CHAPTER 9
"My husband does some intelligence work, and they know that they could use me against him if they were to capture me."
"Who?" Michael asked, joining the conversation.
"I don't know his name, he's always referred to as the Boss or Chief. He has followers that have hurt people and I know they're after me. I probably wouldn't have even come today except I felt I had to. I heard the news stories, they know you have Tommy and want him as leverage. I'm sorry I ever got you into this, but if you'll just let me, I will leave and try to find somewhere else to stay and leave something for Trenton to find us."
"How did you end up leaving Tommy with us in the first place? Why the hangar?"
"My husband heard so many stories from his father, he decided he wanted to learn to fly. Before he joined the military, he took a couple introductory lessons at Santini Air, from a pilot named Stringfellow Hawke, I think he said, although I'm not very good with names. Neither of us have any relatives in the area though and I had to think of something fast. I remembered how happy he had been with his experience there. He said they were all really nice, just a couple of guys kind of like a father-son thing and taught him well, and had offered him tips on various things. They were a good part what helped him definitely decide he wanted to join the airborne divisions. Said he trusted them, and I had no other options. But now things have gone too far; they tried to hurt you, kill you, and it's my fault," she finished, almost in tears. "They're after me, my husband, my baby, and I don't want to do it anymore. I just don't want to do it anymore..."
"Maybe we can help you."
"Oh, no, I couldn't. I've already asked too much."
"When do you usually see or hear from them?"
She shook her head. "Nowhere particular. They always know where I am though, even here probably isn't safe anymore."
None of them paid any heed to her warnings though.
"We need to find a way to set up a trap, but it has to be just right so we can take them all out, even the Boss."
\A/
The Next Day
8:45 am
It seemed like the middle of nowhere, somewhere she shouldn't have to worry about the constantly watching eyes of her enemies, but they were all around her, she just knew they were. Question was - was her backup in position?
She stopped at the counter and ordered a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich, cautiously setting the baby carrier down at her feet and not taking her eyes off it for a second.
Taking the sandwich and mug, she settled on the stool, forcing herself to eat bite of the food rather than actually enjoying it, like she used to be able to before all this mess started.
Thoroughly chewing the last bite, she swallowed it, hesitant to leave, but they'd know something was up if she didn't. She paid for the meal and left, walking out the front double glass doors.
There was the near-silent crunch of gravely road under her feet and sound of the wind blowing across the huge rock formations and rustling the few leaves there were of the sparse vegetation.
Just keep moving and it'll all turn out okay, she kept telling herself over and over, just keep moving…
A lone dead leaf crunched under her foot, startling her in the sudden silence, then she almost started laughing when she realized how stupid she was being. Being so on edge wouldn't help her whether Hawke and his group were here or not, so she might as well suck it up and keep moving.
Almost to the car, she heard someone step up behind her and the click of a safety being disengaged.
"Nhu, I need you to come with me," the man said in an almost casual yet authoritative tone.
"I…"
"Now."
"But my-"
"Now," he repeated, no irritation, but complete control evident in his voice. One thing was for sure, he was no rookie at this game.
She clutched the handle of the baby carrier even tighter in a white knuckled grip, praying that Hawke would hurry up and show himself, but he was still nowhere to be seen.
\A/
"You still have a visual?"
"I got 'em," Caitlin answered, "But I can't follow them long without being noticed in such a deserted area."
"We'll be there soon, just don't loose them."
"You got it." She set down the handheld radio and pressed down harder on the accelerator as the car ahead almost slipped out of sight over the horizon. She bumped along the long dirt road after the fleeing black sedan, hoping they didn't already know she was on their trail.
Further and further they sped, leaving the lonely desert in the distance and toward the busy streets of LA.
"Still on the trail?" Hawke's voice asked over the radio five minutes later.
"For now. He's headed towards Los Angeles, but if there's much traffic I might not be able to keep track of him."
"I've got them," Dom said in the background.
"Stay on the trail if you can without getting caught, but we've got them on radar now."
\A/
"Still no luck on the audio, or any idea what's going on down there for that matter. And we can't take the Lady into the middle of Los Angeles; we've got to do something soon."
"This won't solve anything unless we take them all."
"I'm beginning to think this won't solve anything at all anyway. There are so many people with so many false identities and backgrounds it'd be easier to break up a sweat in Antarctica than find them all."
"What else do you suggest?"
"Michael suggested witness protection."
"She wouldn't do it, not like he was suggesting, and I can't blame her. I know I wouldn't have, and I've got a lot less family than she does."
"Uh-oh. They're headed into that tunnel."
"Can you get a read?"
"Negative, we're in the dark."
"Airwolf to Caitlin, come in."
No response.
"Caitlin, do you have a visual on the target?"
Silence.
"Cait?"