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‘Tell the driver to take the underpass.’ William flicked a switch. ‘AC1?’

‘We’ve made a U-turn, sir, and we can see AC2 just ahead of us.’

‘That’s no surprise,’ said AC2. ‘While I can see the number nine ahead of me, sir. They are just entering the underpass. I’ll be with them in sixty seconds.’

‘Paul, give the traffic controller at Green Park the all-clear and thank him. Jackie, block the far end of the underpass now –now,’ he repeated. ‘Rebecca?’

‘I’m standing next to the driver. He’s moving slowly through the underpass.’

‘Tell him to stop.’

‘While we’re still in the tunnel, sir?’

‘Yes,’ said William. ‘Now.’

The driver began to slow down, as Rebecca looked back to see the first of the squad cars speeding towards them. She immediately accepted that the suspect would have also spotted them.

The bus came to a halt in the middle of the tunnel.

‘Open the door,’ Rebecca shouted at the driver as she began to run up the stairs. When she reached the top step, she saw the suspect advancing towards her, his arm around the neck of a young girl.

‘If you don’t get out of my way,’ he shouted, ‘I’ll break her neck.’

Rebecca didn’t doubt it, and took a pace back, horrified to see a teenager getting up from the seat behind him and walking towards them. He touched the man on the shoulder and said, ‘That’s my sister, mister, and if you don’t …’

The man half turned and with his other arm swept the boy aside, while never letting go of his sister. The boy stumbled backwards onto the ground. The man looked around to see Rebecca charging towards him. He was about to take a swing at her when the first of the officers appeared at the top of the steps.

Rebecca hurled herself headlong at the man, causing him to topple backwards and let go of the girl, by which time the first officer was on top of him. The second held himdown, while a third handcuffed him. Moments later, two of them yanked him back up and led him off the bus to loud applause.

‘Thank you,’ said Rebecca.

‘Who are you thanking?’ asked William over the radio.

‘The real hero,’ said Rebecca, ‘the young lad who saved his sister.’

This caused a second round of applause, while one of the women officers knelt down beside the two kids to check if they were all right. They were the centre of attention – all smiles.

William was back on the radio. ‘Paul?’

‘The underground is back to normal, sir.’

‘Jackie?’

‘The tunnel is back open,’ Jackie replied, ‘and I can see AC2 heading towards me at speed with the prisoner on board, no doubt on their way to the nearest police station.’

‘And AC1?’

‘We never needed them in the first place,’ quipped a voice.

AC1 maintained radio silence.

‘Rebecca?’ asked William.

‘The bus is back on the move,’ she confirmed. ‘The two kids are shaking hands with everyone on board and having their photographs taken, I’ve thanked the driver and the passengers.’

‘And Ross?’ said William.

‘They are putting Avril’s body in an ambulance,’ said a faltering voice, ‘and I’ll be accompanying her to the nearest hospital.’ There was a long pause before Ross added, ‘If I’d done my job properly, she’d still be alive.’