Hostage Read Online Free PDF Page B

link to the recent terrorism convictions. Or to tomorrow’s parliamentary
debate.’
    Fredrika sincerely hoped not.
    And yet she could see it all so clearly. How one problem led to another, like concentric ripples spreading out across the water.
    If this was the start of something new, there was good reason to wonder how it would end.

6
14:01
    T hey gathered in one of Säpo’s conference rooms. Eden Lundell chaired the meeting, which included investigators, analysts and Alex Recht
from the police. Alex reported on the results of his own brief inquiries: four unregistered pay-as-you-go SIM cards. The same person had probably made all four calls, but that was all they knew at
the moment.
    ‘When will you find out where the calls came from?’ Eden asked.
    The case of Zakaria Khelifi was already long gone. The here and now was what mattered; four bomb threats, four potential targets.
    ‘Within the next few hours,’ Alex replied.
    The situation was critical. Decisions had to be made immediately. If they were taking the threats seriously, they had to act soon.
    Eden had taken an immediate liking to Alex, which was very unusual for her. She was normally very cautious about opening up to people she didn’t know, but it was different with Alex Recht.
Sebastian had said he was like her; perhaps there was some truth in that.
    ‘What steps would you want to take?’ Eden asked Alex. ‘Setting aside the threat to Rosenbad, how would you handle this?’
    Alex frowned. That was another thing Eden liked about him; he thought before he spoke, in spite of the urgency of the situation. Panicking rarely helped, and it annoyed Eden that so few people
she had met during her career understood such a simple premise.
    ‘I don’t like the fact that the threats mentioned specific times. Nor do I like the fact that they came in through four separate phone calls, and that voice distortion was used. And
I don’t understand why someone would go for targets as diverse as the Royal Library and Åhlén’s department store.’
    ‘So what’s your conclusion?’ Sebastian asked.
    Alex looked at him. ‘That we need to evacuate all the locations immediately, and if nothing happens, we simply lift the restrictions.’
    ‘I agree,’ Eden said.
    She gestured towards one of her colleagues. ‘Do it – evacuate all four locations. Try to handle it discreetly.’
    Alex smiled at her. ‘Unfortunately I don’t think all the discretion in the world will do any good. There’s going to be a hell of a fuss.’
    ‘That can’t be helped.’
    Sebastian raised his hand to indicate that he had something to say.
    ‘Yes?’ Eden said.
    ‘You don’t think this could be a diversionary tactic?’
    ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘At nine thirty tomorrow morning, parliament will open the most controversial debate of the year. And we have just decided to dedicate all our resources to investigating no less than four
bomb threats targeting completely different locations.’
    Rain was hammering against the window pane behind Eden, but she hardly noticed it. How could she have missed something so obvious?
    ‘Parliament,’ Alex said. ‘It’s not my call, but don’t you think they should cancel the debate? Or at least postpone it until we know what this is all
about?’
    Sebastian placed a hand on Eden’s arm.
    ‘I agree. An hour ago, we said that we didn’t think tomorrow’s debate merited increased security arrangements, but now our assessment has changed. That means the debate should
be cancelled or postponed.’
    Eden moved her arm away.
    ‘That’s GD’s decision. All we can do is supply the information and make decisions.’
    Säpo’s General Director was always known within the organisation as GD. Everyone knew his name was Buster, but he was only ever referred to as GD.
    ‘Of course.’
    Eden glanced at the clock. Time was passing much too quickly. She wished she could put her finger on the hands and stop them from moving.
    The decision to