THE RETURN OF THE ROCKETEER
Based on the movie "The Rocketeer"

Chapter Four

When Cliff came to, he saw Peevy standing over him with a concerned look on his face. Behind him, Goose, Malcolm and the others talked amongst themselves and pointed at him. When he sat up, they stopped talking and stared at him.

"You okay, Clifford?" Peevy asked as he supported his back.

Cliff nodded and blinked blood out of his eyes.

"Oh God, My head," he said as he put his hand behind his head.

He winced when he felt a bump. Suddenly his eyes widened and he looked around.

"Where's Jenny?" He asked, worried.

Peevy handed him a note.

"We found this on the ground next to you," he said grimly.

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Cliff took the note and read it,

Bring the rocket pack and the plans to the address listed below. Do not let anyone follow you and no funny business or Miss Blake dies.

1243 Oceanview Drive.

Los Angeles

Cliff closed his eyes. He couldn't believe it. It was happening again. Just like before with Sinclair. He wished the whole world would leave him and Jenny alone and build their own rocket packs. Groaning, he struggled to get to his feet assisted by Peevy and Goose. They helped him back to their hangar and sat him down on a chair. As Peevy got him a glass of water, he looked at him.

"I gotta go, Peev. I gotta rescue Jen."

Peevy sighed as he handed him the glass of water.

"Clifford, it’s a trap. They want you to come."

Cliff nodded.

"I know, but I can't let them kill Jen. I'd rather die with Jen than let her die alone,” he said as he sipped the water.

Peevy nodded. He knew he couldn't stop Cliff. He was right, even if it was a trap; he had to try to rescue Jenny. He just hoped he was successful because this time around there would be no Howard Hughes and his autogiro to save them.

Cliff finished his water and stood up. He was still a bit dizzy from the blow to the head, but he didn't care. He had to reach Jenny before something happened. He grabbed the new rocket pack and strapped it around his waist locking the clasp with a small click. Grabbing a gun from the table, he shoved it in the back of his jodhpurs along with the schematic. As Peevy gave him some last minute instructions on all the improvements and how to work them, Cliff nodded and grabbed his helmet. Sliding it down over his head, he wrinkled his nose at the metallic smell. He grinned though, as he fastened the leather strap under his chin. He had really missed flying and the feel of the wind around him and the thrill of flying fast high above the ground. Motioning the others to stand back, he walked out into the airfield and looked up at the sky. His thumbs squeezed on the buttons on each side and with a roar, he felt himself rise up into the air. His stomach momentarily dropped to his feet as he lurched up, but once he steadied out, he felt better. He mashed the accelerator button down and grinned as he felt himself zoom through the clouds. He positioned his rudder so that he turned towards the address, which he knew was a pier about 30 miles from the airfield.

At the speed he was going, it only took a few minutes to reach it. He let off on the accelerator and as he began to slow down, he noticed the black sedan from the other night parked near a dock where a seaplane was resting. Cliff let up on the accelerator some more and began to bring his body into an upright position. He hovered for a moment in mid air before he started to descend to the ground. As he looked down, he could see a couple of people getting out of the sedan and looking up at him. He saw with dismay that neither one was Jenny. He kept letting up on the accelerator until he landed on the pier in front of the men with a small thump and cut the gas. The men stared at Cliff, unsure of what to do. Cliff cleared his throat.

"Where's Jenny?" he asked.

The men pointed towards the sedan. As Cliff walked towards it, they pulled out their guns causing him to stop. He watched as the sedan door opened and Peterson stepped out, a smug grin plastered on his face.

"So nice of you to come, Herr Secord," he said with a thick German accent.

Cliff groaned inwardly. Just like Sinclair, he had been using an accent to disguise the fact he was a Nazi. As he stared at Peterson with hate, He suddenly heard Jenny.

"Cliff!" she called out from the back seat.

Cliff gulped as Peterson slammed the door.

"Sorry Herr Secord, we don't want any distractions while we talk," he said advancing towards him.

He nodded to the two men and they stepped back towards the door of the sedan, guarding it.

"Let Jenny go. I'll do anything you want, but only if you let her go.” Cliff said.

More and more it felt to him like a repeat of Sinclair. He half expected Peterson to bark an order and have a dozen Nazi’s appear from every direction and seize the rocket pack.

"Would you mind removing the helmet, Herr Secord? It's very bad manners to keep your face hidden like that," Peterson said.

But a sedan with tinted windows is perfectly alright. Cliff though as he unsnapped the strap under his chin.

He removed the helmet and held it under his arm as he glared at Peterson. Peterson chuckled at his anger, which made Cliff even angrier.

"Are you happy now?" Cliff asked sarcastically.

Peterson snorted and smiled.

"No, Herr Secord. I will only be happy when that rocket pack and those plans are in my hands," he said

"Let Jenny go and you'll get both," Cliff said trying to keep his anger in check.

Peterson raised his eyebrows.

"My, my, you Americans have balls, I must say. You have two guns pointed right at your heart and your girlfriend's in the car under our control and yet, you feel you can order me around?"

"Ah, but I have something you want," Cliff said pointing back to the rocket pack. You won't kill me as long as it's on my back. The bullet might pass through me and damage the pack."

"Then, I'll just have Miss Blake tortured in front of you," Peterson said calmly.

"Make one move towards the door and I hit the ignition and ram my body and you into the car," Cliff threatened.

Peterson stared at Cliff with admiration.

"You are extremely brave, Herr Secord. I've never met anyone with the guts to say what you're saying, especially while facing death. Why not come and work for the Fuhrer? You would be an asset to the fatherland."

Cliff blinked in surprise.

"You gotta be kidding! You honestly think I'm gonna become a Nazi stooge?"

Peterson shrugged.

"Why not? The Fuhrer is going to conquer the world eventually, so why not be on the winning team? You and your friend, Mr. Peabody could help us develop and build more rocket packs and train our soldiers on how to use them. You would be rewarded with riches, a vast estate, and you and Miss Blake could live out your lives in luxury."

Cliff snorted.

"My God, You lead a rich fantasy life, you know that?"

"I'm being very serious, Herr Secord. It's a lot better than you and your girlfriend dying in agony, wouldn't you admit."

"Actually no, I think I'd rather die in agony with Jenny than be a Nazi."

Peterson shrugged again.

"Whatever you desire, Herr Secord. I was trying to be nice and give you a generous offer. But if you'd rather die with your girl, I think that could be easily arranged."

"Why do you need me anyway? If the Nazis are so much smarter than the rest of humanity, why can't you guys come up with rocket packs of your own?"

Peterson smiled

"We've been trying, Herr Secord," he nodded at one of the Nazis who went to the trunk and opened it. He pulled out two crude looking rocket packs and held them up for Cliff to see. Cliff snorted.

"Really wonderful piece of engineering, I must say," he said as he stared at them.

"They do function, Herr Secord. But they are not reliable. We have run some tests and we finally managed to get them to take off without exploding. But they do not go very far and some of them have been known to stop working while the man was in midair. We lost some of our best pilots that way."

"And you sound really choked up about it too," Cliff said sarcastically.

Peterson shrugged again.

"They are acceptable losses to the Fuhrer. The men knew that the rocket packs might not work, but they still gave their lives for their Fuhrer and for their fatherland."

Cliff snorted.

"After being brainwashed, of course."

Peterson sighed.

"I grow weary of this conversation, Herr Secord. I ask you one more time to surrender the rocket pack or suffer the consequences."

Cliff thought for a moment. He suddenly had an idea. He nodded at Peterson to indicate he had given in. Peterson motioned towards the Nazis. They both started towards Cliff, their guns pointed at him as Peterson walked towards the seaplane, confident he had one. As the Nazis began to take off the rocket pack, Cliff watched as Peterson climbed into the front seat of the plane. Seeing his opportunity, he brought his hands up and grabbed the Nazis heads, bashing them together. As the Nazis fell to the ground on top of each other, Cliff pulled his gun out from behind him and fired a shot at Peterson who was trying to climb back out of the cockpit. Peterson howled in agony as the bullet grazed the side of his head. Cliff watched as he toppled into the water.

He ran to the sedan door and flung it open, holding his gun ready in case there were more Nazis inside. He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw only Jenny was in the car. He quickly untied the ropes holding her and helped her out. They hugged each other briefly, happy to be reunited. Cliff instructed Jenny to put her arms around his neck and hold on. He grabbed his helmet from the top of the sedan where he had laid it down and fastened it. He looked up towards the sky and wrapped his arms tightly around Jenny holding her to him. He mashed down on the gas and the accelerator and heard Jenny give a small yelp of surprise as they flew into the air.

Peterson groaned as he grabbed on to the pontoons under the plane. He managed to pull himself up onto it as he coughed and sputtered. He had seen Cliff and Jenny rise into the air and the sight of it made his blood boil.

So Herr Secord wants to do it the hard way. he thought.

He looked up as the two Nazis appeared at the edge of the dock rubbing the sides of their heads.

"Don't just stand there you idiots! Help me! We have to get that rocket pack back!" he screamed at them.

Cliff held tightly onto Jenny as he flew through the air. He had only flown one other time with someone in his arms and that was when he rescued Malcolm from Miss Mable. That had only been a short flight from the plane to the airbag on the ground. It wasn't like this. He was scared at any moment he might lose his hold on Jenny, but at the same time he didn't want to hold her so tight, she couldn't breathe. She was holding him tightly around his neck. It was uncomfortable but he wasn't about to ask her to loosen her grip. She had her chin resting on her arm on his right shoulder so that she could press her body as close to Cliff as she could. He considered going back to the airfield, but he knew that would be the first place they'd look. The Bulldog Cafe was no good either. He had to figure out a hiding place for them both. He hoped that Peevy and the others had managed to find a hiding place as well. He had a feeling that Peterson had more than those two Nazis lurking around.

Suddenly he heard Jenny scream in his ear. He looked at Jenny who was looking behind him with wide eyes. He looked back over his left shoulder and as he did, the wind hit the rudder on his helmet causing him to tilt sideways. He cursed as he saw what Jenny had been screaming at. The seaplane was emerging from the clouds with a very angry Peterson at the controls. He looked back ahead and his body leveled out again. He tightened his grip on Jenny and pushed down on the accelerator. He heard Jenny gasp as they speeded up.

Cliff smiled when he heard the seaplanes engine growing fainter. He imagined Peterson shouting curses as the old seaplane was left behind in his wake. Suddenly he heard Jenny scream at him.

"Cliff! Behind you!"

Cliff looked over his left shoulder again and saw with dismay that the two Nazis had donned the crude rocket packs and were now following him, each one holding a Tommy gun in his hands. He looked back towards the front as his mind began to race trying to think of a solution. Suddenly a bullet whizzed by them as one of the Nazis fired his gun.

"Hang on, Jenny! I'm gonna try to lose them!" Cliff screamed in her ear.

He felt her arms tighten around his neck and he tightened his hold as well. He looked down towards the ground and let off on the accelerator. He could feel Jenny tighten her arms even more as they began to dive downward towards the ground. He chanced a quick look back and saw that the Nazis were following suit. Cliff held his breath and just before they were going to hit the ground, he suddenly looked up and punched the accelerator. Cliff flew back up into the air in an arc just inches from the ground. He looked over his shoulder and saw that one Nazi had managed to do the same, but the Nazi in front had no time to correct himself and he flew into the ground headfirst with an enormous explosion.

Cliff grinned and turned his head back to the front. He punched the accelerator and flew back up in front of the seaplane. He took another quick look around and saw that the Nazi had flown up behind him and in front of the seaplane. Cliff grinned. They were falling for his plan.

"Jenny, Hold on tight!" he screamed at her.

He quickly pushed the accelerator button two times and felt himself being thrown into reverse. He heard the Nazi scream as he flew back towards him and then there was a thud as his head connected with Cliff's rocket pack. Cliff mashed down on the accelerator and he felt himself being propelled forward again.

Peterson's eyes widen as he suddenly saw Secord lurch backwards through the air. He could see the Nazi in front of him connect with the rocket pack. The force propelled the Nazi backwards. The last thing Peterson saw was the Nazi’s body as it smashed through the windshield and into him.

Cliff let up on the acceleration and quickly up righted himself. He spun around and hovered in midair. He and Jenny watched as the seaplane shot downwards like an arrow and land in a field below them causing a massive explosion and a fireball that rose a mile into the air. He sighed as he held Jenny tight. After watching the burning wreckage for a moment, he hit the accelerator and flew back towards the airfield.

Cliff rolled his eyes.

It was movie night again and Miss Pye was up to her usual routine. He hoped Jenny would find some decent acting jobs soon, so he wouldn't have to put up with her. It had been a week since Peterson's death. Peevy had informed the FBI about Peterson and they had been busy rounding up all his Nazi associates. Cliff hoped that this would be the last time he would have to deal with the Nazis. He doubted it though. He and Jenny would probably only be truly safe when Hitler was dead or out of the way and then there would probably be others like him, all wanting to possess the ultimate weapon.

Cliff smiled as Jenny finally came out the door with Miss Pye right behind her.

"Have her back in one piece," she threatened him.

"Yes, Miss Pye," Cliff said with mock sweetness.

He grinned when Miss Pye grew angrier. He actually did kinda like tormenting the old buzzard. It gave him something to look forward to each week. He gave a little mock salute to Miss Pye as they walked down the steps towards Peevy's truck. He hoped that from now on, Miss Pye would be the only villain in his life.

He smiled at Jenny as she settled in her seat. He closed the door and walked to the driver’s side. It had been her week to pick and he knew he had to endure another sappy romance movie. After all they had been through, he wouldn't have it any other way.

THE END

Back                         Home                              Miscellaneous Movies Fanfic Page

Your Name or Alias:      Your E-mail (optional):

Please type your review below. Only positive reviews will be posted! Constructive Criticism will be e-mailed to the author.