Touch the Sky (Young Underground #8) (27 page)

             
“
Come on!
”
Kurt urged them.
“
Hector has probably already ripped my swimsuit to shreds.
”

             
“
Swimsuit?
”
Henrik giggled.
“
I didn
’
t know country folks used swimsuits.
”

             
Kurt frowned.
“
Mom says we have to.
”

             
They ran across the yard in back of the farm, past the outhouse, then plunged into the cool shade of the woods.

             
“
Hector!
”
they all yelled. Peter laughed as he stumbled, imagining the big dog somewhere up ahead with Kurt
’
s swimsuit.

             
“
How do you know he
’
s gone this way?
”
asked Peter.

             
“
He loves to swim,
”
answered Kurt.
“
He did this to me once before. Look, there he is up there. Hector!
”

             
Up ahead, Hector crouched in the middle of the trail with his nose to the ground and hind end in the air, tail wagging like a helicopter. Kurt stopped and walked slowly up to his dog.

             
“
Hector,
”
he warned.
“
You give me my swimsuit.
”

             
But Hector was having too much fun. Just when Kurt was about to close in, Hector grabbed up the suit again, spun around, and bounded down the trail to the beach.

             
“
Hector!
”
Kurt shouted once more and started running.

             
“
Pretty quick for such a big fella,
”
Henrik commented. The chase was on again.

             
“
I don
’
t think he
’
s going to stop until he gets us in the water,
”
Peter said, keeping step behind his cousin.
“
He
’
s pretty smart.
”

             
“
Too smart,
”
answered Kurt, but Peter could tell he wasn
’
t upset by the game. Up ahead, the trees gave way to the long, wide beach of Ho Bay.

             
“
There he is.
”
Henrik pointed to Hector, who was splashing in the shallows and throwing Kurt
’
s suit into the air like a toy.
“
He
’
s having a great time.
”

             
Peter wiped his brow and stepped out into the sunshine. The water looked more inviting than ever.

             
“
Last one in
...”
Henrik said, pulling off his sweaty shirt.

             
“
No fair,
”
replied Kurt.
“
I still have to get my suit from Hector.
”

             
“
We
’
ll help you,
”
Peter offered.
“
Henrik and I will come up on him from both sides, and you grab him.
”

             
That seemed like a good plan to all of them, so when Henrik and Peter both had their suits on, they circled around and stepped into the water on opposite sides of Hector.

             
“
Enough is enough, Hector. Time to give it up.
”
Kurt got to within two feet of his dog, whose tail was wagging wildly. Hector barked and thrashed around with the suit, which by this time looked like a very dead fish. Hector backed up into deeper water, and Kurt grabbed for his suit. He disappeared into the water, but came right back up, sputtering.

             
“
Got it!
”
he cried. Peter and Henrik both laughed.

             
“
You might as well swim with your clothes on now,
”
Peter told him.

             
Kurt only grinned and shrugged.
“
I don
’
t know why Mom makes us wear these things
anyway. Everyone else just wears old cutoffs.
”

             
Peter did his best not to touch the bottom, which was kind of silty. When he floated on his back and looked up at the blue sky and the billowy white clouds, the water felt good. Very good.

             
“
It
’
s great!
”
Henrik yelled.
“
Pretty deep out here, though.
”

             
“
High tide,
”
Kurt yelled back. He ran into the water while Hector barked and chased a crab.

             
Peter looked over at his friend, who was paddling and diving around him like a whale.
“
How are you doing?
”
he asked.

             
Henrik didn
’
t hear; he had just turned a somersault in the water. By that time, Kurt had arrived, and they spent the next hour racing and splashing, standing on each other
’
s shoulders, and jumping off the end of a rickety dock that poked out into the bay.

             
“
I thought the girls were coming,
”
Henrik said, throwing another stick into the water for Hector to chase.

             
“
They
’
re slow.
”
Peter dangled his feet off the side of the dock.
“
And I
’
m getting hot again. Anyone for another race?
”

             
“
All the way across the bay,
”
joked Henrik.
“
I
’
ll give you a head start.
”

             
Peter knew his friend was kidding; Ho Bay was at least three miles across, and probably seven or eight miles from top to bottom. Still, Peter splashed out into the water once more and turned over onto his back.

             
“
What will you give me if I make it?
”
he yelled back at them, paddling out until he could no longer feel the floor of the bay under his feet.

             
Kurt answered, but it was too faint to hear. Henrik must have stayed on the dock, too, because Peter floated alone in the cool water. A couple of minutes later, he heard what sounded like someone yelling again, and he arched up his head to take a look.

             
“
Peter!
”
Kurt yelled from the dock. Peter had drifted farther than he thought
—
a few hundred yards
—
and the other two boys were waving him back. But before Peter could turn around, he heard a buzzing sound from another direction and looked up into the sky toward where the bay opened into the ocean. An airplane!

             
“
Hey, I
’
ll bet that
’
s Matthias,
”
Peter told himself as the little shape grew larger. He paddled in place while the plane came closer and buzzed the beach, and Peter recognized the familiar red outline of the seaplane with the twin aluminum pontoons. It was definitely Matthias Karlsson in his De Havilland.

             
Henrik and Kurt waved from the dock while Matthias made another pass, wheeled around, and came in low once more. He was obviously looking for the best way to land
—
for the right direction to come into the bay. Peter guessed he would land somewhere out where he was floating, then power in to tie up at the dock.

             
Don
’
t want him landing on my head
, he thought as he stroked hard to get back. The plane came in low one more time, then settled down perfectly with a dash of spray only a stone
’
s throw from where Peter was paddling. He waved from the water, but Matthias must not have noticed; the airplane headed directly for the dock.

             
By the time Peter neared the shore, he was too tired to yell. He paddled slowly and quietly toward the airplane, which had pulled up to the dock and blocked his view of everyone on the beach.

             
Strange
, Peter thought.
Why is everyone so quiet all of a sudden?

             
He was just about to reach the dock when he finally saw what was happening up on the shore. Peter stopped dead in the water and nearly choked.

             
There on the beach, the mysterious man who had been chasing them across the country was herding Elise down toward the plane. Mr. Broken Nose! Elise, in turn, dragged a scuffed brown suitcase across the beach. Peter was sure the gun the man held pointed at his sister was no toy.

             
“
Stay in the plane, Jew,
”
demanded Mr. Broken Nose in English. He looked around, snarled, and waved his pistol menacingly. Peter ducked down into the water like an alligator, with only his nose and eyes showing above the surface.

             
While Elise struggled down the dock with the suitcase, Henrik, Kurt, and Marianne huddled on the beach holding on to Hector. Matthias balanced between his plane and the dock and held up a hand.

             
“
Just let the girl go,
”
said Matthias, and then he switched over to a gravelly language Peter could not understand. While the men argued, Peter took a couple of swift strokes and tried to hide under the dock near where the plane had pulled in.

             
Above him, Peter could see Mr. Broken Nose and Elise through the cracks in the boards. And back on shore, Kurt must have been struggling to hold on to Hector.

             
“
Sit down, boy,
”
Kurt ordered in his huskiest voice.
“
NO!
”

             
From his hiding place under the dock, Peter peeked carefully around a post
—
just as Hector shook off Kurt
’
s hold on his collar and bolted down the beach toward the dock. Almost directly above him, Peter looked up to see Mr. Broken Nose turn and fire his pistol at the dog.

             
“
Hector!
”
Kurt yelled.

             
Marianne screamed, and the shot rang in Peter
’
s ears. Matthias shouted something in a different language at the man, who grabbed Elise by the arm.

17

T
ouch the Sky

             
Mr. Broken Nose laughed in a kind of evil, throaty gasp.
“
Excellent job, young lady,
”
he said in heavily accented English.
“
You led me straight to the Jew. Just what I
’
ve been waiting for you to do for last few weeks. Very good.
”

             
Peter ducked lower in the water as Mr. Broken Nose dragged Elise down the dock directly overhead.

             
“
And you, Jew, speak English now. Your Arabic is terrible.
”

             
“
What do you want?
”
Matthias
’
s voice bristled.

             
The other man laughed once more.
“
Just a ride, Karlsson. A ride out to your ship.
”

             
“
How do you know my name?
”

             
“
Matthias Karlsson? Jewish agent with Swedish name? We know everything we need to know about you. Your girlfriend. Your airplane. That dirty ship you have filled up with Jews for me.
”

             
“
You
’
re not going to get away with whatever you
’
re trying to do.
”

             
“
No? Maybe you will watch now as I do to the girl just like I did to the dog.
”

             
Peter couldn
’
t see Hector anymore, but he thought he heard a soft whimpering. He wanted to cry and shout at the same time but kept still.

             
“
Wait,
”
Matthias said.
“
Leave her alone.
”

             
“
Ah yes,
”
the other man answered.
“
I knew you would see it my way.
”

             
Elise said nothing, but Peter could see the bottoms of her shoes when he peeked up through the boards of the dock. If the dock were just a little lower, maybe he could reach up and grab the man
’
s ankle. Just then Elise looked down. Her eyes grew wide as she stared straight at Peter in the shadows. Peter held a finger to his lips, and she looked up.

             
“
Now you will take me to rusty ship,
”
continued the Arab.

             
“
What do you want with the ship?
”
Matthias asked.
“
What
’
s in this suitcase?
”

             
“
No more questions, Karlsson. I just hope you Jews swim good, because you and your cargo are not going to make it to Palestine. Now step in and start plane.
”

             
Elise hesitated, and the man shoved her forward.

             
“
Girl! Careful with suitcase. You don
’
t want to blow up too soon, eh?
”

             
“
Don
’
t be nervous, Elise,
”
Matthias told her in Danish.
“
Just do what he says.
”

             
“
No Danish!
”
screamed Mr. Broken Nose.
“
English only.
”

             
“
She
’
s scared,
”
replied Matthias, moving slowly toward the plane.

             
“
Scared?
”
Mr. Broken Nose laughed.
“
What
’
s to be scared?
”

             
“
Matthias,
”
Elise whispered, also in Danish.
“
My brother is in the water below us.
”

             
“
I said
...”
began the man, raising his arm to strike Matthias.

             
“
You hit me, and I can
’
t fly the plane,
”
Matthias said quickly.

             
Mr. Broken Nose only growled. When Matthias quickly switched over to Danish once more, Peter knew it was for his ears to hear.

             
“
Stay away, young man, do you hear?
”

             
Peter heard, but he had a plan. As Matthias stepped into the plane and started up the engine, Peter quickly ducked under the water and bobbed over to the pilot
’
s side. A quick glance over at the dock showed that Elise had been put aboard the plane, probably with the gun still pointed straight at her. As Mr. Broken Nose climbed aboard, Peter grabbed the top of the pontoon and hauled himself up, just under the door on Matthias
’
s side.

             
Peter hoped no one would feel him climbing on, but Matthias looked directly down at him with a scowl. As they taxied away from the dock, Peter did his best sign language to show his idea. They had to stop this man before he made it to the ship. Surely Matthias knew that. A ship full of homeless Jewish people was in great danger.

             
Matthias glanced down nervously a couple of times, then finally nodded as if he had just made a bid at an auction. Peter held on as the plane gathered speed over the still water of the bay.

             
Please let us be thinking the same thing
, Peter prayed desperately as spray hit him in the face like a ton of needles. It was all he could do to hold on, but he knit his fingers around a metal brace and locked himself in place. For a second, he looked back at the dock, and he thought he saw Henrik staring up at him, standing alone. Obviously, the man needed only one hostage.

             
Half a minute later, the plane cleared the water, and Peter breathed again as they climbed slowly out over the bay toward the ocean.

             
“
This is it, Matthias,
”
whispered Peter as he glanced up at the window once more. Matthias met his look, and Peter held up his right hand twice to show ten fingers, then made a tilting motion with his palm, as if his palm were the airplane. He prayed that Matthias got the idea. The man winked and turned back to his controls.

             
“
One, two
...”
Peter counted as he stretched from the left pontoon toward the right one, directly under Mr. Broken Nose. The roaring of the engine seemed more than loud enough to cover any sounds Peter made climbing around under there, but the water seemed very far away all of a sudden.

             
“
Three, four
...”
His feet dangled over the water below. They were just high enough to turn, but still low enough to see the water clearly. And he wasn
’
t sure he was going to be able to get to the other side without swinging across.

             
“
Five, six
...”
The powerful draft from the propeller caught him like a hurricane, and he lost his grip, slipping up to his armpits between two supports. The water seemed very far away, but he kept counting. He didn
’
t dare look back at the dock.

             
“
Seven, eight
...”

             
Get up!
He pulled himself back up and dove for the right pontoon, then swung his legs around and gripped the support just below the window on the other side of the plane. They were just high enough off the water by then to be able to turn without catching a wing tip in the waves below.

             
“
Nine, ten!
”
For a terrible instant, Mr. Broken Nose looked straight down at Peter, who was still clutching the airplane for his very life. For a split second, fire seemed to leap from the man
’
s coal black eyes as he understood that something was happening.

             
But there wasn
’
t even time to look back, for the plane lurched over on its side at that instant. With his last ounce of strength Peter reached up, grabbed the door handle, and yanked it open.

             
With a scream of surprise, Mr. Broken Nose flew out of his seat like a racehorse out of a starting gate, his arms and legs flying. Peter ducked his head and held on as a gunshot went off in his ear. He was afraid to look but had to see Mr. Broken Nose tumbling and screaming down to the bay. The suitcase tumbled after the falling man. Both skipped across the water a couple of times, like the rocks Peter and Henrik had thrown into Silkeborg Lake, then disappeared into the waves of the bay.

             
Quite a high dive
, thought Peter as the plane slowly straightened out and the door slammed shut once more.

             
Instead of holding steady, though, their plane lurched around in a kind of acrobatic turn, then wobbled above the waves.

             
I have to get in there
, Peter told himself. He wasn
’
t sure he had any strength left, but he reached up once more to open the door, pried it open, and climbed inside. He felt someone grab his wrist.

             
“
Peter, he
’
s shot!
”
screamed Elise.

             
Inside the plane was chaos. Somehow Elise managed to lean over the backseat to grab Peter; he tumbled inside and slammed the door behind him. Matthias gripped his bleeding shoulder, a mixture of pain and panic on his face. His eyes were nearly shut, and he gritted his teeth in agony.

             
“
Don
’
t faint again!
”
Peter cried. They still weren
’
t far above the ocean, and Peter knew what would happen if they slammed into the sea.

             
“
Peter, I don
’
t
...”
Matthias seemed to fight to keep his eyes open.
“
I can
’
t move my arm....
”

             
“
What do we do?
”
asked Elise, trying to hold Matthias up from behind.

             
“
Grab the steering stick, Peter.
”
It was barely a whisper, but Matthias was still awake and alive.

             
“
I
’
ve got it,
”
replied Peter, but all he had was his hand on the stick, and the plane continued bucking and rocking like a wild animal. Out the window, he could almost reach out and touch the ocean waves.

             
“
Peter, listen to me, in case I pass out again.
”

             
Peter nodded seriously.
“
I
’
m listening, Matthias.
”

             
“
All right, the other time was just a rehearsal. This time you
’
re really going to land us. You can do it.
”

             
“
But
—”

             
“
Just listen!
”
Matthias looked out the window.
“
I
’
ll try to work the feet controls, you work the stick. We go higher, turn around, and then back into the bay. Now, pull back on the stick until we start going up. Slowly!
”

             
Peter did as he was told, and they gained a little height. From the backseat, Elise tried to hold on to Matthias
’
s good shoulder so he wouldn
’
t fall over. She found a shirt for him to use as a sort of bandage, and he pressed it to his wound.