‘I’ll give you a hand,’ said Leotta.

Dr Baines looked at her, then me. I shrugged. ‘I’d take her up on that if I were you. You should see what she can do with a bandage.’

I went into the operations room Hanna had rigged up. He was just putting down the handset on the field radio. I said, ‘Hanna, I’ve been talking to the doctor. We must get Jill to a hospital fast. She’ll die if we don’t.’

He shook his head irritably. ‘Those thugs up at the airstrip think everything is going fine. They’ve got no reason to think otherwise, except that the Haslam woman and the man, Steve, are missing.’

‘And nobody’s answering the phone over here.’

‘True,’ he said. ‘But my guess is that they’re too busy with the money to worry overmuch about that.’

‘So?’

‘I’ve got ninety-two passengers and eight crew members on that Boeing to consider. I can’t move in unless I have the strength and the ability to prevent a take-off. If they call my bluff, what the hell happens to the hostages?’

I stared at him. ‘So you’re prepared to let Jill Salton die? Just like that?’

He swung around and snapped at the man on the field radio. ‘Get me Benning Airport.’ He turned his head and his face was set in stern lines. ‘What would you do in my place, Kemp? You don’t have to make the decisions. I do.’

There wasn’t much I could say to that. Hanna said, ‘Take it easy, Kemp. I’m doing the best I can.’

‘I know you are,’ I said heavily. ‘I know you are.’

The radio operator held up the handset. ‘Benning, Superintendent.’

Hanna grabbed it. ‘Any news of the Americans? Good. When?’ He checked his watch. ‘They know what to do? That’s right. As much as possible.’

He tossed the telephone at the operator and whirled around. ‘Captain, we’re moving. Now. Get your men in the boats but be quiet about it. We need to get ashore in silence.’ He jabbed a finger towards Dr Baines, who had just come in with Leotta close behind. ‘Get your patient ready for moving, doctor. I’ll let you have two men.’

Baines went away quickly and Hanna cocked an eye at me. ‘Are you coming?’

‘Try and stop me.’

‘Great!’ said Leotta. ‘It’s a party.’

TWELVE

I

No amount of arguing, cajoling or ordering was going to make Leotta change her mind. She was coming too. The doctor didn’t need her as a nurse any more and, as she pointed out rather bitterly, she had as much at stake in this bloody charade as anyone – and more than most. On top of which, I could certainly vouch for her usefulness in a tight spot, even with one hand out of action.