Airwolf And I, Vice Versa

Chapter Twelve

Airwolf flew straight into Libya following Kristien’s coordinates at around twenty feet off the desert floor. Sand was rising up as a dust cloud behind Airwolf in her wake. The dunes quaking with the mach one turbines over them.

As they entered into Libyan Airspace Hawke felt cold as he remembered the last time he was there. The thoughts of Gabrielle and her death on one of the sand dunes filled his head. He could not believe he was back but the need to find out who was behind the hacking of Airwolf’s computer using Moffet’s passwords was too great. He silently flew Airwolf over the dunes where he sent Moffet to hell. The sand dune just looked like any other sand dune. Nothing externally showed the entrance to hell where Moffet resided.

Kristien noting the silence from Hawke had already switched on one of the monitors to the scans and saw the video feedback from the cameras outside. She felt his pain at the memories flooding back forcing him to deal with his solace.

Airwolf had stopped transmitting its details to the hacker twenty minutes before. Kristien looked up what her worm had supplied.

“String, they have been hacking into Airwolf for the last eighteen months.” Kristien confirmed.

“So what have they got?” Hawke asked her.

“Well from what I can see here they should have built their own Airwolf by now although not fully operational.” Kristien told him reading through all the files that had been taken thus far.

Hawke turned round and looked directly at Kristien. “That’s all I need.”

“Well they have all the blue prints to her and from what I can see they are downloading each system from Airwolf to their computers.” Kristien told him. “I would say that their version is flyable without weapons but that’s about it.” Kristien looked over the data.

“You still think it’s Moffet?” Hawke asked her still not convinced about Kristien’s theory but went with it.

“Someone to do with.” Kristien told him. “All the passwords are his.”

“Give me combat mode.” Hawke told her.

Kristien went to the weapons section and deployed the sponsons for the cannons and the ADF pod underneath Airwolf.

“Combat Mode.” Kristien replied. “thirty miles to target.”

“Twenty.” Kristien counted down. “Ten. Best we slow up or we will fly right over it.”
Hawke released the turbos and slowed Airwolf up. “Well, what can you see on the scans?”
Kristien looked for heat sources in the buildings that were below them. “No one about. There are three buildings, one big enough for a hangar to house an Airwolf.” Kristien replied. “The courtyard has plenty of room to land in too so it could be operational but seriously not even a kettle has been used today.”

“Let’s take a look.” Hawke said. “I am setting her down.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Kristien asked. “I thought you were just going to blow this place up, end of?” Kristien wasn’t too happy at the thought of landing in an arab state especially Khadaffi’s!

“I want to know who is behind this.” He told her finding a place to set Airwolf down.
Kristien was alerted to a couple of monitors on Airwolf. She quickly typed in to Airwolf’s keyboard. “I am getting some strange readings here.”

“Kristie I am going in, you won’t change my mind.” Hawke told her making a final approach to land Airwolf. He was so wrapped up in his need to find out who was behind the downloading that he did not feel Kristien’s unhappiness at the prospect of Hawke going exploring out of Airwolf and in Libya. “You stay in Airwolf and fly her. You’re not getting out.” Hawke knew in Airwolf Kristien would be protected.

Just as he was letting down the landing gear, over head another Airwolf, jet black in colour came screaming over doing Mach one plus.

The sonic wave threw the landing Airwolf about like a rag doll. Hawke fought for control. Airwolf lurched about in the air turbulance, looking anything but graceful.

“What the fuck?” Hawke snapped. “And why aren’t you checking the scanners?”

Kristien repeated herself. “I told you I had some strange readings!” Kristien did not care for being spoken to in that manner. “Oh and the same fucking reason the fucking scanners aren’t fucking working is that fucking Airwolf that just kicked us up the fucking arse has the same fucking stealth that we have!” She concluded.

With that barrage of swearing from Kristien, Hawke knew he had crossed the line with Kristien and regretted it instantly. He should have remembered that she was probably the one and only person that could check all of Airwolf’s systems simulatiously with her amazing abilities. True enough, just one tiny glance at the EDCC from Kristien and she would tell you every reading of every guage, every position of every button and dials in perfect order in the blink of an eye. It would take you longer to check it. Not that you would dare to.

Hawke gave chase once he had control of Airwolf. He pressed the turbos and took a deep breath as he felt Kristien’s temper rise to a bubbling rage, gaining momentum again. Damn it, that’s all he needed, Kristien pissed off at him. How the hell was he going to calm her down?

“Now where are we going?” Kristien asked.

“I am going to follow.” Hawke tried to calm down.

“What are they doing? Leaving a paper trail?” Kristien asked dryly searching every possible scanner for help in the search for the blackwolf, certainly she couldn’t find it. “Since when do you fly in a straight line anyway?”

Hawke knew she was right but gave chase anyway. “Anything?” He asked softly to her. He could feel the rage develop deep inside of Kristien and he knew he had some but boy she had a ton of it.

“String I can’t get the radar to see a stealth helicopter no more than I can walk through walls.” Kristien tried to explain basic physics.

“Sorry Kristie, but we gotta have something to find it.” Hawke instisted releasing the turbos and he thought for moment. “Can you not design something to find it?” He knew Kristien was the genius and if she could she would design something to help them.

“I think it’s found us.” Kristien told him looking at the monitors again. “I am getting those readings again.”

“Where?” Hawke shouted and hovered Airwolf.

“What am I a magician?” Kristien retorted barely keeping a lid on her bubbling anger. “Get me a crystal ball then.”

“No need.” Hawke said as the blackwolf that had previously tossed them about in its wake came into view opposite Airwolf itself. The blackwolf had blacked out windows hiding any occupants from view.

Both Airwolves floated in the air, nose to nose, neither one making a move only the engines breaking the silence between them.

Kristien looked at the scanners on video surveying the other Airwolf. “Gotta admit those blacked out windows are cool.” She said making a mental note to herself to put that idea forward at the overhaul. “Mind you I can see that catching on you know, like with drug dealers and not forgetting the chrome tailpipe to make a fashion statement.”

“Yeah.” Hawke replied. “Are our radios open to receive incoming?”

“Sure are.” Kristien confirmed. “Love the colour too.” She complimented.

“What’s he waiting for?” Hawke started to get impatient.

“I’ve waited a long time for this day Stringfellow Hawke.” A male voice came over the radio.
“Who the hell is this?” Hawke replied.

“Well if you don’t know now you soon will.” The voice from the blackwolf replied.

“Well you appear to have the upper hand….” Hawke started to say.

“Indeed I do in more ways than you can imagine.” The voice said.

“Well there’s confidence for you for a half finished copy.” Kristien said.

“You have a lady with you? Where’s Dominic Santini?” The voice questioned.

“You are in no position to ask questions.” Hawke replied trying to get the pilot to focus on him. Hawke started to get a nagging feeling deep in his gut, suddenly he was regretting bringing Kristien along.

“Why don’t we land and discuss this like gentlemen then?” The voice said.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Hawke replied with total distrust in his voice and he did not hide it.

“This is not the time or place for a dog fight Hawke.” The voice said.

“Well that’s because you have a half finished copy.” Hawke reminded him.

“True some software is still required, but we are fully functional for the hardware.” The voice told him.

“Land that copy now.” Hawke demanded. “Or I will land it for you.”

“As I said this is not the time nor place and as you refuse to dicuss this like a gentleman.” The voice said and left the stalemate.

Blackwolf flew away and made a retreat. Hawke followed and engaged Airwolf’s turbo’s to catch up.

“Now what are you doing?” Kristien questioned Hawke.

“Putting that copy into a sand dune.” Hawke told her crossly.

“String think about it will you, they would not be out here without some kind of weapons.” Kristien told him watching all of the monitors trying to get some reading to help Stringfellow. “At least think about some dialogue with them will you.”

“You’ve gotta be kinding me.” Hawke told her. “For all we know that’s Moffet in there.”

“You killed Moffet, remember!” Kristien reminded him.

The blackwolf as if hearing Kristien’s comments about weapons, let off a rearward laser, Hawke swung Airwolf out of the way narrowly missing the beam. Airwolf developed a compression stall from the manoeuvre that she had just performed above her design limits.

“They got lasers.” Hawke said.

“Reigniting.” Kristien was already sorting out the compression stall that Airwolf had just done. “That’s no ordinary laser, that’s a high intensity laser, four times the power of a normal laser.” Kristien looked at the readings on the monitors. “We don’t want to be hit by that, it will splice us like a cheese wire.”

The blackwolf did a hammer head stall infront of Airwolf, turned upside down and managed a 360 degree loop and flew behind Airwolf.

“Shit.” Hawke said as he zig zagged Airwolf to avoid the frontal laser.

Hawke hit the turbo’s and did a hammerhead stall, Airwolf being heavier could not quite manage the 360 degree turn but Hawke pulled a severe right bank and managed to end up behind the Blackwolf.

“Well this is going to be fun playing follow the leader.” Kristien was still recovering from the whiplash manoeuvre that Hawke performed to get out of the way of the aft laser.

“Give me a sidewinder.” Hawke demanded.

“Sidewinder.” Kristien replied pressing the button. “Don’t think it will do much good though.”

Hawke let off a sidewinder at the blackwolf. The blackwolf took evasive action and lurched to the right avoiding the missile which met the closest sand dune sending a massive fireball in to the sky.

The radar jumped into action showing two MIG 14’s closing in on their position.
“Oh fuck can this day get any worse?” Kristien asked rhetorically. “MIGs, 20 miles angels 6. Not sure who’s side they are on, yet.”

Just as she said it the blackwolf managed to get off one hell of a shot with its laser on a direct hit with the tail rotor, disabling Airwolf instantly. Airwolf went into tail spin, Airwolf was doing 360 degree’s horizontally, causing a massive G force with in the cockpit which was fast becoming a centrifuge.

Airwolf spiralled down towards the earth. Hawke was fighting to keep Airwolf from spinning out of control. A trail of smoke from the tail rotor tailed behind making their downward path visible. “Kristie, She’s pulling apart.”

“Use the turbo’s.” Kristien said already typing various codes into Airwolf’s on board computer despite the centrifuge she was in.

“No that will tear her apart.” Hawke replied trying to keep hold of Airwolf.

“Rather that than a nose dive and ejecting out.” Kristien ignored Hawke’s plea’s. She wasn’t about to crash land in Airwolf again nor eject into Khadaffi’s sand pit. “Use the turbo’s now.” Kristien ordered. “And aim for that road down there.”

Hawke pressed the turbos which Kristien had managed to adjust the turbos which allowed them to go in a straight line. Airwolf lurched forwards and Hawke held on to her as long as he could. He pulled the landing gear knob and Airwolf unceremonisously landed very heavily and fast on the tarmac like a seven forty seven. Hawke released the turbo’s and allowed the forward motion take them to a landing spot albeit twice as fast that was safe to do so.
Hawke had always admired Kristien’s abilitities in Airwolf, after all it was she that had taught him to fly her, but God did she know Airwolf inside and out. She was totally astounding. That was the second time she had stopped Airwolf from crash landing.
Kristien did not have time to check if Hawke was ok as he hastily exited Airwolf, gun drawn to march over to the landing blackwolf. From the port door came a helmeted pilot dressed in black also holding a gun.

Hawke instantly threw three punches to the stomach of the blackwolf copilot knocking their gun to the ground and the copilot. Out of the Starboard door exited a very tall, very muscular blond haired man with distinguised features and piercing pale blue eyes. He looked over at Hawke who was standing over at the downed helmeted co pilot he drew his gun onto Hawke and aimed. The co pilot had already got up and returned three to four punches to Hawke’s head and stomach, and then started to throw a couple of kicks at Hawke’s stomach and chest, this time knocking Hawke to the hard tarmac.

Kristien watched in horror in Airwolf on the monitors. Not caring for her own safety she climbed out of Airwolf using the armoured port door as a shield and held a P-90 at the blond haired man.

“I wouldn’t if I were you.” She told him. The blond haired man saw the weapon that Kristien was holding and thought better of it. He put his revolver down on the tarmac and raised his hands nodding to the Blackwolf copilot to back off.

Hawke looked over at Kristien and could not believe she had got out of Airwolf although he was thankful as he lay prone trying to catch his breath. The last kick had actually broken a couple of ribs causing immense pain for Hawke to even breathe. At least Kristien was safe for the moment. Where the hell did she get that weapon from?

The blackwolf copilot retreated to the Blackwolf also.

Kristien was trained by the Secret Service in all manners of martial arts as well as weapons and how to fire them, something she never admitted to anyone that she knew. With everyone else without weapons Kristien walked infront of Airwolf.

“Do I have the pleasure of addressing the lady of the wolf?” The blond haired man asked with a clear english accent.

“I am in Airwolf yes.” Kristien replied not giving anything away.

Gently the blackwolf pilot took Kristien’s hand and kissed the top, looking directly at her. Her sunglasses hid her eyes from him. Kristien looked at the pale blue piercing eyes, she had seen them before but with someone different and with that person she got a chill but not here.

“I apologise for bringing you down but I did wish to talk not fight.” He said.

“If you know Stringfellow then you know he’s not big on talking.” Kristien replied looking up at the man, his pale blue eyes still reminding her of someone.

“Indeed, you are quite correct.” He said. “Oh forgive me I have not introduced myself to you, how rude of me. I am Doctor Charles Hockley-Matthews.” He released her hand gently. “And you are?”

Kristien looked at him. “Oh no not on a first date.” She started to scan her memory, she knew the name Hockley-Matthews and was trying to dig up what she remembered.

“Quite right, a lady should have some mystery about herself.” Charles replied smiling at her. “Enchanted to meet you whoever you choose to be.” Charles continued. “Us ex pat’s should stick together especially in these godforsaken places.” He used his hands to point around at the sand to show what a remote place they were in. “I will know you as simply the Lady of the Wolf.”

Kristien looked around at the miles and miles of sand. Ninety percent of Libya was desert. “Not your typical vacation spot I will give you that.” Kristien thought she better had play along to find out who this person was. He was well educated in England and had etiquete, not your typical pilot. “So what do you want to talk to Stringfellow about?”

“Arh well that’s a bit personal.” Charles turned and looked at the prone body of Hawke. “But I would like to discuss something with him first.”

“First? And what is second?” Kristien asked prompting the older englishman.

“Well Airwolf of course.” Charles said pointing to Airwolf.

"Why would you need Airwolf, you have your own cool black one of your own.” Kristien replied. “You must have to wash and wax everyday to keep that shine on it especially out here.”

Charles looked back at his Blackwolf. “Yes the deep shine it is good isn’t it! A deep polymer that exists with the alloys I have used but I can’t get any other colour though. SO I can’t take any orders for production unless you want black. Shame really as a two tone colour for example like your’s would look good for example black and silver.”

“Oh believe me that infernal machine is not mine.” Kristien replied.

“Shame it isn’t yours to give to me.” Charles said still smiling at his enegmatic lady of the wolf.

“I would offer a swap if it was mine, I do like your blacked out windows.” Kristien complimented him. “It’s pretty cool.”

“Arh but mine isn’t finished yet.” Charles reminded her.

“That doesn’t matter.” Kristien replied not giving anything away. “I like the look of her. She will go nice in the garden next to the pond.”

“No of course not, not to you.” Charles started to guess a few things. “I would think your beauty hides your ability to do anything.”

“That’s Cambridge for you.” Kristien thought she would throw him a bone to help him and draw him out. It worked.

“Arh, I am oxford myself, I would have prefered Cambridge but what with my mother being married to the Dean of course…….” Charles stopped realising that he had given away too much already. “I will go and talk to Stringfellow.” Charles left Kristien and walked over to Hawke who had only just managed to stand up, albeit holding his right side.

“Now Stringfellow Hawke.” Charles said to Hawke and held out his hand to shake Hawke’s. “I am Charles Hockley-Matthews.”

Hawke looked over at Kristien who still held onto the P-90 in front of Airwolf. “We seem to be wearing the same thing at this ball.” Hawke said ignoring the outstretched hand.

"Well, I have changed the colour scheme a little so as not to clash.” Hockley-Matthews replied. “So really no need to get all pissed off about it.”

“Well you leave yours here and we will say no more about it.” Hawke said.

“Are you kidding me?” Hockley-Matthews scoffed. “I will carry on my work developing my alloys, then they will take notice of me.” Hockley-Matthews looked over at Kristien stood next to Airwolf. “I could take yours.”

Despite having two broken ribs Hawke readied himself for another fight and looked over at the disabled Airwolf and directly at Kristien. Kristien felt Hawke straight away and responded.
Hockley-Matthews looked over at Kristien and saw her now aiming directly at his head with the P-90. He knew enough about P-90’s and how accurate they were whether on automatic or single shot. There was no way she could hear their conversation but how the hell did she know that Hawke was being threatened? This needed further study.

“So I need to know what happened to Dr Moffet.” Hockley-Matthews finally got to the point.

With Kristien aiming the P-90 directly at Hockley-Matthews head, Hawke thought he would give him both barrels at once. “He’s buried deep in a Libyan sand dune, due north of here, marked with a neon sign saying ‘entrance to hell’, I can give you the longitude and lattitude.” Hawke replied remembering exactly where Moffet died. “What’s left of him anyway.”
Hockley-Matthews looked directly at Hawke. “Ah so you killed him then.” Hockley-Matthews had done his homework about Moffet in and around Tripoli before the Libyan Army started to get suspicious of his activities. “The dancers from the Red Castle……which one was yours then, the blonde or the brunette?”

“Her name was Gabrielle.” Hawke did not want Gabrielle’s name ever to be betrayed, he started to get angry at the powerful memories flooding back like a tidalwave. “Moffet was a sick evil bastard who tortured and raped women, death was too good for him.” Hawke thought of Gabrielle and what happened to her at the hands of Moffet.

Within that split second the Blackwolf copilot had walked up behind Hawke and with his gun in his hand, hit Hawke on the back of the head. Hawke dropped to the floor diving into unconsciousness, as he was plumetting he heard a gunshot ringing out in his ears. He fell to the tarmac for the second time since crash landing, this time unconscious.

Behind Hawke the Blackwolf copilot stood, his helmet showing one single hole in the middle of the forehead, behind him on the sand at the side of the road were the brains and skull bone fragments of the blackwolf copilot with copious amounts of blood splattering the sand. The blackwolf co pilot dropped backwards, dead.

Hockley Matthews watched the scene play out before him not realising at first what had happened nor how much danger he was now in, as he turned to see Kristien holding the P-90 aiming at him, directly at his head, he froze not even breathing.

“Shall I raise my hands to surrender or get on my knees for my executioner?” Hockley-Matthews asked Kristien directly. “I see you have a gun and are not afraid to use it.”

Kristien continued to look down the P-90 still aiming at Hockley-Matthews forehead. She could see a pool of blood from Stringfellows head on the black tarmac. His head wound was bleeding profusely.

“Back away from Hawke.” Kristien ordered. “SLOW.”

Hockley-Matthews took tiny steps backwards away from Hawke’s slumped body. Kristien just retargeted her aim on Hockley-Matthews head. Hockley-Matthews continued to look directly at Kristien. Who was she? Her aim was deadly and she showed no remorse. No remorse at all.

“I apologise for my Co Pilot.” Hockley-Matthews started to plead for his life in the silence.

“No apology needed. He has paid the ferryman.” Kristien replied.

Just then a TU-36 helicopter flew over less than 1 mile away in the distance quite low over the sand dunes. Kristien lowered her P-90. With Airwolf grounded it would not take long for the Libyans to find them even though Kristien remembered the last coordinates as they went down indicating that they were actually in Algeria, she didn’t think that the Libyans took much notice of border signs.

“I can bring that chopper down.” Hockley-Matthews offered.

“Do it.” Kristien told him and she lowered the P-90 but still held on to it. She had to trust him to take care of the TU-36 and not to come after her and Hawke and blow Airwolf from the tarmac.

Hockley-Matthews withdrew a knife from his belt, Kristien watched him, although the P-90 was lowered it was still aimed towards Hockley-Matthews and now on automatic. It’s blade glinted in the bright midday sun. He held it firmly cutting open his base of his hand. He did not flinch when he did it. He removed a test tube from his pocket and collected the pouring blood into it. Half full he placed the stopper into it. He put the knife back into his belt and held out the blood filled test tube to Kristien.

“Please test this.” Charles told her and turned away. “You will get your answers.”

Kristien took it from him slightly puzzled at the request. Hockley-Matthews walked back to blackwolf and got into it. Blackwolf started up and took off heading towards where the TU-36 gunship had gone to.

Kristien knelt over at Hawke’s body and she felt his jugular. There was a strong pulse. The head wound was bleeding profusely and she placed her hand over it to apply pressure. As she did the two MIGs that had come on the scope earlier flew over. They were American.

“Thank fuck for that.” Kristien sighed as she remembered about the pale blue eyes.

Moffet had those eyes.