The airport predicament
Don't assume that once you're on the highway and have shaken off your pursuers, Henry will ease off the accelerator. Mark, desperately chasing behind,
While still cursing under his breath, he mustered all his energy to chase after the car.
Saying it takes 30 minutes to get to the airport doesn't mean those 30 minutes will be an easy time to pass.
You should know that the journey from the airport to the child protection agency we were scheduled to visit was a four-hour drive. Although we arrived in just over three hours, we saved a little time.
But the drive back to the airport from there only took two hours! You can imagine how big the difference in speed was.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it flew.
Henry dared not relax for the biggest reason: he knew the pursuers hadn't given up. The dust cloud Brian observed also proved this, even though there was no sign of the pursuers' convoy within sight.
Henry couldn't estimate how long it would take them to change planes and take off. He could only try to make the most of their journey.
Henry didn't think the machine guns mounted on the pursuers' pickup trucks were just for show, and he certainly wouldn't dare fire them at the planes.
He simply couldn't imagine what would have happened if the plane had been hit by a burst of machine gun fire within range.
Even if he himself would be fine, the others would be in trouble. Henry didn't want to see that happen.
After a frantic rush, the two Land Rover finally arrived at the airport. But they didn't see the small passenger plane preparing for takeoff on the runway.
The Italian captain kept the plane parked under the hangar.
Two cars pulled into the hangar. Seeing the equally anxious and impatient captain, Brian got out of one car and angrily said, "Why aren't we on the runway preparing for takeoff? Do you know we're being chased? They could appear at any moment!"
The Italian captain innocently stated, "The control tower told me that a plane was preparing to land, so the runway had to be cleared. There's only one runway here."
"I can't just leave the plane parked on the runway and wait for you guys who might arrive at any time."
At this moment, the others also got off the bus one after another and heard the captain's reply. Everyone couldn't help but look up at the surrounding sky, trying to find the plane that was preparing to land.
The captain continued, "As you know, this airport doesn't have facilities for nighttime takeoffs and landings. And it's almost evening now, so incoming planes have a higher priority in the sorting process."
"We can't delay their landing just to wait for our takeoff. If they can't land before the runway is visible, there could be an accident."
Pilots also have so-called codes of ethics for flying, just like traffic rules for ordinary people driving on land.
Failure to comply can easily lead to car accidents. If pilots do not adhere to internationally recognized basic principles, any accidents they cause will result in very serious flight safety incidents. Therefore, the penalties for pilots are also quite severe.
No matter how powerful Brian is, he can't force a pilot to break the rules, especially when there's another plane on board.
The head of the security team immediately gave the order, "Our people are all here, and our ability to take off at any time is our advantage. Mark, you take the lady onto the plane and settle her in. Bernie and Sam, you two stay by the plane. Luca, prepare for takeoff."
Brian shoved a pistol into Henry's arms, took one long gun and one short gun for himself, and said to the young assistant, "You come with me to the control tower and ask the staff about landing planes. If we have enough time, we'll take off first."
Henry took the gun but didn't hold it in his hand; instead, he casually tucked it into his lower back. He looked at Audrey Hepburn, whose face was filled with worry.
He said with a smile, "Boss, you can get on the plane now. We'll be safe soon."
Be careful.
Without much delay, Henry caught up with Brian. The two jogged into the small airport management office, which also served as a control tower, and the access control was not very strict.
Brian called Henry over, naturally, because the man spoke Somali. Although the tower staff all spoke English, there was no guarantee they could communicate fluently with him. To avoid trouble, it was better to have Henry on board.
After climbing just a few flights of stairs, before even entering the control room, Henry sensed something amiss from the conversation being conducted in Somali.
Before going inside, Henry stopped Brian and said, "The people inside are discussing what they're going to do after they get the bounty. I think the bounty might be targeting us."
1
Brian nodded, shifting his grip on the rifle from his hand to a position where he held it in front of his chest, ready to fire at any moment.
With a sudden movement, he flung open the control room door. Brian fired a warning shot into the open, startling the two Old Black in the control room who fell to the ground and huddled behind chairs that offered no cover whatsoever.
Brian shouted in English, "When will the plane land? How far away is it?" Henry echoed the question in Somali.
After being bombarded with questions, the two Old Black were too frightened to answer.
Henry glanced at the bulletin board next to him where he could attach flight control record strips; it was completely blank. He then looked at the control panel; there were no flight call sign schedules.
Henry said, "No planes are landing." In fact, he had already used his Super Vision to scan the surrounding sky. There was no sign of any planes landing at this small airport.
After entering, Brian had already confirmed the key locations. His loud shouting, meant to intimidate the other person, was actually a way to gauge their reaction.
If a plane really needs to land, the other party's attitude will definitely be to try to explain, even if they stumble over their words.
But if no plane is about to land, it's not so easy to come up with a lie under the tension of a gun threat.
So Henry's answer was also Brian's answer. He said angrily, "These black guys are lying."
As if to vent his anger, Brian slammed the butt of his rifle into the face of the Old Black right in front of him! The other man fired a shot into his leg, making the old man scream.
He then turned and said, "Let's go, we'll get back to the plane and take off immediately." He wasn't afraid of handling a gun, naturally because he had observed that the two people in the control room weren't carrying weapons. Killing them would be too much; a little lesson for each of them would suffice.
Henry, of course, wouldn't cause any trouble and immediately followed Brian's lead, running towards the tarmac.
Brian ran quickly out of the airport building, and once he could see the tarmac, he waved frantically and shouted, "Get on the runway! Prepare for takeoff! No planes landing!"
It's unclear whether they heard Brian's shout clearly or simply trusted the man and acted on his gestures. Bernie and Sam, who were guarding the plane, forced the Italian captain onto the aircraft.
Fortunately, preparations for the warm-up of the aircraft had been underway, and as soon as passengers were boarded and the cabin doors were closed, it was ready for takeoff.
However, the delaying tactics employed by the control tower personnel proved highly effective, as the dust kicked up by the pursuing convoy was already close at hand, and the roar of their engines could be heard.