'You'll have fun.' Caitlin said rubbing her husband's arm comfortingly.
Hawke's eyes slid to hers. For a moment the unfathomable blue depths showed his disbelief before they shifted back to the early afternoon sky in front of them.
They were both stood out on the porch waiting for the arrival of the helicopter that would deposit Jo, Marella and Angelina at the cabin and pick up Hawke for the trip up the mountain. Tet, Hawke's dog, was sat waiting patiently beside his master.
Caitlin reviewed Hawke's stern profile and sighed. 'If you really don't want to do it, I'll tell Saint John I changed my mind.'
His eyes darted back to hers
She hooked her arms around his neck and he shifted to hold her. 'Seriously, String. If you don't want to do this, you don't have to.'
His eyebrows rose a little at the shortened version of his first name; she rarely used the derivative. 'String, huh? I must be in trouble.'
'No.' Caitlin said with a reluctant chuckle. She shrugged and smoothed her hands over his shoulders feeling the tension locked in them. 'I think it would be good for you and Saint John to spend the time together but it's your decision.'
Hawke sighed and pulled her a little closer. She was right. He knew Saint John had suggested the trip out of his guilt that he hadn't been around for the original bachelor night and that allowing Saint John to replay the event might help his brother get past it. As much as he didn't want to go, he knew his brother was looking forward to it and he wouldn't let him down. 'I told him I'd go so I'll go.'
'Well, make sure you come back in one piece this time.' Caitlin murmured.
Hawke's eyes narrowed on hers. She was nervous, he realised and kicked himself. It had probably taken a lot for her to agree to the trip given how he'd almost not come back the last time. 'I'll be fine.' He assured her. 'Like Saint John says, what are the odds of it happening again?'
'Do I have to repeat my answer?' She said laughing.
Hawke dipped his head and kissed her. She leaned in and the kiss deepened. A sound caught Hawke's attention and he eased back to stare at the seemingly empty sky.
Caitlin sighed as the helicopter flew into view and moments later it was set down on the landing pier. They hurried over. The next few minutes passed in a chaos as the group piled out of the helicopter, the bags were unloaded and taken into the cabin; Hawke's fishing gear and rucksack were loaded. Everyone was decked out in warm outdoor gear even Michael had eschewed his usual all-white uniform to dress appropriately for the weather and the activity.
'What's this?' Caitlin asked as Jason Locke handed Jo a box of documents.
'The Company cleared the house Yahara was staying in.' The African-American agent explained. 'This was all the paperwork we could find.' He shrugged. 'There was nothing useful as far as the Company was concerned but it might provide some clues on where Yahara got his information on Alan Hawke.'
Caitlin gave him a delighted smile. 'We'll take a look.'
'We should make a move.' Saint John said slapping his brother's shoulder.
Hawke shot him a look. He took a step forward and hugged Caitlin.
'You be safe.' She whispered.
'We'll check in first thing tomorrow.' Hawke promised gently. He ignored everyone else and cupped her face in his hands, kissing her deeply.
The others exchanged wry looks.
'Daddy,' Angelina tugged at her father's hand, 'you should kiss Marella.' Her dog Brownie jumped up and down beside her excited.
Marella looked over at her fiancé, her dark eyes twinkling.
Michael hid his own smile. 'If you insist.' He let go of his daughter and tugged his fiancée into his arms to kiss her soundly.
The new Airwolf team looked at the two couples with amusement.
Mike Rivers glanced over at Jo. 'How about it?'
Jo grinned. 'Not a chance.' She laughed as their team-mate Locke rolled his eyes. There was only one guy she was interested in, Jo thought. Her eyes flickered to Saint John who was staring off into the distance over the lake. She sighed. It was just a pity he didn't see her that way.
'You can kiss me.' Angelina offered cheekily. She quite liked Mike with his mane of curly blond hair and mischievous grin.
'Well, how can I refuse an offer like that?' Mike said moving forward intending to plant a very sloppy but completely platonic kiss on Angelina's forehead.
'Rivers.' Michael said mildly breaking his hold of Marella. 'That's my daughter.'
'Sorry, princess.' Mike ruffled Angelina's golden head as she protested her father's interference. 'Maybe when you're a few years older.'
'Or over my dead body.' Michael muttered just loud enough to be heard by the adults who started chuckling including Mike.
'What, Daddy?' Angelina asked innocently.
Michael reached down and hugged her. 'Be good for Marella and Caitlin. No climbing trees.'
'Yes, Daddy.' Angelina cradled the arm encased in plaster from her last attempt at the activity.
Hawke gave Caitlin a final hug and she let him go, reluctantly stepping back. The guys piled back into the helicopter. Hawke and Saint John took the front seats; Mike and the two intelligence agents, Locke and Michael, took seats in the back with some of the luggage they hadn't managed to fit into the hold.
Hawke started the engines and rotors, checked the gauges and indicators. He glanced out at the cabin. The women were gathered on the porch along with the two dogs watching their departure; his eyes fixed on Caitlin. He couldn't shake the uneasy feeling about the trip despite his best efforts. He repressed the urge to sigh. Maybe Caitlin wasn't the only one affected by what had happened the last time, he thought wryly.
'String?'
Saint John's worried voice broke through his thoughts and he turned to nod at his older brother. 'Sorry.' He grasped the cyclic and the helicopter ascended into the sky and Hawke let the familiar hum and rhythm of flying relax him.
'So,' Mike said leaning forward to poke his head in-between the front seats, 'I heard there was some fun the last time you guys tried this?'
Michael looked over at the irrepressible pilot with a hint of exasperation. 'I wouldn't classify being stranded on a mountain as fun.'
'Come on,' Mike said encouragingly, 'a plane crash; armed hijackers, a fugitive from justice. Didn't you find that fun?'
'Sure,' Hawke said dryly, 'I had a lot of fun almost dying.'
'Excuse Mike,' Locke interjected, 'he has a screw loose.' His dark eyes motioned at Mike to settle down and the young pilot obligingly changed the topic.
Locke's dark complexion was wan; he was still recovering from the torture he had endured a couple of weeks before in the same incident that had resulted in Saint John's shooting. He shifted in his seat. He should have refused to come, he thought not for the first time. He and the younger Hawke brother had never been seen eye to eye, and his relationship with his predecessor on the Airwolf file, Michael, was also a little fraught. But Saint John had insisted he come with them and while he might have held out against Saint John alone, he hadn't been able to withstand the combined voice of the rest of his team. He crossed his arms and sat back in his seat letting the conversation wash over him.
'So, how did you discover this place?' Mike asked.
'Family tradition.' Saint John said. 'We've been taking trips up here since my Grandpa was alive. Dad or Grandpa would bring us and after…Dom would bring us even though he couldn't fish worth a dime.'
'He never did learn.' Hawke agreed remembering the older man with a lot of fondness. There was a pang at the memory; the loss was still too recent, too raw. 'Said he just enjoyed the company.'
Saint John nodded. 'Actually, I think it was Grandpa who brought us up the first time.'
'It was.' Hawke agreed.
'I think it was Mom and Dad's wedding anniversary.' Saint John mused.
'They probably wanted the time alone.' Mike suggested waggling his eyebrows.
'Mike.'
'Rivers.'
Both Hawke brothers protested at the same time and they looked at each other with a startled amusement before Hawke turned his attention back to the flight.
Michael cleared his throat. 'How are things going with sifting through the information from the FBI?'
'Slowly,' admitted Hawke. 'I'm hoping Cait'll pick something up that we missed.'
'The Cordelli's seem to have an airtight operation.' Saint John agreed. 'There are no obvious weaknesses.'
'The FBI has been trying for years to break down that family without success.' Locke said. He wasn't sure the Hawkes search for their parents was a good idea and the idea of bringing down a Mafia family to achieve it seemed farfetched to him.
Hawke's jaw set in a stubborn line. 'There's always a way.'
'We just have to find it.' Saint John agreed.
Michael looked across at Locke. The brothers were obviously united on their plan however insane the idea was. 'My contact told me he's close to getting the file on your parents. Hopefully that will help with the search for them.'
'I hope so because what we've got so far hasn't helped at all.' Saint John commented. 'The coastguard report of the supposed accident; Dom's old file on the murder of my grandpa; the information on Yahara…' he sighed, 'it's all led nowhere.'
'Maybe that box of paper from Yahara's house will turn up something.' Hawke said.
'I wouldn't get your hopes up.' Locke interjected. 'I had a look and nothing jumped out at me.'
'If there's something there, Caitlin will find it.' Hawke's quiet confidence in his wife shone like a beacon in the cockpit.
'She's got some good help too.' Locke added. 'Jo's got an eye for investigative detail.'
'As has Marella.' Michael added.
'They do make a formidable trio.' Mike mused. 'They kind of remind me of Charlie's Angels. Now if we could only get them all into bikinis…'
'I wouldn't mention that to them.' Saint John said laughing as the others shook their heads. 'Not if you value your head.'
'I don't think it's his head he would need to worry about.' Locke commented wryly.
Michael considered Marella and Caitlin's likely response and smiled. 'You're probably right.'
'Oh come on; like the thought hadn't crossed any of your minds.' Mike said.
'So if they're Charlie's Angels, what would that make you?' Saint John retorted. 'Charlie?'
'Nah.' Mike replied. He waved his hand expressively. 'Why would you want to be Charlie? He never gets to be with the ladies.'
'So that would make you Bosley.' Locke pointed out.
'Bumbling funny guy.' Saint John met Mike's eyes laughing. 'I can see how that fits.'
'Hey!' Mike protested chuckling.
Hawke was shaking his head in amusement at the exchange – Mike and his brother were always good entertainment – when a glint caught the corner of his eye. He checked the sky with a frown, all of his senses suddenly on alert.
'What?' Saint John said immediately picking up on his brother's tension.
'We have a bandit.' Hawke said bluntly. 'Two o'clock.'
The others turned to crane their heads out of the windows.
'I don't see anything.' Michael said peering into the sky.
'He's there.' Hawke knew it in his gut.
'Are you sure?' Locke asked doubtfully.
'If he says there's something there, there's something there.' Michael responded before Hawke or his brother could reply. He'd worked with the pilot too long not have developed an enormous respect for Hawke's abilities.
Hawke ignored Locke and adjusted course.
'You heading for Foxridge?' Saint John asked seeing the change. The little town on the mountain-side was the closest populated area that could be deemed urban within reach.
'Yeah.' Hawke said shortly.
Saint John looked up. 'Got him. Four o'clock. He's staying with us.'
'Is there any chance there's a homing device on board?' Michael asked leaning forward as Hawke dived.
'I checked the chopper over myself this morning.' Saint John said defensively. 'It's clean.'
'Either they have a homing device or they must have followed you from Santini Air.' Michael said forcefully, his good eye pinned to the ground whizzing by below them.
'Why do you assume it was us they were following?' Saint John shot back. 'It could be you.'
'Hey.' Hawke snapped.
The two men subsided.
Hawke frowned. The chopper was keeping pace with them. His ears caught a whistling sound and he banked hard. The missile slammed past them and exploded on the hillside.
'He knows we've spotted him.' Saint John said calmly though his heart was pounding and his breath was coming quickly.
'I don't know,' Mike muttered fastening his seatbelt hurriedly as he hauled himself back into his seat, 'maybe his trying to shoot us out of the sky was an accident.'
'Yeah.' Hawke agreed sarcastically. His instinct told him to go left and he made the move without even thinking about it. Another missile shot past them.
'We need to lose him.' Locke said.
'You want to fly, Locke?' Hawke asked sharply. What the hell did the other man think he was trying to do? His eyes were already looking for the valley he knew was over the next ridge. He skipped the helicopter over it and down into the valley smartly before slowly abruptly. Everyone felt the bottom fall out of their stomach at the move.
The chasing chopper flew over them shooting past.
Hawke raised them and dived back over the ridge.
'That won't fool him for long.' Saint John noted.
'No.' Hawke agreed as he resumed their previous course to Foxridge.
Suddenly, there was an explosion by the tail rotor.
The chopper spun and plummeted before Hawke regained control. He fought with the stick and the cyclic trying to maintain altitude. His lips tightened as they sped towards the ground. He was losing the battle.
'Everyone hold on!' He yelled. 'We're going down!'
