First Response

BIGGIN HILL AIRPORT (4.20 p.m.)

Biggin Hill airport was fourteen miles south east of London, a six-minute helicopter ride from the city centre that made it the airport of choice for the tycoons and oligarchs who called the capital home. As the unmarked grey Chinook helicopter came in to land, three large private jets were lined up ready to take off.

The helicopter touched down on a helipad some distance away from the main aviation terminal, where a white minibus and a black saloon car were parked. The back ramp came down as the twin rotors continued to turn. Eight men walked out, all casually dressed and carrying black nylon kitbags. They were led by a fifteen-year veteran of the SAS, Sergeant Pete Hawkins. He waited until all the men were off before jogging over to the vehicles. A pretty brunette in a beige jacket over a dark blue dress climbed out of the car to meet him as the Chinook lifted into the air and headed back to Hereford.

She turned her face away from the rotor draught and put up her hand in a vain attempt to stop her hair whipping about. Hawkins was still grinning when she turned back to face him. ‘Plays havoc with the hairdo,’ he said. He held out his hand. ‘Pete Hawkins.’

‘You don’t look like SAS,’ she said, shaking it.

‘We scrub up well,’ he said.

‘I thought you’d be, you know, bigger.’

‘SAS.’ He laughed. ‘Short And Stupid.’

She grinned. ‘Paula Cooke. I’m in charge here today. I’m told to offer you any support you need and then to keep well away from you.’

‘Sounds perfect to me,’ said Hawkins. ‘We need a hangar where we won’t be disturbed.’

‘The biggest is over by the terminal,’ said Cooke.

‘Size isn’t that important, and the further away from the terminal the better,’ said Hawkins.

‘We have a smaller one that’s being used to respray a jet,’ said Cooke. ‘It wouldn’t be a problem to move it out.’

‘And could we get to it without going close to the terminal?’

Cooke nodded.

‘In that case you don’t have to evacuate the terminal. But all non-essential personnel will have to be moved out. I suppose you’ve already been told that the airport has to close?’

‘We’ve got four flights coming in within the next thirty minutes or so but all flights after that are being diverted.’ She looked at her watch, a slim Cartier on a leather strap. ‘Do you have any idea how long this is going to take?’

‘It’s open-ended, I’m afraid,’ said Hawkins. ‘But, trust me, we want to get it resolved as quickly as possible. Have you been advised about the media?’

‘We’re to keep them off the airport,’ Cooke said. ‘We’ve increased security at the gate and no one is getting in without prior authorisation.’

‘Sounds like you’ve got everything covered,’ said Hawkins. ‘Do you think you could show me and the guys this hangar?’