First Response

WANDSWORTH (5.10 p.m.)

Malik heard his name being called. ‘Sami! It’s me, Jamie. Can you hear me?’

‘I told you, I’ve nothing to say to you!’ shouted Malik. ‘Leave me alone.’

‘The coach is here to take you to the airport.’

‘What coach?’

‘The Belmarsh prisoners have been released,’ shouted Clarke.

‘It’s true,’ called Laura, from the changing rooms. ‘It’s all over Twitter. They’ve let the prisoners go and they’re on the way to the airport.’

‘It could be a trick,’ said Malik. ‘They could be lying.’ He walked slowly to the entrance of the store, pulling Zoe with him. He peered out and saw three armed policemen pointing their weapons at him. He pulled back. ‘They’re going to shoot me,’ he said to Zoe.

The phone buzzed in his waistpack and he flinched. Zoe gasped, then they both smiled ruefully as they realised it wasn’t the vest. Malik used his left hand to pull out the phone and take the call.

‘Sami, my brother,’ said Shahid. ‘It’s time to leave.’

‘They’ve agreed to let them go?’

‘Of course they have, brother. There was never any doubt. Now this is what you have to do next. You and your hostage will be taken downstairs and put onto a coach with the rest of the brothers. I will be watching, so stay alert and focused. For this to work, everyone must be on the coach, do you understand?’

‘Yes,’ said Malik. ‘But if you have the ISIS prisoners, why can I not remove the vest now?’

‘Everyone must go to the airport, Sami. Everyone. Once there and once the prisoners are on the plane, then, and only then, will it be over. Do you understand?’

‘I suppose so,’ said Malik.

‘There is no suppose so,’ said Shahid. ‘You must do exactly as I say. Disobey me and everyone dies. We are close to finishing this, Sami. We will get what we want, but you have to follow my instructions to the letter. Go with your hostage to the police. Keep the trigger in your hand and show them that you are willing to press it. Take the stairs down to the coach. Do not let them put you in the lift. Tell them to keep their distance. At least ten feet from you at all times. And even when you are on the coach, do not relax. Stay vigilant.’

‘What happens when we get to the airport?’ asked Malik. ‘I don’t want to leave the country.’

‘One step at a time, Sami,’ said Shahid. ‘Just take your hostage down to the coach.’ The line went dead.

‘What’s happening?’ asked Zoe.

Malik put the phone away. ‘It’s over,’ he said.

‘You’re letting me go?’

Malik shook his head. ‘No, you are to come to the airport with me. You will be released there.’

‘I can’t,’ she said. ‘I’m seeing my boyfriend tonight. He’ll be really pissed off.’

‘There’s no choice,’ said Malik. ‘You have to come. But it should all be over by six. You can still see your boyfriend. And you can text him and tell him you’ll be late.’ He walked towards the shop entrance, tugging at the chain so that she followed. He raised his right hand in the air. ‘Jamie, we’re coming out! Don’t shoot!’

‘No one’s going to shoot you, Sami!’ shouted Clarke. ‘Just walk slowly and keep your hands where we can see them.’

‘We’re not to use the lifts,’ shouted Malik.

‘That’s not a problem,’ said Clarke. ‘We can take you down the escalators.’

Clarke was standing next to another officer, both wearing black bulletproof vests with POLICE across the chests. Standing next to them was a figure in a green suit with a mask like a spaceman’s helmet.

‘This man will take you down,’ said Clarke. ‘His name’s Rick. He’s with bomb disposal.’

Malik stopped and waved the trigger over his head. ‘Don’t come near me!’ he shouted.

Clarke held up his hands. ‘It’s okay, Sami. Stay calm. He’s just here to escort you to the coach.’

‘Tell him to keep his distance!’ shouted Malik. He pointed at the armed police who still had their weapons trained on him. ‘And tell them to get back, too.’

‘No one is going to hurt you, Sami,’ said Clarke. ‘We’re here to help, that’s all.’

‘You can help by keeping away from me,’ said Malik.

Several more police officers emerged from the shop behind Clarke, all wearing black vests.

‘I’m serious!’ shouted Malik. ‘All of you, keep your distance!’

The man standing next to Clarke said something to the other officers and they all went back into the shop. Malik moved to the middle of the walkway. He could see inside the shop the police were using. It sold sports gear. There were more than a dozen people there, some in uniforms and some in regular clothing, but they were all wearing protective vests.

He and Zoe moved to the centre of the walkway. They looked over the railing at the lower level. There were more than a dozen officers in fluorescent jackets. ‘You all need to keep well away from me!’ he shouted.

He took Zoe to the escalator and they stood together as they went down to the ground floor. He held the trigger up in the air and shouted for them to stay back.

Jamie Clarke appeared at the top of the escalator. ‘Sami, I’m coming down!’ he called. ‘I’ll lead you out to the coach.’

Malik and Zoe moved away from the escalator and waited until Clarke had come down. He pointed off to their left. ‘This way,’ he said.

Malik glanced up. The armed police officers were looking down at them, their rifles at their shoulders.

‘Tell them to put their guns away,’ Malik told Clarke.

‘It’s standard procedure,’ said Clarke. ‘They won’t shoot. Their fingers aren’t on the triggers.’ He started moving towards the car park. ‘Come on, let’s get you on the coach.’

Malik walked slowly, constantly looking around, fearful that at any moment the cops would rush him, but they all kept their distance.

‘Sami, they’re more scared of you than you are of them,’ whispered Zoe.

‘I’m not scared,’ he said.

‘It’s nothing to be ashamed of,’ she said. ‘I’m scared, too. We’re all scared. Nobody wants to die.’

‘I’m just worried they might fuck up,’ said Malik. ‘Cops shoot people all the time.’

‘Yeah, but they know that if they shoot you the vest will still explode. They’ll have been told not to fire.’

‘It only takes one idiot to make a mistake,’ he said.

‘It’ll be okay,’ she said. ‘Just so long as we all stay calm.’

Malik forced a smile. ‘I’m glad I chose you,’ he said.

Zoe snorted softly through her nose. ‘I wish I could say the same but, to be honest, I wish you’d chosen anyone but me. No offence.’

‘None taken,’ said Malik. They reached the coach and Malik went up the stairs first, Zoe close behind him. He frowned when he saw the priest sitting next to an Asian man in a suicide vest. The priest was wearing purple and white robes and dabbing at his face with a red handkerchief.

The Asian was staring straight ahead. Like Malik, he had a trigger in his right hand.

Malik took the seat opposite the priest, then realised that Zoe had to go in first. She took the window seat and he slid in after her.

The door closed and the coach moved off. Malik leant forward to get a better look at the Asian man sitting next to the priest. ‘All right, brother?’ he asked.

The Asian turned to him. ‘No, I’m not all right,’ he said. ‘On what fucking planet could this be considered all right?’

‘Brother, I was just trying to make conversation,’ said Malik. He sat back in his seat.