The helicopter landed on the sand beside Sarah's beach house and Hawke jumped out before the rotors stopped. He hurried over to the house and took the steps outside two at a time. He opened the back door. As soon as he stepped inside, Chris ran across the room and launched himself into his uncle's arms.

Hawke hugged his nephew tightly as the little boy sobbed on his shoulder. 'It's OK. I'm here, Chris.'

Michael stood up from his seat on the small sofa. The rest of the Hawke family watched as Hawke comforted Chris.

'What's going on?' Hawke asked.

'Men grabbed Mommy.' Chris answered almost intelligibly.

'We'll get her back.' Hawke promised. 'Mom…'

Jane hurried over and gently took hold of Chris. 'Come on, Chris. Let's get you bathed and into bed.'

Hawke barely waited until the adjoining door to the back corridor where the two bedrooms was located was shut before he whirled around. 'Michael.'

'According to Chris, Sarah was outside saying goodbye to Mike when a black van pulled up and two men jumped out. It sounds like they were wearing balaclavas and they were dressed in black.' Michael signalled for Marella to pick up.

'He said they carried Sarah to the van although she tried to get away and when Mike tried to stop them, they beat him up and threw him in the van along with Sarah.' Marella reported calmly. 'Chris noted that there was another man waiting in the van so with the driver, we're looking at four people involved at least.'

'Chris was able to give us a description of the van and the license plate. We're running it now.' Michael added. 'It's clear their target was Sarah not Mike.'

'Why Sarah?' Seb asked.

'Weakest link.' Saint John said succinctly.

'What do you mean by that?' Seb's eyes flashed unhappily at his eldest brother.

'He means Sarah was considered the least able to defend herself in an attack.' Alan explained. 'They figured they could grab her easily.'

'But then why grab Mike?' Saint John speculated, pushing off the wall he had been leaning against.

'Collateral damage?' Jo suggested.

'No,' Hawke said thoughtfully, 'they screwed up.' He rubbed his chin and gestured at Michael. 'They must have been watching the house, saw her come back and assumed she was driving the car herself.'

'So their vantage point was blocked somehow.' Michael nodded at an aide hovering by the front door and the blonde turned and hurried out - Hawke assumed to find the gang's look-out point as it would hopefully provide them with some more clues.

'But they could have left Mike.' Seb objected.

'Like I said they screwed up.' Hawke replied.

'Which means that they're not that experienced.' Michael mused out loud.

'They aren't but whoever they're working for is.' Hawke corrected. 'Their boss knew to target Sarah; they screwed up in the execution of it.'

'If they were after Sarah,' Alan said slowly, 'then this has to be related to the family somehow.'

'Cordelli.' Seb said automatically. He scowled at his two older brothers. 'They came after us anyway.'

'I don't think so.' Hawke said evenly. 'I don't think Antonio Cordelli would risk his business that way.'

'He's a thug.' Seb argued.

'No,' Alan asserted, 'your brother's right. Cordelli has nothing to gain.'

'Except killing us all.' Seb threw up his hands. 'I don't know why I bother. It's not like you're all going to listen to me.'

'Maybe you shouldn't dismiss it out of hand.' Jo said. 'Seb has got a point.'

'My gut is telling me this isn't Cordelli.' Hawke said.

'Great. Let's just risk Sarah's life on your gut.' Seb grumbled as he slumped into a chair.

'Actually, I've risked my life on the basis of your brother's instincts many times.' Michael said tersely. He looked over at Hawke. 'What do you think this is about?'

'What's it usually about?' Hawke retorted.

'Airwolf?' Michael's blonde eyebrows shot up and disappeared under his fringe.

'So now you think someone kidnapped Sarah because of that…that helicopter you fly?' Seb shook his head. 'Fantastic.'

'Seb,' Alan glared at his son, 'we're all worried about Sarah but that's enough.'

Seb's lips turned down in a sulky frown.

Michael gestured at Hawke. 'Are you sure about this?'

'We'll soon know.' Hawke pointed out. 'They'll call with a demand eventually.' He shuffled a little. 'There is another possibility.'

'What?' Saint John asked.

Hawke's eyes landed on his younger brother. 'Seb, you said there were three alerts in the computer from the paper trail Dad left to confuse people?'

'Yeah, so?' Seb asked, frowning.

'So, we know one of those alerts was set off by Larry Mason when he was looking on our behalf for you guys…' Hawke began.

'And the other one was Cordelli.' Saint John added.

'Which leaves one unidentified party who was searching for your parents.' Marella completed.

Seb sat forward. 'I could trace them.'

Hawke nodded. 'I think that's a good idea.'

'You should go to Red Star.' Michael offered. 'We have the best computers available.'

'I'll take him.' Hawke offered. 'I'm going to take the Lady for a ride.'

'Where to?' Michael demanded.

'I don't think Cordelli is behind this,' Hawke restated, 'but there's no harm in checking.'

'Right.' Michael said quietly. 'I'd best come with you to Red Star.'

'I'm coming too.' Saint John said forcefully. 'You're going to need a co-pilot.'

'And an engineer.' Jo said standing up.

Hawke nodded; apart from their relationship with Sarah, he knew Mike was one of their closest friends. 'OK. Dad, you should stay here. If there is a ransom call or a demand, they may try here.'

Alan nodded unhappily.

'I'll stay too.' Marella added. 'Run things this end.'

'Thanks, Marella.' Hawke said. 'Can you call Cait too? Let her know what's happening?'

'I will.' She promised.

'Good luck.' Alan said. He watched as his sons walked out of the house together with Michael. The helicopter took off smoothly in a cloud of sand.

Seb shifted awkwardly in his seat in the back of the Ranger helicopter. Jo sat beside him; Michael beside her. Saint John had taken one of the front passenger seats; Hawke had insisted on flying.

'Are you really going to check Cordelli out?' Seb asked bluntly.

'I said we would.' Hawke answered evenly.

'But you think I'm wrong.' Seb muttered.

'I've been at this a long time.' Hawke said quietly. 'Cordelli has too much to lose in reopening the feud.'

'Then why are you going?' Seb asked.

It was Saint John who answered. 'Because Cordelli may know who wants to set him up.'

Seb's brow creased in confusion. 'Woah. What?'

'Whoever this is knows about our run-in with the Cordelli's.' Saint John explained. 'The timing's too close to be coincidental.'

'What do you mean?' demanded Seb.

'Somebody expected us to jump straight to the conclusion that it was Cordelli.' Hawke said tersely. 'It's likely it's one of Cordelli's rivals.'

'Which means Cordelli is likely to know which one it is.' Michael concluded.

'We're taking a big risk going back in there though.' Jo said worriedly.

'Me.' Hawke corrected.

'Excuse me?' Saint John stopped short of a full scale argument when Hawke shook his head and looked across the cockpit.

'You'll back me up but I'll go in alone.' Hawke explained. 'Antonio knows me, and I think it's best we keep it one on one.' His eyes flashed expressively.

Saint John sighed at the look of determination on Hawke's face. 'You really think this is the way to play this.'

'I know it is.' Hawke retorted.

'OK,' Saint John allowed, 'you go in alone but Jo and I will back you up in Airwolf. Agreed.'

'Agreed.' Hawke muttered. He wasn't going to waste time arguing; his gut was telling him they had to find Sarah and fast.