Airwolf Legacy

Chapter Four

One week later, the July Racecourse at Newmarket was radiant in the June sunshine. The buildings were being patrolled by the Secret Service. Various tanks, anti aircraft guns and missiles were all lined up ready for action. Airwolf too, sat with chain guns and adf pod displayed. Kristien had arrived in style with Hawke, Dominic and Special Agent Redwood.

Opposite the racecourse buildings on the other side of the track were various Arab Sheiks and wealthy heads of state were all in a Marquee trackside. Everyone was watching the giant flat screen that was showing the close up of the last race, where yet again, one of Kristien’s horses had accelerated away from the rest of the field, storming past the finish line with relative ease.

The meeting was a ‘closed’ meeting and was by invite only. The world’s fastest Group 1 Thoroughbred two and three year olds were invited to attend this meeting. Each race attracted everyone’s attention, more so that each race had specially selected horses in, the worlds best but each race had a winners purse of one million dollars and each owner could chose which mare or stallion they wished to breed from all of the owners that put up one of each as an entry fee per race.

Kristien was bored already. She had entered two races and won them with ease. Why couldn’t anyone ever breed a thoroughbred to match hers? Carsten walked up behind Kristien. He hated these match races especially with what he classed as the mortal enemies of Dubawi all sat opposite. He was always on his toes. He always thought that today would be the day that one of them would have a pop at Kristien even behind the bullet proof glass. These closed races had been going for over five years now, in secret.

“It seems that nothing has changed since last year.” Carsten commented on the current results. True, Kristien’s jockey was probably going to bring home seven winners, yet again, he too going to get a huge purse at the end of the meeting. Kristien removed her binoculars and looked over at her body guard.

“I feel like going home.” She replied honestly. “You would think this lot would be able to breed one decent horse, they bloody flood the market with thousands of dobbins in the hope that they can find at least one group one.” Kristien pointed over to all the Arab Sheiks in the Marquee. “They are all dripping in gold so why don’t they use their brains and do selective breeding?”

Carsten smiled at her, it wasn’t often Kristien was bored, but here she was, bored with the proceedings. “His Highness Sayid, Crown Prince of Saudi has requested an audience with you.” Carsten told her breaking her boredom of the lack of quality horses to take hers on.

“Really? I thought he would be busy sizing up curtains in the throne room in the Saudi Palace with his Father at deaths door.” Kristien sighed looking through the binoculars again, this time at the Marquee with all the Arabs in. “What does he want this year? I am not going to let him have one of my stallions or mares so do remind him of that.”

“I don’t think he comes to see the horses you know.” Carsten told her knowing that Sayid was, like him, in love with Kristien.

Kristien peered over the binoculars at Carsten. “So what does he come for then if not for the horses?”

“Do I need to spell it out to you?” Carsten could not believe that Kristien ignored the constant attention that men gave her.

“You are kidding me aren’t you?” Kristien said half pissed off with the idea that yet another man was wanting to get into her pants. “When you see him remind him that I am married. That should put him off.” Kristien replied having seconds thoughts, after all she was still on her honeymoon. “In fact tell him to sod off, I can’t be doing with any meetings. Can you imagine Saudi and Dubawi getting together? The first bloody ones to complain would be the President then The Queen.” Kristien raised her binoculars to continue spying.

“His aide Tariq is most insistent regarding a meeting.” Carsten told her pointing out Tariq stood next to Sayid opposite them.

“Is he?” Kristien looked at Carsten. “Am I going to be hounded by them?”

Carsten nodded at her confirming that he had Tariq become his shadow since arriving at the Race Meeting three hours earlier to do the security checks.

“Oh well sort something out for a couple of weeks time then and I don’t care what restrictions you place on them.” Kristien replied spying on Sayid over at the Marquee. What was so bloody important to speak to her? She wasn’t about to sell him a horse which was his usual request but as Saudi was Dubawi’s neighbour perhaps it was ‘shop talk’ rather than personal. Through the binoculars she saw Sayid’s aide Tariq walk up to Sayid. Kristien froze. The binoculars dropped down and she tried to remember where she had seen Tariq before. His face was vaguely familiar. Kristien had a photographic memory and she was struggling to remember his face. Where had she seen it before? Why wasn’t her memory of his face crystal clear? Kristien started to feel uneasy.

Hawke and Dominic sat in Airwolf watching the racing on the screens inside of her. Hawke wanted to escort Kristien inside and stand beside her as her husband but the need to ‘baby sit’ Airwolf was greater, besides she was flanked by eight secret service agents.

Hawke sat not really watching the horses race besides that really was a slam dunk where Kristien’s horses were concerned. Instead he was feeling Kristien’s sudden uneasiness.

“Dom, you stay here with the Lady.” Hawke told Dominic as he exited Airwolf.

“Sure thing, String.” Dominic climbed through to sit in the co pilots seat.

Hawke made his way over the racecourse parade ring where the horses for the next race were already walking round. Various men dressed in full Arab robes stood admiring their own horses but all jealously looking at Kristien’s horse. Hawke smiled inwardly at this. One thing Kristien was brilliant at was breeding top quality horses.

He made his way up the stairs and to the hospitality suite that was exclusively for Kristien. Various Secret Service Agents acknowledged Hawke as he entered. Hawke walked over directly to Kristien and he put his arm around her. Kristien responded and put her hand on top of Hawke’s. She was glad of his arrival.

“Take me home.” Kristien whispered to him.

Hawke raised his eyebrow. “You sure? You aren’t even half way through the meeting.”

Kristien rested her head on Hawke’s chest. “I am sure.”

“Dom, start the Lady.” Hawke radioed to Dominic.

Something was wrong, Hawke could not only feel it but Kristien not wanting to see her horses race, now that was unheard of. Hawke kept his arm around Kristien and escorted her out, eight Secret Service Agents also joined them and walked towards Airwolf.

Outside Airwolf’s rotors were already turning and nearly at full power. Dominic got into the back of Airwolf with Agent Redwood.

“Look after her Hawke.” Carsten shouted to Hawke above the deafening roar of Airwolf’s turbines.

Hawke nodded in acknowledgement.

Carsten closed Airwolf’s port door after ensuring Kristien was safe. Carsten moved away as Airwolf took off. The deafening roar gaining more and the down wash threatening to knock Carsten over.

Carsten watched in awe as Airwolf took Kristien away. He was sure glad that Airwolf was on his side.

Tariq too, hiding from view watched the mach one plus helicopter take off.

Back at Kristien’s estate Hawke was sat at the end of the dock with the Stradivarius, playing one of his favourite pieces by Prokofiev . He was dressed comfortably in jeans and a maroon shirt. The evening air was very still. He stopped playing. Something was wrong. A knot deep in his gut tightened. Hawke took an involuntary short breath in and held it. A sickening dark thought crossed his mind. Somehow he was going to lose Kristien.

Hawke struggled to his feet. Breathing was becoming difficult. He held the Stradivarius tightly and walked quickly to the lodge, leaving the Stradivarius inside. The dark emotions were consuming him quickly. He had to try to find some clarity to find Kristien. He knew she had gone riding by herself with her stallion Kalli but where was she. The dark emotions from deep inside his brooding soul were clouding his bond that he had with Kristien.

“Master Stringfellow, is everything alright?” Alfred asked Hawke noting the sudden change in him.

“Where’s Kristie?” Hawke gasped not hiding the pain he was feeling.

Alfred took out the PDA from his pocket. He looked at it. “Miss Kristien is on her way back to the stables, Master Stringfellow.”

“Tell Carsten to meet me outside, now.” Hawke told Alfred.

“Of course, Master Stringfellow.” Alfred was already typing into the PDA. “Special Agent Carsten will be here in two minutes.”

Hawke left the lodge. Alfred concerned for Kristien’s husband, called her on their own private radio to warn her of his sudden brooding, just in case she couldn’t feel it.

Special Agent Carsten stood a distance away from the Lodge. He knew better than to come any closer, after all he and all the other agents were banned from the Lodge and the fact that Kristien and Hawke had practically moved permanently to the Lodge since getting married probably said it all, do not disturb. He waited for Hawke to walk over to him. In the eighteen months that Carsten had got to know Hawke he had mellowed a little, but the two men still had a deep dislike towards each other. The only thing that linked them was their love of Kristien.

“Double security.” Hawke told him bluntly.

“Any reason why?” Carsten asked, stunned at the request from the blue.

“Do you always do this much questioning?” Hawke retorted not hiding his anger at being questioned.

“Look you haven’t had a visit from the FIRM so what’s this about?” Carsten continued the line of questioning and saw Kristien exit from the stables behind the lodge.

“Just do your job, I have told you to double security…..” Hawke started to raise his voice.

“I am not doubling security on your say so, Hawke.” Carsten spat back. “What the fuck is this about? Where’s the evidence of a heightened threat?”

Kristien could hear the two men from the stables. She walked over hoping to get to them before fists started. No matter how hard she wished that the pair of them would get on, she had resigned to the fact that they never would. Alfred’s warning to her had come at the same time she had felt Hawke’s sudden despair. Something had happened to make him feel like that.

Kristien walked up behind Hawke and put her hand in his. Just her touch sent a calmness through to Hawke, calming him instantly as he fed from her.

“Boys, what’s this about?” Kristien asked looking at the stand off between the two men.

“Hawke here wants me to double security.” Carsten replied spitefully.

“Not a bad idea.” Kristien replied backing up Hawke’s request one hundred percent but also from touching him she had felt his despair and brooding nature return. Something was wrong.

Typical, Carsten thought, Hawke has a bloody premonition and she goes with it. Instead of hurling abuse Carsten paused. “I’ll get right on it then.” Carsten left Hawke and Kristien.

Hawke turned and put his arm around Kristien. He wanted to keep her safe. “When we were in Airwolf earlier did you hear the turbines were out of alignment?”

Kristien hadn’t as her mind was searching where she had seen Tariq. “No sorry, I didn’t. We can go to the hangar and have a look if you like?” Kristien suggested welcoming the distraction from her uneasiness about Tariq.

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Hawke replied smiling that Kristien had suggested the safest place she could be without knowing the real reason. The hangar was bomb proof and housed Airwolf and only Hawke and Kristien had access to it. There she would be safe. There he could relax.

Once in the hangar Kristien set to work on the laptops and did various diagnostics on Airwolf. Hawke went into the hangar kitchen and started to make some tea and coffee leaving Kristien to check on Airwolf. True the turbines were slightly out of alignment but only by a point of a millimetre. Hawke’s hearing was something else.

Kristien looked up from the screen and up at Airwolf. The phantom grey helicopter sat, with radiance in the spot lights that danced lightly over her sleek lines. Hawke came from the shadows and paused looking at Kristien.

He couldn’t lose her, not now he had finally had found the courage and married her. Hawke continued to watch her and he realised that she knew that. He walked over and put down the tea next to the laptop. Kristien’s eyes met his.

“Thanks.” She said softly and took a sip, still looking directly at him. Hawke tried to keep in her gaze but he was inwardly panicking.

Hawke walked over to Airwolf and opened up the port door and sat inside. He sipped his black coffee trying to put the dark thoughts out of his head. The more he tried the darker they became. His soul mate looked over at him.

“That’s done that.” Kristien spoke softly finishing up the diagnostic. “True the turbines were out of alignment but by a cats whisker, so do you really want to tell me what’s going on?” She looked over at Hawke.

Hawke sighed, could he really tell her and remain calm? Hawke was clearly struggling with his immense brooding nature that had returned. “I am scared I am going to lose you.” Hawke admitted to her. “I can feel it.”

Kristien did not hide her reaction of shock to Hawke’s admission to her. One thing Kristien didn’t ever try was to change Hawke’s mind once it was set. Happily she would challenge him as his soul mate this was something she could do. But this revelation was something she was not prepared for. Had her acceptance of his marriage proposal brought this revelation forward? Did Hawke know when he would lose her? Could she avoid it somehow? Kristien’s mind became clouded with more questions than answers.

Kristien walked over to Airwolf and sat on the sponsons wings. She looked at the floor, thinking carefully as to how she was going to answer him, clearing her mind. Hawke looked at Kristien deep in thought, his deep brooding eyes taking her in.

Finally after a few minutes, which felt like an eternity, Kristien’s eyes came up from the floor and met his loving, brooding blue eyes.

“If you are this worried to double security, then it is obviously more than a feeling, it’s got to be like a premonition.” Kristien remained calm. “Any idea how or when?”

Hawke took his gaze from hers and hung his head, shaking it in reply to her. Kristien took this as her cue. She slid down from Airwolf and took two steps closer to Hawke. She carefully placed her hand on his lowered head and brought it gently up and got his eye contact again. At this precise moment she was lost for words, too. Before in Hawke’s life every woman he had met and loved had promised something that none of them could keep. Kristien ran her fingers through his hair and brought her face closer to his. Her lips gently rubbed over his. He returned the invitation and kissed her. Their embrace was in search of consolation rather than passion. In that moment Hawke’s brooding barriers fell and sorrow rolled in like a tsunami. Tears fell uncontrollably as he continued to embrace her.

Kristien was overwhelmed with the depths of his sorrow. As she continued to return the embrace part of her felt as if she too were drowning with the wave of emotion but felt powerless to stop the immense force in its tracks. Then she had an idea.

Kristien gently pulled away from the embrace. “You love me.” Kristien stated. “So you are going to have to trust me.”

Hawke swallowed hard, God here it comes, the promise that someone else would not be able to keep. He wanted to shout at her to stop her from saying anything, but his voice too had been drowned out by the powerful emotion that he had created. All he could do was to nod his head in acknowledgement.

“Right then, listen very carefully as I will only say this once to you.” Kristien paused and gently stroked the tears away from Hawke’s face. Hawke brought up his hand and placed one finger on her lips.

“Please don’t……” Hawke started to say but Kristien interrupted him.

“I wasn’t finished.” Kristien elevated her voice, with some irritation in it. She inhaled deeply and let it out. “Nope you have spoiled the moment.” She shook her head at him.

“Sorry, I thought you were going to………………” Hawke paused as he looked at Kristien who was clearly pissed off at her thunder being stolen. The moment had passed and she felt robbed of it. Hawke looked at her and suddenly realised that Kristien, his soul mate was probably going to profess her love to him as he had done a few weeks previous to her totally out of the blue, which led to the marriage proposal and then hours later the wedding. He held her close, holding her tightly, not allowing her to breathe deeply. “Damn, I am so sorry.”

Kristien kissed Hawke’s neck. “No matter.”

“It does matter.” Hawke replied continuing to hold her close trying hard not to get cross with himself for allowing the brooding emotion to take control of him, to consume him totally.

“I want us to try for a baby.” Kristien whispered into his ear. “Tonight. So you had better start making love to me now.”

Hawke was surprised at the request. He was all full of doom and gloom and here she was planning for the future. He looked at her, so full of life and vibrant.

“So soon after the miscarriage?” Hawke was puzzled with Kristien’s request. “I spoke to the doctor and she recommends….”

“I am fed up with People telling what I can and can’t do.” Kristien referred back to the state dinner and all the protocol.

“I’m not saying that we can’t.” Hawke replied looking into her eyes. “You know there is nothing that I wouldn’t love more is to have you pregnant with my baby, but not at the risk of your health.”

Kristien looked at him and she wanted to tell him that all pregnancies are risky and even more so with her, but she couldn’t. “So you want us to wait? Until when exactly? Another six months like last time and see what happens? And what happens then if I lose another one?” Kristien added to Hawke’s doom and gloom. “What do we do then? No one is getting any younger here.”

Hawke’s fortieth birthday was the following week. Kristien had kept the Marquee up and Dominic and Alfred were planning a huge surprise for him. True no one was getting any younger, Kristien too was going to be twenty eight later on in the year.

Kristien walked away from Hawke without a fight and back to the laptops. She typed a couple of things and picked up her tea and walked away from the hangar to the lounge area before getting out of sight she spoke. “As I said earlier, it doesn’t matter.” Kristien signed off her side of the facts of the conversation and left Hawke in the hangar.

Hawke sat in the silence with only Airwolf’s humming computers for company. He looked over inside the EDCC and at the flight controls. How could he be a father when he had Airwolf? Flying dangerous missions at any time for the FIRM. One afternoon he suggested that he would give it back. He had never seen Kristien get angry at him ever before until then. My God did she blow up, a nuclear bomb would have been safer to sit on, than next to her when she got angry. Kristien hid a deep rage, so deep that she usually had a warning and could divert it by driving her sports cars or her racing trucks on her own race circuit. She reminded him that the FIRM still hadn’t delivered the goods so he should keep it, besides she updated Airwolf ensuring it was above current developments. Could he really lead two lives, being a loving husband and a father whilst working for the FIRM?

Hawke looked at the cyclic and collective and started to reminisce all the times he had flown her. From the first time that he had flown Airwolf when Kristien had brought Airwolf to him and they had spent the night together, to when he had to go to Libya to get Airwolf back from Khadaffi. Hawke remembered back to every time he had flown Airwolf.

Hawke realised that night had fallen whilst he had been reminiscing. He stood up and closed Airwolf’s door and walked over to the lounge to continue the conversation with Kristien. Kristien was curled up on the sofa in the darkness, the hangar light just creeping in. Hawke could see that her eyes were red from crying silently to herself. Hawke came over to her feeling guilty for making her cry. He sat on the floor and leant up against the sofa his back to her.

“I’m sorry Kristie.” Hawke whispered to her, half of him hoping she was fast asleep. He didn’t want to argue with her. She was right, if they kept waiting time would run away from them.

Kristien stirred in her light sleep, she let her fingers move gently on the back of his neck. “I said it didn’t matter.” She whispered trying to hide the fact she had quietly sobbed herself to sleep.

Hawke turned to her and stroked her cheek, fondly. “It does matter and you are right.”

“I am always right.” Kristien whispered back rubbing her cheek in the warmth of his hand.

Hawke looked at Kristien. Did she really want his baby that much? Had the photograph of possibly their child in Dubawi prompted this urgent need to have his baby? Or had the tragic miscarriage sadly brought reality home to both of them? Hawke gently brushed his lips over hers. Kristien felt the immense sorrow from him and allowed it to engulf her. Hawke felt Kristien draw his sorrow from the depths within. Why was she not stopping him from brooding? Why was she engorging herself on his sorrow?

Hawke gently pulled away and his eyes met hers. He looked deep into her soul and found profound sadness that he hadn’t seen before. Hawke’s soul reached hers and slowly a dark realisation began to dawn, he shook his head.

“You are worried too.” Hawke regarded her solemnly. “You are regretting us getting married.”

Kristien’s eyes opened wide and her shocked face said a thousand words to him. “You should not take any notice of what I have hidden deep inside.” Kristien sat up on the sofa and had a leg either side of Hawke’s body. Half of her cursing herself for allowing her emotions too much freedom. She was so up and down since the miscarriage and the fact she had quietly taken various injections so that she would ovulate straight away, her hormones were all over the place. True, she had said yes to marrying her soul mate and then panicked when he organised the wedding just five hours later, no small feat at that. But Hawke knew her intimately, and had he waited any longer Kristien would have found some excuse not to bind him to her in the eyes of God. “I……” Hawke placed his finger gently on her lips, not wanting her to say anything, not like this. He knew could feel her emotions were everywhere but above all this he could feel beyond a shadow of doubt that she loved him deeply and that’s all that mattered.

Hawke grew quiet for a moment, thinking.

Kristien struggled for composure in the silence between them. Her hormones were in the driving seat on this one and there was no way she could control them. Hawke watched her and saw her visibly struggle. He had after all, dumped his emotions on to her, maybe this was too much to bear especially after losing the baby. He could feel her emotions on one hell of a roller coaster ride. He had never felt her like this before, so out of control, so vulnerable.

Hawke pulled himself up on to the sofa and lay next to her, sliding his arm behind her pulling her close to his body. Kristien responded and undid Hawke’s shirt and placed her head on his chest listening to his heart beat. Her soft skin touching his warm muscular chest, her fingers absently stroking his chest.

Dispelling all his fears with his nagging sense of doom, Hawke started to undo Kristien’s shirt. He moved the shirt back from her shoulders, allowing it to fall, revealing a Victoria Secret bra, deftly with one hand Hawke undid the bra allowing him to feast on her full breasts. Gently he pulled her close, stoking her body purposely.

Soon they were both naked just laying together, holding each other close, just enjoying each other’s company, stroking each other’s body. There was no release of passion or lust. The quietness that they generated between them allowed their love for each other to flow from their complicated earth bound bodies.

They had been holding each other for a few hours, both of them lovingly caressing each other, slowly and fondly, their eyes looking deep into each others souls. Hawke found what he was looking for deep inside Kristien. He gently moved his body over hers. He entered her slowly and their love making reached another new level. Hawke could feel their love and he could feel what ultimately was happening. Their mutual love tonight was going to produce a baby. He could feel it above the quelling sorrowful nagging that he had, it dawned on him what she was pleading for, imploring to happen above all her fears. This was something that she wanted to happen.

As he emptied his life force into her he remembered back to when she conceived for their first born child. It was the same then as it was now. As he relaxed he held her in his arms, not moving from her, he wanted that feeling all night, to remember when they conceived their second child.

Hawke wasn’t sure of the time when he silently slipped to her side and continued to hold her in his arms, protecting her. But his eyes met hers and there it was. The glowing aurora around her soul telling him that together they had made a baby.

Hawke could not control his emotion. Kristien saw his tears of joy and smiled serenely at him.

“I promise you, you are going to have this baby.” Hawke told her before gently kissing her and then continuing to hold her and stroke her body.