Helen Sandberg sat at the radio in the control room. Michael, Inspector Holm, and Colonel Carter sat behind her. They could all see the plane, two hundred metres away, and they could all hear the voice of the hijacker on the radio. It was loud, excited.
海倫·桑德伯格坐在控制室的無線電前。她的身后坐著邁克爾、巡查官霍爾姆和卡特上校。他們都能看到那架飛機,距此只有200米的距離。他們甚至都能聽見無線電中劫機犯講話的聲音,那聲音很大、很亢奮。
Our brothers have done nothing wrong. They are innocent! They are fighters for the freedom of our people! We need them with us on this plane, now!'
“我們的弟兄沒有做錯任何事情。他們是無辜的!他們是為我們?nèi)嗣竦淖杂啥鴳?zhàn)的斗士!現(xiàn)在,必須把他們送到我們這架飛機上!”
Helen kept her voice low and calm. 'Look, I understand what you say. But those men are criminals; they're in prison. I can't bring them here. And remember, the passengers on the plane are innocent people too, with families and children. Please set them free. We will not hurt you. We...'
海倫盡力讓自己的聲音保持低沉和冷靜。“你瞧,我明白你的意思。但是,那兩個人是罪犯;他們被關在監(jiān)獄里,我不能把他們帶到這里來。而且請你記住,飛機上的乘客也是無辜的,他們也有家庭、有孩子。請放了他們。我們不會傷害你們的,我們……”
The voice on the radio interrupted her. 'Mrs Sandberg! I do not want to talk any more. It is now 1.59 a.m. Do you have our brothers here, at the airport?'
無線電里傳出的聲音打斷了她。“桑德伯格夫人!我不想再跟你談了。現(xiàn)在是凌晨1:59分。你把我們的兩個弟兄帶過來了嗎,帶到機場了嗎?”
No. I told you...'
“沒有。我告訴你……”
Then watch the front door of the plane. You can see it well, I hope?'
“好吧,看飛機的前門。但愿你能看得清?”
Yes.' Helen's voice was quiet now, almost a whisper.
“看得清。”海倫的聲音非常微弱,幾乎是喃喃而語。
Then watch. There is an American spy behind it. And remember, we have many American spies, and many important business people on this plane. In half an hour I will ask you again about my brothers.'
“那你看著。門后現(xiàn)在站著一個美國間諜。記住,我們手里有很多美國間諜,飛機上還有很多舉足輕重的商人。半個小時之后,我會再問你一遍,我的弟兄怎么樣了。”
Helen stared out at the plane. Its front door was very small and far away. Colonel Carter touched her arm.
海倫盯著窗外的飛機。它的前門很小,距離又很遠??ㄌ厣闲E隽伺鏊母觳病?/p>
Here are some binoculars, Prime Minister. You will be able to see more clearly with these.'
“這兒有一副雙筒望遠鏡,首相。用它你能看得更清楚些。”
She did not want to look, but she had to. She had decided not to free the prisoners, so now she had to see what happened to the passengers. She picked up the binoculars and stared at the front door of the plane.
她不想看,但是她不能不看。她已經(jīng)打定主意不釋放那些罪犯,所以她現(xiàn)在需要搞清楚乘客那邊的情況。她拿起望遠鏡,往飛機的前門那里望去。
The door opened slowly. There were no steps outside the door, so it was about four metres above the ground. Standing in the door was a short fat man, his hands above his head. His face was white and he looked very frightened. Then he jumped. But as he jumped, a girl came to the door and shot him. Some bullets hit him in the air and more bullets hit him as he lay on the ground. One of his arms moved a little and blood ran out of the side of his head onto the wet tarmac. The girl continued shooting him for ten, maybe fifteen seconds. Then someone pulled her back into the plane and the door closed.
門緩緩地打開了。因為沒有舷梯,所以飛機的門離地面大約有四米高。門口站著一個身材矮胖的男人,他的手舉過頭頂。他臉色蒼白,看上去嚇得魂不附體。然后,他縱身跳了下來??墒蔷驮谒聛淼乃查g,一個姑娘沖到門口,開槍向他射擊。有幾槍在空中擊中了他,但是更多的子彈是他墜落到地上之后擊中他的。他的一只胳膊微微動了動,鮮血從他貼著濕漉漉的飛機跑道那一側(cè)的頭顱中噴涌而出。那個姑娘又持續(xù)向他射擊了十秒鐘,也許是15秒鐘。然后,有人把她拽回了飛機,機門又被關上了。
For a long time everyone was silent. Then Colonel Carter spoke. 'Inspector, why didn't your men shoot? That girl was in the doorway for nearly fifteen seconds! Why isn't she dead?'
好一會兒,沒有一個人吱聲。終于卡特上校張口說話了:“巡查官,你的人為什么不開槍?那個姑娘站在機艙門口有將近15秒鐘之久!為什么沒有把她打死?”
We... are police officers, not soldiers. I...' But the Colonel interrupted him.
“我們……是警察,不是士兵。我……”但是,卡特上校打斷了他。
Prime Minister, let my men deal with this problem. They have, killed a man now and they'll kill another one in half an hour. We must attack that plane! We are commandos; we know how to do it!'
“首相,讓我的人來應對這個場面吧。他們已經(jīng)殺了一個人了,半個小時之后,他們會再殺死一個的。我們必須向飛機發(fā)動強攻!我們是特種兵;我們知道該怎么辦!”
Helen was still watching the dead body of the man on the tarmac. She thought a hand moved, for a moment; but no, he must be dead by now. There was a pool of blood on the tarmac now, around his head. He could not possibly be alive. For a moment she did not hear the voices around her. In half an hour...
海倫仍然盯著跑道上的那具男尸看。有一瞬間,她曾以為死者的一只手動了動;但不是,他現(xiàn)在肯定已經(jīng)死了。在飛機跑道上,在他的頭部周圍,現(xiàn)在有一大灘鮮血。他不可能活著。有那么一會兒,她甚至聽不見周圍的聲音。半個小時之后……
Prime Minister... ?'
“首相……?”
Yes.' She turned towards them. 'Yes. Colonel Carter, bring your men here, immediately. Meet me in ten minutes with your plan. But I warn you, it must be a good one. I don't want any more dead passengers.'
“嗯。”她轉(zhuǎn)過身面對著他們,“好吧??ㄌ厣闲#R上把你的人帶到這兒來。十分鐘之后帶著你的行動計劃來見我。不過我警告你,你的計劃必須可行。我不想再看到更多的乘客死掉了。”
Yes, Prime Minister. At once.' The Colonel turned to go.
“是的,首相。馬上照辦。”上校轉(zhuǎn)身要走。
Inspector.'
“巡查官。”
Yes, madam.'
“在,夫人。”
I want those two prisoners brought here from the prison. At once. You have twenty-five minutes, no more. Do you understand?'
“我要把那兩個罪犯從監(jiān)獄帶過來。立刻帶過來。給你25分鐘的時間,一分鐘都不能延誤。你明白嗎?”
But Prime Minister! You can't do that!' The Inspector and the Colonel stared at her in surprise.
“但是首相!你不能這樣做!”巡查官和上校都不解地盯著她。
I can and I will.'
“我能而且我就要這樣做。”
But these men are dangerous criminals—terrorists! They tried to put a bomb on a plane! They are in prison for...'
“但他們是危險的罪犯——是恐怖分子!他們曾試圖往飛機上裝炸彈!他們被判入獄……”
For thirty years, Colonel. I know. But they are only two men, and there are over a hundred innocent people on that plane. My job is to save their lives, and I need time to do it.'
“入獄30年,上校。我知道。但他們畢竟只有兩個人,而飛機上有100多名無辜的乘客。我的任務就是要拯救他們的生命,我這么做需要時間。”
The Inspector stood up very tall and straight in his fine uniform. 'Prime Minister, I strongly advise you not to do this. You don't understand...'
身穿得體的制服,巡查官站起來后顯得高大挺拔。“首相,我堅決建議您不要這么做。您不明白……”
Helen interrupted him, her voice ice-cold and angry. 'I understand very well indeed, Inspector. And I thank you for your advice. But I think I must make the decisions, and you must obey my orders. You now have only twenty-four minutes. Bring those prisoners here, please.'
海倫打斷了他的話,冰冷的聲音中透著惱怒。“事實上我非常明白,巡查官。謝謝你的勸告。但是我認為我必須做出決定,而你們必須服從我的命令?,F(xiàn)在你只剩下24分鐘了。請把那些罪犯帶到這里來。”
Yes, madam.' The Inspector and the Colonel left the room, looking very unhappy.
“遵命,夫人。”巡查官和上校一起離開了房間,看上去很不高興。
Prime Minister?'
“首相?”
Yes, Michael?' She turned, and saw that Michael was smiling quietly.
“什么事,邁克爾?”她轉(zhuǎn)過身,看見邁克爾正默默地微笑著。
The American and British Ambassadors are here. Do you want to see them?'
“英美兩國大使都在這兒。您想見他們嗎?”
She groaned, and sat down suddenly. 'Do I want to? Of course I don't! But I suppose I must talk to them because that man was an American. Send them in. They can have five minutes with me, that's all.'
她嘟囔了一聲,突然坐了下來。“我想嗎?我當然不想!不過我認為我應該跟他們談一談,因為死的那個人是美國人。讓他們進來吧,我可以給他們五分鐘時間,就這樣吧。”
Yes, Prime Minister.' Michael picked up a telephone.
“好吧,首相。”邁克爾抓起了電話。