Reaper did not say anything. He walked into the lounge and nodded to Leo who slapped Rachel hard across the face. She screamed.
Tom froze, realising what had just happened.
Saki almost tore the arm off of his armchair as he restrained himself from protecting Rachel. Donald looked at Saki and pleaded with his eyes for him not to move.
Walking back into the kitchen, Reaper continued.
“Less attitude young man, remember the position your parents are in. Yes it’s not ideal for you to try to board a plane without a passport. How are you going to cover it?”
“We can go to the High commission in Pretoria in the morning and get a letter which will get us on the plane and home without causing a fuss.”
“OK, good thinking…if you land at 2.30 a.m., my men will be waiting to get you at the airport.”
“OK but just so you know, we’re very well known at the airport and if someone strange picks us up, it will send alarm bells ringing.”
“After you touch down, I’ll give you exactly one hour to get to the gates. If you have not arrived we’ll kill your mother. Do you understand Tom? Your parents are depending on you.”
“I understand.”
“Where are you going now?” asked Reaper.
“We can go to the hotel next door. I’ve made reservations and we just need to pick up the key. We’ll make the short trip to Pretoria and be back here in plenty of time for the flight.”
“Be careful and remember, I have eyes and ears everywhere.” Reaper ended the call.
“Phew, it worked, he bought it, everything, even the passports…I just hope he doesn’t check with the High Commission, it’s not open on Sundays,” said Tom.
“What next?” asked Kisho.
“We wait for Benoit to do his magic.”
“And if they can’t?” asked Lela.
“We steal it!”
Reaper’s phone rang. He had been dreading the call. He answered and held the phone away from his ear as a two minute tirade of abuse exploded through the earpiece.
“It’s under control. They’re on their way back and will be here tomorrow night.”
“What, under their own steam? I thought you were the best?! You underestimated two teenagers and they’re now playing you for a fool,” screamed the client.
“I have nobody else on site. They’re all dead. Two teenagers didn’t kill twenty five men. We’ve had some bad luck but they’re scared and are scurrying back to save mummy and daddy.”
“You had better hope so or your time on this planet is running out.”
The call ended, no pleasantries.
Chapter 57
Tom’s phone rang, it was Benoit.
“Ok, it’s done. Be there in three hours. Everything will be ready for you.”
“Unbelievable, you’re a star,” Tom told Benoit.
“Well goodbye, it was nice knowing you. The next time we speak, I’ll be dead and so will you be,” Benoit half joked.
“Thanks Benoit.”
Tom looked across the tarmac at the airplane and began to panic. It was going to happen, he was going to fly a plane. Not just any plane. Across the tarmac, in a blaze of floodlights, sat the Airbus A380. It was one of only twelve Air France A380’s. Tom had noticed on his homepage, which of course was the Airbus website, that the A380 was used on the Paris to Johannesburg route
Benoit was the son of the Chief Executive Officer of Air France and Tom did not know how Benoit had pulled it off. He was truly amazed.
Lela, Kisho and Kano were dreading the call from Benoit. Lela more than anyone. She had watched Tom crash the very same plane many, many times. She knew he had mastered the simulator, but this was for real.
The phone rang again, it was Benoit.
“OK, here’s the story. The Aircraft has developed a fault and it needs to get back to Airbus at Toulouse. Our pilots on site are out of flying time and two replacements have been sent to pick up the aircraft, that’s your two guys. Two VIP’s are accompanying them as a gesture of goodwill, that’s you and Lela. The fault is minor but means that no passengers can fly. I’ve had to cance a flight with 382 passengers who are not going to be happy but we can sort that later! I’ve been on the phone and I think I’ve covered every angle. The head of security is Colonel Hibbert and he’s expecting you in the next two to three hours. All clearances for take off have been done and I think you’re good to go.”
“What about the crew, are they covered? Will they not sound the alarm?”
“Nope, covered, they’ve been given a week off and told to relax and enjoy themselves. They’re on a bus to Sun City as we speak.”
“How long until it’s missing?”
“I reckon you’ve got until Monday morning when the office opens and the plane is not at Toulouse being fixed. Then all hell will break loose.”
“You are amazing. I can’t tell you what this means.”
“I’m sure you’ll tell me soon enough. I’m looking forward to it and it had better be worth the beating and years of pocket money I’m going to lose.”
Tom turned to his new flight crew.
“What’s with the long faces?” asked Tom.
“Oh, I don’t know. Perhaps the thought of flying in the largest commercial aircraft in history piloted by a thirteen year old pilot who has never flown a real plane before, is a bit scary” mused Kano.
“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine,” said Tom reassuring nobody, not even himself.
While Kisho and Kano looked for the flight crew uniforms they needed, Tom received a call from Papa.
“Where are you now?” Tom asked.
“The helicopters have just arrived and we’re about to board.”
“Excellent! And how did you get on with your calls?” asked Tom
Lela’s grandfather rhymed off a list of names and locations.
“I asked Rony to put a couple of mobile phones on the helicopters so we can keep in touch but I guess you already know that, otherwise you wouldn’t have called me!” said Tom ending the call slightly embarrassed.
Tom called Rony, the Malaysian PM’s son and thanked him for arranging the choppers so quickly. Tom then made a number of additional calls to ensure everything else would be in place on time.
Kano and Kisho arrived back in their new Captains’ uniforms, borrowed from staff lockers. They made their way back to the chopper to pick up their equipment. They found some airline trolleys and did their best to hide the small arsenal from the chopper. They then borrowed a van and made their way to the far side of the airport where the A380 stood almost alone under the blaze of floodlights. As they drew up to the aircraft, they noticed a contingent of soldiers guarding the plane.
“Colonel Hibbert, Captain Picard,” said Kano introducing himself to the head of security, laughing to himself at the reference to his favourite Star Trek Captain.
“Ah, we’ve been expecting you. The plane is fuelled and ready to go,” he said. “All rather strange this,” he added.
“What is?” asked Kano as innocently as his nerve allowed.
“Everything,” said Hibbert. “Reports of a non existent gang battle in the terminal alleging that fifteen people are dead and now an A380 is leaving without it’s passengers. I hope people are not concerned about security, my men are the best, you know.”
