Airwolf And I, Vice Versa

And I Vice Versa by Kalasadi

To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Cult 80’s Series Airwolf in 2009!

Canonists-beware if you try to pick fault I will tell you now-don’t bother reading! Get over yourselves and I will remind you this is just fan fiction, and my idea of where I would have loved Airwolf to go and Airwolf is just a TV Show. Airwolf after 3rd series around 1988

This was written a while back over 22 years and was published in a completely different format in a fanzine for Airwolf. I recently completely rewritten with a different theme. I have a couple more ideas turning into novels that will follow on from this so read carefully as the twists that happen here may turn up later.

As with most Airwolf fans the 4th Series for me DOES NOT EXIST (I would not be able to afford the therapy bills if I did watch it) so hence everyone is present including Airwolf being a Bell 222-leave the Lady alone! I have written this with today’s technology just like James Bond Casino Royale with Daniel Craig (it worked for them)

Kristien is said ‘Christian’ and it’s about time a woman had some brains in Airwolf other than Marella of course!

Airwolf is dark and I have remained very much within the first and some of the second series, just as Donald P Bellisario had it. So it’s themes within are just that.
STANDARD DISCLAIMER FOR AIRWOLF COPYRIGHTS
AIRWOLF™ is a Trademark of, and licensed to NBC Universal Television Studios © 1984. No copyright infringement is intended. This work relating to "AIRWOLF", its characters, or its distributors is not authorised by NBC Universal Television., or any personnel associated with "AIRWOLF".
The stories contained within this site appearing under the heading of Kalasadi and in the Stringfellow Hawke Library are intended as fan fiction and, as such, they are AVAILABLE ON THIS SITE FREE OF CHARGE and, as such, are not available for commercial profit. The stories contained within this story along with all original characters and situations were created for entertainment purposes only.
ADULT CONTENT DISCLAIMER
It is the author's assertion that due to Adult Content these stories may/will not be suitable for those under the age of consent. All stories in this series are rated either 18 (in UK) or R or NC/17 (In USA). The material in these works includes but is not limited to the serious adult themes of; consensual sexual situations, mental, physical and sexual abuse, rape, kidnapping, torture, foul language and other adult themes.
If you are under the age of majority in your area you are warned not to read any further. The author assumes no responsibility for minors who continue to read past this point.
With all that out of the way-put up your feet, get a bucket of pimms ready or a barrel of beer, get combat mode ready for any person daring to interrupt, stick on your Airwolf CD and ENJOY!
If you have enjoyed it by all means contact me

To follow:
Airwolf-Legacy
Airwolf-Rule the World

AIRWOLF
And I, Vice Versa

With immense potency the final grave of the mach one plus chopper was made. A huge fireball reaching over six hundred feet mushroomed in the sky followed by other smaller explosions as the onboard missiles all ignited due to the collision with the sand dunes of Libya, the shockwaves flattened the other sand dunes around the epi centre. The helicopter debris lay buried deep into the sand dune still on fire, the aviation fuel allowing the sand dune to burn with an intensity of a furnace.

Prologue

Eagle Lake glimmered in the full moon light, its calmness and serenity sent gentle crystal topped waves lapping quietly to the shore where Hawke’s cabin stood. The clouds gently passed over the moon in the breeze that was caressing the pine trees that surrounded the 100 year old cabin.

Inside the cabin was dimly lit by the lights on the Van Gogh’s, the Gauguin’s, the Renoirs, the fires in the main hearth and in the loft where Hawke slept were still well alight keeping the air around warm.

It was far into the night and Stringfellow Hawke lay restless in the shadows of his mind. His hands twitched un-rhythmically as the dream was cast around him. He dreamt of personal happenings, five years back in time.

Hawke walked through the endless white corridors of one of the Firm’s buildings Red Star Control, this one situated in a desert. Marella was striding just to keep up with him. She knew better than to question the speed they were walking but they were very late. Marella paused at the Men’s locker room.

“In here please Mr Hawke” Marella started to look at her PDA and without looking up carried on speaking. “Locker 19. Change into the flight suit and Archangel will be down to take you outside.”

Hawke looked at Marella, “I haven’t even agreed to whatever you and Archangel are cooking up here yet.” Hawke’s frustration in his voice was not disguised. “You people never seem to know that No actually means NO!”

Marella avoided Hawke’s burning serious gaze which was now fixed on her. Without looking up from the PDA which she was now engrossed in, “Archangel told you HE did not chose you for this project, you were chosen by the Professor.” As if no further explanation was needed Marella walked away from Hawke trying to avoid the scorching his eyes were now inflicting upon her. She was following Archangels strict instructions for her not to piss Hawke off and to ignore any scowls that he may bestow on her.

Hawke scowled as he let Archangels aide walk away without a fight. He was not at all happy at being dragged out to the middle of nowhere especially as he remembered telling the many white dressed agents of the Firm that were sent to his cabin on a daily basis for the last three weeks, that he wasn’t going to work for them. Hawke resigned to the fact that his peace and quiet that he and Tet were so used to was never going to return unless he actually came in person to tell Archangel that he wasn’t going to work for the Firm. So reluctantly he had come along but also part of him intrigued by the Firms persistence on this project. The sooner he told Archangel to his face that he was just going to return to the cabin and resume his life albeit a very reclusive existence, the better it would be for all concerned.

The men’s locker room was pristine and almost dazzling white, not what you would expect. The lockers had names on Moffet’s name was on several lockers. Hawke walked down and paused at 19. His name was already on the locker. God these people really don’t know what NO means, Hawke thought. His scowl now becoming deeper on his brow and his piercing blue eyes were being buried beneath the furrows but above all this the years of pain were rising to the surface due to having to deal with the outside world, his vocal chords were tightening and his heart now pumped his blood faster around his very tense body.

Hawke’s anger stopped in its tracks as his ears picked up a strange noise that he could hear in the distance. An unmistakeable sound of howling of jet engines came from somewhere outside but he could also pick out the sound of helicopter rotors.

At the same time of the noise which Hawke picked up before it actually came near he opened the locker and the contents of a light grey flight suit greeted him. The badge on the shoulder caught his attention. A wolf in sheep’s clothing with the name AIRWOLF written at the top.

Now Hawke’s curiosity was attracted. Perhaps just this once he would play ball and actually go along with the authority that he detested so much.

Now changed into the flight suit Hawke came out of the locker room and saw a very immaculate dressed in white Archangel.

“Right best we go outside now,” Archangel hurriedly looked down at his wrist watch hoping that it really wasn’t that late. “Professor Adamas hates any kind of inefficiency including lateness.” Archangel kept the rebuke to Hawke short knowing that the Professor would give a bigger one later.

The two men walked through several sets of double doors to outside. The last set of doors were automatic to the desert outside.

Firstly the wall of heat hit the men followed by the intense sunlight which burnt down relentlessly from the overhead midday sun. Hawke covered his eyes with sunglasses and slowly allowed his eyes to become accustomed to the bright light which was reflecting up off the sandy dunes and rocks.

Hawke’s ears detected the same noise that he had heard earlier. He instinctively turned his head to the right to see what was making that noise. A few moments later over the rocks flew a phantom grey blur flying at the speed of Mach 1.

The phenomenon that Hawke just witnessed literally took his breath away.

He watched the phantom grey coloured helicopter slow down by using a left bank followed by a hammerhead stall still at a hell of a speed flying so near the rocks you almost felt that they touched. Damn that pilot was good. Hawke had already calculated that Airwolf was going to be one hell of a ‘bird’ to fly and half of him was cursing his childish behaviour at being late on purpose. Airwolf still at around 500 knots when the whine of the thrusters engines reversed nearly piercing their eardrums and Airwolf came to a halt, hovering less than 18 inches off the ground. The inertia that Airwolf created just in that manoeuvre made the ground underneath Hawke and Archangel’s feet shake. Archangel hid the grimace he was pulling internally watching the prototype being flown so close to the rocks and the fact that again the reverse thrusters had been used again without any need to. Still, he thought to himself, the helicopter is being tested so best he leaves that to the people that know best.

Both men stood in complete awe of Airwolf and readjusted their trousers to make themselves more comfortable.

Archangel held onto his white panama firmly as the downwash from Airwolf was threatening to snatch it away from his head sending it on a one way trip easily through the next state line and beyond.

Archangel did his best to raise his voice loud enough to be heard without shouting above the deafening unique sounds that Airwolf was making. “Oh the professor is already pissed off.” He noted from the last reverse thrusters engines manoeuvre. “ Best you get yourself over there.” That was the second time Archangel had said professor, since when did a scientist fly like that Hawke thought.

Hawke kept his head low as he went over to Airwolf’s port door. The turbines were very loud but Hawke could still hear the hiss of the pressurised cabin doors as he climbed in and closed the door. He looked over at the helmeted pilot also in a light grey Airwolf Flight suit with the visor down. Hawke put on his helmet and heard a female voice.

“Better late than never I suppose.” The English female voice was pissed off. “Buckle up and best we get to lesson one, we are already 4 hours behind schedule thanks to your tardiness and that’s not including the last three weeks either.”

Hawke strapped himself in and was about to apologize but the pilot pressed the turbo’s and G force thrust Hawke deep into the co pilot’s seat. Airwolf climbed from the ground to sixty-five thousand feet in less than ten seconds. Hawke calculated that the aircraft was capable of around 45,000lbs of thrust. This was one hell of an aircraft he thought all the while watching the pilot at the controls.

“Airwolf; Red Star Control,” A male voice filled the helmets.

“Red Star Control, Airwolf, all systems are in the green.” The pilot replied.

“Airwolf you have a go. Maintain radio silence. Red Star Control out.” Ground control signed off.

Hawke looked over at the pilot. She was muscular in build, very curvy and the flight suit did not attempt to hide her womanly body. Hawke still had his hard on from seeing Airwolf for the first time, let alone let his mind wander here.

The pilot turned to Hawke and even though the visor was down he knew that she caught him looking her up and down.

“I’m Stringfellow Hawke.” He introduced himself trying to divert her attention from his lap.

“I know who you are I chose you.” She retorted. She drew a deep breath and then started. “I am Professor Kristien Adamas. I usually answer to Professor Adamas or Kristien. Never to Miss or Ma’am.”

Hawke answered, “I will try to remember that.”
Kristien was not used to being interrupted. “I wasn’t finished.” She said coldly. “Your dossier says you are an excellent combat pilot hence why I have you here. Although it did not mention that you are unable to tell the time.” Kristien just about drew breath. “All the other pilots have tried to stuff this helicopter into various mountains.” She remembered some of the near mishaps that she had endured. “We have to put this prototype through its paces and try to justify the millions of dollars that have been spent thus far.” Kristien paused. “We also need to keep out of the way of Dr Moffet the creator of this monster, as he has a different idea of how Airwolf should be tested as well as other things.”

Kristien happy with the explanation so far pushed the cyclic forward and the collective down and Airwolf went into a nose dive. At the same time she pressed the turbo’s again and Airwolf ate up the airspace greedily. The airspeed ran from knots into Mach 1 and the dial kept moving forwards. They were fast approaching Mach 2 by the time they got to ten thousand feet.

The ground started to get very close when Airwolf levelled out and went through the canyon at nearly Mach 2. Kristien released the turbo’s and negotiated the helicopter through the canyon with ease. The speed of the helicopter was slowing down and to make it slow even more she pulled up to a hammer head stall. Noting the speed was below 300 knots Kristien pressed two different kinds of buttons marked combat mode.

Outside cannons and chain guns came out from the sponsons of Airwolf and an ADF pod deployed underneath. The sheep’s clothing was dispelled with and the wolf came out. This is what Airwolf was a secret, stealthy weapon that would catch anyone out.

Below them on the test range was automated Russian tanks and Anti Aircraft guns. Kristien manoeuvred Airwolf through the test range firing off three hellfires off one after the other and three tanks blew up in front of them sending armour plate and several fireballs at least 100 feet in the air. Whilst dealing with the 3 tanks and then the debris, one of the Anti aircraft guns let off three radar guided missiles.

Airwolf’s Radar Scope blipped into action. Kristien noted the incoming missiles and pressed CHAFF button. Out of the back of Airwolf, a canister was ejected rearward scattering Aluminium bits to confuse the three radar guided missiles. Two missiles immediately went off target but one was gaining on them.

Kristien muttered ‘bollocks’ under her breath and pressed the turbo button again, pissed off firstly at herself for not taking out the anti aircraft guns out first and secondly the counter measures had not worked. Kristien was a perfectionist and as such allowed no space for errors.

Airwolf lurched forwards eating up the air gaining speed. Kristien pulled Airwolf up and did another hammerhead stall turning Airwolf into the on coming missile path. Kristien let off a redeye from the ADF pod and the missile went head long into the incoming missile blowing it to pieces. Not even watching if the missile had done its job Kristien pulled Airwolf to a steep right bank taking her thumb off the turbo’s and reversing the thrusters again. Kristien never got tired of that manoeuvre.

Airwolf ground to an immediate halt. Hovering above the ground Kristien deployed the landing gear and brought Airwolf down to rest on the earth. Kristien switched Airwolf off and the rotors of the prodigious machine started slowing down.

Kristien removed her helmet and Hawke copied. Hawke looked over at Kristien and watched as her long brown hair fell from the helmet and landed gently around her shoulders and down her back. Her face was gently sprinkled with freckles and she was very ‘English’ looking and Hawke noted very beautiful and very, very young. Kristien kept looking at all the flight instruments watching for any problems whilst the machine closed itself down.

“She’s awesome and your flying is phenomenal,” Hawke complimented the pilot at the amazing display of flying that he had just witnessed. “I can’t wait to fly her.”

“Yes well I guess that does depend if you can actually tell the time!” Kristien replied ignoring the compliment Hawke had generously bestowed upon her. “In case you didn’t realise there is a huge price tag dangling round the tail rotor and each day we piss about the tag gets larger.” Kristien allowed one final shot across the bows to Hawke.

Without looking at Hawke she exited Airwolf and walked across to meet Marella who was stood next to the white limousine that had come into view since landing. Kristien put on some dark sunglasses hiding her blue eyes from the sun and anyone who wanted eye contact. Marella handed her a bottle of water and Kristien gladly took it and opened it and without pausing took half of the water straight away. Four hours non stop flying was more than what she had wanted that morning.

“Thanks Marella, that was so overdue.” Kristien smiled at the tall lady dressed in a tightly fitting dress, something that Kristien being only five feet two inches would never wear. Kristien opened up her flight suit allowing some cleavage to be shown and to allow some air to her suffocating skin after four hours of being in the air conditioned pressurised cockpit of Airwolf. She walked away from the limousine, feeling Hawke walking up behind her towards the limousine, back to Airwolf where Archangel was stood admiring the helicopters sleek lines.

Hawke followed Kristien out of Airwolf and had maintained a short distance behind her. He could not work her out. She was very young, around twenty Hawke guessed but yet she was a professor and hell she could fly as well. Who was she and more importantly how come she had chosen him? Why hadn’t Archangel chosen him? He walked over to Marella who handed Hawke a bottle of water also. Hawke wanted answers.

“Thanks.” Hawke nodded to Marella. “Who is she?”

“Kristien? Oh where do I start?” Marella wanted to explain so much to Hawke. “Kristien has 8 PhDs ranging from Astrophysics, mathematics, aeronautics, physics, psychology to list a few and various others that she is studying for. Everyone from around the world in the top universities from Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard and MIT to name a few, are requesting audiences with her, with some of the top professors asking her to complete their life’s work.” Marella stood admiring the fact that she knew Kristien and how she herself was completing her fifth PhD, although not as quickly as Kristien could complete PhDs. “She will teach you everything you need to know about Airwolf and more.” Marella enjoyed having Kristien about the FIRM. She had scheduled many a lunch meeting with her just to talk to Kristien, even if it meant just handing Kristien a file. Kristien was very gracious and always gave her time willingly to Marella.

“She seems pretty pissed off.” Hawke informed Marella.

Marella was already leaning into the Limo to get a couple of files. She looked up at Hawke. “You were over 4 hours late you know. Kristien doesn’t want to fly Airwolf. She prefers to be in the back at the Electronic Data Command Centre.” She handed Hawke the files which had all the Airwolf logos on the same as the flight suit. “I suggest you read all of these before bedtime Mr Hawke.”

Hawke looked at the files, one was huge and he assumed it to be a flight manual of some kind. The other was a personnel file with Kristien’s name on.

“She’s a damn good pilot.” Hawke commented remembering the last thirty minutes of flying. “She handled that weapons demo like a pro.” Hawke added secure in his mind that he was a damn good pilot and he was happy to admire anyone who could do what he had achieved.

Marella was impressed with Hawke admiring the flying skills of a woman. She looked over at Archangel and Kristien who were deep in conversation over at Airwolf.

“She’s a natural alright but she lacks combat experience and she would be the first to admit that.” Marella explained.

Hawke remembered the choice that Kristien had made to go after the tanks first, he felt that he would have done the same and then understood why she was hard on herself about that decision. Without combat experience you would question which one to go after first but she had made the right decision. Perhaps he could tell her that.

“Oh and I haven’t given you Kristien’s file,” Marella reminded Hawke.

Hawke looked up at Marella with a raised eyebrow. “Uh?”

“Make sure you just give her file back to me and me only.” Marella said as she started to get back into the limo. “Oh and set your alarm tomorrow and don’t be late.”

Over at Airwolf, Archangel stood admiring the helicopter and the dramatic weapons test she had just done.

“Damn that was good.” Archangel could not hide his excitement in his voice at what he had just witnessed in Red Star Control. He ignored the fact that Kristien yet again, pushed Airwolf’s designs to the limit and had twice reversed the thrusters engines to a halt. Archangel was starting to think this was Kristien’s signature manoeuvre.

Kristien continued to sip the bottled water ignoring the comment. It was far too early to start the cheerleading on this project. “Well it would be good if a better pilot was in the seat to hide her weaknesses.” Kristien corrected Archangel as she was going over in her head the past thirty minutes and what she would have done different.

Archangel hated Kristien for mentioning Airwolf’s weaknesses even though she was right. He knew there were some but with the ever changing role of The Firm during the world’s problems, how the hell could anyone create a perfect defence aircraft? Archangel noted that when he would show Airwolf off to the Senate that he would make sure Kristien was somewhere else as easily she would point these out.

“Are you saying Hawke isn’t the right pilot?” Archangel quizzed her hoping that she wasn’t going to go back on her choice after meeting him, which in the circumstances would not surprise him. The Firm had spent millions of tax payer’s money at Red Star Control making it a complete Airwolf centre including simulators to train pilots to fly Airwolf. Most of the hot shots that came from all the military agencies had nearly ploughed Airwolf into various mountain ridges when they actually sat in the pilot’s seat when handling her at Mach one plus not to mention the failed test ranges where the pilots had not reacted quick enough to dispense with the weapons that were fired at the helicopter. The Firm had created probably an aircraft that could only be flown by the gifted few. Something he did not want to even comprehend especially as he wanted a fleet of his very own for The Firm.

Kristien looked over at Hawke who was talking to Marella. She looked him up and down as if reassessing him where he stood.

Archangel held his breath half not wanting to hear the answer.

“Unfortunately he IS the right pilot for Airwolf.” Kristien confirmed her choice again. “You just have to give him a bloody alarm clock or a chauffeur or better still chain him to the infernal machine so he can’t leave. That way we can actually start the testing.”

Archangel smiled to himself knowing that the two people that were going to test fly Airwolf were so similar that they could have been cut from the same cloth albeit from very opposite ends. Both detested authority, lived quietly, had a couple of really close friends and both seemed to be cursed. Archangel had been privy to the on board conversation between Hawke and Kristien and was surprised how civil Hawke had been to Kristien despite her every jibe at him about being late. She had torn a strip off him that was for sure and yet he did not respond. Hawke being nice to someone he had just met, and female at that. What was going on?

“So shall I schedule some more testing tomorrow?” Archangel asked her.

Kristien continued to watch Hawke over with Marella and she knew that he probably would not turn up the next day if schedules had been made. Kristien had calculated Hawke’s character from the file and her brief encounter with him inside of Airwolf. Had she had known how difficult and complex he was perhaps she would have taken Airwolf and landed it on his property and drag him along rather than let the Firm’s people for three weeks try to persuade him to come. Kristien smiled to herself as she devised a superb plan.

“No, let me handle this my way.” Kristien told him.” I will get Airwolf tested ahead of schedule and deliver to you a Pilot you can only dream about.” She promised Archangel. “When I have finished with him you will not know where the machine starts and the pilot ends. They will become as one. Your ultimate fighting machine.”

Archangel thought for a moment. Could he keep the Committee happy and Zeus whilst he let Kristien deliver what she had just promised? He knew Kristien would probably disappear with the prototype for days on end and he would only know where they were by the mid air refuelling tankers ordered to meet them. He looked at Kristien half knowing what she was going to do.

He continued to ponder as he thought well into the future with his Fleet of Airwolves with Kristien and Hawke training all the pilots. Man and machine in perfect harmony? Now that’s really what he wanted to hear.

“You have a deal.” Archangel concluded his part of the bargain.

Later that evening Hawke was settled on the sofa in his cabin. He had already opened a bottle of wine earlier for his evening meal and he was already half way through it. The wine was helping him to drown out some past ghosts which had risen to the surface during his outing earlier that day.

Meeting Kristien in Airwolf had aroused his male instincts and he was having trouble fighting them. She had certainly got his attention with the flying of Airwolf yet she shrugged it off as if it really didn’t matter to her. She was certainly very enigmatic and very beautiful. Hawke remembered her face and how she avoided eye contact with him.

The fire was consuming the logs that he had put on earlier heating the cabin to a pleasant temperature. The music of one of Beethoven’s symphonies was playing in the background filling the cabin with an ambience. Tet was laid out in front of the hearth bathing happily in the heat from the fire.

Hawke had read the flight manual from cover to cover when he returned from Red Star Control. He was very keen to fly Airwolf and put her through her paces. He reached over to the table at the side of the sofa and started to read Kristien’s file that Marella had smuggled to him.

It was a very thin file, very basic information too. Her parents had died when she was eight years old and the file number next to it was marked classified. She had a brother 18 years older than her again another file number next to that sentence and again stamped Classified. All it really listed was her date of birth she was nearly twenty, she was born in the USA, lived in the UK where she bred and raced Thoroughbred horses and all her PhDs and future ones. Hawke checked the file again to make sure that there were no other pages but there weren’t. Why was everything classified? And really Marella could have told him this. Unbeknown to Marella, Archangel had removed everything from the file before Marella gave it to Hawke, in her covert operation to give the file to Hawke she had not noticed how ‘thin’ the file had become when she handed it over.

Hawke’s ears picked up a howling sound that he had heard earlier at Red Star Control. He went over to the bar and stood behind it reaching under for the loaded revolver he kept for trespassers. Hawke checked the clip of bullets and reloaded ensuring it was ready for use. He had already avoided Moffet at Red Star Control and had heard rumours there. As usual Hawke just listened and did not add to the speculation about the creator.

Airwolf came around the trees and came over to the dock and landed gently. Kristien stepped out of Airwolf and took in the beautiful scenery of the mountains and the lake. The sun was very low in the sky and was starting to dip behind the mountain range behind Hawke’s cabin. The pinks, purples, reds and the lilacs in the sky all blending together making the promise a magnificent sunset, were adding to the perfect setting that Kristien was now entering.

Kristien undid her Airwolf flight suit and walked towards the door still taking in the beauty of the cabin. She knocked on the door and patiently waited for an invite.

“It’s open.” Hawke called out.

Kristien opened the door and stepped into the cabin and stopped in her tracks. Hawke was pouring out another glass of wine for his newly arrived guest into a crystal goblet. Satisfied that it was just Kristien, Hawke pushed the revolver that he had always under the bar to one side with his other hand hidden from view. He continued to top up the wine into his goblet that he had emptied just a few moments before. Hawke looked directly at her and smiled as he watched her eyes look over his private art collection. He was waiting for the usual comments regarding the collection which most people took as ‘good reproductions’ not the originals that they are. He waited.

Kristien looked around the cabin and took in what she saw, various original works of art from Van Gogh amongst other renaissance artists. She knew they were originals as she had tried to buy from the Louvre in Paris what they had on display a few years previous and after they embarrassingly rejected the fifty million dollars for a few of the paintings they had to admit they were copies and the originals were in a private collection in the USA. So here they were. Kristien allowed herself to absorb them.

Hawke noticed she was engrossed having spotted they were all originals, he enjoyed watching her not interrupting her as she looked over all of the artwork, the brush strokes, the use of colours. Such breath taking work.

Kristien saw there were some sculptures too. She suddenly realised that she had already spent several minutes looking at the art collection from afar, however Hawke was not hurrying her. There was a personal stamp on this home, Kristien thought to herself as she closed the door.

“I am sorry for the intrusion. I know how you like your privacy.” Kristien commented remembering his file about being a recluse.

Hawke beckoned to her to come in. “Please come in, make yourself at home.” Hawke motioned her to sit in one of the stools at the bar. Kristien walked over to the bar and climbed up in to the stool. Hawke pushed the crystal goblet towards her.

“You are very early to pick me up.” Hawke joked to her pointing his finger in the direction of the dock where Airwolf was resting with the mountains and the crystal lake as the backdrop.

Kristien looked up at him and was surprised that he made a joke of what she had told Archangel earlier in the day to get him a chauffeur. Not sure if Archangel had actually relayed what she had said to Hawke she really didn’t know whether to have another go at Hawke or to drop it but as she had gone there with the sole intention of smoothing down the earlier meeting that day she decided against it. She had after all promised Archangel when she took Airwolf out earlier that evening that she would calm down despite pushing Airwolf to nearly Mach 2, various hammerhead stalls and her personal favourite of reversing the engines from Mach 1 causing mini quakes on the earth below all in the hope it would help to bring her rage down, it hadn’t so far.

“Well someone has to sort you out now don’t they.” Kristien replied not sure if to sound more playful than she was being invited to be. Kristien reached into the left leg pocket of the flight suit and placed a small digital alarm clock on the counter, something that Marella had found for her to give to Hawke. “So here you are. It’s set for 5 am as I don’t know how much time you really spend in the shower in the mornings. Some men take ages with their grooming.”

Hawke laughed at the gift that she had placed on the bar. “I really have no excuse now do I?” Hawke continued to chuckle and realised it had been a very long time since he had actually shared a laugh with someone other than Dominic.

Kristien smiled back at Hawke enjoying his playful laugh. Hawke took a big mouthful of wine and placed the goblet down on the counter watching the white liquid settle again.

Kristien had waited for the silence. “I have come to apologise for earlier in Airwolf. I was out of line. I should not have been so rude to you.” Kristien looked at the wine half wanting to drink it down for some extra courage. She was not used to apologising.

“Hey you had every right. I drew up late on purpose.” Hawke told her truthfully. “The Firm kept sending their agents here insisting I came. They did not say what for. Had I known it was for Airwolf I probably would have made it a bit earlier.” Hawke took another mouthful of wine hoping to convince himself of the story also. “Hey who knows I may have arrived an hour earlier at least!”

Kristien smiled at the attempt of another joke. She looked over through the cabin window at Airwolf still sitting on the dock bathing in the last remains of the day and not looking out of place with the snow covered mountains and the lake below. The surrounding beauty that Airwolf was now part of just gave the machine more ambience.

“I really ought to go back.” Kristien tried to make an exit.

“The meter isn’t running.” Hawke continued to keep the air playful. He was intrigued by his guest and her file did not help him find out any more information about her. “Anyway you haven’t even touched your wine.” Hawke again motioned her to the offering he had poured for her.

Kristien picked up the crystal goblet and took a sip. The white liquid bathed her tongue and she savoured the taste. Not only did the man have original works of art adorning the walls, there were leather bound books on shelves, Kristien correctly guessed they were first editions, the wine was pretty impressive also. This man had culture.

Hawke picked up his goblet also and the newly opened bottle of vintage Montrachet wine and walked around the bar to the front and stood next to her. “It’s been a long day.” He reminded her. “Let’s sit down by the fire.”

They both sat down on the sofa at opposite ends facing each other both with the goblets of wine. Hawke had placed the bottle of wine on the table behind the sofa so it was in easy reach. Kristien faced the window with one eye on Airwolf. Hawke noticed this. He had been a test pilot before and no one usually let’s prototypes off the test range let alone out and about. He was intrigued as to how she had managed this. Archangel and the FIRM were not one’s to put up with any high jinks from anyone but he saw that Kristien could probably get away with anything. What immense power did she have over them?

The warmth of the fire reached out to them. Kristien took another sip of wine from the goblet before placing it on the table behind the sofa. Kristien’s eyes were drawn to the painting over the fireplace of galloping horses. Hawke topped up her glass hoping she would not notice and watched her analysing the painting.

“So Kristie. I hear you breed Racehorses.” Hawke wanted to start with the little information that he knew about her and seeing her look at the painting of the horses helped him.

“Yes I have three thoroughbred stud’s world wide as well as three additional racing stables.” Kristien replied impressed that he knew something about her and ignored the fact he had shortened her name. She picked up the goblet again which was somehow full again and took another sip. This time she held onto the goblet. “I hate being away from them although this time of the year is very quiet. Where ever you find my stallion Kalli you will find usually me. I bred him myself and he has won every world wide classic horse race possible. He’s retired to stud now.”

“Lucky man.” Hawke smiled at Kristien thinking about the horse’s fantastic way of life.

“So Stringfellow, I know you like your privacy but seriously it’s the middle of nowhere here.” Kristien commented on his choice of residence. “Although you have chosen a beautiful place.”

“No crowds you see.” Hawke explained hiding the real reason of his painful curse.

“Arh you see all you need to do is put up high walls. Does the same job.” Kristien explained thinking about her many properties and estates around the world and drank some more wine. Hawke saw that her goblet was half full and picked up the bottle of wine and topped up her goblet. He saw her beginning to relax in his company.

“But high walls sometimes stops the friends that you actually want close.” Hawke reminded her. Kristien thought for a moment and realised that he was right about that. “Why would you need to have such high walls then?” He asked her hoping this wasn’t the question that would make her run away.

Kristien took a fairly big mouthful of wine, hoping it would help her maintain some kind of façade; instead slowly it was melting what strength she had. Realising that Hawke would require some personal information about her she decided to completely change the subject matter to an offer he would not refuse.

“So let’s see you fly Airwolf then.” Kristien said to him getting up.

Hawke was completely thrown by the sudden change of subject. He thought he was the master of avoidance but here he had certainly met his match. He felt he needed to regroup and the excuse of going to fly the most awesome machine he had ever been allowed to set eyes on was there on his dock in front of his cabin. The invite to fly her was there but the need to find out more information about his new friend was overpowering. He was somehow drawn to her and she to him. He could feel it deep down. Perhaps during the flight he would be able to ask more questions within the confines of the cockpit she would not be able to evade him so easily.

“Sounds good.” Hawke finished up his wine. “There is a no fly zone at the top of the lake you know.” He reminded her knowing that she would have had to have gained permission to fly down to Eagle Lake.

Kristien had already stood up and was walking around the back of the sofa towards the bar avoiding walking past Hawke. She glanced over to him cheekily.

“I know I played up there for about an hour before coming here.” She admitted secure in the knowledge that Airwolf had remained invisible to radar for all that time. Hawke smiled back to her impressed that Airwolf was an ultimate stealth machine but also that she had inadvertently disclosed to him that it took her a while to pluck up the courage to come to his cabin. Slowly he was piecing bits of information about this eloquent young lady together.

Hawke threw on a couple more logs on the fire before following Kristien out down to the dock where Airwolf stood reflecting the setting sun off its sleek lines. Kristien went to the port door and a hiss of compression followed by the sounds of the on board computer still on. Various lights were on inside. Kristien picked up a flight suit for Hawke and gave it to him. Hawke smiled to himself knowing how he was going to get her attention fixed on him and only him, and walked in front of Airwolf.

Kristien got into Airwolf and closed the port door. She put on the helmet and did a cursory check over the flight instruments, her eyes were soon diverted to Hawke who had his back to Airwolf was stripping out of his shirt and jeans on the dock to change into the Airwolf flight suit. Kristien did not expect this at all and she blushed at the sight of his naked body, silhouetted in the low sun. He was lean and muscular and he had taken good care of himself. Hawke climbed into the flight suit and left it around his waist as he turned to face Airwolf, Kristien was watching.

Good, I have her attention Hawke thought, but he did not look directly at her as he did not want to show her that he knew she was watching him, instead he wanted to encourage her to trust him to build a dialogue between them. He noticed how quick she had exited the cabin using the excuse of flying Airwolf when he had tried to engage in a deeper conversation about her life.

He walked towards Airwolf’s starboard door and opened it. He placed his shirt and jeans behind the pilot’s seat in a net at the bottom for storing items, it was a good job he had read the flight manual. Kristien looked at Hawke’s smooth muscular chest, she was still blushing and her helmet hid this. She watched him put the rest of the flight suit on. Hawke put the belt on before zipping up the rest of the flight suit. Kristien’s pulse was racing by this time and she depressed a button on Airwolf’s flight instruments that read the crews vital signs and turned it off. Hawke kept his eyes away from hers and continued to delight in having her watch him.

Hawke got in and strapped himself into Airwolf’s pilot’s seat and placed the helmet on his head.

“Ready for lesson one.” Hawke sat ready and waiting for his first lesson at the controls. Kristien could not speak, she felt as if her heart had move up six inches and was lodged, pounding in her throat, her blood pressure was certainly raised after watching Hawke strip out his clothes, she certainly was breathing very deeply. She pressed the TURB START ONE button for the engines, Airwolf burst into life. The rotors turning and all of the dials on the flight deck all started to move. Kristien pressed TURB SRART TWO, more dials started to move in balance with the other dials.

“No need for pre check then?” Hawke asked her knowing that she had already done one before taking off to visit him. He noted the silence from her not realising that she had just been exposed to her first erotic experience.

Kristien cleared her throat and with a croaky voice managed to complete one sentence. “The on board computer would let us know if the tail rotor fell off.” Kristien felt on fire with her glowing red cheeks and felt that the comment she just gave sounded even more stupid now that she heard it. She needed a few more minutes to compose herself after seeing Hawke get changed. The rage she had felt earlier in the day had started to melt away.

Hawke smiled to himself knowing that he had really got her speechless after stripping off in front of her. That was not hard he thought, he would have to do that again, he noted to himself. Hawke prepared for take off.

Airwolf left the dock and flew forwards with Hawke at the controls. God this was awesome he thought. Quite quickly Airwolf was already at 300 knots and Hawke kept Airwolf at 10 feet off the lake, her reflection in the lake only being broken by the gentle waves that kept moving underneath her.

Kristien managed to compose herself after being busy with various buttons on Airwolf. “Right, go to a heading of 060 degrees and you just worry about flying her and I will keep her in the air and keep everyone else in the dark.” Kristien instructed. She would have preferred to be in the back at the Electronic Data Command Centre but her instincts for the moment told her to keep in the left seat and besides she had a laptop on her lap connected direct to Airwolf’s EDCC. She did not trust people easily but Hawke did make her relax and Airwolf seemed to be in very capable hands.

Hawke flew Airwolf out in the no fly zone. He felt strange at not radioing in his position and getting permission to fly through the zone.

“This is weird.” He admitted to Kristien. “Are you sure they can’t see us?”

Kristien looked at the radar and smiled at Hawke. “We are absorbing 98% of any radar. We are invisible.” She confirmed. Kristien was already comfortable with Hawke’s ability to fly Airwolf and she decided to throw caution to the wind and see what he could actually do.

Hawke wanted to put the aircraft through her paces and did not have long to wait until the radar blipped into action. The Airwolf computer instantly went into action and identified the aircrafts as Tomcats armed to the teeth, one of the many routine patrols within the no fly zone. Kristien looked at the screen and made a decision.

“Climb to 35,000 feet and continue the heading of 060 degree’s so we will avoid them. You may as well engage the turbo’s.” Kristien felt that the first time the turbo’s should be used by a new pilot was heading skyward and preferably out of any mountain ranges. However, with Hawke at the controls somehow she felt that his experience was superior to anyone else she had flown with.

“Roger.” Hawke replied and eagerly pressed the turbo button with his thumb. He was shocked at first by the rapid acceleration of the aircraft and the ease at which she ate up the air. His heart was pumping so fast that he was really getting a kick out of this. It took less than five seconds to reach 35,000 feet. Hawke released the turbo’s and maintained a smooth ride. Kristien noted how well Hawke flew Airwolf and how easily too, yet like her he had not spent anytime in the Airwolf Simulators. Wishing to see how far she could get the pilot to go she checked the radar again.

“Why don’t you take her up to the top floor?” Kristien told him.

Hawke did not need to be asked twice. He pulled up the collective and cyclic and aimed skyward pressing the turbo’s. Again Airwolf took less than 5 seconds to get to 85,000 feet. Kristien was impressed that he had actually read the flight manual. Something she had thrown together one afternoon when she was bored with Moffet’s lack of paperwork for the machine. Everything at the FIRM was on computers and the mainframe, Kristien did bring this to Archangels attention but he just dismissed her concerns as there was a back up of everything on Airwolf on computer.

Airwolf hovered and the earth below looked clean and peaceful and quite small below. Above the blanket of stars were so close you could almost touch them. It had been a long time since Hawke had flown this high and he too was enjoying the view. He turned to Kristien who was busy looking at the screen on her lap.

“That was something else.” Hawke could not hide the excitement in his voice.

“It’s great fun isn’t it.” She agreed having done this several times herself before.

“Yeah,” Hawke said looking at the world below. “So peaceful up here.”

Kristien looked up further past the stars. “Even more peaceful up there.” Kristien spoke from experience.

Hawke looked up into the darkness of space and realised he had got a little bit of personal information about her, she had flown in space. “So you flew the Space Shuttle then?”

Kristien looked directly at Hawke. How was he piecing together what she had done? Was he reading her mind? Back to business she thought. “Best we carry on with lesson one.” Kristien diverted Hawke’s attention back to flying Airwolf rather than enquiring after her.

Hawke brought Airwolf back to the dock and put her bright search lights on cutting a path in the outside dark. The starlight amplification system had been activated on Airwolf and it was like flying the aircraft during the daylight hours. Kristien and Hawke had quite forgotten the time whilst they were out with Airwolf. Kristien had allowed Hawke the time to get to know the aircraft without the Firm having their eyes on them.

Once landed on Hawke’s dock, Airwolf’s rotors slowed to a halt. Hawke took off his helmet as Kristien was closing down the on board computer. He did not want to admit it but he was totally blown away and could have flown all night. He watched her close the laptop and she too removed her helmet. She caught a glimpse of Hawke’s watch and she reached out and held his left wrist just to get a better look at the time albeit upside down. Her tender touch sent a calming feeling through Hawke and just like an addictive drug he wanted more.

“It’s a bit late.” He confirmed to her not moving hoping that she would not move her hand.

“Late? Damn it’s almost early.” Kristien was thinking about taking Airwolf back to Red Star Control where she would then probably have to sleep there. She was busily scanning her mind for the employee schedules that she had seen for that week and remembering where Moffet was scheduled to be as the thought of sleeping anywhere ten miles near the creator sent a shiver down her spine.

“Stay here.” Hawke invited. Kristien had already worked out that the cabin did not have two bedrooms and she was about to do another hasty retreat when Hawke organised the sleeping arrangements. “If you sleep up in the loft I can sleep on the sofa.” Hawke was a gentleman giving up his nice warm comfortable bed for his guest. Normally he made his guests sleep downstairs, he hated company and detested the thought of anyone staying other than Dom, but he felt drawn to his new guest and would make an exception this time.

Kristien thought for a moment she was exhausted and it made sense. “Upstairs in the loft? Well okay then.” Too tired to argue Kristien agreed. She looked down and saw that she was still holding Hawke’s wrist not realising that she hadn’t taken her hand away. Kristien gently released her hand almost not wanting to.

After securing Airwolf and bringing out the laptop that she had been working on earlier during the flight Kristien opened up a storage area in the back of the EDCC pulling out a small Airwolf holdall. Hawke took the holdall off Kristien and they walked back to the cabin in the moonlight. He resisted the overpowering urge to put his arm around her and to take in more of her calming nature.

Tet greeted his master eagerly and Kristien more really to instruct him to put some more logs on the dying embers that had once warmed his ageing bones earlier in the night. Tet snuggled under Kristien’s hand and enjoyed the stroking she gave him.

Kristien placed the laptop down on the bar counter before resuming her comfy position on the sofa. She pulled off her boots letting them drop to the oak polished floor and brought up her legs onto the sofa. She downed the wine that she had left earlier in the evening, more out of thirst from the dry air conditioning of the cockpit of Airwolf. Watching the flames consume the logs that Hawke had placed on the dying embers. Tet had plopped down in front of the fire in his normal place on the hearth, hoping to get back to that very comfortable position where he had dreamed about rabbits and chasing them around the cabin and where they would just hop into his hungry mouth, and now that his master had returned, he could settle down and resume his sleep.

Hawke came back from the kitchen and handed a steaming cup of tea to Kristien. She was surprised at this as being in America she had expected coffee and although she did drink this she did prefer earl grey tea. Hawke resumed his place on the sofa also but this time right next to Kristien. He had also removed his shoes and had opened up the Airwolf flight suit to reveal a lot of his chest. Kristien noticed this and remembered earlier in the evening when he had changed in front of her without a care in the world. She felt her face start to go red again.

Hawke looked at his watch as he sipped the jet black liquid. Although he did not normally drink coffee at this time of the night he was still buzzing from flying Airwolf having extra caffeine would not make any difference to his ability to rest, no way was he going to be able to sleep tonight. Man that was one hell of a machine and Hawke was impressed overall with how responsive the aircraft was in his hands. So light, so fast and so deadly. He could not wait until the morning when he would be at the controls again at Red Star Control. Boy would he have fun against those weapons. Hawke was getting aroused.

“What time do you want to leave in the morning?” Hawke asked Kristien trying to keep his mind off his male instincts at having a beautiful young lady in front of him.

Kristien could not believe how her jibe to Archangel earlier in the day about a chauffeur to fetch the test pilot had actually materialised although she hadn’t for one moment suggested it would have been her and the aircraft in question itself. She smiled at the thought of chaining Hawke to the helicopter as well.

Hawke noticed the smile but also she was thinking about him.

“I have organised a refuelling tanker to meet us at oh eight hundred tomorrow ten miles from here at thirty thousand feet.” Kristien explained bringing her own mind back to earth. “So I guess if we leave here around seven thirty.” Kristien calculated that they would get around five hours sleep at this rate. Where had the day gone?

“So how come you are playing with Airwolf tonight?” Hawke playfully asked trying to work out how she had got the helicopter out and to divert her attention away from his aroused body.

“Archangel is letting me do Airwolf my way and besides don’t you think it’s fun being picked up? No one knows she’s here.” Kristien confirmed “All you have to do is turn Airwolf’s homing signal off, keep her radar suppression on and she is basically invisible. All that’s missing is a cloaking device but of course that was banned by the united federation of planets although the klingon’s and the romulans use them.”

Having flown a helicopter on a Star Trek movie set and Hawke knew exactly what she was talking about. He had read the whole script when he was bored waiting for the endless producers and directors to make up their minds how a scene should be done and after spending hours discussing it and rewriting it, and then re-shooting it, no doubt it would end up on the cutting room floor by some studio lackey who did not know how much trouble that particular scene took. Such was show business.

“A cloaking device would not be out of place on her.” Hawke continued to be playful with Kristien. She was impressed that although he did live in the middle of nowhere he had heard of Star Trek. Hawke continued, “Although I don’t think much of their tight fitting uniforms.” Hawke started to chuckle again and Kristien joined in. Did the pair of them really have the same sense of dry humour? It did seem that way.

Hawke allowed the laughter to die down between them. He wanted to so much ask her questions about her life, who she was and how she had come to the Airwolf project. He had a thousand questions that he wanted to put to her but he knew deep down if he even asked one she would probably just disappear to the sanctuary of the loft and to sleep, and he would be no further in his quest. Instead he threw caution to the wind and he leant forward, and placed his hand softly on her face. Her cheek was so soft and felt like silk and the calmness he felt earlier returned. Kristien did not move and her perfect eyes looked into his and seeing his tortured soul she remained quite still feeling the warmth of his hand on her skin. Hawke paused as his gaze met hers and their souls saw each other visually for the first time, he felt a deep and gentle serenity that he had never felt before in his troubled life. Eager to understand this more he moved closer to her, she did not move.

Hawke allowed his lips to brush over hers. Kristien returned the embrace tentatively at first and then as Hawke allowed the emotions of the day of when he first met her consume him they became very passionate. Both of their hearts and souls searching for the union that would transcend time and space, begging their human bodies that they were interred in to make more of a physical contact. Neither of them knew it but somehow their destinies were now inextricably linked.

As they parted Hawke looked into Kristien’s eyes and felt an inner peace wash over him. God how could he be already in love with her? How could this be? He felt that he knew her some how and that just touching her they would not be apart. His tortured soul and the ghosts of his past were being overwhelmed with the passion and emotions of being with Kristien. Usually they would be screaming at him pushing his curse into the forefront of his mind and pushing him away from anyone he meets but since meeting Kristien in the morning they had barely whispered to him.

Kristien responded and moved towards Hawke and put her arms around him, kissing him. Hawke too wrapped his strong arms around her stroking her back and long hair, returning the embrace, allowing the peace that they were generating to continue.

Encouraged by his embrace being returned he took the top part of his flight suit off down to his waist, he did not want to scare her off as somehow he sensed that she had not ever been with a man before. His hands went gently to Kristien unzipping her flight suit down to her waist. They joined in a very passionate embrace this time Hawke’s hands started to explore inside her flight suit, slowly caressing her breasts.

Kristien allowed herself to be enveloped with this immeasurable passion that both of them had somehow released, knowing where this was leading her hands purposely caressed his muscular chest that she had memorised earlier savouring every millimetre. Somehow her rage had melted completely away and she felt an equilibrium with the world around for once in her tempestuousness existence.

Hawke carefully removed her flight suit, allowing it to fall from her shoulders revealing her full breasts to him, his hands gently moving towards them. Kristien’s breathing changed as her skin tingled with the new sensation that she was feeling, responding to Hawke’s experienced and gentle touch. Encouraged by this Hawke pulled her closer and drew her over towards him continuing to kiss her slowly, teasing her, drawing the sensation out whilst exploring her tender, silky body.
Hawke although experienced had not had a relationship with a woman since loosing his high school sweetheart, his fiancée who died tragically in the car crash which Hawke survived before shipping out to Vietnam. When he returned he then seemed to take on a near monastic life, ignoring his nagging male instincts on a daily basis. Hawke kept himself to himself, living in the remote cabin, far from any civilization and any woman he did come across in his work with his friend Dominic was met with a coldness and aloofness which usually sent most women running for the hills thinking he was a cold hearted, arrogant bastard. This façade protected him and kept his curse under control where he could gorge himself quietly, alone at the cabin, on self pity.
For the first time in more years than he wanted to remember, Hawke had a woman lying softly in his arms in the cabin. Embracing her in the fire light, he wondered who she really was. For now, he told himself, none of that mattered. She was here and so was he.
Feeling her burning desire, making her body shiver, Kristien could not wait any longer for Hawke to take her slowly, she laid him down and was on top of him. She deftly took off Hawke’s flight suit and wanting him to find her burning desire.

Kristien lowered herself to whisper against the nape of his neck. “Stringfellow please.” Kristien kissed him tenderly making his hair on his neck stand on end. He moved her back to his lips, where he kissed her full and hard.

He felt her tender waiting body shiver inside his embrace.

“Let me. “ Stringfellow whispered and then closed his lips around hers.

Kristien’s arms wrapped around his neck, Stringfellow rolled her under him. Lying on top of her with his hands in her hair, his tongue exploring the back of her throat.

Kristien shivered beneath him again, whether from cold or desire he didn’t know, his strong arms wrapped themselves around her tighter and brought her closer, pulling the blanket from the sofa over their bodies. Kristien wrapped both arms around him as he laid himself over her and entered her.

The joining of two bodies became one but more significantly the fusion of two souls.

Airwolf stood imposingly on the dock in the moonlight unaware of the two tortured souls she had just united eternally.

ONE YEAR LATER

Hawke was content. He could not be anymore happier with life than now.

He was sat comfortably on the porch of the cabin with Kristien. The fresh mountain air was damp with a previous shower of rain that had fallen an hour before. Kristien was laid out on the bench using Hawke’s lap as a cushion for her head. She was reading one of Hawke’s first editions. One of Hawke’s hands was stroking Kristien’s soft long brown hair which was draped over his lap whilst watching the eagle soar above the waters of the lake.

Kristien was resting quite comfortably. She had a blanket covering up her legs which were raised slightly using a cushion under them.

Kristien was wearing one of Hawke’s shirts. Hawke had unbuttoned the bottom buttons to show off a very heavily pregnant stomach. His other hand was gently resting on the large bump where earlier the baby, his son had enjoyed a good kicking session.

Neither of them spoke, just taking delight from the peace between them and the sounds of the wilderness around them.

Hawke sighed deeply as he heard the sound of an approaching helicopter far off in the distance. Kristien put down the book on her chest and looked up at Hawke knowing that their taciturnity was going to be broken any second. Hawke looked down and met her gaze.

“I know.” He said whilst letting out a breath at the same time, he could not hide the frustration that he was very disappointed that this perfect moment was going to have an intrusion. A Santini Air helicopter came around the trees and started its approach to the dock.

Kristien smiled up at Hawke and used the interruption at the same time to readjust her resting body.

Dominic made his way up to the couple so quickly almost tripping over Tet who had placed himself near the steps.

“Careful Grandpa.” Hawke smiled at Dominic who was now very out of breath.

“String.” He gasped. “String, we got a job flying in the morning. It’s a cushy number ya’ know. It’s just a commercial shoot and the company they were using have just pulled out. We got the job. Just four helicopters. You, Me, Brad and Tony will fly. A hundred thousand dollars for a couple of hours work!” Dominic was beaming as his ship had certainly come in. “I mean this will certainly make up for all the time off you are going to have in England. They dropped the money off an hour ago.”

Dominic looked at the couple and the fact they had not moved from their position probably said it all. Hawke and Kristien had planned the final months of the pregnancy from the moment they had found out the good news five months earlier. Kristien wanted their new baby to be born in England in the family ancestral home, so after a very busy time at the Stud in California and Kentucky they would spend a month at the cabin before flying over in Kristien’s own 747 with a selection of her USA based horses she wanted back in the UK where she would spend the last eight weeks of her pregnancy at her own country estate near Newmarket organising the following years breeding programme there.

Hawke was looking forward to seeing her English country estate, if it was anything like her Kentucky and Californian Studs it would be huge. He enjoyed being part of her life, her world, her lifestyle. He knew she was very wealthy but it did not matter that Hawke knew little about her. He was just so enamoured with her completely it did not matter about her past.

He was also looking forward to being a father. At thirty two he was finally settling down with the woman that he loved and adored and awaiting the first of, and hopefully many children. Kristien was his soul mate. Life really could not get any better than this.

Tet too was all ready to go with them, he loved Kristien’s Californian and Kentucky studs as there were plenty of rabbits for him to chase and the fact that on his many wanderings around there were plenty of people to give him titbits and plenty of ladies to give him lots of fuss. What more could an old dog want.

“Well?” Dominic prompted them for a reply.

“Dom, we are having a few days up here resting.” Hawke reminded his old friend who was really going to miss when he would be away. Hawke moved his hand from Kristien’s head and pointed to Kristien’s elevated legs so that just Dominic could see. Dominic looked over at Kristien’s bump being displayed, he did not notice the elevated legs. “Why don’t you get a cup of coffee? The pot is fresh and hot.”

Dominic had been so busy running around since the phone call that morning and then the visit from the executive producer’s personal assistant with the briefcase of money he had not stopped for lunch let alone had time for a refreshment.

“Oh okay.” Dominic realised his cue to leave the couple alone for a moment to discuss things. He left them taking another look at Kristien laid out, he saw the size of her bump. She did look bigger than what he remembered two weeks previous. Then he noticed the elevated legs. Dominic didn’t know lots about pregnancy but enough to know that you did have to take it easy and elevated legs were a sign of high blood pressure. He looked at the young couple hoping that there weren’t any serious medical problems, for Kristien or the baby.

Kristien and Hawke still hadn’t moved as they watched Dominic go into the cabin to go and get some coffee.

“You really ought to go and help him you know.” Kristien told Hawke.

Hawke took a deep breath, looking at the bump and then sighed very heavily. “I am here looking after you and the baby.” He reminded her.

“We’re fine.” She replied look looking down at her growing bump, never did she expect to be this happy about being pregnant and so content with her new life with Hawke. “Anyway what mischief can I get up to here? All I can do here is read books, play your cello or sleep.” Kristien had been whirlwind since finding out she was pregnant. There had been one hell of a schedule to get everything done in time ready for the imminent birth. But finally they had managed it but with a small problem, she was now exhausted and had been ordered to rest by the Doctor at her last check up three days previous. A medical doctor herself she knew what the results meant of the raised blood pressure both for her and the baby, and she was quite happy to lay around for once and do nothing albeit until the baby was born then she would resume her relentless schedule again. Kristien was counting down the days until she could get back on her beloved horses and gallop them.

Hawke did not want to leave Kristien not even for five minutes. Even when she was asleep either in tucked up in bed or resting on the sofa he had checked her every five minutes making sure that they both of them were okay. Kristien had got used to Hawke’s constant interruptions and accepted that was the way life was going to be, although she knew that she would be able to disappear easily when back in England, leaving him with the baby, whilst she went off playing with her horses.

“Why don’t you just go and have one last flight with Dominic. He is really going to miss you until he come’s over to do Grandpa Dom duties.” Kristien suggested to Hawke. “Honestly I will be really good here and you can call me on the mobile.” She knew he would anyway. “Tet will look after me won’t you boy.” Hearing his name Tet wagged his tail and looked back at Kristien in acknowledgement.

Dominic came out carrying two steaming cups of coffee in one hand and a glass of orange juice with a straw for Kristien in the other. Dominic handed the glass of orange to Kristien’s outstretched hand and one steaming cups of coffee to Hawke.

“Dom surely you can find one more pilot for this?” Hawke questioned the older man. He wanted to make sure that Dominic had exhausted every avenue before having to even consider going flying.

“I want you there!” Dominic was trying to butter up the ego of Hawke. “We need to plan a hammerhead stall in one.” Dominic raised his eyebrow knowing that Hawke could be tempted by that stunt.

Hawke chuckled to himself. A hammerhead stall in a jet ranger is that what he had to look forward to? Twelve months previous he was doing hammerhead stalls at around Mach 1 in Airwolf. How the hell could he even compare all of that to a commercial shoot in a basic helicopter? He looked down at Kristien who had already read his mind and she too was remembering the fun that they had testing Airwolf.

Dominic watched the couple exchange looks in the silence. From the first moment he had met Kristien he had noticed that she had automatically tuned into Hawke’s sixth sense, somehow they were inextricably linked. Dominic always knew it would take a very special woman to capture his young friend’s heart but even more special to heal his tortured soul. Kristien had done just that. Even the baby had brought their telepathy to a new level. Dominic remembered that day when Hawke announced the pregnancy with a bottle of Bollinger. Being old fashioned Dominic did hope for a wedding also but neither of them seemed to see the ‘need’ for a piece of paper to say that they were together forever, so Dominic wisely dropped the whole subject.

“See, Dominic needs you.” Kristien told Hawke. Dominic nodded in total agreement with Kristien glad that she was helping him.

“Just a couple of hours in the morning?” Hawke checked with Dominic.

“Leave here at 4 am and you will be back by ten……..eleven at the latest.” Dominic said reading off the schedule in his head still smiling trying to tempt his young friend.

For the fourth time that afternoon Hawke let out a deep sigh. “Alright Dom, you have convinced me. I’ll fly tomorrow on the job with you.”

“That a boy String, that a boy!” Dominic shouted with glee. “We will have a great time.”

“Yeah, after this coffee I had better go and catch a few trout’s as I know we are going to pull an all nighter here.” String smiled at the thought of another brilliant night ahead with the two people he held so close to his heart. He looked down at Kristien and again rubbed the bump that housed his baby. “Tonight is going to be great.”

Flying back to the cabin after the commercial shoot, Hawke felt something in the pit of his stomach that he had not felt in a very long time. The commercial was a very basic shoot and Hawke was surprised at the very lack of direction and script but then that was film industry. They had paid Dominic and that was all that really mattered. But during the shoot Hawke had felt an impending doom that used to plague him some time before meeting Kristien.

Dominic landed on the dock and Hawke was already out of the Santini Air jet ranger running up the dock to the cabin. Tet was nowhere to be seen. Hawke entered the cabin to an emptiness that cut into him like a blade of a knife. His bar stools were knocked over a sign of a struggle maybe? He checked behind the bar and found his gun. He checked the bullets and then went upstairs to check the rest of the cabin.

Dominic had entered the cabin to find Hawke searching the loft. “Well?”

“She’s gone Dom and I have no idea where to start looking. I need to make a call.” Hawke said realising that he needed help from a higher authority.

Archangel walked into the cabin bemused at the request from Hawke to get to the Cabin pronto. He was slightly miffed at having to land in a clearing nearby due to the Santini Air helicopter taking up the dock.

“I am due in Washington in 4 hours Hawke. What’s this about?” Archangel was already looking at his watch.

“Kristien is missing.” Hawke told him puzzled as to where his beloved Kristien would be. Dominic stood behind Hawke not knowing who this pristine dressed in white person was. He knew it was something to do with the Firm.

“Missing? What do you mean missing? How do you know she hasn’t gone for a walk?” Archangel was now getting pissed off at being brought out for what seemed something that didn’t really need him or the resources that he could tap into. “Maybe she left to go racing? You checked the Santa Anita racetrack?”

Hawke started to boil inside. His face was reddening. Dominic quickly stepped in between a very angry Hawke and the immaculate dressed in white man from the FIRM, hoping to stop the white suit from getting splattered with its owner’s blood if Hawke had his way.

“Er, excuse me Sir.” Dominic said to the white dressed man not knowing who he was. “But Kristien’s in no condition to go racing. Can you help us find her or not?”

Archangel looked around the cabin. Everything looked fine apart from the bar stools on the floor. He took a deep breath and then quizzed Dominic’s statement. “What do you mean in no condition?” Thinking Kristien maybe ill or something.

“Well she’s seven months pregnant…….” Dominic started to explain.

Now it was Archangels turn to turn red with anger. “PREGNANT? Seven months! I knew you two were together but damn the devil to hell!” Archangel could not believe that he did not know. “You tell me this……….NOW? Why the hell didn’t you let me know so I could have organised protection? Who knew she was pregnant? I need names, addresses, dates, who knew when and where.” Archangel was already picking up his briefcase which housed his satellite phone. He could not believe that Kristien had not contacted anyone about her being pregnant. Did she honestly think that Hawke’s cabin could hide her away? What the hell was she thinking?

Both Hawke and Dominic were stunned by the Deputy Director’s outburst and they were about to be shocked once more.

Archangel dialled a number into the phone. “Get me the President. This is Angel one.” Archangel waited to be connected. He covered the mouthpiece of the phone. “You two had better start remembering everything and fast. There are going to be a lot of people here and asking a hell of a lot of questions and you need to have the answers.”

Dominic and Hawke stood bewildered as to why the man in white was calling the President on this. Hawke expected the Firm to help and maybe the FBI but the President slight over kill Hawke thought however he was impressed.

“Mr President this is Archangel. WE need to mobilise DELTA Squad.” He paused listening to the President. “Yes Princess Kristien has been kidnapped.”

Hawke’s reddened infuriated face drained instantly to white as the words that he heard hit him like physical blows to his body. The curse that he thought he had buried finally in his life had resurrected once more as he tried to come to terms with what Archangel had just said. Hawke’s legs buckled underneath him and as he fell to the floor he felt the world and the woman that he loved fade away as the darkness covered him like a blanket. As he slipped into the darkness all he could hear was a loud bell tolling, ringing in his ears, inviting the shadows of death to come forth as he dropped silently in a heap on the polished oak floor of his cabin.