Minute 097: If She Moves, Kill Her

Guest Host: Dan Grossman

Dan Grossman has been researching, writing, and speaking about aviation — and especially the technology and history of rigid airships and zeppelins — for over 30 years. Dan’s worked on numerous books and television documentaries, consulted for museums around the world, and has been frequently quoted by the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and many other media outlets.

Dan has also done research regarding Pan Am’s clipper flying boats and have written about ocean liner history and technology. Check out his website at Airships.net

His new book, Zeppelin Hindenburg: An Illustrated History of LZ-129, is available at Amazon.com.

Summary

Neville Sinclair has a pistol pressed up against Jenny as he squares off with Cliff in the zeppelin cabin.

“I’ve had a bellyful of you and your cheap heroics!” says Sinclair to Secord. “Hand over ze rocket, or I’ll blow her brains… all over ze cabin!”

Cliff, his head dripping blood,  looks at Sinclair.

“No!” says Jenny, “Don’t give it to him — Cliff, you can’t!” Jenny struggles but Sinclair’s grip is too strong.

“I have to,” says Cliff. He begins unbuttoning his jacket.

“Herr Capitan!” shouts Sinclair. The ship captain steps down from the wheelhouse.

Cliff unfastens the rocket pack and holds it out to Sinclair, but Neville shakes his head. “Slide it,” says Sinclair, motioning toward the deck of the cabin.

Cliff squats down and puts the rocket pack on the wooden deck. As he does so, he quietly dislodges the Beeman’s gum Peevy had used to plug up the fuel leak. A trickle of fuel drips to the side of the rocket pack. He gives the pack a shove, and the rocket pack slides over to Sinclair.

“If he moves,” says Sinclair to the Captain, “kill her.” The Captain moves away with Jenny to the front of the ship.

Sinclair squats down and picks up the rocket pack.

Meanwhile, Jenny surveys the situation and comes to a decision. She raises her right foot and jams her stiletto heel into the Captain’s shoe. The Captain groans, and then doubles over. Jenny yells, and punches the Captain out the hole in the front of the cabin where Lothar crashed just minutes before.

In the confusion, Sinclair turns to look at the source of the commotion. With Sinclair’s back turned, Cliff lunges at Sinclair, punching him square on the jaw and knocking him to the floor.

“Where’s your stunt man now, Sinclair?” says Cliff to the prone Neville Sinclair.  Sinclair stands up and knocks Cliff down with a roundhouse punch.

In This Minute

Bill Campbell as Cliff Secord
Timothy Dalton as Neville Sinclair
Jennifer Connelly as Jenny Blake
Herman Poppe as Zeppelin Captain