Chapter 62
Major Houlihann invited Colonel Frank Burns to the officer's club to meet. She had given the drug to Caitlin to slip into his drink previously. It would make his stomach turn and he would vomit. They would then claim he was jaundice and convince him he needed his gallbladder removed by Charles Winchester the Third who was standing by to perform the surgery. It was a devious plan for a devious man.
Sam's job was to distract him and make him relax. She found herself in the role of a seductress for the plan to work. She sat the small bar sipping a grape Nehi soda from the bottle with a straw.
Caitlin sat with her and with Margaret Houlihan at the end of the bar. BJ sat at a table near the piano missing the Father's tune and hoping the man and Radar would be alright.
Frank entered the officer's club intent on busting any enlisted who were present. Much to his surprise the only enlisted was the bar tender. It was unusually quiet as well. He smiled and then came to Margaret and stood near her at the bar and attempted to be smooth.
"Margaret," he greeted. He noticed Hawkeye was nowhere in sight.
"Frank," she replied and took a sip of her whiskey.
He asked, "No Pierce?"
Frank was not informed of the current situation and no one wanted him to know about the futuristic chopper getting ready for flight just outside of camp.
"No Pierce." she simply told him. She then lied, "I do wonder what I ever saw in him."
Caitlin took her cue, "Me too, Major. He's such a player. He's all over all the nurses."
Sam then laid on a lie, "He thinks he's so cute. He's not nearly as cute as you, Colonel Burns."
Frank gushed over the three women bashing Hawkeye all while complimenting him. "Really!" he grinned.
Sam rose from the stool and Caitlin followed. The two went to the end of the bar and flanked Frank. Sam dangled the bra before his beady brown eyes, "All the nurses agree…we would rather have a colonel than a captain." She then placed the bra around his neck.
The bartender placed a whiskey before Frank and Caitlin slipped in the liquid without Frank seeing it.
Caitlin picked up the drink and handed it to him, "How about you join us for the drink, Colonel?" she sounded very seductive.
Frank took the drink and took a sip. He was giddy as a little boy in a candy shop, "You ladies really like me?"
Sam felt guilty as she understood Frank was a mentally ill man with a low self esteem. But she also knew he was a danger to men and women in uniform. She tugged the bra lavished him in lies. "You are so hot in that uniform." she came up with a line.
"Hot?" he asked. "You mean I look good?"
She nodded, "I love you hair and how handsome that uniform looks on you. I bet it would look even better off of you."
Frank cocked his head for the words didn't sound genuine to him.
Caitlin saved the lie, "On the floor of the VIP tent with two hot and Horney nurses in bed waiting for you, Colonel."
Margaret tried to keep a straight face as the two played up the ruse.
He took another sip, "Really!" He was nearly shaking with anticipation of having both women at once to his delight.
Charles watched from his seat and rolled his eyes for he knew Frank was a sucker at that point. He began to wonder just how gullible Frank could be. He didn't have to wait long.
Margaret rose to her feet and interrupted, "Now ladies. Don't you think you are being a bit brash? It would be three women."
Frank now thought he had three women all wanting to sleep with him at once. He asked, "Margret would go first of course."
Sam grasped the bra and rubbed his neck with it, "But that's not how a threesome works, Colonel. You would get all of us together at the same time." She then undid a the buttons on her jacket and whispered in his ear, "I'm not wearing any bra."
"You're not?" he grew excited. He took another sip of whiskey.
Caitlin ran her hand up and down his shirt. She began ton unbutton the article, "You must be hot in this, sir." she stated.
"I'm a bit warm." he agreed as the drug made him start to sweat. Then suddenly he was hit by severe stomach cramps. He bent over in pain, "Ouch."
Margaret called, "What's wrong Frank?"
"Gut wrenching pain." he called.
She looked to Charles, "Dr Winchester!"
Charles took his cue and came to Frank's aid. He helped him sit in a chair, "Here, sit down Colonel. Must be that tar that passes for whiskey around here." He told him.
"Must be." Frank agreed sweating in pain.
Sam spoke up, "I don't know. He's turning kind of yellow. Doesn't he look yellow to you, Cait."
"He sure does." she agreed.
"I'm turning yellow!" he gasped.
Margaret stated, "It could be gallbladder."
"Oh no." he cried. "First my appendix, now my gallbladder."
Charles and Margret each took a side, "Let's get you to the OR, Colonel. The sooner we address this the better." Charles told him.
"You replaced me." he spoke to Charles. "Don't let Pierce operate on me."
"I wouldn't dream of it." he assured him. "I will personally take care of you, Colonel."
"Thank you, Major." he stated.
The group helped him out the door and nearly got all the way to the operating tent when Frank heard the road of a chopper over head. He looked up but saw nothing due to the darkness.
"What was that?" he wondered.
Charles played dumb, "What was what?"
Margaret added, "I didn't hear anything."
"You didn't?" he asked.
Charles lied, "Must be the gallbladder attack is making hallucinate, Colonel." He rushed him into the operating tent and away from the night skies.
Meanwhile
String found himself piloting Airwolf through the evening skies with his father as co-pilot. He never in a million years would have even entertained the thought of flying the chopper with his own father.
Dom manned the engineer's station. He too was beside himself as he flew a mission with his best friend. Dom spoke into the microphone, "Boy if Sinjin could see this. String and his father flying Airwolf together."
John Hawke was able to adapt to the technology with relative ease. He stated, "I plan on being around in 1984. Maybe we can go to those air shows together."
String shook his head, "Can't! In 1984, Airwolf is top secret. This Airwolf is from 2022. Me, Dom and Cait are from 1984. We went ahead to 2022 to fly Airwolf for the test flight for Sam's engine. We don't do air shows in 1984."
Dom suggested, "Maybe not Airwolf but as long as that wormhole in the hanger is open we can get to 2022 and do air shows there."
Hawkeye was still getting used to the technology, the flight suit and the helmet. He sat fearing he could break something. "Since we are talking about the future. In 1984, I might just swing by that hangar and say hello." he then asked, "Where is this hangar with the wormhole anyways?"
Dom stated, "I'll give you the address. It's in California."
String told him, "You are always welcome to drop by in the future, Doc."
Dom chuckled, "Bring the whole gang with ya."
Hawkeye warned, "I might just do that." He waved his hand before the helmet as new noticed the change on screen color. "I can see my hand. It's red."
"Heat sensors." String told him.
"This how you can find the sniper?" he asked.
He confirmed, "Yes it is. Let's stretch the lady's legs, Dom." He was ready to enter mach one to get to the orphanage faster.
Dom reported, "We're ready, String." He looked to Hawkeye, "Hold onto your seat, Captain."
Stringfellow Hawke entered mach one with the high tech chopper.
John Hawke stated, "That's a rush."
Hawkeye grabbed his seat feeling the gravitational force, "How fast are we going?" he asked.
"Mach one." String reported.
"How fast is that?" the doctor wondered.
Dom told him, "Seven hundred and sixty seven miles per hour, Doc."
"That's fast!" he agreed.
They came out of mach one right outside the orphanage.
John Hawke grinned, "We're already here. Just hold on Radar. We're coming."
"We are already here!" Hawkeye gasped.
John told him, "Mach one, Captain. It's a jet engine."
String stated, "Scan for heat signatures in the surrounding brush, Dom."
"Found him." he replied. "In a tree overlooking the orphanage. On the hill."
The visor screen lit up with the target. String positioned the chopper and then opened fire taking out the tree from the cross hairs. The continued to scan for any other threats.
Dom reported, "All clear."
String maneuvered the bird back around and came to land just outside the orphanage. He stated, "Go get Radar, Captain."
Hawkeye removed the helmet from his head and then slid open the door. He jumped out and ran to the orphanage where he was greeted by the Father.
"Hawkeye!" the Father exclaimed. "He's in and out of consciousness."
He came to the boy's side and looked over Radar's injuries, "We have got to get him into the OR." he told the Father, "We have to move him to the chopper."
"What about the sniper?" he asked.
"String took him out. He was in a tree on the hill." he informed. "Grab his legs." he instructed.
The boy moaned in pain as they lifted him and made their way to the chopper as the pair carried him to Airwolf. The Father got a good look inside. "I will stay here with the orphanage. Just get Radar to the OR."
Dom stated, "We will get Radar back to camp. Then we can come back and evacuate you and any kids, Father."
"God bless." he agreed.
Hawkeye knelt on the floor beside Radar. "We need to leave now." he told them.
Dom stated, "Step back, Father. We're going to lift off."
The Father then closed the door, pounded the side twice and gave a thumbs up and made his way back to the orphanage. He then watched the slick, dark chopper lifted off into the clear night sky and then flew out of sight with a roar. "Godspeed." he stated as all he could do was pray the boy be would survive.