She Lives
The Jet Ranger landed smoothly on the hot, black concrete outside the Santini Air hangar.
"I tell you, String, something's just not right. She's got no pep," Dom told him.
"Ah, Dom, I just think you're missing your Lady. Michael hasn't sent us out in two and half months."
"The Lady maybe," Dom admitted, "but Michael's missions, not at all."
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to take her out. It has been awhile."
Dom immediately agreed. "It's late enough, I'll go lock up the hangar now."
Dominic soon rejoined String after locking up the hangar. They climbed into the Jet Ranger and lifted off, heading for the Valley of the Gods.
The coldness had not yet set in, warm sunlight washed over the red-orange rocks creating a warm glow. "It really is the best time of year to be out here," Dom remarked.
"Yeah, not so cold."
The red, white, and blue helicopter landed just outside the Lair. Late afternoon sunshine filtered down the tall chimney, and the sleek black helicopter basked in the warmth. A hiss of hydraulics greeted them.
"See, she missed up," Dom commented.
"Yeah, maybe she did."
They changed into their grey flight suits. "Hey, Dom," he said as he zipped up the suit.
"Yeah," the other man grunted.
"You wanna take the front seat today?"
"Nah, String, she's your Lady," he said not knowing just how right he was, " I'm just the engineer," he laughed.
Rising above the rocky chimney, Airwolf's whine could be heard. "All systems in the green, and she's ready to go." Engaging the turbos, they shot off.
After an hour of flying, she hovered above the dark chimney and descended down.
XXX
Caitlin laid restlessly in her bed. Something was wrong, she could sense it, but what? Unable to sleep, she got out of the bed and walked down the hall to the kitchen and pulled out a glass to fill with water. She'd only taken a swig when the phone rang. Who would call me this late? she mused. Even as she picked up the phone, unease mounted inside her again.
"Hello."
"Cait, it's String," he said calling from the Santini Air telephone. "Le just radioed in. Saint John is gone. He said two men came into the cabin as he was getting in bed. They left before he'd even made it downstairs. By his description, maybe a Hughes or something like that."
"He's just gone?"
"Yeah, and no ones got a clue where to."
"I'll be right over," she said hanging up the phone.
Caitlin dressed quickly and drove down to the hangar. Dom greeted her as she walked in. "String went back to the cabin to get Le; in the meantime, Mr. Clean should show up moment."
On que, Michael's ride pulled up. He stepped out and limped over.
"Anything yet?" he asked.
"Nothing yet," Caitlin answered, "but I'm sure we'll find something."
String returned with Le obviously upset at his brother's disappearance.
Dom and String set off in the Lady looking for him. Caitlin and Le searched by ground in the jeep.
They searched all night for the missing Saint John Hawke, but to no avail. The sun was starting to peak over the horizon in the distance the next morning.
"String, "Dom said from the back seat, "let's take a break. I don't think I can stay awake much longer, and we've been up all night," he suggested knowing String would willing look for his brother until the moment he collapsed from sheer exhaustion. "Don't worry, he'll show up."
"Yeah." Although reluctant to part from his search, he understood what Dom was saying, and had to admit he was pretty tired and definitely not at his best.
They weren't far from the Valley, so he decided to fly back to the Lair for their break. They covered the distance quickly and descended down the long shaft.
String climbed out and went to see if he could scrounge up some food. Dominic soon joined him. Turing around with a can in hand, String saw some one coming in the entrance to the cave. He dropped the can. "Saint John!" he cried out, already running towards his brother.
Saint John met him with a gun. "Get back," he warned.
Stunned, he obeyed.
Dom just stood there dumbfounded momentarily. His boy was about to shoot the other one. When did this happen? he asked himself. Last time I saw these two they were best buddies.
String tried to talking him down. "Why would you want to shoot me anyway?" he reasoned. "I'm not going to hurt you, not after I after I spent half my life looking for you."
Saint John stood firm. Finally, the safety clicked off and he leveled the gun at his brother.
Please miss, he thought earnestly. "Fine," he said realizing brainwashing was the only reasonably explanation for his brother's actions, "shoot me if you have to, just as long as you remember me again."
Dom couldn't watch Saint John shoot his own brother; instead, he tried to sneak around behind him. Saint John caught him. "Get back," he snarled, "or you'll be next."
"Sinj," he tried to bring his brother back to reality, "ask me something only I would know."
"What exactly happened when our unit went down?" he asked more interested in his point of view of the story.
"My last mission with you?"
"You know what I mean"
String described the scene, being forced to leave his brother because the roped were full.
Saint John started to reconsider at the amazing accuracy. No imposter could know the details like that without being there that well. He clicked the safety back on. "String?"
String and Dom both sighed in relief, but they soon realized they celebrated a little too early.
The brainwashing started to kick in again. He trained his gun on his brother again, his aim steady, and removed the safety. String had no doubt he'd get shot before this was over. He just hoped that would be the extent of his injuries.
"Sinj, please don't do this. I can't hurt you you're my only brother," he tried getting his attention while buying time.
Outside, the American flag painted Santini Air jeep pulled up. Caitlin and Le hopped out and quietly entered the cave. She saw Saint John about to shoot his own brother and the man that had acted as his father to him in his teenage years.
"Loki said you were just an imposter, that you would try to stop me or convince me that you were my brother, but you're not."
"I am your brother, and deep down you know it. Just remember I always loved you," he said figuring this was it for him Saint John wasn't budging an inch.
Dom was about to interrupt, hoping to buy some more time, but decided against it. Maybe, just maybe String could get through to his brother. And if anyone could it was String. Those two were under normal circumstances.
"But your not my brother."
"I meant what I said, every word of it."
Saint John hesitated unsure of what to do. If that really was his brother, he didn't want to hurt him, but he would have recognized his own brother wouldn't he? Loki said that he was an imposter, but everything he said made sense.
Caitlin quickly and quietly came up behind him, and with one sharp blow knocked him out.
Le gasped, seeing the whole scene.
"It's ok," Dom reassured him, "everything will be alright."
Caitlin apologized. "I'm sorry. I just didn't know what else to do and I sure wasn't going to just stand there and watch him shoot you."
"I know," he sighed, "it's not like he would have listened anyway. Let's just get him out of here."
XXX
At the FIRM clinic, Michael came to give them news on Saint John's progress. "Treatment is going well, and I think he's starting to come around." All of them let out a sigh of relief. "But," Michael cautioned, "we still have to find this Loki guy."
"Maybe Saint John can be of some help," String suggested.
"I hope so, but you never know how much someone will remember after being brainwashed," Michael warned.
Saint John's mind finally emerged from the foggy state it had been in for awhile. He had a horrible headache and felt like a pincushion. Dom, String, Cait, and Le came in.
"Feeling better?" Caitlin asked.
"Kind of," Saint John answered. Then realized hit him of what he'd almost done. The thought of killing or even just hurting his brother or Dom caused terror to fill his eyes. "I'm so sorry," he stammered, "I never really meant to…"
"We know," String interrupted him. "You'd never do anything like that unless there was something seriously wrong with your head."
"Thanks." "Now, I guess you want to know whatever I can remember about Loki."
"It'd be helpfully, and I'd rather not go through that again."
"Can't say I blame you there. Being brainwashed isn't my idea of fun either."
XXX
"Loki was trying to get me to break and spill everything I knew about Airwolf. When I wouldn't cooperate, he decided brainwashing was the only way to go. The original plan was for me to go in and bring Airwolf back to him, killing anyone who got in my way. He has multiple bases. I don't know which is the main; all I know is where the one I was supposed to take Airwolf to is."
"At least that is somewhere to start," Caitlin said hopefully, "That's more than we had before.
XXX
Early the next morning, String, Dom, and Saint John started off in Airwolf for Loki's hideaway. The closest thing String had to compare Saint John's experience with was his first encounter with Horn, and he soon realized they were totally different. Loki had an inconspicuous hideout that they most likely would have missed had it not been for Airwolf's scanners. "Over there," Saint John said pointing, "is where I was supposed to drop her off."
Below, Loki's men saw the aerodynamic black helicopter and soon identified it as Airwolf. When it didn't land as expected and instructed they alerted Loki.
Outraged that his seemingly perfect plan had failed like so many other attempt on Airwolf, he decided to hit him where it hurt. If Dominic Santini and Saint John Hawke were with him, that left Caitlin and Le alone and defenseless as far as he was concerned.
"Get my jet ready now!" Loki demanded.
"Yes, sir."
"If Hawke won't let me have it, then I will have to take it from him too," Loki muttered.
XXX
Caitlin and Le lounged around her apartment. Not that I don't love him, Caitlin thought, but lately it seems like I get paired with Le and awful lot while the guys go have all the fun. She had to admit she did kind of miss some of the action. Left at home, all she did was worry one of them might not come back.
Footsteps pounding down the hallway caught her attention.
"Le," she told him, "get out of here now!"
Although not understanding Caitlin's sudden orders, Le obeyed without question.
Hoping she'd made the right decision to split up, Caitlin ran down the hall in the opposite direction from the source of the footsteps. She dashed down the stairs and into the lobby then outside.
Loki's men were gaining on her, seemingly uncaring about who might see them, yet no one seemed to. Caitlin rounded a corner and disappeared behind another building. Not for long though. "Over here," one the men instructed. It was as if he knew where she was going as soon as she did, she thought miserably. Her legs ached from the sudden exertion, but she continued on. If only I can make it long enough to call Hawke, she thought.
Before she had a chance to run any farther Loki's men caught up with her. She put up a good fight, but there were just too many of them. Then the world went black as they dragged her into the shadows.
XXX
On the other end an F-15 Eagle lifted off. "That's Loki's," Saint John warned.
Loki didn't bother with a warning or threat. He sent two sidewinders toward Airwolf then ascended to a higher altitude where he could get more speed.
"Sidewinders on our six," Dom reported, "deploying sunbursts."
"Only one took," Saint John said.
"Another sunburst."
This time the second missile took the sunburst. Airwolf started her chase. "Full turbos," String called out. Even with the turbos the F-15 could still outrun her, but she was doing her best to keep up.
At mach 2.5, the jet shot through the air ahead of the Lady who was already pushing mach 2.
"I need more power."
"You got it all and more."
Pushing the limits, he finally was able to launch a Copperhead at the jet in front of them.
Loki rolled out of the way allowing the missile to pass harmlessly beneath him. "You'll have to do better than that," he taunted over the radio.
"She can't take much more of this," Dom warned, "both engines are overheating."
String ignored the warning and pressed on. She'd just have to make it.
"Load another Copperhead," he instructed.
Saint John followed his instruction. "Ready."
Targeting the jet in front of them, String fired the missile. It came hurtling towards the F-15. Loki knew the game was over, but decided to take one last blow at Hawke. "Don't forget about your lady friend- if it's not too late already," he mocked just before the missile impacted with his aircraft. It immediately caught fire, only the burning shell falling back to the ground.
Caitlin and Le-we left them alone and Loki knew it. Now they had more missing people to look for.
"Incoming message."
Michael appeared on the video screen. "I have a certain boy here who would like to see his family again some time soon."
Le. "How did you find him?"
"He called I believe some one left my number laying around in a certain hangar."
String lips twisted upward with the hint of a smile. "Smart boy. I had forgotten all about that."
"He doesn't know where Caitlin is though. He said they separated to try getting away. Marella and I can watch him for awhile, just find Cait." The video winked out.
They flew on a few miles in search of Caitlin. "It's Cait," Dom said happily, "wait," he said his happiness melting into worry. The body below was completely motionless. He ran life scans. "She's……dead."
No, he thought angrily, Loki was dead. Everything was supposed to end happily, only reality had finally caught up with him. "Dead," he repeated, the words felt to unreal. Tears welled up in each other their eyes. They'd miss the young red-haired pilot and all she'd done. In fact, at least for String and Dom, it almost seemed liked she'd always been there, she'd just fit into their lives so perfectly. Saint John would miss her as well. He hadn't known her as long, but he owed a good part of his rescue to her, and her cheerful personality had been so welcoming.
She was just like everyone else he'd loved, dead, yet it seemed so unreal. He landed shakily onto the ground below. Silently, he slid out and walked to Caitlin's lifeless body. The wind riffled the loose red hair that clung to her neck damp with sweat. Tears slid down his cheeks falling onto her pale skin. Then something caught his eye. Wiping his tears away, he gingerly pushed away the red hair from her neck and ears. Her earrings were missing, no her ears weren't even pierced. He carefully rolled her over to take a closer look. It wasn't Caitlin.
He broke into a full run all the way back to Airwolf with new determination and swung himself into the pilot's set. "Dom, check for other life signs in the area. It's not Cait."
"It's not Cait?"
"No, but I'm supposed to think it is, and she does look an awful lot like Caitlin, but she's not."
Dom ran the scans. "There's one in that building to the west."
Let's go then." Airwolf was already lifting off and making for the old building. Hardly giving himself time to land, String jumped out and ran inside. Caitlin was gagged and tied to a post inside the musty barn. He pulled off the gag then started on the ropes.
"Oh, String," she almost cried at the sheer joy of seeing him again, " you don't know how happy I am to see you." As soon as he finished pulling the ropes off, she pulled him closer and kissed him. "I thought Loki's plan was going to work," she sobbed. "But you didn't fall for it," she finished gratefully.
"What plan?"
"In case something went wrong, he had someone that looked like me for you to find dead."
"Yeah," he remembered all too well the grief that had taken hold of him in the short time he had thought he had lost her. "I saw her."
"You were supposed to think that was me until it was too late. He figured you would find out eventually, but that was the plan. I would already be dead and you would have been so close," she revealed. "I know what that would do to you. I didn't want it to happen, but there were so many of them…" she sniffed vainly trying to regain her composure.
"I know," he said pulling her close. He stroked her hair soothingly. "I know, but everything's going to be alright now."
He wrapped his arm around her and together they walked back to Airwolf. Dom and Saint John greeted them in relief that Caitlin was, despite their fears, alive and well.
String pressed the startup button and waited for the rotors to gain enough wind speed for takeoff. As soon as they had the necessary speed, they raised straight up into the air.
"Turbos."
"Turbos," Dom confirmed.
The sleek black helicopter shot forward slamming all of them into the back of their seats.
"You can't tell me I'm imagining that," Saint John said seemingly out of nowhere from his positioning the co-pilot's/weapon's engineer seat.
"You're not imagining what?"
"That. We were almost at mach 1 before you even touched the button for the turbos."
String simply smiled. "You sure you aren't imagining it?"
"No-at least I don't think I am." He tried reasoning with himself, of course helicopters, even Airwolf, didn't fly themselves, but he had been o sure…It was getting pretty late, maybe all he needed was some hard earned sleep.
Soon they reached the hangar where they dropped off Dom before picking up Le from Knightsbridge. "We'll be back soon," String promised, "but Michael might be tired of Le by now."
Le was waiting for them when Airwolf landed at Knightsbridge. He climbed in and slid one of the radio sets on, a smile spread across his face. This truly was a special helicopter and he enjoyed every minute in it.
As they lifted off to their final destination in Airwolf, Saint John watched his brother carefully.
"It's been a long day," String said stifling a yawn, "let's go home."
It was almost like she agreed. Immediately their direction changed and they gained speed on their way back to Lair.
"I definitely saw it," Saint John remarked seeing the unmistakable sight of the cyclic moving his brother's hand more than the other way around. Again looking at the slightly younger man, he noticed the deep concentration on his brother's face despite his relaxed body. "String?"
"Huh, what?" he asked as if just he had just fully realized where he was. His hand tightened around the cyclic gently taking control of it. With ease he directed Airwolf. Now his face didn't show the concentration it had a minute ago; instead, it was also calm and relaxed, his flying came like a second nature-which it was.
"Ok, I know this sounds crazy, but I know you know that something is up. The Lady was practically flying herself."
Caitlin joined the conversation from the back seat, "I've noticed it before too. What is it?"
"I don't really know all the details, after all I don't have the instruction book," he said avoiding the question.
"Neither does anyone else, but you know things about this lady that no one else does," Caitlin pressed.
"I can't explain it very well. Dom was right, and so was Moffet. To be honest with you it is kind of scary."
"What is it?" Saint John asked frustrated at his brother's lack of a real answer.
"Moffet said that she was more a living thing than you could ever imagine."
"Yeah, I remember you telling me that when I first learning to fly her," Saint John acknowledged.
"Dom swears she's alive," he continued, "and I'm starting to think he is maybe he is right. It's almost like we can mentally talk to each other, like when we were looking for Dom and I knew there was a flare the same time as the computer did, and how I can fly her hardly touching the stick. It takes a lot of concentration, but I can think of what I want her to do and she does it, kind of."
"What do you mean kind of?"
"It's not perfect. The closer I am the better and I can't always completely fly her without a little guidance."
"That's cool, but also kind of creepy."
"I agree," String admitted, "but I'll I figure I might as well take advantage of whatever I can, and it does give me a couple seconds advantage."
XXX
"Are you sure, String?" Dom asked. He kind of liked the idea of the Lady being alive, but flying herself was another thing. "It's not another logic bomb or something?"
"Dom, I told you, I don't know. Everything so far has been good, and she only flies when and where I tell her to, usually."
"Usually! What do you mean usually?!"
"Never mind. Forget I even mentioned it."
"How can I forget it? This could totally change our missions."
"Not really," String disagreed. "I have to be with her still, I haven't gotten this mind reading thing to work beyond fifteen feet away, although the more I use it, it seems to be getting stronger."
"Momma Mia." Dom inaudibly muttered to himself about how they wouldn't even be needed much longer if it kept up like this. The Lady could just fly herself.
"That's a good thing. It means we read each other better. If this had been working earlier, getting Michael out when I had a broken arm wouldn't have been such a big deal."
"I still don't know about this. I'd feel a lot better if we had someone look at her and make sure everything is really ok."
"Fine," String conceded, "maybe Karan Hanson will be free."
XXX
It had been a long day, and everyone was tired so they decided to head their separate ways home. Caitlin and Dom had already left when Saint John and Le joined String in the Jet Ranger.
Indeed, the day had been full of surprises, but now it was time for some hard earned shut eye. Le trudged off to bed, half asleep before he got there. String climbed up the stairs to his room while Saint John took his own.
A restful sleep fell over him at first. Then, a man, dark clothed with a deathly stare, walked into the Lair. How did he know where it was? He tip-toed in somehow avoiding the alarm. How did he know it was there? With a whoosh, Airwolf's hatch was pulled open and the man climbed inside. Within a moment he was starting her up, getting ready for takeoff. String had to do something, but was confined to his position, unable to move. He had to do something, but what? Summoning up every last bit of energy he had left, he tried to move from his invisible prison… then he woke up to find it was only a dream.
That was the strangest dream I've had in a while, he mused. But when he tried to go back to bed, sleep evaded him. Thoughts of Airwolf being stolen raced through his head. Unable to escape his nightmare, he climbed into the waiting helicopter on the dock and stared for the Lair, hoping to prove to himself that nothing was wrong. Pushing the Jet Ranger as hard as he could, he made good time, but it didn't seem fast enough.
The Jet Ranger flared to an abrupt landing on the parched, dusty, orange soil outside the Lair. His sixth sense working as he climbed out from the helicopter, he knew something was definitely wrong.
'Hatch Lock' he thought sincerely hoping Airwolf would pick him up, despite the fact it was much farther than she ever had before.
'Lock Confirmed. Still preparing for takeoff?'
'No' he pulled his gun from the waistband of his jeans and carefully crept in under the cover of the shadows.
Bemused, Loki sat in the pilot's seat of Airwolf. She had suddenly shut down just before takeoff, but why? He scuttled out of cockpit looking for the reason for the shutdown. He carefully examined every inch starting with the armor plated skin for damage. None.
'Loki? But how? He was supposed to be dead, no one could have lived through the missile then the stunningly fast decent into the earth. It simply wasn't possible.' How he'd gotten there or how he was alive wasn't the important thing right now though. What was important is that the Lady was in danger. Clutching the gun tighter, he stepped from the shadows.
Loki saw him the instant he did so and reached for his own gun while diving for cover.
Hawke fired the first shot, but it went wide. Loki, hiding behind a box of armament he knew Hawke wouldn't dare shoot, got off two more shots at Hawke. Bullets whizzed by one grazing his side. He ignored the pain as he sneaked into a better position just as Loki tried once more to shoot him. Aiming a direct shot a Loki, he pulled the trigger. Loki had tried to avoid it, but still got shot in the left shoulder. It wasn't an instant kill, but without immediate medical attention it would be fatal as he was loosing vast amounts of blood already. Shaking hands wasted two more bullets missing Hawke by a good three feet. Sliding into a safe position guarded by Airwolf's shiny armor plated hide, he sent a final shot hurtling toward Loki at the same moment Loki fired upon him.
"I should have let my men handle this too," Loki spoke answering Hawke's unspoken question of how he was still alive. He'd never been in the F-15 to begin with. As the final shots reached their destinations, Loki fell dead and the last bullet sparked off Airwolf's metallic body. Hawke made sure Loki was truly dead before letting down his guard. Satisfied that it was truly over this time, he turned to leave.
XXX
The chopper ;landed with a thump onto the dock just outside the cabin. Exhausted from his lack of sleep and his gunfight with Loki, he staggered inside. Saint John met him with a sigh of relief and an angry glare at the same time.
"Where have you been?" his protectiveness of his younger brother allowed worry to show through the angry mask.
"I was trying to prove something to myself and it wasn't as simple as planned."
"Explain."
"Airwolf has now decided to share in my dreams too. Loki was about to steal her so I went to prove everything was ok, but he was actually there."
"Loki is dead."
"He is now. Before, it wasn't actually him in the F-15. He was working out where her hiding place was so that he could steal her himself when everyone though it was safe. I'll admit he did a good job too-sneaked in, disabled the alarm, he was even in the cockpit ready for takeoff when I showed up."
For the first time Saint John looked over his brother, eyes resting on the blood stain on his shirt. "It looks like you didn't come out unscathed either."
"I'll patch. It's just a minor graze."
XXX
Saint John joined Dominic and Caitlin at the hangar after making sure String's injuries were as minor as he claimed.
"Where's String and Le?" Caitlin asked.
"Back at the cabin," Saint John answered. "String's resting. He stayed out a little too late last night with a certain little Lady."
Caitlin could feel a red blush rushing to her cheeks.
"Don't worry, Cait, he'll be back probably tomorrow, it isn't that bad, and Le will take care of him until he's better."
"Better?" she said figuring Saint john was messing with her and it wasn't as it seemed.
"Evidently, he couldn't sleep last night so he went to hang out with the Lady at the Lair last night. But they had a little uninvited company."
"Who?" Caitlin asked, worried to find out who their next enemy would be.
"Loki."
"No, I'm serious, Saint John Hawke."
"Me too. That's what he said; Loki was never in the jet to begin with. It was one of his men."
XXX
After a delicious dinner, String walked out toward the bench on the dock. Caitlin joined him wrapping her arm around his waist. He flinched slightly, but made no move to remove it.
"I'm sorry, I should've thought…"She apologized as she slid her arm away from his wounded side.
"I never told you, how were you supposed to know?"
"Saint John."
"You must be pretty patient, Cait."
"Why?"
"Cause you out up with me, my family, and all my problems."
"You, no problem; your brother on the other hand," she laughed, "I don't know about him."
"Sure. You know your not a very good liar? Everyone knows he's easier to get along with than me. It's not even him who's trying to make you stay home and watch Le, and Le's his son."
"True, but you didn't hear him up at the hanger today. And watching Le's not that big of a deal even if you guys do get to have all the fun without me."
"You know I'm just trying to keep you safe."
"I know, just remember I'd like to keep you around too, preferably in one piece."
"I'll see if I can manage that."
the meaning of the name LOKI i just thought it was kind of fitting
LOKI
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Norse Mythology
Pronounced: LO-kee key
Possibly derived from the Indo-European root leug meaning "to break". In Norse legend Loki was a trickster god associated with magic and fire. Over time he became more and more evil, and he was eventually chained to a rock by the other gods.