THE DEATH RAY a gripping alternative historical thriller by John Drake

Author:John Drake [Drake, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lume Books Alternative Historical Thriller Fiction, A Joffe Books Company
Published: 2024-03-21T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 21

Deutsche Luft Hansa Condor DA-ERSTE, the mid-Atlantic, at 2,900 metres

6.15 p.m. (US Eastern Standard Time), Wednesday 16 June

Neumann looked over his instruments for a final check. He was hardly aware that he’d done so, because it was what pilots did. Everything was good. He looked ahead and to either side. Clear sky. Also good. He sat still for an instant, to feel the aircraft’s motion. It was steady, with just the vibration of the engines, and the engines were happy and steady, with a huge reserve of fuel in the tanks.

Neumann sat in the left-hand pilot’s seat and his co-pilot was ready in the right-hand seat. It was good design to have two pilots’ seats in an aircraft of such range. Neumann nodded to the co-pilot, who nodded back. Then:

“Flugingenieur?” said Neumann, and behind Neumann the flight engineer checked his instruments.

“Alles in ordnung, Herr Capitan.” Everything in order.

“So!” said Neumann, and turned to the co-pilot. “Alles deins!”: “ All yours!”

Neumann unfastened his straps, got out of his seat, put on his uniform cap, straightened his uniform jacket, and left the flight deck, and walked through the radio operators booth, the rest booth, then past the crew toilet, then the galley, and into the fore passenger cabin.

The fore cabin was luxurious. Every effort had been made to make it luxurious, because DA-ERSTE had been designed to impress. The décor was fresh and elegant, everything was shiny new, and the upholstered seats were in groups of sixes: two seats facing forward and two aft, on one side of the aisle, with one fore and one aft on the other, and with tables between the fore and aft seats. As Neumann appeared, everyone smiled. But most of the seats were empty, because Deutsche Luft Hansa had been instructed to take only German citizens for this trip, and only those working for approved German organisations.

A meal was in progress as Neumann moved down the aisle, with the white-coated, white-capped stewards serving from trolleys. The food was excellent and there was German wine to go with it. The stewards saluted as Neumann squeezed past. He thought the cabin was very like that of a First Class rail car, though there was less sway than on a train, but more vibration.

Strunz was facing forward, in the third six. He had an inner seat beside the window, and his two sergeants were with him: one beside him, one facing him. A slumped and dozing figure occupied the remaining inner seat. That was Robert Lucy. The table had been served for four, but neither Strunz nor the aft-facing sergeant had touched the food. Neumann stood beside them, and Strunz waved a hand and the sergeant beside him, put down knife and fork, wiped his mouth with the linen napkin and got up and made way for Neumann, heading for one of the empty seats across the aisle.

“Oh!” said the sergeant, looking at the wine glass beside his abandoned meal. Strunz frowned, but nodded, and the sergeant snatched his glass and sat down.

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