Chapter 20 #3
Pancho cut her off quickly. “Don’t do that to yourself. Before the race started, nobody had any reason to believe the threat in the telegram was real.” She cursed long and hard under her breath, eventually collecting herself enough to declare, “We can’t let these bastards kill us!”
Amelia dashed the tears off her cheeks and straightened her shoulders. “We can’t let evil win.”
“You’ve got to tell the others what you just told me,” Pancho said soberly. “They have a right to know.”
“I didn’t say anything at the time because I figured it was just aimed at me. I’m . . . fairly well-known.”
“Honey, you’re the most famous pilot in America. I doubt even Charles Lindbergh is as recognized as you.”
Amelia scowled, clearly not pleased about it, but didn’t disagree with her. Pancho stayed by Amelia’s side as she walked back to the rest of the pilots and repeated what she’d just told Pancho.
At the end of Amelia’s recitation, the other pilots all turned to Pullman.
He looked at them grimly. “Each of you must decide how much you are willing to risk for this derby.”
“Are you saying you can’t catch who is behind these attacks?” Amelia demanded.
“I’m doing my best, ma’am. But I’m one man and I don’t have the manpower to guard your planes, guard you ladies, collect evidence, and chase down saboteurs by myself. The evidence does point strongly to someone not wanting all of you to make it to the finish line.”
It was sobering to hear the threat stated so plainly. And by a lawman, no less.
“Are you telling us to quit?” Marvel asked in a small voice.
Pullman thought for a moment before saying, “You ladies are the embodiment of courage. I find myself admiring all of you. Hence, I will not insult you by pretending the dangers of continuing the race do not exist. They most certainly are real. The evidence suggests the safest thing you can all do is stop right here.” He reached up and touched the brim of his hat before he turned around and left them to make their own decisions.
Pancho looked around the airfield. She and the other women had retreated to the shade just inside the hangar as the temperature rose over one hundred degrees and kept on climbing.
They all sprawled on the concrete floor, dipping rags into buckets of water and wiping them on their faces, necks, and arms.
With the scorching heat and the wind kicking up, whipping sand about, most of the crowd had left. Only a few mechanics were still working, patching up the holes in Pancho’s plane, cleaning dirt out of Amelia’s engine, and inspecting Thea’s engine.
Pancho watched the men idly, concerned that even if the pilots and mechanics went over the planes with fine-tooth combs, they still might not catch everything the saboteurs had tried.
“I think . . . I think I will speak to the reporters now,” Thea declared abruptly.
Pancho bit back the protest that sprang to her lips. But dropping out was Thea’s choice to make.
“Are you sure, Thea?” Amelia asked soberly.
The German pilot nodded firmly.
Amelia reached out to stop her, but Pancho caught Amelia’s elbow, murmuring, “It has to be her choice.”
Amelia subsided, nodding sadly.
Thea walked over to the reporters clustered in the shade by the telephone boxes. “I have an announcement to make.” She paused, giving the members of the press time to pull out their notepads and cameras.
“Can’t you say something to her, Pancho?” Marvel implored.
“If it was just about the flying and there was no sabotage, I would say something. But this derby is turning out to be more dangerous than anything any of us has done before. Pullman has the right of it. Each of us is going to have to decide how much we’re personally willing to risk.”
Claire sighed and reached out to take her husband’s hand. They shared a long look with one another.
Claire had clearly decided to quit. Pancho couldn’t blame her. If she had a husband who loved her that much, she might be less inclined to take as many risks in airplanes as she did.
“What do you want to say, Miss Rasche?” one of the reporters asked.
Thea looked back at the women and locked gazes with Pancho. The German pilot nodded resolutely at her, and Pancho nodded back. Thea was certain about her decision.
“This stinks,” Marvel muttered under her breath.
Thea cleared her throat. “I have decided to continue with this air derby.” Thea took a deep breath before she continued. “However, I will no longer compete to win.”
“But it’s a race,” the reporter replied. “Don’t you think you’ve got what it takes to compete against American pilots?”
Pancho jumped forward beside Thea. “This derby has brought together pilots from around the world. This race is not about national borders. It’s about women pilots, all women pilots, demonstrating their flying skills to the world. Safety is the most important skill we have to show off.”
“Does your decision take into account the recent death of Miss Earhart’s flight partner?” another reporter called out.
Pancho heard Amelia’s low moan and the sound of her fellow aviators sucking in their breath. It was a cheap shot of a question. A low blow.
“Lady Lindy,” the same reporter called to Amelia. “After nosing over today, breaking your propeller, and your mechanic’s death, will you be dropping out of the race?”