Page 73

They did? Or did he get excited and imagine it?

I didn’t notice any muzzle flash.

But everything happened so damn fast, it’s possible I missed it.

And he had to have one helluva view of that bird.

“That was one helluva shot,” Canidy finally said.

John Craig shrugged. “Hard to miss something that big that close.”

Canidy chuckled.

Which was what I told Hank.

Canidy said, “Ready to jump?”

He nodded.

“I’m ready to get the hell off this airplane!”

Which, interestingly enough, is what Hank told me.

Kauffman was putting the two big black duffel bags in line at the doorway. Each had its own parachute, and Kauffman then hooked up their static lines to the anchor-line cable. Next, with some effort, he used the sole of his boot to push the two wooden crates behind the duffels, and hooked up their static lines.

“Better get your chute on,” Canidy said. “I’ll be right back.”

* * *

Canidy—having shared van der Ploeg’s version of events with a doubtful Darmstadter and then saying they’d be in touch—had returned strapped into his parachute. He now was sitting in a port-side folding seat just forward of van der Ploeg’s.

The Gooney Bird had crossed over the coastline of Sicily ten minutes earlier, and as far as they knew the invisible black bird had evaded any notice—and certainly any flak from antiaircraft welcoming committees.

* * *

The pitch of the Twin Wasps changed, and the aircraft bled off speed. Kauffman, now prepared to serve as jumpmaster, was leaning against the bulkhead, arms crossed, and looking out the open door as if he could actually see the drop zone in the dark.

A light above Kauffman’s head came on, glowing red, and he looked at it for a second.

Coming up on the DZ, John Craig thought, as he felt his pulse start to race.

Stay calm. You’ve done this.

Breathe in . . . breathe out . . .

“Stand up!” the jumpmaster called out.

John Craig, with more than a little effort under the weight of his pack, pulled himself up using the ribs of the fuselage. He continued holding on with his right hand to keep steady on his feet.

“Hook up!” Kauffman called out.

John Craig reached up and clipped his static line hook onto the anchor-line cable.

“Check static lines!” Kauffman called out.

As Canidy confirmed that van der Ploeg was properly hooked up, Kauffman stepped over and did the same with Canidy’s.

“Stand in door!” Kauffman then called out.