Chapter 7

Angie walked into class a few minutes before Ralph. Still passing herself off as a boy, she slunk down into the chair beside Rhonda. Tony was sitting beside her and assumed the new kid was trying to move in on his girl. He muttered, "Cruising for a bruising."

Rhonda heard the remark and turned towards him. She gave him a look, "Just stop it."

"The twerp is sitting too close." he rebutted.

"He is not," she disagreed. She was irritated by his attitude.

Angie didn't pay much attention to what was being said as she was thinking more about the contest than anything else. She figured the contest could keep her mind off her dire situation and thus welcomed the challenge.

The only black student in the class asked Angie, "You got our company picked out for the contest, Andy?"

"I have a few Cyler." she smiled at him pleased that he was also interested in the contest.

The skinny Mexican boy grinned, "Pizza Party!"

Tony shook his head, "We're a bunch of losers. We're not gonna win anything."

Angie disagreed, "I have 3 very good companies in mind. Even if another class chooses one of them we still have a good shot at it."

He balked, "We would need one of them fancy stock market guys to win. Ya know…the ones who wear those funny jackets."

"Those are traders." she smirked back. "You don't need a trader to win a contest. All we needs is a little research. And I have already done that."

Rhonda asked her, "What are our companies, Andy?"

"I have three: Xerox, Kodak and I.B.M. All are doing really well." she announced.

Cyler whined, "All the other classes will pick those."

"I have a backup list." she announced. "Macintosh…"

Rhonda sighed, "I saw the list of taken companies. Those are all on it." She figured Tony was right and they would likely lose.

Angie recalled the car and suggested, "How about Knight Industries?"

The small class traded glances for none heard of the company.

Tony asked, "What do they do?"

"From what I've read they are really into computers and are a defense contractor. They make things for the military." she informed. "They are like Ratheon. Real high tech stuff for the government."

Cyler shrugged, "Sounds good to me." He figured they didn't have a chance at winning but the company at least sounded pretty cool.

Ralph Hinckley walked into the class next. He greeted them as he placed his briefcase down on his desk, "Morning class."

Tony cheered, "We have a company picked out, Mr. H."

He smiled pleased. "Great." He knew of Angie's short list of three names and wondered which giant company they picked. "What is it?"

"Knight Industries." Tony replied.

Ralph's smile melted for he knew the new teacher must be connected. "You have another choice? Maybe Kodak?"

Tony stated, "We want to pick a company no other class has picked. Kodak is already taken."

"I'm sure there is other companies." he looked to Angie.

She replied, "They are in a really good position. Knight Industries is in a dip right now. I'm sure they hit the floor and the curve will go back up."

"You sure?" he asked concerned.

She nodded, "I'm sure."

"Knight Industries it is then." he reluctantly agreed.

Gym Class

After lunch, gym class soon rolled around for Angie. She found Michael Knight standing in the gym with a clipboard before the row of boys that wore tee-shirt and shorts with sneakers. He figured Angie would come up with an excuse to get out of gym class. He smiled, "Andy!" He called her by the assumed name to keep her cover.

She held out the fake doctor's note that Bill wrote as she approached, "I have to be excused from gym."

"Oh," he replied amused. He figured she would forge the note herself. He was most surprised to find a note in someone else's handwriting and signed Dr. Bill Maxwell. Bill gave her an excuse of a bad knee to keep her out of gym. "Bad knee?" he asked sounding unbelieving.

"I'm double jointed," she excused hoping he would not question the note. "I'll just head off to study hall then…" she started to leave.

"Hold it!" he replied. "You can still attend class. Have a seat in the bench." He simply wanted to keep an eye on her and thus requested she simply sit.

She gave a sigh and rolled her eyes, "Fine." She then took a seat on the bench against the wall. She looked at Michael and began to study his moves, his body language trying to determine if he was indeed her brother.

Dismissal Time

Soon it was afternoon and the bell rang for dismal of the students. Ralph had to stay late for a staff meeting. He told Angie that he would meet her at the library not far from the school and to just wait there. Angie made her way down the front steps of the school. She saw Michael's car parked by Ralph's car in the lot. She cocked her head and looked on at the Trans Am with the strange red strobe in the nose. She shook herself out of her wonder and figured it must be an aftermarket feature that Michael had installed to make the car stand out. She walked by KITT and glanced through the driver's side window as she passed. She spied the futuristic dashboard and the yolk for a steering wheel. It was odd to say the least and she soon figured the car must be something that Knight Industries built. She started down the sidewalk towards the library a few blocks away. As she walked she glanced around her. Glancing over her shoulder she spotted the car leave the parking lot as KITT was ordered to follow her by Michael. She knew there was no one in the car and thus the car must be driving itself. She gulped hard. She felt like she just stepped into a horror movie. She continued to walk. She looked behind her and there was KITT slowly creeping down the road. She winced, "That's not good." She started a fast walk. She looked back and KITT was still following her.

She got to the first intersection and had to wait for the crosswalk to turn green. She looked back at the car that came to a stop in the road behind her. She became so concerned with the car that she didn't see the casually dressed man who sat on a bench across the street holding a newspaper and looking at her over the top of the page. The hit man recognized her and had acquired his target. He pulled the pistol from his jacket pocket and fired through the newspaper. He barely missed his target as the bullet shattered the window behind Angie.

Angie heard the shoot and looked across the street. There she spotted the hit man who killed Jim Maxwell. She immediately took off running down the sidewalk as more shots were fired at her causing a panic in the area and student running for cover as they heard gunshots ring out.

KITT identified the hit man and attempted to take aversive maneuvers. He accelerated ahead to get next to Angie who was exposed. Angie was forced to stop running as she soon came to another intersection with lots of traffic. KITT swung open the door on the passenger's side. "Get in Angie!" KITT instructed over the speakers.

With little choice she dove into the passenger's seat as bullets ricocheted around her. She got a good look at the inside of the car as the door closed and she could hear the bullets bouncing off the shielded vehicle. She figured the car must be remote control of some sort.

"What is all this?" she asked aloud as KITT maneuvered around the chaos. He was too busy to notify Michael of the events.

KITT replied, "I am the Knight Industry Two Thousand or KITT. I am here to protect you, Angie. Do not be afraid."

"Knight Industry!" she looked out the window for the hit man. She then spotted him in a black sedan in pursuit of his kill. She gasped, "That's guy who killed the FBI agents who were protecting me."

KITT announced, "I have run a profile on him. His name is Moses 'The Duce' Como. He's a well-known mafia hit man from New York City and the Eastern Region."

Angie asked, "How were you able to find that out so fast and who driving this car?"

"I am very advanced." he explained as he radioed Michael.

Over the speakers of the car Michael's voice came. "KITT! Where are you?" He sounded worried but the voice was kept low as if in a meeting.

"I am on three blocks from the school" he reported, "and heading south. I have Angie, she is safe. I am attempting to out maneuver a well-known hit man who is in pursuit in a black sedan. Shall I notify the police for assistance?"

"We need to keep her safe and out of the papers." he countered. "I'm stuck in this staff meeting. Call in Airwolf to eliminate the threat."

"Very well," KITT agreed.

Angie asked, "Airwolf?" She looked behind as the hit man's car tried to rear end the back of KITT to force them off the road.

"We are coming to open highway. Put on your seatbelt, Angie." KITT instructed and maneuvered onto an open stretch of road. At the same time radioed Santini Airfield and found he was speaking to Stringfellow Hawke.

Over the speakers of the car the man's voice answered the call, "This is Hawke. Go ahead Michael."

"This is KITT," he replied. "Michael is in a staff meeting at the school and is unavailable. I have Angela Long in my possession and I am heading south on the main highway. I request air support to neutralize the black sedan in pursuit of me."

"Will be right there," String replied. He had Airwolf in the hangar and ready for action at Michael's request.

"Air support?" she asked glancing up.

"I cannot deploy weapons without Michael." he explained.

"Weapons!" she gasped and looking around for any sign of a gun but she saw nothing. She noticed they were heading towards the desert. She wondered if she just fell into a trap. Maybe KITT was there to kill her but at the same time that made no sense. As they left the city limits and sped into the desert she found the hit man was still right behind them. He attempted to rear end the car again and get beside KITT to force the car off the road but to no avail.

She then heard Hawke's voice over the speaker, "I have you in sight, KITT. You need to pull away from the sedan so Airwolf can lock on target."

"Hold on Angie," KITT instructed and then used a turbo feature to give more acceleration.

Angie felt like she was strapped to a rocket as KITT pulled away from the perusing sedan. She pulled herself out of the seat and turned around. She then saw a helicopter descend from the sky right in front of the sedan. The car was forced off the road.

KITT came to a stop and turned around. He remained at a safe distance as two pilots, Stringfellow Hawke and a female pilot, Catlin O'Shannessy emerged from the chopper sporting a light blue flight suit with pistols drawn.

Como emerged from his car firing the gun but missed the pilots. After expending the last cartridge the hit man toss the gun to the ground and slowly gave up figuring he could make a deal for he also knew much about the mob.

KITT explained, "That is Airwolf, Angie. Michael," he opened the radio channel. "Airwolf has taken the suspect alive. Angie is safe."

"Thank you," he sounded relieved. "You okay, Ang?"

The only one who ever called her by a shortened nickname was her brother. "Michael! It's you isn't it?"

"It's me!" he assured her.

"They told me you died." she fought back the tears.

"That metal plate in my head saved me but really messed up my face." he explained on the secure line. "No one knows my real name expect you, KITT and a select few. You can't tell anyone."

She looked over the high tech car before her. "I understand." she agreed nodding. She looked out the windshield at the pilots who took the hit man into custody. She smirked, "I wonder if that chopper is like this car?"

"I am far more advanced than Airwolf," KITT bragged. "I am an artificial intelligence. Airwolf is not."

"Looks pretty state of the art to me," Angie told the car. She squinted at the good looking pilot, "Why do pilots always look so good?" she wondered.

KITT stated, "I am far more sophisticated than any helicopter."

Michael asked amused, "Are you jealous, KITT?"

"I assure you that I am not." he huffed though Airwolf had a nice looking fuselage. "If I was a helicopter my fuselage would be equal if not greater than Airwolf."

Angie wondered, "What did I just get into?"