Flight Risk

Flight Risk is the first book in the series detailing the operations of E Squadron.

Cover Summary
Everyone is planning for the unveiling of British Airways’ new Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner. However, MI6 receives information that an attack on the plane is being planned. The plane is hijacked by members of Hamas’ Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, who have been posing as members of a film crew for Al Jazeera. However, when it takes off, Rick Freeman, Dave Nielsen, Owen Smith and Mickey Fielding are on the plane, albeit unknown to the terrorists or hostages. The recording states that they want the release of six Hamas members being held in prison by the British government, or they will blow up the plane.

Phase One
Everyone is planning for British Airways’ Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner’s London preview flight. The previous preview flight in Edinburgh went off without a hitch. Now it’s London’s turn. However, the plane is hijacked by three members of Hamas’ Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, who had been posing as members of a film crew for Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, detectives from Scotland Yard discover that two journalists have been murdered. The Akramawi brothers’ recording states that they want the release of six Hamas members being held by the British government.E Squadron is called in to sort out the situation after negotiations with the police fail, and one of the flight attendants is killed. By the time the plane takes off, Rick Freeman, Mickey Fielding, Dave Nielsen and Owen Smith are on the plane, albeit unknown to the terrorists or hostages. Rick and Owen engage with Amir and Khayal, leaving Mickey to search the plane. In the process of doing so, Mickey finds the bomb, rigged with a mercury tilt switch rendering it almost tamper-proof, as it will bring the RDX in contact with mercury fulminate, causing it to detonate immediately. However, the flight path, as directed by the hijackers, is going to take the plane through a storm, which could create enough movement to cause the device to detonate anyway. Whilst inspecting the device, Mickey is attacked by Zaid Barghouti, who placed it. After he survives the fight, Mickey realises that the device has an additional fail-safe, a remote detonator. He is able to disarm the device before the remote detonator is activated. However, he realises that there is more to the plot than even they first realised. Because of the Palestinian connection, they follow up with the Mossad and discover that the Israelis believe Suhail Mahajna was behind it.

Phase Two
Alpha Team flies to Tel Aviv and connects with local members of Sayeret Matkal, the elite Israeli Special Forces unit, and Eli Marom of Mossad. Mahajna, who took over as sub-commander of the Southern Gaza Strip when Muhammad Abu Shamala was killed in 2014, has been involved in fuelling the Gaza-Israel conflict, and as such, has earned himself a place on Israel’s own watch list.

Timeline
The main action takes place in January 2017.

Characters
Amir Akramawi | Khayal Akramawi | Fadi Asfour | Mohammad Atiyeh | Zaid Barghouti | Don Brenchley | Paul Butler | Spencer Clarke | Andrew Denyer | Lawrence Evans | Mickey Fielding | Steve Flintoff | Rick Freeman | Benjamin Hadad | Saleh Hajjar | George Henderson | Charles Jacobs | Elyas Khoury | Jonathan King | Jenny Knight | Chris McLennan | Suhail Mahajna | Eli Marom | Yossef Mizrahi | Tom Moore | David Nielsen | Eyal Peretz | Matt Quinn | Haroun Ramzi | Mike Riley | Abu Saliba | Owen Smith | Robyn Tierney | Jalaal Touma | Ryan Walton | Roger Woakes | Mel Wolfe | Aaron Young

Locations
London | Tel Aviv

Memorable Lines
This refers to the destruction of Pan Am flight 103, in what became known as the Lockerbie Bombing.
 *  'I'm not going to let this be another Lockerbie.'