Cross-Hairs on Death

Everett Stone, a pilot who washed out of flight training and was subsequently dishonorably discharged from the service for insubordination after serving six months hard labor, finds his way to England as a civilian named Thomas Carpenter, and proceeds to infiltrate the 918th and masquerade as a captain, claiming his belongings and credentials were stolen in London. Desperate for replacements, Gallagher puts him to work as co-pilot on several missions to test his mettle while waiting for confirmation of Carpenter's status that will never come. However, he is recognized by Sgt. Stan Holcombe, who confronts the impostor but briefly holds his tongue. Holcombe is then seriously injured on a mission before he can reveal the truth and dies after surgery. Carpenter is eager to command his own bomber before his ruse is discovered, but his evaluator, Capt. Enright, declines to recommend him, alerted to something amiss, even if he cannot quite put his finger on it. As Stone/Carpenter's web of lies begins to become undone, he gets ever more desperate and willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish his mysterious goal.