"Sir, I'm serious. This suitcase is of utmost importance and I insist on taking it onboard." Artemis argued loudly
"I'm sorry, kid--"
"For the last time, STOP calling me 'kid'."
"--sorry--but it's TOO BIG for carry-on luggage. You're going to need to check it in to get it stored below deck."
Artemis sighed. "Can I rummage through it to get my necesseties for the trip and give it to you to check in?"
The flight attendant sighed, relieved. Finally, this annoying little brat was relenting. "Sure k--go ahead."
Katrina put her magazine back in front of her face. Idiot Irlandskii. He had to make it so obvious that he was carrying the Omni stone onboard. She looked to make sure he wasn't watching and boarded the plane, her microscopic dagger tucked safely in her boot.
***
Artemis watched the reflection in his sunglasses of the tall blonde carrying the magazine; Dental Digest. Somehow she didn't strike him as a dentist. He needed to keep an eye on her. He tucked the stone into his rucksack.
***
Flight 67 - Washington Dulles/Paris de Gaulle
"Put your hands up. Listen to me and fly where I ask you to, if you value your life." Katrina's silky voice dripped with its Russian accent as she held her dagger up to the pilot's neck.
Shaking, the pilot nodded.
"This plane is going to Helsinki, no?"
The copilot almost said something, but his partner silenced him with a look. "Yes. Helsinki."
"Then it has enough fuel to make it to Russia."
"Why, yes. Of course." The pilot was shaking. If this didn't work he would most likely not live to ever see Helsinki.
"Good. Fly." She sat down on a nearby chair and held the knife carefully.
***
Artemis frowned. The woman had gone into the cockpit, for whatever reason, and had not returned. It'd been thirty minutes now...
"Excuse me?"
A flight attendant walked over to him. "Yes?"
"Would you mind going into the cockpit and asking the captain if we're going through any turbulence right now?"
The attendant looked at him strangely, then nodded and went into the cockpit.
About a minute later she came back, looking pale and shaken. "N-no," she stuttered. "The plane--is--completely fine right now..."
"Is there a hijacker in there?" Artemis whispered, alarmed.
She barely managed to nod.
Artemis sat back in his chair with a grim look on his face and pulled out his laptop. "Okay." he replied.
Butler;
Help. The plane is being hijacked. Pilots, flight attendent, and I are
only ones who know. Alert Parisian officials to be on the lookout
for a crashing plane.
That was assuming Artemis' calculations about how much fuel the plane was carrying were correct.
*** Somewhere Near the Paris Chutes
"This is crazy, Captain! He's not coming!"
"He'll be here." Holly snapped. "He's not giving up a chance for forty pounds of fairy gold."
"Quite the Fowl expert now, aren't we Holly?" Foaly's voice sounded in Holly's ear.
"Shut up Foaly." Hoaly said automatically.
Just then a hulk seemed to block out the moon. "So," said Butler. "Do you have the money?"
Holly gulped. Butler always made her nervouse. If he could tackle a troll and survive he wouldn't have any problem with her, assuming that he was ever bent against her instead of the troll.
"Yes. Where's Mud Boy?"
"He's in Helsinki," Butler replied smoothly. Too smoothly. "With his father."
Holly eyed him suspiciously. It wasn't like Fowl to not show up for an important business deal. Oh well, this was Fowl's father and he'd always had a soft spot for him.
"What about the stone? Do you have that?" Root demanded.
Butler nodded and pulled a shining polished stone, which resembled an amber opal.
Holly pushed the crate over to Butler, who hefted it easily. He handed over the stone and nodded. "Good doing business with you." And with that he turned around for his helicopter. Holly and Root likewise turned around for the chutes.
And that was when thirty Goblins surrounded them and held up razor sharp knives to their necks.