Chapter 22
Oona knocked at Jonathan's open door. She could see he was fiddling around with paperwork.
“Do you know more about what is said about Pieter? Rumours are buzzing about his escape with classified information?”
“I am afraid that is correct.”
“And it is said that a couple of Hornets have blown him out of the water?”
Jonathan looked seriously at Oona.
“Do you really believe that Pieter is that retarded? I thought you knew him better than that. Not for a moment did I ever believe that he was so easy to catch. I just didn't want to take any chances.”
“So according to you he is still on his island? Apparently his plane was still there and his Zodiac simply does not have the radius of action. Even with extra tanks they would end up in the middle of the ocean.”
“No, he is quite gone. And concerning the plane: have a close look at these pictures that were taken during the search flights.”
Oona studied carefully some of the aerial photographs that were taken that morning. She shook her head: “I see the plane under the camouflage net. Pieter always covered his plane when a storm was coming. I even helped him a couple of times to fasten the plane and throw the canvas over the wings.”
“That's what he wants us to believe, yes.”
He ticked with his finger on the tail sticking out of the canvas.
“That, Oona, is not the tailpiece of a Grumman. It is the tail of that Japanese wreck that has been lying in the lagoon for ever. Compare these two images. This one has been taken a couple of weeks ago. Find the twelve differences.”
She took the pictures out of his hand and whistled silently.
“He has fooled us there. But that means that he can be a very long way by now.”
“That is true. Fortunately we still have here and there some contacts. For instance, we know that early this morning a freaked-out fisherman has filed a complaint that he has literally been rammed out of the water by some lunatic in an airplane. All points into the direction of Pieter's notorious flying style.”
Jonathan went to one of the walls of his office and pushed a red pin on a small island south of the Maldives. “Here he has landed and that is where you and I will go to collect him.”
“But, what ensures us that he will not have disappeared by then?”
“Nothing. All logic says indeed that he will try to leave on the first commercial flight. So, that is why I have instructed their control tower to ground all civilian air traffic because of a fake military exercise. I don't think that I am making myself popular in that area.”
“But why should I join?”
“I have the impression that you are one of the few people he still trusts. I assume that he believes that I am part of the plot to catch him and throw him in jail.”
“That could well be,” answered Oona, not really convinced.
“Fine, I suggest that we leave right away. I cannot close that runway for ever. They don't have that much respect for me.”
The fast turboprop commuter plane needed a lot less time than Pieter's Grumman to bridge the distance between Diego and the island of the Maldives. In the early afternoon the plane landed on the rough runway.
Without ceremony they both disembarked and the plane turned to leave immediately. Oona did not show her surprise to Jontathan. He probably was on top of things and another plane was going to take them back. Together with the two Huttons.
She followed Jonathan into the small airport building at the bottom of the control tower. Before she entered she saw a sleek private jet landing. From the inside she heard the plane slowly taxiing till the entrance. Curiously to find out who the celebs were she peeked through the rather dirty windows of the otherwise clean airport. The slender black man who came out of the plane was not someone she recognised. His length could indicate it was some successful basketball player. She expected that in his wake one or two lingerie-models would appear. But only the flight attendant and the two pilots followed him. The last pilot turned a key and the steps disappeared in the door which closed hydraulically.
A bit disappointed she looked for Jonathan in the arrival hall. To her surprise the passenger from the jet stepped without hesitation to Jonathan and shook cordially his hand. Both with a smile on their face. Hesitating Oona kept a bit aside, but Jonathan beckoned her to come closer.
“Karum, may I introduce you to Oona De la Fayette? Oona is the Doctor in tropical medicine whom Ian had identified.”
Karum shook her hand long and explicitly: “it is my honour to meet you, Doctor. My name is Cabdikarum Succri. I do not pretend to be acquainted with your work, but I do know that your name is mentioned with the highest esteem by those who can pretend.”
Uneasily Oona answered, still shaking Karum's hand. “Okay, thank you very much. And who are you exactly, Mister Succri?”
“I am the development aid project leader. We are keen on having someone like you joining the team.”
Oona was about to tell him that there must be some misunderstanding. She was unaware of a team, did not know Ian and furthermore, her contract with the army was not to expire for another couple of years.
“You must be Karum,” it suddenly sounded from the staircase that led to the control tower. A small, stout and balding man in a spotless white pilot uniform came down. He pressed his captains' hat under his arm.
“And you are captain Alex De Jonghe, I presume?”
“Indeed. And this is my first officer for today, captain Brigitte Lafontaine. I suggest that we prepare the aircraft so we can leave as soon as possible and stay on schedule. We'll see you on board.”
Alex and Brigitte went to the two arriving pilots and stewardess, exchanged documents, wished each other a good flight and an enjoyable stay. The relieved crew was clearly keen to start their holiday at the resort.
Karum greeted some other people who appeared in the hall. He made notes on his tablet. A flight attendant had entered and served some bottles of chilled water. The hall was clean but not luxurious and the few fans hanging from the ceiling could not expel the tropical heat.
Oona counted five people surrounding Karum. He checked again his watch. She and Jonathan stood a bit aside of the rest. Oona did not understand why Jonathan was lingering around and was not going out of the building to find Pieter.
Finally she pulled his aside and said: “Jonathan, shouldn't we be searching for Pieter? Isn't that the reason why we are here?”
Jonathan looked at the entrance of the building and pointed at the three people who had just come in and were looking around investigating.
“Yes, that is the reason. But we will not go out and search for him. There, he is already coming our way.”
* * *