Caitlin glanced at her watch and frowned. She had expected Jo to be with her by now. She sat on the platform and tapped her fingers restlessly against the console. The growl of an engine had her on her feet, gun in hand. The Santini Air jeep had her replacing her gun in its holster. Jo stepped out and hurried over to the platform.
'I'm sorry I'm late,' Jo began excitedly, 'but Locke came over…'
'What did he want?' Caitlin interrupted her.
'Oh he was just asking more questions but more importantly, I got another envelope.' She said waving it at Caitlin.
'Another envelope?' Caitlin took it from Jo and opened it. She frowned thinking it was empty for a moment before her fingers closed on a ring. She drew it out.
'It's Saint John's.' Jo said. 'I recognise it and String confirmed it. Look.' She pointed at the markings inside the gold circle.
'Coordinates.' Caitlin raised an eyebrow. 'Buchard must be getting desperate.'
'Saint John could have…' Jo started.
Caitlin shook her head. 'It's Buchard.' She handed the ring to Jo. 'My informant tells me that he thinks Rivers is close to finding Airwolf. Tomorrow morning we'll finish up the training. Hopefully we won't have to wait much longer.'
'Hawke will start improving as soon as he sees Saint John, I know it.' Jo said trying to comfort her.
'How is he?'
'He seemed a little better.' Jo lied. She was afraid Hawke was slipping away from them. It seemed to her that Hawke was only staying alive to see his brother returned to him. She noticed how tired Caitlin was looking. 'Are you sure you're up to a training session now?'
Caitlin sighed and shook her head. 'To tell you the truth, I'm not.' She admitted. The intelligence was a little unpredictable in terms of transferring and flying Airwolf without that presence and only the same basic assist any onboard computer would give was tiring.
'Why don't we call it a night?' Jo suggested.
Caitlin nodded. 'Jo…' she sighed, 'I want you know that once you leave to get Saint John, I'm going to go away.'
Jo frowned. 'Are you sure?'
Caitlin nodded. 'It's risky my even being here and I have to do what's best for the baby. If you're successful with rescuing Saint John, he'll be able to do what's right for Hawke.'
Jo debated whether to tell Caitlin about her husband's condition. She sighed. 'I guess you're right.'
'I just want to say thank you.' Caitlin gestured at her. 'You're bringing Saint John home to Hawke, you've stayed with him in the hospital, helped us both through this, kept a business running. You've done more than anyone should have to do when they've lost someone too.'
Jo shrugged. 'I love them.'
Caitlin nodded. 'I know.'
Jo closed the distance between the two women and hugged Caitlin.
Cait patted her on the back and pulled away. 'You'd better get going. I'll see you back here in the morning.'
It was early the next day when Caitlin sent Airwolf into a steep dive, straightening mere feet from the ground and hit the turbos. They zoomed over the Valley of the Gods.
'Can we come up a bit?' Jo asked nervously.
Caitlin eased up and climbed gaining altitude. She looped back and instructed Jo to run surveillance scans. She frowned at the sky ahead and thought back to her breakfast conference with Michael and Marella. They had all agreed that they would move Hawke that night regardless of what happened with Saint John. Michael was making the final arrangements with the clinic.
Marella had been full of news about the artificial intelligence; Airwolf was apparently overwriting the new ship's programming, she was remoulding it into her own image and she had somehow managed to find a way to transfer her intelligence between the new aircraft and the central computer at Red Star as well as between it and the original helicopter Caitlin was flying. Karen was excited apparently; they were making huge strides with the programming and they were anticipating the testing of the new Airwolf was going to be much sooner than they had originally planned. Caitlin sighed. Airwolf seemed to pick and choose her moments to transfer and her aching arms were wishing it was one of those moments; she could do with the assist.
'Caitlin, I'm picking up a vehicle headed into the Valley of the Gods.' Jo's voice broke through Caitlin's musings.
'Audio scan.' Caitlin said.
'…the key was high resolution photographs and a bit of keen logic.'
'I'm sorry I asked.'
'That's Locke!' Jo said identifying the second voice immediately.
'Let's go take a look.' Caitlin said. 'Switch off the audio scan.' She moved to hover over the car.
'They've stopped.' Jo said as the vehicle below came to a halt.
'Visual scan. Confirm identification.' Caitlin ordered.
'Identification confirmed.' Jo saw the computer match the pictures on the monitor to their service records. 'Jason Locke and Major Mike Rivers.'
Caitlin sighed. 'Drop me off outside the Lair. You take her home. This is going to be your only opportunity to convince them to go after Saint John.'
'If they refuse?' Jo asked nervously.
'I'll cover you at the entrance. If they refuse, I'll come in holding a gun. We'll take back Airwolf and come up with a plan B.' Caitlin was already landing Airwolf. She pulled off her helmet and turned to look at Jo. 'Ready?'
'No.' Jo sighed and moved into the front as Caitlin stepped out, closed the door and cleared the area.
Caitlin watched Jo take off and winced. It was a little rocky; she hoped Jo did better with the landing down the funnel. She sighed and un-holstered her gun. She ran around to the Lair entrance and took up a position behind an outcropping of rocks.
The car pulled up with a squeal of brakes and Locke and Rivers jumped out. They made for the entrance; Locke had his gun drawn. Caitlin crept along behind them, keeping a safe distance.
'Who are you and what are you doing here?' Locke's voice. Caitlin dived behind a rock and strained to hear the conversation.
The irreverent tone they'd heard in Airwolf piped up. 'Well you sure know how to make an entrance. It was you flying that thing?' Must be Rivers, thought Caitlin.
'Yeah, it was me.' Jo's voice. 'Who are you?'
'Ms Santini, what the hell are you doing here? This machine is top secret.' Caitlin sneaked a peek. Locke was putting his gun away. The slight blond man stood with him seemed relaxed and was looking at Jo with interest. That was good.
'Was top secret, Mr Locke.' Jo replied.
'Santini…Dom Santini's…?' Dom would have been in the file, Caitlin realised. Obviously the young airforce major had done his homework.
'Niece. I'm Jo.'
'I'm Mike. Mike Rivers. It's nice to meet you. You're a great flyer you know?'
Caitlin had to bite her lip to stop herself laughing at Rivers' enraptured expression. Jo, you have him hooked, Caitlin thought, he's going to help you.
'Thanks. She's a great machine. You want to check her out?' Jo offered.
'Yeah.'
'All right, you two hold it right there.' Locke was marching back round to glare at the two pilots. 'Ms Santini, I don't know what the hell you're up to but I'm going to have to order you to leave this area right now.'
Caitlin's eyebrows shot up. No wonder Hawke thought he couldn't work with the guy. He was more of a stuffed shirt than Michael.
'That's not how it works.' Caitlin smiled at Jo's determined tone. 'I found her first and I'm not finished with her.' Jo was looking at Rivers now. 'Are you any good in the air?'
Locke tried to interrupt her. 'Ms Santini, let's get one thing straight. This machine belongs to…'
'Look, Jason, I know your people want her back. I just think we can help each other.' Jo was looking at the spy beseechingly. 'I want to find Saint John. I know he's alive.'
Locke surprised Jo. 'I think so too. Trouble is, I don't know where he is.'
I'll be damned, thought Caitlin, maybe he was as honourable as Michael after all.
'Well, don't look at me.' Rivers was saying.
Jo jumped in. 'I do.' She showed them the ring. 'Look inside.'
'Coordinates?' Locke asked.
Rivers was eager. 'Well, what are we waiting for?'
Caitlin ducked back down and heard the cockpit doors shutting closed. A moment later she heard the roar of engines and the whine of the rotors. She waited until Airwolf was clear of the Lair before she came out of her hiding place. She holstered her weapon and looked up at the patch of sky above the Lair's entrance. 'Good luck, Jo.' She murmured. She headed over to the communications terminal in the work area in the Lair.
'Lair to Red Star.'
'Red Star, here.' Michael's image appeared on the video screen.
'Locke and Rivers went with Jo to get Saint John five minutes ago. We're on. I'm going to stay to take Airwolf as soon as they leave the Lair on their return. I'll contact you when I have her.'
'Understood. Marella's at the hospital as planned. Good luck.'
The image winked out. Caitlin patted her tummy. 'It'll be time to get Daddy soon.' She sighed. It was going to be a long, anxious wait.
