When Hawke woke up, Kelly was gone. Fear welled up inside of him and he went back to the first night he spent alone in their house after she had died. It was the longest night of his life and the next morning he traded rooms unable to sleep in the master bedroom he shared with the woman he loved and lost.
With that thought in mind, he got out of Airwolf and looked around. His mind eased when he saw Kelly in the corner of the lair hugging her knees to her chest. Hawke went to her and sat down beside her. With one arm around her shoulders he pulled her to his chest. "What's wrong?"
"I've made a mistake, Hawke. I left you once and I can't do it again." She sniffed. "If I testify, your friend is going to make sure I go back into Witness Protection and I won't leave you again." The tears poured freely down her cheeks now. "I won't, Hawke."
"All right." Hawke answered. He couldn't believe he was saying what he was saying or thinking what he was thinking. "I'll think of something."
When Dominic showed up hours later, he brought breakfast with him. Hawke gave the biscuit and orange juice to Kelly and left her at Airwolf while he walked back to the Jet Ranger with Dominic.
He had already decided that he was going to take Kelly away from San Diego and he knew Dominic would help him.
"You're going to WHAT!"
The high frequency of Dominic's voice wasn't exactly what Hawke had expected. "String, you can't disappear with a federal witness. Isn't that like witness tampering or something?"
"As far as the court is concerned, the DA has no other witness. Rufus Sidwell is just waiting for the necessary paperwork that will end the case and let him go free. Kelly doesn't want to testify and I'm not going to make her do something she doesn't want to do. I know where I'm going to take her, but I need your help getting out of town. I don't want Michael to know anything."
"Will you at least give it some time before you make any big decision? The trial isn't for four days."
"We'll leave tomorrow morning, Dominic, that way we'll have enough time to get sufficiently away from the FIRM before Michael and the DA know she's gone."
Dominic raised his hat to scratch his head. "But, String, I. . .One day isn't. . ."
"One day, Dominic." Hawke clapped him on the shoulder. "I'll see you later."
"He wants to WHAT!" Caitlin saw Dominic grimace at the range of her voice. "What is he thinking? He can't disappear with a federally protected witness. If he gets caught, he'll go to prison." Caitlin had been working on the new helicopter Dominic picked up at a sale. It needed everything from new electronics to a new coat of paint. She had been installing the radio she picked up at a junkyard when Dominic told her the news.
"I told him the same thing. He wants our help and I'm going to help him."
"Even if you dislike Kelly and you know we'll never see Hawke again."
Dominic took a seat in the metal chair Caitlin had been using as a stepstool. "I saw a look in his eyes that I haven't seen in a long time. He loves her, Cait. He truly loves her."
Caitlin finished inserting the radio and got out of the helicopter. She wiped her hands on a rag and went over to stand in front of Dominic.
"Dom, why don't you take the rest of the day off. You don't look so good."
Dominic took off his hat and crushed it in his hand. "I think I will. Ya know, I think I will." He got up and walked off.
When Caitlin heard the hangar door close, she went into the office and dialed a familiar phone number. After three rings, a woman's voice answered with a curt 'hello'.
"It's Caitlin. May I speak to him?"
After a brief silence, a male voice came over the line. "Caitlin, what is it?"
Caitlin squeezed the phone tightly in her hand as she spoke, "I need your help."
"You come to me."
"Thank you," Caitlin whispered and hung up the phone.
She had just taken the first step in losing Stringfellow Hawke.
