‘But maybe that’s exactly why there is a bomb,’ GD said. ‘The hijackers might have foreseen that we would work out Karim’s involvement, and therefore supplemented their plan with a bomb. Or maybe they didn’t trust him.’
‘You mean the bomb is there to put pressure on Karim as well?’
‘I’m not saying that’s definitely the case, just that it could be.’
‘It’s an interesting point of view, but I think one of the few things we can be sure about is that Karim is a part of the hijacking.’
‘Of course, but even the most hardened criminal can get cold feet.’
And that’s why there could be a bomb on board, as a kind of insurance to make sure Karim didn’t pull out? Eden thought it was highly unlikely. If Karim believed there was a bomb, why was he refusing to approach a different country that would welcome him if he decided to go for an emergency landing? There was very little risk that the hijackers would know if he changed course; even if they were among the passengers, they wouldn’t notice anything apart from the fact that the plane was either in the air or coming in to land.
‘Actually, I didn’t come here to discuss the Americans’ plans to shoot down the plane,’ Eden said.
‘You surprise me.’
The tone was neutral, but Eden sensed a frustration that she didn’t understand.
‘Zakaria Khelifi.’
GD looked troubled.
‘Yes?’
Eden went over what they had already discussed on the phone, and explained how they intended to proceed. She also forewarned GD that the government might revise its decision if it turned out that the mobile had indeed belonged to someone else. That was really why she had come to see him; they had to take this possible turn of events into account.
‘The mobile, Ellis and the sister,’ GD summarised.
‘We have to sort this out,’ Eden said. ‘And fast.’
‘Of course; if there are question marks we have to look into the matter right away. I’m just wondering why he’s refusing to co-operate with us.’
‘You mean Zakaria?’
‘Yes. If he’s got nothing to hide, then why won’t he give us the name of the person who used to own the phone?’
‘Perhaps because he does have something to hide,’ Eden said; like everyone else, she had asked herself that question over and over again. ‘Or to protect someone. Or both.’
GD got up and went over to the window. Eden wasn’t sure why; it wasn’t as he if he had a lovely view. He stood with his back to her for what felt like several minutes. Something was bothering him. A lot.
Eden fiddled with a bunch of keys in her pocket. The keys to her house.
She wondered if Mikael was still angry. He probably was. He had never understood what was important in life. Or to be more accurate – what was most important.
Making a difference for other people, not just yourself and your family.
‘Do you know why I appointed you, Eden?’ GD said.
His voice was rough, as if anger was making his vocal cords contract. For some reason it made her feel nervous.
What was this all about?
‘Because you knew I was the best.’
GD turned to face her.
‘Partly. But mostly because you had a reputation for being loyal, and for having great integrity. Integrity and loyalty, that’s what I was looking for.’
Eden held her breath for a moment before she replied: ‘And that’s what you found, at the highest level.’
GD nodded slowly.
‘There you go then.’
Nothing else. Just ‘there you go then’.
Eden was almost angry. If there was one thing she couldn’t stand, it was game playing. What reason did GD have to question her loyalty?
Without stopping to think, she said, ‘If you have questions about my loyalty, let me say this: my loyalty lies exclusively with the assignment we are recruited to carry out. Not with Säpo. Not with you. Not with the Americans, and not with the government. With the assignment. And if that doesn’t suit you, just say the word. I can be out of here in less than ten minutes.’
It was true, and it had happened before – when she resigned from her first summer job in a nursing home, where the staff treated the elderly residents so badly that Eden would always be afraid of growing old. And when she resigned from her summer job on a newspaper while she was a student. A newspaper where everything was about increasing circulation, whatever it took, sending Eden out on stories so cheap that she was ashamed to call herself a human being.
And when she resigned from MI5. But that was the last thing she intended to discuss with GD.
She thought she could detect something resembling sorrow in his expression.
‘I definitely don’t want to lose you,’ he said. ‘I just want you to do your very best to resolve this hijacking.’
‘You have my word on that,’ she said. ‘I’ll be devoting all my time to doing my job. To the best of my ability.’
GD stroked his chin as he watched her turn to walk away.
‘Good,’ he said. ‘Then we’re in agreement.’
She hoped so, because she had been honest with him.
The assignment was the only important thing, and it took precedence over everything else. And that included freeing those who were innocent.
‘I want to question Ellis again,’ she said, turning back. ‘We have to find out why he retracted his statement identifying Zakaria as a collaborator.’
GD nodded in agreement. Ellis was easy to tackle; Karim was more difficult.
Eden was also thinking about Captain Sassi. How did you hold someone who was no longer on the ground accountable for their actions?
She had no answer to that question.
48 FLIGHT 573
‘Dad, it’s me.’
‘Sorry?’
Alex sounded annoyed.
Erik pressed the back of his hand to his forehead, praying that his father would be able to hear him.
‘It’s Erik,’ he said, trying to speak more clearly without raising his voice. ‘Dad, it’s Erik.’
It took a second, but then his father spoke.
‘Thank God.’
It was no more than a faint whisper.
‘Dad, are you there?’
‘I’m here. How are you?’
Fucked.
‘I’m fine. We all are. But I don’t know how long I can talk.’
‘I understand. Where are you?’
The question told Erik a great deal about what Alex already knew. He assumed that Erik wasn’t calling from the cockpit.
‘In first class.’
‘So Karim can’t hear you?’
Further confirmation that Erik had been right in his assessment of the situation.
Karim is flying us straight to our deaths.
‘No. Dad, I need some advice.’
‘I’m listening.’
I’m listening.
The words echoed through Erik’s mind. Had he ever turned to Alex for advice? He didn’t think so. Because Alex never listened, he just came up with solutions to problems that Erik didn’t have. Because he easily – so very easily – resorted to bullying tactics.
Alex had never earned Erik’s trust.
Until now.
‘Are you tired, Erik?’
Erik dashed away the tears.
‘I can cope.’
I can I can I can.
He gathered his strength.
‘But we have a problem on board,’ he said. ‘Or several, it would appear. Karim isn’t himself. He’s been behaving oddly all day. I think…’
He felt sick, thought he might throw up.
‘I think he’s involved. I don’t know how or why, or in what way, and I know it sounds illogical, but I’m absolutely certain.’
The words were coming faster now; he couldn’t stop himself.
‘He insists on staying close to the US border and circling until we run out of fuel. If he isn’t granted permission to carry out an emergency landing, we’re going to crash into the sea or be shot down by the Americans.’