To Save a Hawke, Chap. 2
Disclaimer—Still don't own 'em.
A/N: The character of Chad Ashburne comes from my Class Reunion storyline. Not necessary to read that to understand what's going on here, but it might help.
Aboard Airwolf
"So you understand what we're doing, Dom?" Caitlin asked from the Electronic Data Command Center.
"I understand, Cait, I just hate it," Dominic Santini replied from the pilot's seat. "You're really gonna surrender yourself to this...this creep?" Dom had initially proposed attacking the jail complex from Airwolf, but Caitlin had dissuaded him from that idea. "We do that, Dom, and String's as good as dead," Caitlin had told Dom. "But, I know Ashburne's weak spot—me. If I offer myself to him in exchange for String, he'll let String go—I guarantee it." Reluctantly, Dom had been forced to admit that Cait did know Ashburne better than he or String did.
"Not literally, Dom," Caitlin said, trying to reassure him. "Yes, I'll tell him that I'll be his...prisoner, hostage, whatever else he wants to call it...but I'm not going to let him do anything to me...you know me better than that, don't you?"
"Yeah, sweetheart, I do know you better than that," Dom replied, "I just don't like it."
"You don't have to like it, Dom," she said, her voice calm and determined. "but...I don't like it, either. I just know there's no other way. And besides," Caitlin said, "the mic will let you and String know if I'm in any danger." She knew she was wearing a pin on the collar of her shirt that contained a small, powerful microphone, as well as a homing device that Airwolf's scanners could track. Thank heaven Dom called Michael, Caitlin said to herself. And Dom convinced Michael not to alert Zebra Squad, like he said he'd do during the Horn affair. Dom had called Michael and told him the situation, and Michael proposed meeting them with the pin before they headed to meet Ashburne. Dom had reluctantly agreed, and they met in a field far away from the Lair, so Michael wouldn't figure out where Airwolf was hidden. Michael gave Caitlin the pin, and she quickly fastened it to the collar of her shirt, saying, "Don't worry, Michael. We'll get String back."
"I know you will, Cait," Michael said, the confidence evident in his good eye. "I learned as much during the Horn affair—and there's a lot more at stake this time, isn't there?"
"You can say that again," Caitlin replied determinedly. "Nobody kidnaps my husband and gets away with it!" She smiled at Michael as she turned to walk back to Airwolf, and Michael said to himself, "Good luck, Cait," as she closed the door and Airwolf headed back into the sky.
Hawke's cell
"Hello again, Mr. Hawke," Ashburne said as he slid a tray under his cell. Hawke glanced down and saw it contained a fish sandwich and fries, along with a plastic cup of soda. "I knew you were a vegetarian, Mr. Hawke—I've had a lot of time to check you out, you know."
"Yeah, Ashburne," Hawke replied angrily as he picked up the tray and set it on the cot in his cell. He picked up the sandwich warily.
"Don't worry, Hawke, it's not poisoned or anything like that," Ashburne said as he watched Hawke. "I promised Caitlin that if she comes, alone, that I'll let you go. And, I may be a lot of things, but I'm a man of my word."
"Right," Hawke said. "You'll forgive me if I don't believe what you said."
"Of course, Hawke," Ashburne said. "I'd probably do the same thing if I was in your shoes."
"What do you want with Caitlin, anyway?" Hawke demanded angrily.
"I want Caitlin, Hawke," Ashburne said. "She belongs with me...just like I told her that night all those years ago—if she'd stayed with me, she could have had anything and everything she ever wanted. But instead," Ashburne said dismissively, "she chose you."
Yeah, because I am everything Caitlin ever wanted, Hawke said to himself angrily as he took a few bites of the sandwich. You just haven't learned that money can't buy everything. Aloud, Hawke said, "And, she'll choose me again, Ashburne."
"Don't be so sure about that, Hawke," Ashburne said as he walked up to Hawke's cell and opened the door.
"By the way, Mr. Hawke," Ashburne said, "this is for what happened that night!" Before Hawke could react, he felt Ashburne's fist smash into the side of his face, stunning him.
"Payback sucks, don't it, Hawke?" Ashburne taunted him as he stepped out and locked the cell door again. As he rubbed his jaw, testing to see if anything had been broken, Hawke thought to himself, it sure does, you asshole. And it's really going to suck...for you.
Airwolf
"Good luck, Cait," Dom said as he landed Airwolf about a half-mile away from the jail.
"Thanks, Dom," Caitlin said as she climbed out of the helicopter. She closed the co-pilot's side door and walked around to Dom's side of the helicopter. "Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself—and you and String will handle the rest." She flashed one of her best "million-dollar smiles" at Dom, but Dom could see the worry in her eyes.
"We'll be waiting, Cait," Dom said as he gave her a kiss on the cheek. Caitlin closed the pilot's side door and began walking towards the jail. I've gotta stay ready, Caitlin said to herself as she walked towards the jail. They'll be comin' to grab me, soon. The best time to do it is when I'm alone. A few minutes later, she was inside, and wasn't surprised when two men grabbed her arms and quickly bound her wrists behind her back. She was taken downstairs and saw Hawke standing in the jail cell, his lip bloodied and swollen where Chad had punched him.
"String!" Caitlin shouted, trying to wrest her arm free from her captor.
"Let her go," Ashburne said, and the man holding Caitlin's arm released her. "And untie her wrists." Caitlin stood, shocked as the man untied her hands, and Ashburne unlocked Hawke's cell door. Caitlin quickly ran over to Hawke and kissed him deeply and passionately.
"Cait," String said worriedly, "don't. Don't do this."
"String," Caitlin whispered, low enough that only he could hear her, "Dom's about a half-mile away in Airwolf...and I'm wearing a mic and tracking device in my pin. Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. Are you okay?" she demanded, glancing at the bruise on Hawke's lip.
"Okay, Cait," Hawke said, still not convinced. "I'm fine...Ashburne was just paying me back for the ten-year reunion." Caitlin nodded, winked at String reassuringly, then turned to face Ashburne. "All right, Ashburne. You've got what you wanted—me. Let String go...and I'll be your prisoner." She held Ashburne's eyes with her own until he nodded at one of his guards, who opened Hawke's cell door and ushered him out.
"Caitlin, I'm a man of my word, despite whatever else you might think of me. Hawke, you're free to go, just like I said. Go." Hawke exchanged one final, worried look with Caitlin as he backed out of the cell, keeping his eyes locked on her the entire time. Finally, one of Ashburne's men grabbed Hawke's arm and spun him around, forcing him to break eye contact with Caitlin. He quickly walked out of the jail and met Dom in Airwolf.
"String!" Dom said, relieved. "You're okay! How's Cait?"
"She's okay, for now," String said as he climbed back into Airwolf, and Dom took his normal place at the Electronic Data Command Center. He quickly tuned in the radio to the frequency of the pin Caitlin was wearing.
TBC