First Response

MARBLE ARCH (3.35 p.m.)

Al Jazeera was rerunning the footage they had shot of the two bomb-disposal officers approaching the bus in Tavistock Square. It was the third time they had shown the video but everyone in the coffee shop was watching.

‘Brother, do you know that man?’ El-Sayed asked the man who was handcuffed to his son.

‘Why do you want to know?’

‘I assumed you would be friends, that you had planned this together.’ El-Sayed spread out his hands. ‘If I’m wrong, I apologise.’

‘You talk too much.’

‘I am scared, brother. When a man is scared, he tends to babble.’

‘Providing everyone does as they are told and the prisoners are released, there is no need to be scared, old man.’

‘Then answer me this question, brother,’ said El-Sayed. ‘You want the prisoners released from Belmarsh. That is a noble aim and you have my support. But why are you not talking to the police?’ He gestured at the screen. ‘Your colleague on the bus, he had the chance to talk to them but he shouted at them to go away.’ He pointed at the newspaper-covered window. ‘And you have done everything you can to blot them out. Why aren’t you talking to them? Why don’t you tell them face to face what it is you want?’

‘Shahid is doing that,’ said the man. ‘He is making sure that our demands are met.’

‘And what sort of man is he, this Shahid? I could tell nothing from his voice, though he speaks English as if he was born here. Is he young, is he old, is he here in London?’

‘Old man, you ask too many questions.’ The man’s phone rang and he answered it, then passed the phone to El-Sayed. ‘He wants to talk to you.’

It was Shahid. ‘Do you still want to help the fight, brother?’ asked Shahid.

‘Yes, of course,’ said El-Sayed. ‘Nothing would make me happier.’

‘And you are prepared to commit five million pounds to the cause?’

‘Yes,’ said El-Sayed. ‘If it means you will return my son to me, I will.’

‘And you are in a position to do that now?’

‘I can do it over the phone,’ said El-Sayed. ‘That is how hawala works.’

‘I know exactly how it works,’ said Shahid. ‘You make a call to the designated location. You give a codeword and an amount. No matter who turns up at the location, if they have the codeword they get the money. What I was asking is, do you have the money to transfer right now?’

‘I do.’

‘I have spoken to my colleagues and they have decided that, provided you make the transfers now, we can release your son and replace him with another hostage.’

‘Al-hamdu lillahi rabbil’alamin,’ said El-Sayed. ‘All praises be to Allah, the Lord of the Alamin.’

‘I will give you five locations. And five codewords. The money is to be available immediately. If it is not, the deal is off and I do not talk to you again.’

El-Sayed waved at the barista to bring him a pen and paper. ‘I will make the transfers now,’ he said. He nodded at his son and smiled. Everything was going to be all right, he knew it now.