Hawke stared at the Marines across the hangar until they stopped gazing awestruck at Airwolf and moved away. He heard a chuckle behind him and turned to scowl at Dom. The older man was standing leaning against the Lady with his arms folded across his ample chest and merriment lighting his eyes.

'How much longer before Michael gets here?' Hawke asked taking up a position next to his friend.

Dom sighed. 'Any minute if his ETA hasn't changed.' He wiped his hands on the rag he was holding. 'And I'm going to say it again, I just don't like this, kid.'

'Yeah.' Hawke agreed restlessly.

'We've been waiting here almost eight hours now.' Dom pointed out.

'I know, Dom.' Hawke sighed. Michael had called soon after their arrival to tell them he was heading to England to meet and give them instructions in person. The prolonged wait at the base was making Hawke nervous. The base commander seemed on the level; they'd been offered food, accommodation whilst they waited and the two women had received medical treatment but Hawke's innate distrust had him and Dom remaining with Airwolf the whole time. Doc had left them briefly to make sure he informed the base doctors of his own diagnosis but he had returned and was now curled up in the passenger seat asleep. Hawke rubbed the back of his neck. Dom had taken watch and he'd caught a nap earlier but he could still feel tiredness seeping into his bones.

'You should get some more rest.' Dom nagged.

'Nah. We'll have plenty of time to rest when its over.' Hawke said.

'So you gonna tell me what's bothering you?' Dom asked.

Hawke sighed. The older man knew him too well. 'I've been thinking that's all.'

'Thinking, huh?' Dom said. 'Is that why you spent over an hour talking to Michael when we got here?'

'It wasn't an hour.' Hawke automatically denied.

Dom frowned. 'You think she tried to defect?'

'Tania?' Hawke looked at his friend in surprise. 'Nah, I think she's on the level. She's just trying to find her family.' He turned abruptly at the sudden surge of empathy flooding him and looked away from Dom.

The older man looked at the tense set of Hawke's shoulders and sighed. His eyes caught a movement by the door and he tapped Hawke on the arm as Marella approached them. 'Hey, kid. Heads up.'

Hawke shook off his tiredness to greet her.

'Hawke. Dominic.' Marella stuffed her hands in the deep pockets of her white wool coat.

'You cold, Marella?' Hawke asked amused as she shivered.

Her black eyes glared back at him. 'We're having a meeting in the conference room.'

'So?' Hawke asked uninterestedly.

'Your presence has been requested.' Marella snapped.

Hawke continued to regard her evenly.

She sighed. 'Please.'

'Anything makes you nervous, take off.' Hawke said turning to Dom.

'You got it, kid.'

'Lead on, Marella.' Hawke gestured at her.

Her eyes flickered through the windscreen at a wakening Doc and back to Hawke filled with curiosity. Hawke winked back at her and she spun on her sharp white stilettos and led the way out of the hangar. She made her way through a maze of corridors and ushered him through a door into a large rectangular room with an oval table.

Hawke took two steps into the room and froze. General Bening rose from one of the chairs as Michael stepped forward hurriedly.

'Hawke, General Bening asked to attend the briefing.'

Hawke read the plea in Michael's good eye; 'please help me out here and don't leave in a hissy fit.' He was almost amused. His blue eyes slanted to Bening. He was tough looking man, the same aristocratic features as his daughter hardened into rock. Grey hair was cut military short. His uniform was pressed with military preciseness and barely concealed the way the body underneath moved with an assassin's fluidity; this man would never be taken for anything other than dangerous. His grey eyes were flinty and stared back at Hawke. There was no give in them or in the eyes of the two military men sitting either side of him.

Hawke's gaze slid to Tania Bening curious at how she was taking her father's appearance. She'd showered since he'd last seen her, her shiny blonde hair flowed down her back over the army issue fatigues. The bruises and the faint shadows under Tania's eyes seemed to be the only evidence of her recent trauma until she raised her eyes and stared at him imploringly.

Hawke walked forward and took a seat opposite the General's. 'Where's Simone?' He asked Tania.

'My grand-daughter is not needed for this meeting.' The General answered sitting down. Michael retook his seat.

'OK, Ms Bening, perhaps you can go over the information you gave to me earlier.'

Tania's hazel eyes flickered to her father before settling on Michael. 'As I explained, when I was taken the group holding me forced me to break a code on a document regarding the movements of Airforce One during an anticipated mission to Russia scheduled to begin today.'

'You're absolutely sure it was Airforce One?' The guy sitting to the General's right asked. He was a forty-one year old man with thick, wavy blond hair and looked as though he'd stepped from the pages of a US army recruitment ad.

'Yes, Colonel Tennant. I'm certain.' Tania wetted her lips. 'I didn't have enough time to break more than the first few lines but I'm good at what I do. I know I wasn't mistaken, besides…'

The General frowned. 'If you have something to add say it.'

'One of the men was disciplined for being friendly towards us. They told him not to forget that I was American and I was going to end up dead like the President.'

'It doesn't make sense.' Tennant said harshly. 'This group took you and gave you a document to decode. They could be testing you.'

Michael coughed interrupting. 'We've verified that the President is planning a visit to Russia and the first location and timing is as Ms Bening decoded.'

'Archangel, you have to admit the set up doesn't make sense.' Tennant stressed.

'So what's your explanation?' Hawke asked.

'The group took Ms Bening as a misdirection.' Tennant said. 'They are planning an attack and want us and the Russians fixated on the President.'

'We have information that the Russians are planning to move some of their more antiquated nuclear arsenal from a base outside Moscow to Siberia at the time the President is visiting.' The younger soldier, Lewis, on the General's left continued. 'We believe that the group will attempt to make a grab for the missiles.'

'Interesting theory.' Hawke commented.

'Look, they must have known they had limited time with Ms Bening. It made no sense for them to have the amount of firepower you've reported unless they anticipated being interrupted by the KGB.' Tennant supported his colleague.

'The KGB wouldn't have cared about a possible attack on our President, so why would they attack the group unless they were aware the group were, are, planning an attack on the missiles.' Lewis continued.

'I can't believe this.' Tania snapped. 'I know what I read and I know what I heard.'

'You know what they wanted you to know.' Her father said firmly.

Tania flushed.

'So you agree with the assessment of your military colleagues?' Hawke asked almost lazily.

The General focused on Hawke. 'You know the strategy of misdirection as well as these men do, Captain Hawke.'

'I do.'

'But you don't agree with their assessment.' The General stated.

'No I don't.'

The two men stared at each other; flint against solid ice.

Michael looked at the alpha male contest and sighed. 'Hawke, why don't you just tell them why you don't agree?'

'Why don't you?' Hawke didn't break the staring match he was engaged in with the General. 'You tell it better.'

There was a start of surprise around the table.

'You think I'm right?' Tania asked Archangel.

'We believe,' Michael said sitting forward, 'that the group were very specific in choosing you. I think you were targeted. I don't think they would go to that trouble simply to misdirect.'

'You think I was targeted?' Tania's hazel eyes were astounded.

'You were targeted from the moment you began the search for your daughter.' Michael said gently. 'I had my agents backtrack your movements for the last six months and the movements of the major East European agencies during that time.'

'Why?' She asked.

'To try and establish whether your disappearance was a botched defection.' Michael said.

Marella continued. 'Once we knew what to look for we were able to trace several references to you in KGB and other Eastern European transmissions over the last six months. You were referred to as a target.'

'The mercenary group that kidnapped you works primarily for the KGB but four months ago were approached by a retired Russian General, Kritchov.' Michael picked up. 'We have good reason to believe that he hired them to kidnap you.'

'Kritchov is a hard-liner. He doesn't agree with the policy of the current Russian government in seeking closer and friendlier relations between the Superpowers.' Marella added. 'He's currently under investigation by us, the CIA, the Company…'

'And more importantly the KGB.' Michael concluded. He shot a look at Tennant. 'We think the KGB went in to try to do damage limitation. After all, it wouldn't look good if it was discovered that the group was one they used themselves.'

'Why wasn't I informed of this?' General Bening asked stiffly.

Michael ignored him and concentrated on Tania. 'Having identified you as the target, they then needed assurance that they could get you into Russia at the right time.'

'No…' Tania began to shake her head in denial. 'You're wrong.'

'Simone is not your daughter.' Michael said softly. 'We've verified that the entire evidence trail within Russia was fabricated.'

Tania's eyes filled with tears and she swallowed hard. 'I don't believe you.'

'He's telling you the truth, Tania.' Hawke's blue eyes swam with compassion. 'Simone was the only person who could have enticed you to Russia and alerted them to your arrival. She gave you up.'

Tania shook her head again. 'But she's…she's…'

'She's not your daughter.' Hawke repeated.

'I take it you've had her arrested?' Bening said bluntly ignoring the tears streaming down his daughter's cheeks.

'My agents went to take her into custody as soon as we met for this meeting.' Michael confirmed.

'So all they wanted was for me to decode the document?' Tania asked swiping at her face and bringing herself back under control.

'But they still must have known that they wouldn't get enough time for her to do that.' Tennant insisted.

'They didn't need her to.' Hawke said.

'I'm sorry?' Tennant frowned in confusion. 'You've just said that she was targeted and now you're saying she wasn't.'

'She was targeted,' Marella insisted, 'only as a credible witness to the plot to kill the President.'

'So I was used for misdirection?' Tania asked.

'No.' Michael smoothed his moustache. 'You were used to point us in a very specific direction.'

'I don't understand.' Tania admitted.

'What's the first thing that you would do as the Secret Service on receiving the news that the President's route for Airforce One had been compromised?' Marella prompted.

'Change the routes, of course.' Her eyes widened. 'Oh my God!' Her gaze flew to Hawke's in startled realisation. 'They know the alternate route.'

He nodded. 'That's my best guess.'

'Your best guess is not enough evidence.' Tennant barked. 'I haven't heard anything conclusive. It could still be the missiles are their prime target.'

'The missiles aren't the target.' The General said interrupting the colonel.

'But sir…'

The General caught the fleeting look of surprise in Hawke's blue eyes. 'Your reputation precedes you, Captain Hawke. I'd be foolish not to agree with a man born with an innate sixth sense about strategy and besides…I agree with your assessment.' He smiled at the look of confusion on Tennant's face. 'Discovering a group were going to kill the President would not divert protection from the missiles and they are well protected. It does change the route the President was going to take though.'

'And increase his security.' Tennant pointed out.

'Only on the ground.' Hawke stated. 'His flight escort remains the same.'

'They're going to try and take out Airforce One.' Michael stabbed a finger into the polished wood of the table. He glanced over at Hawke. 'Take Airwolf, find Airforce One and provide a discreet escort for the President's plane.'

'Even I agree with you, this is not the way to handle it. It'll provoke an international incident.' The General rose to his feet even as Hawke did. 'We should call off the disarmament talks.'

'I remind you, General, that the President put me in charge of this situation, General, and whilst I won't risk the President, I won't risk the talks either.' Michael said heatedly.

'But it's not your decision, is it Archangel?' The voice was granite hard and the stare returned to Hawke as he dismissed Michael's involvement in the discussion like he was swatting a fly.

Michael closed his mouth and waited. If Hawke acquiesced with the General, Michael was going to lose a lot of political ground.

Hawke shrugged. 'It may have escaped your notice, General, but I don't take orders from you.' He saw the barb hit home. Hawke's expressionless gaze met Michael's. 'I'll be in touch.' Michael gave him a nod of acknowledgement.

Hawke headed out and made his way back toward the hangar to inform Dom of the new mission. He slowed to a halt at the sight of the older man and Doc standing with Simone talking. Hawke's hand slid to his holstered gun. Something must have gone wrong with the arrest.

'Hey, kid.' Dom said waving him over. 'Simone thought we might go for something to eat.'

Hawke glanced at Simone. Their eyes met and both recognised the knowledge in the other immediately; both reached simultaneously for their guns. Simone grabbed Doc and held the barrel of the weapon to his neck at the same time Hawke levelled his weapon at her. Dom froze and Hawke gave a quick shake of his head at the older man's questioning look whether he should do something.

'I'll kill him.' Simone spat out.

'And I'll kill you.' Hawke replied. He waved at the guards at the edge of the hangar to stand down. 'What happened to the agents sent to arrest you?'

She smiled. 'I'm afraid they had an accident.'

'Simone!' Tania's voice rang from the hangar door but Simone did not acknowledge her or her running footsteps as Tania neared them until she was almost next to Hawke.

'That's far enough!' Simone snapped. Her hate-filled eyes glared at the woman who she had pretended was her mother.

'Why, Simone?' Tania asked.

'Because it's my job.' Simone drawled. 'Because it was so easy to hoodwink you when we found out about the search for your daughter.'

'Do you know…' Tania asked hopefully.

'She is dead.' Simone told her smirking. 'She died in the same car accident that killed her adoptive parents.'

Tania took a stumbling step back.

'Do not move!' Simone hissed.

'Simone, we know about the assassination attempt.' Hawke said trying to keep her talking.

'It is too late to stop it.' Simone laughed.

'Simone, give me the gun or you are going to die.' Hawke insisted.

'I don't think so.'

'You should listen to him.' Tania said calmly.

Hawke couldn't afford to let his attention slip from Simone a moment to glance at her even though something in the tone disturbed him. 'Simone, let Doc go and…'

The gunshot was unexpected. Loud. Doc jerked and stumbled suddenly released as Simone dropped to the floor. The hangar was deathly silent.

Tania sank to her knees next to the body of the girl she had thought was her daughter. The gun slipped from her grasp and clattered to the ground. Hawke wondered where she'd gotten it even as he checked anxiously with Dom who was helping Doc to his feet. He breathed a sigh of relief as both men gave him brief nods, confirmation that they were OK. Hawke crouched next to Tania and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. 'I'm sorry.'

'I went to see her. The agents…' Tania swiped at her eyes but didn't look at him. 'You'd better go.'

'She's right.'

Hawke glanced up in surprise at Michael. The spy came to a halt by the body, his face grave.

'We'll handle this.' He said quietly.

Hawke nodded. He squeezed Tania's shoulder and ran for the cockpit. Moments later they were airborne and heading away into the grey, damp sky. It matched the mood in Airwolf as Hawke briefed the rest of his crew.

'That was a bad business.' Dom said grimly.

'Yeah.' Hawke agreed quietly. He looked over at their sombre guest. 'You OK, Doc?'

Doc nodded. 'Just grateful that Tania's a hell of a shot.' He shuddered. 'I'm not sure I could have done what she did though…killing a woman she thought was her daughter.'

'She did what she had to do.'

Dom heard the admiration tingeing the words and sighed. Any other time he would have taken the opportunity to have teased the younger pilot…he adjusted another system as Hawke asked for more speed.

'Just exactly how are we meant to find Airforce One?' Dom asked tapping his instructions into the computer. 'And why couldn't Michael just tell us?'

'Need to know.' Hawke replied. 'After the confirmation that the first routes had been compromised there would have been an automatic black out on the alternative routes. The information is limited to those with a need to know. Even Michael might not make that list.'

'Well, we have a need to know now.' Dom pointed out.

'The assassins know what the route is though, right?' Doc asked.

'Yeah.' Hawke confirmed.

'So they must have someone on the inside who knew the back up location…' Doc continued.

'And if they knew the back up location there must be something about it that limits the routes a plane can approach by.' Hawke concluded. 'Dom, bring up the aerial maps of Russia. Get the computer to limit all the airfields to those who have one flight path for the approach.'

Doc swivelled to examine the information on his screen. 'There's still over a hundred.'

'Limit it to those that can take Airforce One and her escort.'

'Right.' Dom tapped in the search instruction. 'Four locations.' He sighed deeply. 'And not close to each other too.'

'How many army bases?' Hawke asked.

'Two.'

'Which is closer to the Eastern side of Moscow?' Hawke asked.

'Geritovsky.' Dom noted. His eyes widened. 'Hey, String, I think this is it.'

'The only flight path is through a valley that dead ends in the base.' Doc said reading the info off the screen. 'An attack could come from anywhere.'

Hawke adjusted their course. 'Scan ahead, Dom. Now we know where she's headed, let's see if you can pick up Airforce One.'

'They're in stealth mode.' Dom argued.

Hawke glanced back and Dom rolled his eyes at the implacable look. He was muttering in Italian under his breath as he returned to the monitor.

'I think I've got them.' Dom punched in another scan and hoped the first one had been wrong. 'Damn. They're going to start their final approach any minute.'

'Give me more speed.' Hawke ordered.

'She hasn't got anymore to give, String.' Dom insisted even as he adjusted the systems trying to boost the power to the already overtaxed turbos.

'Remove the safeties.' Hawke instructed.

Dom sighed and did what he was asked. Doc grabbed his console as Airwolf shot forward; the siren started screaming in the back of the cockpit.

The communications panel beeped and Michael flickered into view on the monitor.

'Make it quick, Michael. I'm kinda busy here.' Hawke snapped. It was taking every ounce of strength to hold Airwolf on her course.

'The General alerted the Russians that we might send in another escort for Airforce One.' Michael said hurriedly. 'They know you're there.'

'Don't worry, Michael.' Hawke said confidently as he took in the anxious expression on his friend's face. 'The Russian's might know we're here but they have to find us first.'

Michael nodded cautiously. 'Good luck.'

The screen blanked out to grey.

'Our ETA is one minute to intercept with Airforce One.' Dom noted. 'She can't take much more of this.' The computer screen suddenly changed and the automatic identification program kicked in. 'String, I'm picking up activity on the South side of the valley. Two ground missiles firing. They're targeting the escorts.'

'Give me Redeyes. Try to get them on the radio.' Hawke slid the visor on this helmet down and targeted the incoming missiles. He could dimly hear Dom's voice in the background informing the President's aircraft of their identity even as he concentrated on flying, on fighting.

Airwolf screamed past Airforce One, acquired one of the missiles even as he shot the other.

The missile exploded behind them, taken out by one of the F14 escorts.

'I have another missile in the air.' Dom noted desperately trying to adjust the systems as they banked hard to come back around. 'It's targeting Airforce One.'

'Let the escort take care of it.' Hawke instructed. 'Give me Mavericks.'

He targeted the ground missile launcher and fired with the deadly efficiency. There was a satisfying burst of fire and smoke as the side of the valley exploded.

'I have MIGs being scrambled from the base.' Dom informed him. 'And I have an unidentified helicopter bearing down on Airforce One. An F14 is moving to intercept. They've got a missile off at the F14.'

'Come on, kid. Evade.' Hawke muttered. He knew instinctively the pilot had gone the wrong way even before the blast of the missile ripping through the F14 filled the windscreen with an eerie orange glow.

Airwolf's banshee cry filled the valley as Hawke took her up spewing gunfire that chattered through the enemy helicopter and ripped her to shreds.

'It's not over, String.' Dom said worriedly. 'We have another ground launcher on the North side. It's gotten two missiles off.'

Hawke flicked the radio on even as he lined up the shots. 'Escort, stay with Airforce One. We'll play catch until you're safe. Copy.'

'Copy, Airwolf.'

The two missiles were dispatched clinically. Another was blasted with a chaff before Hawke took out the other ground launcher.

'We have two MIGs on an intercept course.' Dom said hurriedly.

'Are we done?' Hawke asked.

'My scope is clear.' Dom confirmed. 'Airforce One is landing at Geritovsky. Wheels are on the ground.'

'Let's get out of here.' Hawke abruptly changed direction and climbed out of the valley.

'MIGs pursuing.'

'Go to stealth.' Hawke instructed. 'Give me turbos.'

'Stealth mode. Turbos.' Dom sighed as they shot forward. 'They're still tracking us.'

Hawke dived. The ground sped up toward them and Doc held his breath as Hawke waited until the very last minute to level out.

'I think we lost them, String.' Dom tapped a scan into the computer. 'They're turning back.'

'So we've rescued the President.' Doc asked. 'What next?'

Hawke's visor snapped up and his eyes slid over to the other pilot. 'We go home.'

Dom's laugh cackled over their headset as they headed back across Europe.