BIGGLES - AIR DETECTIVE

 

by Captain W. E. Johns

 

 

THE CASE OF THE WOUNDED AGENT  (Pages 42 - 53)

 

Biggles is just about to leave work, "I'm going round to the Aero Club for a quiet evening with the foreign aviation magazines", when the inter-com telephone buzzes and he has to go to see Air Commodore Raymond, Assistant Comissioner of Police.  Raymond says "You belong to this department.  You've plenty to do, and I dislike the idea of lending you to anyone else.  But I'm on a spot.  The trouble is, you're getting too well known, and unless I keep you locked in your own hangar you're liable to find yourself a sort of dog's-body for every Tom, Dick and Harry from one end of Whitehall to the other".  Five minutes ago a very important person concerned with national security has called to ask Raymond if he could recommend a pilot for an extremely urgent job.  Biggles is taken to see Major Charles of M.I.5.  He is told that at the western end of the frontier with Bulgaria is a British agent who answers to the name of Maxos.  He has been shot in the thigh and he has very important papers on him.  He is between the villages of Demphos and Petritza.  Will Biggles go and fetch him in an unmarked plane?  "Of course," answered Biggles without hesitation.  Biggles says he will leave straight away in the long-range Auster and asks Raymond to sort out refueling at Brindisi, some 250 miles away from the objective.  Biggles says he will tell the others in case they need to have a crack at it if he fails and Ginger can wait at Brindisi in case he is needed.  An ambulance should also be on hand there.  Twelve hours later over Eastern Europe, Biggles feels dismayed by the seemingly hopeless task that he had set himself.  He flies low over the relevant area in the hope that Maxos will expose himself.  He knows that if he is dead, he will never find him.  He sees movement and finds a man crawling and now on his knees with an arm raised.  Biggles has to land a quarter of a mile away and makes his way to the man who confirms he is Maxos, official number 91.  Biggles is given the important papers.  Biggles gives the man some brandy from a flask he was brought for the purpose and takes him towards the plane.  A dozen uniformed, armed men are heading towards the plane but "the idea of leaving the wounded man to his fate was so repugnant that he did not even consider it".  Biggles hides Maxos in the woods.  Biggles moves down the wood and lights a fire.  The unformed men run to the fire and leave their rifles and one man holding their horses.  Biggles fires his gun to make the horses bolt and gets Maxos in the plane before the soldier can return.  He fires at them so they fling themselves flat.  Biggles is then able to take off and fly to Brindisi where Ginger is waiting with a machine all topped up to fly the papers on to Raymond.  Maxos is handed over to a Doctor Spanelli and Biggles puts his machine away and goes to get a bit of breakfast.