Once More the Hawks (30 page)

As the engine stopped suddenly, the propeller jerked upright and stayed there and he knew he hadn’t more than a minute or two left. He could see a patch of flat land just ahead of him and decided to put the machine down there. As he banked, trying to make his final approach, he saw men running from the lorries, but the Hart was finished and he couldn’t bring her round, and as he saw the grass change from a green blur to separate blades, he lifted the nose. Unexpectedly she ground-looped and stood on her wingtip so that he banged his face on the front of the cockpit, then the machine was still, rocking slightly, lopsided, shattered, one wing crumpled and broken.

For a moment he was too dazed to move, then he realised he could hear a faint hissing sound and saw smoke in front of him. Forcing himself back to consciousness, he slammed at his safety belt and began to heave himself from the cockpit. He fell to his knees on the grass vomiting violently, and, as he stood up to run, his legs gave way underneath him.

He came to in the back of a lorry. His leg was swathed in bandages and he couldn’t see out of one eye. As he tried to move, he realised his clothes had been cut away and there were more bandages round his waist.

‘Christ,’ he murmured. ‘What have they done to me?’

Even as the thought crossed his mind, he felt the lorry stop and heard the squeak of brakes. Then he heard the tailgate open and people scrambling in. It was growing dark but he could just see Foote’s face above him, with Babington’s, and, surprisingly, Hatto’s.

‘The boys have just landed,’ Foote said. ‘Johnny Johnson dropped his bomb smack on the head of the Japanese column. Ratowicz hit the side of the gorge and brought it down on top of them.’

‘What about Lee?’

Foote grinned. ‘His troops bolted and when the refugees realised what was in the lorries they pounced on them. They came away carrying food and clothes, even gramophones and radios. I guess he’s lost the lot.’

‘“Vengeance is mine,”’ Dicken murmured. ‘“I will repay, saith the Lord.”’ If Father O’Buhilly couldn’t be there to say it, he would say it for him.

Then he realised someone was holding his hand and, turning his head, he saw Marie-Gabrielle alongside him, dressed in a khaki field uniform. He thought she was the calmest, most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

‘Am I badly hurt?’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ she admitted. ‘You are.’

‘Am I going to die?’

‘No.’ She spoke with such intensity that he believed her.

Hatto leaned forward. ‘We’ll fly you out in a few days,’ he promised. ‘You’ll be in India in no time. This time there’s no argument. You’ve got to go. Lee’s hopping mad and ready to shoot you, so you’d better.’

Dicken’s fingers tightened on Marie-Gabrielle’s. ‘I’ll need someone to look after me,’ he pointed out.

‘I’m coming too,’ Marie-Gabrielle said.

‘Will they let you?’

‘They insist.’

‘The war’ll be finished before you’re around much again,’ Hatto said. ‘We’ve just heard. In Europe the show’s over.’

‘I hope the audience was satisfied,’ Dicken mumbled.

‘The actors weren’t too bad.’

‘Pity the lions ate the trainer.’

Hatto laughed. ‘Calls for a gloat dance,’ he said. ‘The three of us.’

‘Later,’ Dicken murmured. ‘When I feel more like it.’

(in order of first publication)

These titles can be read as a series, or randomly as standalone novels

(in order of first publication)

These titles can be read as a series, or randomly as standalone novels

(in order of first publication)

These titles can be read as a series, or randomly as standalone novels

Published by House of Stratus

Back to Battle The third title in the exciting naval trilogy featuring the courageous Kelly Maguire. Commander Kelly Maguire, leader of men in the British Navy, finds himself plunged into blistering attacks at the battle of Dunkirk. From bitter fighting in the Mediterranean, to the landings at Normandy, this action-packed saga takes Maguire through trial to triumph. Against a background of personal tragedy, this is a compelling story of love and adventure.

The Blunted Lance The second novel in the Goff family trilogy. The Goffs, a family devoted to The Regiment - the Nineteenth Lancers - find themselves charting a history of the world from the Sudan to South Africa, Flanders to Palestine. Charging and retreating on the wide plains of a failing British Empire, Coby Goff rises to the rank of Field Marshal and Dabney is honoured as a hero. But they witness the decline of the beloved cavalry, defeated in the face of pounding artillery, the tank and machine gun.

The Bright Blue Sky The first in Hennessy’s breathtaking RAF trilogy. The reckless days of early aviation are brought to life in a tale of daring, dashing young pilots waging war, and of the raging struggle between the hearts of two brave men for the heart of a beautiful woman. This is the first story in the trilogy involving Corporal Quinney, an air ace in the RAF; a hero blazing through the skies to dogfight high above the Italian front, confronting deadly foes and challenging a treacherous rival in love and war.

The Challenging Heights The second in Hennessy’s breathtaking RAF trilogy. Dicken Quinney, a brilliant, heroic character, comes to life in this turbulent action novel. Quinney finds himself flying in the Baltic in a fight against the Bolsheviks. But tragedy mixes with adventure as Quinney loses his lover, Zoe.

The Dangerous Years The second title in the exciting naval trilogy featuring the courageous Kelly Maguire. There is talk of peace across Europe as the First World War draws to its bloody conclusion and the German naval fleet limps into Scapa Flow for a humiliating surrender. But for Lieutenant Kelly Maguire, new conflicts arise in Russia, the Mediterranean and the Far East. Maguire faces brutal choices and violent action. Rising through the ranks of the Royal Navy he is sent on a mission to the killing-ground of China. For Maguire, dangerous years are ahead.

The Iron Stallions The third novel in the Goff family trilogy. The Goff family have lived and died for the Nineteenth Lancers for generations but when Josh Goff runs away from school to enlist in the ranks of the cavalry under a false name, he winds up on the beaches of France. It is D-Day and heavy artillery pummels the landscape around him. As he fights, Goff learns that the cavalry is still expected to save the day, or die bravely in the attempt.

The Lion at Sea The first title in the exciting naval trilogy featuring the courageous Kelly Maguire. Midshipman Kelly Maguire has always had a love affair with the sea. And when war clouds gather over Europe, Maguire is put to the test along with the marine might of the Royal Navy. From the Hellish battles of Gallipoli to the barbarous action at Antwerp, Maguire begins to learn the lessons a sailor must face. Glory and danger abound in this sizzling saga of adventure, blood and guts.