A Partisan's Fight - COMPLETED!

Chapter Eighty-Five

Content Warning: Language

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"You are flying too low! Watch out for the tree!" Aldrik yelled at Markus. The plane nicked the tip of a tall pine tree, scraping the bottom of the biplane.

"Stop yelling!" Markus clenched his jaw, pulling at the steering wheel to elevate the plane. "This is not as easy as it looks."

"You are flying a plane, Markus, it is not that difficult." Aldrik shook his head, staring out the window at any more dangers coming their way. He white knuckled the edges of his seat, bracing himself as if they were getting ready for impact.

"If it is not that difficult, Aldrik, then you fly the damn plane." Letting go of the steering wheel, Markus looked over at Aldrik and shrugged. If criticizing his every move were so important then he'd love to see Aldrik do it better.

Aldrik's eyes widened, reaching over for the wheel to keep the plane up in the sky. "Fuck! Quit playing games, Markus!"

"Not until you admit that you cannot fly a plane and promise to quit badgering me about my flying." Markus watched Aldrik, waiting for a response. Sweat beaded along his hairline as the brief few seconds felt like an eternity. He could feel the plane threatening to nose dive and see Aldrik fighting to keep it up.

"Fine! I admit that I do not know how to fly a plane. I will stop picking on you. Just fly the damn plane!" He looked up at Markus frantically. Aldrik was a great many things, frantic was not one of them. It was not a good look for him.

Reaching out, Markus took the steering wheel back in hand. "It is about time you showed me a little appreciation."

Running a hand through his hair, Aldrik glanced at him, his eyes narrowed. "Do not ever do that again."

"What?" Markus looked over at him, pulling his hands from the steering wheel. "This?"

Eyes widening, Aldrik reached back for the steering wheel.

Laughing, Markus grabbed the wheel before Aldrik could touch it. "Relax. I'm not planning on intentionally crashing us."

Muttering a string of curses, Aldrik looked out his window. The landscape floated by below them. Everything seemed so peaceful until they flew across destroyed towns and broken homes; the remains and reminders of war.

Their silence filled the plane as the journey extended over the country that held so many memories --- both pleasant and brutal. Scars ran deep reminding both men of the experiences they'd endured.

"What happens if we're spotted by the military?" Markus gave Aldrik a sidelong glance, his voice serious and brows furrowed. "And don't say shot down. That seems too easy."

Shrugging, Aldrik looked up from the map he'd been scouting. "I did not peg you for someone who liked to be lied to. What do you want me to say?"

Sighing, Markus shrugged. Aldrik was right, he didn't like to be lied to, but the alternative in this situation didn't seem too incredible right now either. "What's our plan when we get near Switzerland? Will they let us fly into their airfields?"

Pinning him with a look, Aldrik shook his head, looking back at the map. "Nope."

"What do you mean by nope?" Markus's eyes narrowed as his brows furrowed, that single word left a bitter taste in his mouth and a bad feeling in his gut.

"I mean they will not let us land there. That is why we are jumping from the plane as close to the border as possible." He looked up from the map at him. "Assuming we don't get shot down."