Kurt, followed by Mary and Vicky, went to the side door of the jail. Kurt stopped momentarily at the door and eased it open to look out to the street and in both directions. No one was in sight and he motioned the women to go through. He closed the door behind him and as they started down the walkway, he saw the armored personnel carrier sitting alongside the building and decided to take a chance on it. He turned to Mary and said, “We’ll have to find another way out of here. Someone is sure to find the mess I made in there within the hour and the alarm will sound. If we go out through the fence, we’ll probably be caught. The fence line is the first thing they’ll check. When they find the opening, it will be only a matter of time before they catch up to us. We may not even make it to the car in time. Even if we did, they’ll set up roadblocks all around here.”
“What can we do Kurt?” Her voice tinged with fear, Mary was beginning to think that they would never make it out alive. She knew they would all be shot on sight after the breakout from the jail.
“Let’s get into this armored personnel carrier and head for the flight line. There may be some kind of aircraft there that I can steal and fly us out before they sound the alarm.” Kurt opened the back and Mary and Vicky climbed in. He jumped into the front and saw that the guards had left the keys in the ignition. Why not, he thought. Who’s going to steal an armored personnel carrier inside the Cosmodrome? He started the engine and put it into gear. He pulled out at what he thought would be a normal rate of speed so he would not attract attention.
Colonel Jabul and Captain Shakur were sitting on top of the lubricating drums watching Sergeant Kasam direct the unloading of the special lubricating oils. The last barrel was on its way down the ramp and Jabul and Shakur had already finished half of one liter of vodka apiece. Sergeant Kasam was drinking from his bottle while directing the unloading. He hadn’t quite finished his first bottle yet.
Shakur said, “Colonel, I’m feeling no pain at all. Too bad we can’t stay over. I’d like nothing better than drinking this vodka for a few more days.”
“Not to worry my brother. We have stored enough beneath the floorboards on the cargo deck to keep us busy for a long while when we get back. We just have to be careful not to get caught, that’s all.”
“Yes, it will probably cost us a few bottles for the security personnel, but it will be worth it! I just hope we are sober enough to get this bird back in the air again.”
“That’s not a problem. I can fly this thing blindfolded. It is a very friendly aircraft. The American Lockheed Company knew what they were doing when they made this one. It practically flies itself. Once airborne, I will set the autopilot and we can catch a few hours sleep on the way home and make a sober landing.”
Shakur said, “I think we may have to put Sergeant Kasam into a bunk even before takeoff. He is beginning to stagger a bit.” They both laughed watching Kasam try to keep his balance while walking back into the aircraft to close the ramp as the off-loading crew departed.
Kurt turned the corner off the main street and headed toward the flight line. He could see the blue lights along the taxiway and the white lights at the edge of the runway clearly. He drove along the edge of the taxiway toward the supply depot at the far end of the field. As he approached, his face lit up and he let out a whoop. It startled Mary and Vicky and Mary said, “What’s wrong Kurt, have they spotted us?”
“Heck no, I see a C-130 sitting at the end of the field. It looks like it’s here making a delivery. Maybe there’s a way out of here faster than I thought!”
He drove on toward the C-130 and slowed down when he approached the loading area as if it were just a watchful patrol team. The C-130 turned out to be an H model delivered to the Imperial Iranian Air Force in 1971 with the tail number of 5-127. It was painted in two-tone desert camouflage with the Iranian flag showing green, white and red on the tail. Kurt drove the vehicle around to the side of the loading area and parked it.
He said to Mary and Vicky, “Stay here. I have some sneaking around to do. I’ll come back for you in a few minutes.” He left the armored personnel carrier and ducked down behind the barrels that lined the side of the ramp. The off-loading crew had completely departed the area for the night. They would return at daylight to take the barrels to the supply depot. The C-130’s auxiliary power unit was running and it looked like the aircraft was being made ready for a return flight to Iran.
The perimeter patrol stopped at the barracks office and the two officers went inside. They froze at the doorway when they saw two of their comrades lying on the floor. One next to the desk and the other at the doorway to the jail cells. Entering the office, they looked into the cell room and saw Captain Poltava lying on the floor in a pool of blood at the doorway to one of the cells. The cells were empty. Lieutenant Sikorskin went to the telephone and called Major Boshnikoff.
“Yes, what is it?”
“I am sorry to bother you so late at night Major Boshnikoff, but we have somewhat of an emergency here at the military guard headquarters.”
“Spit it out Lieutenant and it had better be good to wake me at this hour. It’s well past midnight.”
“Sir, the prisoner you had sent to the jail has somehow escaped with several intruders who have taken her out. They have also killed three of the officers here.”
Boshnikoff sat straight up in bed. “Don’t do anything until I get there!” He jumped from his bed and hurriedly got dressed.
When he arrived, Boshnikoff ran up the steps to the office and met the Lieutenant at the doorway. “How long has it been since this happened, Lieutenant?”
“We’re not sure, Major. Perhaps within the last half hour. The maximum time that could have elapsed is one hour between patrol check-ins.”
“Any idea as to how many people were involved in this?”
“It must have been several well trained men, Major. I can’t imagine it being less than five. Our men are well trained.”
“They