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a little. Are you willing?”
    Cody chewed his lip. “It’s not a very nicething to do to Anna after the way she helped us.”
    “Anna is an American. I don’t want to make trouble for her any more than you do, but our primary mission here is to help our country.”
    “I guess you’re right. Tell me what to do.”
    “Open those doors and let’s get her outside.”

CHAPTER 16
    I n the bright sunlight Toni was able to quickly examine the light airplane. It appeared to be flight-ready. She climbed up into the copilot’s seat. Cody shut the door for her and ran around to the pilot’s side.
    She checked the instrument panel. The plane was old but all the basic navigational aids were there. The stick was new to her but with Cody’s help they could probably manage. It had been her idea to sit on this side ofthe plane so that she could use her good arm for the center controls.
    Cody shut his door and waited for instructions. Toni turned a knob and inspected the fuel gauge. The needle pointed to Full.
    “Cross your fingers, Cody. If she starts, our takeoff may be a little rough. When I get going, I’m going to need you to help me with this stick, okay? Just pull back on it slowly. When we’re up, I should be able to handle it. Ready?”
    Cody gave her the thumbs-up sign. She started the engine. It coughed and sputtered, then settled into a smooth purr. Slowly the plane began moving down the dirt runway, the speed increasing as they neared the end.
    “Okay, flaps are down. Let’s get this baby up.”
    Together they pulled back on the control stick. The plane jumped, touched down and then jerked into the air.
    They were flying.
    Toni checked the instrument panel and leveled the plane out just a few hundred feet in the air. She glanced over at Cody. “I’m trying to keep it low so that radar won’t pick us up. It’s chancy, though, because we could be spotted from the ground.”
    Cody looked down at the desert floor. “All I know is, it sure beats the heck out of walking. How long will it take us to get there in this?”
    “It’s not the fastest thing I’ve ever flown, but if we’re lucky, we should be there in a few hours.”
    For the first hour they hardly talked. Cody fell asleep with his head against the door. When he woke up, Toni began asking him questions about his life before prison and his family. “Did you ever fly with your dad?”
    “Naw. He was supposed to teach me but he never got the chance.”
    “How about a quick lesson?”
    “Now?”
    “Why not? You might need to get out of a tough spot sometime. Besides, the army can always use more good pilots.”
    “In that case, start teaching.”
    “First let’s take a look at some of the instruments.” Toni went over the functions of the altimeter, speed indicator, horizon indicator and compasses. Then she quizzed him. He repeated almost word for word everything she’d told him.
    “I’m impressed, Cody. You’re a quick learner.”
    “I picked it up in prison. The faster I could learn stuff the better job they thought they were doing. They even gave me a nickname—White Fox.”
    “You’re the White Fox? Now I’m really impressed. I heard some of the guards talk about you. You were supposed to be one of their finest success stories. Colonel Wyman is definitely going to want to meet you.”
    “I didn’t do anything special. All I did was survive the best way I knew how.”
    “You saved my skin. I think that’s kind of special.”
    Cody felt uncomfortable. “Can we get back to the lesson? We’ll be at the base before you get around to letting me have the controls.”
    “The controls are the easy part. Here.” Toni put her good hand behind her head and leaned back. “Take them.”
    Cody grabbed at the control stick and the plane pitched upward.
    “Don’t be so rough,” Toni scolded. “Hold it gently and keep your eyes on the instruments. Push it forward and the nose drops, back and we go up.”
    Cody watched the panel carefully,