at each location. Parents were dealing with major family emergencies on their phones, leaving only a few non-parents to deal with what was going on. Commanders, their deputies and most of the officers across the four sites had, unbeknownst to each other, all been tied up on these urgent family matters. They were all too engrossed in their own private emergencies to realise what was happening around them. Nobody knew what to do, so nobody did anything.
Within three minutes, London and Paris were clear. One hundred terrorists were down. The attack had taken place in absolute silence. Not a single bullet had been fired. The islanders made one last sweep and then woke up four children at each school. They left as quietly and invisibly as they had arrived. Moscow and Washington were slightly larger and took the islanders nearly the full five minutes to clear the schools. They too woke up four children and disappeared into the night.
After exactly five minutes, the lights came back on at all sites. Family emergencies had suddenly become mistakes and misunderstandings. As the lights came on at each school, two lone students stood at the gates of their school. The world watched and listened as the students shouted, in unison, the message they had been given.
“We are OK. The building is clear. The terrorists are down.”
The other two children at each location did exactly what they were told. They started moving all the children out of the building. Soldiers raced past the escaping children into the apparently “safe” buildings.
Within minutes, the world received confirmation from the elite teams that the schools were safe as each Commander shouted “CLEAR!” as they emerged from the buildings.
Commanders were praised for their outstanding rescue operation. Reporters relayed scenes of parents and children being reunited after their truly horrendous ordeal at the hands of terrorists. When reporters asked the Commanders whether there were any terrorist casualties or whether any soldiers had been injured during the operation, the question was evaded. The only response given was that all children were accounted for and other than the five casualties on the first day, all seemed to be unharmed.
Commanders scratched their heads, contacted their bosses and angrily accused them of having undermined them by pulling a stunt behind their backs. They each got the same response from an angry boss who thought they had acted without authority. It wasn’t long before they realised that nobody knew who had carried out the rescue nor who had organised it.
Chapter 65
Tom had tweaked the Estate’s security system so that the fifteen islanders, Lela and he would not show up on the screen. He achieved this by telling the system not to allow any further blips. There were currently forty four blips and the system was now restricted to that number.
At exactly 3.20 a.m., ten minutes before the lights went out at the schools, they entered the Estate. Tom and Lela hung back as Kano and Kisho led the attack. The first row of guards were disposed of quickly and without noise. They continued towards the house at some speed. They had to be there by the time the lights went out at the schools as that would be the distraction needed to enter the house and dispose of the guards who were directly threatening their parents.
Saki was awake. He had struggled to sleep in the knowledge that, despite not knowing where Lela was, he would have to do something that day by noon. He looked at the security screen. He knew he was good but forty one heavily armed men was a big number, even for him. It was then that he noticed something odd. He quickly moved to Donald and Rachel’s room, knocking on the door before entering.
“Donald, are you awake?”
“Of course.”
“Are you watching the TV?”
“Yes, I can’t stop thinking about those poor children.”
“Not that one, the security screen.”
“No, why?”
“Watch it and tell me if you notice anything strange,” asked Saki.
Donald watched for a minute before it dawned on him.
“Tom and Lela?”
“Must be, wait here. Put a chair against your door when I leave.”
“You must be joking, I’m coming with you.”
“No Donald. This is what I do. You take care of Rachel, I take care of both of you. Now put a chair against the door when I leave.”
Saki left Donald in no doubt as to who was boss, for then anyway. Donald did as he was told.
***
Just when Reaper had ordered Leo to kill Tom’s mother, Leo had noticed the same thing.
“We have a problem,” he said slowly.
“What now? Do I have to go there and kill her myself,” answered Reaper, eyes transfixed on the TV.
“I think we’ve got company. We have the right number of blips but some of them have stopped moving.”
Reaper spun round and watched as eight blips which had been moving, stopped and remained motionless. Of the thirty seven guards on duty, twenty five were stationary.
“But the system would tell us!” He spun around to his communications man. “What the hell is going on?”
It took him only fifteen seconds to find the anomaly and to reverse it. Seventeen new blips appeared on the screen. The nearest was over 200 metres away.
“Kill them all,” ordered Reaper.
***
Saki made his way to the end of the corridor. Two guards were positioned at the top of the stairs. Saki made his way towards them yawning and claiming he needed a drink. As he drew along side them with his arms outstretched in a yawning motion, he lashed out and struck them both simultaneously and with such force that neither would be conscious for at least eight hours. He then made his way down the staircase and noticed the security screen with new blips. They knew!
***
“We’ve miscalculated” Tom said. “It has taken too long to get to the house, the lights have already gone off, they’ll know something’s up.”
It was then that they heard the chilling sound of gunfire. Lela immediately sprinted towards the house. A guard tried to stop her but without breaking her stride, she knocked him out.
***
Saki walked into the living room as Leo rushed towards him with two guards by his side. Saki smiled, he was going to enjoy this. This was the guy who had slapped Rachel. Saki disarmed Leo with a sweep of his foot and as the foot continued in its arc, he knocked one of the guards unconscious. The other received a pummelling of punches to the stomach before Saki turned around to face Leo. Leo had positioned himself. He was a black belt in Karate and knew a thing or two about martial arts. Saki was merciless. With his first move, he broke Leo’s kneecap. With his second, he snapped his forearm. His third meant that Leo would never use his right arm again, the one which had slapped Rachel. Leo had not had time to throw a single punch.
***
Reaper had heard the screams of agony from the lounge and grabbed his gun. He burst into the room as Saki delivered his fourth and final knockout blow to Leo. Reaper aimed and fired, he didn’t care if he hit Leo, he wanted Saki dead.
***
Saki, on seeing a gun aimed at him, moved instantly. As Reaper pulled the trigger, Saki dived towards him, landed underneath him and disarmed him before the second bullet had a chance to leave the barrel.
Reaper was stunned. His target had vanished and as he had tried to locate him, his gun had been forced from his hands and had flown across the room, out of reach. He had instinctively watched the gun fall before trying to understand what had just happened. As he looked up, a very angry looking Saki stood before him.
Saki paused and then spoke.
“Just tell me one thing. Have you ever been to Sabah?”
“Yes,” replied a defiant Reaper who was still stunned by what had just happened.
“You and I need to have a little talk,” said Saki coldly.
Reaper was unperturbed. He was a skilled hand-to-hand fighter, having trained with some of the best in the world. Over the years, he had mastered many martial arts and Saki was much smaller than him. He positioned himself in front of Saki.
Kidnap (The Billionaire Series) Page 23