Sergeant Slaughter hung on for dear life.
"YOU GOTTA LET GO! WE CAN'T LAND WITH YOU ON STRUT!"
He refused to relax his grip.
Pete grabbed the Jesus handle, leaned way out and hammered Sergeant's hands. The jumper fell off the strut. I watched Pete lean further out of the plane; his ass was almost out the door. The static line clanked against the fuselage. Pete's face reappeared in the plane with a wicked smile on his face. "CHESUS CHRIST," he lisped. "THAT WAS THE LAZIEST OPENING I EVER SAW. WHO WANTS TO BET CERGEANT HAS A LOAD IN HIS PANTS." The pilot lurched the plane slamming the door shut.
Pete turned to Shannie. "YOU'RE NEXT KIDDO," he said patting the floor. "YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIGHT ME LIKE CHARGENT CHLAUGHTER? he asked. "YOU'RE HOOKED DOLL. Shannie tugged the line, testing it.
I moved behind the pilot and grabbed hold of his seat. Pete kneeled behind Shannie. Rubbing her shoulders, he gave her words of encouragement. As the plane made it's approach he popped open the door. Imitating the jumpmaster, Shannie stuck her head out the door.
"CUT!" Pete cried.
Shannie climbed out. My position behind the pilot afforded me a good view. Shannie hung from the strut. "KEEP THAT SMILE; I WANT TO COUNT YOUR TEETH." Pete yelled into the wind. "GO!" She was gone, lost to a sea of gravity. The jumpmaster again leaned way out of the plane to the chorus of the clanking static line.
"BEAUTIFUL! ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!" The proud teacher exclaimed.
"YOU'RE IN THE CAT-BIRD'S SEAT" Pete yelled to me as he tapped the floor in front of him. "No matter what," Pete told me as I slid next to the closed door. "Do not touch those pedals with your feet!" In front of me rudder pedals moved back and forth like the keys of a player piano. My heart raced as I glanced at the pilot. I never felt so alive, beads of sweat danced over my body. "YOU'RE HOOKED," the jumpmaster yelled handing me the static line so I could give it a reassuring tug. Pete's hands worked my tense shoulders as he said, "Take your time, don't rush, don't get ahead of me. When I yell cut; don't exit! Wait till I tell you. Understand?"
I nodded.
"After your feet are on the step, slide your hands up the strut to the marks. When I tell you to hang strut, slide your feet off the step and give me a big, juicy smile." I could only nod, my heart was trying to escape my chest. My face and arms tingled "James, just remember to look up. I want you to tell me how many fingers I'm holding up. Got it?"