After doing another careful study of the gauges Mr Drew nodded and then said, “Seems to be going alright. We will get off then.” He turned and waved to the men. Mr Dragovisic waved back but only Mr Carter joined him. Seth and Barry just stood watching.
Mr Drew eased off the brakes, made an adjustment to the propeller pitch and allowed the aircraft to start rolling slowly forward as the propeller blades bit into the air. Once he was clear of the helicopter Mr Drew looked carefully along the runway in both directions then swung the aircraft to port and allowed it to roll slowly along the bitumen.
Willy also looked carefully out and then once they were on the runway and taxiing slowly he turned to study the buildings on his left. He was tempted to tell Mr Drew about the conversation he had overheard but decided to keep it to himself until they were safely airborne. He understood why they had turned to port. When they had landed they had just aimed to reach the runway but the wind had been with them. As it had been a light breeze it had made no practical difference. But now Mr Drew was going to do a conventional take off into the wind.
By then they were just passing the barracks building with the toilet and Willy looked at it remembering the curious conversation he had overheard. At that moment movement on the back lawn of the homestead attracted his attention. To his surprise, he saw an attractive young woman dressed in a light cotton dress running across the lawn. She was waving both hands and looked quite frantic.
“Look!” Willy cried, pointing across Mr Drew’s face. “I wonder what she wants?”
Mr Drew looked and let out an exclamation of surprise. “She is in some sort of trouble,” he said. With that he stepped on the brakes. The aircraft slewed slightly to port and stopped. By then the woman was almost at the back fence. That she was in real trouble was clearly apparent from the look of terror she cast over her right shoulder as she ran.
The woman reached the fence and began to scramble over it. As she did the man named Zoltan appeared. He was running fast and had come around the corner of the house. But what really sent Willy’s heart rate thumping was the sight of the automatic rifle clutched in Zoltan’s right hand.
That’s a military assault rifle, he thought. Knowing that it was illegal for civilians to own such weapons in Queensland added to his suspicions.
Zoltan reached the fence just as the woman clambered over it. In the process she caught her dress but she just grabbed it and tore it free. As she did she gave Zoltan a glance of pure terror. Then she turned and ran towards the aircraft, screaming for help as she did.
Willy gaped and gripped the door handle, partly opening it. It was obvious to him that the woman was in real trouble and it never crossed his mind not to try to help. Mr Drew obviously thought the same as he suddenly revved the engine, stood on his left brake and swung the aircraft sharply around to port. “Christ! I don’t know what the go is but she needs help. Open the door and get her aboard Willy,” he shouted.
The sudden roar and movement seemed to disconcert the woman and she faltered in her stride. Such a look of panic and dismay crossed her face that Willy’s heart was wrung. Pushing the door open he leaned out and yelled, “Come on! Run!”
But even as he said it he saw it was no good. Zoltan had vaulted the fence in a single bound and come dashing after her. The woman cast a terrified glance over her shoulder and started running again. But she was no match for Zoltan. Within a few strides he had caught up and he reached out, grabbed her arm and swung her around. She screamed and struggled violently. Then Zoltan swung the rifle up, striking her hard in the face with the barrel. She buckled at the knees and flopped over backwards.
All of this took place only twenty-five metres from the aircraft. Willy stared in shocked disbelief. He yelled at Zoltan to stop and to let her go. But the man ignored her, brutally clubbing the woman again so that she crumpled onto the dirt beside the runway.
More shouts, barely audible above the engine, caused Willy to glance through the front windscreen. The aircraft was now facing back the way it had come and he saw the other men all hurrying towards them.
They will save her, he thought.
But then Mr Dragovisic pointed at the aircraft and screamed, “Zoltan! Shoot them! Shoot them Zoltan! They have seen too much.”
Willy couldn’t believe his ears but when his gaze flicked back to Zoltan and he saw the man turn his head and give him a glare his stomach turned over as a spasm of terror churned it.
“Mr Drew, take off! They are going to kill us!” he screamed.
Chapter 4
FLIGHT
Willy turned to Mr Drew. “Take off! Get us out here!” he yelled. But Mr Drew was staring at the drama with stunned disbelief. He shook his head and muttered then met Willy’s eyes.
“What the hell?” he gasped.
Terror surged in Willy. He could see that Mr Drew did not believe what he was seeing and hearing. But Willy had recent and real experience of criminal types and knew with sickening certainty that there were people who would kill others without compunction—and he sensed that Zoltan was one of them. The look in his eyes told him that.
“Mr Drew, they are criminals. They will shoot us. Take off!” he yelled, pointing along the runway.
Mr Drew cast another shocked glance at where the woman lay and then turned to his controls. To Willy’s relief the engine surged and the aircraft began to swing to port out towards the runway. As it did he got a last glance of Zoltan and saw that the man was hefting the automatic rifle into his shoulder and cocking it. Tremors of panic coursed through Willy and he began to cringe in anticipation of being struck by a bullet.
Off to their right Willy saw Mr Dragovisic pointing and shouting and his men scattering to run in all directions. Barry and Seth the Handyman went racing towards the hangar and Mr Carter towards the parked vehicle.
He’s going to get a gun, Willy thought, remembering the weapons hung at the rear of the cab.
Snap!
Willy flinched and stared in horror at the small starred hole that had suddenly appeared in the Perspex window beside him. We are being shot at, he thought, panic and fear of death surging in him and making him tremble and feel liquid in the stomach and bowels.
Mr Drew swore and then reefed the throttle open before reaching for the propeller controls. The aircraft began to roll rapidly forward, the open field now ahead of it.
We might make it, Willy thought.
But even as he did there was another whacking sound and he felt a sharp stinging blow on his right arm. Another shot cracked through the cabin and Mr Drew cried out. Willy jerked his head to glance at him. He saw that Mr Drew was gripping the controls tightly and staring white faced at the two starred holes that had now appeared in the front windscreen.
Bang! Bang! Whang-wheeeee!
More shots came, slamming in from the right rear. They were hitting the aircraft but Willy could not tell where except that the screeching ricochet told him that at least one had struck solid steel. Then more bullets struck the aircraft, smacking into the rear of the cabin and punching right through to pock-mark the windows and windshield. The only hopeful thing was that aircraft was now roaring along the gravel runway.
More shots and more hits. We must get up and away, Willy thought, fear swirling in him. He gripped the seat hard and stared through the bullet scarred windscreen and began to mutter prayers. Ahead he saw the runway vanish into a heat haze which looked