CHAPTER 9
"How long are you two going to keep this up?" Dominic asked in exasperation.
Neither said a word.
"And I thought you had a bad attitude going to pick her up in Russia, and that was nothing compared to this. You're being ridiculous."
The younger man made no rebuttal, neither accepting nor denying his surrogate father's accusation.
"You outta be ashamed of yourselves, both of you are grown adults and still bickering like little children."
By the time he and Caitlin had returned there had actually been very few words exchanged between Hawke and Lexa, although both had used plenty strong ones to make up for the lack of quantity. Not they were at a standstill, mutely refusing to even look at each other much less spare words, and had been for nearly an hour.
"I think you're wasting your breath, Dom," Caitlin advised.
"Yeah, I know it too," he sighed. "I just don't understand why they can't tolerate each other for a couple days and at least act civil instead of trying to rip each other's throats out. Especially you, kid; I thought I raised you better than that, and if I didn't, I know your parents did."
That at least earned him an acknowledgement, even if it was in the form of a meaningful look.
"It's true, I know it is. You can't honestly tell me that if your parents were here to see this you could act like this so shamelessly, now could you?"
"That was a cheap shot, Dom."
It was and he knew it, but when it came down to it, he couldn't go on allowing them to act like this and he knew that if Allen were still here he would much rather have his name mentioned than see his son acting like this.
"She- "I don't want to hear what she did. I'm sure she could say plenty about how it's all your fault too, but I didn't come here to play referee. Why don't you worry about packing up so we can escort that plane out of enemy territory and get the heck out of dodge?"
"Fine," Hawke answered tightly, still refusing to spare even a glance in Lexa's direction. "It's getting dark fast and we need to get ready to head out anyway."
"Head out is right," Lexa broke in, "just got a distress call from your friends who were supposed to be shipping the POWs back."
'What is it?"
"They got hit only a few minutes ago, nearly all the prisoners have been recaptured and taken back to the camp we just rescued them from."
"You mean the one we nearly obliterated. What's left to take them back to?" he wondered aloud even as he took his place inside Airwolf."
"I don't know, but we obviously left something."
"A mistake we won't make a second time."
\A/
"So where are they all?"
"Beats me. You got the scans running, Dom?"
"Yeah," the engineer answered, "but it isn't doing us much good. They aren't anywhere for at least a couple miles."
"Can you widen the search area?" Lexa queried.
"Well sure, but-"
"Go ahead."
"It widens the search, but it's not as specific, so we have a greater chance of missing them," Dominic cautioned.
"Might as well, they don't appear to be around here anywhere anyways."
Punching a few buttons in front of him, he widened the search grid, still running all scanners. "I just don't understand how they could clear out that many people so fast."
"Why didn't I think of it before?" Hawke scolded himself. It made perfect sense, the only thing that did. "Chopper. They must have air lifted the prisoners out."
"So aircraft in the area," Santini reported.
"They didn't have to go far though, just get them some somewhere we can't find them."
"There is another camp not far from here," Lexa suggested, "supposedly abandoned long ago, but it might serve their needs temporarily."
"It's worth a try," Dom agreed.
"Take a heading due east toward the coast, about fifty miles from the city."
\A/
"I'm coming with you this time," Caitlin insisted. "Dom can handle flying and, considering what almost happened last time, I think you could use a little extra backup."
"Fine," Hawke agreed, realizing Cait was firmly decided and there wouldn't be any changing her mind. "Lexa will come around the front, this time it's a full frontal assault, you and I come around the back and lead the prisoners through the woods a safe distance away until her can arrange a pickup."
"I don't-" she started to object, but was quickly stopped.
"Or you could stay with the Lady and Dom, much safer there and we could manage."
"I'll go with you two." It wasn't exactly what she wanted, but there wasn't time to argue, and definitely no point in it.
Dominic dropped off the trio just outside the camp and then came in low and fast, guns ablazing the whole way. Lexa, followed by Hawk and Caitlin, headed straight for the rough cage the POWs were now being held in, only stopping to take down an occasional guard. With a couple well-aimed shots, they took out the padlock and gained access inside.
"Keep them going," Hawke directed as he turned to fire back at a sudden spurt of gunfire coming from behind them. "I'll cover you, just go."
Although a bit reluctant, Caitlin obeyed, taking charge of the group and safely guiding them out of the camp and into cover of the trees.
"Down!" Lexa breathed, tackling him to the ground a moment before a well aimed bullet would have cut his life short, getting grazed herself for the trouble.
"You alright?" He still didn't like her per say, but she had saved his life, and not even the grudge he held could allow him to totally discount that.
Lexa ignored the question, doing her best to ignore the pain rather than fall prey to it. "Caitlin should have the POWs out of range by now, all we have to do is clear out," her shout barely audible over the bullets whizzing overhead followed by a deep rumble as a large canon imploded close by.
"Easier said than done."
"Much easier," Lexa agreed breathlessly after risking a glance at the approaching onslaught.
