Wings in the Dark Page #5

latest flash on Sheila Mason,

and ladies and gentlemen,

it"s not so good.

She is over the Atlantic

somewhere north of Boston,

but she has been out of touch

with every radio station

for more than an hour.

A heavy fog bank

covers the entire seaboard

and in order to get

to New York,

she will have to fly

without any visibility at all,

on account of those

head winds,

her gasoline supply

must be running mighty low.

We will now continue

our regular program,

but we will give you

the latest bulletins

as they come in.

Ken, where have you been?

Down the street,

listening to the radio.

You heard about Sheila?

Oh, it"s terrible.

Why, the fog is so low out

on that field a snake couldn"t

crawl under it.

Why did she make this flight?

Too late to talk

about that now, Mac.

L"ve got to get out

to the field.

What?

L"m going up in my ship

to bring her down.

You"re crazy, man!

All right, then watch

a crazy man do it.

They won"t let you

have the ship.

They"ve got to!

You"ve got to take me, Mac.

I can"t, Ken.

You"re in no shape to fly.

They may have ruined

the instruments, anything.

You might get killed.

That isn"t important anymore.

It"s Sheila"s only chance.

You got to help me.

Right?

Right.

Come on.

Hello, Boston.

Hello, Boston,

Sheila Mason calling Boston.

If you can hear me,

come back, please.

Mason standing by.

Hello, Mason.

Hello, Mason. Boston calling.

What is your position?

What is your position?

Boston standing by.

Go ahead, Mason.

Hello, Boston. Mason calling

Boston. Am uncertain

of my position.

Haven"t seen the ground

for the past two hours.

Am flying in and above

a heavy fog bank.

How is my signal strength?

Come back, please.

Come back, please.

Hello, Mason. Hello, Mason.

You"re coming in very strong.

RADIO MAN:
You must be

within 100 miles.

Here are

the weather reports...

(CLANKING)

Hello, Boston. Hello, Boston.

Come back, please.

Mason calling Boston.

Come back, please.

McNAMEE ON RADIO:

This is Graham McNamee again.

Here you are, ladies

and gentlemen. Another

bulletin on Sheila Mason.

Boston reports,

they"ve just got in touch

with her.

She said she was keeping

on toward New York,

but the fog is so thick

her situation

is almost hopeless.

She asked for her bearings,

but before Boston could reply,

they lost touch with her.

Please stand by.

Is this as fast

as this thing can go?

L"ve got her wide open, Ken.

Sheila Mason calling

Roosevelt. Sheila Mason

calling Roosevelt.

If you can hear me,

come back, please. If you can

hear me, come back, please.

After a sensationally

successful flight of over

5,000 miles,

during which she conquered

distance, winds and

North Atlantic storms,

Sheila Mason, girl flyer,

was apparently defeated

tonight within a few miles

of her goal,

by the aviator"s

greatest enemy, fog.

Yeah. Well, even if she could

find the field, she won"t

be able to land.

There"s the worst fog in years

all up and down the coast.

And, Al, you better send

a couple of cars out here

in a hurry.

I think l"ve got her!

L"ve contacted her.

Give me that.

Hello. Hello, Sheila.

Hello, Sheila. This is Nick.

Hello, Nick. Yes, this

is Sheila. L"m all right,

but where am I?

Can you hear me?

Can you hear my motor?

No, we can"t hear your motor.

Have you any idea

where you are?

No. L"ve lost my bearings,

and l"ve got gas

for another 20 minutes.

How"s the weather

at the field?

Lt"s zero-zero here.

The fog"s right down

the ground.

Listen, kid, forget the flight

and bail out.

Wait a minute, wait a minute,

let me have that.

What good will it do her

to jump?

Lt"s a hundred to one she"ll

fall in the Atlantic Ocean.

How does she feel?

How would you feel?

Hello, Sheila.

Sheila Mason.

Calling Sheila Mason.

Hello, Sheila.

Sheila, hello, Sheila!

L"ve lost her.

Here"s where they keep it.

Here you are, Ken.

It"s shortly after midnight,

the fog shows

no sign of lifting.

Sheila Mason"s situation

is becoming more hopeless.

Where"s Top Harmon?

Right here.

Ken Gordon broke into

the hangar to get

his plane out.

What?

He says he"s going up

to find Sheila Mason.

Well, why didn"t you stop him?

Well, tried

to tell you first.

Hold everything. Ken Gordon,

blind flyer, broke

into the hangar,

stole his plane

and is going up

after Sheila Mason.

Keep this wire open.

He mustn"t do it!

He"s crazy!

All set, Ken. You"re headed

straight down the runway

into the wind.

Get on that transmitter

and don"t stop talking.

Right.

(MEN YELLING)

Sorry, Top, but after all,

I got Sheila into this.

(BEEPING)

Sheila, Sheila, Ken speaking.

Can you hear me?

Ken.

Ken!

Yes, I can hear you.

Where are you?

In my plane 1,000 feet

over Roosevelt Field.

In your plane? Are you alone?

Yes, but everything

is working fine.

How much gas have you got?

Maybe 15 minutes.

Are you above the fog?

No, l"m trying to get

down under it.

All right.

Head due south, climb above

the fog and look

for me on top.

Right.

I can see you now, Ken.

Good, sit tight.

We"re only

about 20 miles away

from the field.

Pull up alongside.

Right.

L"m alongside now, Ken.

How close are you?

MASON ON RADIO:

Just above you on your right.

Fine. Follow me.

L"m following you, Ken.

KEN ON RADIO:
Keep as

close as you can

so you don"t lose me.

I will.

How do you feel?

A little tired.

We"ll be over the field

in a few minutes. L"ll have

to shut off my transmitter.

There isn"t much time.

L"ve got to

tell you something.

What is it, Ken?

I love you, Sheila.

It"s the first time

you ever told me that.

I couldn"t before.

I love you, Ken.

I loved you even before

I met you.

I want you to be happy, dear.

L"m so happy right now

I could cry.

L"m not even tired anymore.

Ken, if we get through,

you"ll have proved your ship

and then maybe you and I...

No.

No, we can"t plan

beyond, this.

Ken, what are you saying?

Listen, dear,

there isn"t much time to talk.

L"ve lost my courage.

I can"t go on. I can"t.

Even if I get my ship back,

what"s the use if I can"t

see the clouds and the moon

and the stars?

I won"t be able to see you.

But we"ll make up

for all that.

No, Sheila.

L"m going to take you down

and then, l"m going on until

it"s too late to turn back,

l"m taking my ship with me.

Ken!

Ken!

Steady, Sheila.

One, two, three, four,

five, six, seven, eight.

MAC ON RADIO:
One, two...

We"re over the field now.

One, two, three...

We"re gonna take a dive

into this now.

One, two, three...

Keep close to me but be

careful that we don"t tangle

in this soup.

I can"t talk anymore now.

Ken! Ken!

You can"t do it.

You can"t do it!

Cut your motor.

Ken!

Ken, don"t!

(CROWD TALKING)

I won"t let you do it!

L"m going to stop you!

(CRASHING)

(SIREN BLARING)

Ken.

Sheila!

Miss Mason, Miss Mason, will

you say a few words to

the radio audience, please?

She"ll tell you

all about it later.

Watch out!

Sheila, dear, you"re sure

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