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uestion."

'I got in first. Let's hear it."

'It's a long story but, among other things, I came to see you. I

promised I'd look out for you - remember?"

Jodi threw him an old-fashioned look and swung her other leg out of the

cockpit. As both feet hit the ground she buckled slightly at the

knees.

Steve grabbed her arm. 'You okay?"

Jodi straightened up stiffly. 'Feels like my asshole's been rammed

halfway up my spine." Throwing off his hand, she cast her eyes over

the stripped wing, walked round behind the tail boom to check the

undamaged starboard wing, then knelt down to inspect the underside of

the fuselage and the wrecked skid.

Steve peered into the cockpit. It was fitted with a woven cane seat,

joystick and rudder bar, but, as he had correctly surmised, contained

no instruments of any kind. He knelt down and took a look at the

damage from his side. The laminated wooden skid was badly split and

the supporting struts had been driven up through the underside of the

fuselage pod. He straightened up and leaned over the nose of the

glider.

'Could be worse. When that wing started to unravel I thought you might

not make it. But I see you haven't lost your touch."

Jodi raised her head but stayed on her knees. 'Just what are you

after, Brickman?"

'Nothing."

'Come on, I wasn't born yesterday."

'I was just on my way to deliver some mail to the Heron Pool. I work

around here now." He smiled. 'Just like you."

'You got some nerve, you know that?"

'Not really. I meant what I said back in the Big Open."

Steve looked over his shoulder and saw a small crowd of

blue-and-white-clad figures running towards them from the direction of

the Heron Pool. They were still a long way off. He turned back to

Jodi, his voice taking on a new urgency. 'Listen, we don't have much

time. Who else was up there with you?"

'Kelso ' 'How about that? Good o" Dave . . ."

'Don't count on it. If you run into him stand well back. He still

blames you for being here."

'Who was the third man?"

'You mean Number One." Jodi was unable to resist a smile. 'He's the

guy who runs the project." She paused, then let him have it. 'Goes by

the name of Steve Brickman."

Steve took the news in his stride. 'Good. Any more wingmen on the

project?"

Jodi, who had been hoping to see Steve knocked sideways, was completely

thrown by his matter-of-fact reply.

'No... ' She got to her feet while her brain was putting the rest of

the sentence together: ' . . . just the three of us and a couple of

dozen linemen." She paused, still bewildered. 'I don't get it. You

know about this guy?"

'Yeah. He's the reason why I'm here. His name's Cadillac. He's a

Mute. You've heard of straights - this one's a super-straight."

Jodi hid her surprise behind a sarcastic laugh. 'Really?"

She cast her eyes over Steve's black and yellow outfit and the swirling

skin patterns on his face and arms. 'And just what are you supposed to

be?"

'Hey, c'mon - don't let's go through all that shit again.

What you see is what it takes to stay alive. Underneath it's still

me."

Jodi eyed him suspiciously. 'Yeah? I've only got your word for

that."

Steve glanced over his shoulder to check on the progress of the rescue

party. 'Wave to them. It may slow 'em down a little if they know

you're in one piece."

Jodi stepped clear of the glider and waved both hands across her head,

looking at Steve as she did so. 'I really don't know what to make of

you, Brickman. But I'll say one thing. You're certainly full of

surprises."

'Yeah? Well brace yourself. There's another one coming up right

now."

Steve took a deep breath. 'I didn't give you the full story when we

met up in Nebraska ' 'You bastard. Malone was right. You are an

undercover Fed!" 'I'm not! I swear it!" cried Steve. He dropped his

voice to a harsh whisper. 'But I am on an assignment."

Jodi took a step back.