for him to practice on. Really, it is the kind of thing I have long dreamed of. I only wish that you were the pilot instead of Harrison. Now send him over to me today, and we will get on with what has to be done. You still have a time schedule to meet. Good bye, Mr. Romain."
Harrison continued to moan as he got into the cab to go over to the Kuala Lumpur Imperial.
"Casey, old boy, my dear friend, I really do think we should reconsider my participation in this venture."
Casey promised to send the rest of his kit to Taiwan in a couple of days.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Harrison joined Major Shan at his hotel, where he was given no time to do anything but get into a waiting cab to be driven to the airport. Shan's DC 3 was waiting with the engines running. Much to Shan's amusement, the Englishman questioned him nonstop about the condition of the gliders. Harrison didn't pause even when the DC 3 reached altitude and headed east over the Cameron Highlands, passing over Temerloh in the mountains, then over Kuantan on the east coast before entering the air space of the South China Sea. From there, the pilot took a heading that would keep Sarawak and Sabah to starboard. They made one stop for fuel at Baguio in the Philippines, then continued on to Tainan Air Force Base on Taiwan.
When the old DC 3 touched down on the tarmac, she rolled up to a tin hangar and stopped. Shan took Harrison by closed car to the same building where Casey Remain and his men had stayed before going on the Cambodian contract the previous year. He left Harrison alone for a time and returned to his office to check on the arrangements for the transport of Casey's unit to the staging area. Not even Shan knew exactly where they were going, or when the hit would be made, and he really didn't care. Once word was received that Matthew Dzhombe was dead, he would receive the balance of his commission for setting up Casey with the white Africans.
Much to Shan's irritation, Harrison spent the next three days getting the old Waco re -skinned with new canvas, but the pilot had refused to go up in the thing until new canvas had been laid on. The original was so rotten it could be torn apart by a child's hands.
Shan had done well on the glider deal. He had located them in a warehouse at a small airfield near Pingtung. They were indeed leftovers from World War II and had been forgotten when no one had any further need of them. He'd bought them from the field commander for three hundred American dollars and had sold them to the contractors for five thousand each. Not a bad day's work.
Once the glider was in good enough condition that Harrison was willing to make a test flight, Shan showed him a chart of the area near the town of Chingpu on the east coast. There was a clearing there with dimensions almost identical to the one on which Harrison would have to set down at Dzhombe's palace. Harrison knew he couldn't stall any longer; the glider was as good as it was ever going to be. He told Shan.
"Okay, let's set up a run," Shan said.
Using Shan's own DC 3 for a tow plane, Harrison had the Waco loaded with sandbags equal to the weight that would actually be on board. Harrison strapped himself into the pilot's seat, said a Hail Mary even though he was Church of England, and released the brake. The DC 3 taxied down the runway and lifted off. He was surprised at how smooth the take-off was. Trailing behind the silver, twin engine plane by a rope umbilical cord, Harrison and his Waco were taken over a ridge of mountains rising to over three thousand feet. The flight to the landing zone would take less than three quarters of an hour.
Once over Chingpu, he had the pilot of the DC 3 go around four times while he checked out the field below. Finally he couldn't stand the tension anymore and released the cable. He was free and on his own.
Three days later, a forlorn and tattered looking Harrison showed up at the plantation. He'd come back without Shan. Casey had to hold back a laugh as
Harrison continued to moan as he got into the cab to go over to the Kuala Lumpur Imperial.
"Casey, old boy, my dear friend, I really do think we should reconsider my participation in this venture."
Casey promised to send the rest of his kit to Taiwan in a couple of days.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Harrison joined Major Shan at his hotel, where he was given no time to do anything but get into a waiting cab to be driven to the airport. Shan's DC 3 was waiting with the engines running. Much to Shan's amusement, the Englishman questioned him nonstop about the condition of the gliders. Harrison didn't pause even when the DC 3 reached altitude and headed east over the Cameron Highlands, passing over Temerloh in the mountains, then over Kuantan on the east coast before entering the air space of the South China Sea. From there, the pilot took a heading that would keep Sarawak and Sabah to starboard. They made one stop for fuel at Baguio in the Philippines, then continued on to Tainan Air Force Base on Taiwan.
When the old DC 3 touched down on the tarmac, she rolled up to a tin hangar and stopped. Shan took Harrison by closed car to the same building where Casey Remain and his men had stayed before going on the Cambodian contract the previous year. He left Harrison alone for a time and returned to his office to check on the arrangements for the transport of Casey's unit to the staging area. Not even Shan knew exactly where they were going, or when the hit would be made, and he really didn't care. Once word was received that Matthew Dzhombe was dead, he would receive the balance of his commission for setting up Casey with the white Africans.
Much to Shan's irritation, Harrison spent the next three days getting the old Waco re -skinned with new canvas, but the pilot had refused to go up in the thing until new canvas had been laid on. The original was so rotten it could be torn apart by a child's hands.
Shan had done well on the glider deal. He had located them in a warehouse at a small airfield near Pingtung. They were indeed leftovers from World War II and had been forgotten when no one had any further need of them. He'd bought them from the field commander for three hundred American dollars and had sold them to the contractors for five thousand each. Not a bad day's work.
Once the glider was in good enough condition that Harrison was willing to make a test flight, Shan showed him a chart of the area near the town of Chingpu on the east coast. There was a clearing there with dimensions almost identical to the one on which Harrison would have to set down at Dzhombe's palace. Harrison knew he couldn't stall any longer; the glider was as good as it was ever going to be. He told Shan.
"Okay, let's set up a run," Shan said.
Using Shan's own DC 3 for a tow plane, Harrison had the Waco loaded with sandbags equal to the weight that would actually be on board. Harrison strapped himself into the pilot's seat, said a Hail Mary even though he was Church of England, and released the brake. The DC 3 taxied down the runway and lifted off. He was surprised at how smooth the take-off was. Trailing behind the silver, twin engine plane by a rope umbilical cord, Harrison and his Waco were taken over a ridge of mountains rising to over three thousand feet. The flight to the landing zone would take less than three quarters of an hour.
Once over Chingpu, he had the pilot of the DC 3 go around four times while he checked out the field below. Finally he couldn't stand the tension anymore and released the cable. He was free and on his own.
Three days later, a forlorn and tattered looking Harrison showed up at the plantation. He'd come back without Shan. Casey had to hold back a laugh as
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