Biggles and Son: Chapter 24.

by Sopwith

Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim to own, any of the Biggles series characters used in this work. This fan fiction was written for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered part of the official storyline.

Warning: Non canon type fan fiction works may contain severe time mix-ups and character deviations.

Algy had just taken the small pink gun from Sebastian’s fingers when he heard a shot ring out behind him, and, hard on its heels, a short cry of surprise or pain. He spun round at once.

The sight that greeted him was one that filled him with dread. Brechovich and Jane were running away from a crumpled figure on the ground. To be precise, Brechovich was running away from the figure, but now Jane had paused and appeared to be bending over, speaking to the figure.

The figure was Biggles.

And there was blood on his shirt.

The two thoughts came in quick succession of one another and for a moment Algy’s brain seemed to freeze over as he stared at the scene in front of him. Biggles had been shot, he thought numbly. Someone had shot Biggles.

His legs were carrying him over to Biggles without his being aware of it, and somehow he was on his knees with Biggles in his arms, staring down at the pale face of his best friend. “Biggles!” he cried. “Biggles, it’s Algy. Can you hear me?”

Biggles’ lips moved. For a minute nothing came out, and then, faintly, there were words. “Jane,” he whispered. “Get Jane.”

“All right,” said Algy soothingly. “All right, old son.” Jane was the last thing on his mind at the moment, but he dutifully promised, “I’ll get her. Just—”

“Go!” gasped Biggles, pushing at Algy’s shoulder with fingers that were coated in a film of blood. “Jane—”

And then his eyes closed and he said nothing more.

Algy gasped, shaking the limp figure in his arms. “Biggles!” he shouted. “Biggles, can you hear me? Biggles!” Biggles did not reply, and Algy was horrified to find himself choking back a sob as he stared at the pale lifeless face in front of him. “Biggles!” he shouted again, and then his words were drowned out by the low roar of an approaching aircraft.

&&&

The Piper swooped low over their heads, continued on, and then circled back for a clumsy landing that brought it to a halt within running distance from Biggles and Algy.

Even before the Piper’s run had finished, Ginger had already tumbled out of the machine, ignoring Bertie’s shouts behind him.

A curious scene greeted his eyes. Biggles and Algy were at the edges, Algy shouting and shaking the limp figure of Biggles in his arms. Closer at hand, a tall man in a suit was running towards a car. As Ginger watched, the back door of the car swung open and Sebastian tumbled out.

The man in the suit let out a shout and gave chase just as Sebastian began to run. “Stop!” cried the man furiously, waving the gun in his hand. “Boy! Stop!” A shot rang out, and then another one.

Ginger was torn between helping Sebastian or hurrying over to find what had happened to Biggles. Whilst he was pondering this decision, a pink-clad figure suddenly appeared in his line of vision, making him jump.

“Jane!” he gasped, in surprise. “What’s the matter?” he added, a split second later, as he realized that Jane appeared to be weeping profusely. “What happened?”

“Algernon!” sniffed Jane, making the name sound like a curse. “He told me he’d secretly been in love with me for years and then he kissed me and then he shot James!”

“What?” exclaimed Ginger, in horror. “Algy shot James—I mean, Biggles? Is he all right?”

“What does that matter?” snapped Jane, still crying. “Algernon assaulted me!”

Ginger was not interested in Jane’s woes. Breaking into a run, he rushed to where Biggles and Algy were. “Biggles!” he cried. “Biggles!”

Algy turned a stricken face towards him. “I think he’s passed out!” he said, in strangled tones. “The bullet hit him in the chest—”

“Why did you shoot him?” demanded Ginger, cutting Algy off.

“What?”

“You shot Biggles!”

“I did not shoot Biggles! Jane—”

“Jane didn’t have a gun!” snapped Ginger, suddenly catching sight of the pink gun in Algy’s hand. “Where did you get that? Is that what you shot Biggles with?”

“I didn’t shoot Biggles!”

“And you kissed Jane as well!”

“For the last time,” said Algy wearily. “She kissed me.”

“I say, old boy, who kissed who, what?” murmured Bertie, panting as he ran up to join them.

“It’s not import—” began Algy, but then, over Bertie’s shoulder he caught sight of Jane running towards the Piper with the determination of a woman about to do something drastic. “Jane!” he snapped, getting to his feet in a bound, shoving Biggles’ limp figure into Ginger’s arms. “Dash the woman, she’s going to steal the Piper!”

“Oh no, you don’t, you murderer!” cried Ginger, shoving Biggles into Bertie’s arms and rushing after Algy as Algy made a mad dash for the Piper. “You’re not getting away that easily!”

“Oh, I say!” murmured Bertie, staring after the two airmen and then back down at the still figure of Biggles now cradled in his arms. “Biggles?” he inquired, tentatively.

&&&

Jane flung herself into the Piper and into the pilot’s seat. She had just begun taxying out in preparation for takeoff when a second figure threw itself into the plane with wild abandon.

It was Algy.

“Don’t,” he warned. “Don’t you dare steal this plane, or I’ll—”

“What are you going to do?” asked Jane sweetly, without even bothering to turn around.

“I’ll shoot you for a start,” promised Algy, but his voice lacked conviction even to his own ears.

Jane raised an eyebrow and turned to look at him. “Really? With my gun that you’re holding? Don’t make me laugh, Mr. Algernon Lacey. There aren’t any bullets in it. Do you honestly think that I would leave my gun lying around for anyone to find if it wasn’t empty?”

Algy’s heart sank. He had never hit a woman in his life, and, sorely tempted as he was, he was not about to start. He realized that the Piper was now gradually rising into the air and his heart sank even further. “Here!” he protested. “You can’t do this sort of thing—”

Jane turned and graced him with a radiant smile. “Oh, don’t worry, darling,” she cooed. “Everything’s going to be all right.”

“Don’t call me darling,” said Algy.

“Why not?” asked Jane. “As far as everyone else is concerned, you and I have just eloped.”

Go to Chapter 25.

Go to Biggles and Son contents