He was going to make an example of Adam. He poked Adam in the back with the muzzle of a gun, pushing him forward.
Adam heard the door being opened. He knew his time had come. The air coming through the doorway was a relief, albeit still pretty warm, but fresher than what they'd all been breathing for a few days.
Being blind, he was easy prey. The man behind him was too complacent. Adam rounded on him, knowing approximately where he was standing. He surprised the criminal, grabbing him by the throat and whipping him out through the doorway. The man's scream stopped suddenly with a thud as he hit the ground. Adam was attacked by a second man, who smashed the butt of a gun against his head. He, too, fell through the doorway, landing metres below. He landed, unconscious, on the man he had thrown out of the plane.
The two bodies, which fell from the plane, were shown clearly on television from the camera in the helicopter. Obviously, the captors were using the appearance of the helicopter to televise their violence in an attempt to get what they wanted. They orchestrated their terror to coincide with world viewing.
Using a telephoto lens, the cameraman was able to project a clear picture of an unknown man flung from the aircraft, followed shortly after by another. The second man landed on his back, on top of the first man, so his face could be seen. It was Adam.
In Israel, Adam was identified. There had been no movement from either of the men on the ground and it was presumed that they were dead.
Adam's father, although grieving, made the call to Sydney, to Dafna.
CHAPTER 16
Dafna had been sedated by the doctor, whom her mother had called.
After hearing the news of Adam, Dafna had quietly fainted. Her mother revived her with a damp cloth, then called for the doctor to come to tend to her. Explaining what had happened, Mrs Zoreff also felt weak at the knees. Her doctor thought he would have two patients on his hands, but the older woman took control of herself. They helped Dafna to her bed where she slept in drugged unconsciousness for twelve hours.
It was because of this that Dafna missed the second piece of news from Israel. During the night, after seeing Adam's body hit the ground, the authorities planned a rescue mission by Israeli commandos.
In their usual immaculate style, the mission was carried out at night, swiftly and successfully. They had travelled to within three kilometres of the grounded aircraft by vehicle, then on foot to within fifty metres. As there were no lights about, the hijackers had no idea that anyone hostile was anywhere near them. Some of them had left the plane to walk about outside in the cool of the night. They were taking turns to get away from the smell on board. The three guards on the ground were easily sighted in the night scopes of the Israeli snipers who held them. Quietly, without arousing any suspicions from the remaining guards on the plane, the commandos wriggled up close enough to shoot the guards with silenced rifles. The makeshift ladder, which leaned up against the plane, was all that was needed to allow the soldiers access to the plane's interior.
The rest was history. The commandos had sneaked into the plane in darkness and surprised the three other hijackers on board. Two of them had gone to sleep and didn't know what hit them. The third was easily taken out in the surprise attack. Two passengers were slightly wounded in the melee.
The soldiers radioed for support teams, who came in helicopters supplied with fresh water, some food and blankets.
The bodies under the aircraft were picked up - a woman and two men - and placed on stretchers in a separate helicopter. One of the male 'bodies' groaned, surprising a young medic in the team.
"This one's alive!" he shouted.
With all the hijackers dead, the rescuers were free to call in another aircraft to which the
Adam heard the door being opened. He knew his time had come. The air coming through the doorway was a relief, albeit still pretty warm, but fresher than what they'd all been breathing for a few days.
Being blind, he was easy prey. The man behind him was too complacent. Adam rounded on him, knowing approximately where he was standing. He surprised the criminal, grabbing him by the throat and whipping him out through the doorway. The man's scream stopped suddenly with a thud as he hit the ground. Adam was attacked by a second man, who smashed the butt of a gun against his head. He, too, fell through the doorway, landing metres below. He landed, unconscious, on the man he had thrown out of the plane.
The two bodies, which fell from the plane, were shown clearly on television from the camera in the helicopter. Obviously, the captors were using the appearance of the helicopter to televise their violence in an attempt to get what they wanted. They orchestrated their terror to coincide with world viewing.
Using a telephoto lens, the cameraman was able to project a clear picture of an unknown man flung from the aircraft, followed shortly after by another. The second man landed on his back, on top of the first man, so his face could be seen. It was Adam.
In Israel, Adam was identified. There had been no movement from either of the men on the ground and it was presumed that they were dead.
Adam's father, although grieving, made the call to Sydney, to Dafna.
CHAPTER 16
Dafna had been sedated by the doctor, whom her mother had called.
After hearing the news of Adam, Dafna had quietly fainted. Her mother revived her with a damp cloth, then called for the doctor to come to tend to her. Explaining what had happened, Mrs Zoreff also felt weak at the knees. Her doctor thought he would have two patients on his hands, but the older woman took control of herself. They helped Dafna to her bed where she slept in drugged unconsciousness for twelve hours.
It was because of this that Dafna missed the second piece of news from Israel. During the night, after seeing Adam's body hit the ground, the authorities planned a rescue mission by Israeli commandos.
In their usual immaculate style, the mission was carried out at night, swiftly and successfully. They had travelled to within three kilometres of the grounded aircraft by vehicle, then on foot to within fifty metres. As there were no lights about, the hijackers had no idea that anyone hostile was anywhere near them. Some of them had left the plane to walk about outside in the cool of the night. They were taking turns to get away from the smell on board. The three guards on the ground were easily sighted in the night scopes of the Israeli snipers who held them. Quietly, without arousing any suspicions from the remaining guards on the plane, the commandos wriggled up close enough to shoot the guards with silenced rifles. The makeshift ladder, which leaned up against the plane, was all that was needed to allow the soldiers access to the plane's interior.
The rest was history. The commandos had sneaked into the plane in darkness and surprised the three other hijackers on board. Two of them had gone to sleep and didn't know what hit them. The third was easily taken out in the surprise attack. Two passengers were slightly wounded in the melee.
The soldiers radioed for support teams, who came in helicopters supplied with fresh water, some food and blankets.
The bodies under the aircraft were picked up - a woman and two men - and placed on stretchers in a separate helicopter. One of the male 'bodies' groaned, surprising a young medic in the team.
"This one's alive!" he shouted.
With all the hijackers dead, the rescuers were free to call in another aircraft to which the
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