'You really think Caitlin and Marella can get Allie out?' Rowan asked worriedly.
'Those two?' Dom laughed from his position at the engineer's console. 'I tell you there's nothing that'll stop those two once they've got their minds set on something.'
'Caitlin used to a cop. Marella's an experienced agent.' Hawke said ignoring his own worry about the fact that the two women would be going into save Allie without any back-up.
Rowan sighed. 'I hope this works.'
'It'll work.' Hawke glanced across the cockpit at her.
She smiled a little at the confidence gleaming in his blue eyes.
They waited in silence for a few minutes before Dom picked up on an approaching vehicle. It stopped in the car park. Hawke checked the time. Gough and his man were early. Hopefully, it would give them the time to get Allie.
They waited anxiously for the confirmation from Caitlin that they had rescued the young girl.
'They're getting restless down there, String.' Dom noted.
'Yeah.' Hawke peered out at the two men pacing around the car. He considered their options. 'I'm going to put down and get out. Stall them with the fake book.'
'String…' Dom started to protest but Hawke was already landing behind the food tent. 'This is a bad idea…'
'As soon as you get the call from Caitlin, you can fly in and rescue me.'
'Us.' Rowan took her helmet off too.
'No. Me.' Hawke said. 'You're staying here.'
'Like hell.'
'Neither of you should be going.' Dom said. He sighed. They were already gone, running towards the car park. He moved to the front and took Airwolf back up.
Hawke pulled Rowan to a stop just before the car park. 'Follow my lead.' He ordered. She nodded. They started forward again.
The two men were about to get back into their car.
Gough, a bald well built man in his forties, turned as they approached. He motioned to Binn and the two of them took position in front of the car. The headlights cast two white beams across the empty lot.
'Rowan,' Gough folded his arms and stared at her, 'you're cutting it awfully close.'
'Traffic,' answered Hawke.
'And you would be?' Gough asked his eyes moving to meet Hawke's.
'The man with something you want.' Hawke reached into the leg pocket of his flight suit and brought out the imitation book. He held it up.
Gough smiled. 'Binn, get the book.'
'Not so fast.' Hawke reached behind him and took his gun from where he'd stowed it at the small of his back. He levelled it on Gough.
Gough looked at Rowan who was watching Hawke nervously. 'What the hell is going on here Rowan? You want to get your sister killed.'
'Actually she's not bothered.' Hawke said before Rowan could answer. 'She hasn't seen her sister in years. She means nothing to her.'
'Then why is she here?' Gough spread his arms expansively.
'There's a lot of money in this little black book.' Hawke waved it. 'We want some.'
Gough laughed falsely. 'No deal.'
There was a scream of engines and Airwolf descended out of the night sky. Both Gough and Binn took off, drawing weapons. Gough got a couple of shots off at Rowan who screamed as they hit the ground in front of her feet.
Hawke pulled her to the ground and returned fire. 'Stay here. Stay down.' He yelled at her. He ran after Gough who was making for the air show.
Binn ran for the car. Dom hit the chain guns and the man sensibly changed directions but went instead after Hawke. Dom brought Airwolf back down in front of him. Binn tried shooting at the helicopter and was hit by a ricochet off her armour. He fell to the ground. Dom lifted up and went looking for Hawke.
Airwolf was leaving the parking lot when Caitlin swung the car into the entrance. She slammed the brakes on and jumped out. Marella and Allie got out of the car; the agent caught the younger girl before she could run forward.
Caitlin ran over to Rowan and helped her up, supporting her with an arm around her shoulder. 'You OK?' She asked the other woman who was very pale.
Rowan nodded.
'Which direction did they go in?' Caitlin asked.
Rowan pointed. 'Over there.'
Caitlin gestured at Allie and Marella. 'Go and join your sister. Marella will protect you both.' She took off before Rowan answered. Rowan watched her go in disbelief and took a deep breath. She ran over to her sister and the two hugged.
Hawke had chased Gough into a display of old WWII planes. The place was almost in complete darkness with wings and struts casting creepy shadows in the minimal neon light from the nearby Las Vegas strip. Hawke was moving slowly, keeping low, his eyes and ears scanning for Gough. A bullet struck the plane beside him and he went straight down into a crouch, staring in the direction of the shot. He couldn't make out a shape and moved backward.
He heard the whine of the Airwolf engines circling overhead.
'Dom, I hope you're scanning on audio,' he said in a low voice getting into a position behind a wheel hoping it would cover him, 'if you can hear me, I need some lights here.'
The display was flooded with light as Dom followed Hawke's instructions. He scanned the area and froze. Gough smiled and pointed the gun directly at him. The other man had a clear shot and Hawke would never be able to bring his gun to aim in time. A shot rang out and hit the plane where Gough stood, the other man ducked and took off. Hawke's eyes flew to the shooter who was running up to him and didn't know whether to be furious or grateful. Caitlin grabbed his arm and helped him to his feet.
'He went in that direction.' She said. They started to follow Gough out of the display. He was heading for a light plane at the far end of the air show. It was open space between them and him.
Hawke grabbed Caitlin. 'Let him get in the air. We can take him there.'
She nodded, breathless.
Dom was already landing Airwolf in front of them. They climbed in as Dom moved back to the engineer console. Hawke took Airwolf up fast.
'Gough is in the plane that has just taken off directly ahead.' Dom said.
Hawke called for the turbos and flew ahead of the plane. He turned around to face the oncoming aircraft; hovering, waiting. He slipped the visor down on his helmet. He almost didn't need the target lock. He shot the plane out of the sky over the open air show runway where the wreckage could fall harmlessly.
Hawke brought Airwolf down to land in the parking lot. Rowan and Allie were stood arm in arm; Marella stood by the boot of her car, the satellite phone pressed to her ear. Two white sedans were pulling into the parking lot and Marella went to meet the agents as they got out.
Hawke yanked the helmet off. His eyes snapped to Caitlin.
'You OK?' He asked.
'OK.' Caitlin said smiling at him and removing her own helmet. 'Although, would you mind if we just went home now?'
'I think that's a great idea.' Hawke sighed seeing Allie and Rowan approaching. They all clambered out of Airwolf.
'Thank you!' Allie exclaimed and threw herself at Caitlin who staggered back and hugged her.
'My pleasure!' Caitlin assured her laughing.
Rowan used the distraction to throw her own arms around Hawke. 'Thank you.' She murmured into his ear.
Hawke gave her the briefest of hugs before he stepped back from her and almost into Airwolf in his eagerness to be out of her reach. Caitlin and Allie separated. Hawke hooked his arm around his fiancé and pulled her against him.
Rowan saw the move and met Hawke's eyes ruefully. She put her own arm around her sister.
Hawke pointed at Marella walking towards them. 'Marella is going to help you get everything put right with the authorities. Help you get to wherever you need to go next.'
Rowan nodded and glanced at her sister. 'I think maybe we have a lot of catching up to do.'
Allie smiled up at her in response.
Marella joined them. 'You three,' she said indicating the Airwolf team, 'had better leave. The FIRM has taken everyone into custody at the SecOp office and the local police will be here shortly. The FIRM will see to everything. Just get her home.' Her head jerked towards Airwolf.
'Thanks for your help Marella.' Hawke said with a smile.
Marella smiled back and nodded a farewell. She put a hand on Rowan's arm. 'Shall we?'
'Well, I guess this is it.' Rowan said to Hawke.
'Take care, Rowan.' He didn't move towards her and she nodded sharply, disappointed. Allie tugged her hand and she allowed her to pull her after Marella.
Dom got back into Airwolf. Hawke sighed and hugged Caitlin closer. She framed his face in her hands and kissed him.
'What was that for?' Hawke murmured.
She shrugged, not wanting to reveal that she'd been pleased at his low key farewell to Rowan.
He smiled and kissed her. Neither noticed Rowan's glance back over her shoulder or her look of regret.
'Are you kids coming or what?' Dom yelled sounding thoroughly disgruntled.
Hawke and Caitlin broke apart; they both started smiling as they climbed back aboard and took off.
It was late by the time Hawke landed the chopper on the landing pier. The cabin was shrouded in darkness. He took off the headset and ran a hand through his hair, rubbing over his face trying to dispel the fatigue weighing his eyes down. He nudged Caitlin who was asleep in the seat next to him. She opened her eyes and looked around her.
'We're home?' She asked.
'We're home.' He confirmed wearily.
They staggered out of the helicopter and into the cabin where Tet greeted them with a happy bark. Caitlin set a fire blazing in the bedroom hearth whilst Hawke headed for the bathroom. She reached into her jeans and took out Rowan's letter to Hawke. She set the folded paper on top of the flames and watched it burn.
Hawke wandered in and kicked off his shoes. He was beginning to wonder at Caitlin's fascination with the fire when she got to her feet and went out to the bathroom. He was in bed when she came back into the room. She climbed under the covers and switched off the lights.
Hawke closed the distance between them and slid his arms around her. She flinched and he stopped. 'Cait?'
'Your hands are cold.' Caitlin explained quickly pushing her instinctive reaction away; she wasn't going to let what had happened with Gayling come between them. She reached up and cupped his cheek before she kissed him. They settled into the pillows, their arms around each other, content to simply hold each other.
'You never told me how your dinner with Tom went.' Hawke said after a while.
'Oh you know, the usual.' Caitlin murmured. 'We caught up on family, friends. He told me about his trip around the world. He kinda announced that he loved me.'
'He what?' Hawke shifted to look at her again.
'He told me he loved me.'
'And what did you say?' Hawke wondered at the nerves that sharpened his voice and knotted his stomach.
'I told him it wasn't ever going to happen.' Caitlin smiled at him. 'You see I'm getting married…'
His fingers stroked her arm lightly. 'I'm not sure I would have been able to let you help Tom the same way you let me help Rowan.' He admitted.
Her fingers tangled with his. 'I have to admit,' she said, 'seeing you with her so much…it wasn't an easy experience. I kinda got the impression she regretted walking away from you last year.'
Hawke didn't know what to say; his fingers rubbed hers.
Caitlin looked down at their linked hands. 'Do you regret it?'
'How can you even ask me that?' Hawke said and nudged her chin up so she was looking at him.
'I know you were disappointed last year…' Caitlin began.
'Yeah last year.' Hawke said. He sighed. He knew it was his fault she had doubted him. 'I'm sorry. I know I've been acting like a jerk.'
Caitlin's fingers brushed the fringe from his eyes. 'The stunt?'
'Yeah.' Hawke looked at the understanding in her eyes and wondered at it. 'Everything was going so great and then you were hurt…' He tightened his hold on her.
'You have to stop pushing me away every time I have a close call.' Caitlin said. She stroked a hand down his cheek. 'I can't stand the thought of losing you either.'
'You won't lose me.' Hawke said quietly.
Caitlin smiled. 'I was beginning to wonder.'
His eyes searched hers. 'You know spending the time with Rowan didn't make me wonder about what might have been but I will admit that seeing so much of her made me realise something else…'
'What?' Caitlin asked trying to sound unconcerned and ignoring the worry that fluttered in her belly.
His eyes gazed into hers seriously. 'How incredibly lucky I am to have you,' he kissed her softly, 'and how much I want to spend the rest of my life with you.' He kissed her deeply and raised his head briefly. 'Are we done talking about this?'
'We're done.' Her lips were curving when he kissed her again.