“The radio operator is supposed to send out signals every so often. They'll start looking for us if they don't get a signal soon.”
“I'll get the door open,” Lewin said. “You keep out of the line of his fire. Ted, you'd better get out of here.”
“I'm sticking,” Ted snarled, his face twisted with pain. “If I get a sight of that sonofabitch I'll fix him.”
Lewin made his way up the gangway. Harry followed him.
When they reached the door leading into the galley, they stepped between the seats on either side of the door.
Pushing his gun forward, Lewin took hold of the handle, turned it and let the door swing open. He fired a shot down the passage, then leaned forward, took a quick look and jerked back.
“He's not there.”
Harry's heart sank. That meant the guard had gone through into the luggage bay, making it even more tricky to get at him.
“He's in the luggage bay,” he said. “You stay here. I'll go to the loading door. It opens from outside. Give me two minutes to get the door open. I'll draw his fire while you rush the passage and get the luggage-bay door open.”
Lewin nodded.
Harry went down to the exit door. As he passed Franks he saw he had slumped down in his seat, his head had fallen forward.
He was breathing heavily, but he still held on to his gun.
Harry dropped to the ground.
Meeks was standing nearby watching the group of passengers and crew who made a black puddle of shadows on the white sand some two hundred yards away.
His heart thumping, his mouth dry and sour, Harry ran along the side of the aircraft to the loading door. He reached up and caught hold of the lever that held the door shut. He pushed it up and ducked low as the heavy door swung open.
Cautiously he peered into the luggage bay. His hand was shaking so badly he could scarcely hold the gun.
The luggage bay was empty!
Even as he stared, even as he realized the guard was not hiding in the bay, the crash of gunfire within the aircraft startled him and he nearly dropped his gun.
He then knew what had happened. The guard had fooled them.
He had been either hiding in the galley or in the toilet.
Harry turned cold. Had the guard nailed Lewin? He swung around in time to see Meeks, his eyes bulging, his face ghastly in the moonlight, jerk up his gun. Another gun barked from the doorway of the aircraft, a yellow flash lit up the darkness.
Meeks was flung back as the slug caught him between his eyes, scattering his brains and smashing his skull.
Harry saw a shadowy figure in the doorway. He recognized the flat peak cap and he fired wildly. The guard fired back and Harry felt the slug fan past his face. He dropped on hands and knees and tried to take cover under the aircraft.
He could see the guard as he leaned out of the aircraft. The moonlight glittered on his gun. This is it, Harry thought. He's going to nail me. He shut his eyes, squeezing himself further down in the sand.
There came the choked bang of a gun from inside the aircraft.
Harry flinched. He opened his eyes in time to see the guard drop his gun and fall forward, landing on the sand with a thud.
For a long moment Harry stared stupidly at the body of the guard, then he slowly got to his feet. Franks appeared in the doorway of the aircraft. He leaned against the doorpost. Harry could hear his laboured breathing from where he crouched.
As Harry began to move forward, Franks fired again at the guard. .
“I got him!” he panted. “I said I would. The punk went right by me. He didn't see me.”
Harry went to the guard and turned him over with his foot.
The sight of the dead, set face made him feel sick.
“Get the rocks!” Franks gasped. “I can't hold on much longer. Hurry!”
Pulling himself together, Harry climbed into the aircraft.
“I want you out there to watch that bunch,” he said. “I'll give you a hand down.”
He helped Franks on to the sand and propped him up against the wheel of the aircraft. The effort was too much for
“I'll get the door open,” Lewin said. “You keep out of the line of his fire. Ted, you'd better get out of here.”
“I'm sticking,” Ted snarled, his face twisted with pain. “If I get a sight of that sonofabitch I'll fix him.”
Lewin made his way up the gangway. Harry followed him.
When they reached the door leading into the galley, they stepped between the seats on either side of the door.
Pushing his gun forward, Lewin took hold of the handle, turned it and let the door swing open. He fired a shot down the passage, then leaned forward, took a quick look and jerked back.
“He's not there.”
Harry's heart sank. That meant the guard had gone through into the luggage bay, making it even more tricky to get at him.
“He's in the luggage bay,” he said. “You stay here. I'll go to the loading door. It opens from outside. Give me two minutes to get the door open. I'll draw his fire while you rush the passage and get the luggage-bay door open.”
Lewin nodded.
Harry went down to the exit door. As he passed Franks he saw he had slumped down in his seat, his head had fallen forward.
He was breathing heavily, but he still held on to his gun.
Harry dropped to the ground.
Meeks was standing nearby watching the group of passengers and crew who made a black puddle of shadows on the white sand some two hundred yards away.
His heart thumping, his mouth dry and sour, Harry ran along the side of the aircraft to the loading door. He reached up and caught hold of the lever that held the door shut. He pushed it up and ducked low as the heavy door swung open.
Cautiously he peered into the luggage bay. His hand was shaking so badly he could scarcely hold the gun.
The luggage bay was empty!
Even as he stared, even as he realized the guard was not hiding in the bay, the crash of gunfire within the aircraft startled him and he nearly dropped his gun.
He then knew what had happened. The guard had fooled them.
He had been either hiding in the galley or in the toilet.
Harry turned cold. Had the guard nailed Lewin? He swung around in time to see Meeks, his eyes bulging, his face ghastly in the moonlight, jerk up his gun. Another gun barked from the doorway of the aircraft, a yellow flash lit up the darkness.
Meeks was flung back as the slug caught him between his eyes, scattering his brains and smashing his skull.
Harry saw a shadowy figure in the doorway. He recognized the flat peak cap and he fired wildly. The guard fired back and Harry felt the slug fan past his face. He dropped on hands and knees and tried to take cover under the aircraft.
He could see the guard as he leaned out of the aircraft. The moonlight glittered on his gun. This is it, Harry thought. He's going to nail me. He shut his eyes, squeezing himself further down in the sand.
There came the choked bang of a gun from inside the aircraft.
Harry flinched. He opened his eyes in time to see the guard drop his gun and fall forward, landing on the sand with a thud.
For a long moment Harry stared stupidly at the body of the guard, then he slowly got to his feet. Franks appeared in the doorway of the aircraft. He leaned against the doorpost. Harry could hear his laboured breathing from where he crouched.
As Harry began to move forward, Franks fired again at the guard. .
“I got him!” he panted. “I said I would. The punk went right by me. He didn't see me.”
Harry went to the guard and turned him over with his foot.
The sight of the dead, set face made him feel sick.
“Get the rocks!” Franks gasped. “I can't hold on much longer. Hurry!”
Pulling himself together, Harry climbed into the aircraft.
“I want you out there to watch that bunch,” he said. “I'll give you a hand down.”
He helped Franks on to the sand and propped him up against the wheel of the aircraft. The effort was too much for
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