'Need a hand with that?'

The Texan drawl had Marella whirling from the computer to face the open door of Michael's office with a pleased smile. 'Caitlin!' She crossed the office to give the younger woman a hug and ushered her in. The redhead was wearing a simple green skirt and top which complemented her colouring and shaded her eyes the same colour. 'We weren't expecting you until tomorrow.'

'Yeah.' Caitlin shrugged, chucking her coat on a chair. 'Well, after Hawke's call…'

'You're worried about him.' Marella concluded, her dark eyes gleaming in her smooth café latte complexion.

'I'm always worried.' Caitlin said dryly. 'And surprised. This is the first I've heard of this uncle of his.'

'Well, from what I gather, they've never exactly been on speaking terms.' Marella said pouring Caitlin a glass of juice from Michael's bar.

'Yeah. I got that impression.' Caitlin admitted. 'Who is this guy?'

Marella tapped in an instruction on the computer and Alex's photo appeared on the screen across the office wall along with the details of his file. 'Alexander Brannigan. One of the CIA's top operatives. Joined them straight from army intelligence.'

'Hawke said that his uncle chose his work over raising him and his brother.'

'Right.' Marella said brushing her wiry black curls out of her eyes. 'He handed over the custody rights to the boys to Dominic and took off, seemingly without a single regret about walking away from the only family he had.'

Caitlin bit her lip. 'Cold.'

'He has a reputation in the business as being completely ruthless.'

'A well deserved reputation.' Michael's voice had both women turning to smile at him in greeting. He raised an eyebrow at Caitlin but made no other comment at her arrival as he entered the office.

'How well do you know him Michael?' Caitlin asked.

'We crossed swords a number of times when I was out in the field.' Michael admitted. 'Actually he's the reason I met Hawke.'

'Oh?' Caitlin took an armchair as Michael limped over to sit in the white leather chair behind his desk.

'Brannigan and I were both after the designs to a new Russian submarine. I got there first, hid the designs where I could retrieve them in safety later but then I got captured, ended up in a prison in Siberia.' Michael tapped his cane on the floor, his mind back in the freezing cold concrete cell. 'The terrain was treacherous the only way in or out was by plane. They trained pilots for months especially to make the landing. If you didn't know how to do it you'd either stuff the plane in the ground or you had to be an exceptional pilot.'

'Like Hawke.' Caitlin said softly.

Michael looked at her as though surprised to find her sitting across from him. 'Yes. Like Hawke.' He stroked his moustache. 'Hawke was working for NASA when Brannigan approached him with some story of making amends. I think he presented the trip as a bit of an adventure, a way of them getting to know each other after their estrangement.'

'But it was all just to get the designs.' Caitlin concluded.

Michael nodded. 'Hawke got them into the prison. Brannigan was meant to come to my cell alone so he could get me to tell him where the designs were and then he would leave.'

'Without you.'

'Standard operating practice.' Michael commented. 'Only Hawke appeared unexpectedly, realised Brannigan intended to leave me. He insisted they rescue me. Brannigan left, told Hawke if he had any sense he'd go with him. Hawke had almost gotten me out when the guards appeared. He ended up in the cell with me.'

'Sounds like him.' Caitlin said.

'Anyway to cut a long story short, we worked together and got out a day later.' Michael said. 'Caught up with Brannigan. Hawke told him not to bother contacting him ever again.' He sighed. 'I don't think they'd spoken since.'

'Until today.' Caitlin said unhappily.

'Until today.' Michael agreed.

'Why did he approach you?' Caitlin asked. 'Why not go to Hawke directly?'

Michael shrugged. 'Alex is a strategist. He knew he had a better chance of Hawke believing his story if I was associated with it.'

'And do you believe his story?' Caitlin put her juice down and pinned him with a hard stare.

Michael pushed his wire frame glasses back up his nose. 'We're checking it out.' He nodded at Marella.

'Brannigan is dying.' Marella confirmed. 'I've examined his hospital records. He'll be lucky to survive another couple of months even.' She gestured. 'But although that checks out…'

'Nothing else does?' Caitlin leaned forward.

'It's beginning to look that way.' Marella crossed her arms over the white suit she wore. 'I've been checking out the information Brannigan had gathered, the information he gave Hawke as proof of finding his brother and nothing adds up.' She sighed. 'I even think the photo's a fake.'

'What do you mean?' Caitlin asked, concerned.

'Brannigan claims that Saint John is being held prisoner in a prison in Central America, Leguardia to be exact.' Michael said.

'Why would Saint John be there?' Caitlin asked.

'According to Brannigan Saint John's team was sent in to rescue a group of scientists working there a month ago.' Marella added.

'So?'

'The scientists are real but the order for extraction was given five days ago.' Marella said.

'Five?' Caitlin's voice rose.

'And they weren't being extracted to save them.' Marella said unhappily. 'There was evidence that they were running some kind of drug dealing outfit.'

'A Navy SEAL team was sent under the command of Lt. Commander Matthew Atkins.' Michael gestured at the computer and Marella brought his details up.

Caitlin stared open-mouthed at the picture and her shocked eyes met Michael's. He nodded at the question in hers. 'We're verifying it but we believe he's Brannigan's son.'

'We have to contact Hawke.' Caitlin said. 'He needs to know.'

Michael picked up the videophone and pressed the buttons to connect them to Airwolf. He frowned and tried again. He raised worried eyes to the two women watching him. 'I can't raise them.'

Caitlin grabbed her coat and headed for the door. Michael stood up. 'Where are you going?'

'Where do you think?' She yelled over her shoulder without breaking stride.

Marella raised a questioning eye at Michael. 'You know if she gets hurt going into Leguardia on her own…'

'Hawke is going to kill me.' Michael muttered. He sighed resignedly. 'Catch up with her. Tell her to take Zebra squad.' Marella nodded and hurried after the redheaded pilot.