The plane lurched in the same direction as the bank, throwing the oil workers into seats

Finn opened his eyes to see the co-pilot and Maddie hauling at Oil Guy, pulling him away. The guy got in a couple of kicks as he was dragged off, one on the side of Finn’s knee that sent pain knifing up his leg.

The co-pilot pushed the guy back into a seat then pulled out plastic restraints and slipped them on his wrists. Before he could complain the co-pilot knelt down and secured his ankles together with more plastic ties.

Oil Guy swore again. “I’m performing a citizen’s arrest,” the co-pilot said, “under the Civil Aviation Act. He started it.”

Charlotte and Maddie put hands out to help Finn up. There was pain in his knee, his mouth, his nose. He gasped air into his lungs but couldn’t speak. He slumped into a seat then felt Charlotte pop restraints over his wrists and tighten them. He looked at her as she knelt and did his ankles.

“What are you doing?” he said. “I’m performing a citizen’s arrest under the Civil Aviation Act,” she answered. Maddie touched Charlotte on the shoulder.

“Get your hand off me, miss, unless you want to be arrested as well.”

Assaulted

Maddie stared. “The other guy started it, he assaulted me. Finn was trying to help.”

“I saw this gentleman throw the first punch,” Charlotte said. “That’s right,” commented Oil Guy, leaning forward in his seat. “Let me out of these.”

“This is all a misunderstanding,” Finn said. “Let me go and I won’t be any trouble.”

“We’ll let the police decide,” the co-pilot said. Oil Guy looked worried. “There’s no need for that.”

His friends crowded round the co-pilot, who spoke over them. “Charlotte, go and tell the captain what’s happened.”

Charlotte strode up the aisle past the Yorkshire couple, who had left their seats to watch. She knocked and ducked into the cockpit. Finn saw banks of controls, the epaulettes on the pilot’s shoulder, blackness outside the glass.

“This is bullshit,” Oil Guy said. “You don’t have the authority for this.”

The co-pilot stuck his chin out. “I absolutely do have the authority.”

One of the oil worker’s pals spoke up. “We don’t want any trouble.”

“Try telling him that,” the co-pilot said. “This is ridiculous,” Maddie said. The co-pilot folded his arms. “You think so? They’ve compromised safety on an aircraft in flight.”

Charlotte came back down the aisle. “Everyone back in your seats, please.” Maddie stared at her. “Why?” “Just get back in your seat, miss.” “I want to know what’s going on.” There was a crackle of static and a voice came over the speaker. The cabin shuddered and everyone braced. “This is the captain. I’ve spoken to authorities on the ground about the situation on board and we have decided to return to Kirkwall Airport to ensure everyone’s safety and security.”

Oil Guy groaned. The captain was still talking. “Please return to your seats immediately and fasten your seatbelts in preparation for landing.”

“This is crazy,” Finn said. “There’s no need to go back.”

The co-pilot looked at him. “Standard procedure in the event of a disturbance on board.”

Maddie shook her head. “We can’t go back.”

Surprised

Charlotte put a hand out to her. “Please return to your seat.”

“No,” Maddie said. The oil workers were standing behind her, angry. “We’ve got folk to get home to,” one of them said. “If we go back to Kirkwall, goodness knows when we’ll get off that rock.”

The co-pilot shrugged. “Take it up with your friend.” He turned to Finn. “And him. It’s their fault.”

Maddie pushed past Charlotte and the oil workers and ran towards the cockpit. “Miss, return to your seat immediately,” Charlotte said. “I’m not going back,” Maddie said.

The plane was already banking, shifting their centre of gravity. Finn wondered how far they’d got from Orkney, probably only just over the Pentland Firth. Maddie was already at the cockpit door. She pushed it open and stepped inside as the pilot turned with a surprised look.

Charlotte and the co-pilot ran up the aisle but Maddie spotted them and slammed the cockpit door. The co-pilot grabbed the handle and pushed but the door didn’t budge.

The plane took another wobble. They were at a steep angle, the oil workers leaning to remain upright against the shift.

Finn looked out the window at the wing, light blinking, rain streaming over the metal curve, haar swirling.

The co-pilot and Charlotte hammered on the door and shouted. The plane lurched in the same direction as the bank, throwing the oil workers into seats. Finn felt his armrest digging into his side. He tugged at his restraints but they stayed tight.

The co-pilot pushed his shoulder against the cockpit door and it fell open. The engine roared in the cabin as Charlotte and the co-pilot shouted at Maddie, who had her hands on the pilot’s arm.

The co-pilot got her in an arm lock, dragged her out of the cockpit and threw her into a seat in the front row. He held her there, standing to the side to avoid her kicking legs as she struggled.

He barked something to Charlotte, who reached into a compartment next to the food trolley and pulled out more restraints.

Panicked

But before she could hand them over to the co-pilot the cabin lurched again, the nose of the plane plunging downwards, throwing Charlotte back against the cockpit door and making the co-pilot stumble.

Finn caught the panicked look in his eyes. The plane’s nose tipped up, then two more jolts tilted them all to the left.

The co-pilot and Charlotte crawled over and pulled themselves into flip-down crew seats, fumbling with seatbelts. Maddie did the same, scrambling for her belt. Finn fumbled for his own and pulled it tight as the plane lunged forward again, throwing him into the seat in front, scudding his head off the headrest. Oil Guy turned and looked at him with narrow eyes. There was a metallic crack as the plane reeled left then right, then pitched downwards.

Finn looked out the window and thought he saw lights. Landing lights or houses?

The screech of landing gear was suddenly all around but it didn’t sound right, too loud and grating. They surely couldn’t land the plane at this angle. The cabin pitched and yawed and Finn felt sick.

Then they hit the ground.

More tomorrow.