A Holiday of Sorts

By KatFenn

Chapter 4

String adjusted the chin strap of his borrowed helmet. It felt a little heavy on the right, thanks to the radio receiver headset and mike. It wasn't uncomfortable, and he supposed that it would just take some getting used to. He donned a pair of well-worn riding gloves, which were a little long in the fingers, but fitted well otherwise. He wore his favourite brown leather zip-up jacket which he had brought with him, and his sturdy brown boots. Himself, Cait and Dom had just driven over the course in their van, taking note of possible issues in terms of camera shots, overhead foliage, and other obstructions, and they were now about to do a test shoot with him on the bike. He knew that there was no way he could even dream of matching the speeds of the top riders, but he intended to give the course as good a shot as he could. He grinned to himself. He was looking forward to testing his mettle on the CBR600 he had been lent. The jump on Ballaugh Bridge was the part of the course he was looking forward the most to, but of course there was the thrills and spills of all the tight hairpins and the exhilaration of coming down the mountain at Snaefell, the highest point. String jumped on the bike and started her up. As the engine roared into life, String spoke into his headset. "Ground to Video Chopper, do you read?"

"Loud and clear, String, can you hear us over the engine?" came Cait's Texan drawl in his right ear.

"Yup, no problem here. Well I'm just about ready to go. Just let me do a few rounds of the carpark just to make sure the bike's OK and then I'll check in when I'm ready to start the course."

"Roger that, String. Video chopper, out." Cait nudged Dom, who seemed to be resting his eyes in the co-pilot seat next to her. "Dom? You ready for this?"

"Yeah, of course! I'm looking forward to seeing String on that course. I suppose that means I had better go and perch on that ridiculous wooden bench at the back there and make sure the camera doesn't fall out."

"C'mon, Dom, you know how much you love doing this! Stop being such a grump. You're not hurt anywhere from this morning's run-in, are ya?" said Cait, as she busied herself with flicking on the switches which would start the engines. As the rotor blades began to spin, she chuckled to herself as she heard Dom harrumph in response to her question.

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"That's a wrap, String. Hope you enjoyed the ride! See you back at the hangar. Video Chopper out." Dom's voice reverberated in his ears, rich with glee.

String smiled to himself as he made his way back to the hangar. The CBR600 that he had taken out on the course did indeed, put a big smile on his face. He hadn't quite managed to jump the bridge at Ballaugh, as he didn't get enough speed under his wheels, but he did lift the tyres SLIGHTLY off the road surface, coming down just in time to make the left hand turn to avoid brushing the wall of the Raven pub which was an acknowledged hazard. It had been a fun couple of hours, and String was well on an adrenaline high.

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"I'm starving!" came Cait's complaint through the handset, as String picked up the phone in his hotel room.

"All right, all right, call Dom and tell him to meet up at the lobby in about 10 minutes. I need to get dressed." String smiled indulgently as he cradled the receiver and turned to dress. He had managed about an hour's lie-down after they had finished on the course and Dom was satisfied that all was ready for the Monday. They had the next day, Sunday to rest before filming proper started on Monday. The first race was starting at 10am, with two other races following. He was looking forward to being a part of this project – between his love for bikes and his love for flying this was the closest he was going to get to Heaven.

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String stalked off the tram, feeling like he had a big target painted on his back. He wondered if he was dreaming. Everywhere they had turned today he had seen Cait's twin. And every time he tried to approach her, or draw one of the other two's attention to her, she had disappeared. He couldn't help but feel vulnerable. He wondered if this was yet another ploy to get at him, and through him, Airwolf.

Cait saw the familiar scowl come over String's handsome features. She wondered what had got him in the mood he was in. She remembered the smile that he wore the day before, after they had done the test shoot on the Mountain Course, and how happy he had been then. Cait frowned as she remembered Dom's remark at breakfast that morning – that that was the happiest he had seen String in a while. She wondered to herself what it was that had upset String. Deciding that the only way to find out was to ask him, she hurried off the Manx Electric Tram that they were riding and ran to slip her arm through his.

"Hey….what's wrong, String?"

String hardly heard her as his gaze focused on Cait's look-alike, dressed in jeans this time, with a large pair of sunglasses covering her eyes, hiding behind a postcard display across the road from where they had alighted from the tram.

"Over there, Cait! Am I dreaming or is that your look-alike?" snarled String.

Cait looked in the direction String was pointing. All she could see was a throng of people going about their business – tourists and locals alike looking at the contents of the shops in Laxey. She could not even spot a redhead in the crowd. "String, now you're really making me worry. That's the third time you've asked one of us if we've seen her today – first at Jarby Junk, then at the teashop at Niarbyl, and again at Peel Castle. Are you sure you're OK?"

"I'm not imagining things! I swear she was there, watching us!"

By then Dom had caught up with the both of them. "The look-alike again, String?"

"Yeah."

Dom put his arm around String's shoulders and winked at Cait. "Well, this mystery lady sure as heck isn't around now, let's try to get up to Snaefel before this mist comes down, eh? I'm looking forward to this view I've heard so much about , and seeing these seven kingdoms at once!"

Getting into the spirit of things, Cait replied brightly, "Yeah. I'm looking forward to riding this railway – especially coming down – I heard the brakes are all manually controlled by some guy turning this huge wheel!"

String tried to smile through his worry. "You guys are the world's worst cheerer-uppers," in a slightly happier tone of voice.

"Sorry String, it's either this or get you drunk! Besides, Cait's look-alike hasn't tried anything yet, has she? And she's been following us for like, two days. Don't you think she would killed us already if that's what she wanted to do?" Dom tried to keep his tone light.

String glared at him.

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