Author note:
Hello, everyone. English is not my first language, so be easy on me. Please review if you have time, all feedback are appreciated.
Have a nice day.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain again. Please remain seated. Our plane had been hijacked.
A collective of gasps echoed in the plane.
Please remain calm and follow what exactly the cabin crew is telling you.
The announcement knocked every wisp of air from Mary's lungs and she sat on her seat struggling to inhale, exhale, to do anything. Her heart raced at tremendous speed, and her lungs rose and fell shallowly.
"Ma'am," A stewardesses came into view as she forced a smile. "I need yours and your daughter's passport."
Each second submerged in fear made a permanent mark on Mary's heart, and she wondered whether it was just her mind playing tricks on her, wondered if the captain's words were true.
"Is it… I…" She stammered.
The stewardesses leaned in and whispered "Ma'am, it's true. The plane had been hijacked and they want all of our passports. I need yours ma'am. Please remain calm."
With shaking a hand, Mary took their passports and handed over to the stewardesses and the stewardesses went to next seat to ask for their passports. Mary wondered how she could be calm.
"M-Mommy, w-what's happening?" Joan stammered. Her face was pushed against the plane window and she was staring blankly at Mary with wide and horrified eyes.
Mary took in Joan's frightened expression; somehow she knew Joan must have picked up the expression from hers. Mary took in sudden intake of breath as she wrapped her arms around Joan, burying the little girl into her chest. "It's okay, baby. It's going to be okay, Joanie." She mumbled. He wondered if she was convincing Joan or herself.
-H50-H50-H50-
Steve's eyes and mouth were frozen wide open in an expression of stunned surprise. The names in the passenger's list were unbelievable and shocking. His mind was unable to comprehend the information sent by his eyes. He looked away for a moment, and then looked back at the paper to see if the names were still there. It was.
Steve was trained to deal with emergencies but not this kind, last time something like this happened, he had to hear his father being shot over the phone.
"I'm sorry, Commander." Governor's voice dropped to a whisper.
Steve knew his voice would betray him at that moment, so he simply nodded.
"That's why I said, it would be better if we let the other team to handle the case."
Yes, Steve was shocked, surprised, terrified … but he was not going to stand down.
"Governor, this is exactly why I should be in this case," Steve argued.
"Commander…"
"Governor, all these time we have worked together, have I ever, even for once put any civilian's life in danger?"
"No."
"Then, what makes you think it will change this time?" Steve shrugged. "Besides, this time, I have one important reason to be extra careful in whatever I'm going to do."
"I'm not saying that you are careless, Commander. I just don't want you to be emotionally compromised. It's your sister and niece in there."
"You take me out of this case after I know that my sister and niece are in there is not going to do you any good, Governor. You're absolutely wasting your time. Let me remind you again, we have 234 lives at stake not only 2 lives. I'm trying to think in that way."
"Okay, fine! You win, besides, we don't have time for this. Come on," Governor ushered him back to her team sitting.
"Sorry, we got here as fast as we could," Danny said as he entered the room, followed by Lou, Chin, and Kono.
"What do we know so far, Governor?" Steve asked, his mind trying to ease the emotional turmoil going inside of him. The others quickly gathered around him.
"The captain pressed the hijacking code, placed the flight under the state of emergency. The code sent the message to the tower even before it landed. The signal had the ground staff prepared for a hijacking scenario."
"You mean the plane is here?" Chin asked.
Governor nodded as she walked to the other side, nearer to the glass window and pointed towards a plane being parked in isolation in the runway. "After the code, right before it landed, the pilot reconfirmed to the Airport General Manager that they were indeed hijacked. The control tower had placed the plane in isolation on the runway and activated a full-scale emergency response. It's had been half an hour now, we have been trying to begin a connection with the hijacker, so far no luck."
"The hijacker," Steve spoke, gaining everyone's attention. "Probably trying to establish that he's in power. He answers our call so soon, it will appear that he's desperate. He's waiting, making us desperate because he knew we would want to know about the hostages." He swallowed the lump in his throat when he mentioned the word hostages, his heart skipped a beat when he thought about Mary and Joan. He re-diverted his mind. No. He can't lose his focus. "He's trying to prove that he is not in the rush, he got nothing to lose. He is trying to prove that we have no choice but to dance for his moves."
"What do you suggest we do now, Commander?"
"One side, we keep calling, he will pick the call sooner or later, and on the side, we need a backup plan," Steve quickly turned to his team members without waiting for a reply from the Governor, "Lou, talk to Hawaiian Airlines, I need the plane's schematics layout and airport landscape as well."
"On it," Lou took the work assigned to him and walked away without further due.
"Chin, I need you to do something very important. When Lou get the airport's landscape, I need you to check the building closest to the plane, set up the infrared camera. I need a visual on the target and thermal indication. Possibly with this, we might able to roughly guess how many hijackers are there but be very careful, they must not be able to detect any of your movement from the plane."
"I got it." Chin nodded before he left.
"Kono, you are probably going to hate me for this but I got no choice. For now, I need to you liaise with the Governor's team. Help them with the hostages' families and official press release."
"You can work with Eddie, Kono," Governor added in. "He and his helpers are gathering the families in a separate hall."
Kono flashed a smile to Steve. "Don't worry, I got you covered."
"How about me?" Danny asked,
"Governor, I know you must already perhaps have a negotiator here, but if it's okay with you, I want Detective Williams to take over the job."
"Me?" Danny's forehead creased.
Governor looked back and forth between Steve and Danny. She has no doubt in Danny's capabilities but she just wondered if after knowing Steve's sister and niece are in the plane, it would affect Danny emotionally.
Steve could read Governor's doubt. "I assure you Detective Williams' emotional involvement will not hinder the case. Being emotionally strong during an emotional crisis is always been Danny's strength. Governor, trust me on this one."
Danny's eyebrows practically hit the roof. One, he was surprised with Steve's words, two he has absolutely no idea what the hell Governor and Steve were talking about. Emotional involvement in the case? What would he be emotionally involved in the case?
"Fine," The Governor sighed. "But still I want Mr. Watson, hostage negotiator listening to the conversation and any chance Danny's comprised, I want Mr. Watson to take over." The Governor turned to Danny." Give us a moment, Detective." She again ushered Steve to the corner. "Plane's schematics layout, infrared camera, I don't like the sound of it, are you planning on storming into the plane?"
Steve could feel Danny's eyes on him and he tried to ignore them for that moment. He ran his fingers through his hair before he put his hands on his hips. "Probably yes, but it depends on hijackers' demands and it only if things were getting ugly."
Her forehead creased as she crossed her arms over her chest. "And how exactly you're planning on storming the plane?"
"I'm working getting the information I need first,"
"Fine," Her eyes caught the sight of his assistant signaling her to come over, "But remember, nothing happens without my consent, am I clear?"
"Yes, ma'am." Steve watched as she walked over to her assistant and Danny coming over to him.
"You suggesting me to be the negotiator is one thing and emotional involvement?" Danny's eyes bored into Steve's. "Why would the Governor think that we are going to be emotionally involved in this case?"
"Mary and Joan, they are on the plane," Steve whispered.
"Said that one more time."
Sincere apologies for the mistakes if there are any. Thank you for your time. See you next week.