The Evening News by Arthur Hailey

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    Sloane ignored the sarcasm which his wife sometimes resorted to when emotional .” When someone is kidnapped, no matter where in the world, nowadays it's a certainty they will make, or be compelled to make, videotape recordings. Then those recordings turn up, sometimes are played on television, but no one knows for sure whether they were voluntary or forced and, if forced, to what extent. But if there's a prearrangement of signals, someone who is taken hostage has a good chance of getting a message back that is clearly understood . Incidentally, more and more people who might one day be hostages are doing that, leaving instructions with their lawyers and establishing a signal code .”
    "If this weren't so serious, it would sound like a spy novel ,” Jessica said .” So what kind of signals have you arranged ? ”
    "Licking my lips with my tongue, which is something anyone might do without its being noticed, would mean, Y am doing this against my will . Do not believe anything I am saying.' Scratching or touching my right earlobe would mean, 'My captors are well organized and strongly armed.' Doing the same thing to my left earlobe would mean, 'Security here is sometimes lax. An attack from outside might succeed' There are some others, but we'll leave it for now. I don't want all this to distress you .”
    "Well, it does distress me ,” Jessica said. She wondered: Could it happen? Could Crawf be kidnapped and spirited away? It seemed unbelievable, but almost every day unbelievable things did happen .” Apart from fear ,” she said thoughtfully, "I have to admit some of this fascinates me, because it's a side of you I don't believe I've ever seen before. But I do wonder why you haven't taken that security course we talked about .”
    It was an anti-terrorism course put on by a British company, Paladin Security, that had been featured on several American news programs. The course lasted a week, and in part was intended to prepare people for just the possibility Sloane had raised-how to behave as a victim in a hostage situation. Also taught was unarmed self defense-something Jessica had urged her husband to learn after a savage attack on the CBS anchorman Dan Rather on a New York street in 1986. The unprovoked attack by two unknown men had sent Rather to a hospital; the assailants were never found .” Finding time for that course is the problem ,” Sloane said .” Speaking of that, are you still taking CQB lessons ? ”
    CQB was shorthand for close quarters battle, a specialized version of unarmed combat practiced by the elite British Army SAS. The instruction was given by a retired British brigadier now living in New York, and that was something else Jessica had wanted Crawford to do. But when he simply couldn't find time she took the lessons herself .” I'm not taking them regularly anymore ,” she answered .” Though I do an hour every month or two to keep refreshed, and Brigadier Wade sometimes gives lectures which I go to .”
    Sloane nodded .” Good .”
    That night, still troubled by what had passed between them, Jessica found it difficult to sleep . Outside, the occupants of the Ford Tempo watched as one by one the lights in the house went off. Then they made a report by cellular phone and , ending that day's vigil, drove away.
    Shortly after 6:30 A.M. the surveillance of the Sloanes' Larchmont house resumed. A Chevrolet Celebrity was being used this morning, and slouched down in the car's front seats-a standard observation technique so the occupants would not be noticed by other passing vehicles-were the Colombians, Carlos and Julio. The Chevy was parked beyond the Sloane house on a convenient side street, the observation being carried on through side and rearview mirrors . Both men in the car were feeling tense, knowing that this would be a day of action, the culmination of long and careful planning . At 7:30 A.m. an unforeseen event occurred when a taxi arrived at the Sloane house. From the taxi an