Slingshot by Matthew Dunn

Author:Matthew Dunn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins

Thirty-One

Dark clouds hung over Frankfurt as Kronos walked along Töngesgasse carrying a canvas overnight bag. He entered an Internet café, ordered a coffee, and purchased thirty minutes of Web use. Choosing a terminal at the far end of the establishment, he ensured that his screen could not be seen by any of the café’s other occupants, then logged on.

Within seconds, he was staring at Holland’s AIS air traffic control website. He clicked Online Flight Plan, then filled in the user name and password—information he’d stolen from the KLM pilot he’d followed from the Frankfurt airport to the city’s Westin Grand hotel. The man had been sleeping while Kronos had sat on the other side of the room and used the pilot’s BlackBerry to load the AIS website, click on the Forgot Password button, read the subsequent AIS e-mail reminding him of his password details, and then delete the mail.

He’d been certain that the pilot would be registered with the site, a portal that was only available to Dutch nationals who were involved in Holland’s aviation industry. But if it’d turned out that the pilot wasn’t an existing member, Kronos would have used his name, passport number, and aviation ID to register. There’d been no need—the man had been a member since he’d earned his wings five years ago.

Kronos took a swig of his coffee as he was directed to a new page. After entering a date, he stared at the information before him. One entry told him exactly what he needed to know.

After logging out of the site and deleting his Internet browsing history, he exited the café. Forty minutes later, he was standing in a pay phone in Frankfurt Hauptwache train station. He called a number in Holland, gave the man who answered six letters followed by the number he was calling from, then hung up. Five seconds later the pay phone rang.

He answered and spoke to the man for two minutes before concluding, “I may have to fire a lot of rounds, so you’ll need to make large custom magazines. But it’s crucial the magazine doesn’t unbalance the weapon.”

He called another Dutch number, repeated the same security routine with six different letters, and when the man called him back he gave him precise instructions, ending with “No bigger than a lighter. And I’ll need spares to test their effect.”

Replacing the handset, he walked briskly across the concourse and boarded a train headed to Stuttgart. As the train pulled out, a couple and their two young children paused by the empty seats in front of him. The mother said to Kronos, “Everywhere back there’s full. Do you mind?”

“Not at all.”

“I must warn you though—my kids are on a high because we took them to the zoo today. I’d understand if you’d prefer quieter companions.”

Kronos laughed. “I’ve got twins. I can sleep through anything. Please, take the seats.”

He closed his eyes. Soon he’d be back in the Black Forest and home with his children. And no doubt they’d be on a high when they saw him.

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