Chapter 4

"How exactly do you expect us to find her?" Dominic queried.

"Fly over in Airwolf, make wanted posters, I don't care. Do whatever you would if it were anyone else missing. I'd personally volunteer to go with you, but I'll be putting all my resources into the effort at the FIRM trying to keep the Committee from sticking their noses in where they don't belong. And believe me, they'll be plenty anxious to do just that when they find out about my latest screw up."

\A/

It was quiet again, but Lexa knew the silence wouldn't last for long, at last not while she had two very hot full automatics in the passenger seat of a stolen Corvette. After what seemed like an endless chase, she had finally evaded the police, but she was painfully aware of how much more difficult it was than usual, and how exhausted she already was. One thing was obvious though, she wasn't going to be able to make it over the border back into the Us without some much needed shut eye. That meant she was another day late.

Listening to the fading whine of sirens in the distant, she let her thoughts drift back to Los Angeles. Niki had probably already found Michael and, if she knew him as well as she thought she did, he'd already have extra security and a search party looking for her. And if the Committee found out she was missing... Getting back to the states would be the least of her problems.

Hiding the guns inside an oversized duffel bag, she left the sports car in the ally in search of somewhere to sleep.

\A/

Airwolf

The Following Day

"Hawke, come in. It's Michael."

"We read you. I'm just hoping you have some news."

"I do. It looks like Lexa might not have left Canada after all. A drug store clerk in Vancouver gave a description of one her customers that matched Lexa's and not much later a stolen '87 Corvette was found a block away. Corvettes, specifically red ones, which this one was, seem to be her car of choice."

"So you can go pick her up now and we can go home, right?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"Why not?"

"I already sent a team in; she's gone. The car was wiped so we can't make any certain identifications, but I know it was her."

"I can't take Airwolf all over Canada without some clearance. It's not like sneaking under the radar for an hour or two; I'd have to make slow, low flights over the cities," Hawke reminded, " and Airwolf would be on display for anyone who decided to look up."

"I know," he replied. "Bring Airwolf in, we'll have to handle this with their government and hope Lexa doesn't have someone on the inside. I'll keep you in the loop, assuming I don't get fired."

"We appreciate that. I think."

"We'll see. Archangel, out."

"Why do I get the feeling we're just the extra piece in this puzzle?" Dominic remarked.

"Because we are. I think he just wanted someone out there physically looking and we got to be the lucky ones. What I'm trying to figure out is where the kid fits in."

"The kid? What's she got to do with finding Lexa?"

"At least from the time I knew her, Lexa wasn't too find of kids, tried not to harm them, but I definitely can't see her having one or trying to get custody of one. It's just not like her."

"If you remember, she abandoned Nikita here while she decided to tour the world on her own."

The disapproving tone in his voice was obvious, but Hawke wasn't so sure he agreed. He didn't approve of abandonment, but in the long run it was probably in Nikita's best interest not to be with Lexa. The way things were left, it seemed like she was planning on returning though. Maybe she hadn't gone rogue... If not though, why hadn't she shown up, or at least told someone where she was? Lexa going rogue seemed like the perfect explanation to him; it would have made him feel more justified in the negative remarks and thoughts of hatred he'd had over the years, proof that she really wasn't the angel everyone else believed her to be. If she hadn't turned though, maybe that was just proving everyone else's belief and it was just him who couldn't get along with her.

\A/

The Volvo continued gaining speed as she pressed harder on the accelerator. Thankfully, the road ahead was clear and she planned to break through the barrier before they knew what hit them. Or at least as close to it as she could get. It didn't take much intelligence to know she'd have cops and border patrol after her in no time, so she planned to break through and ditch the car as soon as possible for something faster.

The uniformed personnel signaling for her to slow down scrambled out of the way as he realized she had no plans to do so. The guard rail broke easily as the front end of the car plowed through, continuing down the road at full speed. Shots fired and a siren sounded behind her, but she ignored them, intent on finding the nearest neighborhood, parking lot, or anywhere else suitable to dump the car and pick up another one.

Briefly glancing backward, Lexa was pleased to find the perusing cars dropping behind. As she turned back to the road in front of her she realized a second too late that the oncoming vehicle was in the same line as her, and not stopping.

The abrupt stop as the two cars collided stole her breath as the momentum slammed her forward into the deploying airbag, the terrible screech of metal scraping metal and shattering glass filling the air, and an instant later darkness claimed her.

She started to regain consciousness, but she wasn't sure how much later. The sound of approaching ambulances told her it had been a few minutes, but not too long. Unfortunately, if she didn't want her next stop to be the prison infirmary she needed to be gone before they showed up. Summoning any bits of remaining strength, she sat up, pushing aside the deflated airbag, and endeavored to untangle herself from the tight hold of the seat belt. It wasn't until then that she really realized how difficult her task was going to be.

The sirens blaring as they approached only increased the intensity of the pain in her head, prodding her to move on before they came any closer. Pushing and tugging on the semi-crushed door for a minute, it finally swung open, and Lexa stumbled out and fell to the ground. Every muscle and bone in her body felt like it had been split in half, and blood ran freely from the gash on her forehead and arm where pieces of the shattered windshield had rained on her.

Slowly pushing back to her feet, she staggered forward a few steps, wincing every time she put any weight on her right ankle, or for that matter, moved at all. Ignoring it as much as she could, she set out for the side of the road, looking for somewhere she could hide until some of the excitement blew over.