A Higher Call

by Adam Makos

The field was rough, with white patches where ground crewmen had filled in craters. They called the struggle “the battle between shovel and bomb.” Steinhoff’s jet lurched then rolled forward, gaining speed by the second. The others followed him. About three-fourths of the way along the runway he had nearly reached the required 120 miles per hour to liftoff, when his left tire exploded. His jet veered violently left into the Count’s lane. The Count was lifting into the air as Steinhoff’s left landing gear collapsed. Steinhoff’s left engine and wing slapped the earth. His plane bounced into the air from the impact, flying momentarily on borrowed time. Franz ran to the shack’s doorway. He and the others saw Steinhoff’s plane pitch into the air. They saw the nose of the Count’s plane about to fly into the tail of Steinhoff’s. But just before they could collide, Steinhoff’s jet fell heavily downward. The wheels of the Count’s jet skimmed just past Steinhoff’s tail. In the split second as his plane dropped, Steinhoff prepared to crash. He pulled hard on his shoulder straps, drawing his body into his seat. He knew that if he was knocked unconscious, he would burn to death. In front of the cockpit lay a fuel tank holding 198 sloshing gallons of kerosene. Behind him sat another 330 gallons. Below his feet rested a third tank of 37 gallons. Steinhoff’s jet slammed to earth. The impact stripped both of the jet’s engines as the machine slid, leaving the engines behind. Steinhoff heard...