Storytime with Rachel F Hundred

The sun was rising over the lake outside the cabin, casting a golden sheen over the rippling water. Stringfellow Hawke drew the bow across the strings of the cello and half-smiled at the cry of an eagle which echoed over the music, a strange and eerie counterpoint. He finished the piece and sighed at the tranquillity of his home. That morning, the air seemed fresher, the mountains more majestic and the lake more stunning. Not so strangely, the experience of nearly smashing Airwolf, the world’s most technologically advanced helicopter, into the LA skyline the night before had given him a new appreciation for life. If he closed his eyes he could still see the ground rushing up, hear the blaring sound of the emergency siren and taste the fear that it didn’t matter how good a pilot he was, the machine would either pull up or he and his closest friends, Dominic Santini and Caitlin O’Shaunessy, would die.

Hawke unconsciously fingered the cello strings before he stood up. He carried the cello, the bow and fishing stool up to the porch; stacked them up against the cabin wall before turning back to the view. It wasn’t just the beauty of his surroundings that he had a new appreciation for, Hawke realised. The shared fight to regain control of the helicopter, of surviving, had added another dimension to the bond between the Airwolf crew. There’d been an unspoken agreement to return to the cabin together, as if they couldn’t contemplate letting go of each other.

Hawke sighed. He and Dom might kid around with each other but the older man had been always been a father figure for him since the death of his parents. He was the one stable part of his life and Hawke knew he needed that constancy. In contrast he’d known Caitlin just over a year but it often seemed like he could barely recall a time in his life when she hadn’t been there, supporting him unquestioningly. He frowned. Before their last mission Caitlin had been thinking about leaving LA. After what had happened, he couldn’t contemplate not having her in his life in some way…

As if in response to his thought, a movement behind him caught his attention and his lips twitched. ‘You’re going to get cold.’

Caitlin smiled. He hadn’t even turned around. ‘I woke up.’ She padded stiffly across the porch to stand next to him. She shivered even in the woolly fleece and jeans she wore. He glanced towards her and focused on the oversize mug her hands were wrapped around.

‘Is that coffee?’ He asked.

Her blue eyes flickered to him and she smiled at the hopeful expression. She relinquished her coffee to him with a sigh.

He took a gulp and then slowly handed it back to her. ‘We’ll share.’ He said in response to the questioning look. ‘Come here.’ He sat down on the porch steps and patted the space beside him.

She lowered herself slowly. The steps were wide enough for two people but they still sat closely together, their knees nudging each other.

‘Is Dom…?’

‘Still asleep.’ She confirmed handing him the mug.

He took another sip of the burning liquid and viewed her pale face over the rim of the mug. She’d been injured in the mission; tackled on the roof of the museum they’d been protecting. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Oh, like I got kicked by a horse.’ She admitted.

‘You went down pretty hard.’ Hawke commented, handing her the mug.

She warmed at his obvious concern. ‘Just bruises on my bruises.’ Her smile softened the words and she took another gulp of coffee before giving him the mug.

‘You should have taken the bed.’ Hawke said frowning.

‘And have Dom complain about his back?’ She laughed. ‘I’m OK. Honestly. Although I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to look into building another bedroom.’

‘Well, you should rest up today. Dom and I can go and check Airwolf over.’

She sighed. ‘You going to see if you can figure out what hit her systems?’

‘Yeah.’ Hawke took a sip of their drink. ‘That was some ride she gave us yesterday but I’d rather not repeat it.’

‘I second that.’ Caitlin shook her head and blinked back the sudden threat of tears. ‘I thought we weren’t going to make it.’

‘I think we all thought that.’ Hawke admitted. He offered her the mug but when she reached for it, he caught sight of the tears in her eyes. ‘Hey.’ Without thinking, he set the mug down and tugged her closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to tuck her against him.

‘I don’t know why I’m crying.’ Caitlin muttered embarrassed as she avoided his eyes, her tears continuing to flow.

‘Shock,’ Hawke said succinctly.

She swiped at her face and took a shaky breath. ‘Guess I’m not handling this as well as I thought.’

Hawke sighed. ‘I didn’t sleep.’

She was startled into meeting his eyes. He shrugged a little self-conscious, dropping his gaze. ‘Every time I closed my eyes, I was back in the cockpit.’ His fingers brushed against her jaw as he slid a hand under her hair, smoothed it back. ‘So. Guess you’re not the only one having trouble handling this.’

She leaned into the palm of his hand, accepting the comfort and their eyes connected. They both froze.

Caitlin could feel her heart pounding in her chest. ‘Hawke…’

His head suddenly swivelled toward the sky, his hand falling away from her. Caitlin followed his gaze into the blue, cloudless nothing and sighed. ‘Chopper?’

‘Michael.’ Hawke confirmed. The deputy director of the FIRM, the intelligence agency responsible for building Airwolf, was obviously checking up on them after the events of the previous night.

‘I’ll start breakfast.’ Caitlin said getting to her feet.

Hawke watched her go back into the cabin ignoring the approaching helicopter coming into land on the pier. He and Caitlin had always had chemistry and they’d always ignored it but lately…but lately it seemed as though they were having trouble with that approach; that morning, it wasn’t the first time they’d slipped. In the cockpit, in the aftermath of the crisis, there had been a moment…he sighed. Maybe it was the situation; almost crashing, surviving…he pushed a hand through his hair. He could come up with excuses all day just like he always had a reason for why he tried to ignore their attraction in the first place.

‘Hawke?’

Only a lifetime of repressing his reactions prevented him from jumping at Michael’s voice behind him. He turned back slowly to greet his friend noticing that even at dawn the spy was dressed in his usual immaculate white three piece suit. His aide Marella was at his elbow. ‘Michael. Marella.’

Michael Coldmith-Briggs III regarded the pilot with a frown. Hawke looked tired; there were tell-tale shadows under his distracted blue eyes, his short brown hair was mussed and his clothes were rumpled. He suppressed his urge to ask if the younger man was OK. ‘Sorry to disturb you but this is urgent.’

‘It always is.’ Hawke got to his feet and entered the cabin leaving the others to follow him inside. He headed for the kitchen where Caitlin was busy pouring fresh coffee into some mugs. Dom was sat at the breakfast bar; he looked surprisingly happy.

‘Good morning, Dominic.’ Michael said taking the seat next to him and Marella took the last stool.

‘It certainly is.’ Dom replied cheerily.

Hawke took a mug from Caitlin with a questioning look at her about Dom’s behaviour. She gave a small shrug before turning to the bar to serve Michael and Marella.

‘So are you here with an update on what happened last night?’ Caitlin asked them.

‘No,’ Michael was regretful, ‘I need Airwolf for an urgent mission.’

Dom’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Now wait just a minute. She’s in no fit state for a mission. Her systems had a hell of a shake up last night with whatever that blast was.’

‘We think it was an electro-magnetic pulse.’ Marella commented. ‘We’re running tests.’

‘Well whatever it was, it took her out.’ Dom admitted ignoring Hawke’s sharp look to drop the subject. ‘I thought we weren’t going to pull up from that dive, I tell you.’

‘Is that true?’ Michael asked looking sternly at Hawke. The pilot had made no report of almost crashing.

Hawke gestured with his mug. ‘It was a close call.’

‘Dom’s right.’ Caitlin said. ‘She needs to be checked out before we take her on a mission.’

Michael shifted uncomfortably. ‘This can’t wait.’

‘What’s the mission?’ Hawke asked as Dom rolled his eyes.

‘The NSA are handing over…a package to us.’ Michael took a sip of his drink, his good eye keeping careful watch on the younger man. ‘I need you to do the pick up.’

‘Sounds real urgent, Michael.’ Caitlin commented dryly.

‘It’s an urgent package.’ Michael continued to watch Hawke.

‘What’s the package?’ Hawke asked.

Michael hesitated. ‘I can’t tell you.’

Hawke raised an eyebrow inquisitively. ‘Can’t or won’t?’

Michael smoothed his tie. ‘The NSA doesn’t give much away.’

‘You don’t know?’ Dom snorted. ‘I don’t believe that.’

Michael shot him an annoyed look.

Marella handed Caitlin a computer disc. ‘All the details are recorded on there. You’re to rendezvous with an agent called Carmichael. He’ll be your liaison and will give you a full briefing when you get there.’

Caitlin turned the disc over in her hands and exchanged another wordless look with Hawke.

‘I don’t like this Michael.’ Hawke gestured at the disc. ‘We’re flying in blind.’

‘If it wasn’t risky I wouldn’t need you or Airwolf.’ Michael countered. ‘I know this is less than ideal but this could be very important.’

Hawke indulged in a staring contest with Michael for a few moments before sighing. ‘OK but you owe me and we’ll need to do a full systems check before we take off. If we find something wrong, we’re out of it.’

Michael nodded. ‘We’ll be in touch.’ He slid off the stool and Marella relinquished her half-finished coffee with regret to follow him.

‘You can count me out.’ Dom remarked as soon as the cabin door closed behind them.

‘Oh?’ Hawke raised an eyebrow.

Dom looked a little embarrassed. ‘I…er…think I may have pulled my back.’

Hawke looked at him suspiciously. It wasn’t like Dom to admit to a weakness especially where his back was concerned.

‘Besides,’ Dom continued hastily, ‘you and Caitlin should be able to handle picking up a package.’

Hawke frowned and the older man plastered an innocent look on his face. Hawke sighed and gave into the inevitable. He caught Caitlin’s amused eyes. ‘Are you up for it?’ He asked gently.

She sighed and mentally said farewell to her plans for the day. ‘I guess so. Do I have time for a shower?’

‘Go ahead.’ Hawke advised. ‘I’ll take the next one.’ He waited until she was out of earshot before he pinned Dom with a look. ‘What’s this about? It’s not like you to duck out.’

Dom gave a short laugh. ‘Maybe I’m getting older, huh, kid.’

‘Come on, Dom.’ Hawke didn’t give the older pilot an inch.

Dom sighed. He definitely couldn’t tell Hawke the truth; that he’d gotten up early and seen the younger pilot out on the steps with Caitlin. It had warmed his heart to see them together, not to mention that it had raised his hopes; he didn’t want Caitlin to leave. ‘Honestly, kid.’ He said finally. ‘I guess I just don’t bounce back from these things like I used to.’

Hawke nodded slowly. ‘We could still use you on the systems check.’

‘Sure.’ Dom said. He frowned. ‘I was thinking that the scans may have picked up on whatever hit us. There’re not many things that would cause that kind of disruption to her systems.’

‘I’d sure like to know what it was.’ Hawke leaned up against the counter. ‘She almost didn’t pull up in time.’

‘But she did, didn’t she?’ Dom said trying to lighten Hawke’s serious expression. ‘She’s always come through for us and she always will.’

Hawke sighed. ‘Let’s hope so.’

—

Caitlin was almost humming as she scanned Airwolf’s systems with an experienced eye. It wasn’t often she got to be in Airwolf without being under Dom’s watchful eye. She checked the radar profile and their coordinates. They’d reach the safe house in less than thirty minutes. She crisply informed Hawke of the ETA and punched in the computer disc again to bring up the information Marella had supplied. She checked and rechecked the coordinates of where they were heading. It was a farm in Maine, supposedly an NSA safe house. She scanned through the data; current plans of the farm with a detailed analysis of the security layout.

‘OK. What is it?’ Hawke’s voice rumbled through the headset.

‘What’s what?’

‘Whatever’s got your attention back there.’ Hawke kept his eyes on the sky ahead. He could see clouds ahead in the distance.

‘Just looking over the security procedures at the safe house.’ Caitlin shifted in her seat. ‘It’s pretty tight.’

‘Yeah.’ Hawke said. ‘Makes you wonder what this package is.’

‘What do you think the package is?’ Her voice was filled with her innate curiosity.

‘I don’t.’ Hawke said firmly. ‘Assuming only gets you surprised.’

Caitlin sighed. ‘Right.’ She glanced at the monitors and ran a scan. ‘We have a storm ahead. Want to adjust course?’

‘We’ll fly over it.’ Hawke raised their altitude and Caitlin made the necessary system adjustments to compensate.

The storm was still raging when they reduced altitude to approach the safe house a little while later. Rain washed over Airwolf in waves reducing visibility and the harsh wind rocked her as she zipped through the grey sky.

‘Hawke, I’m picking up the farm now. One main structure and two outbuildings; perimeter fence is electrified. There’s some heavy artillery down there – one anti-aircraft gun stationed on the roof and a chopper with the works parked in outbuilding one. I’m reading six, no seven people. Two are patrolling in a land vehicle, three in the farmhouse, two on the ground by the second outbuilding which is indicated as our LZ.’

Hawke turned and exchanged a quick look with Caitlin. ‘Let’s take her in and see what happens.’ He eased off her speed and brought Airwolf in at the other end of the farm from the patrol – no need for them to get a look at her – and stopped to hover above their landing zone, parallel with the barn roof. A man waved at them in greeting.

‘He’s keeping his gun holstered.’ Caitlin commented.

‘OK.’ Hawke switched on the landing gear and brought Airwolf down with the gentlest of bumps. He followed the man’s directions and drove the aircraft forward into the well-lit barn. He brought her to a halt and they climbed out to stand by her nose, trying to ease out the kinks of their travelling without being too obvious. He scanned their surroundings; the barn wasn’t a barn, more like a large garage. Weapons and armaments stood to the back, including an armoured car. There was a computer terminal and surveillance equipment on a table to one side of them and on the other side, a small black and white television stood on another console. The outside gate of the farm was flickering into focus on its screen, its reception disturbed by the storm outside; the heavy patter of rain was clear on the wooden roof.

Hawke suppressed the urge to shiver as the cold air found its way through the Airwolf uniform and returned his attention to the two men. Hawke took their measure as they walked over. The older man was in his thirties; slim built, tanned and with brown hair just an inch too long curling onto his collar. His eyes were constantly scanning, his posture loose and ready with a light easy step that hardly made a noise; an experienced predator. The younger man was fair, still in his twenties, still inexperienced enough not to have that edge, a rookie judging by his nervousness and precision smartness. They were both viewing the helicopter with open admiration.

‘Carmichael?’ Hawke asked, careful to keep his tiredness out of his voice, his blue eyes landing on the elder man.

‘I am. You must be Captain Hawke.’ He held out a hand and Hawke shook it before gesturing at his co-pilot and engineer.

‘This is Caitlin.’ Hawke rarely offered her last name, a small protection to prevent her being tracked down too easily even though he knew it was absurd given her position at Santini Air.

‘A pleasure.’ Carmichael took her hand, giving it a business-like shake whilst the hint of a charming smile flitted across his lips. ‘My colleague, Smith.’ He introduced the fair man standing next to him before his gaze returned to Airwolf. ‘This is quite a machine.’ His brown eyes caught Hawke’s. ‘I hear something similar got destroyed in Libya last year.’

‘I hear the same thing.’ Hawke returned easily.

Carmichael tilted his head and nodded accepting the non-answer. Fencing around truth and lies was like breathing to an agent. ‘Let’s go up to the house. I’m sure you could do with some tea…’

‘We’re fine here.’ Hawke cut in and folded his arms. His blue eyes narrowed. ‘You were going to brief us.’

Carmichael stilled. ‘We’ll be more comfortable up at the house.’

Hawke shrugged, folded his arms and leaned against Airwolf. His intention was clear; he was staying. Caitlin looked at the ground so the NSA agents wouldn’t see the amusement dancing in her eyes.

Carmichael frowned. ‘Your file said you were a pain in the backside.’

Hawke gave no reaction beyond a slightly raised eyebrow.

Carmichael sighed. ‘Smith.’ He held a hand out and the younger man reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and brought out a rolled up folder. He handed it to his superior; Carmichael handed it to Hawke. His eyes lit up momentarily in surprise as the pilot handed it off to Caitlin who began to flip through the contents. He cleared his throat and returned his attention to Hawke.

‘The package is a man called James Anthony Byrne.’

Hawke stiffened imperceptibly. ‘Byrne’s a traitor.’

Caitlin’s eyes shot to him; Hawke knew the guy?

Carmichael nodded. ‘A FIRM employee who defected from the US to the Russians in eighty-two after being discovered trying to sell classified information to them by one Stringfellow Hawke.’

Hawke frowned. He was going to kill Michael; didn’t know what the package was – bullshit. He hadn’t told them because he knew Hawke would have refused the mission.

‘A week ago Byrne stole Russian designs for a prototype helicopter. The designs are very similar to that of that US helicopter we were saying was supposedly destroyed in Libya. Byrne turned up at the British embassy asking for asylum. They’re always loath to upset an ally so they contacted us. We contacted your people.’ Carmichael continued reading the pilot’s desire to scrap the mission.

‘He’s using the designs as his ticket back into the US.’ Caitlin read.

‘For him and his Russian wife, Tanya.’ Carmichael agreed. ‘I don’t know the exact deal he made but I do know he drove a hard bargain.’

Hawke scowled. The FIRM was going to let the little weasel walk away from a treason charge. ‘Where is he exactly?’

Carmichael looked a little confused. ‘Well, as we informed your people, there’s been a delay.’

‘A delay?’ Hawke bit out.

‘Byrne and his wife won’t arrive until the early hours of the morning, oh-three hundred to be exact.’ Smith expanded.

Hawke resisted the urge to thump something.

Carmichael cleared his throat. ‘You’re welcome to come up to the house and wait there, grab some food.’

Caitlin glanced over to Hawke and caught the suppressed rage lurking in the blue depths. ‘We’re fine.’ Caitlin said when Hawke didn’t bother replying.

Carmichael sighed and pointed at the back of the barn. ‘This place is used as a secondary base to monitor the house security so there’s a small bathroom out the door to your left.’ He looked at Hawke. ‘Patrol will stop by to check on you periodically. I’ll contact you when they arrive.’

Hawke nodded in acknowledgement.

Carmichael headed out without another word, Smith following at his heels. The barn door opened letting in a waft of freezing air before they were closed again. Hawke didn’t move until the door was shut.

‘Dammit.’ He muttered, turning around and leaning over Airwolf. He gestured at the folder Caitlin had in her hands. ‘What’s in there?’

‘Pretty much what he said.’ Caitlin handed him a photo.

It was of Byrne and his wife. Byrne hadn’t changed much, he thought. He had the same light blond wispy hair, same grey eyes and young, aristocratic features. His wife was a chestnut brunette with a fabulous figure. Hawke’s lips twisted. Byrne never did have problems getting female attention.

‘So are you going to tell me or am I going to have to torture it out of you?’ Caitlin’s voice pulled him out of his memories.

He handed back the photo. ‘Tell you what?’

She rolled her eyes. ‘What happened in eighty-two?’

‘Pretty much what he said.’ Hawke returned, parroting the answer she’d given him a few minutes ago.

Caitlin folded her arms and raised an eyebrow.

He sighed. ‘Byrne was the original test engineer for Airwolf.’

Her blue eyes widened. ‘The original…I don’t understand.’

‘When Michael put the project test flight team together in eighty-two, I was assigned as commander and chief test pilot but we had a full crew complement. Byrne was the engineer and a guy called Adam Fellows was counter-measure specialist and co-pilot.’ Hawke explained his eyes fogged with memories. ‘Adam was an Airforce captain. A good guy – helluva pilot.’

‘And Byrne?’ Caitlin asked noting he’d spoken about Fellows in the past tense.

‘Young but he seemed solid. He wasn’t a pilot but he was an aeronautical engineer and a computer genius, held his own with Moffett.’ Hawke sighed remembering. ‘We thought we were a tight team. Michael had hand-picked us all and we’d beaten out some really tough competition for our places.’

‘Cocky, huh?’ Caitlin said, mirroring him, leaning over Airwolf to hold his gaze.

He gave a half-smile. ‘Maybe.’

‘And then you discovered Byrne was selling information to the Russians?’

‘We were all meeting up for a beer.’ Hawke corrected, his eyes icing over. ‘Adam got to Byrne’s early, walked in on the meeting between Byrne and the KGB. By the time I got there he was on the floor, shot, barely conscious. Told me what had happened before he died.’

‘So you went after Byrne.’ Caitlin’s eyes gleamed with understanding; trust was everything to Hawke.

‘And he got away. Scrambled Airwolf’s computers like an egg.’ Hawke shook his head. ‘I was barely able to land her he’d screwed her systems so badly.’

‘You went after him in Airwolf? Wasn’t she undergoing flight tests?’ Caitlin’s voice rose in amazement.

‘Michael had a similar reaction.’ Hawke muttered.

‘What now?’ Caitlin asked. ‘You want to leave?’

Hawke’s eyes flickered back to hers and warmed a little at the support he read there. He sighed. ‘As much as I hate to admit it Michael wanted Byrne just as much as I did. If he’s agreed to let Byrne return he must think these designs are the real deal.’

‘So we take Byrne back with us.’

‘We take him back.’ Hawke agreed. ‘We just don’t trust him.’

Caitlin nodded. Her stomach rumbled.

Hawke’s eyebrow quirked upwards in amusement. ‘Hungry?’

She stuck her tongue out at him.

He tapped Airwolf’s armour lightly and jerked his head at the cockpit. ‘Come on. Let’s grab something to eat and catch some sleep.’

They set up camp in the barn; organised food on the small camping stove before curling up under Airwolf’s nose in sleeping bags and blankets. They’d switched off the main lights of the barn filling the space with large, dark shadows. Hawke was exhausted but sleep eluded him as he listened to the pattering rain. He opened his eyes and stared up at the darkness. There was something about this mission he was missing. He could sense it. He sighed and closed his eyes. He really needed to get some sleep. Caitlin shivered beside him and he felt her move to clutch the blankets closer.

‘Cold?’ He whispered.

‘Yeah.’ Caitlin replied. ‘I can’t get to sleep for shivering.’

‘Here.’ Hawke moved over and curled into her so her back rested against his front. Caitlin tensed feeling the weight of his arm across her side, his hand coming to lie over her tummy. Then she felt the warmth of his body start to transfer to her own. ‘Thank you.’

‘You’re welcome.’ Hawke said.

‘So, what’s wrong?’ She murmured sleepily.

Hawke smiled; she was getting to know him too well. ‘It’s probably nothing.’

‘It usually isn’t. What’s bugging you?’

He shrugged a little awkwardly. ‘I don’t know. Something just doesn’t feel right.’ He sighed. ‘Maybe it’s just because it’s Byrne.’

‘You’ll figure it out.’ Caitlin’s hand slid over his and patted it reassuringly.

Hawke couldn’t resist intertwining their fingers. ‘Let’s get some sleep.’

She nodded. Their combined body heat and the sound of the rain lulled her to sleep almost immediately.

Hawke listened to her soft, even breathing and smiled as she unconsciously snuggled closer into his side. He closed his eyes and seconds later he was asleep.

It seemed like only a few moments later, he awoke. He shifted to look at his watch. It was almost three. The heavy pattering of rain still filled the barn. Hawke frowned and shook Caitlin awake.

She blinked past her tiredness. ‘What time is it?’

‘Almost three.’ Hawke got to his feet and offered her hand. She took it, yawning. They quickly cleared up in the darkness and were ready when the sound of approaching footsteps caught Hawke’s attention. He signalled for Caitlin to take a position on the other side of Airwolf, whilst he drew his gun and took up position behind the open door in front of him.

Carmichael entered and froze in the direct line of the gun. Hawke reholstered the weapon and the agent snapped on the main light.

‘We have a problem.’ Carmichael said without preamble. ‘They haven’t arrived and we can’t raise them.’

Hawke scowled. ‘You have their route?’

Carmichael nodded.

Hawke jerked his head at the helicopter. ‘Get in.’

Caitlin started to bring the systems online as the two men climbed onboard and Hawke showed Carmichael how to put on the heavy Airwolf helmet. The rotors swept the dust from the concrete floor, sent papers flying from the tables as they picked up speed.

Hawke eased the helicopter forward and drove out into the rain. He frowned at the lack of visibility; he slapped his visor down and activated the night vision before he raised them off the ground, fast and easy. Carmichael grabbed at the console in front of him and swallowed hard.

‘This is some machine.’ He muttered.

‘Yeah.’ Hawke hovered above the farm. ‘You’ll need to give Caitlin a heading.’

‘Of course.’ Carmichael turned to the back of the cockpit where Caitlin sat illuminated by the various flashing lights on the engineer’s console. He rattled off the directions.

‘Course laid in, Hawke.’ Caitlin confirmed.

Hawke checked his monitor and nodded, turning Airwolf in the right direction and streaming forward.

‘Turbos.’ Hawke ordered.

‘Turbos.’ Caitlin confirmed.

Airwolf shot forward.

Carmichael gripped his seat. ‘This is incredible.’

‘Cait, scans.’ Hawke said.

‘In progress.’ Caitlin confirmed. ‘Nothing yet.’

Hawke lowered their altitude and sent Airwolf skimming over the ground below.

‘I have something.’ Caitlin confirmed. ‘Two vehicles, not moving. Ten miles out.’ She frowned. ‘It looks like a crash.’

‘Reengage rotors.’ Hawke ordered, returning to cloud cover. ‘Is anything moving?’

Caitlin adjusted the systems and ran the scans simultaneously. ‘I have six people on the ground. One injured, life signs are weak.’

‘I’m going to land us close by.’ Hawke said. ‘Cait, you stay with the Lady.’

‘You got it.’

The landing was difficult; the black asphalt slippery and wet from the rain was almost hidden by the tree cover. Hawke grabbed the anorak Caitlin handed him along with the first aid kit and ran after Carmichael who was already approaching the crash site.

‘Sir,’ a young agent ran to greet them, ‘sorry, sir. We tried contacting you but the radio’s bust.’

‘What the hell happened here, Needle?’ Carmichael ignored the raw gash on the agent’s head.

‘Road was wet. We came round the bend,’ Agent Needle pointed up the road, ‘car was coming straight at us on the wrong side. Nothing we could do. There are two civilians in the other car, both just have minor injuries. Agent Gordon sustained serious injury, I think he may need an ambulance.’

‘Have you called one, Needle?’

‘Phone isn’t working either, sir. There’s no signal this far in country.’ Needle tried to wipe the rain off his face, streaking blood across his forehead.

‘Great.’ Carmichael muttered as they reached the group of survivors huddled under the shelter of the trees away from the wreckage of the vehicles.

Hawke ignored the other people to crouch down beside the prone injured agent. He shoved his hood back to get a better look. They’d done their best for him, keeping him as comfortable as they could but the man was deep in shock, shivering and his eyes were unfocused. A large purple bruise was forming on the right side of his face and as Hawke uncovered the blanket they had wrapped around him and opened up his shirt, the distended abdomen and mottling told its own story. The guy had internal bleeding, probably his spleen, probably his brain. The ambulance would never make it time. Hawke reached for the kit and drew out a syringe which he filled with morphine. Killing the pain was the only thing he could do for the guy.

He stood up and shook his head regretfully at Carmichael.

The NSA agent swore.

A blond girl who couldn’t have been more than twenty, turned to the boy she was stood with and started weeping on his shoulder. Hawke turned his attention to the other couple; the Byrnes.

‘Hello, Hawke.’ James had a comforting arm around his wife but his eyes were calm and controlled as they met Hawke’s glacial look head on.

‘Byrne.’ Hawke bit out the name.

‘Archangel came through.’ Byrne nodded, his grey eyes sliding to the black, deadly machine stood on the road.

Hawke’s eyes flashed dangerously; one more thing to take up with Michael.

Carmichael cleared his throat and gestured at the young couple. ‘You youngsters OK?’

They nodded. He turned back to Hawke and motioned for the pilot to follow him a couple of steps into the road. They stopped and Carmichael turned his back to the group. ‘This is a mess.’ He shook his head. ‘Can you take Byrne and his wife now?’

Hawke nodded. ‘We’ll alert the emergency services of your location.’

Carmichael sighed his agreement. Hawke caught the movement behind the other man a split second before the shot rang out. Carmichael fell to the road, a blossoming red stain across his chest. Hawke dropped immediately to the floor using the other man’s body as cover, his gun in his hand. Tanya Byrne stood with the pistol she’d fired steady in her hand and aimed directly at Hawke; the young couple were standing with similar pistols aimed at a shocked looking Byrne and the young NSA agent.

‘Tanya?’

‘Your gun, Mr Hawke.’ Tanya said ignoring her husband. ‘Throw it over to me slowly. Yours too, Agent Needle.’

Hawke considered Tanya and then the young couple for a long moment as Needle gave up his weapon without an argument. Cool, calm, controlled. Probably KGB. Byrne seemed shocked about her double-cross not that he believed that but…he still had an advantage; they didn’t know Caitlin was in Airwolf.

‘If I handover my weapon, I’m as good as dead.’ Hawke shouted at her.

‘I don’t want you dead, Mr Hawke.’ Tanya smiled at him through the drizzle. ‘We want a pilot as well as the aircraft.’ She took a step forward. ‘However, I’m not averse to having you a little injured.’

Hawke did what the Russian woman wanted. He threw his gun over the asphalt to her, making sure it was in easy reach if he got the chance to dive to the floor and retrieve it.

She motioned at him to stand and he did so reluctantly.

‘Hands behind your head, Mr Hawke.’ She gestured at Airwolf. ‘Constantine, check the aircraft for anyone else.’

Hawke ignored the sinking sensation in his stomach as the young man nodded and started to walk over. Tanya reached up to the large brooch on her coat and pressed it. ‘I have activated a homing beacon. My comrades will be here shortly. If any of you try anything I will shoot you.’

‘Why, Tanya?’ Byrne asked. ‘We planned this…you love me…’

‘She played you to get Airwolf. The designs you stole are probably worthless.’ Hawke deduced.

‘Actually, no Mr Hawke.’ Tanya trained the gun on him. ‘But why have one Airwolf when we can have two?’

Constantine was cautiously entering the helicopter. He whirled back to his superior. ‘There’s no-one there.’

‘You were alone?’ Tanya asked.

Hawke nodded slowly; he honestly didn’t have a clue where Caitlin was and it was the only advantage he had.

Tanya waved the gun at Hawke and pointed at the side of the road where the cars were still twisted together. ‘Over there. You too, James, Needle,’

‘I don’t believe this.’ Hawke heard Byrne mutter as he walked over to join him by the wreckage.

‘On your knees.’ Tanya instructed. Hawke went down unwillingly but considered it his best option to stay alive until Caitlin could form a rescue. He tamped down on his worry about her.

‘Watch them, Ilyana.’

The blond woman aimed her gun at them.

‘I don’t believe it.’ Byrne muttered again as Tanya walked away to examine Airwolf.

‘Think of it as karmic justice.’ Hawke returned under his breath. ‘You betrayed Adam and killed him now your wife is going to do the same to you.’

Byrne flushed. ‘I didn’t kill Adam.’

‘Yeah, right.’

‘I didn’t.’ Byrne hissed. ‘I didn’t want him hurt but the KGB agent…’ His grey eyes flickered to his wife, as if realising suddenly that’s what she probably was. ‘Adam tried to rush him and he was shot before I could do anything.’

‘So you didn’t pull the trigger.’ Hawke glared at him. ‘You really think that makes a difference.’

Byrne’s eyes fell away from Hawke’s. ‘You always were so righteous, Hawke. Did it ever once occur to you that I might have a good reason for what I did?’

‘No.’ Hawke scanned the distance between where he was and his gun.

‘I needed the money.’

‘Yeah. Figured.’ Hawke muttered assessing how likely it was that he would be shot if he made a grab for his gun.

‘My mother was ill, dammit. I couldn’t afford the bills for her treatment. I got offered the cash, I took it.’

‘It doesn’t justify selling classified information, Byrne.’

‘What if you were offered information about your brother Hawke?’ Byrne smiled grimly as Hawke’s jerked back to him. ‘Would you be so quick to turn it down?’

‘I wouldn’t betray my country or my team, no.’ Hawke shot back. He refocused on the situation.

‘So you’re a better man than me but…’

‘Byrne, shut the hell up.’ Hawke growled. His head cocked. Helicopters. Probably the approaching Russians. Tanya moved a half a step closer to Constantine and they began an animated discussion. From their gestures, it appeared to Hawke they were awestruck by the aircraft. Ilyana’s hand wavered unsteadily as she noticed the closeness of the other two. Go on, he urged her mentally, just lower the gun a little more.

The low moaning sound of the dying agent drifted out over the rain. Ilyana’s head turned to the sound and he flung himself forward, without thinking, diving for his gun, taking advantage of her distraction. She got a shot off at him and he rolled, grabbing his own gun as the bullet impacted the ground where he’d just been.

Ilyana was fast though, whirling she lashed out with a leg and caught his arm. His precarious grip on his weapon was lost and the gun scuttled across the dirt. She swung the gun back round to him and…

The crack of the shot was loud in his ears.

Ilyana looked down at her chest, then at Hawke, her surprise evident. He ignored her and instead looked over at Carmichael who was lying on the road, soaked and bleeding but his gun was steady in his hands.

A shout across the road grabbed Hawke’s attention; Caitlin had attacked from wherever she had hidden and was holding off both Tanya and Constantine with a series of martial arts moves. Needle was running to help her; Byrne was stood frozen in shock. Hawke scuttled across the tarmac and grabbed his gun. He whirled on his knee in time to see Needle throw himself at Constantine, the action sending the two men directly into Caitlin who was thrown against Airwolf giving Tanya the opportunity to draw her weapon. Hawke didn’t hesitate; he shot Byrne’s wife dead.

Caitlin didn’t remain motionless but pulled Constantine off a beaten Needle and knocked him out with a double-fisted blow to his neck. She bent over to catch her breath, her hands on her thighs. The rain cascaded over her, plastering her hair against her head, soaking through her muddied uniform.

Hawke got to his feet and walked over. He kicked the gun away from Tanya’s hand before crouching down and checking for a pulse. She was dead. He stood up and went over to Caitlin. He laid a hand on her shoulder. ‘You OK?’

‘I will be.’ Caitlin said and peeled the wet strands of hair away from her face.

He cocked his head again. ‘We don’t have a lot of time.’

She gestured at the fallen NSA agents ‘You check on Carmichael. I’ll take him.’

Hawke ran over to Carmichael; the agent was struggling to his feet. Hawke slid an arm under his shoulder. ‘Come on. We’ll take you to a hospital.’

Carmichael shook his head. ‘Get Byrne and get the hell out of here. I’m OK.’ He gestured at Needle. ‘Needle can watch my back.’

Hawke sighed and set Carmichael down by the side of the road as Needle ran over with Caitlin. The younger agent’s face was badly bruised but he seemed otherwise undamaged.

‘Go.’ Carmichael insisted. ‘You can still send the emergency services. Just go.’

Hawke knew they couldn’t waste the time arguing. He gestured at Caitlin. ‘Get in and deploy the weapons. Call the emergency services to get these guys.’ His eyes drifted to Byrne who was kneeling by his dead wife, seemingly oblivious of the rain and approaching helicopters. ‘I’ll get Byrne.’

‘Right.’ She ran back to Airwolf.

Hawke shook Carmichael’s hand. ‘I owe you.’

Carmichael gave a weak smile. ‘Yeah, you do. Now get moving.’

Hawke nodded and ran over to Byrne. He laid a hand on the other man’s shoulder. ‘Come on Byrne. We have to move.’

The rotors were whipping the rain around them. Byrne gave his wife a final look and nodded. They jogged to Airwolf and flung themselves in as light poured onto the asphalt from the two Russian helicopters above. Hawke adjusted the helmet and shoved the yoke forward. Airwolf zipped down the road before he grasped the cyclic raising her off the floor, taking off like a jet right under the noses of the Russians.

‘Hawke, those choppers have been modified. I’m reading guns and sidewinders.’ Caitlin informed him. ‘They’re giving chase. Directly behind us.’

As if to verify her comments, the distant patter of gunfire across her tail sounded in the cockpit.

‘Turbos.’

‘Turbos.’ Caitlin confirmed and was pushed back in her seat at the resultant g-force. Hawke kept Airwolf moving forward just out of the range of the guns.

‘Missile.’ Caitlin registered. ‘Deploying sunburst.’

There was a resultant explosion on the ground as the missile collided with the decoy and went up in a fireball. Hawke suddenly disabled the turbo power and Airwolf slowed dramatically, the ordinary choppers shot past them on either side. One of the pilots took advantage and fired his guns again. Hawke yanked the stick hard, sending them in a wide arc away from the shrapnel but a stray shot caught the tail rotor. He steadied Airwolf and called for the turbos and disengagement of the rotor system.

‘Hawke, we have another missile coming at us.’

‘Redeye.’ Hawke muttered.

‘Redeye.’

The missiles impacted in mid-air. Hawke saw the second chopper coming toward them, lining up for another shot and he triggered the chain guns. The Russian helicopter was cut to pieces, exploding into a fireball in front of them. He barely avoided a mid-air collision as Airwolf streaked forward leaving the remaining chopper behind. Caitlin raised their radar suppression and confirmed they were off the scope.

Airwolf shook badly. ‘I can’t hold her. We have to set her down.’ Hawke said.

Caitlin punched in scans. ‘There’s an abandoned airfield directly ahead, ETA two minutes. No life-signs. Some abandoned buildings. We could hide out there.’

The helicopter trembled under them. ‘Come on.’ Hawke urged the machine under his breath. ‘Nearly there.’ The landing was shaky but they got down in one piece on the old desolated runway.

Caitlin let out the breath she was holding and ran a hand over her console. ‘Good girl.’ She whispered as she scanned the buildings in front of them. ‘Hangar to your left, Hawke.’

Hawke drove Airwolf forward and into the wide space. It was littered with junk. He brought the injured helicopter to a halt and climbed out to inspect the damage to the tail rotor. He sighed. She’d sustained a similar injury in Mexico once. ‘Damn.’

‘She’ll patch.’ Caitlin noted as she came to stand by his elbow.

‘Yeah.’ He glanced at the old equipment. ‘At least we should be able to find some tools in this place.’

‘Let’s hope they give us the time to do it.’ She sighed.

Hawke rubbed his chin. ‘Exactly where are we?’

‘We got some distance before she gave out. We’re still in North Maine.’ Caitlin tried to shake off her exhaustion. ‘I’m going to set up some scans, provide us with an early alarm system.’

‘Let’s maintain radio silence too. If we go deaf and dumb, we’ll be as good as dead to them.’ Hawke added.

‘Dom’s going to be frantic.’ Caitlin noted.

‘He’ll understand.’ Hawke said. His eyes ran over her bedraggled appearance and then ruefully at his own drenched uniform. ‘We need to get out of these clothes before we get chilled.’

Caitlin pulled at the damp material and grimaced. ‘I guess.’ Her eyes flickered to Byrne who was stood looking out into the darkness. ‘What about him?’

Hawke sighed and spun on his heel. He slipped into Airwolf and retrieved towels and three spare uniforms from a compartment in the back. He climbed back out and handed a dry uniform to Caitlin. ‘You take Airwolf.’

Caitlin looked around at the sparse hangar; there was nowhere else to change and the aircraft was the only privacy she was going to get. She nodded and climbed back into the cockpit shutting the door behind her.

Hawke walked over to Byrne and thrust a uniform and a towel at him. ‘Here.’

Byrne took the flight suit with a grimace but obediently followed Hawke’s example and started to strip off. They didn’t speak as they both towelled off and redressed. Byrne shoved his hands back through his hair to flatten the blond strands and looked down at the outfit with bemusement. ‘When did they decide on the lilac?’

Hawke looked at his uniform. ‘Beats me.’

‘Word is you killed Moffett.’ Byrne commented.

Hawke shrugged. ‘We need to fix the tail rotor.’

‘You really think we’re going to get out of this?’ Byrne asked. ‘You know it’s not going to take them long to track us.’

Hawke shot him a look.

Byrne held his hands up. ‘What do you need me to do?’

Hawke nodded at the stack of equipment at the back of the hangar. ‘Do an inventory check. Pull out anything we can use.’

Byrne glanced at Airwolf. ‘I’m still a computer expert. I could help set up some scans.’

‘Caitlin has it under control.’ Hawke said.

‘Yeah, I guess she probably does.’

The admiring tone had Hawke’s eyes flickering to Byrne. The younger man shrugged. ‘I was watching her work on my monitor. You probably don’t realise but she anticipated your every move.’ He shrugged. ‘I never did that but there again, you never looked at me the way you do at her.’

Hawke pointed at the equipment. ‘Get started.’

Byrne dashed off a mock salute and jogged over to the back of the hangar. Hawke watched him go with a sigh before gathering the discarded clothing and towels. He headed back to Airwolf. He was about to open the door when he remembered Caitlin was using the machine to change. He gave a brief knock. She opened the door.

‘Are you all set?’ Hawke asked.

‘I just have a couple more scans to set up.’ Caitlin admitted.

‘Can you start a fire when you’re done?’

She nodded.

Hawke handed her the bundle of clothing and headed back to help Byrne. They quickly had a stack of usable equipment in one pile. They set to work on the rotor even as Caitlin got a fire burning in an old oil drum. They’d been working for over an hour when Hawke called a halt and they all took a break around the flames to keep warm.

Hawke warmed his hands on the metal mug he held and took a sip of the coffee. He was sat close to Caitlin on an overturned crate with Byrne sat across from them on the floor. Hawke considered the younger man’s serious face; Byrne had just rolled his sleeves up and got on with the jobs he’d been given. Hawke felt a pang of regret remembering another time when the young man had fitted into another team just as seamlessly. A good reminder, he thought, to be cautious of Byrne even if he had explained why he’d betrayed them in eighty-two.

Hawke stood up. ‘We should get back to it.’

‘How long do you think before they find us?’ Byrne asked getting to his feet.

‘We won’t have much more time.’ Hawke admitted. ‘We didn’t get that much distance from them.’

‘I’ll recheck the scans.’ Caitlin said.

‘I could give you a hand.’ Byrne offered.

‘You’ll help me with the rotor.’ Hawke corrected him.

Byrne sighed and followed the pilot to the workbench they had constructed. ‘You didn’t need to do that.’

Hawke didn’t look up from the rotor he was hammering back into shape.

‘In case you missed it, you shot my wife earlier this morning. I’m hardly likely to go chasing after your girlfriend.’

Hawke glanced up at him sharply. He pushed away the twinge of guilt at the evident and sincere heartbreak in Byrne’s grey eyes and his mixed emotions at Byrne’s assumption of his relationship with Caitlin. He returned his attention to the rotor.

‘So how long have the two of you…you know?’ Byrne said.

‘Byrne.’ Hawke snapped.

‘OK, OK.’ Byrne held up his hands in surrender. ‘I was just making conversation.’ He dropped his hands as Hawke pounded on the metal rotor. ‘You never were chatty.’

‘We don’t have anything to talk about.’ Hawke commented.

‘No reminiscing over old times?’ Byrne taunted.

Hawke shot him another look.

Byrne sighed. ‘Michael didn’t tell you, did he? That it was me you were picking up?’

Hawke ignored him.

‘You wouldn’t have come otherwise, would you?’ Byrne added.

‘And that surprises you?’ Hawke asked exasperated.

‘I made a mistake, Hawke. A bad one.’ Byrne admitted. ‘But I’ve paid for it.’

‘You’re walking out of this a free man, Byrne.’ Hawke pointed out. ‘Adam didn’t.’

‘You think I don’t think about that every day?’ Byrne retorted. ‘Adam was my friend too.’

‘Yeah.’ Hawke smashed the hammer into the rotor.

‘Dammit, Hawke. It was only supposed to a one-off transaction. The stuff I was giving them was worthless.’ Byrne gestured with a wrench. ‘Adam…I’m sorry about Adam. It happened before I could do anything to stop it.’

Hawke paused in swinging the hammer and he lowered it slowly; Byrne sounded sincerely regretful. ‘Why’d you run?’

Byrne looked at him surprised. He shrugged. ‘I panicked, I guess.’ He sighed. ‘You know the crazy thing? Because I ran, I didn’t get to see my mother before she died.’

Hawke kept silent.

‘I know Michael made sure she was taken care of even after what happened.’ Byrne said.

‘You never had to go the KGB. He would have helped you if you’d gone to him,’ Hawke said, ‘hell, if you’d come to Adam or me, we would have helped you.’

‘I know.’ Byrne admitted quietly.

Hawke returned to the work on the rotor. ‘So what’s the deal you made with Michael?’

Byrne hesitated. ‘I hand over the designs and Tanya and I…well, I guess it’s just me now.’ He sighed. ‘I get a new life, a new start.’

‘That’s what I figured.’ Hawke muttered.

‘I suppose you want me to rot in a jail somewhere for the rest of my life?’ Byrne said angrily.

‘Now that you mention it…’ Hawke said.

‘I was twenty-four, Hawke. I was young and I was stupid…’ Byrne began.

‘What is it you want from me, Byrne?’ Hawke whirled on him, the hammer tight in his grip. ‘What? You want my forgiveness, is that it?’

Byrne looked back into Hawke’s angry blue stare. ‘I guess maybe I do.’

‘Well we can’t always get what we want.’ Hawke turned back to the rotor.

Byrne sighed and the two men returned to work. It was another long hour before the rotor was fixed and Hawke called another halt. They were all exhausted and Hawke knew they needed a rest before they made a run for it. Caitlin had put together a stew from the rations they carried and they all resumed their places huddled around the fire.

Byrne set his metal dish down and staggered to his feet. ‘I need some air. I’m going for a walk.’

‘You need to stay inside.’ Hawke contradicted him. ‘It’s getting light. They spot you out walking and you’ll bring it all down on our heads.’

‘So I’ll make sure they don’t spot me.’ Byrne said continuing to walk away.

Hawke reached for his gun, aimed it and took off the safety. The audible click stopped Byrne in his tracks.

The other man turned around and rolled his eyes. ‘Jeez Hawke, give me a break.’

Hawke responded with a glacial stare.

Byrne walked back to the fire and sat down with a scowl.

Hawke put the safety back on and holstered his gun. Caitlin hid her smile in her coffee mug.

‘So this is great.’ Byrne said, gesturing. ‘What shall we talk about? Oh I know,’ his eyes flickered to Caitlin, ‘so when did you two start sleeping together?’

‘How about you shut up?’ Hawke glared at him as Caitlin choked on her drink.

Byrne got to his feet. ‘I’m going over there.’ He pointed to the back of the hangar. ‘That OK with you?’

‘Fine by me.’ Hawke bit out.

Byrne stalked over and sat down on the floor, his back to Airwolf and her crew.

Caitlin shivered and Hawke turned to her concerned. ‘Cold?’ He murmured softly, keeping his voice low so Byrne wouldn’t overhear them.

‘Yeah.’ Caitlin replied. ‘I can’t seem to stop shivering.’

‘You got soaked.’ Hawke admonished her. ‘Here.’ He slid an arm around her.

Caitlin inched closer and murmured a thank you. She wouldn’t admit it to Hawke but she was starting to feel pretty lousy.

‘I’m sorry.’ Hawke said suddenly.

‘What for?’ Caitlin asked. ‘It’s not your fault it was raining.’ She smiled. ‘Even you can’t you control the weather.’

‘I meant I was sorry about Byrne.’ Hawke said. ‘He’s gotten the wrong idea about us.’

Caitlin shrugged. ‘It’s not a big deal.’ She mumbled taking a gulp of her coffee to avoid looking at him.

‘Can I ask you a question?’ Hawke asked.

‘Sure.’

‘When they checked Airwolf, where were you?’

‘Under the console.’ Caitlin told him. ‘The guy only poked his head in. I was able to wait until you made your move.’

‘How did you know I’d make a move?’ Hawke asked.

Caitlin arched an eyebrow. ‘Please. Like you’d be able to help yourself.’

Hawke gave a short laugh. ‘You’re getting to know me too well.’ He paused. ‘Byrne noticed you anticipated all my orders.’

Caitlin shrugged again. ‘He hasn’t seen you with Dom.’ She looked over at where Byrne was sat, his back ramrod straight, his head bowed. She glanced back at Hawke. ‘He must be having a tough time. His wife betrays him and then…’

‘And then I shoot her dead.’ Hawke said harshly.

‘You saved my life.’ She said gently.

‘We make a good team that way.’ Hawke said.

She warmed under his intent regard and looked away toward the fire. Hawke watched the play of the firelight over her pale face. They did make a good team but for how much longer? She was going to leave unless…would it make a difference if he asked her to stay? He looked into the depths of his mug. Did he have any right to ask her? He frowned. Was he really prepared to see her walk away from him? He had so few people in life, was he really prepared to lose someone else?

He rubbed her arm. ‘Cait?’

‘Yeah?’

‘You know what you said the other night? About leaving?’ He felt her tense.

‘Hmmm?’

‘I want to say…’ he searched for the right words, ‘I…well, I’d miss you.’

She shifted to face him. ‘You would?’

‘I would.’ Hawke’s eyes scanned her face with its freckles and the wide honest eyes that had captured his attention the first time they’d met. ‘I don’t want you to leave.’ He admitted.

Caitlin’s fingers clenched around the mug and she resolutely tried to ignore the burgeoning hope making it difficult for her to breath. ‘Really?’

‘Really.’ Hawke murmured, his blue eyes meeting hers. ‘Cait, I…’

A loud bang at the back of the building had them both turning around sharply, drawing weapons. An open door was swinging wildly in the wind, slamming against the back wall. Byrne was missing.

‘Dammit. I’m going to shoot him.’ Hawke growled, partly in frustration at the interruption. ‘Stay here.’ He ran out after the recalcitrant man.

Caitlin holstered her gun and inched closer to the fire, warming her hands. He didn’t want her to leave. She shouldn’t make too much of it, she thought even though her lips curved. She sneezed and gave a hitching cough.

A beep from Airwolf’s cockpit caught her attention and she moved to see what Airwolf had picked up. She brought up the information and her eyes widened in alarm. They were being surrounded. She checked the distances and ran a scan. Hawke had almost caught up with Byrne but both of them were out in the open with no cover. There was no time; they’d be shot down before she could get Airwolf airborne. She was already securing Airwolf as she made her conclusions. She ran for the back door of the hangar, reaching for her gun.

Hawke eased from the jog to a walk as he spotted Byrne standing looking out into the twilight. The younger man looked upset. Hawke sighed. He guessed it had been a blow for Byrne to discover that Tanya had been prepared to kill him, had used him to get her hands on Airwolf, and he was obviously upset about her death. Hawke felt his compassion stir; he stopped next to Byrne and holstered his gun.

‘Look, Hawke, you have no idea what I’m going through right now…’ Byrne began before Hawke could speak.

‘Byrne,’ Hawke tried to interrupt him.

‘…but I’m trying to make sense of everything and…’

‘Byrne,’ Hawke tried again and then he heard something…

‘…I just need some space…’

‘Shut up.’ Hawke hissed grabbing the other man’s arm.

Byrne saw the fixed searching look on Hawke’s face and obliged him.

Hawke peered into the bushes in front of them…movement…he saw the flash of the gun…and felt a blow as something hit him from the side, slamming him first into Byrne and then to the ground, out of the path of the bullet. It took him less than a moment to realise it was Caitlin.

‘Cait.’ Hawke whispered and shifted when she didn’t respond, crawling to where she’d rolled when they’d hit the ground. ‘Caitlin.’ He called again in a stage whisper. His heart seized. She wasn’t moving at all.

—

Hawke turned Caitlin over, dragging her into his arms, his head shaking in denial even as his shocked eyes catalogued the scraped lump on her head and worse, the bloody wound in her shoulder. ‘No. Please God, no, not Cait.’ He smoothed her hair away from her, his trembling fingers following the line of her neck searching for a pulse.

‘Is she..?’ Byrne crawled up beside them.

Hawke found a beat against his fingers and he breathed out sharply in relief. He clutched her closer to him, put pressure on her wound and rocked her gently. ‘Stay with me, Cait,’ he murmured, his lips grazed her forehead, ‘don’t you dare leave me.’

A bullet hit the ground by their feet. Then another. Hawke’s head whipped round.

‘Hawke, we have to get out of here.’ Byrne said anxiously.

Hawke nodded and ruthlessly pushed his panic aside. A mask fell over his expression; his eyes became blank, deadly. He felt around and found Caitlin’s gun. He threw it at Byrne. ‘I’ll take her. You cover us. Count of three.’

They started to inch back, slowly first on the ground until they were behind an old derelict wall. As soon as they were covered by the meagre protection, they got to their feet and Byrne fired some warning shots. Hawke carried Caitlin into the hangar, running as fast as he could. He balanced her in his arms as Byrne opened Airwolf. Hawke carefully lowered her into the co-pilot seat, trying to ignore the spreading red stain across the front of her uniform. He ran around to take his own seat as Byrne made his way into the cockpit and took the empty seat at the engineer’s console.

‘You remember how to set up the weapons?’ Hawke asked harshly, starting the engines, bringing the systems on line.

‘Hawke…it’s been three years…’ Byrne looked at the vast switches and buttons aghast.

‘Remember. Fast.’ Hawke snarled, moving them out of the hangar, hearing the weapons deploying as Byrne found the right buttons. As soon as they were in the open, they started taking small arms fire, the bullets ricocheting harmless off the armour. He triggered the chain guns, loosening a barrage to keep their assailants at a distance and called for the turbos. He ignited them, taking off like a jet into the sky which was beginning to lighten with the first rays of the morning.

‘Raise our radar suppression.’ Hawke snapped at Byrne. ‘And reconnect our communications.’

‘Right.’ Byrne followed his instructions with shaking hands, calming as the once-forgotten actions came tumbling back to him. The monitor in front began clicking through aircraft id. ‘Uh…Hawke…radar’s picked up a helicopter on their way to us.’

Hawke dived, keeping Airwolf level. ‘Adjust our radar deflection see if we can’t confuse them.’

‘On it.’ Byrne said. ‘They’re firing missiles – heat-seeking.’

‘Deploy two sunbursts.’

‘Deploying sunbursts. Got one. Missed one. Evade.’

Hawke banked hard left then right, and then came off the turbos. The missile flew past into the mountain beside them. He reignited the turbos and sent Airwolf into a power climb, turning to dive back behind the helicopter. He fired a missile and didn’t wait to see it impact, sending the helicopter to the ground a burning ball of steel.

‘We’re clear, Hawke.’ Byrne noted. ‘They’re toast.’

Hawke pressed the buttons to connect him to Michael. The image of the FIRM’s deputy director flickered into view on the video link.

‘Hawke, where the hell have you been? You’ve missed…’

‘Michael,’ Hawke’s urgent tone halted Archangel mid-flow, ‘I need a hospital in Maine prepared to handle gunshot wounds and possible head injury. Cait’s been hit bad.’

‘There’s a FIRM clinic. We’ll send coordinates now and notify the clinic of your ETA.’ Michael nodded at someone beyond the camera to make the arrangements and then leaned forward. ‘How is she?’

‘Unconscious, Michael.’ Hawke glanced at her still form. ‘She’s…’ His fear reached up and choked him.

‘Airwolf is monitoring her vitals as erratic, Archangel.’ Byrne said. ‘Pulse is weak. She’s losing a lot of blood.’

‘Byrne?’ Michael’s voice rose. ‘What’s he doing on the controls?’

‘Helping to save Caitlin’s life.’ Hawke snapped.

Michael nodded slowly. ‘I’ll meet you at the clinic.’

Hawke nodded and disconnected. ‘Lock in the coordinates and put her on auto, Byrne.’

‘Receiving and locking in coordinates, Hawke.’ Byrne said. ‘Auto engaged.’

Hawke took his helmet off and shifted in his seat. ‘Byrne, there’s a first aid kit…’

‘Already on it.’ Byrne handed him the pack and gently attached a breathing mask to Caitlin’s face, hooking it up to a small oxygen canister. Hawke reached over and started to press a bandage to her shoulder. He tried to ignore how her uniform was already soaked through. Byrne taped it to her and then handed Hawke a blanket to wrap around her. The younger man wrung a cloth out using water from the stock they kept and laid it over her forehead.

‘This should help with the swelling.’ Byrne said.

Hawke nodded, his eyes glued to Caitlin’s pale face and slid his hand into Caitlin’s. His fingers rubbed against hers. ‘Hold on, Cait, just hold on.’ He found his mind drifting back to the past, to the moment he’d met her…

A jail cell was a jail cell whether it was in ‘Nam or Pope County, Texas. Hawke had stretched out on the thin mattress covering the cot’s rickety frame, following the old maxim to rest when the opportunity presented itself. Jimmy’s friend was right, the sheriff was a mean one; the deputy on the other hand a dweeb. If he was going to get out of this cell alive it wasn’t going to be because either of those men helped him. The sound of raised voices outside in the office caught his attention. A woman. The door opened and footsteps had his head turning.

‘Not here huh?’ The Texan accent tinged all her words.

Hawke fought with the bed a little and got to his feet as the deputy babbled something about the story that he’d given; that he was James Blake and his id had been stolen.

‘You’re not him.’ The eyes under the cap scouring him as he approached the cell bars were somewhere between blue and green. God, she was young, he thought, and pretty, kinda cute. Highway patrol not local law enforcement, he realised taking in the cap legend and the uniform as he asked if she was looking for Jimmy.

‘If that’s the biker I saw Sheriff Bogan run to the ground yesterday, yes.’ Damn, that didn’t sound good.

‘I sure would like a word with you miss?’

‘Deputy…Caitlin.’ Yeah, young enough to get flustered. He introduced himself, his real name, to the shock of the boy stood next to her. He brushed him off quickly and looked hopefully at Caitlin as he repeated his request to speak to her.

‘I’m listening.’ Her face was tilted up to his, her attention on him.

‘I’m getting Sheriff Bogan.’ The boy started out of the cells and she looked pleased to see him go, her annoyance with the deputy evident in the flash of temper sparking through her eyes.

‘You do that deputy. All right Mr Hawke. What have you got to say?’

There was something about her that compelled him to tell her the truth; that he’d gotten a phone call to come rescue Jimmy, about what the friend had said about the sheriff; she told him what she’s seen and he found himself finishing with a plea to let him go for Jimmy’s sake; it was Jimmy she was concerned about. She asked him how he was going to find him and he gave some glib answer to cover for the truth that he would use Airwolf.

The deputy…Caitlin paced away, pulling the cap from her head and shaking loose red hair in a short page-boy style. ‘I’m going to nail Sheriff Bogan’s butt on a couple of counts…’ Taking on the corrupt sheriff; she’s young but she’s got guts, he thought as she continued ‘…including the murder of your friend if he did that but I’m not busting anyone out of jail.’ She was under the wall light when she spun round to face him again and a shock of recognition ran through him; the previous night in Airwolf, he’d rescued a woman who’d tried fighting off a truck full of cowboys on her own.

‘You’re her.’ Dammit, did he just say that out loud!

‘What?’

He covered and fast. ‘You kinda look like a lady I met recently.’ He looked at her. She was honest and straight as an arrow, of course she wouldn’t bust him out of jail. He had to find a way to work within her principles or he wasn’t getting out. ‘Listen if you won’t get me out at least let me make a phone call to a friend who will.’

‘Sheriff Bogan didn’t let you make a phone call?’ She walked back over.

‘Does it look like it?’ He gestured at the cell.

‘No.’ Caitlin gave him a half-smile and an unexpected knowing look. She’d wanted to help him and he’d found the compromise she’d accept. She started to walk away to get the keys and he gave an inward sigh of relief. He’d call Dom and…and she was stopping, turning back to him with a hint of suspicion in her eyes. ‘If you try anything cowboy I’m going to make what he did to you look like love-taps.’ She glared at him, her chin up as though daring him to take a shot or worse, laugh.

Their eyes connected in the dim lighting. He replied with quiet sincerity. ‘I know.’

Hawke heard the footsteps running towards him down the hospital corridor and he rose seeking the man who’d been there for him his whole life. Dom didn’t hesitate, just opened his arms to the boy he’d raised regardless that he was now a grown man and held on whilst Hawke clung to him. When Hawke finally inched back Dom breathed in sharply as he caught sight of his damp shattered eyes.

‘Caitlin?’ Dom asked fearful of the answer, trying hard to ignore the dried smeared blood on Hawke’s uniform.

Hawke took a breath, fought for his control, wondered when he’d lost it. Maybe in the fraught minutes before they arrived at the clinic as he’d held Caitlin’s hand and seen her grow paler and weaker with each minute. Maybe in the chaos of arriving at the clinic at seeing her being placed on the stretcher, of refusing to leave her side until the doctor had forcibly shoved him away. Maybe at the moment they’d shouted they were losing her and the dull tone of the machine as her heartbeat failed…

‘Surgery.’ Byrne answered. ‘They almost lost her in the ER but they got her back and took her straight to surgery. We haven’t heard anything since.’

‘Marella, go and see if we can’t get some information.’ Michael instructed. She nodded and laid a hand on Hawke’s arm before walking away, her stilettos clicking down the linoleum floor.

‘Byrne.’ Michael took the young man aside away from Hawke and Dominic who both sank onto the bench to wait, the older man with a comforting a hand on Hawke’s shoulder.

Byrne handed over his watch. ‘Your designs are on a microdot in the centre of the clock face, Archangel.’

‘Thank you.’ Michael motioned for another one of his aides to step forward. He handed her the watch. ‘Laura, see this and Mr Byrne get to where they need to go.’ He turned back to Byrne. ‘Everything is as you requested it.’

Byrne nodded and hesitated, glancing at Hawke. ‘I’d like to know if she makes it. She saved both of our lives.’

‘I think we can work something out.’ Michael covered his surprise by rubbing his moustache as Byrne walked back over to Hawke who got to his feet. The two men stood and regarded each other for a long moment.

Byrne folded his arms defensively. ‘Good luck, Hawke. Tell Caitlin thank you when she wakes up.’ He gave a mock salute and went to walk away.

‘James…’ Hawke waited until Byrne turned in surprise at Hawke’s use of his first name. ‘Thanks.’

Byrne nodded and followed Laura out.

Hawke sat back down and waited.

Michael left the security guard he had been talking to and joined them a few minutes later.

Hawke didn’t react, didn’t seem aware of the other man joining the vigil. You have to make it Cait, he thought, you always have before, from the very first time…he stared at the floor, back in the past…

He was back in Airwolf. One minute he was running through brush, dodging bullets from hunters and the next running through a pack of lions chewing down on what looked like one of Dom’s old uniforms and into the cockpit; safe, back where he was meant to be. But it wasn’t over. He’d gotten his call to Dom but at a cost to Caitlin; the sheriff had her. She had helped him, now he needed to help her. He’d brought Dom up to date before ribbing him about the uniform…

‘I don’t want to hear anymore about it.’ Dom said with a tone that told Hawke he’d pushed the bantering as far as he could. ‘ETA in three minutes. She’s a chopper pilot huh?

‘Yeah for the Texas Highway Patrol no less.’ He still couldn’t believe she was a cop.

‘What’s her name?’

‘Caitlin.’ Hawke’s eyes narrowed on a sudden thought. ‘I just hope she’s OK. I don’t think her being attacked by those men last night was a coincidence.’

‘You think..?’

‘I don’t know,’ Hawke cut across Dom’s worry, ‘but either way, we’ll get her out.’

‘You’re right about that String. Main street dead ahead.’

Hawke brought Airwolf in on a fast approach, angling straight for the Pope County jail, swinging around he pressed the turbos and the turbine ignition sent a wash of pressurised air that took out the windows in the police station. He ordered up the chain guns and he shot up the vehicles outside; a demonstration of Airwolf’s fire-power. He hovered in front of the shattered window and stared at the sheriff. Dom hit the button for voice projection.

‘Morning, Sheriff.’ Hawke said, ‘I’m going to make this real easy, even for you. You have thirty seconds to send out the girl.’

There was movement in response to his demand; he could see it but his gut was telling him the sheriff wasn’t going to back down.

‘Hey String two people going out the back.’

He lifted Airwolf, peeked over the top of the building and saw Caitlin running with the dweeb of a deputy around the side to the front, where her aircraft was.

‘There she is. I hope he’s letting her go.’ He frowned as she climbed into the patrol chopper. Her shirt was torn. Gunshots hit the dirt floor in front of the chopper; the deputy went down. Hawke put Airwolf between the chopper and the jail, protecting her as best he could but the shots kept coming.

‘Come on Sheriff don’t make me do it.’ Hawke murmured as the gunfire continued. He’d been right; the sheriff wasn’t going to back down at all. ‘Yeah.’ He hit the trigger on the chain guns and thinking about the torn shirt on Caitlin, gave in to his temper; he blew the jail up with a missile. The resulting explosion drenched the cockpit in the orange light of a fireball. He swung Airwolf around to face the patrol chopper.

‘Are you OK?’ He asked gruffly. If she’d been hurt…

‘Yeah.’ Her voice was a tangle of emotions. She lifted the chopper off the ground a little. ‘Stringfellow Hawke?’

Both he and Dom jumped. ‘She knows you?’ Dom asked incredulously.

‘She’s guessing.’ He hoped. ‘Who’s that?’ He radioed back.

‘Well whoever you are…thanks.’

Hawke relaxed and tried to ignore the wash of pleasure at the simple word of gratitude. ‘You’re welcome.’ He hesitated and then moved off; she was safe, there wasn’t any more reason to stay.

‘Hey wait a minute. Hey you can’t leave.’ She was following them, he realised amused.

‘Why not?’ He teased, letting her catch up, happy to humour her.

‘You just blew up the Pope County jail, the sheriff and half the cowboys in town.’

‘To save you.’ Dom answered.

‘Who said that?’ She shot back, the surprise at someone else being there evident.

‘I ain’t telling.’ Dom was laughing now.

‘Well whoever or whatever you are a hearing’s got to be held and you’ve got to answer some questions.’ Completely outmatched and still trying to do what was right. She either had more guts than sense mused Hawke, or she’s true to the bone. Or maybe both.

‘For what?’ He murmured.

‘Cos that’s the law.’ That was his cop – honest and straight as an arrow. And Michael thought he saw things in black and white, Hawke thought wondering wistfully at her idealism. He looked across the sky at her. They couldn’t stay even if, Hawke realised with a twinge of regret, he wanted to. He started to ease Airwolf forward, getting some space between her and the small patrol chopper.

‘Well, see you around kid.’ He hit the turbos as soon as they were clear and Airwolf shot forward, leaving his cop behind.

The wait seemed endless. Dom managed to coax Hawke into changing out of the ruined uniform and into spare clothes. At some point Marella came back with coffee.

‘What’s taking them so long?’ Hawke wondered out loud, getting to his feet and pacing.

‘You just have to be patient, String.’ Dom said.

‘She’ll make it Hawke.’ Michael reassured him.

Hawke rubbed a hand over his face. ‘She lost so much blood.’ He said softly.

Dom looked down unable to speak, tears pricking at the back of his eyes.

Michael cleared his throat. ‘She’s a lot of tougher than she appears, you know that Hawke.’ He attempted a small smile. ‘After all she has to be to put up with the two of you.’

Dom harrumphed, secretly appreciative of the other man’s attempts to lighten the moment.

More footsteps walking towards him…Hawke whirled and the others got to their feet to greet the approaching doctor with anxious eyes.

‘Doctor?’ Michael asked when it looked like Hawke wasn’t going to speak.

‘We’ve stemmed the damage to her shoulder caused by the bullet. It luckily didn’t hit anything major but it did make quite a mess of the muscle and soft tissue. The head injury looks minor but we won’t know the full effects until she wakes up.’ He hesitated. ‘Her recovery may be complicated…she seems to be in the early stages of an infection of some kind. We’ve started her on antibiotics and transferred her to ICU.’

‘Can I see her?’ Hawke asked gruffly.

‘Of course.’ The doctor gestured for a nurse. ‘When you go in, don’t be alarmed by the equipment she’s hooked up to; it’s all there to help us keep a close eye on her and do our jobs.’

‘Thank you, Doctor.’ Michael said.

The doctor nodded and moved away. The dark haired nurse gestured up the corridor. ‘If you’d like to follow me.’

Hawke followed the nurse into the recovery room with Michael and Dom close behind. His heart pounded hard against his ribs as his eyes caught on the figure of Caitlin lying prone on the hospital bed. An oxygen mask covered the lower half of her face, a small bandage lay over her head injury and a larger one covered her shoulder and peeked out from under the hospital gown. A monitor registering her vitals was hooked up on one side, an IV drip on the other. She looked incredibly pale, incredibly fragile.

Hawke rubbed his chest and walked over. He sank into the leather chair by her bedside and took her limp hand in his own. He was oblivious to everything and everyone else. At the back of the room Dom and Michael exchanged an uncomfortable look and both backed out slowly. Dom closed the door quietly and stared at it with a worried frown.

‘What’s going on with the two of them?’ Michael asked bluntly.

Dom turned slowly to meet his gaze. ‘If I knew…’ he opened his hands expansively.

‘Why weren’t you with them?’ Michael asked.

‘Don’t remind me.’ Dom pushed away the useless guilt…if he’d been with them…

‘Why?’ Michael insisted. He sighed at Dom’s mulish expression. ‘Dominic…’

Dom gave a huff of annoyance. ‘Caitlin’s been thinking of leaving.’

‘She’s going to leave?’ Michael’s eyebrows shot up.

‘No.’ Dom sighed. ‘She was thinking about it, that’s all. It’s just…I figured if they had some time alone…’

Michael sighed and decided he didn’t need to walk through that particular minefield; he had another one to deal with. ‘Dominic, I have Airwolf.’

Dom’s head whipped back to him so fast Michael feared the older man would have whiplash. ‘You what?’

‘I have Airwolf. Hawke left her on the roof. Unsecured.’

Dom folded his arms and glared at him. ‘Of all the low down…’

‘If I hadn’t taken her, someone else from the FIRM would have.’ Michael pointed out. ‘She was already gaining attention.’

‘Well, I guess that’s that then….’

Michael tapped his cane impatiently. ‘I had her airlifted to a secure location as soon as you’re ready I’ll take you. You can fly her to wherever you want.’

Dom’s eyes flew to his. ‘You…you…’ He stuttered before gesturing at the spy. ‘Why?’

‘Because I made a deal with Hawke and I’ll keep it.’ Michael said firmly ignoring the more personal reasons that had prompted the action.

Dom’s eyes slid to the door. He wouldn’t need to be here for a while and this was something constructive he could do to help. ‘Lead on then.’

—

Hawke was swearing under his breath at the Steerman. It was a hot day and the last thing he needed was to be flat on his back on a metal trolley wrestling with wing-nuts. He could feel the heavy cotton material of the overalls sticking to his back. The old plane needed dismantling never mind overhauling, he thought grumpily. He heard the sound of someone walking towards him; cowboy boots. Well, whoever it was they were just going to have to wait, he grumbled to himself as the footsteps stopped right next to him; it had taken enough time to get into position, he wasn’t planning on moving until he was done.

‘That’s the thing about these old Steermans. You think getting the oil can cover off is trouble enough but then you drop a wing-nut and you have to be a contortionist to get it.’

Right on cue, he dropped a wing-nut. He had an upside down brief glimpse of the slim-figured woman in a cotton shirt and jeans as she handed it back to him; half her face covered in sunglasses and a cap pulled low over her forehead hiding her hair. Nice smile, though.

‘Thanks.’

‘My pleasure.’

He turned back to the Steerman. ‘Something I can do for you?’

‘Something I can do for you? Well I thought I’d get a much better welcome than that after travelling all the way from Pope County Texas just to find you Stringfellow Hawke.’ He dropped the wing-nut in shock and stared at her. ‘You know you could wear this around your neck.’ She said handing the wing-nut back to him again.

He took it from her and twisted, shifting onto his stomach on the trolley to take a better look and found himself smiling.

‘Caitlin. Deputy Caitlin.’

‘I know that.’

She smiled at him and he gave a small laugh, pleased to see her rather than nervous. And he should be nervous; the last time he’d seen her she’d been trying to get him to stay and answer for blowing up the Pope County jail.

‘How’d you find me?’ He asked.

‘Chopper pilot with a name like Stringfellow Hawke? I just called the first,’ she turned away from him, the Santini Air chopper catching her attention and removed her sunglasses to take a better look, ‘ah…three hundred S Hawke’s in the phone book. What is that?’ She pointed at the equipment in the chopper.

He struggled off the trolley and went to stand next to her by the Steerman’s wing.

‘That’s a Tyler mount. You use it for shooting film out of choppers.’

‘You do that fancy flying stuff?’

She sounded so impressed he was eager to confirm that he did. For a beat, the two of them stood leaning on the wing, looking at each other.

‘So what brought you here?’ He asked finally. Please don’t say to arrest me, he thought.

‘Oh I had some time off.’ Caitlin removed the cap and shook her red hair loose. ‘You know after you shot up the town and everything I took a leave of absence. Didn’t want to be a flying meter-maid anymore.’ He tried hard not to react to her comment about shooting up the town and felt the bottom of his stomach drop out at her next question. ‘So where do you keep it?’

‘What?’ Maybe he could pretend he didn’t know anything, just bluff his way out.

‘That monster machine of yours.’

‘What monster machine?’

‘You know, that black battleship with the rotors. It’s most incredible helicopter I’ve ever seen in my life.’ Black battleship with the rotors. It was the best description he’d heard of Airwolf for a while. He’d have to remember to tell Dom. Damn, but she was persistent though. He pushed away some disappointment that it had been Airwolf that had brought her to the airfield.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ Their eyes connected.

Her face dropped as she read his. ‘Oh. You don’t want to talk about it.’

‘Ain’t nothing to talk about.’ Hawke muttered. Drop it, Caitlin please, he thought.

‘OK.’ She said. He knew as he looked into her eyes that she hadn’t bought it; she knew the truth but his honest, straight as an arrow cop was going to let it go. For now, at least.

Caitlin looked down and then back at up at him. Hawke wondered why she was nervous.

‘Ah. There’s one thing I have to tell ya. I brought your friend back.’

He swallowed hard. Jimmy. She’d brought back Jimmy. He tried to focus on what she was saying, something about finding his remains out in the desert. Her eyes caught his and then he was drowning in compassion as she saw right through to his sadness and regret.

‘I’m real sorry.’

He attempted a smile, failed. So he responded to the compassion instead. ‘Thanks.’

‘Hey. You saved my life even if you don’t want to admit it.’

He was still looking into her eyes and realised with some surprise that she’d come for him, to be with him when he found out about Jimmy and not for Airwolf at all. That was it; without even thinking his arm was around her and he was leading her into the hangar, into his life.

Hawke raised his head from the bed with a jerk. He’d thought he’d heard…he scanned Caitlin’s face anxiously. She was so still, her chest falling and rising in shallow breaths. It had been almost twenty-four hours since she’d been shot. He searched for the words to bring her back to him. He scrubbed at his face with his hands trying to banish the tiredness eating at him, eroding the last of his defences…he shook his head…he’d lost those before she’d been injured…

‘Cait,’ Hawke whispered as his fingers traced over her face before he clasped her hand in his, ‘please don’t…don’t die.’ He held her hand against his rough cheek and closed his eyes. ‘Come back to me…I love you.’ The murmured words whispered through the silent room, drifted on the sunlight beginning to filter through the blinds.

Caitlin stirred; a tiny movement.

Hawke’s eyes flew open and he raised his head from the back of her hand. He reached over to gently stroke her hair away from her face. Her eyelids fluttered open and he found himself looking into blue-green eyes fogged with sleep and the painkillers they had given her. She raised her free hand weakly trying to move the oxygen mask. Hawke helped her remove it completely and when she licked her lips, he helped her take a drink of water.

Caitlin frowned at how pale Hawke looked with shadows under his eyes and the rough shadow of his beard covering his lower face; even his casual clothes created an unexpected impression of vulnerability. He put the drink back on the bedside table and she winced at the myriad of aches and pains assaulting her as she settled back against the pillows.

‘What happened?’ She asked her mind failing to recollect why she’d ended up in a hospital bed.

‘You got shot, banged your head, caught an infection.’ He slid his hand back over hers. ‘Nothing serious.’

Her blue eyes searched his face seeing again the shadows and the paleness. She’d scared him, she realised as her mind started to sludge through the morass of drugs. ‘Sorry.’ She managed.

Hawke nodded sharply. ‘I should get a nurse.’

‘In a minute.’ Caitlin blinked at him trying to focus properly. ‘You were here…the whole time?’

Hawke squeezed her hand. ‘I’ll get the nurse.’

‘String…’ her fingers clutched at his, keeping him with her even as the tiredness and drugs pulled her back under; her eyes closed and she drifted into sleep again.

Hawke stood paralysed for a long moment. She was going to be OK. The relief rocked him backwards. He sank back into the chair still holding her hand. He held it to him tightly. He’d almost lost her…the thought scared him to death. He tried to take a breath, get air into his lungs. What the hell was he going to do now?

—

Hawke was pacing impatiently, waiting for the doctor to finish examining Caitlin when he saw Dom and Michael approaching. He came to a standstill and sat down on one of the hard plastic chairs in the corridor. Dom took the one next to him; Michael remained standing.

‘How is she?’ Dom asked, his eyes taking in the younger man’s tension.

‘Coming to.’ Hawke said.

Dom relaxed seeing the clarity was back in Hawke’s blue eyes; Caitlin must be doing better. He gave a gap-toothed smile. ‘That’s good news.’

‘Yeah.’ Hawke allowed a small smile to cross his lips. She was safe. For the time being.

‘Are you up to telling us what happened?’ Michael asked.

Hawke shrugged and folded his arms. ‘She got shot.’

Dom’s eyes filled with amusement as the spy gave a long-suffering sigh. Hawke was definitely back to his usual self.

‘How?’ Michael asked.

‘Does it matter?’ Hawke asked.

‘I need to know if Byrne was involved in anyway…’

Hawke shook his head at Michael. ‘It was my fault.’ He watched Dom and Michael exchange a look. ‘It was.’ He insisted. ‘I was out in the open without cover. If Caitlin hadn’t…’ He took a breath. ‘She pushed me out of the way and took the bullet. She saved my life.’

‘Ah hell.’ Dom said quietly. No wonder Hawke had acted so crazy.

Michael sighed. ‘You can’t blame yourself, Hawke.’

Hawke shrugged again and changed the subject. ‘Byrne get to his new life OK?’

‘Yes.’ Michael sat down, leaning on his cane. ‘The designs he brought us were valuable.’ He hesitated. ‘I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you but…’

Hawke sighed. ‘Byrne told me he stole the info back in eighty-two to pay for his mother’s health care. Is that true?’

Michael nodded. ‘He was very young, Hawke. Brilliant but young. He took a wrong path.’

‘Yeah.’ Hawke nodded. Byrne had certainly come through for them in Airwolf…Hawke’s eyes went wide in alarm and he shifted suddenly, turning to Dom. ‘Dom, the Lady…’

Dom waved him back down into his seat. ‘She’s safe.’

‘Safe.’ Michael agreed, amused as Hawke’s head whipped round to him. ‘No thanks to you I might add.’

Hawke looked from Michael to Dom and then back again. Both wore matching bland expressions. He shook his head. ‘I don’t want to know.’

‘I’m not telling you either.’ Dom said.

Michael smiled enigmatically and stroked his moustache. He cleared his throat. ‘I took the liberty of calling the O’Shaunessy’s. They should be arriving soon.’

Hawke glanced at him in surprise. He hadn’t even considered her family but of course Caitlin’s folks should be told; they would want to be with her and she would probably want them close. He glanced at Dom; by the look on the older man’s face he wasn’t the only one who’d forgotten that Cait had another family.

The doctor came out of Caitlin’s room and all three men rose to greet him.

‘She’s doing well.’ He said. ‘She’ll be out of commission for a while with the shoulder and she’s going to need some care for a time. She was very lucky. She’s sleeping now.’

Hawke breathed out in relief. ‘Thanks, doc.’ He was already walking back into her room and missed both the doctor’s nod of acknowledgement and the look Michael and Dom exchanged. He closed the door behind him and returned to his seat by her bedside. She was off the oxygen but there was a machine hooked up and taking her vitals. She still looked too pale. He took her hand. Caitlin turned and her eyes opened to meet his.

‘Hey.’ She said groggily.

‘Hey.’ He replied. ‘The doctor says you’re going to be fine.’

‘That’s good.’

He gave a small smile. ‘Michael called your folks.’

‘He did?’ Caitlin frowned. God knew how her parents were going to take the news she was doing more than flying stunts. They were going to be furious. She couldn’t handle them. She blinked at sudden tears.

‘Hey.’ Hawke almost panicked at the sheen in her eyes. ‘It’s going to be OK. They’ll be here soon and…’

‘They’re going to be so mad at me.’ She said interrupting him.

Hawke stared at her. ‘You’ve never told them?’

‘About Airwolf?’ Caitlin blinked at him in shock. ‘Of course not. They don’t know anything.’

Hawke was staggered. ‘Well, you don’t have to worry about that right now. You’re tired.’ He noted, rubbing the fingers he held. ‘Close your eyes. Get some rest.’

She sighed and glanced over at him. She was tired; she could barely keep her eyes open. ‘You’ll stay with me?’

‘I’ll be right here.’ He promised as she closed her eyes and gave in.

He must have fallen asleep himself because the room was dark and only dimly lit with the lamps on the side tables when he jerked awake. He pushed a hand through his hair, his eyes automatically going to Caitlin. She was still sleeping. His head tilted. Voices outside. Raised voices. There was an argument going on. He frowned. If they got any louder they’d wake her. Hawke let go of Caitlin’s hand reluctantly and went to investigate.

The opening of the room door brought the argument outside to a halt as all the participants turned in his direction. He slipped out of the room and closed the door behind him whilst he reviewed the situation. Dom was standing shoulder to shoulder with Michael; Marella was in her usual place next to the spy. Hawke could read the strange mix of hurt and defiance in Dom’s expression. His blue eyes slid to the middle-aged couple and pregnant woman they were faced off against; Caitlin’s parents and her sister, Hawke deduced. All three had flushed cheeks and temper in their eyes. The silence was painful even for him; he cleared his throat.

‘You must be Caitlin’s parents?’

Patrick O’Shaunessy’s green eyes narrowed at Hawke. Caitlin had always talked with fondness about Santini but this one…Caitlin was worryingly quiet about and when she did talk about him…there was always something in her voice that as her father set his teeth on edge. ‘I’m Patrick O’Shaunessy.’ He held his hand out automatically and found it briefly in an iron grip before being released.

Hawke dropped the other man’s hand and wondered what the hell to say as the other man introduced his wife, Maggie and their daughter, Erin. ‘This must be quite a shock for you. Caitlin told me she hasn’t told you about the nature of the work we do.’

Patrick’s eyes gleamed and flickered briefly to Michael before returning to Hawke. ‘She hasn’t told me anything and I’d like some answers.’

‘We all would.’ Maggie added angrily. ‘My daughter is lying shot…’

‘She saved my life.’ Hawke said.

‘And exactly what was it you were doing that meant she had to save you?’ Maggie asked.

‘They were on a mission for me.’ Michael said firmly.

‘A mission.’ Patrick repeated.

‘As I was trying to explain before,’ Michael said, ‘Santini Air has a contract with the FIRM to perform surveillance and occasional missions in the interests of national security.’

‘And as I said to you, I’ve never heard of this FIRM.’ Maggie rejoined.

‘The FIRM is a highly covert agency,’ Marella said calmly, ‘we were established by George Washington after the War of Independence and the establishment of the first US government. We work under the same mandate as the CIA.’

‘And what was this mission she was on when she was shot?’ Maggie asked.

‘I can’t tell you.’ Michael returned. ‘National security.’

‘But you should know that the work your daughter performs is critical and essential.’ Marella added.

‘And dangerous.’ Maggie pointed out.

‘So what the hell happened?’ Patrick asked.

‘It was my fault.’ Hawke admitted.

‘Your fault?’ Patrick folded his arms and glared at Hawke. ‘You want to explain that?’

Hawke adjusted his stand, prepared himself for the punch he deserved to get. ‘Just what I said.’

‘Pat,’ Maggie O’Shaunessy laid a hand on her husband’s arm before he could react, ‘this isn’t the time.’ Her blue eyes flickered to Hawke. ‘How is Caitlin?’

‘She’s sleeping.’ Hawke took a breath. ‘The doctor says she’ll make a full recovery.’

The O’Shaunessy’s breathed a sigh of relief.

‘Thank God.’ Patrick uttered.

‘Well, thank you for your concern,’ Maggie stated, ‘but we’ll take it from here.’

‘But…’ Dom looked at Hawke. The younger man’s face was impassive, his blue eyes guarded.

‘We appreciate your staying with her but we’re her family.’ Maggie insisted. ‘We’ll take over now.’

Dom’s brow lowered ominously. Hawke shot him a look before the older man could erupt.

‘Ma’am,’ Hawke met her determined blue eyes with his own, ‘I promised her I’d stay with her. I’m not going anywhere.’

Maggie frowned but before she could say anything, Erin put her hand on her mother’s arm. ‘Thank you. We’re all tired from the journey and could do with a rest, maybe some food?’

‘There’s a cafeteria down on the second floor.’ Marella said quickly. ‘I’d be happy to show it to you.’

‘Thank you.’ Erin stared meaningfully at her parents who both nodded reluctantly.

‘I guess some food wouldn’t hurt.’ Patrick admitted. He stared at Hawke. ‘Perhaps you could let Caitlin know we’re here when she wakes up and send someone for us.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Hawke replied.

‘If you’d like to follow me.’ Marella led the O’Shaunessy family down the corridor.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Hawke turned to Dom and Michael. ‘Well that went well.’

Dom looked abashed. ‘They took it real bad, String.’

‘And they weren’t prepared to listen.’ Michael added. He wondered how he’d let the argument escalate though; diplomacy, negotiation was his daily existence. Maybe he’d been affected by the events of the last day more than he’d thought. It was an uncomfortable conclusion.

‘Their daughter got shot.’ Hawke pointed out to his two friends. ‘They’re hardly likely to be OK about that.’ He sighed. ‘Like I said Cait told me she hasn’t told them anything about Airwolf or what we do.’

‘So it’s been a complete shock to them.’ Michael sighed and tapped his cane on the floor as though impatient with his own inability to have seen it for himself.

‘We care about her too.’ Dom said firmly gesticulating in fine Italian style. ‘And they should realise that. You’ve hardly moved from her bedside.’

‘They are her family, Dom.’ Hawke gently reminded him.

‘Even so, Hawke.’ Michael added.

Hawke turned as his ears picked up the sound of approaching footsteps and a moment later, Erin O’Shaunessy came to a breathless halt in front of them. She’d practically run back to the room. She tried to take a breath, her hand stealing to her rounded abdomen and Hawke steered her into a chair as he ordered Dom to get her something to drink.

‘Thank you.’ She gasped. ‘I just…’

‘Catch your breath.’ Hawke advised. His eyes flickered over her. ‘Should you be running around like this?’

‘I’m pregnant not an invalid.’ She sounded so like Caitlin, Hawke found his lips twitching.

Dom arrived back with some water. ‘Here you go. You drink it slowly now.’

‘Thank you Mr Santini.’ Erin smiled up at the old man who her sister spoke so fondly about. Her gaze drifted to Michael and his sartorial elegance and then back at Hawke. So this was the man her little sister was so confused about. ‘I just…I didn’t want you thinking we were all unappreciative for what you’ve done.’

Hawke’s lips twitched again. ‘Your folks are upset. We understand.’

‘For them to find out that she’s involved in slightly more than stunts and border hops, well…’ Erin shrugged. ‘I think they figured when she stopped being a cop that they could stop waiting for ‘that call’, you know.’

Hawke nodded, his eyes grave. He had gotten Caitlin involved with Airwolf; gotten her involved in something that might necessitate a call to her family to tell them she’d been hurt like she was now or worse one day…he tuned back into Erin.

‘…they’re a little shocked right now, that’s all. We’re glad she had you all to turn to.’

Dom’s face lit up with his trademark gap-toothed grin and even Hawke’s blue eyes warmed at Caitlin’s sister.

‘Thank you.’ Hawke gestured at the room. ‘I’ve got to get back to her.’

‘I understand.’ Erin got to her feet. ‘I’ll see you later?’

Hawke nodded. He watched her until she was out of sight before he took a step back to the room.

Dom’s hand landed heavy on his shoulder. ‘Want some company?’

Hawke looked at Dom’s hope-filled look and then to Michael’s. The knowledge that they were worried and wanted to be with her too warred with an instinctive reaction to say no; he wanted to be alone with her. His gut clenched; maybe it was for the best…her family were here and he was…he was getting too close…

‘String?’

Dom’s gentle prompt had Hawke sighing. He gestured at the room. ‘Sure.’

—

Hawke checked his watch and then checked again at the clock on the wall in the comfy seating area. In the last few days since the O’Shaunessy’s arrival an informal rota for being with Caitlin had been worked out between them and the Airwolf team. It was an arrangement that suited no-one. Whilst Erin had seemed happy to have them around, Patrick was only beginning to grudgingly accept them and Maggie…well, Maggie seemed determined to keep them away from Caitlin completely. Dom had finally admitted defeat that morning and headed back to LA with the Lady using the excuse of an urgent job at Santini Air as his reason for going. Michael had simply had Marella arrange everything so they could run the division from the clinic instead of FIRM headquarters. Hawke had a suspicion that the deputy director was staying to provide him with additional support although the other man would never admit it and he would never ask.

Hawke checked the time again. It was almost lunchtime. The O’Shaunessy’s generally let him sit with Caitlin whilst they were in the cafeteria. He frowned. Caitlin was improving but she still looked too fragile. She was still sleeping most of the time but the doctor had said it was the best thing for her as it allowed her body to heal particularly with the minor concussion. Hawke sighed. There had been an unexpected side effect from the head wound; short term amnesia. Caitlin couldn’t remember anything after their initial arrival in Maine for the mission. She didn’t remember Byrne or his wife, the attempt to take Airwolf, her saving his life…she also didn’t remember their conversation in the hangar just before she’d gotten shot when he’d asked her not to leave. He pushed the memory aside and glanced up at the clock.

‘We’re almost done.’ The amused Texan drawl so like Caitlin had his head whipping around. Erin.

Caitlin’s sister gestured at the seat next to him. ‘Mind if I join you?’

Hawke shook his head. ‘How is she?’

‘Better.’ Erin smiled. ‘Arguing with my mother so I think she’s on the mend.’

‘She’s in no condition to argue with anybody.’ Hawke commented, a worry line appearing in the middle of his forehead.

‘That’s how it is with them.’ Erin said rubbing her bump. ‘Caitlin’s always been fearless about life and Mom worries about her, that’s all.’ She gestured at him. ‘You were looking pretty serious when I walked up, everything OK?’

Hawke glanced over at her and nodded.

‘Sure about that?’ Erin pressed.

Hawke was torn between amusement and annoyance; the amusement won out and his eyes suddenly twinkled at her. ‘You know you’re a lot like your sister.’

Erin laughed. ‘I’ll take that as a compliment.’

Hawke smiled at her.

‘Come on, what’s on your mind?’ Erin asked again. ‘I promise I won’t tell anyone.’

Hawke sighed at the determined look in her green eyes. ‘When Cait came back from Texas a few weeks back she told me she was thinking about leaving LA.’

‘She told you?’ Erin checked.

Hawke nodded. ‘I was just thinking that it might not be such a bad idea.’ He admitted. Caitlin had been shot saving his life…if she left, if she wasn’t involved with Airwolf or him, she would be safe. He should never have asked her to stay…

‘You know until now I would have agreed with you.’ Erin’s quiet words startled him out of his thoughts. She smiled at his confused face. ‘I talked to her when she visited us in Texas. I thought she’d made a mistake moving to LA because I didn’t think she was going to get what she wanted in life.’

‘And now you don’t think it was a mistake?’ Hawke asked.

‘She could have gotten shot if she’d stayed with the force.’ Erin pointed out. ‘What I meant was that now I’ve met y’all and I’ve seen how much y’all care for her, I think I was wrong. That’s what I’ll be telling her.’

Hawke looked down at the beige carpet unsure what to say.

Erin bit her lip and wondered if she should say more.

The sound of someone moving round the corner into the seating area saved them both from making a reply. Erin stood up to greet her mother and Hawke rose politely to do the same.

‘Caitlin’s asking for you Erin.’ Maggie said. ‘You’d best get going to see her.’

‘Yes, Mom.’ Erin smiled a farewell at Hawke before moving away down the corridor.

Hawke was surprised when Maggie sat down in Erin’s vacated chair but he slowly sat back down.

‘I hadn’t realised Caitlin was thinking of leaving LA.’

Hawke shifted uncomfortably in his chair. ‘You heard that?’

‘I was eavesdropping.’ Maggie admitted bluntly.

Hawke pressed his lips together and folded his arms. What he was tempted to say would only bruise the already fragile relationship he had with Cait’s mother.

‘You know of all my children, I’ve worried about Caitlin the most.’ Maggie continued. ‘She was always the one who pushed herself. It wasn’t enough that she could climb a tree, it had to be the tallest. If her horse jumped a six foot fence, well next time it would be seven. When she said she was joining the police force, I knew…’ her voice broke and she took a deep breath, regained her control before continuing, ‘I knew it would be a matter of time before I got a call because I knew if there was trouble, she’d be in the middle of it.’

Hawke didn’t comment; he didn’t know what to say.

‘Only the force wasn’t risky enough, dangerous enough for her, was it?’ Maggie said. ‘She found something else. And now she’s lying in a hospital bed.’

Hawke sighed and shifted to look at her. ‘What is it you want from me?’

‘I want my daughter safe. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.’ Maggie said. ‘Only she won’t listen to me…’

‘And you think she’ll listen to me?’

‘I think you know you could influence her decision.’ Maggie insisted.

Hawke stared at her. ‘Caitlin has a mind of her own.’

‘She does,’ Maggie allowed, ‘but you and I both know my daughter’s half-way in love with you.’

He broke his eye contact with her abruptly, resisted the urge to leap to his feet.

‘I also think you’re half-way in love with her.’ Maggie continued ruthlessly ignoring the flash of denial and anger that seared her as his eyes shot back to hers. ‘And I think you want her safe too.’ She stood up. ‘I think you know what you need to do. All I’m asking is that you do it.’

‘If I do, I’ll hurt her.’

His words stopped her from leaving.

‘Yes.’ She admitted. ‘You will.’

‘And you could live with that?’ Hawke asked staggered at the conversation.

‘I love her and I would live with anything if it meant she would be safe.’ Maggie returned. ‘Could you live with knowing you had the chance to keep her safe and didn’t take it?’

Hawke didn’t stop her from leaving again; there was nothing more to say.

—

Caitlin shoved the dish of god-only-knew-what that was her lunch away and tapped her fingers impatiently against the portable hospital table before pushing it away. She leaned into the pillow and winced at the soreness in her shoulder. At least the headaches had stopped the day before. It was the damned last time she was throwing herself into the path of a bullet, she thought miserably, particularly seeing the doctor had told her it would be weeks before she’d be able to fly again. Not to mention the whole debacle with her family now knowing she wasn’t exactly doing a normal job. At least Hawke had stayed with her.

The memory of waking up and finding him with her had her smiling automatically and she raised her good hand to touch her lips. She shouldn’t get too hopeful, she cautioned herself. Hawke was already beginning to blame himself for what happened; she could see it in his eyes and it probably didn’t help that her family had also firmly placed the blame for what had happened on him despite her protests.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. She sighed deeply and called out for whoever it was to enter. Hawke stepped inside Caitlin’s room and saw her eyes widen in delight. He felt a twinge of guilt. He’d normally be sat with her by now but after his conversation with her mother he’d needed time to think…Caitlin was struggling to sit up, he realised and he closed the door, walked over and helped her. He shrugged off her thanks and stood awkwardly by the side of the bed, thrusting his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

‘How are you feeling?’ He said finally.

‘OK.’ She smiled a little shyly at him, and noting his serious expression, her heart sank a little.

‘You looked…rested,’ he concluded.

Her red hair was loose around her shoulders, brushing the simple nightshirt that had replaced the hospital gown. Her face was still pale and the bandage over her forehead had been removed revealing a mottled bruise shot through with an angry red scrape but there were no shadows under her eyes and they were looking back at him clear and sharp for the first time since the shooting.

‘Yeah. I’m feeling a lot better.’

‘Good.’ He murmured. He searched for another topic, something else to delay what he’d come to say.

‘Dom get away OK?’ Caitlin asked.

Hawke nodded more enthusiastically than the subject warranted. ‘He called. The Lady’s safely back in the Lair.’

‘That’s a relief.’

Hawke nodded again; he dropped his gaze. There was an awkward silence.

Caitlin picked unhappily at the creases in her sheets and sighed. ‘Why don’t you just come out and say whatever it is you have to say?’

Hawke’s blue eyes shot to hers and 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 and anger edged the words; it was news to 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, ‘you’re important to me and I don’t want to lose your friendship…’

‘Friendship…’ She muttered under her breath.

‘…but I don’t want you to put your life on hold to help me find my brother.’ 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…’ Her throat closed on a sob, tears flooded her eyes. She covered her face with her hands. She didn’t want to cry dammit, she wanted to throw things at him but her body, too weak for her anger, was finding the only release it had…she tried to stem the tears cascading over her fingers.

The sight of her tears tore at him and his carefully constructed defences crumbled under his need to comfort her. Hawke took one step forward and then another. He sat on the bed and gently reached out to pull her towards him, her head against his shoulder, burrowing into him as she cried herself out in his arms. His arms tightened around her. Eventually she quietened, swiping her hands over her face and taking first one tremulous breath then another as she brought herself back under control, inched away from him. He let her go that inch.

‘I don’t know why I’m crying.’ Caitlin muttered embarrassed as she avoided his eyes. ‘I want to hit you.’

Hawke almost smiled at the comment.

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 met her eyes reluctantly. ‘You could have died, Caitlin.’ His head bowed. ‘You almost did and I couldn’t live with myself if…’

She flinched as the quiet words trailed away. She stared at his bowed head for a long while, suddenly understanding what he was doing. Her hand crept up and her fingers smoothed through the dark strands, comforting him. He stirred and her hand slid over his rough cheek.

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

He raised his eyes to hers. ‘I need you safe.’

Her blue eyes were pained; her emotions too close to the surface to hide them. ‘Then I guess there’s nothing more to say.’ She looked away at anything other than him. ‘When do you leave?’

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

‘Well,’ Caitlin said brokenly unsure how much longer she would hold together, ‘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.’

Hawke 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. He shook his head and walked away.

fin.

Next Story: Old Friends, New Enemies