Read Online Ascent by Jed Mercurio by Ascent (com v4.0) - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ascent (com v4.0)
Ads: Link
laughter. He wanted to hear it again soon.
He dropped to the ground and began to stride across the dispersal. The other pilots converged on him from all angles. He glanced over his shoulder. The widow’s bottom was large and round. Her back hunched. Her hair was tied back and dirty. She rose from her haunches and as she did so she glimpsed him looking at her.
Glinka was crossing toward him fastest. He was pulling off his glove, holding out his hand. “Yeremin, that Sabre was all over me, you saved my fucking life!”
“That’s the fog of war for you, Glinka.”
Glinka half-laughed, half-hissed, not sure how to respond, but now the other pilots were around them and Yefgenii turned away.
Skomorokhov waved a glove overhead. “We got three! Yeremin got two!”
Yefgenii smiled. He couldn’t stop himself even though little Gnido was dead. “Two and a half.”
“Two and half! He’s just a boy and he’s halfway to an ace already!” Skomorokhov slapped Yefgenii on the back then rubbed his hand as if it had hurt. The men were enjoying the horseplay. Even Yefgenii kept grinning a big wide grin. He was sunning himself in the recognition. The light was shining on him at last. He felt its warmth.
Kiriya scanned the group. His face was set hard. He wasn’t yet giving away what he thought about Yefgenii disregarding his order to relinquish the lead. “Who else got anything?”
Glinka stepped up. “Me, boss — a half.”
Kiriya said, “What happened to Gnido?” He saw Yefgenii glaring at Glinka. “Yeremin?”
“We were south of the Yalu, boss, when he got hit. He went in rather than eject.”
“He put out a mayday?”
“No, but I’m pretty sure that’s how it happened.”
“He was dead already,” said Skomorokhov. “Dead, or wounded, or else he’d’ve put out a mayday.”
Kiriya shrugged. “Sounds like he just went in.” He turned and left the dispersal for Ops.
Yefgenii chewed his lower lip. “Gnido took the long fall.”
Skomorokhov smoothed hair over his bald patch. “Forget it, Yeremin, it never happened.”
Yefgenii returned to the crew hut. He accepted his comrades’ congratulations and ignored the dark jealous looks that were barely hidden. Glinka carried on without the least sign of guilt. He urged Pilipenko to mark half a star on the scoreboard. Later he was ordering the ground crew to do the same on his MiG. Yefgenii gazed out of the window as they stenciled a half star on the cockpit while Glinka milked their admiration.
The clock on the wall ticked. The cloud closed into a white ceiling. The temperature fell. The cloud sank lower. Light leaked out of the world. The tower reported the last wave inbound for the airfield.
Yefgenii waited by the latrines. A door opened and Glinka stepped out. “Boss wants to see you.” Glinka gulped. He nodded and began to walk toward the buildings. “No, he’s this way.”
They marched away from the wooden shacks. The lights of the runway and the tower became remote. Over their heads passed the whine of jets rejoining the circuit. The landing lights of the last wave lit patches of cloud into gleaming white orbs that sailed through the cloud like ghost ships. In the no-man’s-land between the dispersal and the runway itself, Glinka could barely see Yefgenii, let alone Kiriya. “Where is he?”
“Here he is.” Yefgenii struck him hard on the angle of the jaw. Glinka didn’t go down, so Yefgenii hit him again and this time he crumpled to the ground with a sound that was almost a sob.
“My father—”
Yefgenii kicked him in the stomach. “You talk to anyone and I’ll find you in your bunk, before morning you’ll be dead.” The breath hissed out of Glinka and for a few seconds he was openmouthed and gasping. From the ground he gazed up. Yefgenii was becoming a blur.
A jet thundered overhead making the earth tremble. Its landing lights ghosted through the cloud. For a moment they crowned Yefgenii like a halo.
Yefgenii began shrieking
He dropped to the ground and began to stride across the dispersal. The other pilots converged on him from all angles. He glanced over his shoulder. The widow’s bottom was large and round. Her back hunched. Her hair was tied back and dirty. She rose from her haunches and as she did so she glimpsed him looking at her.
Glinka was crossing toward him fastest. He was pulling off his glove, holding out his hand. “Yeremin, that Sabre was all over me, you saved my fucking life!”
“That’s the fog of war for you, Glinka.”
Glinka half-laughed, half-hissed, not sure how to respond, but now the other pilots were around them and Yefgenii turned away.
Skomorokhov waved a glove overhead. “We got three! Yeremin got two!”
Yefgenii smiled. He couldn’t stop himself even though little Gnido was dead. “Two and a half.”
“Two and half! He’s just a boy and he’s halfway to an ace already!” Skomorokhov slapped Yefgenii on the back then rubbed his hand as if it had hurt. The men were enjoying the horseplay. Even Yefgenii kept grinning a big wide grin. He was sunning himself in the recognition. The light was shining on him at last. He felt its warmth.
Kiriya scanned the group. His face was set hard. He wasn’t yet giving away what he thought about Yefgenii disregarding his order to relinquish the lead. “Who else got anything?”
Glinka stepped up. “Me, boss — a half.”
Kiriya said, “What happened to Gnido?” He saw Yefgenii glaring at Glinka. “Yeremin?”
“We were south of the Yalu, boss, when he got hit. He went in rather than eject.”
“He put out a mayday?”
“No, but I’m pretty sure that’s how it happened.”
“He was dead already,” said Skomorokhov. “Dead, or wounded, or else he’d’ve put out a mayday.”
Kiriya shrugged. “Sounds like he just went in.” He turned and left the dispersal for Ops.
Yefgenii chewed his lower lip. “Gnido took the long fall.”
Skomorokhov smoothed hair over his bald patch. “Forget it, Yeremin, it never happened.”
Yefgenii returned to the crew hut. He accepted his comrades’ congratulations and ignored the dark jealous looks that were barely hidden. Glinka carried on without the least sign of guilt. He urged Pilipenko to mark half a star on the scoreboard. Later he was ordering the ground crew to do the same on his MiG. Yefgenii gazed out of the window as they stenciled a half star on the cockpit while Glinka milked their admiration.
The clock on the wall ticked. The cloud closed into a white ceiling. The temperature fell. The cloud sank lower. Light leaked out of the world. The tower reported the last wave inbound for the airfield.
Yefgenii waited by the latrines. A door opened and Glinka stepped out. “Boss wants to see you.” Glinka gulped. He nodded and began to walk toward the buildings. “No, he’s this way.”
They marched away from the wooden shacks. The lights of the runway and the tower became remote. Over their heads passed the whine of jets rejoining the circuit. The landing lights of the last wave lit patches of cloud into gleaming white orbs that sailed through the cloud like ghost ships. In the no-man’s-land between the dispersal and the runway itself, Glinka could barely see Yefgenii, let alone Kiriya. “Where is he?”
“Here he is.” Yefgenii struck him hard on the angle of the jaw. Glinka didn’t go down, so Yefgenii hit him again and this time he crumpled to the ground with a sound that was almost a sob.
“My father—”
Yefgenii kicked him in the stomach. “You talk to anyone and I’ll find you in your bunk, before morning you’ll be dead.” The breath hissed out of Glinka and for a few seconds he was openmouthed and gasping. From the ground he gazed up. Yefgenii was becoming a blur.
A jet thundered overhead making the earth tremble. Its landing lights ghosted through the cloud. For a moment they crowned Yefgenii like a halo.
Yefgenii began shrieking
Similar Books
