روح خلبان

Chapter seven

The Phantom Airman

The four friends met again in the afternoon. They had a lot to talk about.

‘That diary sounds interesting,’ Frankie said. ‘I’d like to see it.’

‘We could phone Mr Bowles,’ Jack said.

Regan had been very quiet. She suddenly stood up and began to speak.

‘I’ve got to go to the airfield,’ she said. ‘I’ve got to find out what Glen wants.’

‘When will you go,’ Jack asked.

‘Not at night,’ she replied. ‘I’m too scared to go at night. I’m going now.’

‘Then we’ll all go with you,’ Frankie said.

‘Well, thanks,’ Regan said. ‘But please remember this. Glen’s face is frightening. You haven’t seen it, I have.’

‘Don’t worry,’ Jack said. ‘We’ll all do this together.’

‘Come on,’ Frankie said. ‘We’ll all go on our bikes.’

But when they got to the airfield, everything there had changed. They got off their bikes by the old airfield gates.

‘What’s happening,’ Tom asked.

There was a big sign on the gates.

FACELIFT CONSTRUCTION

is building Lychford Green Industrial Estate here.

We’re building a new future for Lychford.

PRIVATE - KEEP OUT

Some of the fence had gone. There were trucks and a big bulldozer standing by the ruins of the control tower. There were some mechanical diggers and a big roll of new fence wire. But there were no workmen anywhere.

‘What about our archeology project,’ Frankie said. We won’t be able to get onto the airfield when these people start work.’

‘And what about Glen,’ Regan asked. ‘I’ve got to speak to him again. I’m going to do it now.’

Regan started to walk across the airfield.

‘Come on,’ she called to the others. This is our last chance!’

Frankie, Jack and Tom followed her.

‘That little hill on the right is where the Ops Room was,’ Tom said. ‘We found out about it at the museum. The RAF built the Ops Room and some offices under the ground. Then they covered the roof with earth. They tried to make it safe. But the bomb hit it on the 28th of August, 1940, and several people were killed. We can’t get in now. The entrance was covered with earth years ago.’

Regan went on walking for a moment. Then she stopped and shouted into the air.

‘Glen! I’m here. I want to help you.’

There was silence. The four friends waited. Suddenly, a shape appeared in front of them.

‘Look,’ Regan whispered. ‘It’s Glen.’

Regan began to run towards the ghost.

Glen was wearing his leather jacket and helmet. But this time, his leather helmet covered his face.

‘He’s done that to help me,’ Regan said to herself. ‘He doesn’t want to frighten me.’

The phantom airman pointed across the airfield.

‘Yes, that’s where it happened,’ Regan said. ‘What do you want me to do?’

The ghost began to fade away.

‘Glen! Don’t disappear,’ Regan shouted. ‘Please don’t go, Glen! What do you want? You must tell me!’

But the phantom airman had gone.

‘He wants you to look over there,’ Jack said. ‘He was pointing to the ruins of the old house.’

Regan walked on towards the ruins, looking down at the grass. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned quickly. But there was no one there.

‘Glen,’ she said quietly.

Regan pushed at the earth with her foot. She could see a piece of metal in the ground. She bent down and pulled the piece of twisted metal from the earth. The metal was very, very cold.

‘Did you want me to find this, Glen,’ she asked.

‘Hey! You over there,’ a man’s voice shouted. Regan turned quickly. A fat man was walking towards her. He wasn’t a ghost! Jack, Frankie and Tom walked over to Regan. The four friends stood close together.

‘What are you doing here,’ the fat man shouted. ‘This land is private!’

The man was about forty. He had a round, red face and he looked very angry.

‘Can’t you children read the sign,’ the fat man shouted. ‘What do they teach you at school these days?’

‘They teach us to find out about things. They teach us to think,’ Regan said, with a smile. ‘We are working on an important archeology project about the Second World War. We haven’t finished studying this airfield yet.’

‘Oh, yes, you have,’ the man said angrily. ‘This land belongs to Facelift Construction now.’

The man took a mobile phone out of his pocket.

‘Are you going to leave, or shall I call the police,’ he asked.

Regan opened her mouth, but Jack spoke quickly.

‘Please don’t do that,’ he said. ‘We’re leaving now.’

The four friends walked slowly back to their bikes. The man stood and watched them.