those trees.”
Tony did as asked, flying adjacent to the line of trees or as close as he could get without putting them in danger.
David drew in a sharp intake of breath. His eyes strained to see past the biplane’s vertical fuselage below and into the cockpit. Twisting his neck back as their plane flew past, his glasses locked onto the nose of the plane crunched up against the bank’s wall.
“Get us down.” David pressed his eyes tightly shut for a second, his body rigid as he said a silent prayer.
The plane bumped and rocked on the sodden ground as Tony struggled to bring it to a standstill.
David threw open the copilot’s door and leapt out.
“You bloody impatient fool,” Tony cursed.
His running slowed as he approached the cockpit fearfully. Relief was instantaneous. The nose had taken most of the damage, the empty pilot’s seat answering his prayer.
Calling out her name, he headed for the trees. He sank ankle deep in mud and rotting leaves as he pushed his way through the thicket. His voice was growing hoarse from shouting when finally he heard a weak voice calling out to him. He spun around and there she was, huddled beneath a large oak, her appearance startling. She was hardly recognizable, her face smeared with mud, just the whites of her eyes showing. The leather jacket she wore was also caked in mud with foliage sticking to it as if she had been buried in the undergrowth. Sodden jeans were ripped at the knees, the skin beneath a dark reddish color.
He knelt down in front of her, his hands gently cupping her face. “Am I glad to see you…” He stopped mid-sentence, his fingers lightly touching her forehead. Closer inspection revealed the dark red discoloration was a mixture of dried blood and mud.
David could only guess what she must have gone through. It looked as if she had dragged herself from the plane over rocks and thick undergrowth to reach some cover. Under a tree in a storm was not an ideal refuge, but it looked as if she’d had little choice. The self-assured woman had been replaced by a vulnerable, wide-eyed, frightened girl. He wanted to gather her up in his arms and hold her close to him; relief had him almost doing just that. His training to never let emotions overcome rational thought stopped him.
A weak smile tilted Chantelle’s lips. “It’s not as bad as it looks. I got in this state falling head first out of the cockpit and then getting from the plane over to here in the storm.”
“Can you stand?”
“Nope, that’s what I mean. I think my ankle is twisted. I can’t put any weight on it.”
“Wait here where there’s shelter. I’ll fetch some blankets.” He glanced up at the thick covering of branches, the autumn leaves not yet ready to abandon their life source as they waved precariously in the wind.
“I’m not going anywhere.” She gave another weak smile, causing his expression to lighten, his lips curving at the edges.
“I thought …” He hesitated as his eyes locked onto hers, the back of his fingers lightly stroking her cheek. The rustling of leaves and heavy footsteps made him turn away from her as Tony came into view.
“Thank goodness.” Tony breathed a huge sigh of relief, but his smile faded slightly as his gaze swept over her injuries. Luckily, he had brought a couple of blankets and the first aid box.
Seeing this, David swiftly pulled down the zipper of her badly soiled jacket, gently pushing it off her shoulders, then down off her arms. The dampness had seeped through to her jumper beneath, and exposure to the air caused her to shiver violently. Stripping off his sheepskin lined leather jacket, he helped her put it on and zipped it up to her neck. “Do you hurt anywhere else?” he asked as he dabbed at her forehead, wetting a handkerchief with his saliva to clean away the mud.
“No, just my head and neck ache slightly,” she murmured. Her gaze lowered from the closeness of his face.
“Did you lose consciousness at all?” he asked
Tony did as asked, flying adjacent to the line of trees or as close as he could get without putting them in danger.
David drew in a sharp intake of breath. His eyes strained to see past the biplane’s vertical fuselage below and into the cockpit. Twisting his neck back as their plane flew past, his glasses locked onto the nose of the plane crunched up against the bank’s wall.
“Get us down.” David pressed his eyes tightly shut for a second, his body rigid as he said a silent prayer.
The plane bumped and rocked on the sodden ground as Tony struggled to bring it to a standstill.
David threw open the copilot’s door and leapt out.
“You bloody impatient fool,” Tony cursed.
His running slowed as he approached the cockpit fearfully. Relief was instantaneous. The nose had taken most of the damage, the empty pilot’s seat answering his prayer.
Calling out her name, he headed for the trees. He sank ankle deep in mud and rotting leaves as he pushed his way through the thicket. His voice was growing hoarse from shouting when finally he heard a weak voice calling out to him. He spun around and there she was, huddled beneath a large oak, her appearance startling. She was hardly recognizable, her face smeared with mud, just the whites of her eyes showing. The leather jacket she wore was also caked in mud with foliage sticking to it as if she had been buried in the undergrowth. Sodden jeans were ripped at the knees, the skin beneath a dark reddish color.
He knelt down in front of her, his hands gently cupping her face. “Am I glad to see you…” He stopped mid-sentence, his fingers lightly touching her forehead. Closer inspection revealed the dark red discoloration was a mixture of dried blood and mud.
David could only guess what she must have gone through. It looked as if she had dragged herself from the plane over rocks and thick undergrowth to reach some cover. Under a tree in a storm was not an ideal refuge, but it looked as if she’d had little choice. The self-assured woman had been replaced by a vulnerable, wide-eyed, frightened girl. He wanted to gather her up in his arms and hold her close to him; relief had him almost doing just that. His training to never let emotions overcome rational thought stopped him.
A weak smile tilted Chantelle’s lips. “It’s not as bad as it looks. I got in this state falling head first out of the cockpit and then getting from the plane over to here in the storm.”
“Can you stand?”
“Nope, that’s what I mean. I think my ankle is twisted. I can’t put any weight on it.”
“Wait here where there’s shelter. I’ll fetch some blankets.” He glanced up at the thick covering of branches, the autumn leaves not yet ready to abandon their life source as they waved precariously in the wind.
“I’m not going anywhere.” She gave another weak smile, causing his expression to lighten, his lips curving at the edges.
“I thought …” He hesitated as his eyes locked onto hers, the back of his fingers lightly stroking her cheek. The rustling of leaves and heavy footsteps made him turn away from her as Tony came into view.
“Thank goodness.” Tony breathed a huge sigh of relief, but his smile faded slightly as his gaze swept over her injuries. Luckily, he had brought a couple of blankets and the first aid box.
Seeing this, David swiftly pulled down the zipper of her badly soiled jacket, gently pushing it off her shoulders, then down off her arms. The dampness had seeped through to her jumper beneath, and exposure to the air caused her to shiver violently. Stripping off his sheepskin lined leather jacket, he helped her put it on and zipped it up to her neck. “Do you hurt anywhere else?” he asked as he dabbed at her forehead, wetting a handkerchief with his saliva to clean away the mud.
“No, just my head and neck ache slightly,” she murmured. Her gaze lowered from the closeness of his face.
“Did you lose consciousness at all?” he asked
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