Sky Ship

by Robert P McAuley

  Meanwhile, Aziz and Ali have been going towards the Auxiliary Control Room commando style. One dashed forward as the other covered him from behind a girder, then the other man did the same. They finally got to the door and Aziz used hand signals to tell Ali to go to the right when they enter the room, and he would go left. At a nod from the colonel, they rushed forward brandishing their weapons. Ali shouldered the door down and rolled right as Aziz followed suit and rolled left. They looked around and saw that it was empty. Colonel Aziz ran to the back to where Karim had shown him where the ladder was on the blueprint. He looked up and saw the unit. He pointed and called out, “Ali! Up there!”

  The other terrorist looked up and saw the box. “What should we do colonel”

  Aziz thrust the axe at him and said, “Go! Climb up and turn the handle inside the box to the center.”

  “Yes colonel,” said Ali as he took the axe and climbed up the ladder.

  In the open starboard rope hatch, Dan's ready. He gingerly climbed up and was half way out of the hatch. The rain slashed his face, which made it hard to keep his eyes open. He put one foot on the hatch sill and gripped the sides of the opening. “My God! I can’t do this! I’m not an acrobat!” he shook his head. “Damn! Why!” He stepped back in and put his back against the airship’s wall. He closed his eyes and trembled. “I can’t do this! I, I don’t want to fall again.” He rubbed his head and felt bumps and bruises. He looked at his battered and cut hands, then grinned and shrugged his shoulders. “What the hell, Danny Boy, you only live once, and the way I look now, I might as well go for it!” He stepped back up and once again gripped the sides. He lifted both legs this time and perched on the opening as a crash of thunder roared in his ears.

  Colonel Aziz watched as Ali stared into the open box. “Ali? What’s the problem? Just center the red lever.”

  Ali turned the lever to the middle setting. Once again the huge rudder slammed back to the center position, throwing the ship violently left and once again, all aboard were thrown off their feet including Ali who lost his balance, fell to the deck and got knocked out.

  Dan was perched to jump, but the sudden straightening out of the airship as it stopped circling, threw him out of the open hatch. He fell forty feet from the hatch when the rope stopped him with a sudden jerk. Oh, this is great! he thought as he began to swing toward the gondola, aided by the ship's momentum. The wind lashed at him and his walkie-talkie slipped from his belt. He bobbled it - and lost it. “Great Dan! Just great, you sure do make a terrible Spiderman.”

  Colonel Aziz grabbed the axe and climbed up the ladder. He smashed the lever and saw Ali as he stared up at him. It was then he realized that as he smashed the lever, he screamed, “Now what Mr. McKee? Now what?”

  He climbed back down and ran out of the room as Ali cleared his head and ran after him.

  In the gondola, even though Karim was ready for the violent straightening out of the airship’s direction, he fell again. He got back up and checked the compass. He was heading southeast and started to bring her around back on course. He concentrated hard on the compass as he thought; I do not want Colonel Aziz to think I am inadequate. The ship must be on course when he returns. His concentration was such that he didn’t see the figure of a man who swung on the end of the rope towards the gondola’s starboard plexiglas window, then away as the curve of the ship’s side kept him going to and fro.

  As they ran back along the walkway towards the front, Colonel Aziz shouted over his shoulder, “Hurry Ali, it’s getting close to the appointed time.”

  Dan held onto the rope with both hands, partly for fear and partly to help relieve the pain of the rope tied around his waist. With each swing, he got closer to his target. “Damn,” he said as the storm crashed around him, “I feel like a kid on a swing, the harder I swing the closer I get.” He sees that the next swing will get close enough to the window, so he removed the gun from his belt. It slipped it the rain and he held on by just having his finger through the trigger guard. He finally recovered and got it in a pistol grip, as he approached the plexiglas window. Dan aimed the gun at the center of the window as he approached it, fired the last bullet that shattered the window a millisecond before he crashed into and through it.

  The stunned Karim heard the shot at almost the same time that a figure crashed through the broken window and slammed into him. The terrorist’s training kicked in and, although shocked at first, grabbed Dan and they rolled on the gondola’s floor. Dan is at a disadvantage because he still has the rope tied around his waist. Karim grabbed it and pulled Dan down as he pulled out his 9mm. Dan kicked his ankle and forced the terrorist’s gun-hand upward. The pistol went off and bullets ripped into the ceiling. Dan then head-butted him in the face and blood spurted from a broken nose. Dan forced Karim out the broken window - and suddenly is himself wrenched nearly out the window. “Damn, what . . .?” He is half out the window and the rain lashed at him as he looked down and saw the pilot hanging onto his rope below the gondola, as he fired his pistol up at him.

  Dan braced his legs against the windowsill and untied the rope from around his waist. He threw the rope out the window and sank to the floor as he panted for air.

  Suddenly, the radio squawked to life: “Royal Eagle to Royal Leader. Come in, Royal Leader” There is a fifteen second pause then, “This is Royal Eagle to Royal Leader. I am positioning for pick-up. Do you read me, Royal Leader?”

  Dan stared at the speaker, checked his watch, then said, “Sounds as though someone was going to be picked up but it sure sounds as though I really messed up their timetable. They should have just finished gassing Miami now. Wonder why they are sending in English and not their native tongue?” He shrugged his shoulders, “Probably so that nobody would be able to connect their country to this mission. Oh well, the best made plans . . .”

  Dan was startled by a shout from outside the broken window, “Colonel! Colonel, please help me! Colonel.” He carefully put his head out the window and looked down. He saw that the pilot had tied the rope around his arm. He didn’t seem to have his gun anymore and just dangled and swung at the rope’s end as the airship flew on.

  Oh well, thought Dan, better him than me. He looked down again and saw the canisters of gas dangling beneath the ship at almost the same distance down as the pilot. Dan’s eyes followed them up to the other side of the gondola. He ran to the windows on the port side and opened one.

  “Wow! Will you look at this? The end of this mission, I would say.” He saw that the canisters were secured to the gondola’s window by a long steel cable. He also saw another cable that ran down to them. “This must be the release cable, pull this and watch Miami die. Well, it ain’t happening, you bastards!” He opened a toolbox beneath the stairs and took out a large screwdriver. He went back to the window and unscrewed the bottom of the windowsill. The weight of the canisters tore away the rest of the window and they disappeared into the ocean below. “Mission completed,” said Dan.

  Once again the radio came to life, “Royal Leader, this is Royal Eagle: Are you aborting the mission? Repeat: Are you . . . ”

  Flying a distance up the coast of Florida, the small, yellow Piper Cub J-3 aircraft with pontoons on it, cruised at three thousand feet. Ahmid, The pilot, is on the microphone as the man seated next to him searched the sky with binoculars. “ . . . Royal Leader, are you still on schedule? Repeat, Royal Eagle to Royal Leader, is the mission aborted?” In the two seats behind them sat Rennie, the beautiful woman who had secured the electronic pass from Mel Kankin and three shoulder-fired, air-to-air rockets.

  “Do you think there’s a problem aboard the airship, Ahmid?” the man asked.

  The pilot moved his headphone to better hear his comrade. “Quamel, all I know is that when I delivered the guns, Mansur took them inside the airship as planned.” He reset the headphones, “After that, well, who knows.” He looked at his watch and continued. “What I do know is that if I don’t get Colonel Aziz on the radio to say the mission is still
on, we destroy the ship.” He keyed the radio again, “Royal Leader from Royal Eagle. Are you aborting the mission? Please respond or I will be forced to commence a termination pass. Over.”

  Dan heard the pilot on the ship’s radio and said, “Oh damn! More bad news.”

  Rashid heard the rap on the door and Aziz shout, “Rashid, it’s me, Colonel Aziz, we are coming through.” He stepped away as the door flew open and Aziz and Ali entered the passenger’s lounge.

  “Any sign of McKee?” Aziz asked as he slapped the axe with his hand.

  “No, Colonel.”

  The colonel turned to Ali, “Return to your post, Ali and be vigilant! This man is cunning!” He then turned and went to the gondola still carrying the axe.

  Aziz went down the stairs and put his hand on the doorknob. He pulled it away and looked at his hand. The knob is very cold, he wondered, why would that be? His suspicious mind led him to take out his gun as he threw the door wide open. The wet wind hit him in his face and he's dumbfounded at the scene before him. He rushed to the broken window and looked down. He saw his pilot at the end of a rope hanging by his arm. His face looked up at him in agony.

  “Help me, Colonel!” The colonel looked across the room and saw the other broken window. “No!” he shouted as he ran to it. To his horror, the cables were gone. A scream erupted from him as he realized the mission was over. He was suddenly slammed into the control wheel as Dan rushed out from beneath the stairs. Aziz’s gun slid away as the ship careened in the gusty winds. The colonel grabbed Dan by the throat and screamed as they rolled around the wet floor, “You! It’s you! Today, you die!” He squeezed as Dan brought up his knee into Aziz’s solar-plexus. He doubled over sideways and Dan went for the gun. The colonel kicked him in his kidneys and then jumped up. He grabbed the axe as Dan got up. Aziz swung and missed, as Dan shoved him toward the open window. Aziz braced himself and lifted his axe and swung viciously, barely missing Dan's head with the sharp blade. He was about to swing again when the radio blared, “Royal Eagle to Royal Leader, I must assume the mission has been compromised and, therefore, will go to the termination phase. Over and out.”

  Stunned by this news, Aziz hesitated a second too long, and Dan caught his arm, pulled him forward and they tumbled into the steering wheel, causing the ship to careen again. Dan slammed Aziz's arm against the console, which caused the axe to fly across the room. Finally, Dan rocked Aziz with a punch to the face; then a second; and a third. Aziz is dazed. Dan picked up the gun and stuck it in the colonel’s face.

  “Where's the bomb?”

  Aziz grinned and answered through bloody lips, “That's funny: I can't seem to remember where I put it.”

  Dan cocked the gun and said in a low voice, “You sick bastard!”

  Aziz’s eyes filled with fear and Dan shoved him out the door to the stairs. “Move you bastard, or don’t, and give me a final reason to send you to hell.”

  Rashid looked as the door opened and Aziz walked into the passenger’s lounge. Why does the colonel bleed from his mouth? he thought as he started forward to help his commander. It was then that he realized the person behind Aziz was not the pilot, but someone else using him as a shield. He lifted his Uzi as Dan fired his pistol. It was what Aziz had hoped would happen and he broke away.

  “Keep down, my Colonel,” shouted Rashid as he sprayed the automatic weapon at Dan. Dan ducked behind a large mahogany gambling table as a bullet grazed his shoulder. “Damn!” he said through clenched lips.

  Colonel Aziz crawled to the table that the terrorists used as a place to clean their weapons. He reached up and acquired a 9mm. pistol. He looked at it, “No! It’s still being cleaned.” He reached up, pulled the tablecloth and spilled the gun parts on the floor. He grabbed parts and started putting the pistol into working condition. He noticed his hands shook.

  Outside of the passenger’s rooms, Ali and Harun are distracted by the gunfire. “Gunfire!” said Ali as he looked around. Harun started to go towards the sounds, then stopped, “The colonel said that we should not leave this post.” He raised his eyebrows as he shrugged his shoulders. “What are we to do Ali?”

  Ali mimicked him as he shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know, should you go and I’ll stay here?”

  Inside room number one, Elliot Tross jumped up off the floor. “Shots being fired!

  Arlene Neilson sobbed, “Oh my God! It’s started.”

  Jim ran to the bed and grabbed the flare gun. “Let's go!” he shouted.

  The men had made weapons from out of furniture and they brandished them as they went to the door. After being taken hostage, pushed around and threatened, Jim finally had a chance to release all the intense frustration pent up inside of him. He did it with a scream that imitated a Scottish bagpipe coming over the moors of old Scotland as he threw open the door.

  The sudden appearance of the passengers and the terrible scream that reached their ears as Jim led the charge, totally caught the two terrorists, who were trying to decide what they should do, off guard. Jim, with anger in his face grabbed the startled Ali in a powerful bear hug, but dropped the flare gun as he does so.

  Harun started to go to Ali's assistance.

  Claire sees this as a turning point that could give the guards an upper hand, and she screamed a blood-curdling scream as she dove for the flare gun. The terrorists had never trained for a woman’s scream, in their society that just didn’t happen, and it stopped Harun in his tracks, as Claire rolled into a kneeling position, and fired. A white-hot flare sizzled through the air and buried itself in Harun's mid-section. His eyes bulged and he screamed in pain as the ball of fire burned in him.

  Jim squeezed as he arched his back and finished off Ali with a final, crunching squeeze. He let the dead man slide to the floor and yelled, “Get their guns and follow me!”

  The yelling finally had the effect of galvanizing all the other passengers and they left their rooms to join Jim and the others.

  Outside of the airship, Ahmid just finished a circle to his left when the other man yelled as he pointed south, “Ahmid! The airship! There she is, turn us around.”

  The pilot looked out to his right and sure enough, just coming out of some dark clouds was SkyShip headed right at them.

  Quamel turned and Rennie passed him a rocket launcher. “Should we try to call them one more time, Ahmid?”

  The pilot shook his head. “No, we have been on the air to many times already. We will be lucky not to have an F-16 come to investigate us.” He straightened out from his curving turn and said, “Prepare to fire the rockets on my command.” They flew past the airship level with the gondola. As they flew past, a figure that hung from a rope beneath the ship waved at them.

  Quamel stared wild-eyed. “What was that? A man?”

  The pilot nodded and shook his head. “The mission must be going to the dogs. I am going to climb above her and we will shoot down onto her back. Be prepared Quamel.” Ahmid lowered the Cub’s nose to get a little more airspeed for a climb. He then pulled the nose up and flew above and behind the airship. He throttled back to match the ship’s speed as Quamel lowered the side window and lifted the rocket launcher to his shoulder.

  Ahmid tapped his shoulder and shouted over the sound of the motor and the air as it rushed in through the open window, “Watch out for the back-blast from the rocket, Quamel. Make sure the entire launcher is outside the aircraft.”

  Quamel nodded as he aimed at the widest part of the top of the airship.

  “Not yet,” said the pilot as he nudged the throttle open a bit, “not yet, hold it . . . hold it . . . fire!”

  Quamel squeezed the trigger and the missile leapt from the tube, as its rocket motor sent back a blast of red and yellow flame. A white plume of smoke trailed the rocket as it hit the top of the airship with a flash of black smoke and a reddish-yellow center.

  “For Irajh!” shouted the three terrorists as Ahmid rolled left, down and away from the stricken airship.

  “Again?” ask
ed Quamel.

  “Yes, we must leave no chance of them identifying our country. I’ll climb back up and we repeat the attack.”

  Inside the great ship shuddered as the rocket ignited oil and fuel tanks. Debris fell everywhere and people are knocked off their feet. The door of the engine room is ripped free from its hinges as the welds give way. Said gleefully starts to leave. “Now, they will die!” shouted the terrorist as he ran to the opening. But, a sudden internal explosion shifted the door and it fell backwards and crushed him beneath it.