Aces

by T. E. Cruise

  The Jap evidently spotted him and panicked. That was the break that Steven needed. The Jap tried to climb too steeply, almost stalling his airplane. He recovered, but that little bit was all Steven needed to close in.

  The smoke spewing from the Lightning’s shot-up engine was blowing across Steven’s windscreen, making it hard to see, but when he caught a glimpse of the Zero less than a hundred yards in front of him he pressed his triggers and kept them pressed.

  The smoke enveloping Steven’s canopy lifted for an instant, and he saw his tracers and cannon rounds streaking past the Zero’s port wing. He jerked his stick to the right. The tracers drifted sideways with him, catching the Zero and chewing off its wing. An instant later the crippled fighter disappeared in a blossom of orange flame.

  “I’m an ace!” Steven shouted happily, just as his starboard engine coughed and died and his port engine began to sputter. He quickly became preoccupied with his own troubles. The ocean was coming up fast. Steven leveled off, skimming the waves. If he didn’t mash down just right, he was going to be a dead ace.

  “Sorry we couldn’t help you out,” Cappy said in a burst of static. “But at the moment we were all a little busy.”

  “Did you see it?” Steven asked.

  “Yeah, I saw both your kills go down. They’re confirmed. Congrats, kid. For the second time in your life you’ve become an ace. But this time it’s official. Steady now. Get your nose up. It’s almost time for you to mash it.”

  The spray was glistening on his windscreen as Steven nudged the Lightning’s nose up a trifle.

  “We got all the other Zeros, so don’t worry,” he heard Cappy say. “Air rescue is on the way kid, so—” The radio went dead. Shorted out, Steven guessed.

  He let the Lightning drop another few feet and then skipped her like a flat stone across the surface of the ocean, finally mashing her down. She was filling up with water as he shoved open his canopy and threw out his life raft. The yellow raft inflated and began bobbing in the white froth.

  Steven, crying out in pain, used his arms to hoist himself out of the cockpit. He crumpled onto the Lightning’s wing, and then rolled into the water. The cold salty ocean bit into his leg wounds, making him moan, but his life jacket kept his head above water. He used his hands to paddle himself over to the drifting raft and hoisted himself up and in. He lay on his back for a while, eyes closed, trying to regain his strength. He heard gurgling and managed to raise his head in time to see the Lightning slipping smoothly beneath the waves.

  He guessed that he was losing a lot of blood, because he was feeling faint. He must have passed out, because the next thing he knew, hands were lifting him up out of the raft.

  He opened his eyes. His raft was floating alongside a huge flying boat. A couple of the airboat’s crew were helping him into the rescue craft through the side door.

  “Hey, this is a GAT/SB Sea Dragon, isn’t it?” he managed to ask as the sailors hauled him aboard.

  “It is, mate,” one of the sailors replied.

  “This is my father’s airplane,” Steven said proudly.

  The two sailors exchanged looks.

  “Well, you tell your daddy the Australian Navy will bring it right back to ‘im, mate. As soon as you bloody flying blokes don’t need it anymore.”

  Chapter 20

  * * *

  (One)

  Gold Household

  Bel-Air, California

  3 July 1943

  Home looked good to Steven Gold as the taxi slowly made its way through the gates. As the cab continued up the drive, Steven noticed that two flagpoles had been erected on the lawn next to the house. On one pole, the stars and stripes waved proudly. On the second pole, the British Union Jack fluttered at half-mast.

  Good for you, Pop, for making the gesture, he thought, smiling.

  While he’d been convalescing in the hospital he’d received a letter from Suzy telling him that Blaize had been posthumously awarded England’s Victoria Cross, and the Distinguished Flying Cross from the United States, “… for extraordinary heroism while participating in aerial flight…”

  He guessed that Blaize would have been proud of those medals, but that the Union Jack flying over the Gold house would have meant even more to him. He hoped that Blaize got the chance to realize how much a part of the Gold family he’d become, and would always be…

  The cabbie stopped by the front door, then turned in his seat toward Steven. “You sure you don’t need help with that bag, Lieutenant?”

  “No, thanks. I can manage,” Steven said. “Don’t let my cane fool you. I won’t be needing it in another week or so.”

  The Jap bullet that had wounded him had passed through his thigh muscle without hitting bone. He’d spent less than a week in the hospital, and the doctors had assured him that, given a little time, his leg would be as good as ever and he could return to active duty.

  Steven opened the cab door, set his bag down on the driveway, and then slid himself out of the cab. He leaned on the cane in his left hand as he dug into his trouser pocket for his money.

  “Hey, there’s no charge, Lieutenant.” The cabby smiled. “A free ride’s the least I can do for a wounded airman. You home for long?”

  “Three weeks R&R.” Steven smiled. “And then I’ve got a squadron to get back to.”

  As the cab pulled away the front door opened, and his father and mother came rushing out to greet him.

  “Son, welcome home!” His father grinned, giving him a hug. “But I thought you were going to call when you got in? I was going to come pick you up…”

  “I wanted some time to get used to being back.” Steven smiled. He embraced his father. “You look good, Pop. You losing weight?”

  “I’m making your father lose weight!” his mother said. “Son, you look so handsome in your uniform!” She almost knocked his officer’s cap to the ground as she threw her arms around his neck to give him a hug and a kiss.

  Suzy appeared in the doorway. In her arms was a bundle swathed in a white blanket. Steven rushed up to his sister to give her a kiss.

  “Oh, God, Herman,” he heard his mother say. “Do you see that? He’s limping—”

  “It’s nothing, Mom,” Steven murmured over his shoulder. “It’ll go away.” He was shocked at how drawn and tired Suzy looked. At the sadness and pain in her eyes. She has to be the bravest one of all of us, Steven thought. To lose her husband, but still stay strong for the sake of her child

  “Steven, meet your nephew, Robert Blaize Greene.” Suzy smiled.

  “Oh, Suzy, he’s beautiful. And that’s a beautiful name.”

  “I think so.” Suzy nodded. “Robert was Blaize’s father’s name.”

  “How do you do, little Bob?” Steven asked his nephew. “You and I are going to be great pals. We’ll be doing a whole lot of flying together.” He glanced up at Suzy. “If it’s okay with you?”

  Suzy laughed. “It’s a little early to strap him into a cockpit, I think, but of course it’s okay with me. He’s going to be a great flier. Like his father, and his grandfather, and now his uncle. Congratulations, Steven! First Blaize, and now you! It seems we’ve got nothing but aces in this family.”

  (Two)

  Herman Gold, a drink in his hand, was standing just inside the French doors that led out to the pool. His house was crowded with people who’d come to pay their respects to his son the war hero. The ace.

  Erica, drifting past Gold on her way out to the patio, paused to give him a kiss on the cheek. “What did I tell you?” she demanded, gesturing to where Steven, sitting in a chair at poolside, was telling war stories to a rapt audience. “I warned you that one day you’d be reduced to being Steven Gold’s father!” she pretended to scold. “Now it’s happened!”

  “You’re always right.” Gold smiled. “That’s why I love you.”

  “I think I’ve given you more reasons to love me than that, darling.” She laughed, flitting away, as Teddy Quinn came over.

  “You
look like a happy man, Herman.”

  Gold smiled. “I am happy, and lucky. I’ve got a wonderful family. It’s what money can’t buy. It’s what I’ve always wanted, and despite any stupid mistakes I might have made—”

  “You said it, Herm. Not me.” Teddy chuckled.

  Gold nodded. “I admit it, despite the very stupid mistakes I’ve definitely made, my family is still together.”

  Gold saw Suzy, carrying her son in her arms, come up to Steven.

  “Hey, Lieutenant!” she asked. “You want to hold your nephew?”

  “Do I?” Steven laughed. “Hand him over.”

  Teddy, watching, frowned. “I’m just sorry about Blaize,” he confided to Gold.

  “Yes,” Gold said softly. He looked at his daughter. “Thank God Suzy has the baby, or else…” He trailed off.

  “I know Blaize died a hero,” Teddy began. He shook his head. “It just seems like such a waste.”

  “You’re wrong,” Gold said, his eyes on the baby. “See there, Teddy? He’s left a son.”

  EMPERORS OF THE AIR

  * * *

  He first commands the skies as a young World War 1 flying ace for Germany. But back home in an exhausted, defeated country, he decides to strike out for the land that holds his true destiny – America. Here, a young German immigrant, a barnstormer, crop duster, and bootlegger, will rise to become the titan of a powerful aviation empire. Here, in the pioneering years of flight, a mighty dynasty will be born – a family that will give its name, its passion, and its glamour to the soaring enterprise known as Gold Aviation. It will be their mission to keep the nation aloft during peacetime and defend it with wings of steel in the ominous and challenging world war to come.