Open Space
By Joshua "Dante" Epstein
CHAPTER IV: Engaged
June 10th, 1942
Benny yanked back hard on the Mustang's stick, pulling the nose up and back into a tight roll, trying to get on the Messerschmidt's tail.
Aint life great, he thought to himself. He'd been in London less than a day when the sirens had gone off and his squadron had been scrambled to provide relief for the beleaguered RAF fighters. Less than a year ago, he'd been a buck private with no future off the tarmac, and now here he was, dueling with airborne foes like a knight of the sky.
With a jerk to the left, he brought his crosshairs in line with the Messer's tail and let loose with a stream of tracers ending with a whoop of victory as the German pilot bailed out before his plane erupted in a ball of fire.
"Don't get cocky kid." A voice came over his headset, Captain Johnston, the squadron leader. "You're got another one on your six and he's coming in hot and heavy."
"Just the way I like it, Cap."
"Okay kid, I'm moving to back you up, just don't let him get position."
"Roger that."
The enemy fighter was wasting no time, corraling him with streams of tracers to either side, keeping him from dodging left or right. Benny could feel a strange tingling in his skull, like someone whispering to him, but he couldn't make out the words. The distraction was all the German pilot needed, stitching a line of holes up the side of Benny's fighter that sent it careening toward the ground. Benny tried to bail, but the hatch was jammed shut, a hinge bent by a ricochet.
"Mayday, mayday, this is Tiger two-six, going down, repeat, I am going down."
The ground was rushing forward at amazing speed and Benny wondered if he'd go to heaven or not as the plane smashed into the ground.