Will and Kit scurried around the tail together to search for the
bullet holes while the ladies met and talked with representatives
from the World Peace Government, Red Cross, Red Crescent, UN,
USA and all, the guys' flight of mercy so much needed and
appreciated. They all heard the shelling from miles away and got a
verbal update on the situation, the reports they had received in the
air having been a bit optimistic. They also listened to the occasional
rifle shots or automatic fire, even closer.
        "God, Will...she...they...could have been shot..." Cody
confessed his guilt all wrapped up inside his aftershock as they
began to check the right fuselage with the large flashlight Will had
brought.
        "Well..." the taller, lankier, slightly older American responded,
then stopped walking and gave Kit some pats on his back. "That
would not have been a good thing, Kit," he added as they both kept
their eyes glued to where the beam was moving around the fuselage
above the wing.
        "They are NOT coming on any more of these flights..." Kit
said, more to himself, while following Will, who was ducking under
the wing and checking the underside as they crouched and waddled
around, then emerged out the front and continued checking.
        "Might be a wise choice, 'keemosobby'," Will smiled
imperceptably, then added, "there they are!" when his light found
the line of small holes center fuselage up near the front of the ship,
the nose high above them in the air.
        Kit's mind was at 'why the hell is everyone calling me
'keemosobby' ' as they gazed at the holes slanting upward and
forward in the cockpit area, then he followed Will back under the
plane to the door and up into the cabin, both of them sanguinely
greeting the men and women unloading the cargo as they made
their way up to the cockpit.
        In a short while they found a few of the holes inside, the
other holes assumedly behind and below the cockpit. One bullet
had come too close for comfort to Will's seat, but he kidded about
his butt being able to deflect it.
        "That's what worries me," Kit sort-of kidded back.
        They found an exit hole and one embedded slug on the left
side up high and didn't say any more about how close they had
been to real bad news.
        "Well, I think we dodged the, uh, bullet, Kit...I don't think
there's any damage to anything here," Will apprised. "I would say
we can keep flying this ole wargirl...."
        Kit kind-of collapsed onto the armrest of the right pilot seat
he had occupied earlier, looked out Jessy's left cockpit window
and saw the girls talking away with the people inside the office.
He took a deep breath in and out, then quietly said, "God, Will...
she...they...could have been...."
        "They weren't, good buddy...." Will put one of his big
hands on Kit's shoulder and added, "they weren't....Come on,
let's get a break."
        "Yeah," Cody confirmed the sentiment, then grabbed Will's
hand for a hearty shake as he stood back up. On their way down
to the door Kit ruminated, "dam, though...they sure are good
shots...."
        "Well, I bet those were the only shots that hit us..." Will
answered as they jumped down to the ramp.
 
 Next Page