“The Americans must have decided they were going to need it and did not bomb it,” von Wachtstein said matter-of-factly. “Now, let’s see if we can find the airport. You have the tower frequency?”
Von Wachtstein shoved the throttles forward and raised the nose of the Constellation as Clete dialed in the radio.
“Frankfurt Air Base, this is South American Airways Double Zero Four.”
There was no response after several calls.
“Take us to five thousand feet, Peter. l’ll try another frequency.”
“Going to five thousand.”
“Frankfurt, South American Double Zero Four.”
There was no answer on the new frequency.
“Clete, we have company,” von Wachtstein announced.
Clete looked past von Wachtstein and saw a twin-tailed Lockheed P-38 fighter.
It was so close that Frade could count seven swastikas—signifying seven kills—painted on the nose. Next to those was the picture, a drawing, the image of something else. It looked like an automobile with crossed lines going through it.
What the hell is that?
He shot down seven German airplanes and a convertible?
The pilot was holding up a piece of cardboard with numbers lettered on it with a grease pencil.
Clete tuned the radio to the frequency on the piece of cardboard.
He keyed the microphone: “Hello, there, Little Brother. You’re our welcoming committee?”
“Constellation aircraft, make an immediate, repeat, immediate one-hundred-eighty-degree turn to the right, maintaining altitude.”
“Why should we do that?”
“Because I said so, goddammit! Commence one-eighty now!”
“Do it, Peter,” Clete ordered.
Von Wachtstein cranked the yoke hard to the right.
“If one of our diplomats was taking a leak,” Clete said, “he just pissed all over the wall. Or himself.”
“Constellation, maintain course and altitude.”
“Little Brother, could you point us toward the Frankfurt Air Base? And give me the tower frequency?”
“You are on a course for Rhein-Main,” the P-38 pilot announced. “Do not deviate from this course.”
“And the tower frequency?”
The P-38 pilot gave it.
“Frankfurt Rhein-Main, this is South American Double Zero Four.”
“South American Double Zero Four, Rhein-Main. Be advised that there is a flight of four P-38 aircraft in your vicinity. They will guide you to the field. Begin descent to three thousand now.”
“South American Double Zero Four commencing descent to three thousand.”