The Royal Resistance

Chapter 11

She inched back from the opening doors, the deafening sound of her pulse becoming louder. Down below, she could see a blue snake encircling various brown squares, occasionally cut off by a line running from one side of it to another - bridges. The heavy bag on her back weighed her down, the intertwining britches making it hard to walk inside the cargo hold.

The general said something to her but she couldn't hear amidst the howling wind, "WHAT?" She shouted back.

"ARE YOU READY?!" He repeated, nodding his head towards the plane door that was now fully open, revealing nothing but dark clouds and dozens of small suns amidst the city of Toulouse.

"FOR WHAT?" Even though they had explained that the quickest way to get into Vichy-controlled France was to parachute down, Maria still hadn't wrapped her head around the fact that that involved jumping out of a plane.

"THE JUMP! HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN ALREADY?" He approached her, shaking his head. The general sighed, "The Douglas C-47 Skytrain has an opening on the side meaning that we jump that way," he pointed to the sky, "and right now it's time to go!"

"Into the air? I don't think I'm qualified for this! Shouldn't I be trained?!" Maria shouted, her back pressing against the opposite wall of the plane.

"Look, ara Mar- Agent Math," Agent 004 sighed exasperated on her other side, "it's simple! You see this metal line?" She said fingering it on her own Quick Attachable Chest parachute, "this is the rip cord pin. Once you jump out of the plane, say '1000, 2000, 3000, check canopy' and pull the metal cord attached to it. You're parachute will deploy and pull you back hard. Got it?" Maria struggled to form a sentence, her multiple emotions flooding her senses. "GOT. IT?" She sensed a slight annoyance coming from the agent, although she could tell the girl was trying hard to suppress her usual biting remarks.

"I-I g-got it." She stammered, managing to get the words out. "A-agent-" a siren cut through the atmosphere, its accompanying red light started flashing next to the doorway.

"Time to go, now ara!" Agent 004 said approaching the open door, "Go to it!" Were the last words Maria heard before the girl disappeared in the night. The royal screamed.

"Where is she?!"

"She's fine." Garbo said from the corner. He stepped up to the window, the wind flapping his collar violently around him, making the dark shadows that were creeping up his neck waver. He jumped, "Go to it!" Maria's mouth dropped open and she shook her head.

"No. There is absolutely no way I can do that."

She felt the General's satisfied smirk beside her, "I told you she wouldn't do it. This is not work for a royal." And with that he fell onto Toulouse, "Go to it!"

Maria watched as James, the only other person in cargo hold, approached the edge, "are you going to?"

"We're all going Ma-" he hesitated, "Maria you know what to do. I'll go behind you, come on."

She shook her head, "really it's ok, I'll just help Monsieur pilot the plane." Her feet seemed to not have heard her as they brought her involuntarily forwards towards the plane door.

James held out his hand and she took it, her nails gripping into his skin. Their hands shook violently in the cold winter air. "You don't know how to pilot a plane."

"I'll figure it out, I seem to be quite good at that." She paused, her eyes flickering up to his for a second, "alright. I'll parachute down, but I go after you."

His eyes crinkled in response with a smile, "I know you think you can't do it, but you are capable of greatness." He repositioned himself to be in front of the door and the royals shoulders slumped down for the first time ever. She exhaled relieved that she'd gotten away with her plan and wouldn't have to jump after all. "Oh and Maria?" James looked at her.