In Feb 1943, a plane My Little Girl is dispatched to Chungking, with pilot being Captain Carl Austin, the father of Steve, and the co-pilot being Christopher Bell. On board is a secret agreement between the Nationalist Chinese and the Russians. Halfway across the Himalayas, the plane and its fighter escort are attacked by Japanese zeroes. The plane never makes it. It is believed that Carl bails out when the attack starts, leaving the crew to die. However, it is actually Bell who bails out.