36000ft From Safety

Outclassed

“Wake up George” whispered my wife in a shaky voice visibly terrified and instantly my heart started racing because, like the rain had recently proved, I married Miss Right and recent events had also clued me that her first name is Always. Miss Always Right.

I looked around and before I could ask her, a middle-eastern accent clued me in “Everyone sit down! Put your hands where I can see them!” he shouted in rather poor English. When I saw both pilots walk out of the cockpit at gun-point I knew what was going on. We were being hijacked!

I had been in only two ‘hijackings’ throughout my entire career. In both cases they were rather minor and none of the hijackers had any guns.

They would just demand ransom from the Government and be on their way, but after the recent 9/11 attacks, no one was sure anymore and despite the silence in the cabin, I could hear the inaudible screams.

I quickly made up my mind. I wasn’t going to sit around and comply with their orders. I knew that if we had any chance, any chance at allof surviving this attack, let alone making it to the seventh wonder of the world. Then that chance heavily depended on our ability to fight back.

I soon I realized that I wasn’t the only one with such daring thoughts as a rather young man stood up in protest and shouted “Everyone, we have to fight back!” he wailed.

Apart from his exceptionally loud protests, another deafening sound undisputedly outclassed his, gunshots!