Part 26 (2/2)

”Oh my G.o.d,” she said, putting her hand to her face. Eliot hugged her tight, imagining how awful he'd feel if Matt were in that plane.

”But they're tracking it,” said Baker. ”They have it on radar. That's what he's talking to them about now.”

”So what happens?” asked Eliot. ”When the plane lands, they arrest him?”

Baker looked at Seitz.

Seitz said, ”They'll do whatever it takes.”

05:55 The noise was driving Snake crazy. He decided to try to close the door. Facing the c.o.c.kpit, he walked backward slowly toward the rear of the plane.

05:45 Baker pulled Seitz aside, close to where Greer was talking on the special phone.

”What do you mean, 'Whatever it takes'?” asked Baker.

”Just what I said.”

Baker stared at Seitz. A few feet away, Greer was saying, ”Has that been cleared? Can I talk to ... Sorry, I didn't realize. Yes, sir. I understand, sir. Yes, sir, they've acquired it.”

”Who's acquired what?” Baker asked Seitz.

”Keep it down,” said Seitz, nodding toward Anna.

”It's fighter jets, isn't it?” said Baker, his voice low. ”From Homestead. You're gonna shoot this plane down, aren't you?”

Seitz said, ”Whatever it takes.”

05:12 Snake was backing slowly toward the rear of the plane, keeping his eye on the pilot. He was now even with the third row from the last. And now he was even with the second from the last. One more step, and he'd be right next to Monica and Matt; he'd see them for sure. Monica saw she was going to have no choice.

04:52 ”We got no choice,” said Greer. Baker was right in his face. They were talking quietly, so Anna and Eliot couldn't hear.

”There are innocent people on that plane,” said Baker. ”This woman's daughter is on there.”

”With a nuclear weapon that's gonna go off,” said Greer. ”If it goes off in Freeport, many innocent people die, you understand? Many. We have to get it now.”

A man wearing an official Greg Norman golf s.h.i.+rt, official Greg Norman hat, and official Greg Norman slacks tapped Baker on the shoulder. He tapped several times before Baker turned to him.

”What?” Baker said.

”Which way is Northwest Airlines?” the man asked.

”I don't know,” Baker said. He turned back to Greer. ”Can't you signal to them somehow?” he asked. ”Tell them to ... ”

The man tapped Baker's shoulder again, and said, ”Is there some kind of ... ”

”NOT NOW,” Baker said.

”Well, you don't have to shout,” the man said. He went back over to his wife, who was wearing a muumuu the size of a wedding tent, to tell her how rude this jerk was.

”Can't you tell 'em the situation?” Baker said to Greer. 'Tell 'em throw the suitcase out of the plane?”

”We tried,” said Greer. ”We're still trying. Pilot doesn't respond.”

”But how can you just ... ” Baker held up his hands, let them drop.

”We have to,” Greer said. ”We f.u.c.king have to, that's how. Listen, n.o.body likes this. n.o.body wants this. But this has been discussed, believe me, as high as it can be, every scenario, and this is the only way outta this.”

Baker looked over at Anna. She was watching him and Greer, the representatives of Law and Order, waiting for them to tell her that her daughter was OK. Baker looked back at Greer.

”When does this happen?” he asked.

”When the plane's over the middle of the Gulf Stream,” said Greer. ”Over deep water.”

”How long is that?” Baker asked.

Greer looked at his watch.

”Three minutes,” he said.

03:17 Snake had stopped one row in front of where Monica crouched. She could see the back of his legs; he still hadn't turned. He was yelling something Monica couldn't quite hear to die pilot, something about the radio.

Monica looked across the aisle at Matt, nodded her head toward Snake, and made a grabbing gesture with both hands, to indicate, We're gonna jump him. Matt nodded. Monica held her right hand out with the forefinger and middle finger pointed down, like legs, then tapped upward between the legs with the forefinger of her left hand, to indicate Kick him in the b.a.l.l.s. Matt puzzled over that one for a moment, then got it and nodded again. The thought flashed through Monica's mind, just for an instant, that Matt was a lot quicker on the uptake than her partner, Walter.

02:37 The F-16s carried both the AIM-9M heat-seeking missile, known as the ”Sidewinder,” and the AIM-120 AMRAAM, or advanced medium-range air-to-air missile, which is radar-guided. Because they were at close range, and because Flight 2038 had turboprop engines that generated enough heat, the pilots had elected to go with the Sidewinders. They radioed this decision in and were told to go ahead and arm.

01:58 Snake took another step back. He was right next to Monica and turning to his left, toward the door, which meant his gun was turning toward Matt. Monica came up out of her crouch and grabbed for his right arm, the one with the gun in it. She gripped it for an instant, but then a cramp sent a vicious jolt of pain through her right hamstring, buckling her leg. As she fell sideways, Snake shook off her arm and whirled, pulling the trigger. Monica's body jerked violently backward into the window, then crumpled to the floor. There was a softball-sized hole in the window, its edges spattered with blood.

As she went down, Matt came up, wrapping his arms around Snake, trying to pin him; but Snake was stronger, and he twisted quickly back to his left inside Mart's arms, whipping the gun around hard into the side of Mart's head. Matt lurched to his right and went down onto the plane seat.

In the front of the plane, the postal retirees had gone to the floor at the sound of the gunshot, as had Frank the copilot. Justin had turned around and seen that the maniac was fighting somebody-Justin had no idea who it was-back there. Timing forward again, Justin quickly reached for his radio headset.

01:14 ”Yes,” said Greer, into his special phone. He was looking at his watch. ”That's affirmative. I repeat, affirmative. When you're ready.”

01:12 Snake was furious. The cop b.i.t.c.h and the punk! How the f.u.c.k did they get here? He looked down at the b.i.t.c.h; her eyes were open, but he couldn't tell if she was seeing anything. He turned back toward the punk, who was groaning, moving a little. Definitely alive. Not for long, punk.

00:59 Greer had his ear pressed tight to the special phone. ”What?” he said, his voice rising. ”What'd he say?”

”What?” asked Baker, pressing close to Greer. ”What?”

”They heard from the pilot,” said Greer. ”He's ... hold it.” He listened on the phone. ”OK,” he said, looking at his watch. ”Ask him is the suitcase on the airplane. Got that? Ask him can he get the suitcase off the airplane right now.” He looked at his watch. s.h.i.+t.

00:41 Snake raised the gun, aimed it at Matt's head.

”Snake!” a voice shouted. Snake jerked his head right. It was Eddie, standing in the aisle.

Snake, still aiming the gun at Matt, shouted, ”The f.u.c.k you want?”

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