Storytime with Rachel F Hundred

Stringfellow Hawke scowled at the rotor in front of him and rubbed his chin leaving a grease mark across the tanned skin. He gripped the wrench tighter and leaned forward on the ladder as he tried to undo a particularly stubborn bolt that had refused all his efforts so far that morning to shift it. He ignored the speculative look that his close friend and mentor, Dominic Santini shot him. The older man was like a second father to Hawke and the younger pilot suspected that Dom knew he was taking his frustration out on the machine and only tolerating it because of the reason why; Hawke was missing his pregnant wife.

He had married Caitlin O’Shaunessy a few months before in a quiet ceremony with their closest friends and family in attendance. Their marriage was built on the solid foundation of their previous friendship and it had only deepened the bond between them. Hawke could no longer imagine his life without the feisty redheaded pilot and the news that they were expecting their first child a month previously had only added to their happiness. It was a much wanted and longed for baby but the reality of what a pregnancy meant had hit home to Caitlin just over a week before; an Airwolf mission had almost gone badly wrong and she had realised that she could no longer be part of the crew for the world’s most technologically advanced and only mach capable helicopter. The decision had left her feeling overwhelmed by her pregnancy and Hawke had suggested Caitlin visit her folks in Texas. He’d had to stay behind to help an injured Dom with the air service but he’d believed her mother and sister would be able to put some of his wife’s fears to rest and going from his nightly conversation with Caitlin, the ploy had worked; she was sounding like her old self.

Hawke’s blue eyes narrowed on the bolt as his mind drifted to Airwolf. It had been over two years since he had recovered her from the hands of her twisted creator Moffett and made the deal with Michael Coldsmith-Briggs III; Hawke would fly her on missions of national importance and the FIRM would look for his MIA brother. Hawke didn’t regret his decision to keep Airwolf. He loved flying her and it seemed the feeling was mutual; Airwolf had recently rewritten a self-preservation code, removing Moffett as her named pilot and replacing him with Hawke. It was a sign that the helicopter was beginning to develop an artificial intelligence that allowed her to act with a certain degree of independence. Hawke couldn’t deny that Airwolf, acting on her own, had already saved their lives a number of times and he had decided that he wouldn’t question it again. Still, the artificial intelligence was a little unnerving especially when they had seen what happened when it went wrong in a recent encounter with another version of Airwolf called Gemini.

Gemini had been built after the team had agreed that with the merger of the FIRM with the Company they couldn’t allow an intelligent Airwolf to fall into the hands of the larger intelligence agency. Michael had confessed that he was already building an upgraded Airwolf helicopter that would be the next generation of her class and had suggested using the cover of his project to build a fake version that they would give to the Company whilst they retained control of the original. Unfortunately, when Gemini had been built and uploaded with the original Airwolf’s program, its computer had initiated the same self-preservation code used by Airwolf that allowed independent action. It had tried to attack the Red Star building where the FIRM’s Airwolf project was located and only the original Airwolf had been able to stop it. Gemini was now lying in several pieces over Devil’s Anvil. The team still had to work out another strategy but it appeared that they would have some time; it seemed the Company intended to continue to use Hawke for missions although it looked unlikely that they would keep to the deal of finding his brother. Michael had discovered that the Company were systematically removing information from the intelligence network making it seem like there was no evidence to begin searching.

Hawke was just pleased that they had already discovered a great deal about Saint John’s fate; his brother had survived ‘Nam and joined a Special Forces unit performing covert missions deep into enemy territory before leaving the army to do the same for an intelligence agency which Michael believed was the Company. A fluke discovery of a photo had led Hawke to Cambodia where they believed his brother had been a prisoner of the Khmer Rouge but he had been months too late; there had already been a rescue.

Hawke pressed his lips together. He couldn’t pretend that the fact that Saint John had chosen not to contact him since ‘Nam didn’t rankle and he knew when they finally did find each other again, it was a hurt they were going to have to resolve. He had spent a lot of his adult life looking for his brother; had taken the huge risk of keeping Airwolf to force the FIRM to look for him and whilst he didn’t regret it, it was difficult not to feel that he’d been risking his life for the last two years only to find his brother didn’t even want to be found. The trip to Cambodia had helped him sort through his priorities, Hawke thought. He missed his brother and still desperately wanted to find him, if only to find some peace over what had happened in ‘Nam, but it was no longer the whole focus of his life. His priority was his wife and the child they were expecting which, he mused, brought him right back to how much he was missing Caitlin.

‘String,’ Dom’s gruff voice interrupted his reverie, ‘if you yank on that any harder,’ he sighed as Hawke’s hand slipped off the wrench and slammed against the side of the helicopter, ‘you’re going to hurt yourself.’

Hawke flexed his hand and stared at the brash red mark.

‘Come on down and let me take a look at that.’ Dom demanded.

‘It’s just a bruise.’ Hawke protested. He tried to avoid Dom’s paternal gaze but his blue eyes skidded straight into it. He sighed and jumped off the ladder to let the older man examine him.

‘Go and wash up.’ Dom said and reached over to take the wrench from him.

‘Hey, I’m using that!’ Hawke tried to grab it and Dom held it just out of his reach.

‘Go to Texas.’ Dom said firmly.

‘Dom…’

The older man waved him away with the wrench. ‘You’re driving me nuts and besides Jo’s due back any day!’ He said making reference to his niece who was moving back to LA. ‘My arm’s much better so go to Texas already. Tell Cait I said hi.’

Hawke sighed, inwardly pleased. He missed his pregnant wife and the ache of being separated from her had settled in his stomach like a gaping hole. It seemed worse that day than any other. ‘You’re sure?’

‘I’m sure.’ Dom gestured at his hand. ‘You’re no use to me.’

Hawke hid a smile at the disgruntled tone. ‘Thanks, Dom.’

Dom harrumphed and adjusted his red cap.

Hawke was about to head up to the lockers to change when he heard someone enter the hangar and turned to see who it was. The acting director of the FIRM walked over to meet them accompanied by his senior aide, Marella; both were wearing the usual uniform of white. The two of them were more inseparable than ever since Michael had finally revealed his feelings to Marella after she had saved his life. The couple’s personal relationship was slowly progressing with the blessing of Michael’s ten year old daughter Angelina.

‘I’m headed for Texas, Michael, so make this quick.’ Hawke said without preamble.

‘It’s good to see you too, Hawke.’ Michael shot back. He pushed his wire-frame glasses up his nose and stared out with his good eye at the younger man noting the faint signs of annoyance that creased the lines on Hawke’s otherwise impassive face.

Marella cleared her throat interrupting the staring contest as Hawke’s eyes were drawn to her. She smiled. ‘How is Caitlin?’

Hawke softened at the real concern that gleamed from the agent’s dark eyes. Marella and Caitlin were good friends and he knew the pregnancy had to be difficult for the spy; the injuries she had sustained saving Michael’s life had left her unable to have children. ‘She’s fine.’ He answered. He gestured at the white-suited man beside her. ‘What’s this about, Michael?’

Michael sighed and tapped his cane on the floor. ‘It’s not good news.’

‘It never is.’ Dom laughed, stuffing his large hands into the pockets of his overalls.

‘You remember after the HX-2 mission, I told you we had verified Merrick, a FIRM operative, had conspired with the Air Force General to try and take Airwolf?’ Michael began.

‘Yeah, I remember.’ Hawke said.

‘It would be difficult to forget,’ Dom pointed out, ‘seeing as how I got shot.’

Michael ignored Dom’s remark. ‘We’ve traced Merrick’s activities during the last few months of his life.’

‘And?’ Hawke prompted impatiently, rocking back on his heels and folding his arms across his chest.

‘And we can’t find any evidence that links him with the break-in here at Santini Air.’ Marella concluded.

Hawke stilled and then shrugged. ‘We know that cop Marin was involved. Maybe he did all the work.’

‘Maybe.’ Michael added. ‘But something doesn’t feel right.’

‘Maybe you’re being paranoid, Michael.’ Hawke said unable to hide his disquiet at the idea they hadn’t completely discovered who had been after them.

‘I prefer cautious.’ Michael corrected gently. ‘It’s less than a month before the FIRM is merged with the Company. I think we should all be extra careful for the next few weeks.’

Hawke nodded. ‘OK, by me. If that’s everything, I need to change.’ He left the hangar before Michael could protest.

Dom looked after him worriedly.

‘Is something wrong?’ Michael asked him bluntly.

Dom shook his head and was about to make a dismissive quip when his dark eyes swept over the agent’s concerned face. He flung a hand in Hawke’s direction. ‘He’s just missing her that’s all. Been like a bear with a sore head since he got in this morning.’

‘He shouldn’t be the number of times he’s talking to her.’ Michael commented.

Dom looked at him puzzled. ‘What do you mean?’

‘He hasn’t told you?’ Michael asked surprised.

‘Would I be asking you if he had?’ Dom said with exaggerated patience.

Michael brushed a finger over his moustache. ‘He’s using the satellite phone I gave him to call Texas every night.’

‘I picked it up at the end of last week.’ Marella said. ‘I think it’s sweet.’ She made a face when Michael shot her a look.

‘Well, it doesn’t surprise me.’ Dom folded his arms across his chest and rocked back, a gap-toothed smile slowly creeping across his face. ‘Guess your toys had to come in useful sometime, eh, Mikey.’ He slapped a hand on Michael’s shoulder.

The spy glared at the older man before he turned to Marella. ‘Would you give us a minute, Marella?’

‘Of course, sir.’ She said with a wide smile and pirouetted on her white stilettos.

Michael waited until the click of the heels on the hangar floor could no longer be heard before he spoke. ‘Marella thinks I’m asking you to teach Angelina how to fly.’

Dom beamed. He had a soft spot for Michael’s daughter. ‘I’d love to.’

‘It was a ploy, Dominic.’ Michael said exasperatedly. ‘I have an update on that matter you asked me to look into it.’

Dom’s puzzled expression cleared abruptly. He’d asked the spy to investigate whether Hawke’s parents were still alive. A kidnapping by a hit man called Sallis working for the Cordelli’s, a Mafia family had brought their deaths in a boat accident into question for him; he believed there was a good chance that the couple had entered a witness protection scheme after being deceived by the lie that their sons had died at sea. He’d kept his theory to himself. Hawke had enough to deal with and was finally putting the past to rest, if Hawke’s parents were alive, it would just stir everything up. Dom glanced at the stairs to the lockers. ‘We’d better talk in the office.’

He hurried across the hangar and ushered Michael into the small space. He’d barely closed the door when he whirled to face the spy. ‘Well?’

Michael leaned on the desk and folded his arms across his chest, trying not to let the older man’s apparent hope affect him. ‘I have nothing conclusive.’

‘Oh.’ Dom slumped into a chair and removed his red cap revealing the flattened wispy grey curls beneath. He turned it over in his hands. ‘I guess it was too much to hope for thinking they were still alive…’

‘I haven’t conclusively found out anything.’ Michael repeated. ‘At this point, I’m as confused as you.’

Dom’s eyes flew back to Michael. ‘What d’ya mean?’

Michael sighed. ‘My inquiries did establish that you were correct; the day the Hawke’s were supposedly killed, they were meant to go into an FBI witness protection scheme.’

‘You checked up on me?’ Dom said his brow lowering ominously. ‘I told you that already.’

‘Dawson, the FBI agent who told you might have lied to you.’ Michael pointed out.

Dom subsided. ‘Go on.’

‘I saw Dawson when I was in Washington.’ The spy admitted. ‘He basically gave me the same spiel he gave you; the Hawke family was to meet the FBI at sea. They would scupper the boat and take the family off to a new life and the storm would come in and everyone would assume the family were lost at sea.’ Michael gestured. ‘Only the storm came in faster than expected, Hawke went overboard, Saint John went in after him and their parents were apparently truly lost at sea.’ He smoothed his tie. ‘He was very convincing.’

‘I’m just not sure I believe his act anymore.’ Dom muttered glancing away from Michael at an old picture of the Hawke family that was on the wall.

‘Me either.’

Michael’s words had Dom’s eyes shooting back to him.

The spy gestured. ‘The FBI has an active file on Alan and Jane Hawke.’ He pointed his cane at the older man. ‘You have to wonder why if they’re dead.’

‘So you think they’re alive?’ Dom asked.

‘I think,’ stressed Michael, ‘that it is no longer clear cut that Hawke’s parents are dead.’

‘So what does that mean?’ Dom said angrily.

‘It means, Dominic,’ Michael continued, ‘that I’ve found nothing conclusive.’

Dom glared at him for a moment before he sighed dejectedly. ‘So what now?’

‘I could continue to dig but if I do…’ Michael shrugged. ‘I could alert the Cordelli’s and Sallis. They could come after you again…I could end up leading them straight to Hawke’s parents and then there’s Hawke’s reaction to consider…’

Dom considered the offer and shook his head. ‘Hawke’s got enough to deal with right now with the baby on the way and I don’t want Al and Jane to be compromised if they are alive.’ He admitted. He sighed and replaced his cap. ‘As much as I wish I knew either way, I think we should leave it.’

‘I’m sorry, Dominic.’ Michael said. ‘But I think you’ve made the right decision.’

Dom nodded and got to his feet. ‘You did as much as you could.’ He shifted uncomfortably. ‘I appreciate it.’

Michael nodded in acknowledgement.

‘And remember, you gave me your word you wouldn’t tell String.’ Dom said.

‘I remember.’ Michael said.

Dom opened the office door and hurried back into the hangar. He and Michael had only just assumed their original positions when Hawke came clattering down the stairs dressed in jeans, sweater and a battered leather jacket. He stopped at the sight of the two men stood so seriously.

‘What’s going on?’ He asked suspiciously.

‘Nothing.’ Dom denied quickly.

Michael pushed his glasses up his nose and met Hawke’s eyes squarely. ‘I was asking Dominic to teach Angelina how to fly.’

‘And I was saying yes.’ Dom added.

The phone rang in the office and Dom’s face sagged in relief.

‘I’d better get that.’ He said cheerfully. ‘Have a good time in Texas.’ He hurried out of the hangar before Hawke could reply.

Hawke viewed Michael warily. ‘You going to tell me what that was really about?’

‘No,’ admitted Michael. He gestured at the hangar door. ‘I’ll walk out with you.’

The FIRM’s white limo was parked right next to Hawke’s bike. Marella pushed away from the vehicle and took a couple of steps towards them.

‘Did you ask him?’ Marella asked.

Michael nodded. ‘Dom said he would teach Angelina to fly.’

‘Good.’ Marella said with satisfaction. ‘She’ll be thrilled.’

Hawke watched the interchange and decided that either they were talking in code or Michael really had been asking Dom for flying lessons for his daughter. ‘How is Angelina?’

Michael beamed with fatherly pride. ‘She won a major chess tournament.’

Hawke quirked an eyebrow in amusement. ‘Guess that makes her beating you all the time a whole lot more palatable, huh?’

Michael brushed a finger over his moustache and changed the subject. ‘Have you heard from Jo Santini?’

Hawke nodded. ‘She’ll be back in a few days.’

‘Are you sure that’s wise given what happened with Marin?’ Michael asked. Dom’s niece had been seduced by Marin in his attempt to get closer to the Airwolf team. He didn’t think having the female pilot around was a good idea.

Hawke sighed. ‘She’s Dom’s niece, Michael, and she’s moving back. Get used to it.’ Like I have to, he thought.

Marella cleared her throat before Michael could respond as Hawke swung his leg over the motor-cycle. ‘Give Caitlin our love. It’ll be good to have her home.’

‘Yeah.’ Hawke’s blue eyes warmed at the mention of his wife. ‘I can’t wait.’

‘It’ll certainly save on the phone bills,’ commented Michael.

Hawke shot him a look and Michael was careful to keep his face expressionless.

‘See you around.’ Hawke muttered. He gunned the engine. If he took Airwolf he’d be….

‘String!’ Dom raced out of the hangar. ‘The phone. It’s for you.’ He was panting, his face beet red.

Hawke looked at him crossly. ‘Can’t you take a message?’

Dom shook his head a strange expression on his face. ‘It’s Caitlin’s father.’

Hawke stared at him and a strange apprehension had him frozen for a second. He switched the engine off and all but ran to the office, the others at his heels.

He snatched up the phone receiver lying on the office desk. ‘Patrick?’ He couldn’t keep the panic from his voice.

‘Hawke…’ He wasn’t the only one panicking; he could hear it in the other man’s voice, ‘Caitlin, she’s missing, we thought she’d had an accident and started searching the ranch but…someone called, they’ve demanded money.’

It was as though someone had punched Hawke. His breath left his body; his face blanched white and he swayed on his feet.

Michael took the receiver from Hawke’s lifeless fingers and spoke with Patrick. He put the receiver down and turned to the others. ‘Caitlin disappeared early this morning. Her parents thought she’d gone for a walk and had an accident. They started a search of the ranch but they’ve just received a call demanding a ransom from a man claiming that he has Caitlin. He wants one million dollars. The police have been notified as have the FBI.’

‘He wants money?’ Dom’s voice was tremulous, disbelieving.

‘They think this is a plain and simple kidnapping. Caitlin is the granddaughter of an oil tycoon after all.’

Hawke shook his head in denial. Caitlin was in Texas. She was safe; she couldn’t be kidnapped; she was having a baby. He whirled and made for the door. He had to get to Texas.

Michael went after him. ‘Hawke, wait.’ He caught up with him just before the door, putting a hand on his arm to halt him completely. Dom was already running to support the man who was in every way, apart from biology, a son to him.

‘Michael, don’t you dare…’ Dom began.

‘Dominic.’ Michael silenced him with a look and turned to Marella. ‘Contact the FBI. Tell them that the FIRM will be giving them an assist on the kidnapping. Get Gaynor over there to start with the assisting.’ He looked at Hawke’s impassive expression and at Dom’s obvious worry. ‘I’m coming with you.’

‘I’m coming too.’ Marella insisted. ‘I can make the calls from Airwolf.’

‘Fine.’ Hawke muttered before he marched out not wanting to waste time on pointless discussion. The others exchanged a concerned look and followed after him.

—

The Airwolf cockpit was silent except for the background hum of her computers and the steady growl of her engines as she ate up the miles between California and Texas. Michael turned from his position on the jump seat to look at Dom next to him. The older man’s dark stare was pinned to Hawke as though his thoughts alone would hold the younger pilot together. Michael could see Marella, who was sat in the front of Airwolf, was also looking at Hawke. His own gaze slid to the pilot. Caitlin was the centre of Hawke’s world…if anything happened to her. He wasn’t sure they’d be able to put the pilot back together again.

Hawke could feel how worried the others were about him; the anxiety was like a living breathing entity that occupied the cockpit with them. He didn’t have the strength to ease their concern and he knew if he tried it would be a lie. He tried to keep focused on the flight but he knew Airwolf was assisting him more than usual. Maybe the machine knew how his mind would slip to his wife every other breath. Hold on Caitlin, Hawke thought urgently, I’m on my way. She couldn’t be kidnapped. Not now, not with the baby…

Hawke walked back into the examination where he’d left Caitlin and caught Doctor Peters on her way out. He spotted Caitlin redressing behind a screen as the doctor smiled at him and told him Caitlin would tell him everything before she left him alone with his wife.

Caitlin stepped out from behind the screen. She was looking thin after successive days of a stomach bug that rarely let her keep her food down, her face was pale under her freckles and there were shadows under her blue-green eyes. He went to help her finish pulling on her sweater.

‘Thanks.’ She said lifting her long red hair free. He barely registered the kiss she dropped on his lips or her murmured request to go home, he was too worried. He just caught hold of her shoulders and asked her what the doctor had said.

There was a strange look in her eyes and his stomach knotted with tension.

‘Well I’m anaemic…’ OK, so anaemia wasn’t so bad. ‘…and my blood pressure is a little low…’ that explained the faint ‘…and the stomach bug is really morning sickness…’ he didn’t hear the rest of the sentence.

‘Cait.’ He was barely aware of saying her name, shock reverberating through him. ‘What did you just say?’

‘I’m pregnant.’

He stared at her. Pregnant. His wife was pregnant. As in having a baby. She was looking at him nervously, her fingers twisting together. He couldn’t believe it. They’d been trying but…he had to check he’d heard it right.

‘I did.’ She was trying to smile but her eyes were filled with the same nerves crowding his belly. Pregnant. She was having a baby. His baby. A wave of masculine pride and possessiveness washed through him.

‘You did.’ He could feel the smile spread across his own face as she smiled back at him, happiness shining from her blue eyes. ‘You’re pregnant.’

She’d been so ill though…he had to check everything was OK, that she and the baby were fine. She was quick to reassure him.

Hawke nodded. ‘You’re really pregnant.’ He repeated.

‘Really pregnant.’

‘A baby.’ Hawke said in wonderment. His hands slipped to her belly where their baby was growing and pressed lightly against her. Someone was after them though. His old fear clutched at him and he wrapped his arms tightly around Caitlin. Nobody was going to harm his family…nobody.

‘String…’ Dom’s gentle voice broke through Hawke’s memory and he came back to reality with the startled understanding that Airwolf was pretty much flying on her own. Hawke strengthened his grip on the stick.

‘The O’Shaunessy ranch is five miles out.’ Dom said quietly.

The speed decreased rapidly as they switched from the turbines and re-engaged the rotor system coming to hover over the sprawling ranch. Hawke took Airwolf down into a wide space behind the house rather than using the helipad. There were a number of trucks already parked up and people were already rushing to the back of the house to observe the helicopter’s descent, shielding their eyes from the bright sun and the rising dust cloud. A white limo drove up to meet them as they exited Airwolf. Dom set the alarm and locked the doors with the remote electronic device they rarely used; there were too many people around not to keep her secure.

An exotic brunette with skin the colour of café au lait and wide almond eyes stepped out of the limo and handed a rosewood cane to Michael. Hawke barely noticed her, his attention was on the men walking towards them; two official looking guys and Patrick, Caitlin’s father.

‘Hawke.’ Patrick enveloped his son-in-law in a hug.

Hawke returned it and tried to ignore how anxious his father-in-law looked. ‘Patrick…what’s happening?’

‘Maybe I can help with that.’ FBI Special Agent Gray Charleston tore his gaze away from Airwolf, and let his eyes drift over the tense man in front of him, tried to see past the aviator sunglasses to the eyes hidden behind. ‘You’re the husband?’

‘Yeah.’ Hawke acknowledged him with a brief nod.

‘Gray, it’s good to see you again.’ Michael said.

‘Archangel. Marella.’ Gray acknowledged him with a nod. ‘I was told you would be arriving to assist…’ his gaze moved to Gaynor, ‘but not why.’

‘Caitlin…she’s unofficially one of mine.’ Michael explained and saw Gray cover his surprise well.

‘Let’s get inside and I’ll brief you all.’ The agent said.

They made their way through the back of the ranch house and into a large, formal reception room. The FBI agents had set up along a desk at the back of the room. Tracing equipment had been tied into the phone line; more extensions added. The room was filled with a mass of milling people.

Hawke ignored the agents and focused on Caitlin’s…his extended family; Caitlin’s grandfather, Chester Mitchell came over to stand with them whilst his wife stayed with their daughter, Caitlin’s mother Maggie. Caitlin’s eldest sister Erin and her husband Paul, his arm around his wife and baby, were sat with them along with Caitlin’s two brothers Brian and Callum, their wives and children, and her younger sister Fiona. There was an aunt bringing in coffee, an uncle stood by the mantle puffing on a pipe, more family milling through the house. There were so many people, so much family and all of them looking at Hawke with the same compassion. Hawke felt Dom’s hand on his shoulder and he steadied, listening as Gray brought them up to date.

‘Caitlin was taken this morning. Family thought she’d gone for a walk along an old riding trail and had an accident. A search commenced but there was no sign of her in the immediate area. An aerial search of the rest of the ranch was about to commence when the call came in at lunch time.’ Gray tried hard not to sigh. ‘Her mother took the call. Apparently the voice was a man. He told her that he had Caitlin, he wanted a million dollars and he would be in touch.’

‘Did he give any proof of life?’ Hawke forced the question out.

‘No.’ Gray’s head swivelled to him.

‘Any time-frame?’ Marella asked.

Gray shook his head. ‘No indication of where or when the drop was to be made,’ he said matter-of-factly, ‘and he didn’t specifically exclude the involvement of police or FBI.’

‘So either he’s an amateur very new at this or he’s a professional who isn’t concerned at our involvement and maybe even wants us involved.’ Michael concluded, careful to keep his expression neutral in front of Caitlin’s gathered family.

Gray nodded.

‘Have we started organising the ransom?’ Michael asked assuming that Caitlin’s grandfather would step up to pay it and knowing that it would take time for even a man like him to organise funds.

‘Well…’ Gray began.

‘We’re not paying the ransom.’ Caitlin’s grandfather cut in.

Hawke’s face hardened into harsh lines. Michael blinked in astonishment.

‘You’re not…’ Dom blurted out and squared up to the white-haired man. ‘Why the hell not?’

‘Yeah, tell them why not Chester.’ Patrick goaded, his green eyes sparking at his father-in-law. It was obviously an old argument.

‘I won’t give in to demands for money.’ Mitchell folded his arms across his barrel chest defensively.

‘Hey, buddy, this is Caitlin’s life we’re talking about.’ Dom took a step forward.

Michael took a step to halt him from punching Mitchell and turned to the FBI agent. ‘Gray?’

‘I’ve requested the funds but one million dollars is a lot of money and I’ve received instruction from the regional office to try to resolve the situation before a ransom is required.’

Hawke caught Gray’s brown eyes flickering to Mitchell and then back to Michael. In other words, Hawke thought, Mitchell had sway with the local FBI command. He cleared his throat. ‘Michael, it’ll take me a while to pull that kinda money together…’

Michael cut Hawke off with a look and signalled for Marella. ‘Organise the one million dollars and get it brought here immediately.’

Marella nodded. ‘Yes sir.’

Dom started to smile not even hiding the spreading grin; Hawke nodded his thanks and relief spread over Patrick’s tight features.

‘Now you just wait on a moment…’ Mitchell’s face was red with outrage, ‘I won’t have…’

Hawke yanked off his sunglasses. Blue thin ice glared at the tycoon; a cold deadly warning heated with the light of a temper wanting to let loose on something, anything. It silenced the older man more effectively then words; it silenced the whole room.

Hawke pulled his fury back inch by inch, took a breath. ‘I need some air.’ He said and walked out. Half-way back to Airwolf, he remembered they’d locked her. He swore and changed directions, headed for the stables.

The smell of old worn leather, hay and horse eased him a little as he entered. His eyes blinked adjusting to the shadowy light and he made his way to a spirited mare. She was a beautiful animal and as he smoothed a hand down her chestnut neck, felt her nuzzle into his chest, he let his anger drain away. All he wanted was his wife, safe and well. Their wedding day drifted back to him…

Hawke was stood in front of the judge, the lake just beyond the smiling man. The sunlight cast a beautiful gold glow over the water and the air was heavy with perfume from the flowers that edged the clearing. He turned to smile at a beaming Dom before his eyes drifted to the porch steps.

Caitlin stood with one arm tucked into her father’s. The floor length dress of pale cream silk shot through with a gold thread shimmered in the sunlight. A cream wool shawl was draped over her arms and she held a bouquet of gold and cream roses in her hand. Her hair was up in some complicated do that Hawke knew he would destroy later but she’d left tendrils curling around her face and neck which the sunlight turned to copper. He would always remember how beautiful she looked, he thought. Their eyes connected. Love and trust beamed from hers along with the same underlying honesty that had hit him the first day they met as she made her way towards him.

He took her hand and interlinked their fingers. The wedding ceremony began and he solemnly took his vows. His heart warmed as she made hers. He wasn’t alone anymore; she was going to be with him, always. He slipped the wedding ring on her finger and brushed the warm metal. His. She was his. Caitlin slipped the matching plain gold band on Hawke’s finger.

‘…I now pronounce you….’

Hawke reached over and kissed his wife…

‘Hey.’

The voice, so like Caitlin’s, wrenched him from the past. He looked over at the stable doorway. Erin. He might have guessed her elder sister would be the one to search him out; she had always supported their relationship.

‘I brought you some coffee.’ She took a couple of steps forward and handed him a mug.

He caught the faint aroma of the bitter drink. ‘Thank you.’ Hawke took it from her to be polite and then, because she looked too much like Caitlin, because it hurt to look at her, turned back to the horse.

‘I see you found White Star.’ Erin walked up rest an elbow on the stall railing and reached over to pat the mare’s neck. ‘Caitlin’s had that horse forever.’

Hawke stroked the horse’s nose. He’d headed for her without any thought but he suddenly remembered how Caitlin had shown him the mare the first time they’d visited.

Erin glanced across at Hawke. ‘You holding up OK?’

Hawke avoided the question. ‘You?’

‘I’m OK.’ The same damn bravado as her sister.

Hawke sighed and took a sip of the coffee he didn’t really want. ‘Did she go out walking every morning?’

‘Yeah.’ Erin admitted. ‘Every morning. Normally, as you know, it would be a horse ride but with the baby…she didn’t want to take any chances.’

Hawke swallowed hard at the mention of the baby, forced himself to focus. ‘Same time?’

‘No, it varied just like her riding but it was never later than eight and she was always back at the house for breakfast at nine.’

Hawke took another sip. ‘How many people know about the baby?’

‘Only the immediate family.’ Erin said.

Hawke raised an eyebrow.

‘OK, so maybe the odd aunt and uncle…’ she shrugged, ‘nothing stays secret for very long around here.’

Hawke was about to reply when he heard the scuff of a boot by the door. His blue eyes skipped past Erin to Dom who was stood in the doorway, his bulky frame blotting out most of the sunlight. Erin excused herself and Dom wandered in to take her place.

His dark eyes swept over Hawke with concern. ‘You OK?’

Hawke ignored the question. ‘What’s happening?’

‘Michael’s gotten the official go-ahead to take over.’ Dom folded his arms, leaned against the stall railing. ‘Talked to the FBI director himself, don’t you know?’ He gave a short laugh. ‘Gray and the local FBI will stay on but Michael’s running the show now.’

‘Good.’ Hawke glanced back at the horse. ‘You know, Dom, someone’s been watching her this week, maybe for a while.’

‘Oh?’

‘Caitlin normally rides every morning when she’s here. At different times, but always before eight. This week she was walking because of the…’ Hawke took a gulp of coffee trying to get his mind to work with a jolt of the caffeine. ‘Somebody had to be watching her a while to establish the pattern; the earliest she would leave, the latest; what mornings she would go out early, which late.’

‘Well that isn’t too much of a surprise is it kid?’ Dom gently pointed out. ‘Somebody obviously planned to kidnap her.’

‘And that’s just what doesn’t fit, Dom.’ Hawke said, starting to feel he was on the right track. ‘Think. If you wanted to kidnap someone from Chester Mitchell’s family in order to demand a money ransom, who would you take?’

‘Well, String, I’m not…’

‘You’d take one of the kids or Fiona.’ Hawke told him. His intent blue eyes met Dom’s. ‘You wouldn’t take an ex-cop with martial arts training.’

‘Maybe they don’t know…’

‘You said it Dom. Somebody planned this. If they spent all that time watching her habits then…’

‘Then they had to have made a deliberate choice in choosing her.’ Dom sighed heavily, his brow lowering unhappy at the implication. ‘Could they know about the baby?’

‘Maybe.’ Hawke admitted. ‘But I don’t think that her pregnancy makes her that vulnerable…not yet. In a few months, maybe, when her mobility is compromised. She can still defend herself right now.’

‘Couldn’t it have been a…a spontaneous thing?’ Dom suggested.

‘I don’t think so.’ Hawke said sure of his ground. ‘You don’t just find yourself way out in the middle of a ranch and faced with an opportunity to kidnap someone.’

Dom straightened. ‘We’d better tell, Michael.’

‘Tell me what.’ Michael sniffed at the stable aroma and carefully walked over to join them. He had changed from the lilac Airwolf uniform and into his usual white suit.

Hawke filled him on their deliberations.

Michael nodded. ‘I think you’re right. I was coming to say pretty much the same thing. I checked out Mitchell and I don’t think this is about the money. You know how much he’s worth?’

‘I didn’t request a financial statement when I married Cait but I’m guessing the one million dollars is pocket change.’ Hawke sat down on an old barrel.

‘And some.’ Michael confirmed. ‘If you’d truly planned to kidnap Caitlin, anyone for Mitchell’s money, you’d be demanding a lot more than one million.’

‘So what are we saying here?’ Dom demanded. ‘If Caitlin was the target and money wasn’t the motive…’

‘Airwolf.’ Hawke shook his head and pushed his hand through his short brown hair. ‘It has to be.’

‘But why the pretence?’ Dom asked, gesturing.

‘That’s the million dollar question, Dominic.’ Michael’s lips twisted. ‘Literally.’

‘You know if you’re snatching Caitlin off the middle of the ranch, you need to have an exit plan.’ Hawke said. ‘Have the FBI been over the trail Caitlin took for possible evidence from the grab?’

‘They’ve started but they’re not sure which route she took and the ranch is a lot of ground to cover.’ Michael said.

‘Not in our baby.’ Dom looked over at Hawke.

‘Beats waiting around here.’ Hawke got to his feet and handed the mug, still half-filled with coffee to Michael. He halted at the stable doorway, spinning back to Michael who was following behind. The spy came to an abrupt stop, almost splashing coffee over his white jacket. ‘Michael…’

‘I’ll patch you in if there’s a call.’ The spy promised.

Hawke nodded in acknowledgement of the friendship that prompted the understanding as much as for the promise. He and Dom headed for Airwolf.

They were soon flying over walking trails, scanning the surface with every piece of surveillance equipment available to them in Airwolf.

‘Anything?’ Hawke asked.

‘Not yet.’ Dom muttered, punching in another scan.

Hawke shifted in his seat and tried to relax his shoulders. Somebody had taken her to get to Airwolf; to get to him. It was the very reason why he’d tried to let her go the year before, before their friendship had become something more…

Hawke was stood awkwardly by the side of Caitlin’s hospital bed, overwhelmed by his guilt as he looked at the bruised scrape on her forehead and the bandage peeking out from her gown. He had been the one out in the open, the one the shooter had targeted; he was the one who should have been lying in the hospital bed but she had saved him, taken the bullet and almost died. He had held her hand and prayed to a God he wasn’t sure he believed in for her to live and somewhere in that long wait for her to recover, he’d finally admitted the truth to her and to himself; that he loved her. That had been a few days ago.

‘Why don’t you just come out and say whatever it is you have to say?’

Hawke’s blue eyes shot to Caitlin’s with surprise and he swallowed hard when she raised an expectant eyebrow. He cleared his throat. ‘Your father told Michael your family were taking you back to Texas to recuperate.’

‘He did?’

Surprise flitted across her face and he wondered if her family had even discussed it with her. ‘I think it’s a good idea.’ Hawke folded his arms and took a deep breath. ‘And I think you should stay in Texas once you’re better. Maybe it’s an opportunity for you to do what you said…leave LA, have that family you want.’ He’d thought about it and it was for the best. She was in too much danger staying involved with Airwolf, with him.

Her eyes narrowed on him. ‘You want…you want me to stay in Texas?’

He held her shocked gaze but didn’t reply; he couldn’t, there was a lump in his throat.

‘I see.’ Her expression became guarded.

‘Caitlin,’ Hawke took a deep breath tried to explain why he was letting her go; he wanted to look away from the hurt she was trying to hide but firmed his resolve; he was doing this for her. ‘You deserve better.’

‘I deserve better.’ She repeated dully. She stared at him and he looked away from her intent regard without saying another word. ‘Well if that’s the way you feel…’

He heard her sob and his eyes went back to her. The sight of her crying tore at him and his need to comfort her overcame everything else; before he knew it, he was sat on the bed and holding her as she cried herself out in his arms. Eventually she quietened, and as she brought herself back under control, she inched away from him. He let her go that inch.

‘I don’t know why I’m crying.’ Caitlin muttered. ‘I want to hit you.’

Hawke almost smiled at the comment; it was so typically her.

She took a deep hitching breath and her damp eyes met his. ‘You know it wasn’t your fault I got shot.’

‘It was my fault.’ Hawke contradicted her. ‘You could have died, Caitlin.’ His head bowed. ‘You almost did and I couldn’t live with myself if…’ He felt her fingers smooth through his hair, comforting him. He stirred to look at her, leaned into her hand as it slid over his rough cheek.

‘You don’t have to send me away.’ Her words were a plea.

‘I need you safe.’

Her eyes shone with the hurt he was inflicting. ‘Then I guess there’s nothing more to say.’ She looked away from him. ‘When do you leave?’

‘I think it’s best,’ he had to take a breath; it was though he suddenly couldn’t breathe, ‘if I leave today.’

‘Well,’ Caitlin said brokenly, ‘you should go.’

Hawke loosened his hold and tried to ignore the rising panic her words provoked, the pain that jolted through him; he stepped back and started to the door. His hand was on the handle when he paused, stared at the wood directly in front of him sightlessly. ‘I’m sorry, Caitlin.’

He didn’t look back until the door was shut behind him. He could hear the sound of her crying through the wood. He rested a hand on it as though he could reach through the solid material to comfort her. The door blurred in front of him. Whether it was right or wrong, he’d made his decision; he had to live with it…

‘I have something.’ Dom’s gruff voice sounded through the helmet. ‘Land by that fence, near the road, will ya?’

Hawke took Airwolf down and the two men climbed out.

‘Here.’ Dom led the way over the grass to where it hit the access road. A gun lay discarded in the middle of tyre marks. Hawke stooped and picked up the gun carefully; there might be fingerprints. He sniffed it. It had been fired recently. His gaze scanned the ground and came to a stop at a patch of brown. He crouched down. Splatter patterns of blood. He swallowed hard.

‘Have you listened to a word I’ve just said?’ Dom asked exasperatedly. He noted the tension in Hawke’s body as the other man slowly rose back to his feet and came to stand next to his friend, following the direction of his eyes. Dom’s face grew grave but he patted Hawke’s arm. ‘It doesn’t mean anything, String.’

‘What were you saying?’ Hawke asked, pushing imagined horrors out of his head and trying hard to focus.

Dom took his arm and pulled him a few steps back toward the access road. ‘The way I figure it, they had a car here, maybe staged some kind of emergency, caught her attention from the trail which is back near that tree line over there.’ He pointed and Hawke glanced over seeing the fresh footsteps in the ground before returning his attention to the tyre marks. ‘They did a u-turn here and headed back out on the access road to the main highway.’ He shook his head. ‘We’re only about thirty minutes from the house on foot, fifteen minutes in a car. They took a hell of a risk.’

‘They could have gone anywhere.’ Hawke stated. His eyes went unwillingly back to the blood on the grass. ‘She didn’t make it easy for them, Dom. Either she got shot or they did.’

Dom rested a hand on his shoulder. ‘Come on, kid. We should mark the spot and let the Feds come out and do their thing.’

‘Yeah.’ Hawke raised the gun he’d picked up. ‘We’ll take this with us.’ He led the way back to Airwolf. He settled back in the seat and took the helicopter back into the sky. He should have let her go, he thought desperately. He should never have given into his need for her…

Hawke hung up the phone and turned toward the Santini Air office door. His jaw dropped open. Caitlin was stood lounging against the door frame, an inquisitive expression in her blue-green eyes. His eyes ran over her, drank in the sight of her. The last time he’d seen her was when he’d told her to go back to Texas, when he’d tried to push her away. But the last month had been hell without her and he wanted her in his life so badly for a moment he thought he was dreaming her presence but then he caught her eyes… eyes that looked back at him, still as honest as ever, and gleaming with the same nerves that crawled around his spine and twisted his gut.

‘Hey.’ Caitlin said, and he noted absently that her fingers were twisting the straps of her leather handbag. ‘You going somewhere?’

Hawke snapped his mouth shut and knew it was the moment of truth. He held her gaze steadily. ‘Texas.’

‘Texas?’ Her lips curved a little; that was a good sign. ‘Any particular reason?’ She asked.

‘You.’ The stark word was out of his mouth before he could prevent it. He was lost for words, his fear that there was nothing he could do to make things right between them clutched at him; he’d hurt her so badly. He rubbed at his chest. Maybe he didn’t have to say anything…he started to walk toward her. He was a hand span in front of her, confusion filling her eyes when he yanked her against him and kissed her soundly. He eased back and rested his forehead on hers.

‘You hurt me.’

Hawke flinched at her words but he raised his head and looked at her. ‘I know and if I could take it back I would. Just so we’re clear, I don’t want you to leave. Ever.’

Caitlin reached up and brushed the hair out of his eyes. ‘I’m not leaving.’ She said. ‘But I can’t give you a guarantee, Hawke. I can’t promise you that I’m going to live forever. You’re going to have to deal with that.’ She stroked a hand down his cheek.

He winced at the honesty in her eyes and sighed as he told her she would have to be patient with him.

She nodded. ‘I can be patient.’

Hawke breathed out slowly and hugged her closer; he had a second chance…

‘String? We’re here.’

Dom’s urgency broke through Hawke’s memory and he steadied the aircraft under him as he brought Airwolf to an abrupt halt. Hawke kept his eyes forward not wanting to see the concern for him in Dom’s eyes, swinging Airwolf around in a gentle arc back down to the parking area. The landing gear went down. Airwolf landed with hardly a bump. Hawke pulled off the helmet and sat looking back out at the paddocks.

‘Are you coming?’ Dom asked realising Hawke wasn’t following him out. He had the gun they’d retrieved in a plastic bag.

Hawke shook his head. ‘I think I’ll stay out for a while.’

‘Want some company?’

‘You’d better get that gun to Charleston.’ Hawke said. He watched as Dom nodded and headed into the ranch-house. He slumped back in the seat and stared at the sky. But I can’t give you a guarantee, Hawke. I can’t promise you that I’m going to live forever. Her words echoed in his head and he swallowed hard against a rush of panic. He had to find Caitlin…he had to.

—

‘How’s he doing?’ Michael asked Dom quietly as he offered the older man a mug of coffee. They were using Patrick O’Shaunessy’s study as it offered them some privacy from the family. After he finished listening to Dom’s account of their findings out by the access road, he was glad he’d taken the decision. Although they’d managed to get the more extended members out of the house, those who remained didn’t need to know all the gory details. He instructed Charleston to get a team out to the spot Dom had marked immediately. They needed to know if the blood was Caitlin’s.

Dom shook his head at Michael’s question, his worry deepening the lines on his face accentuating the craggy features as he took a gulp of his drink. ‘Not good. He barely said a word on the way back. He’s outside.’ He sighed heavily. ‘If anything’s happened to her…’ His gruff voice trailed away.

Michael fingered his own drink and wondered when he’d last felt this helpless. ‘Damn. I wish they would just call.’

‘Have you managed to trace the first call?’ Dom asked.

Marella shook her head, the short dark curls bouncing. ‘Dead end. We narrowed it to Texas.’

‘It’s like…like they planned for every contingency.’

‘They’ve been organised and thorough.’ Michael agreed. ‘And this waiting is the best way to keep us off balance.’

Dom questioned him with a raised eyebrow.

‘We don’t know if she’s alive or dead. What they want. We can’t plan for how we’ll get her back. All we have are unknowns.’ Michael saw Dom’s eyes glance out of the window. ‘That’s why he’s taking it so hard, Dominic. If he had a solution to focus on…’

Dom scanned Michael’s face. ‘You’re worried.’

‘This is like a slow form of torture for him, Dominic. He’s lived for years without knowing what happened to Saint John and now he doesn’t know what’s happened to his pregnant wife? There’s a limit to what anyone can take.’

‘He’ll hold together, Michael.’ Dom assured him, not giving in to the buried fear the other man was right.

‘If they don’t call tonight, maybe.’ Marella agreed. ‘But the next day or the day after?’

Dom’s eyes widened. ‘You’re worried that they won’t call at all?’

‘Can you think of a better way to destroy him, Dominic?’ Michael admitted. ‘Because I’ve been sat here for the last hour struggling to think of one.’

‘My God, Michael.’

Outside, Hawke was perched on a paddock fence oblivious to his friends’ conversation. He was looking at the waning afternoon sun and trying hard to push the image of the blood-stained grass out of his head. You have to be alright, Caitlin, Hawke thought, you have to be alright. His head was filled with memories of her; cheering her up with music outside the cabin, her first missions in Airwolf, glancing across the cockpit and seeing her steadfast in the seat next to him. One memory bubbled to the surface of the others; their first kiss…

‘Rehearsal people.’ The director, Carlson, was shouting for people to settle. He ushered Caitlin and then Hawke onto their marks. ‘Now this is a pick up from where the stars left off. It’s right before your big air act so Hawke and Ca…Caitlin? This is your last moment together…so hold her.’ He literally threw Caitlin into Hawke’s arms.

‘Oh joy.’ Caitlin murmured wriggling.

Hawke smiled and adjusted his grip, taking better hold of her. ‘Aw go on you’re gonna miss me.’

She responded to the banter and smiled back at him. ‘Oh like a toothache.’

‘Right now say goodbye and kiss her.’ Their heads whipped round to Carlson who grinned back at them. ‘Remember we’re trying to match this with the star’s exit.’ They both stood staring at the man. Hawke narrowed his eyes. He had a feeling this was the idiot’s way of getting back at him for an earlier crack.

Carlson was motioning for them to get on with it. ‘Do it!’

Hawke and Caitlin looked at each other. It was an uncomfortable look. Hawke figured there was some chemistry between them but their friendship was brand new. He eased back and let her set the pace. She ducked under the rim of his hat and there was the merest brush of lips before she moved away, giving him a business-like pat on the shoulder and turning to look at the director. Hawke suppressed the urge to laugh.

‘Ah let’s walk through this again.’ Carlson was making pleading gestures. ‘Come on let’s have some feeling in it.’

Hawke and Caitlin looked at each other again. He raised an eyebrow at her and she smiled resignedly. ‘You do and I’ll bite your lip.’

He smiled and pulled her closer, she relaxed into him. They were still smiling when their lips settled. Chemistry. Hawke forgot about the movie as she responded to him; he forgot about the director and he forgot it was supposed to be pretend, angling his mouth across hers to deepen the kiss.

Something was patting him on his back, nudging him. Awareness came back in a jolt and had the two of them stumbling out of the kiss a little shell-shocked as Carlson broke them apart. He ushered them to the next set of marks. Hawke took a deep breath and tuned in to the director explaining the context for the aerial stunt. That’s all this was; a stunt; a scene in a movie. That’s all she had thought it was; and it’s all you’re going to, he told himself sternly.

‘Alright now Caitlin this is where you’re flying in to rescue your war correspondent boyfriend and suddenly bang.’

‘I got it.’

Hawke watched her amused. He had to give it to her, she had bravado.

‘You got it. The revolutionaries shoot and suddenly you’re hit. Then you spin around a couple of times, you land behind that building and Whitey’s going to send up a fireball so we all think you’re blown to smithereens. You got it?’ Carlson asked without waiting for her answer.

‘Like I said, piece of cake.’

A lot of bravado.

‘Piece of cake huh?’ Hawke asked as Carlson left and she finally met his eyes.

‘I’m scared to death.’ It had taken a lot for her to admit it, Hawke realised but she needed to get some of that bravado back if she was going to complete the stunt. He carefully judged what he needed to say to her, putting his hands on her shoulders and rubbing them as he told her to take it easy and play it safe. He saw the fear receding from her eyes. He dropped his hands.

‘…and make sure you get back in one piece in case they need a second take.’ He ended with a smile.

‘Very funny.’ Caitlin smiled back at him…

Hawke blinked back the tears that pricked at his eyes. He climbed off the fence as he heard someone approaching.

Dom barrelled around the front of Airwolf. ‘Michael wanted to go over what we have.’ He said softly, clasping Hawke’s shoulder.

Hawke nodded and they headed indoors. He was just opening the study door when the phone began to ring. He pushed the door wide open and was at the desk in a heartbeat. He glanced at Michael and they picked up two extensions simultaneously. Dom and Marella stood nervously to one side as Charleston and others came flooding into the room.

‘Hello.’ Michael said, opening the conversation.

‘Who are you?’ A man’s voice, gravelly as though roughened with cigarette smoking, crackled over the line.

‘You can call me Archangel. Who am I speaking with?’

‘You don’t need to know who I am.’ He sounded amused. ‘All you need to know is that I want one million dollars in unmarked bills or the lady here is a long time dead. Keep waiting. I’ll call again with the details of the exchange.’

‘Wait.’ Michael demanded. ‘How do I know you haven’t already killed her?’

‘What do you want?’

‘I want to speak with Caitlin.’

‘If I hear one thing this end I’m unhappy with, this conversation will end.’ There were sounds of movement at the other end.

‘Hello?’ Caitlin’s voice trembled over the line. Hawke felt his gut clench. She sounded scared.

‘I’m here.’ Hawke spoke before Michael could. ‘Are you OK?’

‘I’m…I’m OK.’ Hawke didn’t like the hesitation in her voice or the way it shook with tears. He forced himself to ask questions.

‘Is this guy on his own?’

‘No, I’m being treated well in lots of ways. I’m just worried about my horse Morning Star.’ Her voice had steadied as she gave the information back in the only way she could; buried in code. Hawke ignored Michael’s puzzled look about the horse.

‘Caitlin, we don’t think they’re really after the money.’

‘No. I miss the Lady too.’ She paused, dropping her voice to almost a whisper. ‘I just don’t want to end up like Grace.’

Hawke stiffened; his expression went blank with fury. She’d just told them who was behind it all. ‘Can you tell me anything else? Any clue to where you are?’

‘Only my horse…Hawke, I’m so sorry.’

‘It’s OK.’ Hawke swallowed hard. ‘Caitlin, you remember what I told you before your first stunt?’

‘I remember.’ She sounded like she was crying now.

‘I’ll come for you, Caitlin, I promise…’ Hawke broke off as there was the sound of a cry and a struggle. The line went dead.

Hawke called out her name desperately but it was too late. ‘Damn!’ He slammed the phone down with a crash. Michael replaced his receiver with slightly less temper. His good eye met Hawke’s in total understanding of what she’d told them.

‘What? What?’ Dom asked unable to bear the wait and the silence.

Michael turned to look into Dom’s worried eyes. ‘John Bradford Horn has Caitlin.’

‘Horn has Caitlin?’ Dom asked in disbelief.

‘He has Caitlin.’ Hawke confirmed grimly.

Hawke left Michael to explain about Horn to the FBI and the bewildered O’Shaunessy family. Everyone vaguely knew the potted criminal history thanks to Horn being national news a few years before; most people remembered that he was a crook, one that cheated corporations and governments but still a crook. What they didn’t know was that he was a megalomaniac with an obsession to own his own country by taking over someone else’s with Airwolf. His first attempt at taking the helicopter had left the Airwolf team bruised and battered; Hawke had come to terms with how Horn had brainwashed him and how he’d only survived because of the determination of Dom, and particularly Caitlin, to free him. The second and last run-in had left a woman called Grace dead; caught in the crossfire between the two sides. Caitlin’s clue to her captor had a certain macabre poignancy given the circumstances.

Hawke subsided into a chair by the desk and ignored the mass of people around him. He reached forward, picked up a pen and played with it as he mulled over the rest of information that Caitlin had supplied; his eyes and thoughts turning inwards.

Hawke frowned. Horn would have her well guarded hence Caitlin’s confirmation the guy wasn’t on his own. He wouldn’t take the risk of Airwolf turning up and rescuing her even in the early part of this game. Horn was a master at game-playing and he understood games sometimes went wrong early; he would have planned for it. But how was Horn going to move from the kidnapping for money to a demand for Airwolf? He wasn’t, Hawke concluded. Horn was going to make a play for Airwolf at the exchange. That had to be it. He would assume that Hawke would take Airwolf for the exchange and he was guaranteed at that point in time to have something that Hawke would trade Airwolf, and his own life, for. If they had gone into the exchange unsuspecting…hell, even going in suspecting was going to need a serious strategy to get them through it.

If they only know the location…Hawke frowned. Caitlin had called her horse Morning Star and she’d mentioned the horse again when he’d asked her about location; but that wasn’t the horse’s name. He looked up from his musings and found everyone except Caitlin’s father, Michael and Dom had left the room. He raised an inquisitive eyebrow at Michael.

‘I’ve told the FBI we’re going to have a closed strategy. They’ll work on every other aspect of the case but what we’re going to do to recover her.’ Michael tapped his cane on the floor. ‘Marella’s gone to pick up the money.’ His gaze slid to Patrick, the look suggesting the other man remaining was against his better judgement. Hawke had the feeling he’d missed an argument whilst he’d been tuned out.

‘You really think Horn has someone on payroll?’ Dom asked.

‘I’m not taking the chance.’ Michael gestured at Hawke. ‘What have you got?’

Hawke sighed. ‘Horn will try to make the trade for Airwolf at the ransom exchange. It’s the only thing that makes sense.’

‘What about finding her before then?’ Michael asked.

‘Horn has her well guarded. He’d anticipate a pre-emptive rescue.’ Hawke noted. ‘Plus it’s a lot riskier. He’d probably see us coming.’

‘You could be facing a whole army.’ Michael agreed.

Hawke nodded. ‘I think our best bet is the ransom exchange when he’s vulnerable and in the open. I also think Caitlin was trying to tell us something else…’

‘What?’ Dom asked.

‘Patrick, Caitlin’s horse is called White Star, right?’ He asked.

His father-in-law nodded. ‘White Star, that’s right.’

‘But she called the horse Morning Star on the phone.’ Michael said, a finger pressed against his moustache. ‘What did she mean?’

‘I think she was saying she’s east of here.’ Hawke glanced around the room and his eyes fell on the wall map of the local area on the side wall. He got up and went over it.

‘OK. Caitlin was taken here.’ Hawke pointed at the spot he and Dom had found. ‘Directly east would take us out here.’

‘She has to be somewhere close for the ransom exchange site not to raise too many questions.’ Michael said joining him on one side.

‘But far enough that we might need to use Airwolf to get there in time.’ Dom suggested coming up on the other.

Hawke made an invisible circle on the map with his finger. ‘That would put us somewhere here.’

‘That’s all old drilling country. It’s pretty wild up there.’ Patrick said joining them. ‘There are plenty of shacks and old buildings to stow someone in for a couple of days. It would make sense.’ He reluctantly admitted. ‘There are only two places though that would make sense for a ransom drop.’ He pointed at them. ‘North Bull Point and Dead Man’s Hollow.’

‘What pleasant names you have for places here.’ Michael commented.

‘Horn will go for Dead Man’s Hollow. It’ll appeal to his sense of humour and sense of the dramatic.’ Hawke said stepping back to lean against the desk, crossing his legs and his arms. He brought his blue eyes to meet Patrick’s. ‘What can you tell us?’

Patrick sighed. ‘The Hollow is a dip between two ridges, some kind of natural formation. The Native Americans used to use it to drive unsuspecting enemies or prey into the dip and then surround them.’

‘String, that must be what Horn’s going to do.’ Dom said. ‘Get us into the dip and then…’

‘I agree.’ Hawke said.

‘So how do we stop him?’ Michael asked.

Hawke’s eyes gleamed. ‘I have a plan.’ He started to take them through what he was thinking, refining with their suggestions and comments. They were finishing when a knock at the door had them all turning. It was Maggie.

‘There’s some dinner waiting on you.’ She said.

‘You all go ahead.’ Hawke said. ‘I’m not hungry.’

‘You have to eat, String.’ Dom said concerned.

‘He’s right, son.’ Patrick slapped a hand onto his shoulder. ‘I don’t want you fainting in the middle of rescuing my daughter. Come and eat.’

Before he knew what was happening, Hawke was sat at the large dining table with the rest of the O’Shaunessy clan. They said a brief grace with a special prayer for Caitlin that closed his eyes on a wave of emotion. When he reopened them it was to a chaos of noise and passing plates. He glanced over at Dom who was fitting right in, regaling Caitlin’s eldest brother with some story. His eyes moved down the table to Michael; he was sat talking to Patrick at the other end. Hawke returned his attention to his plate.

‘Is everything all right?’ Maggie’s eyes shone back at him with maternal concern.

‘Yes. Thank you.’ Hawke reassured her, taking a mouthful of food. Erin distracted her mother and he gratefully just concentrated on eating. His stomach was thankful for the food even if he had no appetite for it. He cleared his plate and wondered if it would be rude to leave. He fiddled with the stem of his water glass.

‘Can I ask you a question?’ Maggie asked suddenly. He nodded, noting Erin’s apologetic look across the table.

‘When you were talking to Caitlin,’ the rest of the table fell silent at the comment, other discussions petering out, ‘you asked her to remember what you said to her before she did her first stunt. I was wondering what that was.’ Maggie said earnestly.

Hawke tried not to squirm as all eyes turned in his direction. He gestured. ‘I just told her to take it easy, play it safe and…’ His throat closed on the final part.

‘And?’ Maggie prompted him.

‘To come back in one piece.’ Hawke shoved his chair back. ‘Excuse me.’ He didn’t look back at the table. He didn’t see the look of pain on Dom’s face or the sad realisation on Michael’s as they both immediately understood what Hawke had done; he’d asked Caitlin not to die on him.

There was nothing else to do but wait. The house retired to bed reluctantly. Hawke lay awake in Caitlin’s old room staring sightlessly at the ceiling. Dom’s snores filled the dark silence on the opposite side of the room. Hawke closed his eyes. He needed rest but sleep eluded him. He got to his feet, dressed and slipped from the room, from the house. He opened up Airwolf and climbed inside the cocoon of her cockpit. He looked out into the night and he found himself drifting back to another memory…

His first thought was he couldn’t breathe. Something was pinning him down, a weight across his chest. He tried to move and his body did nothing. Panic. What the hell was wrong with him? He struggled past the fuzziness in his head – had he been drinking? – and focused on a sound; crying, a woman was weeping. His body reacted to his instinctive need to move; a shudder but it was movement.

‘Hawke?’

His choked name helped give his woolly mind an anchor and then there was relief as the weight shifted from him. He felt a draught of air and managed a breath before the warmth resettled further up his body, a hand on his shoulder to nudge him awake. His eyes opened blearily. He blinked. Carpet. What the hell was he doing on the floor?

‘Hawke?’

His name again, the voice more insistent this time. His racing heart settled a little as he recognised it. There was a strange urge to check as if he didn’t trust himself. He raised his head – God, the pain – and her face swam into view. His hand reached up automatically to comfort even before his brain fully registered the reddened eyes, pink-tipped nose. He stroked her wet cheek.

‘Cait?’

She was nodding. Why had she been crying? What was wrong? He shuffled, shifting them until he was sat up on shaking arms, his head jerked sharply from corner to corner as he took in the room they were in. Remembrance came flooding back to him. John Bradford Horn. He’d been captured by John Bradford Horn. Brainwashed. Kept like a rat in a cage in this room in his laboratory.

‘Are you all right?’ The quiet words brought his attention back to Caitlin. She was looking at him warily…why would she be wary of him? A memory surfaced, stole his breath and a moan of horror escaped him. He slumped back on his weak arms.

‘What?’ Caitlin asked urgently as he struggled for breath, his eyes filling with tears. ‘What?’ She was reaching out to steady him even as he was grabbing hold of her in pure panic, forcing the words out; he had to know.

‘I killed Dom?’ Even as he heard Caitlin deny it his head filled with flashes of memory like a kaleidoscope of pictures; aiming the gun, firing the trigger; Dom falling to the ground. ‘I killed Dom?’

The vehemence in her voice as she told him ‘no’ again, finally got through his terror and guilt and he focused on her words, taking a deep breath and then another as his mind tried to make sense of them.

‘He’s in a cell here. Your gun was filled with tranquilisers.’ Dom was alive. Relief flooded him. Was she sure? His eyes met hers and she read his unasked question, quietly reassuring him with softly spoken words that she’d seen him. Honest. His cop was honest. She wouldn’t lie to him.

He kept holding onto her, grateful for her hands on his shoulders; he felt adrift, his mind still filled with cotton wool and she was the only thing to cling to as the past few days came flooding over him.

‘Hawke, who is this guy Horn?’ Caitlin shook him a little, bringing him back to her. He tried to make his brain work, tried to answer her question.

‘It was all over the news a couple of years ago…he built things but didn’t…high rises that didn’t built…oil wells that didn’t get drilled and government contracts that didn’t get done and I don’t know…’

‘Right. The government had him up for a grand jury indictment.’ He almost smiled he might know Caitlin who devoured the news every day would make the connection. ‘He disappeared.’ She added as he agreed with her. ‘What does he want with you?’ Her voice was plaintive, confused.

Another memory of Horn; he was informing him that he needed Hawke for…’An Airwolf mission.’ He said aloud. He shook his head, winced at the ache, receding now as the pieces settled into place; John Bradford Horn had captured and brainwashed him so he could use him and Airwolf. How the hell had he come out of it? Another memory; his eyes shot to Caitlin. He’d attacked her – he flushed remembering throwing her against the wall and dropped his gaze unable to look at her. She had injected him with something…something that had obviously brought him back to himself. He shook his head again. He was himself again but they were all still in the web Horn had created; he murmured what he was thinking, ‘I’ve got to find a way…’ his eyes reconnected with Caitlin’s, an unspoken apology as he squeezed her shoulder, ‘I’ve got to find a way to get us all out of here.’

She smiled back at him, her confidence in him shining from her like a homing beacon and corrected him gently but firmly; ‘We will.’

The first rays of light hit the cockpit and brought Hawke awake with a jerk. He rolled his shoulders and rubbed the ache in the back of his neck. He glanced across the cockpit and his heart gave a jolt. Dom was sat there, his arms folded, his chin on his chest. He must have come looking for him in the night. Hawke swallowed on the lump in his throat. God but he loved the old guy.

‘Hey.’ Dom’s gruff voice was heavy with sleep.

‘Hey,’ said Hawke, his eyes were apologetic as they met Dom’s. ‘I didn’t mean to disturb you…’

‘I know, kid.’ Dom smiled. ‘I kinda prefer sleeping in our baby anyway.’

Hawke glanced at his watch. Six. They were up early on the ranch and in the distance he could hear the whistles and cries of the men as they headed out to check on the cattle. Dom and Hawke headed in for breakfast and washes.

The ranch-house was humming with the every day activity, the family and their guests trying to ignore the worried undertow of what would happen when the phone rang, trying to ignore that they were all waiting for the phone to ring. Eventually Hawke couldn’t stand it; he’d had to get out.

Hawke took a sip of the coffee he’d brought with him, leaned back against Airwolf’s wing like a baby bird into the wing of its mother and raised his face to the morning sunlight, closing his eyes. His ears pricked up at the sound of an engine. The white limo stopped beside the helicopter. Hawke heard the snick of stilettos on the dirt of the parking lot, coming towards him. He sighed and opened his eyes to greet Marella.

The dark-haired agent came to stand next to him, one hand folded over her purse, the other holding the ubiquitous briefcase. ‘Hawke.’

‘Marella.’

‘How are you doing?’ She asked.

Hawke shrugged under the genuine concern in her brown eyes.

‘We will find her Hawke.’

He sighed. ‘Is that a guarantee, Marella?’

She looked away. ‘Is there anything I can do?’

Hawke pushed away from Airwolf. ‘You’re doing it Marella.’ He gave her arm a comforting pat. ‘I’ll show you where Michael is.’

Michael straightened as Hawke entered the study with Marella. His attention briefly settled on Marella before it returned to the pilot. Hawke walked over to the desk joining Michael and Dom; his face was an impassive mask, completely expressionless. He looked and moved, thought Michael, like a caged lion.

‘Anything?’ Hawke asked motioning at the phone with his mug.

‘We would have called you in.’ Michael took the mug from him, poured another measure of coffee from the pot on the desk and handed it back to him. ‘You know why don’t you try and get some rest? We can watch the phones.’

Hawke ignored him and folded himself into a chair. He wrapped his hands around the mug and stared at the black depths of the liquid brew trying to keep his mind from replaying the panic and fear he had heard in Caitlin’s voice the day before, barely aware that the others were sharing his vigil.

It was almost noon when the harsh jangle of the phone had Hawke and Michael leaping back to their feet. They went through the same routine, picking up extensions simultaneously; Michael taking the lead with the kidnapper.

‘Let’s cut the pleasantries and get to the point.’ The man at the other end said.

‘Suits me.’ Michael returned.

‘Dead Man’s Hollow at noon today. Her husband can bring the money with his friend, Santini. Nobody else. I see anybody else and she’s dead. Got it?’

‘Dead Man’s Hollow, noon today. I got it. I want to speak to her again.’

‘No.’

‘I want to speak to her or this isn’t happening.’ Michael said forcefully.

‘Fine.’ There was audible movement on the other hand of the phone.

‘Hello?’ Caitlin’s voice drifted down the line.

‘Caitlin,’ Hawke breathed a sigh of relief; she was still OK, ‘listen carefully. We know the exchange is a trap. Just follow my lead, OK?’

‘OK.’ Caitlin confirmed tremulously before there was the sound of the phone being taken from her.

‘So you’ve spoken with her. Now listen up. When they get to the Hollow, they need to wait. She will be returned to them in a chopper. We’ll do the exchange and we’ll both leave happy.’

‘Understood.’ Michael said and the line went dead. He and Hawke replaced the receivers. Hawke immediately moved for the door where Dom waited with the money in a briefcase, anxious to get going; they would barely make the drop in time even in Airwolf.

‘Good luck.’ Michael called after them; the two men didn’t look back.

Hawke took Airwolf up and into the endless blue sky, his heart beating with anticipation. He would see Caitlin again and she would be fine. She had to be. It was the only outcome he’d entertain.

‘We’re coming up on the co-ordinates now, String.’ Dom sat monitoring Airwolf’s engines the same uncharacteristic dread clutching at his stomach as it had the last time they had flown to a rendezvous with Horn. ‘He’s got a whole army out there String.’ Alarm coated every word as Dom registered the number of men and weapons on his monitor. ‘They’re in positions surrounding the ridge, out of line of sight.’

Hawke searched out a spot in Dead Man’s Hollow for a landing, turned the switch for the landing gear and set Airwolf down gently. He stared out at the empty stretch of dust and brush-grass in front of them and then to the surrounding hill-tops.

‘Is the security programme Michael gave us active?’ Hawke asked.

‘All set. Anyone tries to access the system with an incorrect password and the Airwolf will initiate her self-preservation code.’

‘You ready then Dom?’ Hawke asked.

‘Will you take no for an answer?’

‘Sure.’ Hawke opened his door and stepped out. Dom followed him, the briefcase of money in his hand. They walked to stand in front of Airwolf and waited.

Hawke’s head cocked. A chopper coming in. He straightened; kept his arms loose at his sides, ready for action. The helicopter swooped low and lowered itself into a position at the opposite end of the Hollow. It would be a good five minute walk to the aircraft from Airwolf. Other sounds; vehicles approaching, movement on the hillside and the ridges suddenly filled with snipers, their guns pointed at the two men standing exposed in front of Airwolf. Horn had been watching way too many films, Hawke thought.

His cold blue gaze narrowed on the lead car as it drew up. He ignored the way his heart was pounding loud in his ears. A chauffeur alighted and opened the rear door. John Bradford Horn emerged from the depths of the back seat and every muscle in Hawke’s body tensed. Horn smiled and did up the top button of his jacket, straightened the cuffs of his crisp linen shirt as his daughter climbed out to stand beside him and his guard flanked him. His cold reptilian eyes never left Hawke’s.

‘Very prompt, Stringfellow.’ Horn smiled more broadly.

‘Horn.’ Hawke snapped back.

‘No ‘surprised to see you?” Horn shook his head sadly. ‘Your understatement of my involvement is understated even for you.’

‘Where’s Caitlin?’ Hawke folded his arms and stared into Horn’s soulless eyes.

‘We’ll get to your wife in good time, Stringfellow. You remember my daughter?’ Horn goaded.

Hawke’s eyes briefly flickered to the woman who had betrayed him so comprehensively enabling his capture and brainwashing; the one Caitlin had saved him from. He moved his stare back to Horn’s smooth features. ‘I want my wife.’

A muscle twitched in Horn’s face and he motioned at a guard who muttered something into a walkie-talkie. Hawke shifted to get a better view and held his breath as the doors of the chopper opened. Caitlin climbed out unaided but was quickly surrounded by guards. She looked bedraggled dressed in a simple blue flight suit, her red hair streaming in the slight breeze and her hands tied in front of her. Although Hawke was too far way to judge fully, it didn’t appear that she was injured and he began to breathe again.

Caitlin’s eyes searched for him and as they caught his concerned gaze across the expanse of land. His breath caught again in his throat. She was wearing that false façade of bravado that was as much a part of her as her Texan accent but it was the love and trust shining from her eyes that staggered him.

He felt his heart start to beat normally as a calm settled over him. They would get out of this. ‘Now what?’ He asked Horn, his eyes never wavering from Cait’s slim figure. ‘I take it you didn’t come for the money?’

‘Oh, I’ll take the money but I’ll also take Airwolf.’ Horn smiled. ‘You on the other hand are free to collect your wife and leave in the chopper.’ His eyes glittered with some dark emotion.

Hawke felt Dom fidget beside him and he reluctantly broke his eye contact with Caitlin to stare into Horn’s insincere face.

Horn smiled widely at the open scepticism. ‘I have what I want; I’m not an ungenerous man, Stringfellow.’ He moved to one side and made a sweeping gesture of invitation.

Hawke and Dom exchanged an uneasy look and Dom shrugged as if in answer to a silent question. Hawke placed one hand on the gun holstered at his hip and with one final look at Horn he walked forward, skirting the front of the car with Dom at his side. The briefcase of money was left beside Airwolf.

The distance between them and the helicopter looked vast and he knew that it would take them a while to reach it and Caitlin. His eyes constantly scanned the guards that lined the clearing on either side and he turned to guard their rears, walking backwards for a few steps. They were half-way across the clearing when he heard a loud bang.

‘Attack!’ One of the guards screamed. No, thought Hawke, it was too soon!

All hell broke loose.

Hawke threw himself to the ground trusting Dom to do the same. He drew his gun as shots began to fire around them. He picked a target and shot with deadly accuracy. He cursed as he recognised the uniforms of the Zebra squad start to swarm into defensive positions around them as they had planned – only they were supposed wait until Caitlin was safe then trap Horn as he had planned to trap them.

He felt Dom’s presence at his back and his eyes darted frantically to the helicopter. Caitlin was doing her best to hold off her guards. One of them already lay unmoving on the ground by her feet but it was obvious she would eventually be over-powered.

‘Dom,’ Hawke yelled, ‘get back to Airwolf. I’ll get Cait.’

‘You got it kid.’ Dom shouted back.

Hawke didn’t wait to see if the older man moved. He shot another guard from his position on the floor before scuttling across the ground in a low crouch. Shots cut across his path and he stopped, whirling to kneel and take out the shooter in one smooth motion. He moved forward again, his stomach churning as he saw the rotors on the helicopter start to whirr.

An unexpected tackle smashed him hard into the ground and as he lay dazed and gasping for breath he saw Caitlin lose her struggle. She was knocked unconscious as a guard slammed her against the aircraft door before shoving her through it. His attention snapped back to his own fight as his attacker punched him in the face. He blocked the next blow and threw his attacker over to gain the upper position. He ploughed his fists into the face of the man until he stopped moving underneath him. He picked up his gun and raced after the helicopter as it began its ascent.

He dodged the shots of the guards on the chopper as it gained height and he made a leap for one of the props. His fingers brushed the metal before closing on air and he landed hard, rolling to break his fall. He staggered to his feet to see the aircraft disappearing over the brow of the hill.

He swore loudly and changed direction knowing his only chance of catching it would be Airwolf and hoping against hope that Dom had made it back to her. He froze as he saw the bloodied guard he had beaten rise up in front of him and point a gun directly at his chest. He began to bring his own gun up knowing it would be too late when there was a scream of engines above his head. Airwolf glided down between him and his attacker, protecting him as she let loose a barrage from her guns. He ran around to the door using the dust cloud to obscure him. He opened it as she continued to hover inches from the ground and heaved himself into his usual seat.

‘You got it?’ Dom asked.

‘Got it.’ Hawke felt the aircraft respond to his touch and soar upwards. Dom moved to the engineer’s console.

‘Horn took off in a car heading south-west. I have him on the scope.’ Dom reported. ‘One bird in the air, heading north.’

Hawke checked his position and altered course to follow the chopper. ‘Turbos.’ He said calmly, his mind only focused on rescuing Caitlin. Horn would wait for another day.

‘Turbos.’

They arrowed forward; Hawke kept her barely fifteen feet from the ground as they ate up the distance between themselves and Caitlin. They screeched upwards, gained altitude and zipped past the helicopter.

‘Careful String!’ Dom shouted, unable to stop himself as they swung round.

Hawke’s eyes narrowed on his target and he held Airwolf back, circling the chopper like an eagle with a sparrow giving the other pilot a moment to admire Airwolf’s power and arsenal.

‘Give me communications.’

‘You should be able to speak to them now, String.’

‘We don’t want to fight you. We just want the girl. Land your helicopter and relinquish her and you will be able to go free. You have my word.’ He eased Airwolf back as if to convince them of his sincerity.

Hawke held his breath as the other helicopter hovered in front of them. Suddenly, it moved.

Downwards.

In.

A.

Steep.

Unnatural.

Dive.

‘NO!’

Hawke didn’t know if he screamed the denial or if it was Dom. He followed helplessly as the other aircraft plummeted from the sky.

It crashed headlong into the hillside, a huge fireball rising from the ground.

‘String!’ Dom screamed.

It was Airwolf who responded and adjusted their own course so they flew through the fire, the undercarriage almost grazing some of the wreckage. She circled back round and landed clumsily at the edge of the debris.

Hawke removed his helmet and looked out in paralysed horror. Parts of the helicopter lay strewn across the field in front of them; oil and air fuel were alight and burning patches of vegetation haphazardly. A white helicopter landed beside them and they both ignored it their attention elsewhere.

‘My God!’ Dom uttered softly.

‘Is she…?’ Hawke couldn’t finish the question.

Dom checked the monitor and re-checked. He was unable to speak at first, his eyes filling with tears. He cleared his throat and tried again. ‘She’s gone String.’

‘No.’ Hawke shook his head. ‘No.’ He said more firmly as he fumbled at the door and half stepped, half fell out of Airwolf. He ran towards the bulk of the wreck, stumbled on the uneven ground. She would have gotten out, he thought desperately, she had to have gotten out…they were going to have a baby…

His eyes caught on a scrap of blue material and his chest filled with so much hope he couldn’t get air into his lungs. He headed towards it unthinkingly. Arms reached out behind him and he struggled against them as they held him back, pulled him away.

The air in front of him exploded.

Knocked back, he fell and went down in a tangle of arms and legs. He pushed himself free of grasping hands to stand. A huge fire raged in front of him, he could feel the heat against his skin and he raised an arm in front of his face, trying to peer through to where he had seen her.

‘Caitlin!’ He yelled. ‘Caitlin!’

‘She’s gone Hawke.’

He turned in surprise at Michael’s voice and looked unseeing into his friend’s sad face.

‘She’s gone.’ Michael repeated.

Hawke jerked his gaze back to the fire and felt his legs turn to water. He fell to the ground landing heavily on his knees. He didn’t notice; his mind closed down, retreated in a desperate attempt to avoid the pain screaming through him.

‘You have to get up, Hawke!’ He felt a hand tug at his elbow and he turned dull eyes to see Marella. Her pristine whites were blackened with smoke and dirt; tears ran down her smudged face. ‘You can’t stay here!’

Hawke felt another hand on his shoulder. ‘Come on, String.’ Dom’s gruff voice was thick with unshed tears of his own. ‘Let’s go. There’s nothing we can do for her now.’

They led him away, back to Airwolf. They sat him in the cockpit whilst they talked in quiet voices around him. He stared at the fire, hypnotized by its bold, wild flickering. In time, more aircraft and ground vehicles appeared disgorging more people but he was only peripherally aware of them as if they were mere ghosts drifting at the corners of his consciousness.

‘String.’ Dom felt each and every one of his years as he took in the blank look on Hawke’s face. ‘I’m going to fly us home, String.’ He kept his voice gentle as if talking to a wounded animal. Hawke didn’t react; it was as if he didn’t understand the words.

Dom sighed and turned back to Michael. ‘I have to get him home.’

‘I understand, Dominic.’ Michael watched as Dom climbed into the second pilot’s seat and closed the door.

Dom started the engines and cleared his throat. He glanced at the hellish scene in front of him. ‘Let’s get out of here kid.’ Dom patted Hawke’s arm awkwardly and then grasping the cyclic took Airwolf up and into the sky.

—

Marella landed softly on the landing pier of Hawke’s mountain home and sat looking into the dark at the picture of the cosy cabin. The windows were filled with yellow light and a curl of smoke drifted into the air from the chimney. Michael stirred beside her and she felt his reluctance to leave the aircraft. It had been a long day and was turning into a longer night. The unthinkable had happened, the rescue attempt had failed and Caitlin was dead.

Marella fought past her own grief, past her own memory of the awful moment the aircraft had hit the ground. God only knew how Hawke was going to get past this, if he’d ever get past the loss of his wife, their unborn child…

‘Are you OK?’

Michael’s gentle words had her turning to look at him. He reached out and wiped away the tear trembling on her cheek.

‘I can’t believe she’s gone.’ Marella said, her voice choked with more tears for the friend she had lost.

‘I know.’ For a moment the same grief that gripped Marella flashed across Michael’s face before he pulled it back, suppressed it because there was still work to do. His good eye caught a movement by the cabin.

‘Dominic’s coming out to greet us.’ Michael noted tiredly and climbed out. Marella followed him as they moved to meet the older man as he closed the door to the cabin behind him and rested against the porch railing. Michael limped up the steps and met Dom’s sad eyes as he straightened.

‘How is he?’ Michael asked.

Dom shook his head and reached for the bench behind him, lowering himself stiffly. Michael sat down beside him and they both looked out over the lake.

‘That bad.’ Michael commented as his gaze settled on the moon peeking through a cloud in the sky.

‘He’s just…it’s like he’s closed down.’ Dom’s voice caught in his throat and he took a deep breath. ‘He hasn’t said a word. He’s barely moved. He just lies on the bed, curled up like a baby.’

Michael was swamped by an unfamiliar feeling of helplessness. ‘Is there anything I can do?’

‘Bring her back, Michael. Alive and well.’ Dom sighed. ‘Can you do that?’

‘I wish I could.’ Michael felt his own grief clutch at his control again. He sighed deeply and looked for Marella. She moved from the shadows to stand in front of them, her bottom resting against the railing.

‘And how are you, Dominic?’ She asked softly, tucking her hands into her jacket pockets.

Dom looked up at her and for the first time since they had met he looked like an old man to her.

‘I’m not doing so well to tell the truth.’ He attempted a smile, failed and covered his face with his hands.

Marella made to move towards him, tears dampening her own cheeks but Michael stopped her with a glance and instead caught her hand in his own, providing the little comfort to her he could.

Dom shook his head and wiped surreptitiously at his eyes. In the dim light, they could see the tell tale glisten of moisture against his cheeks. ‘I’m going to really miss that girl.’ Dom said.

‘Her family are devastated.’ Marella commented, swiping at her own cheeks.

Dom looked at Michael sharply. ‘You…’

Michael nodded again. ‘We went back. I told them to go ahead and make whatever funeral arrangements they wanted.’ He glanced at the cabin. ‘I didn’t think Hawke would…’ He sighed. ‘They wanted to come but I told them to leave it a day or two.’

‘You did the right thing, Michael.’ Dom looked away and stared into the darkness. ‘I’ll call her mama tomorrow.’ He fell silent wondering where he would find the courage to make the call.

‘It wasn’t us, Dominic.’ Marella said unexpectedly.

Dom blinked at her. ‘What?’

‘We didn’t start the shoot out.’ She explained.

‘We think there was some kind of accident within Horn’s own ranks.’ Michael expanded.

Dom absorbed the information and then shrugged. ‘It doesn’t matter.’

‘It does matter.’ Marella insisted.

‘Why?’ Dom asked with a hint of his old self. ‘It doesn’t change what happened.’

‘He has to know this isn’t his fault.’ Michael leaned forward on his cane.

‘I think it’s too late for that.’ Dom clasped his hands in front of him. ‘You saw how he is.’

Michael said. ‘It’s just so senseless.’

‘You’ll get no argument from me on that.’ Dom pushed himself off the bench. ‘I should get back to him.’

‘Should we come in?’ Marella asked.

Dom thought for a moment and shook his head. ‘Maybe tomorrow.’

Michael sighed and got to his feet, his hand squeezed Marella’s. ‘We’ll be in touch.’

Dom headed back into the cabin and up the stairs. The door to the master bedroom was ajar and Dom pushed it open further to peek inside. Hawke was curled up in the centre of the bed with his back to the door, still in his dirty Airwolf uniform, his boots on. Dom hesitated and walked over; maybe he could convince him to change, to shower, anything…he stopped.

Hawke was asleep. Dom reached over and stroked the younger man’s brown hair gently before he threw a blanket over him and made sure the fire was blazing in the hearth. He backed slowly out of the room leaving Hawke’s dog, Tet to stand guard. Dom’s footsteps were heavy on the stairs and he collapsed into an easy chair. His eyes caught on a picture frame on the side table and he picked it up, his finger’s clumsily tracing over Caitlin’s smiling face.

‘Why’d you have to leave him too?’ Dom asked softly tears beginning to roll down his cheeks. ‘Why’d you have to leave him too?’

—

Hawke resisted consciousness, burrowing back under the blankets seeking oblivion. Sounds nudged at him. A door closing. The chatter of a departing helicopter. They poked him slowly but insistently out of sleep. He was groggy as his eyes opened little by little and he instinctively reached across the bed for Caitlin. His hand closed on an empty space and the memory of the helicopter hitting the ground arrowed through him like a knife.

He closed his eyes on a wave of pain that stole his breath. His body asserted control and air rushed into his lungs. He couldn’t understand why he was still breathing; he didn’t want to be breathing. He pressed his body into the mattress, cold despite the warmth of the blankets and the fire that burned in the hearth, tried to seek the comfort of sleep and dreams where reality could be avoided.

His body refused to cooperate and made its own demands known. He slowly crawled out of his nest. His body protested and he felt every bruise, every scrape and every pulled muscle. He limped naked into the bathroom and after relieving himself, turned the shower onto full power and stepped under the punishing stream of cold water. He stepped out and towelled off the excessive water before he brushed his teeth and walked back to the bedroom with his skin damp and shivering. He headed back for the bed, back to oblivion. He’d barely gotten under the covers when he heard a sound at the bedroom door. He ignored it and closed his eyes.

‘String?’ Dom’s voice carried from the doorway and he heard the older man’s footsteps approaching the bed. ‘I’ve brought you some soup.’ There was a small thud as a tray was pushed onto the bedside table. Hawke turned away from the sound, turned away from his oldest friend and surrogate father. He wanted to be alone.

‘You have to eat String. It’s been two days and you’ve barely had anything.’ Dom wheedled and Hawke felt a hand on his shoulder, heard the other man sigh. ‘Patrick called.’

Hawke flinched.

‘The funeral is the day after tomorrow.’

There was silence.

Dom pressed on. ‘I thought we’d take the Lady and…’

‘You can take the Lady.’ Hawke corrected. His voice sounded hoarse and rusty to his own ears.

‘You have to go to the funeral; you have to say goodbye properly.’ Dom insisted.

‘Why?’ Hawke asked bluntly.

‘Because you need to pay your respects.’ Dom said his voice rose in volume. ‘And her family are expecting us, they’re expecting you. Please, String, they’ve been real understanding about…’

‘About my killing their daughter.’

The words were so softly spoken that for a moment Dom thought he hadn’t heard them. ‘You didn’t kill her! Horn killed her…’ He fought back the image of the helicopter crashing headlong into the ground. ‘You can’t think that! She would never have wanted that.’

Dom sighed as Hawke continued to lie stiffly in the bed without any sign that he’d listened to a word. ‘Look, we’ll be in and out. We’ll take the Lady, just stay for the service and be home for bed.’

Hawke closed his eyes.

‘Dammit, String!’ Dom’s own grief and frustration bubbled up. ‘You can’t not go to Cait’s funeral!’

Hawke felt a weight settle on his chest and he struggled to breath. He pushed the covers back violently and Dom took a hasty step back. Hawke ignored him; he had to get out, had to get some air. He strode to the closet and pulled on jeans, a sweater and a pair of shoes.

‘Where are you going?’ Dom demanded. He followed Hawke out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

Hawke froze half-way down and had to fight the urge to bolt back to his bedroom, to safety. He blinked at Michael and Marella who were rising to their feet from their places in the sitting area. They were wearing black rather than their ubiquitous white. The colour of mourning floored him. It was the first time he’d seen either of them since…since they had pulled him away from the wreckage.

Michael felt a jolt of shock that he covered with a smoothing of his moustache. The younger man looked like a thin shadow of one who had set off to Texas. Hawke looked…lost. His blue eyes were blank and empty, devoid of any emotion, all the light in them erased. Michael exchanged a look of worry with Dom as Hawke stepped off the final stair and without a word walked out of the cabin.

The spy looked questioningly at Dom as he approached the sofa; they’d heard him yelling.

‘Dammit!’ Dom sank back onto the sofa. ‘I shouldn’t have…dammit!’

Marella laid a hand on his shoulder and looked helplessly at Michael. They didn’t know what to say; they were all grieving.

Dom sighed. ‘I’d better go after him…’

‘Maybe you should leave him for a while.’ Marella said gently.

‘Maybe you’re right.’ Dom grunted.

‘Look, why don’t you take a break? Go and check your air service.’ Michael suggested.

‘Jo’s home. She’s taking care of everything.’ Dom reminded him. His niece had flown back from Bulgaria as soon as she’d heard the news.

‘You need a break, Dom.’ Marella said gently. ‘Michael and I will stay with him.’

Dom frowned unhappily and got to his feet. He undid the apron he wore and went to get his blue jacket. He hesitated at the cabin door and turned back to Michael.

‘You won’t leave him?’ Dom asked. ‘He can’t be left.’ His fearful eyes communicated his unspoken worry that Hawke might be suicidal.

Michael held his gaze. ‘You have my word. I won’t leave him alone.’

Dom nodded. He paused on the porch to put his coat on, removing a bright red baseball cap from the depths of a pocket and placing it firmly on his head.

Hawke was standing at the edge of the lake looking out on the blue rippling water, his body tensed with arms folded and legs planted firmly apart. Tet stood next to him; he’d hardly left his master’s side since their return. Dom went to stand next to him.

‘I’m sorry, kid.’ Dom said, his voice breaking a little. ‘It’s just…hard for all of us.’ He reached out and tried hard not feel hurt when Hawke moved further away from him. ‘I’m leaving for a little while. Michael’s going to stay with you.’

‘Dom…’ Hawke’s quiet voice arrested the older man as he began to move away. ‘I’m sorry.’ He went back into the cabin before Dom could say anything more.

Hawke ignored Michael and Marella; he made his way back to the bedroom, oblivious to the dog at his heels. He stripped and climbed back under the covers, sought the void of sleep.

The nightmare crept up on Hawke slowly.

He was flying Airwolf alone. The sky ahead of him was filled with wisps of white clouds and although Airwolf cleaved through them easily there was no end to them. He felt fear and frustration building; his heartbeat and breathing escalating; he had to get through the clouds and find Caitlin.

He took Airwolf into a steep dive. Suddenly the clouds disappeared and he broke through into clear sky, the ground zipping past underneath his feet. There was a helicopter ahead and his heart lurched in his chest recognising it as the one which Caitlin had been bundled into. He chased after it, weaving in and out of the hilly countryside, but no matter how hard he chased the helicopter, he knew he wouldn’t catch it, couldn’t prevent what was coming…

It plummeted out of the sky.

All the remembered horror rose up and grabbed him by the throat. The nightmare shifted as he fought to breathe and he was suddenly on the ground and running through the burning wreckage. He continued to search desperately. He saw the scrap of blue material and his heart stopped. No, it couldn’t be… He stumbled forward, branches and thorns grabbed at him, tearing his flesh. He fell by the body of a woman dressed in a blue flight suit with red hair cascading down her back and onto the ground. She faced away from him. His hand reached out trembling… trembling because he couldn’t…he couldn’t believe it could be Caitlin and the body slowly rolled toward him…

Hawke bolted upright, gasping. The crackle of the fire snapped his eyes to the cheerful blaze. Tet whined beside him and he reached over to ruffle the mutt’s head as he sank back on the pillows. He’d had the same dream every night since…since…he couldn’t even bring himself to think it. He staggered out of the bed and into some jeans. He searched his bedside table and frowned when he couldn’t find his gun. Dom, he thought tiredly. He didn’t check the other side for Caitlin’s gun; he figured it was probably gone too.

He wandered down to the bar and poured a large drink of whiskey. He tossed the liquor back. It burned the back of his throat, brought tears to his eyes. He poured another and opened up the cupboard at the bottom of the bar. He reached in and took out a cigar box stuffed at the back behind a stash of wine and spirits. When he opened it a black gun stared up at him, a box of ammo tucked next to it. He took his drink, the gun and the ammo over to the sofa. He picked up a picture of Caitlin on a side table and placed it on the table in front of him.

Hawke loaded the gun with a thoughtless efficiency that hinted at his training. When he was done he laid the gun down by the picture and picked up the drink. His eyes caught on the image of Caitlin staring up at him. He set the glass back down without taking a sip and picked up the photo. Grief bowed his head and he felt the cool metal of the frame against his skin. She couldn’t be gone…he couldn’t have lost her too…his fingers tightened on the picture and he rocked helplessly back and forth against the pain. He didn’t hear Michael, didn’t notice him until the other man put his arm around Hawke’s shoulders and held him whilst he shook with tears he wouldn’t let fall.

The day of the funeral dawned impossibly bright and sunny. Michael had bullied Hawke into attending with a ruthlessness that Dom had admired and envied; the older man hadn’t been able to break through to Hawke at all. Hawke’s grief surrounded him like a shroud. The pilot was slowly willing himself to die and none of his friends knew how to stop him from simply fading away.

Michael and Marella waited at the back of the O’Shaunessy ranch-house with Caitlin’s parents to greet Hawke when Airwolf landed. Hawke stepped out of the helicopter. He pulled at the collar of his shirt and wished he hadn’t worn the suit Dom had bought him. It felt too tight, too suffocating. He barely had time to recognise Patrick before his father-in-law hugged him tightly, releasing him with a hearty slap on his shoulder.

‘You came.’ There was a suspicion of tears in Patrick’s eyes as he looked at the shattered man in front of him.

Hawke simply blinked in response.

When Patrick stepped away, his place was taken by Maggie who wrapped him into her arms. Hawke resisted for a second before succumbing to the maternal comfort, his own arms moving to hold her. He wondered if his own mother had lived whether she would have hugged him like this, smelling of peppermints and some floral scent that shrieked ‘mom’. She finally moved away to stand in front of him, her arms slipping around Patrick as her husband’s slipped around her in familiar support.

Hawke searched for something, anything to say and said the only thing that came to mind. ‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.’

‘We know you did all you could.’ Patrick said, the sincerity in his eyes reminding Hawke so much of Caitlin that he forgot to breathe.

Hawke couldn’t respond and Patrick and Maggie turned to greet Dom and politely welcomed his niece, Jo. The young blond woman kept her arm tucked into her uncle’s. She had travelled with Dom and Hawke in Airwolf; she’d wished her second trip had been prompted by a different situation.

Michael gestured at the house. ‘Shall we?’

‘Come with us.’ Maggie took hold of Hawke’s hand and led him into the house.

The house will full of people. Hawke caught sight of family and friends…a lump lodged in the back of his throat. He retreated into himself and everyone took their cue from Dom leaving the bereaved husband in his cocoon of silence. Hawke was barely aware as they all made the procession to the O’Shaunessy’s burial plot.

It all seemed unreal, Hawke thought as he stared sightlessly into the impossibly blue sky, looking anywhere but at the casket being lowered into the grave. The quiet words of the minister drifted away on the faint breeze that washed over them. He suppressed the urge to leave ruthlessly and his fingers tightened on the yellow rose he carried like all the other guests.

The sun was warm on his back and burned through the new black suit. He wasn’t aware of the others; how Dom’s face was drenched in tears and the way he leaned on Jo; how Michael and Marella held hands with an intensity that bespoke their own fear of someday facing what Hawke was having to and their own grief for the bright, bubbly redhead who had become their friend. Hawke didn’t notice any of it; he was consumed by his own pain.

The service had almost finished; each person threw their yellow rose into the grave to lie on the casket. It was almost Hawke’s turn; his fingers clutched on the rose stem, a missed thorn pricked his finger.

He couldn’t do this.

He couldn’t say goodbye to her.

Beside him, Dom threw his rose and wiped his wet eyes as he looked to Hawke to continue the ritual.

Hawke froze; he couldn’t do it.

Michael moved forward seamlessly instead, as if it had always been planned for him to do his next. The moment passed and others continued, stepping forward and letting go of their roses. The service ended.

There was a reception up at the ranch-house and people started to drift away. Hawke remained standing next to the grave.

Dom put a hand on his shoulder. ‘String…’

‘Please.’ Hawke managed to get out the words out. ‘I need a minute.’

‘String…’

‘It’s OK, Dominic.’ Maggie said gently. ‘He can stay here as long as he needs to.’ Her hand patted Hawke’s gently in understanding and he felt Dom squeeze his shoulder before moving away, leaving him to say his goodbye in private.

For the longest time he simply stood where he was, letting the sudden hushed silence of the little burial plot seep into him. His blue eyes were fixed to the grave in front of him but he vaguely remembered the walk up the small hillside at the back of the ranch and how there were wild flowers teaming over the green ground like a carpet of colourful jewels, hiding the older gravestones, masking simple white crosses of previous generations.

Hawke’s gaze drifted unwillingly over the bright, white marble-stone of the newest grave. He took one step and another until he was at its side, the fingers of one hand reaching out to trace the words inscribed there; ‘Caitlin Hawke. Beloved.’

Beloved.

His vision blurred and he pulled his fingers back as though burned. He staggered as the overwhelming loss he’d been keeping at bay for four days broke through. Grief poured over him, dragged him under like a surfer caught in a riptide. Tears streamed down his face and he sank to his knees, unable to stand, unable to do anything but to sob helplessly.

Eventually, there were just no more tears. His throat was raw when he spoke. ‘How, Cait?’ His fingers traced back over her name. ‘How do I say goodbye to you?’ His voice broke. ‘This is all my fault.’ Hawke swallowed around the lump in his throat and raised his eyes up to the sky which seemed impossibly blue, impossibly bright. The sky should have been grey; the air thundering at him instead of the sun bathing him in a warm glow.

‘I can’t do this.’ He admitted. ‘I can’t say goodbye to you.’ He looked again at the headstone and shook his head. ‘I can’t believe you’re gone. I know what I saw…but I keep waiting for you to come back.’ His voice dropped to a whisper and he closed his eyes against the pain. ‘I don’t understand why don’t you come back?’

Hawke couldn’t say goodbye to her. He couldn’t. To say goodbye would be to admit she was gone and his heart just wouldn’t believe it. A breeze washed over him and the feeling that if he turned around, he would see her standing there smiling at him cheekily, her eyes twinkling back at him and their baby safe within her was so strong for a moment he was tempted to check.

This was all wrong, he thought furiously. It was all wrong that she was dead. She had to still be alive.

She was still alive.

The thought slammed into his head abruptly, ripping away the protective haze around him. His eyes snapped open and his mind shook free of the fog that surrounded him, started working again. His tears dried in the breeze as he tried to make sense of pictures of the rescue cascading through him, images flickering like broken film, snapshots of frozen time, questions and answers, bluffs and double-bluffs; disguises and deceptions until his heart and mind came to a single, shattering realisation.

Hawke got to his feet and looked back at the headstone; a keen intelligence gleamed from eyes now clear as the sky above. He faced the grave and gently threw his crumpled yellow rose on the top of the casket.

‘I don’t know who you are,’ he murmured, ‘but you’re not my wife.’

—

‘She isn’t dead.’ Hawke insisted.

He tried not to be disheartened by the looks of complete disbelief on Michael and Dom’s faces. He had hustled the two men into Patrick’s study as soon as it had been humanly possible. There was a milling crowd just beyond the door still saying goodbye to Caitlin with finger food and alcohol.

‘What you’re suggesting Hawke….it’s just not possible.’ Michael leaned back in the leather chair and wondered apprehensively if Hawke was having some kind of breakdown. From the worry gathering in Dom’s eyes, it was a thought the two of them shared.

‘I know I’m right. The whole thing was all about misdirection. Horn wanted Caitlin. She has to be alive.’ Hawke jabbed his finger on the arm of his chair.

‘Why would Horn want Caitlin?’ Michael reasoned. ‘He can’t know for certain she can fly Airwolf and why would he take her and not the machine?’

‘I don’t know.’ Hawke was forced to admit. He shoved himself out of his chair and walked to the window, pushing his hands into the pockets of his trousers. ‘It’s not important. The important thing is that he has her.’

‘Hawke, I don’t see how she could have survived.’ Michael swivelled in his chair, his voice thoughtful.

‘Easy.’ Hawke answered, hoping his theory was right. ‘Horn knew that as long as Caitlin was missing we would look for her, right?’

‘Right.’ Dom was pleased he could at least back him up on one point and he felt a twinge of guilt as Hawke sent his old friend and surrogate father a quick smile of thanks.

‘So he had to get us to believe something that would stop us looking.’

‘So you think he staged the crash to make us believe she was dead and we would stop looking.’ Dom summarised.

‘Yes.’ Hawke paced forward eagerly. ‘We were expecting him to ask for Airwolf in trade so he gave us what we expected but there were things that didn’t make sense.’

‘Like?’ Michael asked interested despite himself.

‘Horn could have shot us and taken Airwolf when we were all stood exposed in the Hollow but he didn’t. He provided us with a helicopter ostensibly for us to leave in but why would he let the only people who can fly Airwolf leave? If nothing else he would have been leaving himself open to a future rescue attempt.’ Hawke saw his points were registering with the other two men and pressed on. ‘It was an explosion on his side that started that shoot out – as though it were planned. Dom and I didn’t even get grazed by a bullet even though we were completely exposed in the middle of the clearing. Horn’s men had to better shots than that. We were left alive because we had to witness the crash.’

‘You were almost killed though, String. One of his men did tackle you.’ Dom objected.

‘He tackled me to give the chopper time to get away.’ Hawke gestured. ‘When he made to shoot me the second time, he was ensuring your focus was on rescuing me not on the chopper. It gave them time to make the switch.’

‘How?’ Dom’s face creased in puzzlement.

‘I think they landed the chopper with Cait out of sight almost as soon as they disappeared from our immediate line of vision. When we came after them in Airwolf we checked for an airborne chopper. That’s the one we followed. All Horn had to do was make sure its make and markings were exactly like the one in the clearing and when it crashed we would assume it was the same chopper.’

‘But the body…’ Michael said frowning.

Hawke shook his head. ‘All he had to do was substitute a female the same height and build, same general characteristics, wearing the same distinctive blue flight suit and he was fairly safe in assuming we would think it was Caitlin.’

Michael and Dom still seemed unconvinced.

Hawke sighed in frustration. ‘Think about it. We see Caitlin in a blue suit bundled unconscious into a chopper. We see the chopper take off. There are a few moments of delay before we can follow. We immediately look for an airborne chopper. We see one. It looks the same as the one we’ve just seen take off so we assume it’s the same chopper. It crashes and we find a body similar in height, build and characteristics dressed in the same blue suit as Caitlin. We automatically put two and two together…’

‘And get five,’ completed Dom. There was a spark of hope in his tone and Hawke breathed easier. If Dom could believe it…..

‘Which is what you could be doing now.’ Michael said.

‘Answer me this, Michael.’ Hawke cleared his throat. ‘Did we ever formally identify Cait’s body?’

Michael hesitated before he replied in an apologetic voice. ‘It was too badly burned for formal id.’

‘What about dental records?’ Hawke pushed away the image of a scrap of blue material and a fierce explosion that had flooded in his mind. It hadn’t been Caitlin; he had to hold on to that.

Michael’s hesitation was longer and Hawke held his breath as he waited for the other man to speak. When he did, the tone had changed; it too held a tiny hint of hopefulness. ‘We didn’t do a dental record match. We thought we knew who the body was.’

Hawke breathed out in relief. ‘We need to….’

‘Check the dental records.’ Michael picked up his phone, dialled a number and gave his instructions to an aide. He put the phone down. ‘Look, Hawke, I admit your theory is plausible but it isn’t probable.’

‘I know I’m right Michael.’ Hawke felt a strange calm settle over him. He got to his feet. ‘When will you have the results?’

Michael shrugged. ‘It could take a couple of days.’ His eyes flickered to the study door. ‘I would suggest we don’t tell the O’Shaunessy’s until we have something concrete to tell them.’

Hawke nodded.

‘What now?’ Dom asked.

Hawke turned to him, his blue eyes cold and hard with determination. ‘Now we go look for Caitlin.’

—

‘There’s just nothing there, String.’ Dom rechecked the monitor and sighed. They’d been flying over the same patch of land around Dead Man’s Hollow where the clash with Horn had taken place, for the last two hours. It was their umpteenth time since the funeral the day before. His eyes were sore, his back hurt and his stomach was aching with hunger.

‘Check again.’ Hawke made to swing Airwolf round.

‘Can’t we take a break?’ Dom pleaded.

‘We’ve taken almost a week already.’ Hawke snapped.

‘And another five minutes to have some lunch won’t make a difference.’ Dom yelled back. ‘My eyes are blurring back here kid.’

Hawke sneaked a look at the back of the cockpit and sighed as he met Dom’s implacable stare.

‘OK.’ He took the Lady down. ‘Five minutes.’

Dom clasped his hands together in prayer and gestured at the ceiling.

Hawke landed gently and removed his helmet. He climbed out and stretched getting the kinks out of his back and arms.

‘Here.’ Dom threw a pack of sandwiches at him and Hawke caught it mid-chest. He opened the wrapping and took a bite without even looking at what it was he was eating.

Dom gave a moan of delight as he chewed on his lunch. He looked across to see Hawke staring into the distance like he could see where Caitlin has disappeared to through willpower alone. He swallowed and gestured with his half-eaten sandwich. ‘We’re going to find her, String.’

Hawke turned to look at his partner. ‘She must think I’ve abandoned her, Dom.’ He blurted out.

Dom’s expression saddened but he tried to comfort the younger man. ‘There’s no way we could have known, String. She’ll understand.’ His brow furrowed. ‘God knows what we’re going to tell her family.’ Michael had made their farewells at the funeral whilst they had left eager to begin searching for Caitlin. Nobody had questioned their exit believing that Hawke was distraught with grief.

Hawke finished his lunch and took a drink of water. ‘We just need to find her.’

Dom sighed as he crumpled the sandwich wrapping. ‘Let’s get back to it, kid.’ He patted Hawke’s arm and moved back to his place at the engineer’s console.

Hawke resumed the pilot’s seat and started the engines. They had just got airborne when the incoming transmission signal sounded. Dom shook his head and answered it.

Michael appeared on the video link. ‘I’ve got the results of the dental identification. I thought you’d want to know straight away.’

Hawke tensed and the aircraft shuddered.

‘The body we recovered from the crash site was not Caitlin.’

Hawke breathed out slowly. He’d been so sure but to know for certain…his heart lifted. She was alive.

‘Have you found anything?’ Michael asked.

‘So far zip.’ Dom replied.

‘Come home, Hawke.’ Michael leaned into the monitor. ‘We need to put our heads together on this.’

Hawke altered his course. ‘We’re on our way, Michael.’

When the cabin came into view, Hawke felt relief seep into him. He’d been silent most of the journey home, lost in his own thoughts, praying that his wife knew somehow, someway that he was looking for her. Dom saw the white helicopter on the landing pier and swung his own bird around to land in the space in front of the cabin.

They walked in to find that someone had built a fire and lit the various lamps. Michael was sat in one of the easy chairs, one hand resting on his ever present cane, the other holding a glass of wine. Marella rose to greet them from her spot on the couch. For a long moment they all looked at one another.

‘Hawke…’ Michael began. ‘How did you figure it out?’ He followed the pilot to the bar at the back of the cabin where Hawke poured wine for himself and Dom who subsided onto a bar stool with a tired expression.

‘You’re really going to make me explain?’ Hawke asked Michael who was waiting with an expectant expression.

‘Yes.’

‘Actually, String,’ Dom added, ‘I’ve been kind of curious myself.’

Hawke sipped his wine and sighed in resignation. ‘I’m not sure I can explain it.’ He admitted. ‘Ever since it happened, I just haven’t been able to believe that Caitlin was dead. I put it down to…to grief but at the graveside…I didn’t just feel that it was wrong that she was dead, I knew it.’ He gestured with the wine glass. ‘It started me thinking…what if what I was feeling wasn’t about grief, what if I felt that way because it was the truth.’ He shrugged. ‘As soon as I worked that out, my mind started clicking over the events at the Hollow and…’

‘And you worked out all the inconsistencies.’ Marella concluded.

‘Horn played me, Michael.’ Hawke said angrily, setting his glass back down. ‘He counted on the thought that she was dead putting me out of the game and he was right.’

‘He played us.’ The spy corrected. ‘And I think you should give yourself and us a break, Hawke.’ Michael said dryly. ‘Seeing that chopper go down…it gave us all a bad moment.’

There was a moment’s silence as they all adjusted.

‘So if Caitlin is alive….’ Marella began.

‘Horn has her.’ Hawke said his voice harsh with anger.

‘But why?’ Dom asked. ‘Why take her and not Airwolf? It doesn’t make any sense.’

‘Maybe he just wants to get at you.’ Marella said directing her comment at Hawke who looked back at her evenly.

‘You could be right.’

‘You mean Horn did all this just to make your life miserable?’ Dom shook his head furiously. ‘I don’t believe it. There has to be more to it than that.’

‘I agree.’ Michael smiled at the stunned expression on the other man before he focused on Hawke. ‘If that’s all it was, he would have achieved that by actually killing her. I think it’s likely that your misery was just a side benefit. His end game must be about Airwolf, Hawke.’ He continued. ‘What other reason could he have?’

‘He could have a long term plan.’ Marella said. ‘Get Airwolf later when everything has calmed down.’

‘I hate to say it but he could have brainwashed her.’ Michael pointed out.

‘No.’ Hawke denied it. ‘At the Hollow, I would swear she was herself and besides…Horn brainwashed me in less than twenty-four hours, he’d have the Lady by now if he’d done the same thing to Caitlin.’

‘But then….’ Michael hesitated.

‘Spit it out, Michael.’ Hawke said.

‘He may not be using the same technique as he used on you. After all, from his perspective it failed. According to what you told me, Horn never saw Caitlin, never realised that you were given an antidote. He probably doesn’t know why you came out of it.’ Michael explained.

‘That’s true, String.’ Dom said, agreeing.

‘Horn’s plan for Caitlin’s capture, fooling us all into thinking she was dead, was meant to give him time with her – has given him time with her and you have to ask yourself, why he needed it.’ Michael added.

‘What do you mean?’ Dom asked slowly when it looked as though Hawke was not going to reply.

Marella’s eyes filled with sadness. ‘He might be subjecting her to the more subtle, insidious techniques; changing more than her brain chemistry but actually her personality…her allegiances.’

Hawke bolted out from behind the bar and stalked to the fireplace.

Dom gestured. ‘Well, can’t we use that serum…the one we used on String…wouldn’t that work?’

‘It may partly,’ said Michael, his eyes fixed on the tense lines of the younger pilot. ‘But we’ve never anticipated it being used on a pregnant woman. It could have an adverse effect on the baby.’

‘You don’t even know for certain if he has brainwashed her.’ Hawke muttered without turning around. ‘If he’s trying subtle techniques, they take a long time and he’s only had a week.’

‘The sooner we get her back the better,’ agreed Michael and raised his glass, ‘and we may have a starting place.’

Hawke turned back to look at him.

‘Oh?’ Dom looked at the spy with interest. Michael nodded at Marella.

‘We captured a few of the guards at the Hollow and they’ve been our guests since. We’ve been interrogating them.’ She said.

‘And?’ Hawke asked gesturing impatiently.

‘We’ve gathered some information on two possible locations where Horn may have intended to go.’

‘Two?’ Hawke frowned. ‘What are they?’

‘A place in Mexico and a Caribbean island called Jareau.’ Marella said.

‘Well, how do we know which one?’ Dom asked.

‘We don’t.’ Michael sighed.

Hawke shook his head, walking back to join them at the bar. ‘Either one of those places or both could have been planted information.’

‘It’s possible.’ Michael admitted, slipping onto a stool.

‘Do we check them out anyway?’ Dom asked.

Hawke leaned on the bar considering the idea and shook his head reluctantly. ‘If we did recon on the wrong place, it would tip Horn. We’re only going to get one chance at tracking her.’

‘We could re-interrogate the prisoners we have. See if we can shake anything loose.’ Michael suggested. ‘Pinpoint which location is the more likely.’

‘You do that. Dom and I’ll try something else…’

‘Oh?’ Dom’s eyes questioned him suspiciously.

Hawke raised his glass of wine in response. ‘Let’s go see Meg.’

—

Hawke and Dom sat on Megan Ravenson’s sofa and watched as the blond psychic woman held Caitlin’s picture and breathed deeply. Her wide green eyes opened and she shook her head.

‘She is alive but I can’t help you find her.’ Meg said softly.

Dom saw the temper trigger in Hawke’s eyes and laid a hand on the other man’s arm before he could respond.

‘Why, Meg?’ Dom asked. ‘I know you’re back helping the police with missing person cases…’

Meg took a chair across from them. ‘It’s not that I don’t want to Dom. I like Caitlin and I want to help but I can’t do it because I can’t reach her properly.’

‘What do you mean?’ Hawke asked harshly. He liked Meg and she’d helped them find Michael when he was missing one time so he knew she was the real deal but he had little patience for the workings of her gift; images, vague connections, mumbo-jumbo…

‘It’s like I’m getting a busy signal…I can’t reach her because she’s already reaching out to someone else.’

‘Who?’ Hawke asked.

Meg’s eyes twinkled back at Hawke with wry amusement. ‘You.’

Hawke blinked at her and Dom’s mouth fell open. The older man spoke first. ‘You mean String’s a psychic?’

‘You’re wrong.’ Hawke stated firmly.

‘No, I’m not and I’m not exactly saying you’re psychic.’ Meg laid the photo on the coffee table separating them and fixed her gaze on his. ‘Look, nobody really knows how ESP, psychic ability, call it what you want, works but most agree that at it’s core it’s like intuition, an ability to sense beyond facts and logic and make leaps to connections. Now some people don’t have much intuition, they prefer to stick with facts but you? You have a great intuition, you have it in spades.’

‘Sure, he has great instincts.’ Dom agreed ignoring the dirty look Hawke sent his way.

‘From what you’ve told has happened, it was your intuition that told you she was alive even in the face of overwhelming evidence from your own eyes that you had seen her die.’ Meg stressed.

Hawke shifted uneasily. ‘I worked the scam out…’

‘Once you gave some time to listen to your intuition.’ Meg said. ‘But a good intuition doesn’t make you psychic. At a guess I think it does make you more tuned in with the people who you bond with. I told you pretty much the same thing when you asked me about your brother.’

Dom’s eyebrows shot up. He hadn’t known Hawke had gone to Meg about Saint John.

‘It’s different.’ Hawke insisted. ‘Saint John’s my brother…’

‘It is different.’ Meg agreed. ‘The bond between you and Caitlin is stronger. You’re connected in so many ways; as friends, lovers, spiritually, physically, emotionally and that bond is particularly strong at the moment when she’s carrying your child.’

Hawke shifted uncomfortably. Neither he nor Dom had mentioned the pregnancy to her.

‘And because she’s in trouble, she’s reaching out to you over the bond you share. Some of your certainty about her being alive may have been because you were picking up on that.’

‘I don’t understand.’ Dom said as Hawke got his feet and paced restlessly. ‘You think she’s trying to reach him with ESP?’

‘No.’ Meg sighed and clasped her hands. ‘I think she’s hoping and praying with all her heart that Hawke’s going to come rescue her, that he’s not given up on her and I think she’s transmitting that as loud as she can through the bond they share quite unconsciously.’

‘If they’re connected, can’t you just listen in to them?’ Dom asked as Hawke came to a halt, staring at a piece of artwork on Meg’s wall.

‘It’s like trying to listen in on someone else’s telephone conversation but without any way of finding the frequency.’ Her eyes slid to Hawke’s back. ‘We could try.’

Hawke turned around slowly to face her. ‘How?’

She patted the sofa next to her and he sat down reluctantly. ‘Close your eyes.’

He didn’t want to but he was desperate to find his wife so he did as she requested without a murmur of protest. He felt her hands slide into his.

‘Now think about Caitlin.’

Think about Caitlin; that wasn’t hard. Her face filled his mind, his thoughts drifted back over memories and moments.

Meg cried out and yanked her hands away from his. His blue eyes snapped open and he was startled by the sight of tears on her face. ‘What?’ He demanded urgently.

Meg took a breath to calm her racing heartbeat. ‘It’s OK.’ She swiped at her cheeks and shook her head. His remembered horror of believing he had witnessed her death, the shattering pain of loss, of feeling he had nothing to live for and the renewed hope, his love and need for her…Hawke’s jumbled emotions had been overwhelming.

She shook herself free of them and regained control. She frowned. ‘There’s a big cat, like a tiger or a panther, and water, a lot of water around her. That’s all I could make out.’

‘I guess it’s more than we had before.’ Dom said disappointed.

Meg looked at Hawke. ‘Hawke, you need to listen to what she’s telling you.’

‘Do I just hope the information comes to me through thin air?’

Meg sighed at the scathing tone. ‘Try reaching out through your bond and for crying out loud, try keeping an open mind.’ She glanced at the wall clock. ‘Look, it’s really late…’

‘We’ll be going.’ Dom said getting to his feet and giving her a hug goodbye. Hawke gave her a small nod and as he went to walk by her, she stopped him with a hand on his forearm.

‘I’m sorry I couldn’t help you more.’

Hawke laid a hand over hers in apology, in recognition that she’d done as much as she could and then walked out.

The Santini Air chopper cut through the night sky back to Hawke’s cabin.

Dom cleared his throat beside Hawke. ‘You didn’t tell me you’d asked Meg about Saint John.’

Hawke shrugged. ‘No point. She couldn’t help then either.’

‘Well, what did she say exactly?’

‘That all she got was blocked pathways, some other vague mumbo-jumbo…and the thing about the bond between Saint John and me.’ Hawke adjusted their course, turning inland. ‘Same thing as tonight really about my believing he was alive was rooted in the bond we shared.’

‘Oh.’ Dom said. ‘She could be right you know.’

‘Look, Dom. I know she’s your friend and I like her, I do, but…’

‘You’ve seen her gift. You know what she can do.’ Dom defended Meg valiantly.

Hawke was silent for a moment. ‘How the hell am I supposed to find Caitlin with what she gave us?’

‘Maybe she gave you more than you think.’ Dom said sagely. ‘Maybe you ought to try keeping that open mind.’

Hawke sighed and the rest of the journey was made in silence. They said goodnight at the landing pier and as Hawke watched the helicopter take off, he felt the adrenaline of the day drain away abruptly, exhaustion creeping up on him. He headed straight for bed, stopping only to kick off his boots before lying flat out on the cool sheets, his eyes closing as his head hit the pillow.

The nightmare started the same way as it always did. He was flying Airwolf alone, trying to get through the clouds, trying to find Caitlin. He could feel his fear he wouldn’t find her building but this time he tamped down on it – hard. She was alive and he needed to focus on getting to her…where are you, Cait?

‘Hawke!’ Caitlin’s voice clear as a bell in his head had his blue eyes flying open to search the bedroom.

It was empty and he was alone.

He took a deep steadying breath, staring at the familiar ceiling. He sighed and thumped the bed in frustration. Tet raised his head from the floor. Hawke scowled. How was he supposed to find her with planted information from Horn and nothing but vague images and gobbledegook from Meg?

Hawke closed his eyes again. How the hell was any of it going to help him get her back? The clarity of her voice though…maybe, maybe he could believe in that, maybe it had come through the bond between them. I’m not giving up Caitlin, he thought fiercely, just hold on. I’ll come for you, I promise. I know you’re alive and I’m coming for you. I love you…the words lingered in his mind as he slipped back to sleep.

—

‘I love you too…’ Caitlin murmured sleepily and opened her blue-green eyes expecting in her muddled dreamy state to find her husband next to her. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest with disappointment and fear as reality flooded back to her. She sat up and stared at her prison. It was pretty luxurious prison furnished with antiques, beautiful works of art, the finest linens…but the only door was locked, the only window bricked up.

Nausea hit and she pushed back the heavy cotton sheets hurriedly. She only made it to the en suite bathroom in time, throwing up into the sink, her fingers clutching the marble top to keep her upright. Her morning sickness was worse than ever complicated by the concussion from being knocked out the day at the Hollow. She rinsed her mouth out and brushed her teeth before turning on the shower. She tested the water with a bare arm and when it was hot enough she stepped under the relentless stream of water. She reckoned maybe a week had passed since her kidnapping in Texas but she wasn’t sure how long she’d been unconscious when they’d brought her here. Caitlin picked up a bar of soap and sponge, and started to scrub at her skin as she remembered.

She woke dazed, confused and shaken before remembering the awful truth that the rescue attempt had failed and she remained Horn’s prisoner. The faintest movement sent a sharp shaft of agony through her temple and she threw up, retching at the side of the bed until a nurse, a thin old woman with steel grey hair in a white uniform attended to her. She slipped gratefully back to oblivion. The next day, she was bullied out of the bed, bathed and dressed in clean pyjamas before being sat in the overstuffed sofa ready for Horn to visit her.

‘I’m glad you’re feeling better my dear. No, don’t get up.’ Horn motioned at the nurse who pushed her back down into the couch easily ignoring her weak struggles.

Caitlin regarded him with disgust and felt nausea threaten again as his cold green gaze scoured her.

He smoothed his wispy blonde hair in response to her regard and smiled. ‘Perhaps I should have begun by apologising for your concussion.’ He straightened his tie. ‘The guard responsible has been punished. You were only meant to be restrained particularly in your…condition.’ His eyes flickered to her abdomen and Caitlin’s hands immediately rose to cover her unborn child protectively. She tried to push the fear and panic that he knew about the baby away; she had to be strong and defend them both.

Horn gestured at the chess board on the coffee table. ‘Do you play?’

Caitlin remained silent.

‘My sources say that you don’t but I thought you might like to learn.’ Horn smiled charmingly and she felt her skin crawl.

Horn sighed. ‘You know you’re going to be here for a long time. It will be very boring for both of us if you insist on not speaking.’

She lifted her chin and stared at him defiantly. ‘He’ll find me.’

‘No he won’t.’ Horn’s smile turned nasty. ‘Hawke doesn’t know you’re alive, my dear.’

Caitlin felt fear slide into her gut. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean he believes he saw your helicopter go kaboom. ‘ He paused. ‘Even now I understand he hides on his mountain grieving for you.’

It had to be a lie. Had to be, she thought desperately, if Hawke thought she was dead, that she and their child had died….

‘You’re lying.’ She said frantically. His smug smile triggered her temper and she made an inhuman sound, lurching to her feet filled with some notion of throttling him, pounding on him until he said it wasn’t true. But she was easily held back by the nurse, her arms pinned behind her back and Horn moved forward to look into the depths of her stormy eyes with satisfaction.

‘So much loyalty.’ Horn reached out and grasped her chin. ‘So much spirit. Yes.’ He said. ‘Of all the women in the world, I can see why Hawke chose you for his bride.’

‘What the hell do you want with me?’ Caitlin retorted.

His smile widened. ‘All in good time, my dear.’ He had spun on his heel and left her standing staring after him with horror.

Caitlin yanked her mind back to the present as she turned her face up to the shower spray letting her tears mingle with the water as she soaped her hair and rinsed it clean. She reluctantly shut off the water and stepped out.

She couldn’t really complain at her treatment since that first meeting, she thought as she towelled herself. She had the best of everything; food was prepared to her exact specifications, her every wish was fulfilled. She was examined by the nurse every day. When she had complained at the lack of fresh air on her second day, an escorted walk with Horn in the beautiful gardens of the villa had been arranged as part of her daily routine. Horn was obviously keen for the baby to be born healthy and for her to be as comfortable as possible during her pregnancy. His plans for her remained nebulous. He didn’t mention Airwolf at all and she was increasingly afraid that what he wanted was the baby. What that meant for her once the baby was born…

Horn was keeping her off balance and isolated. Her only contact was with either him or the nurse who examined her every day. The guards had obviously been instructed not to speak with her. Her personality wasn’t suited to being alone and she ached with loneliness; she missed her husband. She was certain that at least part of Horn’s plan was to have her grow dependant on him for her mental stimulation. Caitlin shivered at the idea.

Whatever his plans were, Caitlin mused, she had to escape and soon. One thing was for certain; she couldn’t rely on Hawke guessing the truth and coming to find her. Horn had made it plain that her husband believed he had witnessed her die in a brutal, final way. Her heart ached for him. I’m not dead, she thought fiercely, I’m not dead, Hawke, don’t believe it. Tears pricked at the back of her eyes again. Caitlin blinked them away and took a deep, shaking breath. She would have to worry about Hawke later; she had to concentrate on herself and the baby. She was going to have to get them out of this before Horn’s plan – whatever it was – could come to fruition.

—

Hawke was dressing when he heard the helicopters approaching. Michael and Dom arriving together, he mused for the early morning meeting they’d all agreed to. He pulled on a clean shirt, buttoning it as he made his way down the stairs to start a pot of coffee, set the table for breakfast. The coffee had just started brewing when the two men entered, followed by Marella.

They sat at the table for breakfast and conference.

‘We managed to get some more information out of our two informants,’ Michael began pouring a glass of orange juice and reaching for toast as Hawke spooned scrambled eggs onto his plate. ‘The place in the Caribbean sounds likely.’

Hawke gestured for him to continue with the spatula as he took a seat and reached for the butter.

‘The gentleman in question was ordered to pack a helicopter for Horn and his superior made a joke about how he wished they were going to the Caribbean place with Horn.’ Marella said, smoothing jam onto her toast. ‘It sounds more legit than the way the other man found out about Mexico.’

‘Why’s that?’ Dom asked curious.

‘He overheard Horn telling another guard to arrange for a boat to deliver them to Jaguar Hold – that’s what Horn calls his Mexican base apparently – and prepare the place for their arrival.’ Michael said. His gaze riveted on Hawke who had frozen at the name of the place.

‘Oh and something about saying they would have a guest.’ Marella added. ‘I think he was making it up so we would think that Horn was referring to Caitlin. But it’s too coincidental.’

‘What is it, Hawke?’ Michael asked wondering at the pilot’s unreadable expression.

Hawke swallowed his toast and washed it down his suddenly dry mouth with a gulp of orange juice. ‘I think it might be Mexico.’

Michael blinked. ‘Meg gave you a direction?’

‘You could say that.’ Hawke said, shooting a warning look at Dom. He sighed inwardly seeing the smug expression on Dom’s face; he would be hearing about this forever.

‘Hawke, I’ve ran this through the computer. The odds of the Caribbean place being the right locale are greater than Mexico.’ Marella protested.

‘Kinda makes my point.’ Hawke said, gesturing to her with his knife. ‘Horn never does the statistically probable.’

Marella opened her mouth to argue and then closed it again. He did have a point.

‘So…Mexico.’ Michael said, regarding her with some amusement. ‘What do we know about it?’

‘I ran the name through the computer and we do have some current information on Jaguar Hold.’ Marella reached into her holdall and pulled out a thick file. She placed it on the table and opened up the contents. ‘The DEA has had the place under surveillance for some time. It’s a villa but a fortified one.’ She passed aerial photos to Hawke. ‘Its official owner is a man called Hans Mekele. He and Horn were business partners on a property development that never quite happened in Orange County. Mekele is suspected of drug smuggling into the US.’ She handed Dom a photo of the man.

‘The only access is by boat or chopper or foot.’ Hawke noted. He stabbed a finger at the photos he held. ‘Most of the roads end a good few miles before the villa. It’s not going to be easy getting in.’

‘The Lady…’

‘They’d see her coming, Dom.’ Hawke handed him the photos. ‘It’s well placed defensively. A frontal assault would be too risky.’

‘So if we can’t use Airwolf…’

‘I might have a plan.’ Hawke said, pushing his plate and reaching for his coffee, a gleam in his blue eyes.

‘Ah hell.’ Dom threw his napkin down. A few hours later and his opinion hadn’t changed. ‘This is a bad plan, String.’ He said.

Hawke raised his eyebrow at his old friend. ‘It’s our only plan.’

‘That doesn’t make it a good plan.’ Dom complained. ‘I don’t like the idea of you going up against Horn on your own.’

‘I admit I have to agree with Dominic.’ Michael said blowing on the hot liquid of his coffee.

Hawke’s eyebrow quirked in amusement and he wagged a finger from one to the other. ‘You know you two are agreeing a lot for my comfort.’

‘I shouldn’t worry Hawke,’ drawled Michael. ‘I’m sure our ceasefire won’t last that long.’

Dom nodded vigorously and Hawke smirked at him. ‘See. There you go agreeing again.’

‘Guys,’ Marella cut in, ‘do you think you can stop trading shots long enough for us to finish the planning?’

‘Yes, Marella.’ Michael brushed his moustache to hide his smile and he acknowledged her chiding look with a twinkling eye.

‘What do we have so far?’ Marella asked.

‘We have a bad plan that’s what we have.’ Dom threw in.

‘The only advantage we have going for us is Horn’s probable belief that I’ve sequestered myself here distraught with grief.’ Hawke picked up his own mug and wrapped his hands around it, trying to ignore the fact that for the four days he had been numb from the very idea of her death, it had been the truth. ‘If we can continue to make him think that then it leaves me free to get to this place and get Caitlin out.’

‘On your own.’ Dom pointed out for what seemed like the zillionth time to him.

‘We haven’t even figured out what Horn wants with Caitlin.’ Michael threw in. ‘His whole aim could be to draw you out; isolate you.’

‘Nah, you’re making it too complicated.’ Hawke said.

‘Horn is a complicated man. He has plans within plans within plans.’ Michael sighed.

‘Which is why we need to be clever about this.’ Hawke pointed out.

‘Let’s go over this again.’ Michael said. ‘You want me to plan a FIRM raid on the Caribbean place so Horn thinks that we’ve fallen for his ruse.’

Hawke nodded. ‘He’ll be expecting a government agency to fall for the predictable.’ His eyes caught Marella’s flush. ‘Uh, no offence intended Marella.’

‘Some taken.’ She returned.

‘So Michael and the FIRM plan this raid, and with Jo looking after the business,’ Dom said, ‘that leaves me to help you.’

‘No, Dom, not this time.’ Hawke had to harden his heart against the older man’s crestfallen expression. ‘My disappearing off the radar because I’m grief-stricken would be OK with Horn but the two of us disappearing…it’d send a red flag. He’s obviously been watching us all closely. He knew when to grab Caitlin and he knew she and I were married. You’re being here,’ he stabbed a finger on the table, ‘doing the every day stuff as normal will help bolster Horn’s illusion that everything is working out for him.’

‘I don’t like it.’ Dom said folding his arms.

‘OK. So whilst we distract Horn with a planned attack on Jareau and the idea you’re out of commission…’ Michael said before the older man could get started again.

‘I’ll take the Lady down to Mexico.’ Hawke said. ‘I’ll store her with Dom’s friend and take a jeep as far as I can. Then I’ll go in on foot to get Caitlin and bring her home.’

Marella opened her mouth to speak before seeming to think better of it and subsiding again.

‘You might as well spit it out Marella.’ Hawke said catching the movement.

‘She could be injured. If he is conditioning her as we suspect, he could be torturing her.’ Marella murmured. ‘She may not physically be up to a long walk back to Airwolf.’ She left unspoken the idea that Caitlin may have already conditioned not to want to return with Hawke at all or that she may have lost the baby.

‘No,’ said Dom in automatic denial.

‘I’ll carry her all the way if I have to.’ Hawke said quietly.

Marella looked away from the sudden flash of emotion in Hawke’s eyes.

‘I have our clinic on standby to take a hostage victim with possible conditioning issues.’ Michael noted.

‘So you guys think Horn sees her like…like a wild cat that he wants to domesticate?’ Dom asked with distaste.

Hawke caught his friend’s gaze. ‘I don’t like it either, Dom, but I think that’s his end game. Once she’s broken she could lead him directly to Airwolf and fly her out of the Lair without us even noticing.’

‘I think you’re right, Hawke,’ Michael frowned, ‘but I also can’t help think that there’s more to it.’

‘It’s the spy in you Michael.’ Hawke said. ‘You’re paranoid’

‘Well as they say, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean there isn’t someone out to get you.’ Michael pointed out.

‘I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. I don’t like you going alone.’ Dom threw up his hands in defeat.

‘All of us,’ Hawke made an encompassing gesture around the table, ‘have to appear to be doing exactly what Horn expects us to do. If he thinks, if he even suspects that we’ve worked it out he may decide he has no use for Caitlin and kill her.’ He stood up and patted Dom’s shoulder. ‘I’m the only one who can do this without making Horn suspicious.’

Dom sighed heavily. ‘I wish I could come with you. I don’t like you being alone in the Lady.’

‘If the plan works Dom, I won’t be on my own for long.’ Hawke gave a half-smile. ‘I’ll have Caitlin with me.’

—

Caitlin fidgeted with the frayed edge of a forest green shawl and pulled it more tightly around her. Horn smiled at her. She was polishing up nicely, he thought. The green summer dress was perfect for her colouring and short enough to display her excellent legs. He opened the French windows.

The smell of roses surrounded her, their perfume sweet and heavy in the air. She waited for Horn to move before she followed him out onto the veranda. As soon as she was outside she started to scan the grounds, noting the number of guards, the position of the cameras, any possible escape route.

‘It’s beautiful, isn’t it?’ Horn swept an arm over the immaculate rose garden, manicured lawns and the distant landscape just visible over the high walls. He led the way to a seating area.

‘Beautiful,’ murmured Caitlin, feeling she was probably talking about something completely different to the man beside her.

‘And you my dear an even more beautiful adornment.’ Horn smiled at her disconcerted expression.

She kept silent as he offered her a chair and she sat down stiffly.

‘I thought you might prefer to have lunch outside today.’ Horn signalled for a servant who appeared with a tray of refreshments. He set it down on the table in front of Horn who waved him away.

‘Lemonade?’

Caitlin nodded her head and took the glass. She took a hesitant sip. None of the food so far had been drugged or poisoned but it didn’t mean that would remain the status quo.

‘Sandwich?’ He offered her a selection and she reached out to take one even though she wasn’t really hungry. She shivered in revulsion as their hands accidentally brushed.

‘Cold?’ Horn looked at her in concern.

‘No…’ She stopped suddenly as she heard footsteps behind her, the sharp click of stilettos.

Horn frowned and turned to look at his daughter in undisguised annoyance. ‘What?’

Angelica’s blue gaze flickered to Caitlin and they stared at each other with mutual loathing.

‘Angelica.’ Horn’s tone was sufficient warning to turn her attention back to him.

‘There’s been a development.’ Angelica flicked her blond hair.

‘Couldn’t it have waited?’ Horn asked angrily.

‘Your friend said no.’ Angelica stepped back as her father got to his feet.

‘Very well.’ Horn smiled down at Caitlin who continued to glare at his daughter. ‘I’m afraid you’ll have to excuse me for a moment.’ He walked briskly indoors.

‘Aren’t you going to go with him?’ Caitlin asked as Angelica continued to stand watching her.

‘And miss the opportunity for a little girl talk?’ Angelica slipped into her father’s chair.

Caitlin folded her arms and stared resolutely out at the view.

‘You know you’re not really his type.’ Angelica needled.

Caitlin raised an eyebrow. ‘I hope I’m not your father’s type.’

Angelica stiffened. ‘Please. My father isn’t interested in you and neither is he.’ She sniffed. ‘You’re convenient for him, that’s all.’

Caitlin shrugged. She was secure about her marriage and Angelica’s baiting of her seemed pretty juvenile. Her own eyes gleamed with sudden mischief. She spread her fingers and admired her rings. ‘Convenient or not, I’m the one he married.’ She kept her tone lazy, accentuated her Texan drawl.

‘You won’t keep him!’ Angelica hissed.

‘Sure I will and I won’t need to brainwash him to do it either!’ Caitlin returned. She saw the other girl’s temper snap. Angelica dived for her but she was ready. Caitlin sprang up and belted her with a right hook.

Angelica fell back but soon rushed at her again. Caitlin spun on her left leg, cursing as the strappy sandals affected her balance and the power behind the kick she executed with her right leg. She managed to land a blow directly on Angelica’s chest and sent her flying onto her backside with a thump. Guards surrounded Caitlin in an instant as Angelica lay stunned on the patio. Caitlin didn’t move, her heartbeat starting to slow after the adrenaline rush of the fight. She felt a huge sense of satisfaction at seeing the blond on her ass.

‘Angelica.’ Horn’s voice sounded as a guard helped her to her feet. ‘I see you’ve had a little accident.’

‘Accident!’ Angelica raised a trembling hand to her chest where she could feel the kick. ‘She…’

‘She beat you.’ Horn noted evenly. ‘You should get inside and get your bruises seen to. I’ll speak with you later.’

Angelica looked furiously at his impassive expression. She slid her gaze to the redhead. ‘This isn’t over.’

Caitlin noticed as Angelica stalked away that she was limping slightly and suppressed the urge to grin.

Horn dismissed the guards and shooed her back into her chair. ‘I must apologise for the interruption. I’m afraid you and my daughter seem to have taken an unfortunate dislike to each other.’

Caitlin shrugged unsure why Horn wasn’t angry with her. ‘I won’t apologise.’

Horn smiled. ‘I wouldn’t expect you to. Apologising would diminish the triumph of your victory.’

Caitlin risked a look at him and was bemused to see the look of admiration on his face.

‘That kick was beautifully executed.’ He said as he handed her a fresh glass of lemonade. ‘Beautifully controlled too.’

Caitlin reached for the glass and spoke without thinking. ‘Actually you have my high-heels to thank for the fact I couldn’t get enough power to crack her sternum.’

Horn looked at her in startled surprise and suddenly laughed. ‘You see why you intrigue me my dear? Very few people could say that to me and live.’ He caught hold of her hand before she could prevent it. His thumb brushed over the scrape on her knuckles from the punch she had landed. ‘You’re hurt.’

‘It’s nothing.’ Caitlin tried to jerk her hand back, her heart pounding in her chest in renewed alarm as he tightened his grip.

His eyes glittered at her. ‘Perhaps this will help.’ He said silkily and raised her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles gently.

Caitlin lowered her gaze so he wouldn’t see the repulsion in her eyes.

‘Now shall we concentrate on lunch my dear?’ Horn released her hand and slid into his own chair. He took a sip of lemonade and watched her covertly as she drew the shawl back round her like a protective blanket and narrowed her eyes at the hills to the north. ‘Is something wrong my dear?’

Caitlin shook her head and wrenched her gaze away.

It seemed like hours later before she was back in the relatively safety of her room. She stared at her reflection in the dressing table mirror and flexed her bruised hand in front of her with a wince. The pain was bearable and had been worth every moment of seeing Angelica on her backside. She sighed and examined her fingernails. They were shiny, buffed and French polished. She frowned. Normally at least one of them would be torn and there would be some nails that no matter how hard she scrubbed where a smudge of grease or dirt would remain. She let her eyes drift back to the image in the mirror and she reached out to touch the glass.

The woman looking back didn’t seem real to her. The hair had been expensively styled to frame her face and draw attention to her delicate features. The make-up she wore covered her freckles and emphasised her eyes and mouth. Caitlin grabbed a tissue from the box and started to cleanse furiously, wanting her face free of the sophisticated mask. She threw the tissues in the bin and getting to her feet stripped out of the dress. Caitlin wandered to the vast wardrobes and picked out a sweater and jeans. It was unlikely Horn would request her presence at dinner having spent the afternoon with her. She dressed quickly and went to sit on the bed. She leaned back against the sumptuous pillows.

She was so tired. She was that exhausted she’d even imagined that she could feel Hawke watching her when she’d been outside. Her fight with Angelica had been a mistake, Caitlin mused tiredly but it had revealed something interesting; Horn had no loyalty to his daughter and she was obviously not fully aware of her father’s plans whatever they were. It was something she and the blonde had in common. Caitlin sighed and closed her eyes. She just needed to rest…just for a moment…

It was the thud outside the door that woke her, her eyes flew open and her heart raced as she scrambled into a sitting position. The lock was turning. She looked wildly round the room and ran to the other side of the door grabbing a lamp to use as a weapon. The door opened slowly and a man’s head appeared. She dropped the lamp and gave a squeal, launching herself at her husband.

‘Hawke!’ Caitlin whispered as he caught her into a fierce hug and a deep kiss that brought tears to her eyes.

‘Are you OK?’ Hawke inched back from the embrace to look happily into her face, relieved to see her looking more like her old self. ‘You and the baby?’

‘I’m fine. We’re both fine.’ Caitlin smiled.

‘Come on. Let’s get out of here.’ Hawke looked down at her bare feet. ‘You got any shoes, a jacket?’

Caitlin eased out of his arms and flung open the wardrobe, searching for a coat and a pair of plimsolls she had seen there. She pulled them on hurriedly as Hawke checked the corridor outside. He put a finger to his lips to indicate they should be silent and took her hand. She glanced at the slumped figure of a guard by the door. They kept to the sides of the corridors; Hawke’s gun complete with silencer was drawn and ready.

A guard rounded the corner in front of them unexpectedly and before he could bring his weapon to bear on them, Hawke shot him. They stepped over his fallen body and continued. They came to an open window and she noticed for the first time it was dark outside. Hawke looked out checking the ground below.

‘You first.’ He whispered. She nodded and climbed onto the ledge. She gingerly lowered herself to the balcony below. Hawke handed her his back pack and then followed her down. They both peered over to the ground below and the hard stone of the patio. Hawke holstered his gun and helped her over the railing. He kept hold of her as she dangled over the edge until her body could make the drop to the patio. Hawke jumped and rolled to break his landing. She was by his side instantly, helping him to his feet.

They were half-way across the gardens, making their way under the cover of the bushes and trees that bordered the lawns when the alarm sounded.

‘That’s our signal to run like hell.’ Hawke said as floodlights started to come on around them.

‘I’m with you.’ Caitlin said slightly out of breath as they picked up the pace. Hawke grabbed her and pushed her behind a bush as a pair of guards, followed by another couple, ran by their position.

Caitlin frowned. ‘Is it my imagination or they all headed for the north wall?’ She whispered.

Hawke looked at her and she saw his eyes gleam in the dark. ‘Nope. That’s where they’re headed.’ He checked their position was clear. ‘Come on.’

They made it to the wall without incident and Hawke boosted her up. Her fingers sought purchase on the sandstone bricks and she winced as she felt one of her nails tear. She negotiated the barbed wire and the iron railings with care, getting a good grip so she could reach down and grab Hawke’s jacket, helping him. They both stepped to the other side of the wall and lowered themselves down, landing on the other side of the wall.

Hawke grabbed her and they ran for the cover of the surrounding vegetation. They started to make their way to the north side. Hawke indicated they should stop as they crouched down and peered through the vegetation at the north wall. The area was flooded with light and guards were patrolling outside. Hawke looked up as he heard a chopper close by and both of them dived for cover as it swept over them.

‘We have to find another way out.’ Hawke whispered to her. She nodded. He led the way into the vegetation, hoping they wouldn’t surprise any snakes or other unsuspecting wildlife. He marched her for a long time away from the villa putting as much distance between them and Horn as he could.

Eventually he stopped them in a small clearing in a wooded area. He handed Caitlin a canister and she sank on a log and took a long gulp of water before handing it back to him.

‘So what now?’ She asked.

Hawke reached into the backpack and pulled out a map and a torch. He checked the compass and then his watch. ‘I think we’re about here. I parked the jeep here but I think they discovered it.’ He pointed at both spots on the map with the torchlight.

Caitlin frowned. ‘The jeep wasn’t that far from the north wall.’

Hawke nodded. ‘And given it’s all open country once you clear these woods and they have the helicopter…’

‘It’s a bad idea even in the dark.’ Caitlin finished. She accepted a chocolate bar from him and breaking it in half, handed one piece back to him. She popped a chunk of chocolate in her mouth and savoured the sweet flavour. ‘So what’s plan B?’

Hawke folded the map up. ‘We ignore the jeep and try to make our way to Queenie’s on foot.’

‘Queenie’s? Dom’s friend Queenie?’ Caitlin asked.

Hawke nodded again. ‘Queenie’s would be a couple of day’s walking and we’d have to keep off the public roads. I don’t know how many people belong to Horn down here.’

Caitlin bit her lip. She was already aching. ‘What about Airwolf?’

Hawke shook his head. ‘We couldn’t bring her in, it’s too exposed.’ He stuffed everything back into the satchel. ‘I’ll set up camp.’ He glanced over at her and noticed for the first time how tired and fragile she looked. She looked exhausted he thought. Her face was white and drawn and her eyes were filled with the strain of the long trek they’d made over the unfamiliar terrain. ‘You rest.’ He ordered and felt a twinge of worry when she nodded. It was unlike her not to argue.

An hour or so later, Hawke stoked the fire and sat back down next to his wife, resting his back on the same fallen log. He gazed into the flickering flames and decided he’d made the right decision to risk one. It had meant a cooked meal. Although he normally eschewed meat in favour of fish, he’d caught a rabbit to supplement the field rations he’d brought along on the contingency of having to flee through the country-side. It had made a good stew and given them some needed sustenance. Caitlin shifted beside him, cuddling into his side.

‘Are you going to be OK making the walk?’ Hawke asked her.

She nodded her head. ‘Anything to get out of here.’ She heard herself say bitterly.

He took hold of her hand. ‘I’m sorry, Cait.’

‘What for?’ Caitlin asked bemused.

‘For not being here sooner.’ Hawke admitted and threw a stick towards the fire. ‘For not rescuing you in Texas…’

Her fingers on his lips stopped him. ‘This wasn’t your fault, String.’

Hawke reached out and tucked a stray lock of her behind her ear. His gaze travelled over her tired face and his heart seemed to swell with happiness as she smiled at him. He couldn’t help but smile back. He reached out and tapped her nose.

‘It’s really good to see you.’ He said.

‘You don’t know how pleased I am to see you too, Hawke.’ Caitlin’s voice caught in her lungs and she couldn’t breathe as the loneliness and hopelessness of the past days flooded over her and her voice shattered on his name. She looked down, her eyes filling with tears.

‘Hey.’ Hawke pulled her closer before she could turn away, hugging her into his chest, his chin on her head. ‘It’s over now.’

Caitlin resisted for a millisecond before collapsing against him and giving into a storm of weeping.

‘Shush.’ Hawke comforted her. ‘I’ve got you. You’re safe. You and the baby are safe.’

She sobbed and burrowed into him.

‘Shush. You’re safe now.’ He whispered against her hair. ‘I’m never going to let him hurt you again.’ He kissed her tears away, took her lips in a needy kiss that deepened and clung. She buried her hands in his hair and his hands weren’t quite gentle as they roamed under her sweater, pressed her against him. They weren’t close enough…his control snapped.

Awareness came back slowly to Hawke afterwards. He was lying, collapsed, on top of Caitlin, her hand stroking the back of his neck. He must be crushing her, he thought worriedly and started to move away.

Caitlin held him tightly. ‘No.’ She whispered.

He raised his head and his blue eyes burned into hers. ‘I’m crushing you.’

She shook her head. ‘I’m dandy.’ She said with a smug feminine satisfaction that reassured him.

It was much later when they cuddled within the sleeping bag just revelling in the simple pleasure of holding each other that Caitlin’s thoughts turned to their earlier lovemaking and Hawke’s desperate possession of her.

She raised her head and propped herself up on one arm to look at her husband, the other lay across his chest, her hand on his heart. ‘Horn told me you thought I was dead. He was telling the truth, wasn’t he?’

Hawke sighed and cupped her face, his thumb sliding over her freckled cheekbone. ‘He told you?’

‘Gloated about it.’ She admitted.

‘It took us a few days to work out what really happened,’ Hawke allowed.

She saw the glimpse of remembered horror in his eyes and knew whatever she said would not make it easier for him. She shifted, placing her head back on his shoulder and cuddling back into his side. He gently moved his arm to a better position around her shoulders, pulling her close, accepting her comfort.

‘How did you work out I wasn’t?’ She asked.

‘I don’t think I ever really believed it.’ Hawke said. ‘It just seemed unreal. All of it. The day at the Hollow. The helicopter crash. Your grave.’

‘I have a grave?’ Caitlin said in disbelief, trying not to dwell on the pain in his voice.

‘With a headstone and everything.’

‘Wow.’ Caitlin blinked. ‘I’m going to have a great deal of explaining to do when I get home.’

Hawke hugged her.

‘You took a big risk coming into get me.’ Caitlin registered. ‘If Horn had captured you it would have made his day.’

Hawke gazed into the flames of the campfire. ‘I don’t understand why he didn’t take us all at the Hollow.’

‘Me either.’ Caitlin yawned.

‘Cait,’ he almost hesitated to ask her but knew he had to, ‘did he drug you at all?’

‘No.’ Caitlin raised her head to meet his eyes. ‘Don’t worry, I’m not brainwashed.’

He smiled and nudged her back into his arms. ‘I kinda worked that out when you hauled off and hit Angelica.’

‘You saw that, huh?’ Caitlin flushed.

‘Yeah.’ He stroked her arm. ‘I didn’t realise you could execute that kind of kick in high heels.’

Caitlin smiled at him. ‘You can’t. I should have cracked her sternum.’ She told him dryly.

Hawke laughed.

‘You know Horn didn’t seem to mind my beating up on her.’ Caitlin mused aloud.

‘You sound almost sorry for her.’

‘I could never feel sorry for her.’ Caitlin frowned.

Hawke blushed and was grateful for the darkness. He kept silent a little self-conscious. He had always wondered how much of his relationship with Horn’s daughter Caitlin had known about and how much she had guessed. He had never asked her, embarrassed at how he had allowed Angelica to fool him into a trap and at how because of the brainwashing he hadn’t been able to resist her attentions afterwards. He sighed. Angelica had used him but he did feel sorry for her; having Horn for a father had to have warped her and he understood part of her pursuit of him when he was brainwashed was because she’d been so desperate to have someone love her. He had a feeling Caitlin’s view was much less sympathetic.

‘Why do you think Horn took me?’

Caitlin’s sleepy question jolted him from his deliberations and he frowned. He was beginning to fear that Horn’s interest in her was just too personal for it to be about Airwolf. He sighed as he considered what he could say to her. ‘I don’t know Cait. It’s all probably about getting control of Airwolf and a pilot.’ He hugged her. ‘I know one thing.’

‘What’s that?’ Her voice faint as she fought against the pull into sleep, jerking her eyes open.

‘We’re going to figure it out together.’ She heard him say as her eyelids shut firmly and she gave up her hold on consciousness.

It took Hawke a few minutes to register her breathing had altered, becoming deep and even. He sighed and held her. What had Horn wanted with her? He worried over it as he kept watch until the early morning light began to stream through the tree canopy around them. He sighed and eased himself away, careful not to disturb Caitlin. He picked up a water canister and quenched his dry throat before picking up his discarded clothing. He got dressed in silence and threw a couple of sticks on the embers of the fire, stoking it back to a cheerful blaze. He determinedly kept his mind focused on practical details picking up his backpack and looked through the rations. He checked the water; there was only half a canister. There had been a spring a few minutes back along the trail. He gathered some things. He paused and glanced back at Caitlin. He frowned and sighed before moving back into the forest.

Hawke filled the canisters first. He washed up and brushed his teeth before sitting down with a heavy sigh. He recognised the fear that was dogging his every move; it was the same fear that had haunted him when she’d been shot saving his life. He was bone scared that Caitlin would die, only now he knew the pain her death would bring, knew he’d never recover from the blow.

He wanted distance between them.

He wanted to keep her tied to his side.

He wanted to let her go and protect himself.

He wanted to keep her close and protect her and their baby.

Hawke splashed more water on his face and over his head as he tried to shake his confusion. He had no idea what he was going to do. He started back to the clearing none the wiser. He hesitated at the edge; Caitlin was awake and almost dressed. She was standing in a shaft of sunlight her attention on lifting her hair out of her sweater; the strands were aflame with the sunshine. Her eyes caught his and she straightened.

Hawke gestured behind him. ‘There’s a spring about a hundred yards back there if you want to wash up. There’s soap and other stuff in here.’ He held up a toiletries bag.

Caitlin stared at him for a long moment as though confused before she walked up, kissed his cheek and retrieved the bag without a word, leaving him alone.

Hawke swore under his breath, shoving a frustrated hand through his wet hair. He couldn’t have handled that worse if he’d tried. He concentrated on making some coffee, putting a small pan of water onto boil. He’d made two mugs of instant as soon as it was ready. He sipped at his as he checked the map.

‘How much farther?’ Caitlin asked as she returned handing him the toiletries bag. He exchanged it for a mug of coffee.

‘We should get there for about mid-afternoon, maybe this evening.’ Hawke watched as she sat down on the log and warmed her hands by wrapping them around the cup.

He took a sip of coffee and wondered what he was going to say to her.

‘You know it’s strange.’ Caitlin said frowning.

‘What?’ He asked, a lump in his throat, not certain what he was going to say in reply to her.

‘We haven’t heard that chopper for a while. It’s like they’ve stopped looking.’ Caitlin looked up at him. ‘It’s like they know we’re going.’

‘Damn!’ Hawke’s grip tightened on the cup and he briefly closed his eyes before opening them to pin an apologetic gaze on Caitlin. ‘The jeep.’

‘They traced it to Queenie’s?’

He shrugged and slumped down beside her. ‘It’s possible.’

‘OK so they know where we’re going,’ Caitlin grimaced. ‘But we have no way of warning Queenie.’

‘Queenie was heading off on a clinic run as soon as I left. She was going to be gone at least a week.’

Caitlin let out a relieved sigh. ‘Thank God.’ She caught something in Hawke’s expression. ‘What?’

He shifted uncomfortably. ‘Airwolf’s at Queenie’s.’

‘Oh, this is just great.’ Caitlin took a large gulp of coffee and wished it was something stronger. ‘What do we do now?’

‘We need to go and see how bad the situation is. Maybe there’ll be a way we can sneak round Horn’s men and get the Lady.’ Hawke sighed. ‘Dom’s going to kill me.’

Caitlin raised an inquiring eyebrow at him.

‘He thought my coming on my own was a bad plan.’ Hawke explained.

Caitlin smiled grimly and took another gulp of coffee. ‘He’s definitely going to kill you if Horn’s got his hands on his Lady.’

‘Thanks.’ Hawke gave a short laugh as she grinned at him.

His smile faded and he looked down at the ground. ‘Cait…’ he began.

Caitlin glanced across at him and her heart sank. ‘Is this going to be like when you tried to send me to Texas after I got shot?’

He looked at her startled. ‘No.’ He denied automatically.

‘Really?’ Caitlin looked at him with surprising understanding. ‘Because you know you pushing me away this morning seems kinda familiar.’

‘I’m not…’ he sighed in frustration, ‘Cait, I lost you. I lost you and the baby.’

‘I’m right here.’ She said and raised her hand to stroke his cheek. ‘We’re right here.’ She placed his hand on her belly.

Suddenly how close he’d come to losing them crashed back through him. ‘Cait…’ His breath caught in his throat and tears pressed against the back of his eyes.

‘Let it go, Hawke.’ She saw the fight to keep hold of his emotions slip away from him and in the next instant, his arms went around her and tightened like bands as he buried his face in her hair. She held onto him as he shook silently.

Eventually, he loosened his hold and eased back to look her. ‘Cait…’

She shushed him and there were tears shining in her own eyes. ‘I know you’re scared. Just…’ she framed his wet face in her hands, ‘just don’t push me away.’

‘Be patient with me.’ He murmured.

She nodded and they kissed. A sound teased at the edge of his hearing. He raised his head and looked up at the cloudless sky.

‘What’s the matter?’ Caitlin asked, worry creeping into her voice.

‘I thought I heard…..’

‘What?’ She stared up at the clear expanse of blue above them searching. Her heart stopped as a distinctive howl echoed through the air driving both of them to their feet.

A black shape peeked over the tree tops and they staggered backwards out of the way as Airwolf descended into the tight space; leaves and the odd branch flew around her as she landed.

Hawke broke into a wide grin as he recognised Dom in the pilot’s seat beaming at them. Caitlin ran towards the older man as he climbed out. They hugged and his gap-toothed grin widened.

‘Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.’ Dom pulled back and smiled at her, his whole face lit up with pleasure.

Caitlin felt tears threaten again as she looked into Dom’s warm, friendly face. ‘It’s good to see you.’ She managed eventually.

Dom nodded and then looked over her shoulder at Hawke who was leaning nonchalantly on Airwolf’s nose, his arms folded as he watched their reunion with a wry smile.

‘You didn’t stick to the plan?’ Hawke said.

‘It was a bad plan.’ Dom replied.

Hawke nodded and then jerked his head at Airwolf. ‘You got some changes of clothing in there?’

‘Of course.’ He pulled out a backpack and threw one at Hawke before handing one to Caitlin. ‘Here you go honey.’

She hugged the bag to her and looked round at the decimated clearing for somewhere to change.

‘Why don’t you take Airwolf?’ Hawke said as he stripped out of his t-shirt. She nodded and climbed into the machine, closing the door behind her.

Dom walked away from the door to stand with his back to the machine, giving her as much privacy as possible. ‘How’s she doing?’ He asked keeping his voice pitched low.

Hawke’s gaze flickered into Airwolf for a second before he looked back at his old friend. ‘She’s doing OK. Better than me.’

‘Give it time, kid.’ Dom hesitated. ‘What about the brainwashing?’

Hawke shook his head. ‘But he was treating her weird, Dom. I think he was trying something subtle, we just didn’t give him the time he needed.’

Dom’s lips firmed and his eyes darkened. ‘He’ll pay.’

‘You got that right.’ Hawke finished zipping up his Airwolf flight suit and he leant down to pick up his belt and holster. ‘How did you find us?’

‘When you didn’t make it back to Queenie’s last night, I started searching in the Lady.’ Dom huffed. ‘Just as well I did. When I circled back, Queenie had some uninvited guests.’

‘Did they see you?’

‘What am I? An amateur?’ Dom gave an indignant sniff. ‘No, they did not see me and I radioed in their location to Michael.’ He grinned. ‘The FIRM was planning to throw them a surprise party this morning.’

Hawke holstered his gun and smiled at his surrogate father. ‘Want to go crash?’

‘Now you’re talking!’ Dom said delightedly.

Hawke picked up the remnants of the camp, stuffed everything into his old back pack and made sure the fire was completely out as Dom filled Caitlin in on the plan.

Five minutes later, they were back in their familiar places in Airwolf. Dom had taken the engineer’s position shooing Caitlin into the front seat. Hawke settled into the pilot’s seat and glancing across at her was hit by the sense of rightness. Everything was back where it should be.

‘Ready?’ He asked.

Caitlin turned to look at him, not an easy manoeuvre with the Airwolf helmets and their eyes caught. ‘Ready.’ She breathed in sharply as he took Airwolf up and her heart filled with joy as they broke through the tree-tops and into the open space of the sky. God she loved this, she thought, as Airwolf swung round. Her stomach clenched in anticipation as Hawke called for the turbos and in the next breath, they were rocketing forward.

Michael’s attention was on the battle in front of them. Zebra Squad had attacked the airfield in the last few minutes and since then there had been an incessant exchange of fire between them and Horn’s men. Michael chose another target from his defensive position behind a white jeep and shot the man. Marella fired her gun next to him and he saw a man fall from the roof of the building in front.

‘We’re too evenly matched.’ Marella said as she scanned the area. ‘We need a miracle.’

Michael turned to her and his eye caught on a familiar shape flying towards them through the sky over her shoulder. ‘I think we’re about to get one.’

Marella spun round as Airwolf screamed over her head. She grinned at Michael who grinned back.

Caitlin gripped the edge of her seat tightly, her eyes focused on the battle below as Dom informed Hawke of targets and he took them out unemotionally.

‘We have three birds taking to the air.’ Dom said as the three helicopters rose up in front of them from behind the hangar. ‘They’re souped up, String.’

Hawke flew directly towards them ignoring the barrage of ammo from their guns knowing Airwolf’s armour would protect them. The helicopters scattered like pins on a bowling alley. He brought Airwolf round to face the first and slipped the visor down on his helmet to get a more accurate target. The missile fired directly into the helicopter’s cock-pit and it exploded, falling to the ground in a ball of flame.

Their battle with one helicopter had allowed the other two to regroup and one fired off a missile in their direction. Dom deployed a sunburst and the two collided in a bang. Hawke didn’t wait for a better angle but took out the helicopter with a barrage from the chain guns.

‘The other guy is heading out.’ Dom informed him.

Hawke changed course and Airwolf streamed forward, easily catching up with the helicopter. Hawke ruthlessly dispatched it with another missile. He didn’t wait to see the burning wreckage hit a hillside but turned them back towards the airfield.

‘It looks like it’s all over down there, String.’

The airfield was swarming with members of Zebra Squad. Michael stood talking with the commander in the middle of an open area in front of the hangar. Hawke switched on the landing gear and set them down gently next to the limousine.

The commander gave a smart salute and ran off in the direction of the building as they disembarked from the machine. Michael walked up and without saying a word gave Caitlin a brief hug.

‘It’s good to see you.’ Michael said as he released her.

Caitlin smiled as Marella pushed him out of the way to give her a warm embrace. The other woman eased back to scrutinise her strained face carefully. ‘How are you?’

‘I’m OK.’ Caitlin tried to maintain her smile but she could feel her own control slipping in the face of their welcome and worry.

Hawke gave into the urge to slip an arm around her and spoke to Michael. ‘Horn?’

Michael and Marella exchanged a look.

‘We haven’t found him yet.’ Michael sighed. ‘There’s no chance he was in one of those choppers?’

Hawke shrugged. ‘I doubt it. He had to know they were no opposition for the Lady.’

‘Dammit!’ Michael said furiously. ‘How does he slip away every time?’

‘Are you guys heading back to LA?’ Marella asked Hawke seeing the apprehension in Caitlin’s eyes at the news of Horn’s evasion.

Hawke shrugged. ‘There’s no reason for us to stay here.’

‘We have a place already booked at the clinic for Caitlin…’

‘No need.’ Hawke said, putting an arm around his wife. ‘We’ll head home.’

‘Hawke…’ Michael began to protest.

‘Maybe it would be a good idea to get me checked out.’ Caitlin said cutting across him. ‘Make sure everything’s OK with the baby.’

‘You’re sure?’ Hawke asked.

She nodded.

‘OK then.’

They said their farewells to Michael and Marella and headed back to Airwolf.

Hawke glanced across at her before he returned his gaze to the sky in front of them. ‘Why don’t you take the helmet off and get some sleep?’ He suggested softly.

Caitlin considered arguing and then decided it was actually a good idea. She pulled the helmet off and set it aside, shifting into a better position as she curled up. She was asleep as soon as her eyes closed.

Hawke glanced over at her and his heart lurched at how vulnerable she looked. ‘We got a blanket back there?’ He asked Dom.

‘Sure.’ Dom rummaged in a compartment and brought out a grey wool throw with an Airwolf insignia embroidered on one corner.

Hawke switched to auto-pilot and took the blanket, reaching over to tuck it round Caitlin. They’d get through this. They had to.

—

Hawke made his way to the office in the FIRM’s LA clinic that Michael had requisitioned for their use. Caitlin’s parents were with their daughter and he had taken the opportunity to slip away. It was the first time in the two days since they had arrived that he’d left his wife’s side. Caitlin’s exhausted and stressed body had an elevated blood pressure that worried the doctor into ordering a week of immediate bed rest and despite their desire to simply return home, Hawke and Caitlin had acquiesced for the baby’s sake. It seemed to be doing the trick. Her morning sickness was much improved and her blood pressure was down.

The reunion with her family had helped too although it had been emotional and tiring itself. The time Hawke and Caitlin had already spent together had begun healing the wounds caused by her kidnapping and faked death. He was still scared and there were still moments when he would react by pushing her away but they were few. He was damned lucky, he thought, that Caitlin understood him enough to forgive him for those, particularly given the circumstances. At least the last two days had given them both the confidence that they would get past it.

Hawke found the room and entered without knocking. The conversation stopped abruptly. ‘Well we know what you were talking about.’ He said as he closed the door.

‘Is her family…?’ Michael changed the subject.

‘Here.’

‘Everything go OK?’ Dom asked. Hawke’s nod erased the trace of anxiety from the older man’s eyes and he gave a satisfied nod.

‘Marella sent these.’ Michael threw the folder at Hawke and he sat leafing through it with a scowl.

‘Europe, Asia, Australia?’ Hawke handed the folder back. ‘Horn’s been seen in more places than Elvis.’

Dom gave a short laugh.

Michael raised a small smile. ‘True but one of these leads may work out.’

‘I want him, Michael. What he did…’ Hawke shook his head. ‘It’s personal.’

‘I agree, particularly given that we think we know why he took her.’ Michael sighed.

‘Why?’ Hawke asked knowing from the glint in Michael’s eye that he wasn’t going to like the answer.

‘We’ve been going back over the information, re-questioning the prisoners we took the day at the Hollow, in Mexico, looking at what Caitlin’s told us about her treatment.’ Michael began.

‘And?’ Hawke commented.

Michael tapped his fingers against the desk he was sitting on. ‘Everything seems to indicate Airwolf wasn’t his primary objective. He wanted Caitlin and specifically the baby.’

‘Caitlin?’ Dom asked his forehead creasing. ‘What do you mean?’

‘His treatment of her was too personal.’ Hawke supplied. He folded his arms and shook his head trying to deny what he had seen with his own eyes.

Michael slipped off the desk and took one of the chairs opposite Hawke. ‘One of the prisoners we took in Mexico was a scientist working for Horn. He told us that Horn’s relationship with his daughter has been disintegrating for some time to the point that at the start of the year, Horn ordered the scientists to fertilise donated eggs with sperm provided by him. He wanted to impregnate female members of his army and create more heirs. Only it all failed.’

‘Thank God.’ Dom muttered. ‘Why?’

‘Horn was sterile.’ Michael clasped his hands together. ‘He was apparently furious, ordered retests, investigations to no avail. They tracked the sterility to a case of teenage mumps.’

‘But if he’s sterile, Angelica…’

‘Is not his daughter.’ Michael confirmed. ‘A fact that jumped out to Horn too.’

‘But what does this have to do with Caitlin?’ Dom asked.

‘Horn’s only heir is his daughter, Angelica.’ Michael said. ‘Our psychologists believe that Horn’s experiment was an attempt to provide himself with another. When it was discovered he couldn’t do it naturally, we think he decided to…to adopt.’ He sighed. ‘Horn had been watching you, knew you and Caitlin had married. We traced a link between him and the late Detective Marin. We think he staged the break-in as a way to get Marin close to you all. He probably got the initial link from the police report.’ He paused. ‘I have Marella systematically going through the system and removing any reference to either you or Caitlin from any official documentation.’

Hawke nodded his thanks.

Michael sighed. ‘We think Marin told him about the baby.’

‘Because Jo told him.’ Dom murmured; he knew his niece already regretted falling for Marin’s ploy and her unintentional role in providing the cop with information.

‘I don’t think we need to tell her though.’ Michael murmured.

Dom’s eyes shot to the spy’s in surprise at the compassionate tone. Michael had been the first to ream Jo out when they’d found out about Marin.

‘So Horn wanted the baby.’ Hawke’s lips firmed angrily.

‘Definitely the baby.’ Michael sighed, ‘And probably Caitlin. Given what we know, I think we were on the right lines thinking he was trying to change her allegiance over time. He would have waited until she was compliant and then taken her as his wife. She wouldn’t have objected; she would have been conditioned not to.’

‘He wanted what I have.’ Hawke said.

Dom gestured confused. ‘So, his ultimate plan was to provide himself with an heir and not…not Airwolf at all?’

‘Oh the fact that he chose Caitlin suggests that he would have gone after Airwolf eventually.’ Michael’s eye flickered to Hawke. ‘And his destruction of you – seeing your wife die and if that didn’t do it, seeing her turned into his willing accomplice, with your child being raised by him – would have been a side benefit. His choice of her was very specific and worked for him on several levels.’

Hawke forced his jaw to unclench. ‘So what now?’

‘We pray one of these leads,’ Michael tapped the folder with an index finger, ‘works out and then we get the bastard.’

They covered more of the intelligence that had been gathered from Horn’s deserted Mexican villa before Hawke excused himself. He needed air. He took a long walk in the gardens before heading back into the clinic and his wife. He was surprised to find her on her own, staring out of the window at the brilliantly clear sky.

‘Hey.’

She turned and smiled at the sight of Hawke slouched in the doorway, the blue jeans and jumper highlighting his blue eyes that were bright in a face reddened by the brisk wind outside.

‘Where are the tribe?’ He asked and entered the room, closing the door behind him.

‘Lunch.’ Caitlin wandered round and sat down on the edge of her bed.

‘Everything OK?’ He perched on the bed next to her and slipped an arm around her.

‘Yeah. Just,’ she gave a small smile, ‘…just so many questions, you know and I kinda have the feeling that once lunch is over, they’ll be back with more.’

‘I could get a chopper. They wouldn’t know we were gone until it was too late.’ He said after a long pause; he was only half-joking

Caitlin leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. ‘I’m tempted, believe me. I want to go flying. It always blows the cobwebs away.’

He smiled; he had a similar craving. ‘Why don’t I talk to the doctor? See if I can organise some therapy for both of us.’

She raised her head. ‘Really?’

He felt something trip inside him at her hope-filled eyes. ‘Really.’

She squealed and threw her arms around him. He wrapped his own around her to steady them both and stop them falling off the bed, laughing with her.

A day later, he walked down the corridor and knew he was going to have to break his promise to take her flying. Hawke sighed and finished zipping his Airwolf uniform as he turned the corner that led to her room and came to a halt. Her sister Erin and oldest brother Brian were stood by the closed door. He wandered up to join them.

‘She’s taking a nap.’ Erin smiled at him. ‘We got thrown out by the nurse and told off for tiring her.’

Hawke glanced at the door and knew he was going to have to wake her up. ‘I have to speak to her. Can you keep the nurse occupied if she comes back?’

Erin smiled. ‘Sure.’

‘Thanks.’ Hawke flashed a smile of thanks at her and she caught a glimpse of the boyish charm hidden under the mask he usually wore. He’d taken a single step towards the door when Caitlin screamed. The blood froze in his veins and he had his gun in his hand and was through the door before rational thought caught up with him.

She was half-way out of the bed, fighting the covers as the last of her nightmare kept her in its grasp. Hawke strode across the room, pulled her out of the tangle of blankets and into his arms. She wrapped herself around him, burying her face in his neck as her arms clung to his shoulders. Her whole body was shaking against his as he carried her to the sofa. He sat down with her in the warm sunlight and held her, his own heart beat calming.

‘Good God in heaven.’

His eyes flew to her brother and sister. They were standing by the foot of the bed. Erin had one hand pressed against her lips; Brian was supporting her with an arm around her shoulders. Their eyes were glued to their sister.

Hawke sighed and stroked a hand down Caitlin’s trembling back. ‘Can you give us a minute?’

Brian nodded and kindly, firmly pushed Erin out of the room.

Hawke wasn’t sure how long he sat with Caitlin before her body stopped shaking, her arms stopped clinging and she raised her tear-stained face from his shoulder.

‘Sorry.’ She breathed in deeply, trying to regain her balance.

‘I don’t mind.’ He smoothed a damp tendril of hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear, letting his finger follow her jaw-line back to her chin.

She inched back and noticed the Airwolf uniform. ‘You have a mission?’

Hawke looked down at the lilac suit as though only just remembering he was wearing it. ‘Yeah.’

‘Horn?’ She asked seeing the ice glaze over his blue eyes.

He nodded. ‘We think he’s in Paris. France.’

‘Well, give me a minute and I’ll come with…’

‘Cait.’ His hand on her bare knee stopped her more effectively than any words.

‘How long will you be gone?’ She pushed her fringe out of her eyes.

‘If this turns out to be genuine, as long as it takes.’

The inflection in his voice worried her and she slid a hand over the one he’d placed on her knee. He turned his over and interlinked their fingers.

‘You won’t do anything stupid?’ She asked.

‘Like blow him into a million pieces?’ Hawke’s eyes gleamed. ‘No, I won’t do that. It would be too easy a death for him.’

She shivered at the coldness in his voice. He squeezed her hand and stood up. She followed him to the door. He turned back to her.

‘Cait, this could be a move by Horn to…just be on your guard. OK?’

She nodded. ‘Just make sure you come back.’ She hugged him and raised her lips for their goodbye kiss.

His mouth covered hers hungrily, his hands sliding around her waist, over her back, drawing her closer. Hawke felt light-headed and dimly realised he needed to breathe. He reluctantly ended the kiss, still holding her tightly. ‘I always come back, Cait.’ He placed a chaste kiss on the top of her head and walked out whilst he still could.

There was a group waiting in the corridor. Erin and Brian had been joined by their parents and were sitting on the wide sofa provided for waiting relatives; Dom and Michael stood leaning on the wall nearby.

‘How is she?’ Maggie got to her feet.

‘She’s OK.’ Hawke reassured them. ‘She’s just trying to deal with it the best she can.’

Maggie breathed in sharply. ‘And the nightmares?’

‘She’s been getting them since the night I rescued her but they’re easing off.’ Hawke caught Michael’s impatient gesture and he apologised. ‘I really have to leave.’

‘You’re going after the guy who took her?’ Brian’s comment ended any protest before it got started.

Hawke nodded and his jaw firmed. ‘I’m going after him.’ He nodded farewell to the O’Shaunessy clan and he, Dom and Michael marched out, determination in each of their faces.

‘I know one thing.’ Brian commented. He looked at his parents and sister with certainty. ‘I wouldn’t want to be the guy who did this to Caitlin right now.’

—

Caitlin sat on the sofa watching the sunset and sipping on iced herbal tea and wishing fervently it was something else. She sighed and kept her eyes focused on the orangey-red glow when there was a knock on her door. She had spent two very exhausting hours with her family, having to defend her decision not to tell them about her experience; she wasn’t ready to talk about it. She’d only been given a reprieve when her doctor had shown up and supported her, telling her family pressurising her was stressing Caitlin and the baby.

The knock came again and Caitlin grudgingly called out for the person to enter; if it was her family, it would only cause more aggravation to stop them. Her eyes widened in pleased surprise at Marella dressed in casual clothes.

‘Marella.’ Her eyes took in the deep maroon jumper and matching slacks and the way they complemented the other woman’s dark colouring. ‘Wow. You should wear normal clothes more often.’

‘Thank you.’ Marella placed a bag on the bed and wandered over to sit with Caitlin by the window.

‘So I guess you got stuck with baby-sitting duty?’ Caitlin asked.

Marella smiled again and crossed her legs elegantly. ‘Not quite baby-sitting duty. Hawke thought you might need some company.’

‘Hawke thinks I need extra protection in case Horn tries to grab me.’ Caitlin corrected wryly. ‘He’s wrapping me in cotton wool.’ There was plaintive complaint in the statement.

Marella frowned. ‘Cait, he just wants to make sure you’re safe.’

‘I know…’

‘No, you don’t.’ Marella ignored the flash of temper in Caitlin’s eyes at the remark. ‘You didn’t see him when he thought you were dead.’

‘He won’t talk about it.’ Caitlin hugged her knees to her chest.

Marella sighed. ‘He was devastated, Caitlin. We had to physically pull him away from the wreckage of that helicopter and afterwards, he was barely living. If he hadn’t realised that his disbelief about your death was more than just grief, I’m not sure he would have survived losing you.’

Caitlin absorbed the words and rubbed her chest as though it would ease the sudden ache in her heart. She knew Hawke loved her; had no idea what she would do if she ever lost him but Marella’s description of his grief…’I didn’t know.’

Marella’s expression softened. ‘I know you’ve been going through your own personal hell with what happened.’

‘We’re both hurting.’ Caitlin admitted.

‘You’ll get past this.’ Marella said confidently. ‘You love each other.’

Caitlin nodded and sighed. ‘It’s just going to take time for both of us.’

Marella decided a change of subject was needed. ‘I saw your family leaving on my way in.’

Caitlin sighed again. ‘They’re finding it difficult to accept I don’t want to talk about my experience.’

‘Families are like that. When I went home after getting shot all I got was questions.’ Marella sympathised and leaned forward a mischievous glint in her eye. ‘How about we do something to take your mind off your problems?’

‘What did you have in mind?’ Caitlin glanced at the bag on the bed.

Marella smiled. ‘I thought you might want to get out of here for a while.’

Caitlin’s smile grew. ‘Tell me more.’

‘How does a night-time flight over LA sound, followed by dinner at a restaurant?’

‘A flight in a real chopper followed by dinner in a real restaurant?’ Caitlin repeated.

Marella nodded. ‘I might even tell you about the date Michael and I had whilst you were in Texas.’

‘You’d better.’ Caitlin laughed. She pointed at the bag. ‘So if we’re going out then that would be…?’

‘Clothes.’

‘Clothes.’ Caitlin breathed the word reverently. ‘Marella, I could kiss you.’

Marella laughed and she shooed the younger woman into the bathroom to change.

—

Hawke checked the course and shifted in his seat to a more comfortable position, half an ear turned to Dom’s war-time story. With the delay caused by Caitlin’s nightmare and the overrun of the briefing, they had been late departing but he had eschewed using Airwolf’s top speed, his reluctance at leaving probably influencing his decision. His disquiet had grown stronger with each passing mile away from the clinic. It had settled like an itch between his shoulder blades; at first a mere irritation to be brushed aside but now a bone deep complaint that nagged at him constantly. His brow furrowed. He had put down his original aversion to his protectiveness over Caitlin. But the way his instinct was screaming in his ear that he was headed in the wrong direction…this was something else.

‘This is wrong.’ His statement cut through Dom’s story-telling like a knife.

The older man looked at the back of Hawke’s head perplexed. ‘Huh?’

‘This is wrong.’ Hawke pulled Airwolf to a complete halt and Dom grabbed for the console as she reared back. The helicopter hovered in the air over the ocean, the draught from her rotors sending ripples across the sea.

‘You want to explain what you’re doing?’ Dom asked crossly, adjusting another system impacted by the sudden stop.

Hawke’s eyes narrowed into the distance. ‘We’re going the wrong way.’ And as he said the words, he knew beyond question he was right. He swung Airwolf round and set a new course back to the clinic. He called for the turbos. Dom protested but had no choice to comply as Hawke pushed Airwolf beyond her normal air speed.

‘OK. Enough.’ Dom said as they ate up the miles back to the US. ‘What the hell is going on, String?’

‘Paris is a diversion.’

‘How can you know that?’ Dom demanded with exasperation.

‘I know.’ Hawke said.

Dom was tempted to tease him about being psychic but he was more concerned that Hawke was basing his feelings on something other than his gut. ‘Are you sure this just isn’t separation anxiety?’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Hawke shot a quick glare behind him which was returned in full.

‘It means that even a blind man could see the way you’ve handcuffed yourself to Caitlin since you rescued her.’

Hawke opened his mouth to make a smart retort but then sighed. He’d convince Dom quicker with honesty than evasion. ‘I’ve considered it, Dom and that’s not it.’

Dom frowned. ‘What do you think it is?’

‘I think if Paris is a diversion then Horn is going to make a try for Caitlin.’

‘But she’s safe in the clinic – hell, String it’s owned by the FIRM and Michael was going to increase security.’

‘Horn would see that as being part of the challenge.’ Hawke pushed Airwolf harder.

Dom adjusted their systems to compensate. ‘You really think…’

‘Yeah, Dom, I really think.’ Hawke felt the urgency escalating inside him until he could taste it. ‘We need to go faster.’

—

Caitlin curled up on the sofa and looked out at the night sky. It was cloudy and she couldn’t see many stars in the darkness, just the artificial yellow mist created by the city’s lighting. She shivered and briefly considered changing into the matching pyjama top that went with the trousers she wore rather than the vest she was wearing. She decided against it and tucked the blanket closer around her. She sipped on the glass of water she’d gotten when she’d decided staying in the bed to toss and turn was futile. She pushed a hand through her mussed hair and frowned.

The outing had been a lot of fun but she’d barely finished her main course when the tiredness had hit like a steamroller. Marella had ignored her protests and driven her back to the clinic where Michael had read them both the riot act; apparently Marella hadn’t quite filled him in on her plan. Caitlin had needed little persuasion by the nurse to go to bed. The sheer effort of staying upright had drained the colour from her face and created a tension headache. It had been a surprise to her that once in bed her tiredness had fled, her mind racing as soon as she closed her eyes. It had been no surprise what had occupied her thoughts.

Caitlin sighed and stretched out a hand to the window, the glass cool to her touch. She wondered if Hawke was looking at the stars as he flew to France; was he thinking about her like she was thinking of him? She found her finger-tips unconsciously tracing over her lips as she remembered their goodbye kiss and found her lips curling upwards. She rubbed her cold nose. They still had a lot of healing to do but they would make it. Her hand slid over the unborn child she carried.

A noise outside in the corridor caught her attention and Caitlin glanced across the room at the closed door. The thin line of light under the door suddenly blinked out and she frowned. Was there a power cut? She tried the lamp by the sofa. The click echoed in the room but there was no light. She tried to ignore her unease and the way the shadows in the room suddenly seemed sinister. Her best option was to stay where she was. Power cuts weren’t all that rare; there was no cause for alarm; the power would be restored and she would be fine. She was about to move, to return to bed where she could close her eyes and ignore it when she heard Hawke’s words to her before he left as clearly as if he had been stood next to her; be on your guard. She shivered again, a quiver of fear shooting down her spine. The hairs on the back of her neck bristled with atavistic warning and she knew it wasn’t a power cut; Horn was coming for her.

Her whole body froze in panic and for a moment she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, couldn’t think. She whimpered and the sound broke through her fear. She felt her anger stir. She was acting like she was beaten but she wasn’t. Even a wounded, trapped animal when cornered fought and she would fight with every breath she had. She would not sit here and let Horn win. She looked around for a weapon, any weapon. Her fingers clenched on the glass she held. She stretched across the sofa to tip the water into a plant when a sound across the room jerked her attention to the door. Someone was turning the handle.

She slowly started to move back to her sitting position, her eyes never moving from the door, her heartbeat loud in her ears. The door swung open. Her whole focus narrowed to the space by the door. She breathed in as a shape formed and solidified. Caitlin breathed out in a rush. It was Marella. Her hands shook as she set the glass down and went to join the other woman in the doorway.

‘Power and communications are out.’ Marella said without preamble, keeping her voice low. ‘Michael wants to move you to another location just in case…’

‘It’s Horn. He’s here.’ The absolute certainty in Caitlin’s voice threw the other woman for a moment. She didn’t question it though just un-holstered the FIRM issue gun at her side and motioned with it.

‘Let’s go.’ Marella moved into the corridor; Caitlin followed her. They kept to the walls and the shadows.

Marella halted them at the end of the corridor, frowning at noises around the corner. She inched out carefully, her eyes scanning the darkness. Her dark eyes saw the movement too late, the blow catching her fully on the temple. She crumpled to the floor.

Caitlin gasped Marella’s name and instinctively went to crouch down to help when her eyes caught the glint of metal in front of her. She followed the path of the gun to the hand, to the arm and then reluctantly to the face of her nightmares. More shapes formed at the corners of her vision and she realised Horn had brought a small team with him to retrieve her.

‘Hello my dear.’ Horn’s voice slid over her and she tasted nausea as she took a stumbling step away from him. ‘You really didn’t think you could escape me, did you?’ His eyes flickered to the unconscious woman at his feet. ‘If you don’t want any more…accidents to your friends, I suggest you come quietly.’

Caitlin’s face hardened and he smiled – she could see the gleam of his teeth in the dark. She followed him through the darkened corridors to the stairwell. She was marched up the stairs, stumbling in the dark, stubbing her bare toes and feeling the icy stone bite at her feet. She tried hard to recall the earlier anger but couldn’t push beyond the fear gripping her. They reached the roof door and one of Horn’s team set a charge. The door blasted open. Caitlin felt a rush of wind rip through her and she raised an arm to protect her eyes. Horn’s fingers around her arm sent a shockwave of remembered horror through her core and she closed her eyes. Please God, somebody – anybody help me, she prayed. Horn pulled her out onto the roof, his team running ahead to the helipad and setting up flares.

‘I’m sure you’ll enjoy the flight, my dear. Of course it will be the last one, you enjoy for a while.’ Horn enjoyed the glimmer of terror in her set, pale face. ‘I’m afraid your husband will also be enjoying his last flight.’

Caitlin stilled. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, I guess there’s no harm telling you now.’ He let go of her arm to brush at her hair that was being blown awry by the wind and smiled when she flinched away from his touch. ‘I’m afraid I couldn’t allow Stringfellow to spoil my plans for you again so Paris will hold a fatal surprise for him.’

‘Your plans for me?’ Caitlin repeated. ‘What could you possibly want with me?’

There was a movement by the roof door and Caitlin took advantage to take a step away from a distracted Horn, her eyes scanning for a possible escape route. There was a chance…a small chance if she could get away now, there might still be time to contact Hawke and warn him. She drew on the need to save Hawke, her strength returning with her sense of purpose. Caitlin’s head jerked back to the roof door at the sound of a shout. In the light provided by the flares, she saw a movement: Michael.

Horn spun towards her and she had only taken a few steps before he caught her, his arm around her neck and shoulders he grappled with her, using her as a human shield as he backed away from the roof door, yelling at his team to cover him. Shots began to fire as Horn backed away with her, half-carrying her towards the helipad. She struggled against the iron grip, her legs flailing as she tried to get leverage to free herself. The sound of an approaching helicopter made her more frenzied and Horn suddenly jabbed the gun into her with enough force to drive the breath from her body.

‘I may have plans for you my dear but they won’t be delayed much if I have to shoot both of your legs out from under you.’ Horn said as he waved at the chopper as it came closer. ‘We’re going to take a little trip my dear.’

She thought of the child she was carrying and she felt herself fill with a sudden power that she hadn’t realised she had. Her body firmed with a calm intent; her lips thinned in resolve and her eyes went as hard as flint.

‘I don’t think so.’ Her right fist shot up and she thumped Horn solidly on the jaw. He went down firing the gun as his finger jerked against the trigger. Caitlin barely registered the sting as the bullet grazed her arm but kicked out at his hand and sent the pistol scuttling across the concrete. She stamped down on his left leg before he could rise. She took off across the landing pad towards the relative safety of a fire escape ladder on the side of the building; her only thought was to escape.

A wave of bullets hit the ground in front of her and she stumbled, falling onto the concrete. She looked up and saw Horn’s chopper above her and a glance behind her saw Horn getting to his feet, retrieving his gun, his face ugly in the shining light of the neon coloured flares. She was trapped. Horn was going to win. She closed her eyes…a sound….her eyes flew open.

Airwolf screamed a challenge, descending from the night sky like a Fury with frightening speed and intent. Moonlight and the neon flares glinted off the visible armament as she straightened close enough to the roof to drive Horn’s men to the ground to avoid being hit.

‘Hawke.’ Caitlin whispered and felt a wave of relief and renewed strength flood through her as Airwolf flew over her with an eerie howl. She got to her feet.

Hawke targeted the chopper, flying straight toward it with a determination that panicked the other pilot. He veered off and Hawke didn’t bother to give chase. Flashes burst from Airwolf’s guns lighting the night sky; warning shots to the other chopper to keep their distance.

‘String, Caitlin…’ Dom’s panic transmitted itself to Hawke and he swung Airwolf round. Horn had caught up with Caitlin and they were struggling, dangerously close to the edge of the roof. Hawke sent another barrage of ammo across the roof cutting Horn off from his men. He snapped at Dom to take the controls as Airwolf came to hover over the roof, the neon flares falling over and rolling away from the force of her rotors. Hawke dropped to the ground and scuttled across the roof, his gun a familiar weight in his hand.

Horn slapped Caitlin with enough force to split her lip and make her head sing. He caught hold of her throat, ignoring her hands pushing at his chest and backed her into the low wall until her spine hit the unyielding bricks. She couldn’t hide the spasm of pain as he bent her backwards. She glanced down and shuddered at the sheer drop. Suddenly, the pressure on her back was released as he yanked her in front of him and when her head stopped spinning, she realised why. Hawke stood mere feet away from them, a gun in his hand, pointed directly at them.

‘Let her go, Horn. It’s over.’ Hawke’s focus was absolute. The continuing battle behind him between Horn’s men and the FIRM operatives went unnoticed. He trusted Dom to protect them from any disturbance. His blue eyes met Caitlin’s.

She felt the sharp jab as Horn placed the gun to her underside of her jaw, pushing her chin upwards but she didn’t break her eye contact with Hawke.

‘Oh, I don’t think it’s over just yet do you?’ Horn’s voice was silky smooth, betraying none of the tension that darted through his eyes. ‘I suggest you put the gun down, Stringfellow.’

‘There is no way out, Horn. Not this time.’ Hawke replied.

‘Are you sure about that?’ Horn’s eyes glittered. ‘I will kill her.’

‘No, you won’t.’ Hawke snapped back.

‘Are you sure you want to risk that?’ Horn wrenched at her hair, forcing her head back exposing her vulnerable neck even further and causing her to cry out with pain.

Hawke started forward but stopped instantly at Horn’s slight shake of his head.

‘The gun, Stringfellow.’

‘Don’t do it, Hawke.’ Caitlin said.

Hawke considered his options. He lowered his gun and slowly placed it on the ground.

‘Kick it away.’ Horn instructed.

Hawke followed the order.

Horn bared his teeth in a pervasion of a smile. ‘It’s such a shame you didn’t get to Paris, Stringfellow but no matter. I dislike getting blood on my hands but in your case…’ He kept his eyes fixed on the Airwolf pilot as he gripped Caitlin’s hair and jerked her head towards him, taking her mouth in a brutal kiss.

Hawke reacted without thought, his body moving forward of its own volition. He saw Horn release Caitlin’s mouth, his smeared with blood from hers and swing his gun round to target him. Hawke made the calculations and knew he was going to die. But Caitlin moved, jabbing her elbow into Horn’s stomach. The shot misfired. It hit the ground in front of Hawke and in the next moment, Hawke barrelled into Horn, throwing Caitlin clear.

Hawke felt the breath leave his body as the two men hit the unyielding floor. He delivered a punch to Horn’s jaw; he felt one in his gut. They rolled around.

Caitlin scrambled for the gun and she found it with a deep sigh of relief. She stood up, taking position and aimed at the two men. She bit back a scream of frustration as she failed to get a clear shot.

Hawke dragged Horn to his feet and the other man shoved Hawke back, getting his arm free to pistol whip the side of Hawke’s head. The pilot fell to the ground, dazed. He raised stunned eyes to see Horn outlined against the dark sky, bringing the gun to bear on him…

A shot sounded.

Horn’s eyes moved to Caitlin. She held the gun with a calm authority. He looked down in surprise at the bullet wound in his chest. He raised his gun and she fired again. The impact of the second bullet propelled him backwards, his legs hit the empty space of the fire escape and for a moment he hung suspended before he toppled off the roof.

Hawke pushed himself to his feet, his eyes on the spot where Horn had gone over. He walked the few steps to glance down. Horn’s sprawled body was just visible on the ground below.

‘Is he…?’ Caitlin’s flat tone travelled the short distance between them and he straightened to look back at her. She was standing behind him still in position, still with the gun aimed. His eyes caught hers and he took a step toward her.

‘He’s gone.’ He said.

The arms holding the gun trembled. He took another step.

‘He’s gone.’ He repeated.

The gun was suddenly too heavy in her hands and she struggled to keep it in position.

Hawke took the final step and there was no more distance separating them. ‘He’s gone, Cait.’ He repeated again.

Caitlin lowered the gun, it clattered to the floor and Hawke couldn’t wait any longer. He gathered her to him, wrapping his arms around her, burying his face in the clean scent of her hair. She trembled against him, her bloody hands clutching at him, holding him as tightly as he held her. Hawke heard running footsteps behind them and moved just enough to ascertain it wasn’t another threat. It was Dom who slowed to a stop as he saw them, a wide grin spreading across his face. More figures were running towards them behind Dom’s substantial frame and Hawke sighed.

‘String?’

He shifted to look into Caitlin’s eyes.

‘I don’t think I can stand any longer.’ She murmured and before he could respond, her eyes rolled back and she collapsed.

He swore and managed to catch her against him. He lowered her in his arms to the floor and yelled for Dom. Hawke wiped away the blood on her lip and noticed her cheek was already blooming with a bruise. His eyes darkened and he forgot what he’d been about to say as he catalogued her injuries.

‘God.’ He raised shocked eyes to Dom’s as the older man knelt down beside him. ‘She’s been shot, Dom.’

‘It’s only a graze, kid.’ Dom examined the wound on her arm gently and seeing the clinic staff running up, moved aside to give them better access. Hawke wouldn’t be moved whilst they examined her. He helped them place her on a stretcher and walked beside them into the clinic, his hand holding hers.

—

Caitlin opened her eyes, panicked. She fought the tight swaddle of covers to sit upright. She took a deep calming breath and glanced across to where Hawke was fast asleep in a chair next to her bed with his head slumped forward, his chin resting on his chest, dressed in his usual garb of casual shirt and jeans. The early morning sun highlighted the gold in his brown hair. His hand held hers tightly even in sleep. His blue eyes flickered open suddenly as though he were aware of her regard and settled on hers.

‘Hey.’ He said gruffly.

‘Hey.’ Her free hand crept to her bruised throat.

Hawke got up and handed her some water which she sipped slowly. She handed the glass back to him and frowned at how pale he looked with shadows under his eyes and the rough shadow of his beard covering his lower face. A red streak marked one side of his head and a small bandage covered an injury on his forehead; a bruise was forming along his jaw-line.

A thought occurred to her as she settled back against the pillows and her gaze flew to his anxiously. ‘Hawke, Marella…’

‘She’s fine.’ He reassured her, sliding his hand back over her bandaged one as he sat back down in the chair. ‘She has her own room just down the corridor and apart from being annoyed at being knocked unconscious she’s going to be OK. Michael’s with her.’

They were silent for a while.

‘You didn’t get to Paris.’ She said.

‘Never liked the food there anyway.’ Hawke said dryly.

She ignored the attempt to divert her. ‘He was going to have you killed. In Paris.’ Her eyes searched his. ‘Hawke, I know this is completely unreasonable and insane but promise me you’ll never go to Paris. Ever.’

‘I promise you; I’ll never go to Paris.’ Hawke vowed solemnly.

‘You came back.’ She commented.

He sighed, his scraped fingers rubbing against hers. ‘It didn’t feel right.’

‘When I saw Airwolf…’ Her eyes flooded with tears and she couldn’t speak.

‘I was scared.’ He admitted, the fear returning to him full force. ‘I was scared we weren’t going to get here in time.’ He tried to smile. ‘I think we set a new record for Airwolf’s top speed.’

‘He is dead, isn’t he?’ Her other hand crept to guard her bruised throat. ‘I didn’t dream it.’

‘He’s dead,’ Hawke confirmed.

‘I’m not sorry.’ She blinked and sent hot tears down her cheeks, scalding the raw bruise. ‘I’m not sorry I killed him.’

‘Cait.’ Her tears ripped at something inside him and he moved to sit on the bed and hold her whilst she cried herself out. She finally inched back to swipe at her wet cheeks. He passed her a tissue and she cleaned up the last ravages, blew her nose.

‘You’re tired. You should go back to sleep.’ Hawke went to move off the bed and she stopped him.

‘You need to sleep too and I want you beside me.’ She raised her pleading eyes to his. ‘I need you.’

He dropped a kiss on her lips. ‘I need you too.’ He admitted a little shakily. He gestured for her to move across. She shuffled under the covers as he kicked off his trainers and climbed on top of the bed to lie down beside her, tucking her carefully under one of his arms, her head on his chest as her arm slid around his waist.

‘Promise me, we’ll get through this.’ Caitlin murmured.

Hawke shifted to meet her eyes. He held her gaze firmly. ‘I promise.’ He vowed. ‘I’m not going to lose you, Cait, so whatever it takes; we’re going to get through this. You, me and the baby.’ His hand slipped over her abdomen to where their child was growing despite everything that had happened. ‘I love you.’

It was all she needed to hear; within seconds she was fast asleep. Hawke stayed awake and watched his wife; the temptations of dreams just couldn’t compare with the reality of her.

fin.

Next Story: The Other Blackjack