The China Clipper

The China Clipper bobbed at its moorings at the wharf, its engines were shut off and its normally bright aluminum skin was dulled from the pelting of an incessant rain. The large seaplane had just come from Manila that morning and was awaiting orders at the Pan Am reserved birth at end of a long pier. A man in a white cap looked anxiously out the window of the cockpit and gazed at the lines of people on the pier standing in the rain. He then glanced down at the dirty river covered in mist as the heavy raindrops pounded it. The Wang Poo was busy today with dozens of sampans and launches buzzing about, all of them full of people, all of them desperate.

The whole port area of Shanghai was a dangerous place to be at this time in history just before the Japanese were about to invade. Inside the gates, long lines of people boarded their assigned ships, yet the Clipper was expecting only a few passengers. On orders of the State Department it was reserved for the US Consul and his family and aides, but something was wrong. Captain Jack Flynn pulled his head back inside, wiped his face, and looked at his watch.

"There're late," he said. He could hear the mass of people at the gates not far away. Myra Hendon, the second officer, looked at her watch too. They exchanged anxious glances.

"Jack, we have to leave in a half hour or we won't make our rendezvous with the refueling ship," Myra said.

"I know Myra, but we have our orders." Jack looked again and wondered how long before that crowd burst the gates and came for them.

At the front gate harried customs officials were trying to stamp exit visas as fast as they could to get as many people on the steamships as possible. The atmosphere was tense; the Japanese had dropped leaflets telling the city to surrender and reports from the north said there were warships in the Yangzee and an army in ships heading their way. This news scared the city badly and hundreds of desperate Westerners with papers and thousands of Chinese without papers were trying to enter the harbor, however they were blocked by what remained of the Shanghai police force. It was an anxious time for everyone, especially those outside the port gates milling about in the nervous crowd.

Sam and Adeline were among those outside, hemmed in by the thick crowd plus they were being knocked back and fourth by the mass of panicky people. Adeline looked around anxiously. The mob was growing angrier and more desperate by the minute. They had to get through that gate!

Echoing Adeline's thoughts, Sam shouted over the noise and the hiss of rain hitting pavement, "The situation is almost out of control, we've got to get past or the plane will leave without us!"

"I know! I'm trying to hold on to our cases, but I'm afraid they will be torn loose in this mess," cried Adeline as another hand grabbed her coat sleeve and her hat was knocked away. She stood out in the crowd, a pretty blond haired American in a sea of dark-haired Chinese. Sam was even taller than Adeline and was somewhat protected from the elements by a trench coat and slouch hat.

"Do you have the letters of transit in your coat pocket?" shouted Sam over the din.

"Yes, but I don't know if I can even keep that on!"

"Do your best honey, if we can get to the Clipper I know the co-pilot and she'll let us on."

Suddenly loud gunfire sounded on the road and a large black saloon car careened through the crowd with female outriders on the fenders firing pistols in the air! As it passed Sam looked inside and saw Madam Feng and several of her man-girls in the back seat. Feng saw them at the same time. The old witch said something to her tough girls and they aimed their pistols at Sam and Adeline.

"Duck!" said Sam. Several shots were fired and screams heard around them. Several women and a child fell to the ground wounded, spattering blood on the pavement. The black car kept going, but Sam managed to pull out a small automatic and took a shot at the fleeing car. One of Feng's guards clutched her chest and fell off and the mob tore her to pieces in seconds.

"Are you OK," said Sam.

"Yes, but what are we going to do?"

"I don't know yet, but let's follow Feng's car and see what happens."

The large car plowed through the crowd injuring more people too old or slow to move away, but the crowd fought back and began pelting the car with fists and shoes. Its momentum brought it to the gate where it crashed through the barrier and onto the pier, knocking anyone in its way up in the air, including the police guards! The crowd shouted in triumph and the mob streamed into the port, running for any ship in sight, Sam and Adeline with them. The last Sam saw of old M. Feng was of her being dragged out of her car and falling to the ground under scores of feet.

The men on the ships saw the commotion and raised their gangplanks in desperation cutting off the scores of legitimate passengers and stranding them on the dock. The mob passed the ships like a flood and spilled down the pier. The mass of people screaming and running, desperate in their fear headed straight for the Clipper! Jack saw the horde and jumped in the pilot's seat quickly, Myra just beside him.

"Cast off, cast off!" shouted Jack.

Jimmy, the steward, threw off the mooring ropes and the clipper drifted away from the dock a few feet. That did not stop the desperate crowd as it surged to the edge of the pier and spilled over it; many were pushed into the fetid river and some just jumped into the water and swam for the plane.

"Yikes! Myra, start the engines!" shouted Jack.

"You aren't going to leave?" said Myra as she hit the start buttons. The huge engines sputtered to life with a roar.

"No, of course not, but we need to get out into the river. Take over!" shouted Jack as he watched a big man grab for a wing float.

He jumped from his seat. As Jack ran down the aisle he grabbed a pistol from the locker. He opened the door and aimed the gun at the desperate man on the wing. He pulled the trigger twice, the large pistol making a huge noise and the man fell back into the water dead. Jack ran up and hopped into his seat. He pushed the throttles forward and with an even louder roar the powerful engines jerked the sleek Clipper forward and it pulled away from the dock leaving dozens of people floundering in the water.

Back on the pier Adeline and Sam were pushed to the side of a warehouse by the tide of humanity rushing past them. An overhang sheltered them from the worst of the downpour.

"Let's go inside and wait for them to pass," said Sam. Adeline opened a large door and Sam went in pulling Adeline inside too. The place was dark and filled with cargo and rubbish.

"Lets try the other side to see if there's a way out?" They walked to the waterside of the large building, and then saw a small door, which they opened.

"Look there," and Adeline pointed to a narrow set of steps leading down to the river. Taking that route, the two Americans went under the pier to a small platform.

"I guess that's our way out," said Sam nodding toward a small rowboat tied there. Clambering into the little boat was not easy with their cases, but they managed, then they rowed under the pier toward where they thought the Clipper was moored.

"It's gone!" said Sam in desperation.

"Look!" said Adeline and pointed to the Clipper out in the river, its engines running, pulling away.

Sam began waving desperately and fired the pistol repeatedly into the air. A hand waved to them from the plane's window urging them to follow. Sam and Adeline rowed for their lives and followed the plane, but it was gaining. Dozens of people in the water swam for their boat and they were almost swamped, but pulled away in time.

Finally reaching the craft as it stopped in mid-river, Sam and Adeline rowed to the open door and they heaved themselves inside with help from Jimmy and Myra. "Is it the Consul?" shouted Jack from the cockpit.

"No Jack, it's my friend Sam and another American," said Myra as Sam hugged her. Myra gave an approving glance at the comely blond Adeline, "and she's a very nice looking American too. So are you Sam." Sam smiled back at Myra and flashed her a wide grin.

"Lets get going!" said an irritated voice from the front, "We can't wait!"

The plane hopped and bounced on the waves and finally took off heading up the Wang Poo River, the same one from which Sam and Adeline started their journey several weeks ago. When they leveled off Sam took off a disheveled wet trench coat and sat next to Adeline. They laid their heads back on the cushions, closed their eyes, and relaxed for the first time in many days.

"I hope this adventure is my last for awhile," said Sam as she pulled off a wet hat. Her long brunette hair spilled out onto her shoulders. Adeline felt the same, but knew another mission would come up, and she was fine with that as long as she was with her lover, the beautiful Sam. Adeline held Sam's hand, the hand of the most dangerous female spy the United States had in this part of the world. Adeline closed her eyes and drifted off too.