CHAPTER 4

"String, you're practically signing up for a suicide mission!" Dom exclaimed upon hearing the details of the mission. "It's just not right. And they want you to risk your neck and ours, plus the Lady for some crazy scheme like this?"

"Not quite. The committee only knows about me and Airwolf going in, actually I've been given direct orders not to tell either of you where I'm going or when I'm coming back, assuming I do."

"I'm liking this less and less, and I didn't even like it to begin with."

"The idea is a small quiet extraction with as few problems as possible, no fuss no muss. But with the trouble she's in, every Russian soldier out there is likely to be after her."

"So, what if we don't go?" Caitlin interjected.

"Then you won't go. I've got to."

"They can't force you to do this, String; you don't work for them like that anymore."

"I already said I would do it. We're about the only chance there is for avoiding what could become a worldwide nuclear war, just with you two backing me I have a better chance of coming out of the massacre alive."

"I still don't like it" Dom replied.

"It wasn't exactly how I was planning on spending my weekend either," the younger man retorted, "but better a few dead than a hundreds or thousands, possibly more."

"We're going to have to work on your persuasive skills, kid. That whole for the greater good thing doesn't work so well if it sounds like the whole world is going to be turned into a nuclear wasteland anyway."

"But you aren't going alone either," Caitlin added.

"Well, somebody has to keep you kids out of trouble," Dom rejoined. "Where's our first stop? Good ole land of Mother Russia?"

\A/

Early the Following Morning

"Ready?" Hawke asked as he finished loading the Copperhead.

"Aren't you taking more?"

"Can't. The weight would be too much for us to make the fuel pickup."

"Alright, you're the one in charge, just wanted to make sure you've thought this through."

"So much so that I've hardly been ably to sleep since Michael first mention her name. Listen, Dom, Cait, I really appreciate what you're doing but you don't have to go. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't."

"Hey, we aren't backing out if you aren't," Caitlin assured him.

He let out a deep sigh. "Off to Russia we go then."

Rising out of her chimney, Airwolf growled, challenging anyone who dared taking her on.

"All green back here," Dominic reported. "She's rarin' and ready to go."

"What're we waiting for then? Let's go."

Hawke hit the turbos and sent them into the backs of their seats as they raced over the Valley of the Gods and back toward the north western coast.

\A/

The final bell rang and Le threw his books into his backpack, slinging it onto his back and followed the rest of the class out to wait for his ride home, or in this case to a friend's house. He didn't mind going to Stephan's house, but he had no clue how long he would be there. The night before his uncle had sat down and told him what his plans were, whatever he wanted to know about the mission other than about the agent he was risking his life to save. He had promised he loved him no matter what happened and that they would go out and doing something when he came back, but he couldn't help but worry a little about String. He, Dom, and Cait were the only family he had now and the mission sounded pretty dangerous to him. Sure, they had Airwolf, and that helped a lot, but he wasn't totally unaware of what happened in battles like this. He'd seen a whole unit go down in only a couple minutes before, pieces of burning frames all that was left, and he didn't want that to happen to them. He'd already lost the family he had and he wasn't ready to loose another one. He loved them, and they loved him.

"Le, my dad is here," Stephan said.

Le nodded and followed his friend to the van, his mind still wandering.

\A/

"Good morning Airwolf crew," Michael greeted over the radio. "What's your current status?"

"Tired and ready to go home," Hawke answered tactlessly. "It's only sunrise now and I've already been flying for hours that should tell you something."

"Point taken. I'm having Marella send coordinates for suggested landing locations and frequently traveled Russian air routes to avoid to your computers now, anything else I can do?"

"You mean other than call off this crazy, near suicidal mission? Yeah make sure she's waiting when we get there. Ducktaping her mouth shut would be nice too."

"I'll see what I can do," Michael replied with a half smirk despite Hawke's bitterly sardonic tone.

"Talk to you later, we'll report back before we reach the next fuel pickup."

"So, if the committee doesn't know about us coming along, how is going to explain the needed extra fuel pickups?" Dom queried. "And how is he keeping this from the committee anyway?"

"There are no extra fuel pickups, that's why we had to leave half the armament back at the Lair. And when any of them call back, I suggest you let me do the talking."

"Yeah because you're just full of anticipation, waiting to share every detail with them," Dom mumbled in reply. "What do you have against this agent, uh, what's her name…"

"Lexa," String supplied succinctly.

"So what do you have against Lexa?" Dom pursued. "I don't remember you every mentioning her before."

"That's because I didn't."