“It’s done and the plane is getting prepped to leave,” said Jones. “Nobody suspects a thing.
“Good. When will it happen?” asked Beaumont.
“The plane will explode as soon as it hits 12,000 feet.”
“Where are you now?”
“We’re just about to take off. We want to get as far away from here as we can before it happens. We’ll be back in the Congo in about four hours.”
“OK, let me know when you land, I may have another job for you sooner than expected.”
Beaumont hung up. He had already begun the handover procedure for General Powers’ position. The new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was on standby for his appointment by the President. It normally took some time to appoint a new military boss and questions would be asked. However, Beaumont had already covered this with a statement he had prepared for the President, should any challenge be made.
Chapter 29
Tom and Lela spent the afternoon watching the TV and waiting for a phone call which would tell them that their parents’ arrest had been a huge mistake. When the news report was interrupted by more breaking news on the Kennedy case, their spirits lifted. It could only be good news, it couldn’t be any worse. But it was an update on the evidence which had been released to the UK government and totally justified the arrest of its most prominent businessman. The reporter could not give many details, explaining that the TV station had received the information from a ‘reliable’ source inside the government. In other words, a leak.
“This can’t be real, can it Tom?” asked Lela with tears rolling down her cheeks. She had managed to remain fairly calm for the previous few hours but this was too much. Their parents were accused of corporate manslaughter and if convicted, would be sentenced to life imprisonment.
“It is real Lela. But it’s complete bullshit!” Tom was very angry and was struggling to control himself.
Tristan knocked gently on the door and opened it, he had just watched the same news story.
“Jesus guys! What the hell is going on? This is nuts! How can anyone think your parents can be involved in this?” Tristan was visibly upset, Donald was his godfather.
“Have you spoken to your dad? What’s he doing about this?” Tom couldn’t understand why Tristan’s father, Roger, the British Prime Minister, had not got his parents out of prison and out of Africa.
“Yes but very briefly. He’s doing everything he can. In fact, he’s doing nothing else. He knows very well that your dad wasn’t responsible for this.”
“For God sake Tristan, it’s a tiny African country. Just tell them to back off. I don’t understand why this is happening…” Tom couldn’t finish his sentence, he just broke down. Lela moved over and hugged him, gesturing to Tristan to leave them just now. He nodded and quietly left the room, closing the door on his way out.
Mr Sakamoto, The Academy’s Headmaster and old family friend, almost crashed into Tristan as he came careering down the corridor. He threw Tom’s door open and rushed inside.
“Oh my God, I’m sorry, I’ve just heard the news. I’ve been locked in my office all morning catching up on paperwork. What’s the latest?”
Tom pulled himself together and filled him in on everything right up to the conversation with Tristan.
“OK, let’s make some calls and see what we can find out.” He shut the door and sat down next to the phone.
Chapter 30
“My God it’s 6.00 p.m. already. We need to go soon,” said General Powers.
Zach and his father had spent the whole afternoon looking around the school buildings, grounds, and marina. The General and his staff were very impressed, they had never seen anywhere like it. General Powers had thought that Zach had exaggerated a little about the school’s facilities but he now realised that Zach had actually undersold it. It was amazing.
“OK, I’ll take you to the airfield, we can stop at the Special Forces Base on the way,” said Zach who was driving the golf cart. His father’s aide and secretary were sitting in the back and had said little over the previous four hours other than, amazing, wow and spectacular.
Zach drew the golf cart to a stop at the gates. He knew all the soldiers well, particularly the American ones. They always made sure they kept the boss’ son happy. However, the gate was manned by a German KSK (Kommando Spezialkraefte) soldier, whom he didn’t know. Zach and his father had agreed that they would try to surprise the base’s Commanding Officer. He was a Delta Force lieutenant Colonel and an old friend of General Powers. Fortunately, the General and his staff were in civilian clothes so the young German guard didn’t recognise the visitors and in particular, the General.
“Hi, is Colonel Jackson available please?” asked Zach to the ramrod straight guard.
“Who may I ask is asking?” he responded.
“Zach Powers,” he replied. The guard motioned to the other three passengers, “and friends” added Zach.
He picked up the phone and buzzed the HQ. Two seconds later, he was speaking to Colonel Jackson.
“Sir, I have a Zach Powers and…” the German was interrupted before he could mention the three friends.
“Jesus man, send him straight through!” said Colonel Jackson.
The guard replaced the phone, lifted the barrier and pointed to where Zach should go. They sped through the base as fast as the cart would take them and pulled up outside the HQ building. Zach led the way through the corridors and tapped gently on the Colonel’s door.
“Come in, come in,” he ushered.
As Zach opened the door and entered, the Colonel came towards him.
“Jesus Zach, how you doin’ son? You holdin’ up OK?” The Colonel gave Zach a huge hug and wouldn’t let go. He whispered how sorry he was, over and over again.
“Hey, Colonel, I’m OK. But are you OK? ”
Zach had never seen him so emotional and didn’t understand the need for such a huge hug and what on earth was he sorry about?
Such was his emotional state that the Colonel hadn’t noticed his other guests, patiently standing in the doorway.
The General had been watching the Colonel and was as bemused by his behaviour as Zach was.
“What the hell has come over you man?” boomed General Powers.
The Colonel froze at the sound of the General’s voice. He looked up and stepped back, visibly shaken. A second later, under the gaze of four bemused faces, he finally smiled.
“Oh my God! Thank God! Am I pleased to see you! I knew it couldn’t be true! General Powers killed in a plane crash? Never! It would take a nuclear missile up your ass to kill you, you son of a bitch!” The Colonel opened his arms and walked over to hug the General.
But the General stepped back.
“We’ll have none of that nonsense Colonel. What the hell are you talking about? What plane crash?” he asked.
The Colonel explained that he had literally just received notification from Washington that the General had been involved in a tragic accident. He was told that the General’s aircraft had crashed soon after take-off from Durban, killing all on board. He was instructed that the news was being suppressed until all ranking officers in the US forces were informed.
“My God! If weren’t for the fact that Zach’s friend picked us up, we would have been on the plane. Are you sure there were no survivors? And what caused the crash? ” asked the General.
“No survivors and I don’t know,” replied the Colonel.
