Chapter 1

The long white limo pulled into Santini Air for yet another mission for Airwolf and her crew. Dominic Santini stood in the mouth of the hangar with Stringfellow Hawke and Caitlin O'Shannessy. He soured upon seeing the limo pull up to the door.

Emerging from the rear of the car was Michael Coldsmith-Briggs the Third and his assistant, Marella. Both dressed in white from head to toe. The pair made their way to the crew of the top secret chopper.

Michael greeted his friend, "Hawke!"

"What's this all about, Michael?" Stringfellow Hawke asked. The setting sun shined upon his light brown hair and the clear blue eyes. His jaw was stern as he waited for the next risky assignment. He wore a plaid shirt under a brown vest with blue jeans and stood with his arms crossed.

Michael went right to the point. "In 1936 an archeologist named Dr. Henry Jones Jr. secured for the U.S. Government a religious artifact. Precisely, the Ark of the Covenant." He waited for the response.

Dom gasped, "As in Moses and the tablets?"

Michael confirmed, "Indeed."

String looked at his crew with a cocked eyebrow.

Caitlin stated, "The one from the bible?" Her blonde hair was also caught in the setting sun and it glimmered intensely and highlighted her features much like an angel. She wore pair of mechanic coveralls that was smeared in oil as she had been hard working.

"Wait a minute." Dom closed his eyes for a moment and gulped. He cocked his head, "You mean Colonel Henry Jones?"

"He was a Colonel during the war." Michael confirmed. "Do you know him?"

"Indy! I know him. Heck, I taught him how to fly a plane during the war." he announced. "He said he was sent on some top secret digs during the thirties. He didn't say it was the Ark of the Covenant."

"Dr. Jones secured the Ark and handed it over to authorities." Marella informed. "Last week the Ark was taken out of storage and was en route to Area 51 for research when the transport was intercepted. The crew of the transport was killed and the Ark was taken."

String asked, "Research? It was supposed to be a box that housed the tablets."

Dom stated, "It would house the power of God, String."

Marella agreed, "We believe it's a kind of power source and that's why it was being taken to Area 51."

String figured, "And we have to get it back? Any idea who took it?"

"We don't have any leads." Michael informed. "You will have to work with Dr. Jones for any leads."

"Where is Dr. Jones?" he wondered.

"He's flying in tomorrow. You have to pick him up at the airport." Michael informed.

String then asked, "How old is this guy?"

Dom stated, "He's my age, String." He made a remark, "Now you got two old farts to worry about."

String rolled his eyes, "You are not an old fart, Dom." He looked to Michael, "We will meet Doctor Jones at the airport tomorrow."

Next Day

String, Caitlin and Dom waited in the concourse of the airport for Dr. Jones to arrive. Dom had spent the night before telling his audience of the war and how he and String's father, John Hawke helped secure some of the monuments from the Nazis. Colonel Jones was instrumental in securing many museum quality pieces. He left out the part of how String's father switched the real artwork with the fake artwork and then smuggled it out to the cabin.

Caitlin imagined a rough and tough Colonel who a real life action hero. She wondered what he would arrive in. A flight jacket perhaps? Maybe jeans and a leather jacket. Her eyes then settled on a man wearing an out dated brown twill suit and brown bow tie from the forties. He wore a classic fedora hat and brown shoes. His hair was gray and he sported a stern square jaw with a slight scare on the chin. He carried an old brown leather bag and a smirked grew across his face as his brown eyes settled on his old friend, Dom.

Henry "Indiana" Jones walked up to Dom who stood grinning ear to ear. "Dom!" he greeted.

"Indy!" he welcomed his with open arms. "Good to see you again. Boy, it's been awhile."

Indy embraced his old war buddy. "Too long." he assured him. He then looked at String and Caitlin.

Caitlin figured Dom must of indulged in the story of the monuments for this old man looked nothing like the action hero she imagined. She suppressed her disappointment.

"Indy," Dom started "I want you to meet two very special people who will be helping us. Caitlin O'Shannessy and String…John's boy."

"You're John Hawke's son?" Indy asked him.

"You knew my dad?" String asked.

He nodded, "The bastard switched the painting on us and flew the real painting out of Europe. Last I heard he put them in his private cabin."

"You heard right." String told him straight faced.

Indy sized String up for a moment. He gave a nod, "Take care of them." He patted his shoulder as he found String was honest.

"I will." he assured.

Indy looked to Dom, "Where is the best hotel out here?"

Dom nixed the idea. "You are not staying in no hotel, Indy. You are staying with me!" he proclaimed.

"I appreciate that, Dom." he agreed. "I heard you own your own airfield now and are a stunt pilot. The FIRM said you had access to a special chopper that could help us get the Ark back."

"I do!" he confirmed. "Santini Air." he glanced about, "Come on, Indy. I'll debrief you in the car." He placed hand on Indy's shoulder and escorted his old friend towards the door.

Caitlin walked beside String as they followed the older men out. She mentioned, "I guess Dom kind of exaggerated the war stories, huh."

"Why you say that?" he asked.

"I thought Dr. Jones would be a bit tougher." she replied.

"I'm sure he was a bit tougher forty years ago. So was Dom." he replied.

She smirked, "Don't know about that bow tie."

"I bet I could pull off the 'bow tie' look." he smirked back.

She smiled as she imagined String in a black suit with a bow tie. She snuck her arm in his. "I bet you could." she agreed.

String confessed, "I like his hat."

"The fedora." she grinned amused.

He nodded, "That old fedora has seen some miles."

She agreed, "Looks pretty worn. But that suit…"

String agreed, "The suit needs to go."

"It really does." she agreed.

Santini Air, After Hours

Dom led Indy into the hangar as the work day came to a close and the employees had gone home. Dom stated, "I have living quarters in the back of the hangar. You can have the spare bedroom." he motioned.

"Appreciate this, Dom." he replied grateful. He placed his leather suitcase down on the nearby work table.

String asked, "Just what are we looking for, Dr. Jones?"

He removed his hat and placed it on the table top. He began to open his suitcase. "Back in 1936, I was recruited by the Department of Defense to find the Ark of the Covenant. We found it!" He opened his leather suitcase and retrieved a very thick and very old bible. He placed the bible on the table and opened to the page showing the Ark.

Caitlin looked at the contents of the bag. She noted he had a change of clothing with a leather jacket, boots, a revolver and a bullwhip. She cocked an eye for she did expect to see such articles.

Dom asked, "What did the Ark do?"

"The Nazis got their hands on it. I was tied up along with Marion. We survived by closing our eyes. You cannot look at it. Whatever was inside it. It killed an entire legion of Nazis." he warned. "When the screaming stopped and all went quiet and the Ark resealed itself it was safe to open my eyes. Everyone was gone except me and my wife, Marion. I brought the Ark back to the States, handed it over to the Department of Defense and they took it from there. I guess they sat on it for the last forty years. They wouldn't tell me where it was or what they were doing with it. Then they recruited me to go find it again. You guys are my air support."

Dom assured, "We're more than that! We're your team, Indy. We're here to help you get it back."

Caitlin found Dom had a deep seated trust for Dr. Jones. She asked, "So, why do you call him Indy, Dom?"

Indy spoke up, "It's an…alias. Indiana Jones. Folks call me 'Indy'."

String asked, "You go by Indiana Jones?" He gave an amused look.

Dom defended, "You're name is Stringfellow." The last thing he wanted was for his old Colonel to be seen as some senile old man. Indiana Jones was legend back in his time. A time before the youth of today.

Indy smirked at String, "I got it from the family dog. He was a great dog."

Caitlin grinned from ear to ear as she found Indiana Jones was a name to remember. "Indiana Jones! I like it!"

String then looked upon the suitcase. "Is that a bullwhip?"

Indy nodded, "It is."

"What do you need that for?" he wondered.

"Sometimes it can come in handy." he remarked.

"But…you are an archeologist. You dig up old sites." he rebutted not understanding why anyone could use a bullwhip.

Dom cheered, "I've seen him use that bullwhip back during our mission. He can snap a gun right out of a man's hand, String."

String reached over and grasped the whip. He felt the weight, "With this?" he asked not sure if Dom was indulging in the story.

Indy was in no mood to play games. He just came from a long flight and now in his retirement years he had to go find the Ark yet again. He grasped the whip from Strings hand. "Don't touch my stuff, kid." he stated.

"Kid?" String cocked an eyebrow.

"Anyone under fifty is a kid to me." he announced.

Dom grinned, "I know the feeling. I look around and see all these old guys with gray hair and then realize, I'm an old guy with gray hair too."

Indy agreed, "Time seems to just fly by as you get older." He placed the whip back in his suitcase. "Does the FIRM have any leads on who stole it?" He secretly prayed it would not be the Soviet Union.

String nodded, "A third world millionaire Bin Laden. His family is wealthy. They own a construction company. One brother is connected to a terrorist organization. He's out in the African dessert somewhere."

Indy pondered, "What does he want it for?"

"FIRM thinks it can be used as a power source." String reminded him.

He rebutted, "They are wrong about that. It's the power of God. It's not a power source."

String asked, "Could be a religious thing? It's a Muslim family?"

"Could be." he pondered. "There is a secret sect that is dedicated to preserving religious artifacts."

"There is?" String asked for he wasn't aware.

"There is, kid." he nodded in thought.

"I'm not a kid." String reminded him.

"You are to me." Indy stated.

"I served in Nam." he huffed annoyed. "Lost my brother there. He's MIA."

"I lost my son in Nam." he stated. "Your brother is MIA?"

"I'm sorry you lost your son." String winced. "Sinjin is missing in action."

Dom stated, "I didn't know you had a son, Indy?"

"With Marion." he nodded. "I didn't know about him until he was an adult. He helped me get the crystal skull from the Soviets."

"Crystal Skull?" Caitlin asked.

Indy explained, "Most of archeology is just what you think it is. Digs! You go out to a site of old ruins and just dig stuff up. But that's not my specialty. I go after artifacts that tend to be labeled mythical. Outside the norm."

"How outside the norm are we talking here?" String asked.

"The Ark, the Crusades, King Arthur, mythical artifacts." he informed. "Stuff you read about in the bible, other religious text or mythology."

Caitlin asked, "Should we be brushing up on the bible?"

"I would recommend it, doll." he smirked at her as if she asked a dumb question.

"Doll?" she huffed annoyed.

"And?" he shrugged.

String pinched his lips tight as he tried to keep a straight face. He found Indiana Jones was a man's man. He wasn't politically correct and he found it refreshing.

"For your information, I was a police officer before I was recruited for Airwolf." she huffed annoyed.

"And?" he shrugged.

"You don't call me, doll." she demanded. "It's Caitlin or Cait. I have a name, Dr. Jones."

Indy smirked amused, "I'll call you 'Caitlin'…doll."

She wanted to slap him as he seemed to be teasing her. She glanced at String who was covering his mouth with his hand trying to keep from laughing. Then she realized that Indiana Jones and Stringfellow Hawke had a lot in common. Neither was a man who would take nonsense. She threw up her hands, "Fine." she huffed.

Dom assured, "It's a generational thing, Cait. Indy calls girls he likes 'doll' all the time. He didn't mean to upset you."

She shook her head and rolled her eyes, "Okay." she miffed.

String reminded her, "He calls me 'kid'."

She crossed her arms annoyed, "Generational thing!"