The helicopter's cockpit was partially open to the back. There was room for about ten men back there, but when Janice glanced back, she let out a rather creative curse. It was empty. The buyer wasn't there. He must have decided to wait for them somewhere safer. Damn him! Well, he couldn't hide forever, and they had Heather to go find. But first things were first.
When they had thrown the pilots out, they had kept their headsets in the helicopter. Janice adjusted the microphone, and said firmly, "Kevin and Devon are off limits."
He spared her a glance. "There's no off-limits in battle. You should know that."
Janice leaned back in her seat. "There is if you want my help," she shouted, folding her arms. "I will deal with Kevin, nobody else."
Cole glared at her for a moment, but he already knew she wouldn't back down, and he might still need her. She met his gaze evenly, not giving an inch. There were damn few people in the world that could do that with him. "If you don't take care of him…" he warned.
She gave a sharp nod. "If I don't, it's because I'm dead," she replied. She knew she couldn't kill him, wouldn't kill him, but she would make sure he was never going to do anything like this again. Exactly how, she wasn't sure, but she would do it. He wasn't a bad person. He would come to his senses; he just needed his teammates back with him to help.
"Where do you think she is?" Janice asked, getting back to their top priority.
"Somewhere between the caves and the lodge," Cole replied. He was keeping the helicopter low, barely over the trees so that he could see the ground easily. He thought for a second. "We'll cross that path, if we don't see her, we'll get Alicia and see if she's heard from them yet."
Cole caught the slight movement out of the corner of his eye, and it was his lightning reflexes that kept the knife out of Janice's throat. Janice had been looking to her right, watching for the kids, so she didn't see the hand come around the partition, blade angled to drive into her throat. Cole jerked the helicopter to the left, banking it almost too hard for it to keep in the air.
If it hadn't been for the harness, Janice would have found herself in Cole's lap as he twisted the helicopter unexpectedly. She felt a thin sting on her neck, wondering what the hell he was doing. She touched her neck, her eyes widening to see blood on her fingers. She looked up at him in question, but behind the partition on his side, slammed up against the side of the helicopter, she had the answer. Tundra. There was a tarp in the back in disarray. That sneaky little bitch!
"Just fly," she shouted to Cole, hitting the release on her harness. The belts unlocked, and she was crawling to the back in a flash.
Tundra knew her knife had fallen out of her hand when that thing had jerked the helicopter. No matter. Nightshade was on her way back here. This mess was still salvageable. There was always a way out. She was willing to bet he was looking for a place to land right then. Perfect. He seemed to have a weakness for Nightshade. It could be used. It would be used.
Janice was pissed. Most people made mistakes when they were angry. She didn't. Anger made her sharper, more focused. And now, she was focused on taking this bitch right out. There wasn't much maneuvering room, but that was just fine. It was going to be better when she could see Tundra's face up close when she kicked her ass. She didn't realize that she had a small smile on her face, the one that sent shivers up an opponent's spine. It was, in a word, murderous.
Tundra dropped, swiping out her leg in a sweep. Janice jumped it, and then immediately blocked the reverse kick. She whipped out a power kick of her own, but Tundra swept the leg aside, and was back on her feet. Janice feinted a punch, and when Tundra blocked it, Janice spun around and caught her square in the ribs with her elbow, throwing her into the door. Janice's momentum whipped her around in a shallow kick that tossed Tundra back. She would have hit the ground had she not been holding the latch.
Tundra's weight jerked the latch back, sliding the door open. She timed her next move perfectly, deflecting the punch that would have taken her out cold, and getting her leg between Janice's. She twisted her body hard, her knee hitting the back of Janice's, knocking her off balance. Still holding the door, Tundra shoved hard with her other leg, shoving Janice right out the open door.
Tundra nearly shouted with victory as Janice tumbled out the door. She leaned out to see the body crash into the snow, and a hand snaked around her ankle, pulling hard. She lost her balance, and fell, catching one of the landing skids, and swinging herself into a more secure position. As secure as one could be hanging off a helicopter skid at any rate.
Janice was wondering whom Tundra thought she was playing with. Like this was her first time being thrown out of a helicopter, or hanging onto a dangerous perch. The two women faced each other for a moment, holding onto the helicopter and trying to find the best angle of attack on the other. This was going to be tricky but…Janice dropped, catching the skid, and swinging forward and then up. One foot hooked the skid behind Tundra, pulling her up rapidly, and the other was a direct blow to Tundra's midsection. Tundra fell back, the wind nearly knocked out of her. She lost her balance, her hand losing contact with the helicopter, and then she was falling into empty air. She struck out, making contact, and gripping it with desperate strength.
Janice felt Tundra grab her, and the weight jerked her leg off of the skid. For a sickening moment, she thought she was going down too, but her elbow was hooked around the skid, holding her on for now as they dangled high in the open air. She kicked once, nearly dislodging herself in the process, but Tundra had a death grip on her ankle. Janice's arms were straining, and she knew she wasn't going to be able to hold on for long.
