Chase Me Faster
Catherine Gale and John Steed and Emma Peel
THE AVENGERS
|
by Caroline Miniscule
Chapter Two: The Plot Thickens - Page 1 I - Present Day Cathy Gale sat in the front seat of the JN-4, otherwise known as a Jenny, and adjusted her goggles over her leather helmet. She took a deep breath. The pilot's voice sounded in her ear. ''Chocks away, Cathy?'' ''Chocks away, Jackie.'' The pilot applied power and the biplane began to roll over the runway. As always, Cathy felt a tremendous thrill as the G-forces forced her back into her seat. Faster and faster rolled the plane, and then it was airborne. Cathy looked below at the thousands of people in the stands. She imagined she could even hear the announcer's voice: ''And now, ladies and gentlemen, its 1920 and American wing walker Gladys Roy will present her signature act, the act that made her famous all across America. Wait for it....'' Cathy grinned, and adjusted her silk scarf. This was going to be a blast. Just three day ago, she had been having aperitifs with a friend, Erik Rhodes, who was one of the men in charge of coordinating the Northern England Centennial Air Show. ''It's going to be wonderful,'' he told her. ''We've got some of the best acts in Europe signed up. It'll be a parade of airplanes, right up until the present day.'' ''It should certainly set the bar for air shows to come.'' Cathy had told him, sipping her glass of wine. ''I have my front row tickets already. I'm glad that you elected to have a few novelty acts in the show as well. I know Jackie Stanton, the pilot for Joan Alexander's show. She's a graduate from my school.'' Erik Rhodes knew that Cathy was part owner of a pilot training school. Erik nodded. ''Yes, as a matter of fact they arrived today. I wanted to meet Miss Alexander, but apparently she's got a bad cold and wanted to stay holed up for a few days to make sure she got over it before the show.'' ''The ever-present cold and flu bug shows no mercy for time, tide or wind,'' Cathy said. ''Well, she won't let a cold stop her from going on with the show. Not for this show, anyway.''  Wingwalker Gladys Roy wearing a hood
Erik had nodded, and then they had started talking of other things. Upon returning home that evening - still on the right side of ten o'clock, Cathy found a message on her answer phone. It was from her ex-student, Jacquelyn Stanton, inviting her to the White Boar Hotel where she and Joan Alexander were staying. ''Hubbie's not here yet,'' Jackie told Cathy upon the latter's arrival at the hotel bar. Cathy had already had her limit of drinks for the night and Jackie didn't drink, so they sipped tea. ''He still has some business to take care of in London, but he'll be here for the show.'' ''I'm looking forward to meeting Ms. Alexander. I hear she's taking good care of her cold.'' Jackie had smiled wanly. ''It's not a cold. Believe it or not the poor dear slipped on a bar of soap coming out of her shower, of all things. Last night. Sprained an ankle.'' ''Oh, no!'' Cathy covered her smile. ''How ironic that a wing walker would be put out of action by so mundane an accident. But that's certainly too bad.'' Jackie nodded soberly. ''She can walk around alright, but her ankle's never going to take the strain of climbing out of an open cockpit, let alone dancing the Charleston on the wing of the plane. She's laying low with the cold alibi, hoping against hope that she'll be alright on the night, but I think it's a forlorn hope.'' ''The human body can accomplish miraculous things when both the mind and medical science are put to the task.'' Jackie smiled forlornly. ''I hope you're right, but I don't hold out much hope. And it's such a terrible thing. This show was going to put us on the map. How's it going to look in the newspapers? 'Lady wing walker takes trip over toilet,' or some other such nonsense. It will set us back a couple of year or more.'' Cathy had looked at her friend thoughtfully. ''You know, Jackie....I dance the Charleston rather well...'' |
| Go to page 2 |   
|
Return to Table of Contents |
Please support GALE FORCE. Purchase items from our secure links with Amazon.com:
 Buy Now |
 Buy Now |
 Buy Now |
 |
Return to GALE FORCE Home Page |
Icons are from the Avengers Forever website