ong.

Brickman might have offered her a reassuring word but they had agreed

to maintain radio silence in case one of the incoming planes picked up

the transmission.

The minutes ticked by with agonizing slowness, each one underscored

every ten seconds by Kelso's rhythmic snores. It sounded as if his

nose was full of gravel.

Finally, she sighted three Skyhawks flying towards her, strung out in

line abreast. She checked her watch then focussed the 'scope on each

of the planes. These early birds all had clean sets of wheels and,

sure enough, they stayed high. As their leader began to circle

overhead like a buzzard looking for breakfast, the outer pair turned

away north and south and kept on going. These guys certainly weren't

taking any chances.

The handset crackled as it came alive: 'Blue Four to Snow Bird plus

one. Update your sit-rep, over."

Jodi thumbed the Transmit button. 'Snow Bird to Blue Four. We are

still up and running and have you in the frame, over."

'Roger Snow Bird. Pick-up team report their ETA still stands at

sixteen-twenty hours on your green. Blue Four listening out."

At ten minutes past four, Jodi sighted three more dots heading towards

her at a lower altitude. The 'scope revealed that the lead and

starboard aircraft in the formation had short skis attacked to the

three-wheeled undercarriage. When they drew near enough to be seen

clearly with the naked eye, the port 'wheeler' broke away to meet Blue

Four who had begun to descend in a gentle spiral. His two companions

whose return had been timed to coincide with the Ski-hawks arrival

converged to follow the same flight path. The 'wheeler' tacked

himself onto the end of the line as the trio levelled out some eight

hundred feet above Jodi's head, then all four began to orbit the

pick-up zone, chasing the tail of the man in front.

As the two Ski-hawks approached in a shallow dive, Jodie sent a green

flare soaring high into the air. Passing under the arching trail of

smoke from the flare, the two planes skimmed past the campsite in rapid

succession, dipping their wingtips to within inches of the snow as she

bounced up and down, waving her arms excitedly. Jodi watched them make

a second, higher pass to select a suitable landing site then dodged

back under cover and knelt beside Kelso.

'Dave! Dave! Wake up! They'll be with us any minute!" She patted

his cheek then shook his good shoulder excitedly as his eyes fluttered

open. 'We're on our way!" Seizing the rope leads of the make-shift

sledge, she dragged Kelso out into the open. Apart from the flare

pistol, the 'scope and the handset there was nothing else to carry.

Steve and the two Mutes had carried away the trail bags containing the

rest of their plunder.

The first of the two pick-up planes turned off its crosswind leg and

began its final approach from the northeast - to Jodi's right. The

second, now flying downwind, was temporarily obscured by the trees

behind her.

Brickman and his friends would be able to see them both. Jodi wondered

if he was having second thoughts.

She felt a sudden pang of regret at leaving him behind at the mercy of

those lump-heads, but what the hell - he had made his choice and she

had made hers. She had found herself again. And the inner certainty

about the rightness of her decision had given her the courage to face

whatever lay ahead.

Only one more hurdle remained to be cleared. Having convinced Kelso

that Steve had been killed, she was now saddled with the task of

selling the story to everyone else. All the way up the line. And

unlike good o" Dave, their brains weren't befuddled with pain-killing

drugs.

She'd just have to do her best. It was too late to back out now. But

it would be the last lie. The very last...

The second Ski-hawk was still on its final approach as the first slid

to a stop about fifty yards from where Jodi stood. She pulled the

shapeless fur hood clear of her face and waved to the pilot as he

pushed open the canopy and climbed out, then she started to haul

Kelso's sledge towards it. The pilot raised his tinted visor and

jogged towards her. Behind him, the second aircraft touched down

smoothly on the undulating carpet of snow.

Jodi greeted the first wingman with a broad smile.

'Nice of you to drop in." She thrust out her hand. 'Good to see you,

Gus."

Gus's eyes rested on her briefly then flickered away as he checked

their surroundings, easing his handgun in its holster as he did so.

When he'd gone full circle, he looked at her again - as if he couldn't

make up his mind as to whether she was worth rescuing or not.

Jodi thought that maybe he didn't recognize her.