Reaper checked his watch. It had been twenty minutes since he had spoken to Tom. He had just received word that his Apache chopper had run out of fuel and returned to base. The other helicopter was still in pursuit with eight soldiers on board. They were about thirty miles behind Tom and Lela but as they were also in an EH101, they would be unable to catch the targets before they landed. However, they would be right behind them when they touched down.
Reaper had expected to hear from Tom sooner but thought he would give him five more minutes. Reaper walked into the kitchen which had become their Operations Hub. The den, just off of the kitchen, had a wall of TVs which were perfect for keeping an eye on the different news feeds.
“So what now?” Leo asked.
“We just need to find out where they’re going to land. Pieter is standing by, ready to go whenever we get the landing position. And with the other helicopter hot on their heels, they should get quite a welcome.”
“Excellent, so we should have them in our hands by…” Leo looked at his watch “…five hours from now, about 5.00 p.m.”
“Yep.”
“What about the soldiers who are with them?”
“Pieter has three snipers and don’t forget we have Ling on board so there won’t be a problem.”
“What are the parents saying?” asked Leo.
“They want to talk to them of course, but I have told them no way, they get the kids when we get what we want.”
“Are they buying that?”
“At the moment yes, but we need to get them in our hands soon or we may have a problem. I don’t think they’ll buy it for two days.”
“Excuse me!” shouted Donald from the adjacent room.
Reaper left Leo and made his way back to the lounge.
“What?”
“Do we have to stay here or can we move around the house?”
“You can do whatever you want, but just be assured you’re not going anywhere and all communications have been cut. Any calls coming in are being intercepted by us.”
“But I’m in the middle of a big deal. If I disappear, people will wonder what’s wrong.”
“Oh, don’t you worry, I know all about your deal. You will be allowed to work on that. In fact, it’s imperative that you do but not before a colleague of mine arrives. He’ll be keeping an eye on everything you do. One slip and the man holding the knife to your son’s throat, will let it slip. Understand?”
“Yes, clearly. Is this what this is all about then, the deal?”
“All will become clear.”
“But you took all those schools just because of a business deal?” Donald had pieced it all together.
“Very clever Mr Kennedy. They said you were a very bright man. Now be very bright, keep quiet and you’ll get to see your son again.”
“And Lela?” Donald added quickly.
“And Lela, yes. If you want to go to your bedrooms or use the toilet or watch TV, feel free. My men, however, will be with you. Any silly moves and the children die. Clear?”
“Yes,” said Rachel quickly, she just wanted Tom and Lela back unharmed. Saki nodded, as did Donald, resigned to their predicament.