Red Notice

63

Tom’s hands were clamped hard over the children’s mouths. The slightest sniff or whimper would betray them.

The two men sent to hunt them down had jumped off in different directions, but within a few paces had called out to each other and regrouped no more than five metres from where Tom, Rose and Daniel lay.

Tom heard a muttered exchange. If they got any closer, it would be decision time. Could he hope to be taken prisoner? Not a chance. He’d just killed two of their mates. He could roll out the other side of the train and try to make a run for it, but these guys were unlikely to shoot and miss. He didn’t want to leave the kids, and he didn’t want to leave Delphine…

Tom put his mouth right up against Rose’s ear and almost breathed his instruction. ‘Don’t move. Not a sound.’ He repeated the process with Daniel. They both nodded, wide-eyed.

He removed his hands from their mouths and felt around beneath him. His hand closed around a piece of rubble the size of a squash ball. He moved to the far side of the train, eased himself into a semi-crouch, and pulled up his sleeve so the material wouldn’t flap. He drew back his arm.

He unleashed the missile and it flew down towards the UK end of the tunnel. He couldn’t see where it landed, but knew it was about thirty metres beyond the gunmen. The moment they heard the noise, they turned and broke into a run.