Siege

Sixty-five

21.31

SCOPE CURSED AS he slammed down the phone receiver.

‘Still no luck?’ asked Abby.

He sighed. ‘No. The lines out are all still busy.’

This had been the problem for more than half an hour now, ever since the terrorists had killed a hostage in the upstairs restaurant, in full view of the TV cameras. It seemed that plenty of the guests trapped in their rooms had seen it too and were panicking and phoning out. Luckily, Ethan wasn’t one of those to witness the killing. He’d fallen asleep beside his mother just before it happened, and had been sleeping ever since.

Scope had last spoken to Steve at a quarter to nine, but at that point the paramedic was still trying to find out where the hotel kept the insulin, and was sounding stressed. He dialled Steve’s number again, but got the engaged tone. Jesus, how many people were blathering on the phone? And who the hell were they talking to?

He turned back to Abby. She was sitting up on the bed, her leg still propped up on the pillow, as it had been all evening, but she looked awful. Her face was thin and drawn, its complexion fish-grey, and he could see that her hands were shaking.

He asked her if she was all right.

‘I’m going to need my next dose and some food soon. I’m feeling pretty weak.’

‘Tell me honestly,’ said Scope, checking that Ethan was still asleep. ‘What happens if you don’t get it?’

‘At some point, my blood sugar will get so high that I’ll start fitting. If it’s still untreated, then eventually I could die.’ She smiled tightly, wiping sweat from her brow. ‘But that’s a ways off yet, I promise. Do you think they’re going to have insulin here on the premises?’

He nodded. ‘I’m sure of it. It’s a big hotel.’

‘If you can’t get through to the man you need to talk to, and something happens to me, please will you promise me that you’ll get Ethan out of here safely?’

Scope stopped in front of the bed, looking down at her, touched by her vulnerability. ‘Nothing’s going to happen to you, I promise. If I have to, I’ll go out there and find the insulin myself.’

‘No,’ she said emphatically. ‘I want you to look after Ethan.’

Scope wondered how much time she had left until she started to deteriorate seriously. She looked bad already. He could also see that she was beginning to panic, although she was trying hard to hide it, and for the first time it struck him that he might not be able to save her. It angered him that the authorities hadn’t made any attempt to save the hostages. He was as aware as anyone of the logistical difficulties involved, but it was also abundantly clear to him that the terrorists were going to have to be confronted at some point. Delaying the inevitable only risked more lives.

‘You know,’ continued Abby, ‘we know almost nothing about you, but I can tell by your eyes that things have happened to you. Bad things.’

‘Bad things happen to everyone,’ said Scope, not liking her gaze, or the questions it seemed to want to pose. Questions to which he didn’t dare give an answer.

‘I don’t feel so great.’ She slurred the words, and as Scope hurried over to her, she closed her eyes and fell sideways on to the bed.

Cursing silently, he leaned over and checked her breathing. Shallow, but enough.

‘Abby?’ he said quietly, giving her cheek a gentle tap. ‘Abby?’

There was no response, so he laid her gently on her side. He stood back up and immediately dialled Steve’s number again, willing it to ring.

It did.

And kept ringing.

‘Answer, you bastard,’ he hissed, through gritted teeth. ‘Answer.’

‘Steve Grantham.’

Thank God.

‘Steve, I’ve been trying to reach you. Have you found out where the insulin is in here?’

‘Yes. There’s a medical station behind the reception area, but it’s kept locked. The keys are in a strongbox, also behind reception, but only the duty manager has the key to it.’

It wasn’t what Scope had wanted to hear, but it was no less than he’d expected. ‘But they have insulin, right?’

‘Yes, they do. In standard pen form.’

‘Thanks, Steve. I appreciate your help.’

‘Listen, it sounds extremely risky going down there. It might be best to stay where you are. I’m sure this situation will be resolved soon.’

‘Are you? I’m not.’

Steve sighed. ‘You’re not going to be any help to anyone if you’re hurt.’

‘I’ll take my chances,’ said Scope, and hung up.

Ethan lay fast asleep beside his mother. He looked so peaceful that Scope wondered whether he should wake him or not. But if Ethan woke up and saw Scope gone, that would panic him even more.

He checked Abby’s breathing and pulse, wondering if she’d gone into some kind of coma, then put a hand on Ethan’s shoulder and roused him.

Ethan looked up at Scope groggily, and smiled. ‘I was asleep.’

Scope smiled back, suddenly seeing an image of Mary Ann as a young girl, with her button nose and curly blonde hair. Remembering those days when she was little and he’d put her to bed with a story. ‘I’m going downstairs to get the insulin. I know where it is now.’

‘Is Mom OK? It’s getting late, isn’t it?’ He sat up and put a hand on her shoulder.

‘She’s asleep, and she needs it soon. That’s why I’m going to get it.’

‘What if something happens to you?’

‘It won’t.’

‘How do you know?’

‘I’m a soldier. And I’ve been a soldier a long time. I’m good at what I do. Nothing will happen to me.’

Ethan looked relieved. ‘Good.’

‘When I come back, it’ll be like the last time I left the room. I’ll knock on the door five times: bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. Nice and slow. That’ll tell you it’s me. Then I’m going to let myself in, and I’ll put my arm round the door first, very slowly, so again you know who it is. In the meantime, you do like I told you. Anyone knocks on the door that doesn’t use the code, ignore them and don’t say a word, even if they beg to come in. Do you understand?’

He nodded. ‘What if they force their way in, like before?’

‘I’m pretty sure they won’t, but if anyone does, hide behind the bed. But I won’t be long. I promise.’

Ethan looked scared but determined. ‘Do you promise you’ll be back?’

‘Yeah,’ said Scope, meaning it. ‘I promise.’