Joe Brody
Well-known member
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Indiana slipped into Grieves? hotel room the instant the Pan Am Director opened the door. Before Grieves could react, Indiana Jones pulled the door closed and said, ?Yang is a Japanese Agent. He intends to hijack the Clipper on the way to Manila.?
?My God,? hissed Grieves. He looked across the dark room to his still-sleeping daughter and pulled his suspenders up over his undershirt. Grieves? sweat and the remains of a late meal on a near table gave the air a rank, sour smell. ?Just the thought of Madam Sinn being a Japanese spy is utterly preposterous. What would make you think that??
?I never said Sinn was an agent.? Indiana stepped close to Grieves and whispered in a fast, intense tone that revealed a complete lack of patience. ?One of Sinn?s kidnappers came to me tonight and told me of Yang?s plot after having talked to Sinn last night on Wake. I believe he is telling the truth because he nearly killed himself stowing away on the Clipper and he has nothing to gain by coming forward now. Sinn, however, will deny everything because her baby has been kidnapped by Japanese agents in Shanghai.?
?Assume this man is right. What do you want me to do ? simply remove the threat from the plane by placing a Chinese film star literally on a slow boat to China just as I?m about to embark on a trip there to negotiate landing rights for Pan Am? The Chinese press would paint the episode as being motivated by prejudice and fear. I won?t risk that sort of incident. Or perhaps you would prefer me to ground the plane and put us all on a slow boat? Can your mission for Army Intelligence suffer any delay after the death of your man in Shanghai??
Put off-guard by Grieves? shrewd guess at his dilemma, Indy looked away for an instant but then took a menacing step toward Grieves. ?Something has to be done.?
Grieves paced the room. ?Here is what we?ll do. I?ll see to it that the pilots are carrying side-arms for tomorrow?s flight. I?ll also contact Manila and have some Army planes fly out to meet us. The Clipper?s arrival has been so momentous in the Philippines that every arrival has received an escort. I?ll have the intercept moved up to further out at sea and confirm that the fighters are armed.?
Indy nodded. ?Good. So if Yang?s plan is to hijack the Clipper mid-flight and fly us North to Japan, we get chased down.?
?Exactly. Several Japanese cities ? including Tokyo-- are easily within the Clipper?s range from Guam. But if we miss a radio check en route to Manila, then the Army will be able to run us down over the Philippine Sea before we make Japan.?
Indiana rubbed his chin, weighing likely outcomes. ?It?ll have to do. But why arm just the pilots? Shouldn?t you arm the rest of the aircrew??
Grieves shook his head emphatically. ?It?s too dangerous. The Clipper?s main fuel tanks are in the Sea Wings under the plane. Every gun up on the flight deck that is fired down toward the Sea Wings dramatically increases the chance of explosion. I know and trust the pilots. I trained them ? but I don?t know the others as well. Bear in mind, the flight deck is elevated and the access portal is narrow so it will be difficult for Yang?s men to even gain the flight deck. Also, I?ll be armed down in the main compartment and you yourself have proven that you?re capable in a tough spot. . . . together with the crew we easily outnumber Yang and his men.? Grieves stopped and looked back at Indiana Jones. ?I should think the other passengers would be of some assistance as well.?
Indy shook his head. ?I have my doubts. Aside from his gin, Lake?s one other fixation is your little bag of loot . . . . .?
?What do you know about my money?? Grieves? rage caused Gwen to stir.
?Nothing really, until now that is.? Indiana stepped back toward the door. ?Just that Lake claims you?re carrying quite a lot of cash. Both Lake and Nora assume it?s to gain favor for the landing rights.?
Grieves eased into a seat by the ruins of his late meal. ?Exactly so, it?s a good thing the pilots will be armed for our landing in Manila because it appears that some of my passengers are a threat after all.? Grieves poked at some bones on his plate and then asked ?Last thing, where is the stowaway now??
?In my room.? Indiana cracked the door to leave. ?I want to wake Solemn and have him get the stowaway on board.?
?Perfect. Just make sure Solemn places him in the forward cargo hold before the air crew and passengers arrive. . .and if our flight goes off without incident, I intend to hand the stowaway over to the authorities and have him sent back to Hawaii.?
Indiana opened the door wide and paused in the frame. He looked back, nodded and headed down the hall.
********
Couple of things:
(1) Sorry for posting the short section above --it really should've part of the last post. I just got sick of holding onto it because I want to move on.
(2) With respect to Sinn's baby and her career in Shanghai -- while it may have seemed a little tangential, these facts are very relevant to Part 2 of Red Line. Do any readers want to hazard a guess as to the father of Sinn's baby? Hint: it's not Shortround.
(3) For the next segment, some mood music may be in order. I suggest the music from Empire Strikes Back when the Speeders break through the morning sun on Hoth in search of the missing Solo and Skywalker.
Indiana slipped into Grieves? hotel room the instant the Pan Am Director opened the door. Before Grieves could react, Indiana Jones pulled the door closed and said, ?Yang is a Japanese Agent. He intends to hijack the Clipper on the way to Manila.?
?My God,? hissed Grieves. He looked across the dark room to his still-sleeping daughter and pulled his suspenders up over his undershirt. Grieves? sweat and the remains of a late meal on a near table gave the air a rank, sour smell. ?Just the thought of Madam Sinn being a Japanese spy is utterly preposterous. What would make you think that??
?I never said Sinn was an agent.? Indiana stepped close to Grieves and whispered in a fast, intense tone that revealed a complete lack of patience. ?One of Sinn?s kidnappers came to me tonight and told me of Yang?s plot after having talked to Sinn last night on Wake. I believe he is telling the truth because he nearly killed himself stowing away on the Clipper and he has nothing to gain by coming forward now. Sinn, however, will deny everything because her baby has been kidnapped by Japanese agents in Shanghai.?
?Assume this man is right. What do you want me to do ? simply remove the threat from the plane by placing a Chinese film star literally on a slow boat to China just as I?m about to embark on a trip there to negotiate landing rights for Pan Am? The Chinese press would paint the episode as being motivated by prejudice and fear. I won?t risk that sort of incident. Or perhaps you would prefer me to ground the plane and put us all on a slow boat? Can your mission for Army Intelligence suffer any delay after the death of your man in Shanghai??
Put off-guard by Grieves? shrewd guess at his dilemma, Indy looked away for an instant but then took a menacing step toward Grieves. ?Something has to be done.?
Grieves paced the room. ?Here is what we?ll do. I?ll see to it that the pilots are carrying side-arms for tomorrow?s flight. I?ll also contact Manila and have some Army planes fly out to meet us. The Clipper?s arrival has been so momentous in the Philippines that every arrival has received an escort. I?ll have the intercept moved up to further out at sea and confirm that the fighters are armed.?
Indy nodded. ?Good. So if Yang?s plan is to hijack the Clipper mid-flight and fly us North to Japan, we get chased down.?
?Exactly. Several Japanese cities ? including Tokyo-- are easily within the Clipper?s range from Guam. But if we miss a radio check en route to Manila, then the Army will be able to run us down over the Philippine Sea before we make Japan.?
Indiana rubbed his chin, weighing likely outcomes. ?It?ll have to do. But why arm just the pilots? Shouldn?t you arm the rest of the aircrew??
Grieves shook his head emphatically. ?It?s too dangerous. The Clipper?s main fuel tanks are in the Sea Wings under the plane. Every gun up on the flight deck that is fired down toward the Sea Wings dramatically increases the chance of explosion. I know and trust the pilots. I trained them ? but I don?t know the others as well. Bear in mind, the flight deck is elevated and the access portal is narrow so it will be difficult for Yang?s men to even gain the flight deck. Also, I?ll be armed down in the main compartment and you yourself have proven that you?re capable in a tough spot. . . . together with the crew we easily outnumber Yang and his men.? Grieves stopped and looked back at Indiana Jones. ?I should think the other passengers would be of some assistance as well.?
Indy shook his head. ?I have my doubts. Aside from his gin, Lake?s one other fixation is your little bag of loot . . . . .?
?What do you know about my money?? Grieves? rage caused Gwen to stir.
?Nothing really, until now that is.? Indiana stepped back toward the door. ?Just that Lake claims you?re carrying quite a lot of cash. Both Lake and Nora assume it?s to gain favor for the landing rights.?
Grieves eased into a seat by the ruins of his late meal. ?Exactly so, it?s a good thing the pilots will be armed for our landing in Manila because it appears that some of my passengers are a threat after all.? Grieves poked at some bones on his plate and then asked ?Last thing, where is the stowaway now??
?In my room.? Indiana cracked the door to leave. ?I want to wake Solemn and have him get the stowaway on board.?
?Perfect. Just make sure Solemn places him in the forward cargo hold before the air crew and passengers arrive. . .and if our flight goes off without incident, I intend to hand the stowaway over to the authorities and have him sent back to Hawaii.?
Indiana opened the door wide and paused in the frame. He looked back, nodded and headed down the hall.
********
Couple of things:
(1) Sorry for posting the short section above --it really should've part of the last post. I just got sick of holding onto it because I want to move on.
(2) With respect to Sinn's baby and her career in Shanghai -- while it may have seemed a little tangential, these facts are very relevant to Part 2 of Red Line. Do any readers want to hazard a guess as to the father of Sinn's baby? Hint: it's not Shortround.
(3) For the next segment, some mood music may be in order. I suggest the music from Empire Strikes Back when the Speeders break through the morning sun on Hoth in search of the missing Solo and Skywalker.