Biggles Married Chapter 10.

By Sopwith

Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim to own, any of the Biggles series characters used in this work. This fan fiction was written for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered part of the official storyline.

Warning: Non canon type fan fiction works may contain severe time mix-ups and character deviations.  

Ginger and Bertie hurried over to Algy and turned him over. A red stain was spreading rapidly across his shirt, and he appeared to be unconscious. "Algy!" Ginger shouted, shaking the limp body, "Algy, old man, don't do this!"

Von Stalhein took the chance to move in tiny steps back towards his men.

"Don't move, Von Stalhein," growled Biggles, "or I'll shoot you like a dog, by James!"

"Don't swear, honey," Jane chided, careful not to look at all the blood coming out of Algy.

"Jane,” said Biggles, through clenched teeth.

“What?”

“Please don’t talk now.”

Jane shut up.

Von Stalhein gestured at one of his men. Biggles raised his gun. "I said, don't move, Von Stalhein."

"I am just telling him to take your friend to our doctor," replied Von Stalhein. "Unless you have a better plan?"

Biggles regarded him stonily for a few seconds, then slowly lowered his gun. "There was a time, Von Stalhein,” he said, "when we treated each other with respect. We caught each other scores of times, but we only bluffed about shooting each other. We did that so that we could spend the rest of our lives with a goal to follow; so that we wouldn't turn out to be one of those men who laze in sofas and do nothing but grow fat. We had a mutual agreement, Von Stalhein. What did you think you were doing, shooting Algy?"

Ginger thought he saw the German blush.

Von Stalhein regained control of himself within seconds. His face became an immobile mask. "You are wrong, Major Bigglesworth," he grated. "That was not our mutual agreement--that was something thought up by you Englishmen. I do not have to abide by your silly rules."

"Silly or not, I’ll shoot you if you move," sneered Biggles, raising his gun again and holding it steady.

Von Stalhein raised Jane's gun, which he was still holding, and leveled it at Biggles. "I have you covered," he grated. "And I shall not hesitate to shoot first. Unlike you Englishmen, I am not soft-hearted."

"No, Erich!" cried Jane. "Don't shoot James!"

"Call him a dirty dog, it means the same thing," retorted Biggles. “Erich, indeed!”

"Keep quiet, Major Bigglesworth," snapped Von Stalhein. "And you, my dear, perhaps you would prefer to turn your back?"

"No, I won't! I don't want anybody to be shot. Don't do this to each other, this isn't the Wild West! You’re both behaving like idiots!"

"But I must shoot him, my dear,” Von Stalhein said, gently. "He always gets in my way, you see."

Algy stirred and groaned. Ginger gave a cry of delight. "Algy!"

Algy opened his eyes, coughed, and groaned again. "What happened?" he mumbled.

"Just lie still, old chap, you've been shot," said Bertie. "Don't move--that's it."

"See?" shouted Von Stalhein. "I didn't kill him!"

"Go do something useful for a change," snapped Biggles. "You good-for-nothing fool!"

"It’s a jolly good thing he’s good for nothing, or he might have succeeded in killing me," Algy piped up, in a slightly high voice.

"Lie still and shut up," requested Biggles, without looking at him. "Let me handle this."

Just at that moment, two of Von Stalhein's men came up to take Algy to the doctor. "Come," One of them said to Algy, in heavily accented English.

"No." Algy, pale and frightened, gripped at Bertie's arm, his face pale with terror. "No. What’s happening? Where are we going?"

"We...uh…take...you...doctor, yes?"

"What?" Algy asked, in a stunned tone.

"They're taking you to the doctor, old boy," explained Bertie. "To look at the wound, don’t you know."

"Come," repeated the man, pulling on Algy's arm.

Algy clung to Bertie like death, eyes darting back and forth like an animal in a cage. "No--" he said, his voice high with hysteria. "No, Bertie, old man, don't let them take me!!!! Please!!!! NOOOOO----"

"It's all right, old chappie." Bertie said, in a gentle voice. "They're taking you to the doctor. The doctor, get it?"

"No," whimpered Algy. "This is some game of Von Stalhein's. I’m going to end up in his dungeon or something."

"No, old boy, you've got it all wrong..."

"Just go with them, Algy," said Biggles impatiently. "They'll see to your bullet wound."

"I don't have a bullet wound," Algy protested, going very white. "This is a trick. This is some sort of dream."

"Just GO, Algy," growled Biggles, his eyes never leaving Von Stalhein’s face.

“Did the bullet hit him in the head or something?” Ginger asked Bertie, in a whisper. “He’s acting very strange.”

“Shock, old boy, just shock,” replied Bertie sadly, taking out his monocle with one hand and polishing it awkwardly on his sleeve. “There, there, Algy old chap. Go with the jolly men now, there’s a good lad.” He peeled Algy’s fingers off of his arm as he spoke.

The men picked Algy gently up and carried him off on a makeshift stretcher.

Algy struggled. "No, don't do this, Von Stalhein!! What do you want? Tell me what you want!" his voice rose shrilly.

"Algy," grated Biggles, through clenched teeth.

Algy stared at his friend as if he'd never seen him before. "You!" he gasped, clutching at his wound with both hands. "You're supposed to be my friend!"

"Yes, Algy," Biggles assured him, eyes still on Von Stalhein. “Of course I’m your friend. Just lie still and let the men take you to the doctor now. He’ll patch you up.”

"You're, you're giving me to the enemy!!!” gasped Algy. “You…you--"

At that moment, overcome with blood loss, Algy fainted. He was mercifully quiet as the men hauled him away, with Bertie in tow to calm him if and when he woke up.

&&&

Meanwhile, Biggles and Von Stalhein continued shouting at each other.

"All right, so you didn't kill him!" yelled Biggles. "That doesn't make you any less a dog and any more a gentleman. Why can't you play fair?"

"All's fair in love and war, Major Bigglesworth," replied Von Stalhein, with irritating calm. He smiled at Jane.

"Don't look at my wife!" bellowed Biggles, taking a swing at him.

"James," whimpered Jane, running forward and holding him back. "James, don't do this, people are looking at us!"

"Let 'em," growled Biggles. "I'm going to kill that dirty dog once and for all. I'll quarter him, I'll hang him, I'll--"

Luckily Mac appeared on the scene at that moment. "What's going on, noo?" he demanded.

"Ah, Major MacLaren," Von Stalhein greeted, with an amiable smile. "As you can see, these men are causing a riot. I suggest you have them removed immediately."

Mac looked helplessly at Biggles, but when he turned back to Von Stalhein, his face was expressionless. "They're British," he said. "They're sent by the higher command, to help me, I might add. So I apologize for the inconvenience, but I'm not going to 'remove' them.”

"Good for you Mac," muttered Biggles. "Now, I'm going to get that--"

Ginger sighed. "There's another one gone crazy," he murmured to himself. He was beginning to understand why Biggles and Algy were best friends.

They were both absolutely insane.

Go to Chapter 11.

Go back to Biggles Married contents