Airwolf – Terminal Velocity

Chapter Seven

"Anything?" Dobbs demanded as he joined Colonel Jardine in the mess hall and watched the top brass calling out the role call and everyone present sounding off in turn, as their names were called.

"Not yet," Jardine sighed deeply, his eyes scanning the crowded mess hall, but there was still no sign of Sara Sykes, and he had called the medical wing to check that she had not turned up there when the klaxon announcing the fire drill had sounded.

During a routine fire drill, when the klaxon sounded, everyone on base was supposed to report to their duty station, or to the nearest assembly point, and then when it was over, the section chiefs would report all present and accounted for and then things would go back to normal.

Sara Sykes should have shown up at the medical wing's assembly point, but if she had been anywhere else on the base, she would have gone to the nearest assembly point and indicated to the station chief who she was and where she was from.

"But it's a big place, Major. I've got people scouring the whole building, including the access tunnels in the basement area that the Navy sealed off when they handed the place over to us to use." The Colonel informed him in businesslike tones. "Where better to hide the good doctor, eh?"

"Anyone missing?" Dobbs demanded again, his own eyes now scanning the faces in the crowded mess hall, spotting two of his fellow trainees, who had obviously been in the mess hall finishing breakfast when the alarm had sounded.

Chuck McCrea and Eugene Webber were sitting at a table littered with the debris of their breakfast and sipping casually on their coffee, which indicated to Dobbs that neither man suspected that this was anything other than a routine fire drill.

"All in good time, my friend. A lot of bodies to account for," Jardine tried to calm Dobbs down, knowing that anger and genuine concern were behind his impulsive and impatient behaviour.

"Sara's life is at stake, Colonel," Dobbs reminded angrily.

"I know, son, but I can't risk any more lives, sending them out into the desert, until we know for sure that she isn't lying injured somewhere down here, first."

The klaxon sounding the alarm suddenly stopped and the Colonel's voice was unusually loud in the sudden lull in sound, then the telephone on the far wall rang out shrill and the Colonel spotted one of his aids beckoning him to take the call.

When he returned to Dobbs side, the younger man could tell that something very bad had transpired, for his usually flaccid cheeks were suddenly bloodless and there was something else in the man's eyes that made Roger Dobbs blood run cold in his veins.

"Bad news Major …. Our search turned up a body. No Major, not the good doctor, Major Malcom Shaw," Jardine informed before Dobbs had a chance to ask, sighing raggedly before continuing with his report.

"Seems someone tried to suffocate him with his pillow while he was sleeping, but when that failed, they used the pillow as a silencer, when they blew his brains out …."

"Ohmygod …."

"And there are two other people unaccounted for," Jardine told Dobbs with another ragged sigh, any and all pretence that he did not think that the recent events at Thunderbird were serious gone now. "Dr Sara Sykes, and Major Guy Anders, USAF."

"Anders?"

Dobbs couldn't believe what he was hearing, but then suddenly he wondered why.

Of all the men he had been in close contact with over the past few weeks, Anders had been the one who had resisted any attempts to get close, to form any kind of bond with.

He had been the hardest one to read.

The quietest and most inconspicuous one of the bunch.

Keeping himself to himself, never drawing attention to himself.

And, he was Shaw's bunk mate!

Had Shaw been on to something?

Had he gotten suspicious, walked in on something by accident, and that was what had gotten him killed?

Or had they been in it together and had fallen out over whether to get Sykes out of the picture or not?

They wouldn't know anything for sure until they caught up with Anders.

But yes, it made sense now.

Anders had been doing what Dobbs himself had tried to do in the beginning. Not doing anything that would single him out from the others.

Dammit.

Anders.

"I know. I find it hard to believe too. But that's not all. Our search for the good doctor turned up a little something that neither one of us might have expected …." Jardine's voice trailed away then, leaving Dobb's frowning deeply at him. "Seems friend Anders left us with another …. Situation …."

"Emergency evacuation. This is not a drill, I repeat this is not a drill, all personnel report top side …." A deep male voice suddenly intoned over the PA system and now Dobbs found himself staring at the Colonel.

"There appear to be several incendiary devices placed at structurally significant locations around the base, Major …. Timed devices, which seem to have been preset to detonate at 12.00 …." Colonel Jardine explained watching as the well trained military people in the mess hall adhered to the command over the PA system and filed calmly toward the exit.

"Can they be disarmed?"

"I guess it's my job to find out, Major."

"What about Sara?"

"I'll organise that search party, give this lot something to do while we sort out this little irritation. I suppose you want to be included?"

"There's no time. Every second is precious to Sara. Leave it to me, Colonel. I've already set the ball rolling, and I'll be much quicker than your search party."

"What? What are you going to do, Dobbs?"

"Don't you worry about me, I've got my own methods, and it's probably better if you don't know the details. Plausible deniability, Sir. My ride should be here any minute. I'll keep you informed, but right now, finding Sara alive is my main priority."

"Understood. Just one other thing. Anders …."

"You can have what's left when I'm done with him," Dobb's anger burned fiercely in his blue eyes now.

"I understand what you must be feeling. But, we need him alive, Dobbs."

Roger Dobbs let out a deep, resentful sigh, but nodded his understanding.

There were so many questions that only Guy Anders could answer, and a lot of people waiting to hear what he had to say.

"Good luck, Sir …."

"You too, Major …. Be careful, I don't want to have to send out a search party for you too."

"Sir, Yes Sir!" Dobbs offered the Colonel a crisp salute and then darted out of the mess hall.