Kidnap (The Billionaire Series) (34 page)

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.

Some hours later and just in time for his signing at noon, Donald
had phoned what felt like hundreds of households around the world expressing
his sincere gratitude and congratulating parents for the courage and ingenuity
of their children. He had called the Air France Chief
Execuitve
first and was fairly certain he had ‘saved the life’ of Tom’s friend,
Benoît
, who had helped ‘borrow’ the A380.

Epilogue

At 12.01 p.m. and under a blaze of flashes, the largest business
deal in history was finalised. Donald Kennedy was now officially the richest
man in the world and the head of the largest corporation. Champagne corks flew
and the events of a mere eight hours ago were almost forgotten.

***

The authorities were no further forward in understanding how the
terrorists had been caught and a few of the investigating officers cast a gaze
skyward in an attempt to understand what had happened.

***

Donald had just returned to his office when the phone rang.
Donald answered.

“Donald, Sam
Mitcham
here,
congratulations!”

“Thanks, Sam.”

“I’m so sorry to hear what happened. Mr Sakamoto has just filled
me in on what he knows and a few of my former army colleagues have given me a
bit more info. Are you guys OK?”

“Yes thanks, we’re all fine now. Frankly, it was terrifying but
we’re all safe and that’s the main thing.”

“So what really happened?” asked Sam.

Donald had known Sam
Mitcham
for many
years and considered him one of the most honourable men alive and the
most trustworthy
. He therefore told him everything Tom and
Lela had told him.

“My God! The kids did all that on their own? Behind all their
parents’ backs?”

“Yes Sir,” replied Donald with pride.

“Amazing. I think we’d better watch our backs Donald, these young
ones will be taking charge before we know it.”

“We might be too late. From what went on today, they do a much
better job than we do.”

“I think you may be right there Donald,” pondered Sam. As they
said their goodbyes, Donald’s other line flashed. He switched over to it.

“Hello, Donald Kennedy here.”

“Hi Donald, I’ve just heard what happened to you and your family
and I wanted to pass on my concerns and of course, I’m delighted that everyone
is OK.” It was an old business competitor of Donald’s. He had been a major
competitor until fourteen years ago when his business had gone bankrupt after
failing to win a tender against Donald. Donald had been surprised when the
failure to secure the tender had led to the collapse of the man’s company.
However, he was back on his feet again and had rebuilt a strong business while
also carving out a political career for himself. He was proud to have tendered
the highest bid for the IBC deal but the Directors of IBC had rejected it with
derision. They had and would never deal with a man of such questionable ethics
and morals. They simply did not trust him, however important he thought he was.

“Thank you, it has, as you can imagine been a very upsetting
ordeal.”

“I can only imagine, my thoughts are with you all. So are they
any closer to knowing what happened?”

“Let’s just say whoever they are, certainly underestimated the
power of our children.”

“What
!?
Children caught the terrorists?”

“Well, not exactly. They had some help from friends of mine who
would prefer to remain anonymous.”

“I’m sure you’ll tell me all about it someday, oh and
congratulations on the IBC deal.” The man hung up, no goodbyes, no
pleasantries.

“Thank you Mr President,” said Donald, as the line went dead.

THE END…

Assassin

The
Empire Series – Book Two

Available now on Kindle