Airwolf Legacy

Chapter Eighteen

Hawke silently walked over to the hangar with Dominic. They started to reload all of Airwolf’s arsenal. Sidewiders, nuclear tipped shrike missiles, bullpups, falcons, all got loaded up into Airwolf. Hawke went over to one of Kristien’s laptops and he clicked a couple of things to check the diagnostic that he ran just after getting Kristien back. Airwolf had somehow managed MACH 2 all the way back from the middle east making the journey only two and a half hours instead of seven. Every alarm possible had gone off in the EDCC but Hawke had ignored every single one. Getting Kristien back to her home and medical attention was his only thought.

Kristien had luckily shown Hawke how to do a basic diagnostic and that the laptop could do basic repairs to the hard drive of the EDCC, if necessary. He looked at the laptop and various things were flashing at him. He hadn’t a clue what any of them meant.

“Dom, what the hell’s all this?” Hawke pointed to the screen.

Dominic wandered over and put on his glasses. He looked at the screen and read it all. “Oh well we have to press this.” Dominic clicked on a button. “Then the lady will repair herself but she will need an overhaul of the turbines.”

“So we are good to go then?” Hawke questioned.

“Once we have all the weapons loaded, sure String.” Dominic replied. “But no Mach 2 okay?”

Hawke looked at Dominic and smiled. “The Lady held up rather well don’t you think?”

Dominic looked proudly at this baby. “Yeah, she sure did. She knew she had to save Kristien.”

Hawke paused at hearing Kristien’s name. A cold thought crept into his dark brooding mind, what if Kristien died whilst he was away dealing out the revenge? The last time he had spoken to her, he had stupidly accused her of betraying him. He couldn’t let her go, not like that. Tired and now feeling sick Hawke’s knee’s started to buckle. Dominic put his arm around Hawke.

“Hey, we can do this another time you know.” Dominic replied.

“No, I want them to pay for what they have done.” Hawke remembered reading every line of Doctor Parson’s report. Each sentence was carved into his mind like stone.

“Okay then, let’s go before Archangel finds out what we are up to.” Dominic reminded Hawke that their little trip out would be an international incident and Archangel needed deniability.

The flight back to Dubawi went without incident. With Airwolf at full stealth mode no one knew they were coming. Hawke went to Dubawi’s Capital where the main Palace stood in the middle of the imposing buildings. The thermal scans showed that there were people inside.

“Dom, find out who is in there.” Hawke requested. “And give me combat mode. I want a Shrike missile ready.”

“Sure thing String.” Dominic replied pressing Airwolf’s audio button and the combat mode. The cockpit came alive with the male voices all speaking Arabic. “Searching for what we have on record.” Airwolf’s computers quickly searched for either Sayid’s or Bryon’s speech records. “Nothing matched String.”

Hawke used the TADS and sent the nuclear tipped shrike missile at the Palace. The fireball mushroomed up into the night sky making it daylight. The Palace beneath was levelled, fires burning everywhere. No one survived.

Hawke left the burning ruins and headed for Sayid’s Palace instead. He checked Airwolf’s computer and found where he needed to go.

“You’re not heading where I think you are heading are you?” Dominic queried. It was one thing blowing up something in Dubawi, Kristien’s own country but to go across to neighbouring Saudi, that was another.

“Sayid was in this from the word go.” Hawke spat. “I want to know where Byron is. Sayid will know.”

Dominic nodded. “Yeah and he will know that you have just blown up the Dubawi Palace in the capital city so he will be expecting us.”

“Good.” Hawke replied remembering the demonstration he gave Sayid of Airwolf’s capabilities when he wanted to consummate the arranged marriage between himself and Kristien. “I hope he shits himself thinking about my arrival.” Hawke replied smugly remembering Sayid’s shocked face when he was introduced to Airwolf for the very first time.

Airwolf cut across the border straight into Saudi. It’s stealth hiding it from any military listening posts just in case Dubawi did declare that it had been attacked by a mach one plus helicopter. The fact that Archangel hadn’t contacted them meant that no one had blown their cover.

Hawke landed Airwolf along the coast near to one of Sayid’s palaces. All the white buildings stuck out in the night. Hawke checked his side weapon and took the P-90 that Dominic handed to him from the Co pilots seat.

“Shout if you need me.” Dominic patted String on the shoulder as he was exiting Airwolf. “And String.”

Hawke looked back at Dominic. “Yeah?”

“Sayid may have been a pawn in this too you know.” Dominic reminded him. “So no guns blazing huh?”

Hawke remembered how Sayid didn’t make a move on Kristien and how he had professed his love to her. Perhaps Dominic was right.

Hawke moved deftly in the Palace, averting any of the Arab Guards. He quietly went to Sayid’s private quarters that were listed on Airwolf’ computers. Hawke entered and closed the door. Sayid was working at a desk with a laptop. Sayid looked up and saw Hawke with the P-90 under his shoulder.

“Hawke, I wondered when you were coming.” Sayid replied.

“Yeah and what I did to your limo I may do to you depending upon your answers.” Hawke replied.

Sayid remembered the incident well when he was introduced to Airwolf. He also remembered too well, Hawke’s angry face and his deep penetrating voice promising to kill him regardless of who he was if he hurt Kristien. Sayid knew enough about Hawke that once he made up his mind, he would follow through to hell and back if necessary.

“Well then what are your questions?” Sayid asked Hawke and gestured for him to sit down.

“I want to know why the woman I love is fighting for her life linked up to life support.” Hawke bluntly replied.

Sayids shocked face said it all. He did not know that Kristien had been injured. “What happened to Kristien?” Sayid’s voice was full of genuine concern for her.

“What do you care?” Hawke spat back.

“Hawke I care about her too you know, more than you know.” Sayid replied to the accusation. “Will she be alright?”

“Doesn’t life support give it away here?” Hawke continued vindictively as he remembered Kristien’s lifeless body laid out in the infirmary wing at her house.

“I know nothing about that.” Sayid replied hoping to keep Hawke satisfied with his answer.

“Well perhaps you had better start remembering everything else like where Bryon is and where he fits in with all of this.” Hawke questioned Sayid.

“Byron?” Sayid felt lost with that question.

“Kristie’s brother, yeah who else ordered her one way ticket into hospital?” Hawke started to get angry with the useless answers Sayid was providing.

Sayid replied. “You don’t know do you?”

“Know what?” Hawke replied.

“Bryon has Kristien’s first born, your son.” Sayid confirmed Hawke’s suspicions. “Archangel sent in a specially trained unit to go in and fetch your child back, they failed and that’s why the aircraft carrier was hit as a warning to let sleeping dogs lie.” Sayid explained. “The USA have pissed off a small Arab extremist group here, that have links with the Teleban in Afghanistan, that hate westerners. They bought the nuclear warheads and launched at your aircraft carriers.”

“Archangel sent in the troops?” Hawke repeated under his breath. Nothing made sense. “Hang on, Archangel sent Kristien in with the secret service to get the Minotaur that supplied the warhead.” Hawke started to piece things together.

“And since when does a Government Agent stay on one side of the fence?” Sayid threw Hawke a bone to gnaw on.

Hawke sat down opposite Sayid, not knowing what to do or say next. Sayid could easily see that the lack of sleep and the worry of Kristien’s health had taken it’s toll. One thing Sayid was glad for was that Hawke was actually thinking before acting unlike when he first met Airwolf, with the shoot first and ignore any questions afterwards.

“Archangel said that your aide Tariq worked for the Arab extremists.” Hawke interjected.

“He was Bryon’s agent working for the extremists.” Sayid surmised as he remembered how Kristien had shot Tariq dead when he tried to attack her, when she had recognised him.

“So what’s Bryon’s part in all this?” Hawke asked.

“Apart from having your son, nothing.” Sayid lied..

“Then why did you come over to Kristien’s and stir up the arranged marriage. Are you telling me Bryon was not behind that?” Hawke started to fish.

“Dubawi is our neighbour and as such we try to not piss each other off.” Sayid avoided the answer.

Hawke’s sixth sense was twitching. Sayid was lying. Hawke took the safety off the P-90 and Sayid swallowed hard. He had been caught with his pants down.

“Okay, okay but don’t get pissed off with me as I am just the messenger.” Sayid had his hands up gesturing to Hawke that he was giving in. “Bryon wanted Kristien for himself.”

“What for?” Hawke questioned.

“Bryon wanted Kristien at his side, to prove a point to everyone that he ‘could’ control her. The fact that he already had your first born proved to all his doubters in the Palace that he did mean business.” Sayid continued. “He would have taken her every night, in revenge for living from the coup from his guards, he would have used your son as a pawn to make sure Kristien worked for him, designed all of his warfare toys.” Sayid stroked his beard. “I stepped in to save Kristien like I have done before.”

“You annulled our marriage.” Hawke spat back angrily.

“That marriage agreement was made years before Kristien was even born, between our fathers as a gesture of friendship between our two great countries. I only used it to save Kristien.” Sayid hung his head feeling guilty. “I did not know that she had finally put aside her fears and got married. You must forgive me. I only had good intentions.”

“You are no better than Bryon, you too were going to rape her.” Hawke continued vindictively.

“I had to continue the rouse.” Sayid replied defensively. “I would never have touched Kristien.” Sayid could not believe himself and how he had to act so out of character over the whole visit to Kristien’s. “I was just surprised it took you long enough to stop me.” Sayid reminded him. “I gave you many opportunities to knock me down.”

Hawke looked at the Arab. “Kristien would not let me.”

“Arh, yes indeed, Kristien is very respectful.” Sayid took a drink of wine from the gold goblet in front of him. “You could have got your monster machine out at anytime though.”

“Yeah, I know.” Hawke looked down at the floor, one think he was thankful of was Sayid’s presence had just pushed Kristien and Hawke together even more. “So, where’s Bryon?”

“Why should I tell you? I like Dubawi as it is.” Sayid told him officially.

“Because Bryon brutally raped and beat her senseless, that’s why.” Hawke’s anger in his voice was not disguised. “You want that bastard as your neighbour?”

Sayid thought for a moment, what would be worse Dubawi finding out that he had given Hawke the location of their Ruler or Hawke unleashing Airwolf’s arsenal on to his Palace. “I have Bryon’s location here.” Sayid pointed to the laptop. “Every Friday he goes on manoeuvres with his army. Training for war every weekend, we keep a close eye on what he does.”

Hawke walked over to the laptop and looked at the high resolution Satellite feed. Hawke made a mental note of the longitude and latitude and walked away to the door.

“Hawke.” Sayid called out. “My debt to you has been repaid. Never return here without invitation. The next time we meet it will make full use of what I have regardless of that monster battleship you have.”

Hawke turned with his deep piercing eyes. “Your debt? Your DEBT?.” Hawke reminded him. “You haven’t even started your pay back yet.” Hawke sighed very heavily. “You annulled our marriage.” Hawke continued to stare at Sayid.

Sayid became very uncomfortable in the silence. “If I could take it back I would.” Sayid replied sadly. “I am sure you can get married again.” Sayid suggested hopefully.

“Too Late.” Hawke sighed heavily. “It was a one shot deal.” Hawke left Sayid and went back to Airwolf.