there were no further guards, pointed upstairs. Tom ran upstairs and pounded on his parents’ bedroom door, shouting, “Mum! Dad! It’s me!” His mother and father pushed the chair out of the way and flung the door open and hugged their son. Saki and Lela joined them a minute later and the whole family was back together safe and sound.
McDonald, Murray
Kidnap (The Billionaire Series)
Chapter 66
As Tom hugged his parents in Glasgow, ten Royal Marine choppers landed at The Academy. They had been stationed as the defensive force for the Naval base to the north west. Their commander had received a call at 6.00 a.m. (3.00 a.m. Glasgow time) from Tristan, the UK Prime Minister’s son, who had insisted that they make haste to the school. He informed them that terrorists were ensconced in the Special Forces base and were holding the Headmaster captive. Tristan had also requested that no communication be made outwith the base and had made the Commander promise that he would pretend to order a routine mission. Recognising Tristan’s voice, the Commander acceded to his requests and carried out the operation, believing it wasn’t bad training if nothing else. On arrival at the base, the Commander found exactly what he’d been told. His men arrested Reaper’s men and unfortunately, during an exchange of fire, two hostages, Weadle and one of the terrorists were killed. The Commander’s men swore blind that they had not killed the Deputy Headmaster. It had been one of the terrorists who had shot him, whom they unfortunately had had to shoot as he refused to give himself up.
As Mr Sakamoto, Ms Anderson and Mia were being freed from their captors, the final Citation X landed on a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Within ten minutes, the two islanders on board had achieved their objective. They rescued the real Chen from his captors. Within thirty minutes, they were making their way to Hong Kong to reunite him with his father. Chen’s father had been blissfully unaware of his predicament. Chen had been forced over the previous two weeks to contact his father and pretend he was at school and that everything was fine, all part of the plan to keep Ling’s cover.
As quietly as they had entered the schools, the islanders had left. Their flights had taken off from Washington, Paris, London and Moscow before anybody even knew they had been there.
Only the islanders in Glasgow were still on duty. Two of Reaper’s men had been unaccounted for and were eventually apprehended as they made their way back to the Estate from the airport. A flight home was arranged for the islanders later in the day as Rachel had insisted they stay for something to eat.
The authorities were totally perplexed. They now had over 200 semi-conscious terrorists bound and gagged with no understanding of who had caught them. The handcuffs and binding materials did not help identify their users as they emanated from many different countries. The terrorists themselves had no idea what had happened to them. One minute everything was fine and the next they were tied up and being interrogated as to whom had tied them up by the people they assumed had tied them up. They were totally confused.
Another twenty terrorists were discovered sitting bound and gagged outside the main police station in Johannesburg. The only reason the police knew they were involved was because of the Post-it notes stuck on their foreheads, which read: “I am a terrorist and I was involved in the school hijackings. I am therefore partly responsible for the deaths of five children.” They were immediately arrested and locked up.
Chapter 67
The police arrived at the Estate just as the last two terrorists were being bound by the islanders. The police took over and arrested all the terrorists, sweeping the grounds to ensure they had all of them in custody. They then embarked on a barrage of questioning but Donald insisted that his family had been through enough and that they needed some time to catch their breath. The Police Chief, who had attended the scene himself, ordered his men out of the Main House immediately.
“OK, now tell us what really happened,” said Donald gently as he turned to Tom and Lela.
Tom and Lela explained almost everything. They explained how they’d involved their friends and the islanders to pull off the rescue. They explained in detail how amazing the islanders had been, apprehending over 200 terrorists, without firing a shot, in less than five minutes. They explained how Tom had realised what it had all been about and after telling Lela, how she had insisted they help the schools as well as rescue their parents. They explained how Papa had tweaked the plan, insisting he only needed five minutes in each school. They explained how the islanders, even those currently serving with the British Army, had come together from across the world to help. One call from Papa and they all converged on Masirah without delay. Tom, of course, had provided assistance with travel arrangements. They explained the role of the children whose fathers were in charge of electric grids in each of the locations and had ensured the power was cut and more importantly stayed off for the full five minutes. They explained the role of Zach and all of the military children from across the world in supplying the scramjet and huge amounts of equipment. They explained the mail requests that had travelled across the internet to the children of various Special Forces personnel to make emergency calls at exactly 3.30 a.m. GMT and to keep their parents hugely concerned for a full five minutes.
Tom and Lela went on to recount many more stories about how they had brought everything together and made the rescue such a huge success. The one thing they omitted to mention was the flying part and the ‘borrowing’ of the A380. They would break that one to them gently, later.
“Unbelievable! So they never had you at all!” Donald exclaimed.
“Are you kidding! With Kano and Kisho looking after us, not a chance!” replied Tom.
“I knew they wouldn’t let us down, I just couldn’t work it out,” said Saki feeling vindicated.
“The one thing I don’t know though, is who is behind it all,” said Tom.
“I know, I just don’t see that oaf being behind it all,” said Donald as he looked over to the bloodstained carpet where Reaper had lain.
“He wasn’t,” said Saki quietly.
“So who was?” asked Donald eagerly.
“The same man from fourteen years ago, the same man who murdered Tylanni,” said Saki with venom.
“For God sake Saki, who?” Donald could barely contain himself.
“I don’t know and believe it or not neither did the oaf. Trust me, he would have told me if he did,” said Saki and nobody doubted him. Saki did not think it was the time nor the place to mention that he had been given three names of who it could be. He would speak to Donald later. Everyone had had enough terror for one day.
The TV interrupted the conversation with news of a breaking story.
“Oh God what now,” said Rachel wearily.
“Breaking news just in. Air France have just released a press statement that one of their A380s, the largest passenger plane ever built, has ben stolen. It was last seen in Johannesburg yesterday evening and was being prepared for a return trip to Paris today. Rather embarrassingly for Air France, when the passengers arrived the plane was gone. Well,” added the newscaster “it’s not everyday the world’s largest plane just disappears into thin air.”
Donald did not hesitate for a second. Tom and Lela had just come from Johannesburg.
“TOM, LELA, did you forget to tell me something?” he asked with a smile.
Tom and Lela explained everything.
“YOU WHAT??!!” Donald, Saki and Rachel exclaimed. Although Donald saw the funnier side sooner than the others, Rachel was not certain that she would ever see the funnier side of her only son flying a huge prototype plane half way across the world at the age of thirteen.
“I think I need to make some phone calls,” said Donald.
