Chapter 22

String took his niece through a number of maneuvers with Airwolf and had her fire off some rounds of live ammunition and test fire a rocket. She did well and Sam found many of the combat maneuvers were the same maneuvers she and her father used to awe the crowd at air shows.

Sam stated, "This is just like an air show…but with actual guns."

"Sinjin taught you well." String agreed.

She grinned, "You know what would be really cool, Uncle String?"

"What?" he asked her.

"If you and dad flew the air shows together." she cheered. "And have your crew doing a demonstration at one of the big air shows. You, Dom and Cait flying a show while I man the t-shirt booth." she suggested. "We can even get some merch made up. Put your guys on it with Airwolf. Get some t-shirts, some coffee mugs…" she sounded much like a groupie of a rock band.

Dom teased, "And some bumper stickers."

String stated, "We can't take Airwolf to air shows here, Sam. It's highly classified."

"I don't mean here. In my time! In the future. You guys can fly the bird and do demos and mingle with the crowd." she clarified.

Caitlin laughed to herself as she imagined the show. "The funny part is, we could actually do that. We have the means to go to 2022, take Airwolf to air shows and no one would know we are the original crew."

"We could say you guys are re-enactors of the original crew and you are in character." Sam suggested. "You can just pretend to be playing…yourself…" she pondered how insane that suggestion must have sounded.

Dom admitted, "I wouldn't mind spending another 3 days with Sinjin and Jo in the future."

String confessed, "I wouldn't mind spending 3 days with Sinjin either." His eyes narrowed as he caught movement on the horizon. "Sam, do you see that?" It looked like a man flying across the sky in a red suit with a black cape.

She agreed, "I see something."

Caitlin could see forward from her perch, "It's the man in the red suit."

"It's Mr. H!" Sam figured. "Let's follow him."

String agreed as he took over the controls. "Let's check this out."

Meanwhile

Ralph Hinckley was flying, the best he could manage, through the air as Bill Maxwell had yet another crises unfolding. This time it was gun smugglers and Bill required assistance with the bust.

Ralph had to get to the abandoned town in the middle of the desert to save Bill's life as he was captured by the smugglers. He glanced behind him and saw a slick black helicopter closing in fast.

He gulped, "Oh no! Military!" he assumed. He had to save Bill and pondered that maybe he could lose the chopper. He dove down in an attempt to lose the bird.

String followed him. He wanted Ralph to land so they could talk but Ralph seemed to be trying to lose them.

Dom reported, "He's not showing up on RADAR or any scans, String."

"He's trying to shake us." he found.

Sam suggested, "How about trying to communicate with him?"

"Could try that." String agreed.

Caitlin reached up and gathered a hand held microphone. She opened the external speaker to try to get a message to Ralph. She paused, "What do I say? He's not in a craft."

String stated, "Tell him to land."

"Um…Land below…" she looked about. "How do we do this? He's flying like Superman."

Sam suggested, "Call him by name. We know it's Mr. H."

Caitlin agreed, "We can try that." She brought the mic to her mouth, "Mr. Hinkley. We know it's you. Please land so we can talk."

Ralph heard the request. He attempted to land and crashed into the ground below.

String winced, "Ouch! He could work on that."

Airwolf landed not far away from where Ralph crashed. Ralph got back up and dusted the dirt off the red suit and waited to see who would climb out of the high tech chopper.

String, Sam and Caitlin emerged as Dom maintained the systems. He cocked his head as the crew of Airwolf walked towards him.

Sam greeted, "Hi Mr. H!"

He gasped, "Sam! Mr. Hawke! Miss Santini." He assumed Caltin's cover was her real name. He looked at the chopper, "What is all this?"

String replied, "That's Airwolf. Where are you going and that suit…" he wasn't sure how to address the situation.

"My friend Bill is in trouble." he told them. "He busted some gun smugglers and they got him. I need to help him."

"Where?" String asked.

"Abandoned town about fifty miles south." he stated. "I got to get going. We can talk more about this later." He feared he would be too late.

String assured him, "We will meet you there." He motioned for his crew to returned. As they walked back he instructed, "Cait…need you up front."

Sam was relieved for she didn't wish to open fire on anyone. She cheerfully took the jump seat as she watched Ralph take back off into the air. She observed him and how clumsy he flew. "Lost the instruction manual." She recalled his blog.

"Let's go help Mr. Hinckley and Mr. Maxwell out a bit." String instructed as Airwolf took off again.

Meanwhile

Bill Maxwell sat tied to a chair hoping his friend Ralph came soon or he would certainly be killed. The smugglers left him in a small shack as they continued their operation.

Ralph came crashing through the wall as he figured Bill must be inside and held hostage.

Bill cheered, "You made it, Ralph! Untie me."

Ralph scrambled to his feet. He came to Bill and stated, "You won't believe who I just ran into and what I saw."

"Who?" he asked as the rope fell to the floor.

"Sam with Mr. Hawke and her older sister, Caitlin. And they are flying a helicopter." he informed.

Bill gathered his side arm from the nearby table. He reloaded it and stated, "You can tell me all about it after we bust out of here." He went to the door to escape.

Bill and Ralph then heard the roar of the chopper and heavy arms fire. They peered outside and found a firefight between Airwolf and the smugglers. It wasn't long when the battle was over with a final blow, String destroyed the truck full of arms that was about to be sold to drug gangs on the streets of the city. The explosion lit up the entire compound.

String scanned the area for more threats. He could see the flashing light of police and FBI vehicles en route just down the road. He then lifted back up in the air and flew away.

Bill stated, "Airwolf? Damn!"

Ralph asked, "You recognize the helicopter?"

"Yeah, FBI got a briefing." he chuckled. "Whoever was flying it just helped us."

"Stringfellow Hawke and Sam Santini were flying it." he told him. He didn't see Sam and Caitlin switch seats.

"Hmm," he made a mental note. "Stringfellow Hawke is in the school."

"I know." he nodded. "They had me land on the way here. They got out and spoke to me."

He stated, "They also know you and suit then."

"Obviously." he agreed.

"Wonder how all this ties in." he pondered.

Ralph stated, "Don't know. But Sam is supposed to be back to school Monday."

"Looking forward to Monday." Bill grinned.

Meanwhile

Archangel and Marella had remained in 2022 while Michael Knight had returned to 1984. He spent hours going over the entries on his Facebook page.

Bonnie Barstow had stepped out but soon returned with a familiar and much older face, Michael Knight.

Archangel looked up from the laptop computer as the black 2020 Ford Mustang pulled into the hangar. Bonnie and Michael emerged from the car. Bonnie went to the rear and retrieved a box of more computer upgrades including the mainframe that housed KITT. Older Michael seemed very cheery as he helped gather the boxes of equipment. He walked with Bonnie to the table that housed the engine and the computers. Sinjin, Marella and Archangel all looked up from their work.

Bonnie started, "I got KITT and everything we need to make a roving network." She had not been this excited in decades.

Sinjin asked, "What vehicles you will be installing KITTs new network in?"

"Your truck," she started. "Jo said we could use her car as well. Michael's Mustang and we can install the network in our Airwolf."

Archangel sighed, "Too bad we cannot find a way to expend KITT's network to 1984 as well. We could use it."

"We're piggy backing off cell towers." she told him. "In 1984 the cell towers were more sparse. But we could piggyback off what was there but your network would be spotty. Like the old cell phone service."

Sinjin figured, "We have far more towers now."

"Exactly." she agreed.

Michael Knight stood amazed, "You know…I know you all just saw a much younger version of me today but for me that was decades ago. I can't believe two versions of me have been in the same hangar on the same day decades apart."

Marella smiled, "That's got to be mind bend."

He agreed, "It's a head trip." He confessed, "I can't wait to get KITT back." He glanced to his car.

Bonnie reminded them, "Since KITT is being networked into civilian vehicles he will not have weapon systems or the added protection that original Trans Am had. I will connect KITT to your car's computer and add some sensors."

Sinjin asked, "What kind of sensors?"

She held up a light bar with a gray cover. "It's pretty much invisible. It will be installed in the grill. It's a sensor that will strobe back and forth. The original sensor was red."

Michael reached in the box and held up a strobe strip that was slightly different, "I want the red one!" He declared.

Sinjin asked, "You are putting a red strobe sensor in the nose of your black mustang? I notice the interior is tan in color."

Michael grinned, "Yup!"

"Kind of the same color scheme of that Trans Am." he noted.

He nodded still grinning, "Sure is!"

Sinjin suggested, "Reliving your youth?"

"Don't you when you fly that chopper?" he challenged.

He nodded, "I see your point."

Bonnie asked, "Where is the best place to put KITT's mainframe? I need to be by a power source."

"The old office would be a good place." he figured and pointed.

"Great!" she cheered and held the box tight, "Hang on KITT. We're almost there." She walked to the office ready to bring back her old project for a new life.

Meanwhile

As Airwolf flew back to the lair String decided to it would be a good time to test the application on Dom's phone that could assist Caitlin or Dom in rotor to jet engine transfer. He spoke, "You got that cell phone with you, Dom?"

"I got it." he assured.

"Let's see if that app works." he stated and looked to Caitlin beside him.

Caitlin asked, "App?"

Sam explained, "I made a program and installed it on Dom's phone. It can assist with rotor to jet engine transition. Using the app you and Dom should be able to have full flight capabilities."

"Oh!" she replied a bit surprised. "I wasn't aware you did that."

Dom held the phone in his hand. He asked Sam, "What do I do?"

"Tap the app!" she instructed. "I tweaked the radio reception of the phone to match Airwolf's encoded radio. It should connect automatically through blue tooth."

Dom tapped the icon and the screen of the phone changed as well as Airwolf's primary computer screen as a small black box appeared with computer code. He read off the line, "Says it's connected."

String instructed, "Let's see if it works, Cait." He let her take over.

She flew in normal mode for a few minutes. She took a deep breath as she always had trouble going to jet engine before.

"Take your time." String soothed.

She pressed the turbo button and felt a slight jolt as the application patched the job and transitioned to jet. She flew at mach one on her own at that point. A grinned crept across her face, "I guess your app works, Sam."

Dom cheered, "It certainly does." He then stated, "I'm getting internet on it. Must be Airwolf can pick up transmissions from the wormhole."

Sam nodded, "Radio transmissions can come in and out of the wormhole at all times. The wormhole never closes. We just need a push through it using the engine."

Dom grinned, "Neat! I can play my games and watch my videos."

String stated, "We are not playing games and watching videos, Dom. You are the engineer."

Dom rolled his eyes, "I know that."

Sam stated, "We can radio my dad on the other side while in flight. Just call him on the phone."

Dom sarcastically asked, "Can we do that, String?"

"Of course!" he huffed annoyed.

Caitlin brought Airwolf out of mach one and continued towards the lair.

Dom dialed 119 on the phone.

Sinjin's voice came over the internal speakers. "Dom!"

"We're testing the phone in Airwolf. It works. Cait was able to fly her at mach one." he reported.

"That's great!" he cheered. "Bonnie and her husband, Michael are installing KITT's mainframe in your old office, Dom. Getting ready to install a network to the vehicles. KITT's network is going in my truck, Jo's car, our Airwolf and Michael's mustang."

Sam asked, "You mean Michael Knight from my time?"

"Yup! I swear, he never aged. His hardly has any gray. Just added a few pounds in the middle and a few wrinkles. You won't believe this. He's got a 2020 black mustang with a tan interior and he wants the sensor bar with the red strobe. Time Bonnie is done it will be like the old car."

Sam confessed, "I still want the Trans Am."

"Don't we all?" her father replied in jest. "Archangel and Marella have gone back. They were here for hours researching. Lots of coded messages Archangel left on his page. No real answers, just more questions at this point."

String replied, "Seems it's always more questions than answers."

Sam perked up, "Hey Dad! We're coming back later today. Can I borrow your truck to go to the store?"

"What do you need at the store?" he wondered.

"Ear plugs." she sounded. "The electronic ones. Uncle String had me shoot with no ear plugs to see if I could handle the ringing. I can't!"

He gave a heavy sigh, "Yes! You can take the truck."

"Great! It can fit all of us." she referred to String, Caitlin and Dom.

Her father asked, "All of us?"

She explained, "Uncle String, Aunt Cait and Uncle Dom."

"You are all going to the store?" he wondered.

"They want to see the electronic ear plugs too." she replied. "We're going to the sporting goods store to shop."

"They can't use their money here." he reminded her. "Well, they can but it will be noticed as a really old bill. And credit cards…" he shook his head.

"We have an idea. They are going to pool their money, go to a coin shop, buy a gold coin and then take that to the future and cash it in for a profit." she cheered.

Sinjin had to admit, "That's not bad idea. Low key! Sure beats that lotto ticket idea."

Dom miffed, "I like the lotto ticket idea."