Chapter 2
Jeannie's eyes flashed wide open as the metallic, gurgling roar of the failing left engine cut the silence of the night like an insane banshee.
Tom quickly looked at his watch. "It's 2:30 A.M. We must be somewhere over Louisiana."
Ron swiftly woke up Patty.
"What is it? What's wrong!" the beautiful brunette asked.
"We're having engine trouble," Ron said to his wife, who was still dressed in her jersey and jeans because of the severe coldness of the air inside the plane.
"All right!" Tom said as he watched the engine pressure gauge chop like a shooting star. "Everyone get an emergency suit and parachute. It looks like we're going down!"
Everyone scrambled for the life-saving utility suits and the fluorescent orange parachutes.
Suddenly, everyone was dressed and ready, anxiously awaiting instructions from Tom.
"I'll try to send an s.o.s.," Tom said.
Before the brave youth could set his radio into operation, there was a deafening explosion and a tongue of flame licked its way around the cockpits' window.
"Can't make it to the radio! We'll use the flares when we get on the ground!"
The three nervously listened to Tom's instructions.
"O.K.," he said, "We'll jump in this order. Tom, Patty, Jeannie and me. Everyone here has jumped before, so there's no problem in pulling the cords or jumping. The only thing that's going to be a little different is the fact that I don't have any idea what's down there. Remember, if we get separated, use the flares and your emergency kit.
The fire exploded into the cabin and the last thing Jeannie remembered before she was flung out into the loneliness of the morning sky was the sight and sounds of the entire airplane coming completely apart.
As Jeannie pulled her rip cord and her chute fanned out above her like a giant mushroom, she was intensely terrified at the fact that some of the debris from the ill-fated airplane would come hurtling down upon her from the frightening darkness above!
As she floated to the earth, Jeannie could see absolutely nothing around her. It was like falling through a hole in the middle of the earth. She knew that sooner or later she would be coming into contact with solid ground and would be in considerable danger unless she had at least an idea of where the earth was.
Jeannie fumbled in the nylon zip-pocket of her utility vest and removed a small, but powerful beam flashlight. She flicked it on and yes ... there it was! The earth was moving closer and closer to her, and she just managed to tense her lithe young body into landing position in time! She quickly unbuttoned her parachute and let it blow away in the black stillness.
Suddenly, Jeannie heard the flutter of another parachute and aimed her flashlight directly above her to see the fan-like form of a chute and body heading straight for her.
"Watch out!" Jeannie screamed to the form above. "You're coming to earth, fast! Get ready to land.
The figure above came into swift contact with the earth and immediately unleashed the billowing parachute which threatened to pull the small human form off into the darkness, so powerful was the wind.
Jeannie shined her flashlight into the face of the figure; it was Patty.
Both girls looked anxiously at the sky and both of them trailed their flashlights across the dark expanse, but the floating forms of their husbands did not emerge from the blue-blackness above them.
"Where are Tom and Ron?" Patty almost whined. "Why aren't they with us? They jumped out when we did? Do you suppose something's happened?"
Jeannie tried to remain calm and reassuring in front of Patty, but secretly, she was more than a little scared.
"It's all right," Jeannie told Patty.
"An air current has just probably blown them away from us. Don't forget. They have flares. They'll try to signal us. Everything will be all right."
A preliminary scan of Jeannie's flashlight revealed that the two girls had landed in a hilly region. The underbrush was thick and dense, and there were no sounds of civilization, only the chirping of crickets and belching of frogs.
"We'll just have to stick it out," Jeannie said.
The two girls huddled close in the dark silence.