They thanked their guests and started getting ready for bed. It was late, and Le was almost asleep already, but he'd had a good birthday party.
By late morning the next day, everyone had made it to the hangar. Le sat in the office playing with one of his new toys. String left to drop off some film. With Caitlin gone visiting her family on Texas, Dom and Saint John were the only ones left with Le when a black limo pulled up just beside the hangar. Two men in dark colored suits walked in.
They inquired about getting a charter flight to Sacramento. Saint John volunteered to take it if Dom would watch Le. Dom agreed. He didn't want to admit it, but lately his back had been hurting again, and hours of flying wouldn't help it any.
XXX
String pulled the Santini Air jeep in at the hangar once again. The door was slightly ajar. He carefully peered inside. Paperwork littered the floor; everything on the desk had been overturned and gone through.
"Dom, Le, Saint John," String called concern for them washing over him. "Dom, where are you?" He searched the office. "Le?" No one answered and there weren't any clues as to where they might be. After searching uselessly for another ten minutes, he reached for the phone to call Michael. No dial tone. The phone was dead.
Hurriedly, he ran across the way to use the phone there. Dialing a now familiar number, he waited impatiently for someone to answer.
Lauren answered.
"I need to speak to Michael," Hawke told her, "it's urgent."
Lauren redirected the call straight to Michael's office. Michael picked up, panic evident in his voice. "Hawke, I was just about to call you. Marella is missing."
"She's not the only one," Hawke replied.
Michael paused for a moment. "What do you mean she's not the only one?"
"She's not the only one missing," he answered shortly. "Dom, Le, and Saint John are gone too."
"Any clues as to where they might be?" Michael asked hopefully.
"No. The Jet Ranger is missing so I thought maybe they'd gone somewhere, but the hangar is trashed."
"I send some people over there immediately," Michael promised.
XXX
As promised, white suited investigators soon filled Santini Air searching every square inch of it. Nothing new turned up.
"Marella's disappearance was just like this," Michael told him, "gone without a trace except for the mess they left her desk in."
"Her desk? You mean she got taken directly from Knightsbridge?"
Michael nodded solemnly. "Sure put my security to shame, not a single security guard had even the slightest suspicion of someone being in the area. Either it's an inside job or these guys are true professionals."
"Or both."
"Have anyone in particular in mind?"
"No, but I do know I'm not going to just sit around and wait for something else to happen."
Michael understood exactly what he meant to do. "At least take me with you."
Although he didn't really want to take Michael along, he understood his worry and agreed to let him come too. "I'll meet you at the usual place in an hour."
XXX
Michael waited for Hawke to arrive. Airwolf came into view, rotors noisily slicing through the air. After waiting for Airwolf to land, Michael climbed in to join Hawke. He chose his seat in the back where Dom normally sat as engineer.
Airwolf flew through the sky scanning for the missing people. Hawke was set in determination as he scoured California for Marella and the family he had. Hours later, they were again over Van Nuys Airport. An incoming helicopter showed in the radar, but nothing unusual for an airport. Michael studied it intently anyway. Finally he realized what it was.
"Hawke, incoming helicopter," he reported, "it's a Jet Ranger. I think….It is. It's one of Santini's!"
Hawke's mood lifted slightly. Without a second thought, he followed the Jet Ranger in.
Saint John stepped out of the red, white, and blue helicopter confusion falling over his face from the sight of his brother and Michael coming towards him from the Lady.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Dom, Le, and Marella are missing," his brother informed him dejectedly. "Michael said that Marella was kidnapped directly from Knightsbridge, and Dom and Le were here with you when I left. I came back and everybody was gone and the place was trashed."
Saint John stared in astonishment. "Have any clues, a ransom note, anything?"
"Nothing," came the quick reply.
XXX
Although not having a clue where to start, String continued having Airwolf in the sky searching fervently.
XXX
Caitlin decided telling her family about her career had been a mistake and her relationship with String an even bigger one. Despite her efforts to keep it from them, her parents had found out about their daughter being shot. Her sad excuses for how it happened without giving away any information on Airwolf didn't make them any less uneasy. If anything, her lack of details worried them more.
Caitlin and her mother especially had hardly stopped fighting since she found out. "Mom, I'm fine," she almost laughed at the irony. String was always telling her he was fine and she'd insist that he get some form of medical attention; now she was the one trying to convince every one she was fine.
"I don't understand why you left in the first place," her mother complained. "Texas highway patrol wasn't dangerous enough for you? Instead, you disappear into Van Nuys."
"I didn't disappear," Caitlin argued.
"Ok, you didn't disappear," her mother conceded, "but you did suddenly move to California, now you're into stunt flying and getting involved with a guy who obviously can't keep you safe."
Caitlin wouldn't ;et anyone talk about Hawke like that in front of her. "Hawke can take care of me just fine," she retorted. "He almost sacrificed his own life to keep me from getting shot the first time. If only you could understand what he's been through. I've known him for almost three years and only skimmed the surface."
"This guy-Hawke," her father asked skeptically, "what could he have been through that is so bad?"
"At ten he lost his parents, and he and his older brother went to live with their father's best friend, Dominic Santini. He lost his fiancé in a car accident right before shipping off to Vietnam. After the war, hid brother was listed MIA for the next sixteen years. He's spent his whole life loosing someone and looking for his brother," she explain, "and that's not even all of it. If you want to know more talk to him." Caitlin stormed out of the house and slammed the door leaving her parents to think about what she'd just said.
XXX
"Still nothing," Michael reported back from his location at FIRM headquarters.
"Damn, Michael can't you do anything else?" String's frustration showed through.
"Hawke, I'm doing everything I can. Just keep trying."
Saint John tried to think of a logical explanation for Dom and Le's disappearance. It had to be personal or Airwolf related. Dom didn't have many enemies and he couldn't think of any who would even attempt kidnapping him. Marella was missing too, he remembered. It had to deal with Airwolf which meant sooner or later they would make an attempt at Airwolf or use Dom and Le against them.
XXX
Caitlin couldn't stand it anymore. Her parents had backed off some but not enough. Exploding personal information about Stringfellow hadn't really helped or hurt, it just made them look at things differently. They figured he tried, and yes he'd been through a lot, but obviously he was involved in something very dangerous. They still tried to persuade her to stay away from Hawke, and that just wasn't going to happen. In the end, Caitlin had decided it was time for her to end her family visit and return to California.
XXX
Caitlin was headed for Santini Air when she was stopped by yellow police tape. 'CRIME SCENE' and 'DO NOT CROSS' scrawled across the plastic tape. What had happened? She asked herself. Had someone gotten hurt…..or worse? Images of String lying helplessly in the hospital after the helicopter explosion many months ago still plagued her memory. Searching the crowd the hangar she finally lighted on a familiar face-Jason Locke. Why did she only see him when something bad happened? She questioned herself as she walked over.
"What's going on?" she asked as calmly as possible.
She looked familiar, but names escaped him.
She caught on quickly. "Caitlin, Caitlin O'Shaunessy. I talked to you when String and Dom were in the hospital after the helicopter explosion a little over a year ago."
Memories returned to him. "Ah, yes, I remember now."
"So what happened?" she repeated her earlier question.
"Dominic Santini and Le van Hawke have been reported missing. This was their last known location. We're just searching the mess for clues."
"Don't you refer to Santini Air as 'the mess,'" she warned.
"I wasn't. I meant that the place was trashed-papers and stuff everywhere-searched from top to bottom."
"Oh, I see," She took a moment to hide her embarrassment. "What about the others?"
"Mike, Saint John, and Stringfellow Hawke are looking for the missing persons."
Why hadn't he called her? She wondered. He probably figured she'd be safer in Texas, she guessed.
XXX
Still searching, String received an incoming message from Michael. "I have a lead on Dominic and Le if you'll come in."
"We're as good as there." They weren't far from Knightsbridge, but the little distance there was would be quickly swallowed up in Airwolf. "Give me turbos."
Saint John engaged the turbos. "Ready," he confirmed. Airwolf shot through the sky. String's face showed confusion for a quick moment then returned to determination.
XXX
Only minutes later, the three men walked into Michael's office. Michael pulled a disc from his drawer and slid it into the nearby TV. "This just came in a little while ago." He hit the play button and a video popped onto the screen.
First it showed Le and Dominic then Marella- all unhurt. Next it showed a Asian man, probably forty, dark hair with a few gray strands, and piercing cold eyes. "For those watching this," the man began, "you can call me the Knight. Your friends are safe for the moment, but if you'd like them to stay that way, I'd suggest you follow my directions exactly. I want you to drop Airwolf off at the abandoned airfield twenty miles out from Van Nuys. If you follow these direction exactly, you'll be allowed to leave with your friends in one piece; if not, you will be shot down and your friends will never see daylight again." He laughed menacingly then the screen went blank.
String's jaw was tense as he tried to figure out what to do. He couldn't just let them die, but he couldn't hand the Lady over either. "Michael, who is the Knight really? I know I've dealt with him before."
Michael thought carefully for long minutes. Si….no… Se… Senya, or something like that," he finally decided.
Hawke suddenly remembered his encounter with Senya. He'd offered Hawke information on his brother, the one subject he could be irrational and jump head first into, resulting in Senya almost getting his hands on Airwolf and Stringfellow Hawke.
We have an advantage he doesn't know about yet this time though. This time we have Saint John."
XXX
String sat in his usual place as pilot. Screaming through the sky, Airwolf came near the abandoned airfield. He landed near the dilapidated old hangar.
Senya appeared out of the dark shadows. "Mr. Hawke, you came alone as instructed?"
"Yeah. Now let Dom and Le go."
Senya told one of his henchmen to check the aircraft for stowaways. "No one's in there," he returned with smug satisfaction in his voice.
"Good. It looks like Hawke has finally learned to follow directions. Too bad I forgot to tell him of my change in plans. Stepping out of the darkness, two more black clad figures grabbed him by the arms and yanked him back into the shadows.
XXX
Dominic and Le sat dejectedly in the dark room. Only a few minutes ago Airwolf's whine could be heard, but now it was deadly silent. Suddenly the door flew open, a bruised body was thrown in, then it slammed shut again.
"String!" Dom cried out with a father's worry.
"I'm alright," he assured them. They'd had their fun throwing a few punches at him, but nothing serious.
"The what the hell do you think you were doing coming here without any backup?" Dom's concern was replaced by anger at the stupidity.
"I didn't," String answered, "Saint John is here."
"Where?"
"Hiding in the Lady."
The door slammed open again. Tow of Senya's cohorts stomped in. String weighed his chances at taking them out the two. Following his better instincts he decided to wait. Both men were considerably taller and heavier and looked especially well trained. The first spoke in a deep raspy voice, "Hawke comes with me. The other two are going for a ride." String was ushered into an older dirtier version of the Santini Air office where Senya waited for him.
"What do you want from me? I already handed Airwolf over to you."
"I need a pilot. Rumor has it you're the best."
"I'm not flying for you," he ground out.
" I'm sure I can persuade you otherwise."
XXX
Dom and Le sat tied up in the back of an armor plated transport helicopter. "What are we going to do?" Le asked panic rising in his voice.
"Don't worry, we'll figure out something," Dom promised hoping to God he could keep it.
A minute later, and idea came to him. "Le," he whispered, "put your hands over here." Dom struggled with the coarse ropes until he pulled the loose. Using the short link of rope tying his own hands, he choked out the pilot. "Le, take the controls," Dom ordered.
Le sat down in place of the pilot. "What do I do?" he asked nervously seeing the ground rushing up to meet them. Dom verbally directed Le on what to do until he could get his own ropes off. He took the controls and made a rough landing.
XXX
The tracer String was wearing indicated he was in the back of the hangar to the right. Saint John scrambled into the pilot's seat and started the engines. Gunshots hit the shiny metal armor and ricocheted off. Finally gaining enough momentum for take off, he took Airwolf into the sky. "I sure hope I can do this," he said aloud. He was a good pilot, but Airwolf wasn't your regular puddle jumper, and he hadn't had to fly her alone before.
Sending two missiles at the left hangar and one more to the front of the right, Saint john waited for a chance to pick up his brother.
"I thought you and Santini were the only ones who could fly that thing!" Senya muttered angrily.
String allowed a smug grin to spread across his face. "Did I forget to mention that I finally got my brother back?"
Knowing the game was over, Senya disappeared taking refuge away from the missiles seeking his life. String waved his brother down and loped over to Airwolf.
"Where's Dom and Le?"
"I don't know," String admitted. "Look for any small planes or helicopters that might have left the area in the last few minutes. I think they were taken by air."
Searching, scanning, still nothing. Saint John, who still served as pilot, felt the stick shift slightly beneath his hand as Airwolf rose higher in the sky. Confusion struck him again; sending a glance across the cockpit to see if his brother had noticed, he saw String sitting with his eyes closed in deep concentration.
"Try toward the east," he suggested. Saint John started to follow his direction, but it seemed they were already heading that way. They dropped a few feet and continued on. "Flare," he noted simultaneously with Airwolf's computer.
Strange, kind of creepy, Saint John thought, but directed his attention to the source of the flare. Dom and Le joined them once they were on the ground with hugs.
"You ok?" String asked.
"We're fine, but I think somebody should teach that kid to fly for real," he said gesturing toward Le, "He's a natural, why I don't think I could have done it without him."
XXX
Caitlin received more information from Michael. "Why didn't anyone bother telling me anything?"
"Hawke doesn't know you're back in Van Nuys, and he thought you'd be safer in Texas."
"He doesn't think I'd care half his family is missing?" she asked incredulously. "Where is he? I want to talk to him now."
"We received a video early yesterday morning demanding Airwolf in exchange for Dominic and Le," Michael explained.
"So I'm guessing he went to make the exchange without actually giving Airwolf up?"
"I sure hope so," Michael answered. "We haven't heard anything yet."
"Why don't you just radio them?" Caitlin inquired, "then we could know everything is alright," she suggested hoping it would quench her own fear.
"They're playing it out. Right now we just have to wait.
XXX
On their way back, Dom continued his praise. "I really think he could be good; it's in his blood after all."
Le was excited. Until he met them, he'd never even been in a helicopter, now it was a regular thing and Dom thought he should learn to fly!
XXX
Caitlin paced the floor nervously, "Something's not right," she said aloud although trying to convince herself everything was. Back to the window, she stopped pacing long enough to sit down. Come on Hawke, show up, she thought. Beginning to pace again, she thought of how much she would have given to see Airwolf and her crew safe at home again.
Michael rubbed his forehead watching her. "Sit down Cait," he sighed, "you're wearing a hole in my carpet."
"Sir," Lauren addressed entering the room, "Airwolf is safe and so is her crew, unfortunately they didn't find Marella."
"Send them in," he said breathing a sigh of relief that most of them had made it.
String and Saint John followed by Dominic and Le walked in. String didn't look too happy about their accomplishment though. "We didn't get Senya, and I know, he'll try again, not to mention the fact he still has Marella."
XXX
TWO WEEKS LATER…
The Santini Air helicopter landed with a thud against the hot black asphalt. Le slid out with a wide grin on his face. Dom coming around the other side.
"It's definitely in his blood. This kid," he said ruffling Le's hair, "is learning fast." Dom had hardly stopped his praise ever since Le's first lesson.
"I wonder if he was this bad with us," String remarked.
Saint John turned to his brother, "Probably not. After all we didn't get to save the day with an emergency course in flying first."
"True."
Caitlin answered the persistent ringing from the office. "Santini Air."
Michael was on the other end. "I might have a new lead on Senya."
A knot of unease tightened in her stomach. She'd hoped after he disappeared Senya would just stay gone. They still hadn't found Marella despite Michael's continued efforts and the considerable resources of the FIRM. If they couldn't find her, she thought, who was to say Senya couldn't snatch Le or String again. "Ok, Michael, I'll tell him," she sighed.
They disconnected the call and Cait walked back outside. "Everything ok?" Hawke asked in concern.
"Fine."
String knew something was wrong by her sudden lack of cheerfulness. HE frowned, eyes narrowing. "Ok, Cait," he said placing his hands on her shoulders. "Spill. I know something's up when you take that tone of voice."
"Michael called," she said still not meeting his eyes.
"And?"
"He thinks he has a new lead on Senya. He wants you to come to Knightsbridge."
XXX
Michael showed him an envelope the courier had just brought. From it came a picture of Marella holding the day's newspaper.
"She's still alive, or at least she was this morning," Michael said hopefully. A note accompanied the picture.
It read: Archangel, turn over to me the plans to Airwolf or Stringfellow Hawke by eleven pm at the warehouse district, Pier 9. I you do not do exactly as instructed, Marella will be returned to you, in little pieces.
Out of the envelope fell a lock of Marella's dark curly hair.
"Hawke, he's dead serious. Whatever we do has to work perfectly."
The clock ticked away in the otherwise silent room moving closer to five o'clock.
Sighing as he heaved himself to his feet, String started for the door. "That only leaves us with six hours, and there aren't any plans to Airwolf. They were destroyed when Moffet attacked Red Star; I guess that means I have a meeting with Senya."
"Wait. What can I do to help? Marella is my aid, there must be something I can do."
"Yeah, supply Airwolf with fuel and armament and stay the heck out of the way."
XXX
Saint John disagreed. "String, I know you told me what the note said, but there has to be some other way. You can't go in without backup."
"That's where the Lady comes in."
"But what about on the ground with you?" Dom joined.
"Hawke, please, there has to be some other way," Caitlin pleaded.
"It has to be done this way. Senya isn't stupid, and last time we snuck Saint John in. It won't work again."
XXX
8:00PM 3 Hours and counting down….
Marella fidgeted beneath the coil of ropes that held her to the chair. She'd been stuck there for hours. Normally, she was able to take care of herself. This change of events made her despise Senya all the more. She knew of his evil scheme, but she couldn't do a think to stop it.
XXX
10:55 PM
Senya walked into the area serving as Marella's holding chamber knife in hand. "You'd better hope your friend shows up soon or you'll really be in for it." he made her even more anxious as he gestured uncaringly with the sharp knife.
She wanted nothing more than to be away from the horrible, cold, damp cargo hold, but she knew that Stringfellow couldn't be risked. She knew a lot about Airwolf, but it was nothing compared to the secrets he held, and with him and Airwolf together very little was impossible. A war could be started, and island taken over, and it sure made people think twice before messing with you.
Outside, String, clothed in dark colored clothing to camouflage better, carefully mad his way toward the dark and foreboding ship that lie ahead of him. The only sounds to be heard were the lapping of the waves and the creaking of the old ship. He found his way aboard, and was soon exploring the unfamiliar ship in search of Marella.
Time was running out. Mere minutes separated Marella from the death certain to come. Hawke lurked in the shadows closer to Marella than he could have imagined.
Only a few feet away, she was stuck in the chair. She saw him, but he didn't see her. Unable to draw his attention for fear he would get caught, she offered up anything that could possibly prolong her gruesome death.
Moving a little too fast, String's MIA bracelet glinted in the dim light. Senya's guard shot at the glimmer of light in the darkness. A lifetime of Army and intelligence training was the only thing that had kept Hawke quiet.
Seeing Marella, he quickly hid behind some boxes to avoid being shot at again. Stealthfully, he crept closer to her chair his own gun ready when needed.
As Senya's men searched the darkness where he had been, he took out a knife and started sawing through the tick rope that held Marella.
Finally, the heavy ropes fell to the floor with a thud. Senya and his men whirled around to see Hawke. He grabbed Marella and ran for the stairs. Bullets shattered the silence of the night as they splintered cargo boxes in their course toward String and Marella.
String shot his .45 at the other men. Senya's two helpers went down leaving only Senya to go after them. He fired at them as they started up the grated stairway. Marella stumbled, but Hawke caught her and they continued up the stairs.
XXX
"Infrared scanners show two people leaving the ship," Caitlin reported.
Saint John started Airwolf and let the rotors gain speed. More shots rang out. Senya threw down his now useless gun and fumbled around to find another one with some ammo left. Grabbing for one, he chased the escapees.
Marella stumbled again holding her hand tightly against the wound the gunshot had given her.
"Come on, it's just a little farther," Hawke urged.
She managed to make it back to Airwolf without anymore mishaps.
String swung himself up inside the cockpit, Marella following him in. Saint John lifted off the ground and came nose to nose with Senya's helicopter armed with sidewinders.
Senya's voice crackled over the radio, "if you won't let me have Airwolf, then you shouldn't have it either." He sent a sidewinder hurtling towards them. Saint John allowed it to follow them, but just before it hit veered off and it smashed into Senya's helicopter.
XXX
Back at the cabin, String fiddled with the shiny, now dented bracelet. "What is it?" Saint John asked wondering what had held his brother's attention for so long.
"This bracelet."
Saint John took a closer look at the silver colored bracelet. His name was engraved on the front. "An MIA bracelet?"
"I didn't want to forget," String explained.
"You wouldn't forget," Saint John replied. Noticing the wide scrape and dent that presses the bracelet firmly against his brother's wrist, he asked what had happened to it.
"Tonight, Senya's men shot at me; it was a low caliber gun and he wasn't near close enough, but it would have hit me had it not been for this bracelet. Instead, it hit the bracelet without causing me any real damage," he gave his explanation. "But I guess it's pretty much ruined."
Saint john sat down next to his brother on the sofa. "Don't worry. You Don't need it anymore."
"Yeah," he sighed, "I've got something better." He hugged his brother. "Now I've got the real thing again. Actually I have a whole family again, and I wouldn't change it for the world."