by Gemma Bruce
They heard the engine even before they saw the blades churning over the crest of the hill. They reached the pad just in time to see Bernard Bliss push Jeannie inside and climb in after her. But where was Katherine?
The copter revved up.
Andy looked desperately at Mac.
“Go.”
Andy raced toward the tarmac, slowed down by the wind stirred up by the rotors. Flying bits of newly cut grass and grit lashed at her skin.
She was still twenty feet away, when the helicopter lifted off the ground. She raced after it, with some vague notion of stopping it before it was airborne. Soon it would be impossible. She took two running leaps and vaulted off the tarmac.
She managed to grab the rudders with both hands. It was a trick she’d done before, but this was the first time she didn’t have a lead wire. The copter swerved, nearly flinging her off. She swung her legs up to the rudder and hung there like a monkey, trying not to think about where she was or what she had just done. She looked up and saw the startled face of Bernard Bliss staring back at her.
She knew what came next. The gun. And after that the fist-fight. Only this time the gun wouldn’t hold blanks, and whoever fell wouldn’t live.
She grabbed the support beam and pulled herself upright. The wind seemed to be pulling her face apart, flattened her clothes to her body. It was almost impossible to move. But she had to. She kept inching her way up the bar and finally managed to grab the door frame. Bliss leaned over and tried to push her away.
The wind was whipping her hair so that it stung her eyes. Bliss’s coattails flapped across his legs as he tried to pry her hands from the doorway. She’d managed to get a firm footing on the rudders, and she released one hand long enough to grab Bliss’s jacket. Bliss screamed and tumbled out of the helicopter.
For a moment, time stood still. Andy didn’t move. The helicopter hovered just above the tarmac.
She risked a look down. Bernard Bliss lay spread-eagle on the ground. Had she killed him? She’d only meant to use him to hoist herself into the helicopter. They were only about ten feet off the ground, but he didn’t move.
———
Dillon hit the gas as soon as the gates to Terra Bliss opened. Damn them and their security. It had probably cost them this arrest. Because somebody had churned up a chopper. Just the sound of it made him sick.
He didn’t bother to slow down at the main building because he already saw the crowd gathered on the hill, the wind whipping their clothes in a fury.
He sped toward the helipad, bouncing over grass and whatever else got in his way. And that was when he saw the body fall out of the chopper and disappear behind the group of onlookers.
His stomach lurched. His foot jerked on the accelerator, and the truck bucked forward. Falling.
“Steady,” came Talbot’s voice from beside him. He was sitting forward in his seat, peering out the front window. “Get as close as you can. Hell, honk the horn and drive up the goddamn hill.”
Dillon pressed on the accelerator and the horn at the same time. The truck bumped up the hill. People dove out of the way as it skidded onto the tarmac. The truck’s doors opened simultaneously, and three men in green gardener’s coveralls leapt out.
“They’ve got Jeannie,” someone yelled over the roar of the copter.
Dillon’s eyes were fixed to the man lying on the ground. Bernard Bliss. Falling. What the hell had happened in that helicopter?
“And Andy went after them. She’s up there now.”
Andy. Falling. Andy? He jerked his head toward the voice.
Mac was standing next to Hank almost hidden in his arm. “What?” yelled Dillon. “Andy’s up there.” Mac pointed toward the copter. “Do something.” The helicopter lurched. The crowd screamed and pulled back. “Who’s flying the damn thing?”
“I don’t know,” Mac yelled back. “The regular pilot is in the other copter trying to raise radio communication.” Talbot ran up. “Katherine Dane has her pilot’s license.” The helicopter lurched again, tipping treacherously close to the ground. “What the hell is she doing? Why doesn’t she take it up?” The helicopter operator came running toward them. “I’ve made contact, but no one’s answering.” Dillon looked up incredulously at the helicopter. “Andy.”
“Damn.” Talbot turned to Dillon, but Dillon was already sprinting toward the MedEvac copter on the second pad.
Chapter 29
Andy looked at Jeannie over the prostrate body of Katherine Dane. Jeannie’s eyes were wide with fright. The helicopter lurched. Jeannie screamed. Andy jumped into the pilot’s seat. The copter tilted to the left. She grabbed a control and, channeling every episode of MASH she’d ever seen, pressed it to the opposite side. The helicopter swung in the opposite direction. She eased it back until it was relatively upright. And they hovered there. Not able to go up and not able to land.
Then she heard static coming out of the headset. With one hand she slipped it over her head. Managed to get the ear pieces over her ears. The horrible whirring muted out, and a voice replaced it, loud and clear. “Bring the chopper down. Immediately. You are being tracked. There is no possibility of escape.”
“Dillon?” she said.
Silence on the other end.
“Dillon,” she said louder. “Dillon, don’t go away. I don’t know how to drive this thing.”
“Andy? Where is Katherine Dane?”
“Jeannie knocked her out. She didn’t have a choice. Katherine was going to shoot me.”
“Who’s operating the controls?”
“Me. I guess. We’re just sitting here and I don’t know what to do.”
“Is there anybody else who can operate it?”
“No, there’s just me and Jeannie. And she knows less than I do. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. Now listen, honey, do you think you could set it down if I instruct you?”
“I . . . I’ll try.”
“Good girl. Now listen carefully.”
———
Andy listened with everything she had, but when she placed her hand on the controls, the helicopter dipped forward. Dillon barked out another order. She tried to comply, but the helicopter began to shudder.
“Okay, just hold it steady,” said Dillon. “Look around. Do you see a winch for the rescue cable?”
She looked, but she already knew the answer. “No.”
“Then there should be an emergency rope or rope ladder on the floor under one of the seats.”
“Yes, I see it.”
“You stay put. Hold the chopper steady. Have Jeannie drop it over the side.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Just tell Jeannie.”
“Dillon.”
“Now.”
She told Jeannie. Jeannie crawled over to the ladder and unfurled it out of the open door.
Andy tried to see what was happening below her, but she could only cling desperately to the throttle and try to hold the helicopter steady. She felt a tug on the right side and knew someone was climbing the ladder. And she knew it was Dillon. Please don’t let him die, she prayed and concentrated on holding the helicopter steady.
———
Dillon ordered himself not to look down. Or up for that matter. He was hanging on to the rope with both hands. He’d managed to pull himself up until he could get his feet on the sagging rung, but only one leg was strong enough to push him up. The other could barely hold his weight as the ladder swayed beneath the chopper.
Don’t think about that. Andy. Just think about Andy. He had to save her. He released one hand. Grabbed the next rung. This would be so much easier with a harness and a winch. But this was what he had. He pushed himself up with his good thigh. Rested the other foot on the crosspiece. Released a hand. And the other hand. Over and over, until at last he could see inside the helicopter. Jeannie was huddled on the backseat. Andy didn’t turn to look. Maybe didn’t even know he was there. Her body was tense with concentration. And maybe fear. He’d ne
ver been so glad to see anyone in his life.
He let go of the rope long enough to grab the metal leg of the copilot’s seat. The rope swung wildly beneath him. His fingers were growing numb; sweat was dripping in his eyes faster than the wind could dry it.
Andy glanced over. He saw her intake of breath, and the chopper dipped, nearly throwing him out. Her eyes widened before she looked away and steadied the chopper.
With a final push, he threw himself into the cab. He lay there for a few seconds—half in and half out of the flying beast— while images of another flight racketed his brain. Groping for a handhold, as he slid toward the open door. Struggling against the hands that held him. Feet scrambling for purchase on the slick steel. The push, his body sliding away. The look on Isabelle’s face when he grabbed her scarf and they tumbled to earth together.
Dillon pulled his legs inside and lay on the floor, panting. It was hard to move. But he had to bring the chopper down.
He pushed to his hands and knees. Now he wiped the sweat away. Andy didn’t look at him. Just sat frozen like Lot’s wife over the controls.
He crawled into the copilot’s seat. Reached over and tried to ease her hand from the throttle. Her fingers were gripping it so tightly that he had to yell at her before she let go. Then he took over the controls. It came back to him as if he’d never stopped flying. As if he hadn’t been nearly paralyzed with fear only moments ago.
And when they finally touched down and a cheer rose up from the crowd, he just sat there, staring at his hands. Hands that had brought them to safety.
Andy sat beside him. Not moving. He cut the engine. Slowly the rotors came to a stop, and the sound died away.
“I’m sorry,” she said. Then fell across the seat into his arms.
He hugged her back. Fiercely. For a moment. “See about Jeannie.”
She moved away without a word. He still sat there, unable to move out of the seat.
“Well done.”
He turned to see Talbot grinning up at him.
He shook his head. A small movement. He couldn’t really believe what he’d just done. He was afraid if he tried to get up, he’d fall to the ground. His legs would be too weak to hold him.
“Come on down.” Talbot reached toward him. Dillon took his hand and felt Talbot squeeze it in reassurance.
Slowly he got out of the craft. He didn’t fall. But he felt pretty damn weak.
“See. Told you you still had it.” Then Talbot turned away and helped Andy and Jeannie out of the copter.
———
Dillon was waiting for her when she jumped down from the helicopter. She nearly fell into his arms. But if she’d been expecting an impassioned kiss, a declaration of love, she’d have been immensely disappointed. What she got was a reaming. At the top of his lungs until she was about to burst out into tears of relief at being alive and humiliation at being yelled at for preventing Bliss and Dane’s escape.
Talbot finally interceded. She was banished to the sidelines without even a thank-you. And he spirited Dillon away.
Now there were four helicopters on the landing pad. Two Black Hawks had appeared out of the clouds ten minutes after Dillon had set down the getaway copter. Their landing had caused the occupants of the goddess retreat to run in all directions to keep from being knocked over or having their perms turned to mincemeat. Bernard Bliss and Katherine Dane were being loaded on board, the two newest residents of the federal penal system.
Andy looked over to where Fiona Bliss stood, red-eyed, but standing tall. She was surrounded, for once not by her two acolytes, but by a bevy of priestess underlings and Hans, the masseur. She didn’t look like a woman who would be willing to post bail for her murderous, adulterous, embezzling husband. And who could blame her.
Talbot had confiscated Katherine Dane’s briefcase from the helicopter. It just happened to fall open. Inside were two plane tickets to South America, numbers of several Geneva bank accounts, and an information sheet on Ariadne “Andy” McAllister, stuntwoman.
“They knew about me,” said Andy. “Probably gave them a good laugh.”
“They weren’t laughing,” said Talbot. “They tried to kill you.”
“And Demetri?”
“They did kill him. He probably stumbled onto something and, being the greedy bastard everyone says he was, tried to squeeze them for it. That’s my guess.” Talbot shrugged. “But we may never know.” And with that, as usual, he and Dillon walked away.
Andy, Mac, and Hank watched the final unfolding along with the rest of the retreat. Loubelle and Evelyn stood nearby with their arms around Jeannie, while Jeannie described and redescribed “the most exciting day of my life.”
Grayson Talbot and Dillon stood away from the crowd, talking with two other suits who had come in the second Black Hawk.
“A little anticlimactic, if you ask me,” said Andy on a heavy sigh.
“Next week you learn to fly a helicopter.” Mac shuddered. “Hell, girl. You pushed me right past retirement into an early grave. Remind me never to watch an aerial stunt from the ground. I don’t have the nerves for it.” She grimaced, then wrapped her arm around Andy’s neck and squeezed for about the fifth time since Andy had climbed down from the cockpit.
The group of men broke up, and the new arrivals headed for the Black Hawks. Hell, she wouldn’t be surprised if Dillon got into one of them and flew away never to be seen again.
But he and Talbot were walking toward Andy. Dillon was still scowling. Which was weird. He’d proven his worth by his rescue. Talbot was crazy if he didn’t give him a promotion.
Talbot gave her a crooked grin. “Got your land legs back yet?”
Andy nodded. For some reason she couldn’t bring herself to talk. And the revving up of the two Black Hawks gave her a good excuse not to.
As soon as they lifted off, swerved and flew away, the crowd began to disperse.
“We’ll need you to stick around for a few days for some interviews. Then Dr. Bliss is canceling the rest of the session.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good. You were amazing.”
“She was a damn fool.”
“Thank you, Agent Cross, for your expert analysis. Now give the girl a break.” He turned to Andy. “Don’t mind him. He’s an adrenaline junkie. He’ll calm down soon. See you later.” He gave her a quick two-finger salute, nodded to Hank and Mac, and sauntered off across the lawn toward his car.
Andy watched him go. Then Hank and Mac sauntered away, and she and Dillon were alone.
Andy stood looking at the ground. “I guess you’re pretty mad, huh?”
“I was scared out of my wits,” Dillon said tightly.
“But you did it. You were amazing.”
“Yeah. But I was talking about you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, you. Don’t ever scare me like that again.”
She looked up at him then, and the look in his eyes made her heart flutter. Get a grip, she warned herself. Adrenaline rush. We all get them. Don’t expect it to last.
“Yoo-hoo, you two.” Jeannie trotted toward them, with Evelyn, Loubelle, Rusty, JoJo, and Louis following close behind. “You were incredible, fabulous, remarkable, the cat’s whiskers. You saved my little ole life.” She hugged Andy and planted a kiss on her cheek. Then she hugged Dillon and gave him the same, but on the mouth. Andy thought it went on just a little too long for a thank-you-for-saving-my-life kiss.
JoJo pulled her away. “That’s enough, Jeannie. You’ll make me jealous.”
Jeannie laughed. “Honey. It feels so good to laugh. I can’t tell ya. I thought I was a goner for sure. Well, would you look at that.”
Everyone turned to see Carmen and Jane walking across the lawn, hand in hand, heads together.
“What’s with those two?” asked Jeannie.
JoJo sighed. “I guess they found themselves when they were banished to the Bower of Bliss. They’re leaving the goddess program and taking an extended vacation in H
awaii as soon as they’re released by the police.”
“Will wonders never cease,” said Jeannie and looked at her watch. “Now, how about that? It’s happy hour.”
“It’s only two o’clock,” said Evelyn.
Jeannie grinned at her. “Like I said, happy hour.” And began ushering everyone across the lawn to the pool. “You and Dillon coming?”
“Maybe a little later,” said Andy, distracted by the sight of Mac and Hank indulging in a serious kiss.
Carmen and Jane were holding hands, Mac and Hank were slobbering all over each other. Jeannie was flirting shamelessly with JoJo, and it seemed like there was no place for Andy but her trailer. Only she didn’t even have a trailer.
She sighed. “Seems like everybody but Dr. Bliss and the two murderers are getting a happy ending.”
“What about us?”
Andy’s eyes widened. Oops. Had she said that out loud? She guessed she had. “What about us?”
“Do we get a happy ending?”
“Well, uh. You’ve got your job back, right?”
He nodded, and Andy’s stomach flipped over. She was glad he was reinstated in whatever agency he worked for. But a tiny little selfish part of her wished he could stick around.
“I heard Talbot say you had to stay around for a few days.”
“I do,” she said, trying not to look at him.
“I do, too. Got any ideas what I should do with my time?”
Her heart skipped. She glanced up. Was he smiling? “Well, you were supposed to be my slave for three weeks. I figure you owe me a couple more weeks.”
“You’re right, I do.”
“But won’t Talbot need you?”
He moved closer to her, lifted a strand of her hair, began to wrap it around his finger, drawing her nearer. “I still have a few loose ends to clear up first.”
She looked up into his face and her knees kind of wobbled.
“A lot of loose ends.”
She blinked, drew away to look at him. His eyes were dark and his devilish half smile was back.
