"We'll have to move back or get blasted ourselves," Allison called, breaking into a run.
Shells were exploding close to them, kicking dirt over them, and the barrage was swinging toward them. Overhead the plane was coming in. It roared over their heads a few feet above the barrage.
"Overshot it!" Tony yelled. "Now he'll have to try again."
"And the Germans are coming!" Stan yelled. "Get set with the machine guns!"
When a shell burst close to Allison, he stopped running. Suddenly he shouted, "He's fooled them! He's set down at the far edge of the field!"
Sure enough, the plane had landed almost at the edge of the woods. It was swinging around. They all ducked and raced toward it. Stan got there first and was greeted by O'Malley's voice from the plane.
"Sure, an' you got out the band for a welcome!"
"As soon as they spot the flare of your exhausts the welcome will get hotter!" Stan shouted back.
Loading up was only a matter of seconds, but the Germans on the hill and those charging down into the field had the Mosquito located and began pounding the lower end of the field. O'Malley headed into the barrage and hopped her off without getting a direct hit. They circled overhead and then swung south. Stan was seated across from O'Malley.
"Have a nice trip?" O'Malley asked with a grin.