Chapter 4: Release The Hounds
Michael's car pulled up at the hangar. String and Dom ran out into the rain to meet him. "Any news?" Dom asked.
"I think we know where Cait may be." Michael said walking as fast as he could with his cane into the hangar. Taking a map out of the folder he was carrying he laid it down so they could all see it.
"I know this area." Hawke said as he took the piece of paper from Michael. "It's a pretty remote place."
"It's owned by Duncan, and according to my sources he has been in the area lately." Michael said pushing his glasses back up his nose.
String went to the back to retrieve his gun, carefully checking it as Dom did the same. "This storm is getting worse we should get going."
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John brought a very weary and soaked Catlin back to the castle. Both men were waiting on her as she entered the library.
"I told you Miss O'Shannessy that if you discovered who I was and what we were doing you would be disposed of. I'm not a violent man and would have preferred to let you go." The doctor said as he paced back and forth deciding what to do.
Duncan spoke up. "It appears she is going to give us trouble. I don't think we will be able to keep her here for a month, not to mention that her friends at the Frim will eventually discover her whereabouts."
"I don't like this Duncan. I can't afford to get caught ."
"Then I have an idea. Is it possible for you to freeze her blood for when you need it?"
"Yes, I see where you're going with this. We can take all her blood now and at the same time eliminate her without it being, let's say messy?"
Cait almost fainted when she heard what her fate was. They were going to drain every drop of her blood until she died. This can't be happening she thought. I have to be dreaming.
Dr. Franklin motioned for John to take her to the lab. For the first time he hesitated taking orders from the horrid man. "I said take her to the lab you worthless idiot" the doctor ordered as Duncan drew his gun. John complied.
"No, please let me go. Help me John!" Cait pleaded as she tried in vain to break free of his hold on her.
John silently and slowly dragged Cait to the stairs to start her slow decent into hell.
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String and Dom arrived at the lair. Michael had shown them a picture of the castle but not a layout of it. String was thinking of how they were going to get in without her being hurt or killed in the process. Michael wouldn't get there as fast as they would in Airwolf but he was glad that at some point he would have back up. He tried to keep his mind on flying and how they were going to rescue her. When he had returned from his date the other night he had done some soul searching. He was seriously thinking of asking Cait out on a real date. He made up his mind that when they brought her home he was going to go through with it. They were going to bring her back, of that he had no doubt.
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Cait was fighting with all she had in her as she was placed on the table with straps holding her down.
"You might as well make this easy on yourself" The doctor said. "It is going to happen whether you struggle or not."
He proceeded to take the first vial from her. "I'm sorry your suffering but this will be over by tomorrow morning. I will need to let your body recover in between drawing your blood." He finished and withdrew the needle.
"I will be back in twenty minutes."
Cait laid there thinking about her life, about the things she had done and the things she wished she had done but didn't. It was hard to lay there knowing she was never going to see her family or Dom and String again. Her biggest regret was never telling String how she felt about him. Thinking to herself if she did get out of this somehow she would head to the cabin and lay it all on the line.
Out of the corner of her eye Cait caught a movement. It was John sitting in a chair guarding her. Somehow she needed to reach him.
"John, I know you can hear me. You need to let me go. If you don't you know he is going to kill me. Do you want that to happen?" Cait pleaded with him.
At first she thought she wasn't getting through to him, and then she noticed he was looking over at her. Very rarely had he made eye contact with her since she had been there. Standing up and looking around for the doctor and seeing he was nowhere in sight John began to undo the straps.
"Hurry John before he comes back."
Cait jumped off the table only to fall to the floor. She was even weaker than before. But she had to get them out of there. "John what's the best way out of here?'
He took her to a door that was almost hidden by lab equipment and pried it open. It opened up to steps. Cait knew they had to lead to the outside because of the cold air that rushed down to them. John pushed her toward them as he started to close the door staying behind.
Cait grabbed his hand. "No, you're coming with me. He'll kill you if he finds me gone."
John took his hand away and again pushed her out the door. Cait turned and pushed her way back in. "I'm not leaving here without you. So either we escape together or die together."
John took her by the hand leading them out shutting the door behind him. His stride was longer than hers as she had a hard time keeping up with him. He kept moving faster as if he knew what would happen next. The storm had not let up. The rain was cold and the wind relentless. Suddenly John stopped holding his hand up to her as if he were trying to hear something. She heard it to. It sounded like a pack of dogs. John changed direction pulling her behind him he picked up the pace.
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"There" Dom said "That's got to be the place.
"What do you see on the scan?"
I got two people in the wooded area; wait two more approaching the woods with several animals. I think they're dogs. My God String it looks like the two in the woods are being hunted down. The two with the dogs are armed."
"There's a clearing I'm setting her down."
Cait was now the one stopping. She thought she heard Airwolf. "Please God let it be String and Dom." She said out loud. John looked around to see what it was she was looking for. They were both startled by the sound of the dogs closing in on them.
John again took her hand leading her away. They came to a small house that looked like it once belonged to the grounds keeper. John pulled her inside knowing she would not be able to make it any further. He had decided that he was going to protect her best he could for as long as he could, even if it cost him his life.
String and Dom where following the sound of the dogs. "Dom we have to be getting closer. It sounds like their up ahead about a quarter of a mile."
John stood Cait in the corner of the room furthest away. Soon they heard the dogs outside the door.
"John, come out now with the girl and I'll forget this ever happened. Come on John, you don't want to die do you?" The doctor called out.
John looked around for anything he could use as a weapon. He picked up a small wooden chair. It was silent for a moment. Suddenly the door burst open and Duncan appeared with his gun in hand. John rushed him hitting him with the chair but not before Duncan got a shot off.
"This way Dom." String was now running as fast as he could despite the heavy rain that was doing everything it could to slow him down. When he arrived at the house he could see a man in a white lab coat holding a gun cautiously peering in through the door.
String came up behind him before he or the dogs knew he was there. Taking the butt of the gun he took him down with a blow to his head. Stepping over him he drew his gun and proceeded with caution. It was dark but he could make out two people on the floor. One was holding the other.
"Cait, he called out to her as Dom came in behind him. String almost stumbled over another man lying on the floor. He reached down to remove his weapon.
"String, help him. He's been shot."
String knelt beside her. She was holding Johns head in her lap as she tried to wipe the tears away. He wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms to reassure himself she was safe but he knew this man Cait was concerned about needed help.
Dom helped Cait up. "Let String see where he's shot."
String took the flashlight from his belt and began to assess the man. "It looks like his shoulder. His pulse is good but we need to get him out of here."
"I already called Michael. They're almost here. He brought medical help if we needed it."
String found a blanket and made him as comfortable as possible. Then he turned his attention to Cait. She was standing over by Dom. She looked pale and weak.
He reached for her pulling her in his arms. She was shivering. He led her to the small couch that was in the room. Sitting her down he found another blanket wrapping her in it.
"He saved my life." She softly said.
"Who is he?"
"All I know is his name is John and he worked for the doctor."
String heard Michael and his men approach the house. "Sounds like help's here for your friend."
Soon John was on a stretcher and headed back to the main road. Michael turned to Cait. "The medic said he thinks he'll make it Cait. What can you tell me about him?"
"Nothing but his name. I think he may have worked for Dr. Franklin for some time. He was cruel to him. And I don't think he was able to speak. Michael will you make sure he gets help. If it weren't for him I wouldn't be alive.
"You can count on it. Now we need to get you some medical attention. It's stopped raining. Do you think you can make it back to Airwolf?"
String put his arm around her. "We'll get her there."