Thursday, February 8th, 2018
Air Emirates Flight EK413
Somewhere over the Indian Ocean...
01:27 GMT+11 (12:27 GMT)
"And then there were two."
It was time to finish what she had started.
The upper deck was secure which just left the lower deck which held the final two hijackers. Ava was in no mood to formulate a plan, but she knew that a plan would be required especially as one of the hijackers was in the cockpit and could shoot or otherwise injure the flight crew. Ultimately, it was Hawkins who identified a workable plan.
"I don't know...," Ava growled as Hawkins grinned at his superior.
Hawkins was grinning as he had never seen Ava in anything resembling a skirt or a dress. Now, she wore a typical flight attendant uniform which utilised a below the knee skirt and due to a lack of tights, Ava had bare legs – a thought which horrified the girl, but which amused Hawkins immensely.
"You ever tell anyone I wore a skirt; I will tear you apart, you little shit."
Hawkins, hardened to such verbal abuse, simply grinned in response.
..._...
It was not the world's best disguise, but it would allow her to walk about the aircraft while attracting little attention from the hijackers thus allowing her to get close, very close, too close.
As she descended the rear staircase, she did her best to keep calm and not attract any attention to herself. Underneath the skirt, she had a second pistol taped to her right thigh which bulged out a little but not too perceptively, her primary pistol was in the waistband at the back of the skirt but covered by the suit jacket she wore. It was the medium heeled shoes she hated having never actually worn heels a day in her life and they took a bit of getting used to, not to mention giving that brat something else to laugh about. The passengers were restless, as was expected, but everybody remained in their seats. Ava did her best not to make eye contact as she was in no mood to fetch pillows or a blanket for some annoying passenger. She casually walked down the starboard aisle and she reached the toilets on the wings around row 67 before she caught sight of a hijacker. He looked annoyed – maybe he was concerned about his missing comrades. A jittery hijacker was a potential problem, but Ava did not intend for the hijacking to continue for very much longer as she kept moving, her eyes on the man in the opposite aisle who saw her moving and made to intercept her at the forward galley ahead of row 52. Repeating her earlier success, Ava stole a pillow from a passenger as she reached the galley and pulled the pistol from her waistband.
The man was big, and Ava recognised him as the man who had shot the girl in the head.
"You are not a flight attendant the man stated after a brief look at the girl in front of him."
Ava grinned. "No, I am death."
Ava raised the pistol and the pillow in one fluid movement, shooting the hijacker between the eyes. He fell backwards into the port aisle, startling the occupants of row 52.
"Sorry, we're a little behind cleaning out the rubbish," she said to a middle-aged woman as she dragged the corpse out of sight into the galley and closed the curtains before she headed forward, the pistol back in its place at the back of her skirt, a white cup of steaming black coffee on a small tray held in her hands.
The walk forward towards the cockpit was agonising and as she counted off the rows, she came in sight of the cockpit steps and there was the corpse of the girl she had just avenged, covered in a blood-stained blanket. She focussed her anger on the cockpit and the remaining hijacker. Without hesitation, she walked directly up the steps and almost into the cockpit where the last hijacker was watching the flight crew. A bullet could not be easily used here as if one went astray, something important could be struck. Instead, she went for the good old-fashioned sleight of hand.
"Coffee, sir?"
"What!?" the hijacker demanded as he turned around, a pistol visible in his right hand and the other girl held in his left.
Ava had wondered where the other girl who had been taken had gone – not good, she thought, but not insurmountable.
"Coffee, sir?" she repeated.
"Get back to your seat!"
"Okay. Okay," Ava said meekly but as she turned, she 'accidentally' spilled the coffee all over the hijacker who yelled out in pain but the pistol in his right hand dipped just enough...
Ava brought the plastic tray upwards with all her strength and slammed it into the hijacker's jaw. His head jerked to the side and struck the bulkhead. He dropped the pistol at his feet, his hands reaching out for support but then the tray struck him again and the man stumbled away from the cockpit and as Ava leaped backwards, he fell down the steps into the main cabin, landing on his right arm which audibly snapped. As the man rolled onto his back, Ava landed atop him, pinning his remaining arm and she jabbed the edge of the tray into the man's throat and pushed down hard until the man's face turned purple as something inside his neck cracked and his feet finally stopped thrashing as he expired from lack of air.
Ava finally relaxed as the man died and she rose to her feet, turning towards the cockpit where Sabre simply stood at the top of the steps and stared at the dead man.
..._...
Feet thundered down the forward staircase and Geoff Repton grabbed Sabre, taking her to the upper deck and her family while Trevor Royd checked the prone hijacker to confirm he was dead.
Ava stepped into the cockpit and faced the captain who looked very concerned – understandably, Ava thought.
"Captain, the aircraft is yours," Ava reported. "All six hijackers have been subdued."
"Who are you?" the captain asked.
"A passenger in the wrong place at the wrong time," Ava stated before she felt queasy and everything started spinning and then she felt nothing.
Trevor Royd caught Ava as she collapsed, thoroughly exhausted. Royd flashed his identification to the flight crew and confirmed Ava's statement.
"We all owe our lives to this young woman," Royd added.
The head flight attendant directed Royd to a vacant first-class seat on the upper deck where Ava was laid down and allowed to sleep with Ashley Hawkins in an adjacent vacant seat.
Thursday, February 8th, 2018
Dubai International Airport
Air Emirates Flight EK413
Sydney to Dubai
04:12 GMT+4 (00:12 GMT)
The leviathan touched down gently onto the runway, the five sets of landing gear supporting twenty-two ginormous tyres absorbing the 276,800-kilogramme mass of the aircraft as it settled and the brakes were applied alongside reverse engine thrust.
Ava Carmody had only been awake for the last two hours of the flight having slept for a good five hours. The seventeen-year-old was feeling a little uncomfortable with all the attention she was receiving from the cabin crew – didn't they have any other passengers to annoy, she thought as she worked her way through a seven course first class meal. The captain had personally paid a visit once she was awake to thank Ava for her intervention aboard. While Ava may not have been enjoying the attention, the nine-year-old Ashley Hawkins was lapping it all up and the female flight attendants thought he was 'so cute' which usually resulted in Ava mock retching at the comments only for the boy to stick his tongue out at Ava in response.
Things only got worse when the still tired Ava rose to deplane once they reached Terminal 3. As she left via the door immediately aft of first class there came a roar of applause from the upper deck passengers. Ava did not enjoy attention of any kind and the applause just took things too far, she thought. Not so for young Ashley Hawkins who again lapped up all the attention he could get as he bowed in response. Ava and Ashley were escorted off the aircraft by Geoff Repton the British sky marshal while Trevor Royd as the duty sky marshal took the Dubai police to where the seven bodies lay at the rear of the upper deck in the bar. He also introduced them to Tracy Turner. The first body to leave was that of the young girl with her parents in attendance. The remaining bodies would wait until all the passengers were off and the aircraft could be turned into a gigantic crime scene.
As such, Air Emirates would be providing a fresh A380 for the second leg of the flight to London.
..._...
Inside the terminal, Ava and Ashley were taken into a back room far from the public areas and provided with food and drink but otherwise left alone.
A Foreign Office man had arrived from the British Embassy in Dubai, and he was on hand to ensure that nobody abused the rights of the pair. He was their counsel, and his orders were to ensure that the pair remained safe for the next few hours until alternative resources arrived from the United States of America. While the plan appeared sound, the isolation was not helpful, and Ava soon became restless after an hour had passed. She knew that she had to behave and not cause a scene as there was only a certain amount that the man from the Foreign Office could do to keep the Dubai police at bay. The two sky marshals were handling most of the debriefing and the Dubai police had been happy to interview the Urban Predator instructor Tracy Turner. The hours turned into several hours and lunch came and went but Ava had found that they had a brilliant view of the tarmac and she realised she enjoyed watching the many movements of cars, aircraft tugs, luggage trains, and the aircraft themselves. Then her attention was seized by the arrival of the most amazing aircraft she had ever seen. Most of the fuselage was black while purple wrapped around the belly for three quarters of the length from the second passenger door aft. A silver ribbon wrapped around the black front section and glistened in the sun. The entire nose was covered with a painted phoenix but that shrunk against the incredible fiery phoenix which occupied the massive vertical stabiliser and rudder. The aircraft bore no airline markings which meant that it was a private aircraft which was not much of a surprise in a place such as Dubai where if you owned a mere Gulfstream G650 it meant you were financially challenged.
Minutes later, as the massive aircraft touched down, the man from the Foreign Office appeared to escort the pair to an aircraft stand.
..._...
They had been reunited with their carryon bags hours earlier which had allowed both to change and freshen up some – both had needed it, especially Ava.
The shower had refreshed her and being able to pull on her own clothes had made all the difference. As they walked through the terminal, she was conscious of the police presence which hung about at a distance so as not to be breathing over their shoulders. It took a while to work their way through the terminal, neither Ava nor Ashley knowing where they were going. Then Ashley called out.
"Look at that amazing plane."
Ava looked out the massive windows and her jaw dropped open as she laid her eyes on the very same aircraft which she had watched landing earlier. The aircraft was huge and the colour scheme mesmerizing. As they came closer, Ava could make out the phoenix motif on the nose and the initials 'NZ' painted in white lettering above the very centre of the cockpit windows. The forward undercarriage was visible, and the left undercarriage door displayed the Stars and Stripes of the USA and 'NZ'. Written in cursive above the forward windows of the fuselage was some text: 'From the ashes... the Phoenix rises...'. An airbridge connected the terminal to the second door on the left side of the aircraft.
Then Ava stopped dead as the man from the Foreign Office pulled open the door which led to that same airbridge and the stunning aircraft.
Dubai International Airport
The Phoenix
16:50 GMT+4 (12:50 GMT)
Ava again stopped dead at the doorway which led into the aircraft.
It was a face she had not seen in many, many months. But it was a friendly face and the face of a person she trusted.
"Guinivere."
"Hello, Ava; it's been a long time," Guinivere replied with a broad grin. "Come aboard and start a new life."
"What about me!?"
Guinivere looked down at the boy.
"You are welcome, too, Ashley."
Ava was unable to speak as she was led aboard the jet. She followed Guinivere aft down a narrow passageway before they emerged into a seating area and then onwards into a large area located over the wings amidships. There more people were awaiting her and Ashley's arrival.
"I am Nicholas Hyde, and I am a Predator."
Ava turned to Guinivere, her mind remembering bits of their past together.
"Is this the boy who peed on you?" she asked.
Nicholas laughed. "I was an immature arsehole when I was young," he admitted.
"Hello, Ava. Hello, Ashley. I am Juno. I am not a Predator, but Guinivere is my guardian and mentor."
"Okay, if you can all take your seats in the forward seating area, we will launch," Captain Reg Anderson suggested as he passed through the cabin from aft.
"Yes, sir!" Nicholas responded. "Let's move."
Yvonne Porter was on hand to get them all seated.
"I am Yvonne. I am the aircraft manager for my sins. Ava, if you could take seat 3J. Ashley, you are in 4J, opposite Ava. Guinivere, Nicholas, Juno; you already have your seats assigned. Once we are airborne, we will server dinner; I am sure you are all hungry."
Guinivere sat next to Nicholas one seat over from Ava while Juno sat one seat away from Ashley.
"Okay, everybody!" Yvonne declared. "Safety briefing. Please watch the video on your display screens."
"Cool!" Ashley declared as screens rose out of the partition ahead of each occupied seat.
The screens flickered to life and an animated image of the aircraft was displayed, landing on their screens before stopping and an overhead image of the aircraft was displayed across every screen. This was accompanied by a voiceover from the cockpit.
"Welcome aboard the Phoenix, a Boeing 777-300ER Business Jet. I am Captain Reg Anderson and the Command Crew for this flight consists of myself and First Officer Arya Anderson. Currently patrolling the aircraft interior, we have the Flight Service crew. They are led by our Aircraft Manager, Yvonne Porter with Service Manager Julie Hiller and Service Crewmembers, Hamish Hewitt, Laura-Lee Hampton, and Matt Stanley. While aboard, all instructions issued by any member should be followed directly. Today, we will be flying from Dubai to London Heathrow. The estimated flight time is eight hours and twenty minutes. While we push back and taxi to our runway, please pay attention to this safety announcement."
The voice changed to that of Aircraft Manager Yvonne Porter and the image on the screen changed to show animations of her safety briefing.
"We are now going to demonstrate the emergency procedures and safety features on this Boeing triple-seven aircraft. Please pay attention as these may differ from an aircraft which you have flown on before. The captain and the crew are here for your safety, and it is important that you pay attention and follow instructions, carefully. First, check that your seatbelt is securely fastened. Insert the metal tag into the buckle and tighten by pulling on the loose end. To unfasten, simply lift up the metal flap on the buckle and pull apart. Not rocket science but I can dumb it down for all you Predators, if required. Or you could always ask a Yellow for assistance."
Ava's jaw dropped open at the comment as Ashley laughed out loud while Guinivere and Nicholas simply scowled as Juno grinned happily.
"You will find the seatbelt sign in a panel above every group of seats, throughout this aircraft. When the seatbelt sign is illuminated, you must return to your seat and fasten your seatbelt. We suggest that you keep your seatbelt fastened, just in case of unexpected turbulence . . . or if the pilots fall asleep. You should also note that if you are assigned a bunk, you should use the belts fitted to those bunks, especially when sleeping. That also applies to the lie-flat seating fitted throughout the aircraft. During flight, the forward passageway and tail section is OUT OF BOUNDS to ALL unless under escort.
"Your lifejacket is located under your seat. If required, remove the lifejacket from its container, and place it over your head. Pass the tapes around your waist and tie them securely with a double bow at your side. DO NOT inflate the lifejacket until you have exited the aircraft. In the unlikely event of the aircraft having to make an emergency landing you will be told to take THIS protective brace position if you are in a forward-facing seat, and THIS protective brace position if you in an aft-facing seat. We will now explain how to leave the aircraft in an emergency. Move quickly to the closest usable exit, taking nothing with you. High-heeled shoes, ladies, must be taken off as they may tear the evacuation slide. Emergency lighting, including floor-level lighting will help you find your way to the exits which are clearly signed.
"There are two exits at the rear of the aircraft, in the tail section, two exits located in the midships seating, two over-wing exits in the centre of the aircraft, two exits in the forward lobby, and finally, two exits forward. The crew will now point out the nearest exits to where you are seated. To open the doors, move the handle in the direction of the red arrow. Opening the doors automatically inflates and deploys the evacuation slides. The slides can also be inflated by pulling this handle. Jump onto the slide and move away from the aircraft. If the aircraft has landed on water, these slides detach to form rafts. As you leave the aircraft, inflate your lifejacket by pulling the red tag. If necessary, blow into this mouthpiece to top up the air. The lifejacket is fitted with a light and a whistle. If the cabin air supply fails, oxygen will be provided. Masks will deploy from the overhead panels automatically. Stay in your seat and pull the mask towards you. Place the mask over your mouth and nose and breath normally. Always put your own mask on first BEFORE helping others.
"As we prepare to launch, please ensure that your seat back and tray table are in their stowed and upright position. Carry-on baggage should be placed in the overhead storage bins, or bins in front of you. At this time, all electronic devices that are not a part of this aircraft should be either switched off or placed into a flight-safe mode for take-off as they should also be for approach and landing. Smoking . . . not that any of us do smoke . . . is not permitted at any time on this aircraft as dictated by FAA and CAA regulations. Tampering with, disabling, or destroying smoke detectors in the lavatories will result in a visit from Arya – be warned. US Law requires all passengers to comply with all signs and to remember instructions about seatbelts and smoking.
"You are advised to take a look at the safety card for this Boeing 777-300ER located in your seat pocket. If you have any questions, please ask a member of the service crew. We hope you have a relaxed and enjoyable flight. The service crew will now be coming through to do a final cabin check. Thank you for your attention and for choosing to fly on the Phoenix instead of some other mangy aircraft."
Then came the voice of the captain as the take-off ritual continued.
"Flight service crew, please prepare for departure. Doors on automatic, cross-check and report. Thank you."
From outside the aircraft, on either side, came an increasing roar as the giant General Electric GE90-115B1 high-bypass turbofans spun up to speed. Minutes later came another command.
"Flight service crew, prepare for take-off, please."
There was an increased flurry of activity as the service crew continued to move purposefully around the aircraft securing and checking, then securing and checking again. Every seatbelt was visually checked for each person aboard. Nothing was overlooked by the professional service crew. Once Yvonne was happy all was ready, she reported to the cockpit and a few minutes later, there came another announcement.
"Flight service crew, please take your seats for take-off."
Yvonne and her team took to their fold down seats which were located in various strategic parts of the aircraft.
..._...
Ashley Hawkins could not stop grinning as the 350-tonne aircraft thundered over three kilometres under 115,300Ibf of power, steadily increasing speed as it sped down the runway before the nose gear lifted smoothly off the tarmac and the giant aircraft became airborne; even Ava was grinning as the giant GE90-115B turbofans screamed out, hauling the immense aircraft into the air and on up to cruising altitude.
"Ladies and gentlemen," came the voice of Captain Anderson. "We are currently climbing at a rate of two thousand feet-per-minute as we head to our cruising altitude of thirty-five thousand feet. For those of you who have a penchant for speed, we will be cruising at 482-knots which is point eight four the speed of sound."
Around fifteen minutes later, the aircraft began to level off and a digital readout mounted high on the bulkhead within Ashley's line of sight which had been racing through the numbers had now slowed down but was still counting up. At almost the instant the readout hit 35,000 feet, Captain Anderson was back as a light bong sounded throughout the aircraft.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have turned off the seatbelt signs throughout the aircraft. Please feel free to wander around, but please make use of seatbelts where possible when you are seated. Yvonne and her service crew will soon be coming around to serve drinks and they will also be taking orders for the evening meal."
Ava began to peruse the inflight movies available on the screen before her. She frowned as she read the default playlist.
"Who owns this aircraft?" Ava asked. "They have a sick sense of movies – which I approve of: Kill Bill, Reservoir Dogs, From Dusk till Dawn, Hostel, Rambo – First Blood Part I, Seven, Gran Torino, Dirty Harry, Apocalypse Now, Magnum Force, The Dead Pool."
"You really don't want to know," Guinivere confided with a dark look at Nicholas. "Not yet."
Guinivere knew that Ava had a virtual hard-on for Hit Girl, infinitely worse than most Predators. It was yet to be seen if Ava would survive a meeting with the arch-vigilante. Ava would need some major therapy before she went eastbound to Chicago. But that was a job for someone else and not Guinivere. Her instructions were simple: bring Ava Carmody and Ashley Hawkins back to Los Angeles and place them into the custody of Erika Cho for initial debriefing and assimilation into public life.
There was also one other mission to be completed, and that involved the package stowed aft.
..._...
Unbeknownst to Ava and Ashley, four others were travelling on the flight as passengers – there was a fifth, but that passenger was classified as cargo.
In the midships seating, aft of the wing, occupying the three seats of row 6, Oscar Styles sat with his two sisters, Cerrus and Sabre. Naturally, all three were heavily traumatised after the first portion of their intercontinental flight. Sabre was the worst off as she had witnessed another girl killed just feet away. Her young mind could not process the sight of the girl's head coming apart. The blood. So much blood. For Oscar and Cerrus, not knowing what had happened to their sister had been a trauma in itself. Seeing her alive long after rumours had spread around the aircraft that a young girl had been shot dead had been an intense relief. After landing in Dubai, they had deplaned along with everyone else. Naturally, Sabre had received a lot of attention both from medical staff as well as from the police. The poor girl was far too traumatised to answer any questions so that event was postponed and would be handled by the British Transport Police once they arrived in London. That deal had been made by a man from the Foreign Office who had appeared and ended the questioning which had turned into an interrogation. They were then shepherded aboard the most amazing looking aircraft they had even seen and shown to luxurious seating even better than Emirates Business Class. They were not alone, however.
Seated two rows behind, in row 8 sat Arizona Kane. Currently unemployed, but most recently employed by Emirates as a flight attendant, she had resigned without notice just three hours previously. She had insisted on staying with the young family until they were safe. Indeed, Arizona had looked after Sabre directly after Ava had ended the hijacking. Only Arizona had been able to calm Sabre down enough for her to sleep with the assistance of some drugs carried aboard. Arizona had then ensured that Cerrus and then Oscar were properly fed and watered so they could sleep for the remaining hours of the flight. She had then seen to Ava, treating her injuries, and feeding the boy. As to how she had left her job behind and found herself aboard the custom Boeing private jet, she was still a little uncertain but one of the sky marshals had put in a good word it seemed with the pilot who had made some calls of his own and that had been that she had boarded with the children. Her expert eyes had taken in the aircraft which was like none that she had ever flown aboard. So much of the aircraft was non-standard even for a business jet. From what little she had seen, she figured that the aircraft was a civil variant of Air Force One designed as a flying command post for someone or for an organisation such as a private security firm which had business around the world.
The key giveaways had been the high level of security required to access certain sections of the aircraft, the extra straps fitted to each and every seat allowing for in flight manoeuvring well outside the scope of normal passenger aircraft, and the discrete weapons stowages scattered throughout the aircraft, locked and concealed but obvious to someone who knew what to look for.
Arizona had not always worked for Emirates.
..._...
Twenty minutes after take-off, the cabin crew came around to take orders for the evening meal.
Ava and Ashley were amazed by the options available, ultimately choosing a double-cheeseburger with fries for Ava while Ashley opted for mac and cheese – his favourite comfort food. Once the orders were taken, they were all given the option to gather amidships in the communal area while the meals were freshly prepared in the capacious galley aft. Ashley was a young boy and therefore curious and downright nosey, so he grabbed Ava and pulled her aft – not that the girl minded; she was also curious and downright nosey just like Ashley. The pair headed aft with Guinivere, Nicholas, and Juno in tow. Ava knew Guinevere of old and liked her very much – they had shared a dormitory, many moons previously. As for Nicholas, he was a typical male Predator, but she sensed that Guinivere wore the trousers in their relationship. Juno was something else, though. She was not a Predator, but she had a darkness to her which very familiar to Ava but how a non-Predator acquired that darkness she had no idea.
The central area on second glance seemed like an airborne dojo to Ava, simply adding to the beautiful mystery of the stunningly painted aircraft. Ava stopped as she recognised the young girl whose name she had only learned after having saved her life: Sabre.
"Hello, Ava," Sabre said with a broad grin.
"Hero worship just increases her ego," young Ashley Hawkins grinned.
"As if you did nothing to save the day, young Master Hawkins."
Ashley turned to take in the woman who wore part of an Emirates Flight Attendant uniform. It was the flight attendant from the bar aft on the upper deck. She had witnessed himself taking a life.
"I only saved Ava," the boy responded.
"And by extension the entire aircraft," Arizona pointed out.
"Understood, er..."
"My name is Arizona,"
"I did what I could, Arizona, but I understand you were very cool as you helped my Ava."
"I am not 'your' anything," Ava growled but pleased that Ashley could stand up for himself – he had suffered enormously as a Yellow.
"Thanks to you all, we still have Sabre," Oscar said as he entered the space with Cerrus.
Cerrus noticed that Ashley seemed a little uncomfortable with everything and she figured he was about her age, so she 'rescued' him, dragging the boy over the windows where they both looked out at the endless fluffy clouds below them.
"I'm Cerrus; I'm nine."
"Ashley; I'm nine too."
"I've been hearing a lot since 'the thing' ended and what is a predator?"
Ashley almost laughed as the girl used air quotes, but he figured she was not wanting to refer directly to the event in question which had almost taken the life of her sister.
"A Predator is a pain in the back side, if you ask me," Ashley responded out of habit before turning serious. "In truth, they are assassins."
"Oh. What's an assassin?"
"Someone who kills," Ashley replied not wanting to elaborate further.
"Yes, I figured that."
"You don't like what Ava did?"
"I may only be nine, but I know right from wrong. I also know that my sister might be dead if Ava had not killed those bad people."
"Ava does not kill because she likes killing. I don't know how to explain it, but I know she hates it."
"What are you?"
"They called us Yellows."
"Do you kill?"
"Not as a rule. We're slaves for the Predators. We handle all the menial jobs to ensure that the Predators have everything they need for training and when they go on operations."
Cerrus went silent for the next few minutes.
..._...
The food appeared as if my magic.
The large dining table mounted athwartships was filled with food. Everybody's request had been fulfilled and then some. The younger aboard were amazed by the quantity and quality of the food arrayed before them and they dug in with gusto.
Oscar was pleased to see his sisters distracted by the food and he was pleased that Cerrus had found somebody her own age to talk to – which meant she was not bugging him. As he ate, his mind drifted ahead to what his aunt and uncle were thinking and what his and his sisters would find waiting for them in Chicago. He knew that it would be a massive change from their previous home in Sydney – not least the different weather conditions. He worried constantly about the move which he knew was essential, but he worried about the two girls starting new schools, not knowing anybody, and being different. All three had strong Australian accents which would instantly mark them out as different and being different at school often meant being bullied. Oscar also knew that he would have to get a job. In Sydney, he had held several jobs over the few years he had been able to work. He had tended bar. He had rung up products in a shop. He had spent one summer as a lifeguard on the beach – that had been fun; he had enjoyed the topless female sunbathers. In Syndey, he had been two years into a five-year Doctor of Medicine undergraduate course at Western Sydney University and he hoped to be able to continue his medical training once settled in Chicago.
The girls had never met their aunt and uncle, but Oscar had very briefly when he was very young. However, he had heard about them when they had come up in conversation from time to time. Some six years previously, back when he was just fourteen and still in secondary school, his father had told him that his cousin, Tommy Morgan, had been kidnapped in New York. Then, two years later when Oscar was sixteen, news had arrived to say that his cousin was actually alive and back with his parents, but not further information had been passed on as to where Tommy had been for two years and how he had been recovered. His Aunt Shannon was his mother's sister, but his aunt had left Australia some thirty years earlier to marry his uncle in New York where they both lived. Oscar had no real memory of his aunt or uncle as they had last visited Australia when he was just three years old.
He hoped they would like the two girls who could be quite a handful at times.
Heathrow Airport
London, United Kingdom
The Phoenix
21:35 GMT
The landing had been smooth and the Boeing 777-300ER sat at gate 518 where it was connected to Terminal 5 by an airbridge from the number 2 door on the port side.
Captain Reg Anderson and First Officer Arya Anderson were on hand to welcome the first visitors onboard. One was a fourteen-year-old boy, tall with dark brown hair while the other was a seventeen-year-old girl, taller and with the same dark brown hair. They were accompanied by a tall woman with long brown hair tied up in a ponytail.
"Welcome aboard!" Reg said.
"Good flight?" Keira asked.
"Very smooth," Arya replied. "I was flying."
"She is good," Reg admitted proudly as Arya blushed.
"We are here for the prisoner," Keira advised as two men dressed in suits followed the small group onto the aircraft. "Sergeants Beck and Ryder."
Reg waved the group aft with Arya following in their wake.
..._...
Keira and Craig grinned as they passed through the communal area, ignoring the raucous yelling as Guinivere and Ava engaged in a semi-friendly sparring match, both cheered on by the others present.
They passed through the midships seating and then the aft seating and medical bay only stopping at the pressure bulkhead which led into the tail section. Arya punched in a code and the pressure hatch was released. Arya swung the locking lever and swung it open before stepping through into the tail section where she glared at their passenger who was travelling jail class. Tracy Turner was secured with handcuffs and anklecuffs with added chains securing the woman to her seat. She looked miserable but she defiantly glared back at Arya who noticed that the girl, Kate, was barely concealing her hate for the woman while the boy, Craig, did not appear to want to look at her – that confirmed the prisoner's identity for the two police officers. Keira stepped past and she took a key from Arya and began to unlock Turner from her seat.
"Gentlemen," Keira stated. "She is all yours."
"I am Sergeant Beck, and this is Sergeant Ryder. We are with Counter Terrorism Command. You are Tracy Turner?"
Turner nodded and Ryder began to speak.
"Tracy Turner, you do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand this caution?"
"I am an American citizen and an employee of the United States Government. I demand to be taken to the United States Embassy immediately."
Beck studied Turner's passport which was a standard United States of America Diplomatic Passport.
"Oh, they don't want to see you, Turner," Beck said smoothly. "You are an embarrassment to them. The Ambassador himself asked me to tell you that you are no longer welcome in the United States of America and as such, you are now persona non-grata."
At that, Beck tore the passport apart down the spine before he shoved it into a pocket of his jacket.
"This document is no longer valid."
Turner began to protest but Beck shut her down.
"You either come with me, or I leave you in the custody of the Predators aboard this aircraft. How long do you think you will survive as they torture your traitorous arse."
Tracy Turner was not stupid and one look from Kate reminded her of how well trained the child assassins were and a chill of fear ran up her backbone.
..._...
Turner was removed from the aircraft via the port midships seating exit door and led down an external stairway to where an unmarked BMW X5 awaited them.
Nobody noticed the woman's removal as those amidships were focussed on the second set of visitors. It was the first-time aboard Mindy's monstrous jet for Tony and Shannon Morgan, and they were more than impressed.
"She has outdone herself, this time," Shannon pointed out as they boarded the jet via the airbridge.
"You weren't kidding, son," Tony said to his all but fourteen-year-old son, Tommy.
Tommy, of course, had already flown aboard the jet, and it had been a welcome home from home for the boy. He had led his parents aft to where they had found Guinivere, Nicholas, and Juno introducing Kate and Craig to Ava, Oscar, Sabre, and Cerrus.
"Hello, Oscar," Tony said. "I am so sorry about your parents, and even more so for events on the flight."
"Uncle Tony, Aunt Shannon," Oscar said as they hugged for a few moments before they all turned to the apprehensive girls. "These two miscreants are Sabre and Cerrus."
"Welcome to both of you," Shannon said with a broad smile. "This is your cousin, Tommy – he is almost fourteen."
"Hi guys."
Keira then stepped forwards.
"It's getting very late, and you will all need your sleep. Tonight, you will sleep aboard, and in the morning, we will all get some fresh air before some of you fly onwards to Chicago."
"Will Ava be coming for fresh air, too?" Sabre asked.
Ava shrugged.
"Ashley'll come," Cerrus insisted.
"Got a little friend there, Hawkins," Ava teased.
"The bigger they are, the harder they fall; mark my words," Ashley responded.
"Okay, ladies, gentlemen, children, and Predators," Yvonne called out. "Beds have been made up forward for the adults while the Predators; you have the midships seating well away from me. You three younger children can make use of the upper dormitory if you so wish."
With that, everybody went back to finishing off their food.
..._...
Understandably, Ava was still feeling tired.
Once the three younger kids – Sabre, Cerrus, and Ashley – had been taken upstairs to the dormitory by Yvonne and shown what was what, the adults settled into the forward seating. Oscar, understandably, felt a little concerned at being separated from his younger sisters but Arya and Keira were quick to draw Oscar into conversation about what he had been doing in Australia and what he wanted to do once he and the girls eventually landed in Chicago. The conversation acted as a distraction from recent and present events and was working with the assistance of a cold beer from the ample stores aboard. Tony and Shannon listened in as they were taking custody of the young family. Oscar was no longer in need of adult guardianship, but they would be on hand to guide the young man as he gained his feet in a strange country.
Just two months previously, the Morgan family had moved to a new home, which was amazingly convenient for access to the Lizewski family, or so Tommy and Stephanie thought. It was just a mile's jog between properties and despite Stephanie's varied abilities, Tommy always insisted on walking her home – 'for her safety' he would insist. That new home had plenty of space – not only so Tommy could have a bedroom far away from that of his parents – but it now allowed them the space to give Oscar and the two girls a bedroom each to make their own. The girls would be a handful as Tony and Shannon were more familiar with bringing up a boy rather than two girls, however, they had had much experience with female vigilantes meaning the task could only be easier. Initially, Oscar would be able to help out at the bar which would also give the young man a wage as he sought his way in Chicago. As for the two girls, they would be going to school to meet some new friends.
As for the psychological factors which would have arisen as a consequence of their flight that would be handled by professionals once settled in Chicago.
The following morning...
Friday, February 9th
London
Naturally, the adults were tired, but the youngsters had awoken full of beans and the large breakfast had just topped off their energy banks.
All memories of recent traumatic events were instantly overridden by the amazing views as the group flew in a chartered helicopter – an Augusta-Westland AW189 – flown by Keira and Kate from Heathrow to central London where they landed at the London Heliport located just south of Clapham Junction. The flight had taken just minutes, but the children had loved every minute of it. As they disembarked from the helicopter, they were led a hundred yards down river with Ava doing her best to rein in the hyperactive Ashley Hawkins before he fell over the railings and into the brown waters of the River Thames. Kate led the group down a gangway to where the most amazing craft lay on the water.
The Sunseeker Hawk 38 stretched almost twelve metres in length and was termed a 'dayboat' as it did not have any form of accommodation beyond a toilet in the bow. However, the amazing craft could hurtle across the water at some sixty-two knots – over seventy miles-per-hour – and was rated for up to fourteen people. Standing on the floating jetty beside the dark blue, low-profile craft, a tall teenaged girl smiled at the group.
"Welcome aboard the Destiny! Please take a lifejacket from the pile here and my colleague Scarlett will ensure you have it fitted correctly."
A second teenaged girl with scarlet hair waved from aboard the craft in the bow. The group was pushed forward by Keira and Kate.
"Aren't you...?" Arizona stammered.
"Yes, yes, I'm Princess Mary, take a lifejacket, please, and move along."
Sabre's jaw dropped as she too recognised Her Royal Highness Princess Mary. Despite some in Australia, Sabre and her family were royalists at heart.
"Take this, put it over your head," Mary said as she ignored the frozen girl and moved onto Cerrus and Ashley.
Once aboard, Scarlett ensured that everyone had their lifejacket correctly fitted and secured.
"Okay, guys, take a seat, please – children in the bow, please. Your lifejackets are fitted with a small bottle of compressed air and the lifejackets will automatically inflate should you go overboard. Please remain seated while we are moving at speed. I will inform you when you can stand. Any questions, please ask."
The boat trip explained the thick jackets and woollen hats which had been passed out before leaving the aircraft that morning. Once all were aboard, Mary cast off the lines and the sleek craft moved away from the jetty with Scarlett seated in the left seat amidships at the wheel. Gently, she eased the throttles ahead until they were moving at around eight knots. Eyes darted around as everybody took in the sights. Ava's eyes paused on a sleek black RHIB carrying seven people which matched their speed but remained a rigid forty yards distant off their port quarter.
The RHIB also sported a single word in white capital letters: 'POLICE'.
..._...
It took a little over twenty minutes to reach the Palace of Westminster where they reduced speed to allow a better view.
Keira grinned as she watched the three youngest aboard who were mesmerised by the city rising up around them. They were mostly silent, but words were uttered as a hand struck out to indicate something. Considering the major firefight and battles which had raged across the immediate area not all that many months before, repairs were all but completed and apart from some caches of flowers and some battle scaring of stonework, all evidence had been cleared. All those involved could remember the screams of the wounded and the uncontrolled fighting on the streets where the wounded had been treated on the roadside. Now, tourists swarmed the battle zones searching for inspiration for memorable photographs.
For the Australians and Americans aboard, it was an amazing morning seeing things they had never seen before. They passed under Westminster Bridge and cruised past the gigantic London Eye to starboard. Then came Hungerford Bridge and the Golden Jubilee Bridges, the west bank of which had seen some of the fiercest fighting around the entrance to Embankment Station which had taken the fight below ground. Embankment Station itself was still not fully open as major rebuilding works had been required both above and below ground to erase the damage from grenades and bullets.
They continued downriver passing beneath the Blackfriars Bridges and four more bridges later, the last of which was London Bridge, they approached the World War II light cruiser HMS BELFAST moored at her pier. Beyond the museum ship, Tower Bridge rose in all its glory and as they passed beneath the main bascules, Cerrus and Ashley almost fell over backwards as they craned their heads upwards. Oscar was enjoying the sights as well as the peace and quiet of not having to listen to his sisters bickering and winding him up.
Indeed, the youngsters kept to themselves for the next thirty minutes or so which allowed them all to make progress down the river and curve around Docklands and the financial centre of London on the Isle of Dogs so they could come alongside on the southern riverbank just east of Deptford and west of Greenwich.