Chapter 3

Morning came quickly and Caitlin was reenergized. She grew anxious as she waited for Doc to gather his things. They got into a small car and headed out to a remote area of town. Then, they waited.

"How long do we have to wait?" she asked, trying to hide her excitement. "Who's flying her?"

"It shouldn't be long now," he replied. "You'll see soon enough."

A few moments later, she saw it. At first it was just a small shimmer of light, a mere speck in the sky. But as it came closer, it took her breath away. Just like it had done years before when she first saw that black battleship with rotors. She realized at that moment how much she still missed her lost friends and how much she still loved the men that became like family to her.

Suddenly, Caitlin retreated back into the car.

"Caitlin, what's wrong?" asked Doc. "Are you okay?"

Tears ran down her face. "I can't do this, Doc. I just can't do this without them. It's too hard. We were a team, Hawke, Dom, and I. I loved being a crew member of Airwolf but it wasn't just about the Lady. It was about them."

"And it's about them now," came a reply that sounded all too familiar to Caitlin. "It's about them now, Cait."

Caitlin climbed out of the car and hugged her old friend. "Michael! It's so good to see you!" She couldn't believe her eyes. "What's going on here Michael?"

Michael grabbed Caitlin by arm and escorted her to the helicopter. Doc was already inside. "I'll explain everything as soon as we're up. It's a long story."

Caitlin took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She tried hard to push down her anxiety and the sadness she felt. As soon as she slipped back into her old spot within Airwolf, a calm feeling overcame her. Although she'd been gone over a year, everything felt the same. Everything except now Doc was flying Airwolf instead of Hawke. She longed to understand why he had pushed her away. Maybe she could have fixed things. Maybe she should have stayed. Her mind was racing from one thought to another. "What did he mean when he said it was about them now", she thought.

She finally spoke up. "Okay, guys. I've been patient long enough. One of you needs to tell me what's going on here."

Michael looked back at her and smiled. "I appreciate you coming Caitlin. I'm sorry that I've had to keep you in the dark but it's been for the safety of all involved. We're on a rescue mission. Doc and I can't do it alone and you are the only other person that can fly Airwolf that I trust. Besides, I knew you'd have just as much at stake in this mission as anyone else."

"What are you talking about Michael? What do you mean?" she replied.

"Caitlin, Dom and Hawke are still alive. At least they were three days ago. They've been working undercover down in Mexico for the past year. "

Cait felt the blood drain from her face. For a moment she felt dizzy. "What about the explosion? They said Dom was killed and Hawke, well….."

"There was an explosion", Michael interrupted her. "They were nearly killed. We didn't know for sure who was behind it so we made it look like the bombing was a success. Hawke and Dom were working on something for me right before it happened."

Now Caitlin was furious. "How could you let me go on believing all this time that they were dead? Do you have any idea what I've been through? The memory of that phone call has haunted me every day since."

"I'm sorry Cait, but it was for your own safety. This job started out more dangerous than anything we've ever encountered. We thought we had it all tied up. One of our contacts was supposed to meet them three days ago. They never showed. Plan B was to pick them up at a special rendezvous spot. We're just not sure they'll be able to get there. That's where you come in. You're going to be our support in the air while we go in and look for them."

Mixed feelings overcame her. She was happy they were still alive but angry that she had been left in the dark for so long. She had replayed the day she left Santini Air over and over in her mind. She remembered how devastated she was when she got the phone call saying her friends were gone. Now, here she was, going off to rescue them. It was so surreal. "What if we don't make it in time? I don't think I can handle going through that again," she thought.