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Authors: Andy McDermott
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think someone just grabbed on to us!’ was the disbelieving reply.
Kroll looked back at the heliport, seeing Nina staring helplessly after the departing aircraft – alone. ‘
Der Engländer!
’ he snarled, darting to the side of the cabin and looking down through the window. For a moment he saw nothing … then a figure in a black leather jacket swung into view, dangling from the end of the skid.
The Nazi stared angrily at him, then pushed open the sliding panel set into the Perspex rear window. Wind and rotor noise roared into the cabin. He ignored it, slipping his gun through the little opening and taking aim.
Eddie strained to grasp the skid with his other hand, but couldn’t quite reach. The pounding rotor downwash, reeking of hot aviation fuel, made it far more of an effort than he’d expected. Straining to the limit, he bent his other arm to lift himself a few inches higher and snatched at it again. This time his fingertips brushed the metal, but still he wasn’t able to hook his fingers over the landing gear. ‘Come
on
!’ he gasped, making a final, frantic effort to raise himself further …
His hand clapped down on top of the skid. Another gasp, this time of relief, and he shifted to spread his weight between both shoulders.
He faced forward, bringing up his legs and swinging to hook his ankles over the tubular spar. Pulling himself up, he looked at the cabin door—
And saw the USP pointing at him.
‘Shit!’ he gasped, jerking his feet off the skid and dropping back down to present a smaller target – as Kroll fired.
The bullet whipped past the Yorkshireman’s left arm. The Nazi pulled the trigger again as Eddie swung backwards from the skid’s tail, this round searing past just inches from his chest. The river reeled below him. He looked back up, knowing he was completely helpless …
The third shot didn’t come. Instead, Kroll glowered at him before withdrawing the gun. Eddie realised that the Nazi was down to his last round; unable to look directly down his gun’s sights, and with the blast of the rotor wash throwing off his aim, he didn’t want to waste it.
But the Englishman knew he was far from safe. Kroll retreated slightly, then opened the door. The Nazi pushed it wider with one knee and leaned out, gripping a strap on the cabin wall with his left hand. His right was still holding the gun. He looked down the sights, pointing it straight at Eddie’s head—
The helicopter made a sharp roll to port.
Eddie was sent swinging beneath the skid by the sudden movement – but Kroll was almost pitched out of the cabin, only his grip on the strap keeping him from a long fall. Expression flicking from malevolence to shocked panic in an instant, he scrabbled to brace himself.
The door swung wide, a loud crack of breaking metal coming from the hinges as it hit the limit of its travel. The noise from beside his head made Kroll flinch. He pushed himself back into the cabin, fury returning as he rounded on the pilot.
The Englishman was little better inclined towards the man, even if he had just saved his life. In trying to tip his unwelcome passenger out of the helicopter, the pilot had almost thrown the stowaway after him. Eddie flexed his fingers, managing to re-secure his hold on the skid.
Kroll stabbed his gun against the pilot’s head. ‘If you do that again, I will kill you!’ He glared through the windshield, spotting something off to the right. ‘The building, there!’ he shouted, indicating the expansive flat roof of the South Ferry terminal. ‘Land on it, hard – crush him!’
‘We’ll crash!’ the pilot protested. ‘The skids won’t take—’
‘
Do it!
’ The Nazi pushed the hot muzzle against his cheek.
The pilot jerked away in pain, then sent the LongRanger swooping down towards the shoreline.
Eddie tried to pull himself back up, but the force of the slipstream as the helicopter gained speed made it impossible, sending him trailing behind it like a banner. All
Kroll looked back at the heliport, seeing Nina staring helplessly after the departing aircraft – alone. ‘
Der Engländer!
’ he snarled, darting to the side of the cabin and looking down through the window. For a moment he saw nothing … then a figure in a black leather jacket swung into view, dangling from the end of the skid.
The Nazi stared angrily at him, then pushed open the sliding panel set into the Perspex rear window. Wind and rotor noise roared into the cabin. He ignored it, slipping his gun through the little opening and taking aim.
Eddie strained to grasp the skid with his other hand, but couldn’t quite reach. The pounding rotor downwash, reeking of hot aviation fuel, made it far more of an effort than he’d expected. Straining to the limit, he bent his other arm to lift himself a few inches higher and snatched at it again. This time his fingertips brushed the metal, but still he wasn’t able to hook his fingers over the landing gear. ‘Come
on
!’ he gasped, making a final, frantic effort to raise himself further …
His hand clapped down on top of the skid. Another gasp, this time of relief, and he shifted to spread his weight between both shoulders.
He faced forward, bringing up his legs and swinging to hook his ankles over the tubular spar. Pulling himself up, he looked at the cabin door—
And saw the USP pointing at him.
‘Shit!’ he gasped, jerking his feet off the skid and dropping back down to present a smaller target – as Kroll fired.
The bullet whipped past the Yorkshireman’s left arm. The Nazi pulled the trigger again as Eddie swung backwards from the skid’s tail, this round searing past just inches from his chest. The river reeled below him. He looked back up, knowing he was completely helpless …
The third shot didn’t come. Instead, Kroll glowered at him before withdrawing the gun. Eddie realised that the Nazi was down to his last round; unable to look directly down his gun’s sights, and with the blast of the rotor wash throwing off his aim, he didn’t want to waste it.
But the Englishman knew he was far from safe. Kroll retreated slightly, then opened the door. The Nazi pushed it wider with one knee and leaned out, gripping a strap on the cabin wall with his left hand. His right was still holding the gun. He looked down the sights, pointing it straight at Eddie’s head—
The helicopter made a sharp roll to port.
Eddie was sent swinging beneath the skid by the sudden movement – but Kroll was almost pitched out of the cabin, only his grip on the strap keeping him from a long fall. Expression flicking from malevolence to shocked panic in an instant, he scrabbled to brace himself.
The door swung wide, a loud crack of breaking metal coming from the hinges as it hit the limit of its travel. The noise from beside his head made Kroll flinch. He pushed himself back into the cabin, fury returning as he rounded on the pilot.
The Englishman was little better inclined towards the man, even if he had just saved his life. In trying to tip his unwelcome passenger out of the helicopter, the pilot had almost thrown the stowaway after him. Eddie flexed his fingers, managing to re-secure his hold on the skid.
Kroll stabbed his gun against the pilot’s head. ‘If you do that again, I will kill you!’ He glared through the windshield, spotting something off to the right. ‘The building, there!’ he shouted, indicating the expansive flat roof of the South Ferry terminal. ‘Land on it, hard – crush him!’
‘We’ll crash!’ the pilot protested. ‘The skids won’t take—’
‘
Do it!
’ The Nazi pushed the hot muzzle against his cheek.
The pilot jerked away in pain, then sent the LongRanger swooping down towards the shoreline.
Eddie tried to pull himself back up, but the force of the slipstream as the helicopter gained speed made it impossible, sending him trailing behind it like a banner. All
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