He half expected the guard would start shooting, but he didn't.
Hetty Collins came out. She looked at Harry, then at Lewin, her face pale, but Harry could see she was a lot less scared than he was.
“A woman's fainted up there. I'll give you a hand with her, he said. “I want her out of here.”
He walked up the gangway and got hold of the woman in the mink coat and carried her to the exit door. He handed her down to two of the men passengers, then dropped on to the sand and helped Hetty down.
“Get clear of the aircraft,” he said to the crew while Lewin stood above him in the doorway, covering them with his gun.
“Get the passengers away. When we're through you can come back and radio for help.”
The crew got the passengers organized and led them across the sand away from the aircraft. Two of the men passengers carried the woman in the mink coat; the crew helped McClure.
Sam Meeks ran up, gun in hand. His thin, rat-like face showed his excitement.
“Gee! I thought she was going to crack up when you landed her,” he said. “What's cooking?”
“Plenty,” Lewin snarled. “There's a trigger-happy guard in there with the diamonds. He's already plugged Ted.”
Meeks' mouth dropped open. Harry saw fear jump into his eyes. He had guessed right. Meeks wasn't going to be any use in tackling the guard.
II
Franks dragged himself out of his seat and came over to the doorway. He leaned his weight against the side of the door and looked down at Harry and Meeks.
“That punk's like a streak of lightning,” he said. “I went in there with my rod in my hand and I shot at him. He got his gun out and he was firing before I got my sight on him. You're not going to take him in a hurry.”
Lewin said viciously, “I’ll take him! He's not going to stop me getting my hands on three million bucks worth of rocks.”
Harry looked at Meeks.
“Stay here and watch that bunch over there. You got the ignition key of the car?”
“Yeah,” Meeks said, backing away to watch them.
Harry swung himself up into the aircraft.
“We can't be long about this,” he said to Lewin. “The radio operator is supposed to send out signals every so often. They'll start looking for us if they don't get a signal soon.”
“I'll get the door open,” Lewin said. “You keep out of the line of his fire. Ted, you'd better get out of here.”
“I'm sticking,” Ted snarled, his face twisted with pain. “If I get a sight of that sonofabitch I'll fix him.”
Lewin made his way up the gangway. Harry followed him.
When they reached the door leading into the galley, they stepped between the seats on either side of the door.
Pushing his gun forward, Lewin took hold of the handle, turned it and let the door swing open. He fired a shot down the passage, then leaned forward, took a quick look and jerked back.
“He's not there.”
Harry's heart sank. That meant the guard had gone through into the luggage bay, making it even more tricky to get at him.
“He's in the luggage bay,” he said. “You stay here. I'll go to the loading door. It opens from outside. Give me two minutes to get the door open. I'll draw his fire while you rush the passage and get the luggage-bay door open.”
Lewin nodded.
Harry went down to the exit door. As he passed Franks he saw he had slumped down in his seat, his head had fallen forward.
He was breathing heavily, but he still held on to his gun.
Harry dropped to the ground.
Meeks was standing nearby watching the group of passengers and crew who made a black puddle of shadows on the white sand some two hundred yards away.
His heart thumping, his mouth dry and sour, Harry ran along the side of the aircraft to the loading door. He reached up and caught hold of the lever that held the door shut. He pushed it up and ducked low as the heavy door swung open.
Cautiously he peered into the luggage bay. His hand was shaking so badly he could scarcely hold the gun.
The luggage bay was empty!
Even as he stared, even as he realized the guard was not hiding in the bay, the crash of gunfire within the aircraft startled him and he nearly dropped his gun.
He then knew what had happened. The guard had fooled them.
He had been either hiding in the galley or in the toilet.
Harry turned cold. Had the guard nailed Lewin? He swung around in time to see Meeks, his eyes bulging, his face ghastly in the moonlight, jerk up his gun. Another gun barked from the doorway of the aircraft, a yellow flash lit up the darkness.
Meeks was flung back as the slug caught him between his eyes, scattering his brains and smashing his skull.
Harry saw a shadowy figure in the doorway. He recognized the flat peak cap and he fired wildly. The guard fired back and Harry felt the slug fan past his face. He dropped on hands and knees and tried to take cover under the aircraft.
He could see the guard as he leaned out of the aircraft. The moonlight glittered on his gun. This is it, Harry thought. He's going to nail me. He shut his eyes, squeezing himself further down in the sand.
There came the choked bang of a gun from inside the aircraft.
Harry flinched. He opened his eyes in time to see the guard drop his gun and fall forward, landing on the sand with a thud.
For a long moment Harry stared stupidly at the body of the guard, then he slowly got to his feet. Franks appeared in the doorway of the aircraft. He leaned against the doorpost. Harry could hear his laboured breathing from where he crouched.
As Harry began to move forward, Franks fired again at the guard. .
“I got him!” he panted. “I said I would. The punk went right by me. He didn't see me.”
Harry went to the guard and turned him over with his foot.
The sight of the dead, set face made him feel sick.
“Get the rocks!” Franks gasped. “I can't hold on much longer. Hurry!”
Pulling himself together, Harry climbed into the aircraft.
“I want you out there to watch that bunch,” he said. “I'll give you a hand down.”
He helped Franks on to the sand and propped him up against the wheel of the aircraft. The effort was too much for Franks.
His head dropped on to his chest and his fingers let go of his gun.
Harry looked across at the passengers. One of them was standing up.
“Sit down!” he yelled, and, raising his gun, he fired a shot over the man's head. He hurriedly sat down.
Harry shook Franks.
“Hang on! Watch them!”
Franks grunted, took hold of his gun that Harry pressed into his hand and mumbled something.
Harry scrambled into the aircraft and ran down to the galley.
He found Lewin lying in the passage, shot through the back of his head. He didn't have to turn him to know he was dead. He opened the door into the luggage bay and stepped inside. It took him a few moments to find the small, square-shaped box. When he tried to open it, he found it was locked.
Holding it under his arm, he jumped down on to the sand.
Then he ran over to where Meeks lay. He went through his pockets until he found the key of the car.
Returning to Franks he found he was now lying face down on the sand. Harry bent over him and dragged him upright. Franks was breathing heavily. He was unconscious, his arm sodden with blood.
Leaving him, Harry ran to the car, put the steel box on the front seat, got in the car and started the engine. He drove over to the aircraft. Leaving the engine running, he got out and went to Franks. He hauled him to his feet, tipped him over his shoulder and staggered with him to the car. He got him in the back, slammed the door and slid under the driving wheel.
He bad a twenty-five mile drive to Sky Ranch airport: a good, straight road, flanked on either side by sandhills. The brilliant light of the moon made his headlights unnecessary. He slammed in the gear, let in the clutch and sent the car streaking across the sand to the road.