04x08 - Code of Silence

[bunniefuu]

Your job, Hawke, is to pick up Ambassador Reynolds.

Airwolf is flying support for this mission, not decoy.

(g*ns f*ring)

General Lacey's son is dead, you're up on charges and you wanna talk about rules? The defense calls General Wilbur Lacey.

You leave him out of this.

It's too late for that, Coombs.

I won't allow it.

Then I walk.

Heavy ground fire.

Looks like we're expected.

It wasn't supposed to go down like this.

What's the package? The ambassador to Colombia.

He was kidnapped by guerillas three months ago.

We're getting him back.

Coombs chopper outfit is a m*llitary unit.

What are we doing here? Strictly support.

Telltale Leader, this is Telltale Ground.

Package secure.

Ready for pickup.

Telltale Ground, Telltale Ground, this is Telltale Leader.

You are to pop smoke.

I have your LZ in sight.

Roger, Telltale Ground.

I have your smoke.

COOMBS: Airwolf, Airwolf, Airwolf.

SAINT JOHN: I read you, Telltale leader.

COOMBS: Roger, Airwolf.

You are to secure the package.

Then proceed to Farmer's Garden.

Combat Team will complete Operation Telltale.

Airwolf is flying support for this mission, not decoy.

Your job, Hawke, is to pick up Ambassador Reynolds.

You were Captain Courageous in the Mekong Delta but Combat team is my team, not your company's.

Listen, Coombs The ambassador is waiting.

Telltale Two, Telltale Two, this is Telltale Leader.

Prepare to pick up ground forces.

Telltale Four, cover the retreat.

Telltale Two going down.

COOMBS: Roger, Telltale Two.

Have no fear.

Telltale Four is here.

I'll guard your flanks, boys.

Do it, don't jock about it, boy.

(CHUCKLES)

Going in for the pickup.

Heavy ground fire.

Telltale Leader, bring us support.

COOMBS: We've got you covered.

Give us everything you got.

Come on, Telltale Ground, move him closer.

We better be quick.

He doesn't look like he's going to make it.

SAINT JOHN: And we're out of here, Telltale Leader.

Telltale Leader, this is Airwolf.

We have the package and are heading for Farmer's Garden.

(SINGING)

Man who sh*t Liberty Valance He sh*t Liberty Valance He was the greatest of them all Can the music, Lacey.

We ain't home free yet.

That guy just never lets up.

What is it with you and Coombs, anyway? It's a long story.

We have time.

No, we don't.

We've got company.

Two o'clock.

Incoming, right on your tail.

Chaff! You got it.

Okay, buddy, come to papa.

Coombs, this is Airwolf.

MiG fighter destroyed en route to Farmer's Garden.

Watch your tail.

Over.

Roger that, Airwolf.

Thanks.

THOMPSON: Colonel, we have a Code Red.

Ground fire.

(g*ns f*ring)

You son of a THOMPSON: Hey, what's Coombs doing? What the hell? COOMBS: Brad, watch it! JENNINGS: Oh, my God! THOMPSON: Lacey's hit.

Mayday! He's going down! Mayday! JENNINGS: He's out of control.

Pull up! What's going on? THOMPSON: Brad, get control.

Pull up.

Pull up! Telltale Four! Telltale Four! Telltale Four! Telltale Four! Acknowledge! Brad! Brad! Brad! THOMPSON: Coombs hit Lacey.

Did you see it? Coombs hit Lacey! JENNINGS: Yeah, I saw it.

What the hell happened? You still look out of place in uniform, even as a Reserve.

Skip the niceties, and answer the question.

You know what I never liked about you, Hawke, no discipline.

You were good, probably the best flier I ever saw.

But the rules, rules never got in your way, did they? General Lacey's son is dead, you're up on charges and you wanna talk about rules? I want you to defend me at the hearing tomorrow.

You gotta be kidding.

Look, Hawke, the whole damn Army knows that you and I can't stand each other.

But you also know my record.

Well, I hope you got a plan B.

Because there is no authority that can make me get involved in this.

This is not orders.

It's a request.

I'm not a lawyer! Look, Hawke, they gave me some green kid fresh out of law school.

Now, you can't do any worse.

What's this all about, Coombs? I can't tell you.

But I do want you to know one thing.

I'm a believer, by the book.

And very judge on that panel knows it because they are, too.

The Army takes care of its own.

Brad Lacey was one of their own.

So be it.

It's in their hands.

PRIEST: It has been said that old soldiers fade away.

But what of young soldiers? We must keep the memory of our departed brother, Lieutenant Bradley Frederick Lacey, near in our hearts, and remember him as man who loved his country.

Like many others before him, he gave his life in the service of it.

Amen.

Major Hawke.

Thank you for coming.

I'm truly sorry, General.

Oh, I've always despised these damn things.

I thank God, Mrs.

Lacey, bless her soul, was spared this.

I want you to defend Coombs.

General, I I know the reply, son.

I want you to understand something.

Steve Coombs is as much a son to me as Brad was.

This is a father's request, not a General's.

General, I wouldn't know where to begin.

Saint John, I love these two men.

And now one is dead, the other He won't talk to me, he won't even look at me.

Why me? Your record is exemplary.

Your honesty unassailable.

And Steve asked for you.

Well, Coombs always said I flew on the edge.

But even though we were always at odds, there was a mutual respect.

Thank you.

Captain Parkinson is a topnotch lawyer.

Young but competent.

She'll be assisting you in the preliminaries.

If it should go to trial Well, we'll cross that bridge.

Let's get one thing straight.

I didn't ask for this assignment.

But I'm gonna do my best to defend that bastard.

But I've been on this case for three days.

And? And? What do you think? What's there to think? The charges are voluntary manslaughter and criminal negligence.

So far the man has offered no defense.

No offense, but how many of these hearings have you participated in, Miss Parkinson? I am a career officer in the United States Army.

My name is Captain Parkinson, not Miss, not honey, not babe.

Do you read me, Mr.

Hawke? That's Major to you, Captain.

It's standard procedure for the defense and prosecution attorney to meet with the judge before trial.

Who is the prosecutor? I have it right here in my case.

Ah, Captain Parkinson Good afternoon, sir.

Major Hawke.

I'd like you to meet prosecuting attorney.

We've met.

I was with the US Attorney's office in Washington for two years before joining the Company.

And since I was on the mission, I guess I was the logical choice.

Well, I certainly had no idea you'd be on the other side.

Neither did I.

The Company wants this thing wrapped up quickly.

It's messy.

But not at the expense of a fair trial.

Of course not.

But let's face it, there really isn't any issue about the outcome of this one.

He didn't do it, Jason.

I've talked to all the witnesses, I've reviewed all the evidence and I've read Coombs' statement.

He's as guilty as hell.

Steve Coombs may be a lot of things but he's not a m*rder*r.

And you're not a lawyer.

You're damn right! But I flew with him and despite his lack of social graces, he was one hell of a soldier.

He's a soldier with one hell of a case against him.

(SCOFFS)

And he doesn't even wanna defend himself.

Well, I guess, unless you flew with him, you just can't understand.

So, you flew with him.

You're gonna introduce that as evidence in court? That and anything else it takes.

(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)

Compliments of Lidia.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi! How you doing? You all right? Lidia, my dear.

Brewskies in a bucket, por favor.

That's Thompson and Jennings.

The very same.

Major Hawke, sir! Gentlemen, I've been trying to reach you for the last three days.

We have contact, sweet thing.

Back off, peaches.

Now, I want all three of you to report to me in my office tomorrow at 1100 hours.

Come on, even the big co

-pilot in the sky takes Sundays off.

Not when your commander's career is at stake.

The man's a machine.

He doesn't need or want our help.

The man's in trouble.

It's trouble of his own making.

How can you be like that when a member of your own team has just been k*lled? Brad was a nice kid and I'm sorry he's dead.

But what's done is done.

You know, Thompson, your attitude stinks.

(PARKINSON GASPS)

Come on, get out of here! Get out of here.

Sorry about that, Lidia.

He deserved it.

Besides, it's been dull since Brad d*ed.

Come on, everybody.

Drinks on the house.

Drinks on the house.

Be right with you.

And then what happened, Sergeant? Colonel Coombs' chopper just veered left.

Into Lieutenant Lacey.

That's right.

And you were filming at the time? Yes, sir.

But when I was hit, the camera and the film were lost.

Would you say your view of the incident was unobstructed? Absolutely.

From what you could see, was there any apparent reason whatsoever, for Colonel Coombs to have made such a maneuver.

None.

Thank you.

No further questions.

Saint John, that camera can't be bigger than a pencil box.

Do you have the coordinates? Yeah, yeah, it happens to be jungle.

Just imagine you're looking for a clean pair of socks in your apartment.

Very funny.

Captain Thompson, you were flying third in formation, which would put you right here.

Is that correct? THOMPSON: Correct.

Did you see anything? Yes.

Would you please tell the court? Telltale mission had been a blue.

A blue, Captain? A success.

Colonel Coombs had ordered Felix Formation, what you see diagrammed there.

LOCKE: Anything unusual about that? No.

Standard defensive maneuver.

So the Combat team was heading for home.

What happened next? Colonel Coombs' aircraft veered hard to left into Lieutenant Lacey.

Was Colonel Coombs' hard left turn standard defensive maneuver? It was not.

Lieutenant Lacey was forced to take radical defensive action.

LOCKE: From what you saw, did it appear, that Colonel Coombs flew intentionally into Lieutenant Lacey's aircraft? Sir, this man doesn't know what Colonel Coombs intended.

JUDGE: But he can draw inferences from what he observed.

Overruled.

Proceed.

Yes, sir.

It did appear intentional.

LOCKE: Lieutenant Jennings, do you have any opinion as to why Colonel Coombs would ram Brad Lacey? No, sir, I do not.

Lieutenant, I understand there is a code of silence that Army pilots adhere to.

And I respect that.

But it is an Army pilot who's lost his life here.

He deserves your loyalty also.

(SIGHS)

A few nights before the mission, some of us were at Lidia's.

It's a bar a couple of miles off base.

Colonel Coombs was there.

So was Brad.

They were arguing.

What were they arguing about? I'm not sure, but, during the fight, Colonel Coombs told Lieutenant Lacey, that if he didn't stop He said he would k*ll Lieutenant Lacey.

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

(GAVEL BANGING)

MAN: He's guilty.

WOMAN: Can you believe this? So, Colonel Coombs said that he would k*ll Brad Lacey if he didn't stop.

Stop what, Lieutenant? I don't know.

Thank you, Lieutenant Jennings.

Thank you for doing your duty.

The prosecution rests.

A short recess, sir.

Well, it's after We'll adjourn for the day to reconvene tomorrow at 0900 hours.

Court is adjourned.

Give us a minute.

You've got to take the stand, Colonel.

No, I can't do that.

What are you afraid of? I was raised with that boy.

Now he's gone and I can't change that.

What happened up there, Coombs? He's dead and that's all I'm gonna tell you.

Come on, baby.

Mike, you have such a way with women.

Women, words.

Just wait till you see what I do with computers.

Just keep her steady, Jo.

I'm holding.

I'm holding.

Bingo! Winch activated.

MIKE: Going down.

JO: Let's hope that camera is still in one piece.

Have you got it? MIKE: Almost.

Damn it! JO: Uh

-oh! We got company.

MIKE: Great timing guys.

I'll increase the electromagnetic voltage.

Just do it fast.

If we have to change position, we'll lose it.

Got it.

JO: I'm reeling it in.

MIKE: If they hit that camera, we're sunk.

Safe and sound.

Great.

Let's do the same for us.

So, you still think he's innocent, don't you? Yeah, I do.

Don't you? Nope.

Nor does your friend, Locke.

So, I am the only one that believes Coombs didn't do it.

Then what happened up there? What's he trying to hide? I don't know.

But I do know he's an honorable man.

You gotta believe that honor means everything to him.

Okay.

But even if you're right, that's no reason for him to surrender, and that's what he's doing.

I don't buy that.

Yesterday in court, he relived that whole tragedy and he really hurt.

Well, that's still no reason for him to roll over.

Maybe it is.

If he's protecting someone.

Like Brad.

Thank you, Sergeant.

This is ridiculous.

We don't even know what we're looking for.

It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

(SCREAMING)

You all right? Yeah.

Yeah, I'm okay.

I found something.

We ran a computer check on our friend here.

He's Oscar Mendoza.

A civilian gardener who works on the base.

A few arrests for petty theft.

There's nothing here.

SAINT JOHN: There must be and you pick a dead man's to rob? Just dumb luck, I guess.

I don't think so, Mendoza.

What were you looking for? If you tell us, we can help you.

I don't need no help from you.

I'm a civilian, man.

That means I get tried in a civilian court.

I'll be out on bail in 24 hours.

He's right, and you're reaching.

You got a problem with that? I got a problem with you looking everywhere but at Coombs for Brad Lacey's k*ller.

Well, maybe if you quit going by the book for one minute and give some thought to the people involved, you'd solve your problem.

The defense may begin its case.

Call your first witness.

The defense calls General Wilbur Lacey.

(WHISPERS)

What the hell do you think you're doing? This wasn't in the game plan.

If Coombs won't speak for himself, we'll get the man who knows him best to speak for him.

You leave him out of this.

It's too late for that, Coombs.

I won't allow it.

Then I walk.

Major? The defense calls General Lacey.

General Lacey, you've seen Colonel Coombs under fire, you know him as a soldier.

I do.

Please tell the court about Steve Coombs, the soldier, the officer, the leader.

I would be proud to have Colonel Coombs as a member of any unit I command.

You, in fact, named him in

-flight commander of the Combined Basic as*ault Team.

I did.

Why, General? Why Coombs? At this time, the Combat team, essentially, is in a constant state of w*r against terrorism.

Colonel Coombs is a man who thrives on that pressure.

How so? He is a fighting machine.

He, his aircraft, his weapons, his team, he sees them all as one.

Objection, sir.

We are all well aware of Colonel Coombs' past record.

But it is irrelevant to the present charges.

Colonel Coombs is charged with an act which is absolutely contrary to his past record.

His character and his accomplishments couldn't be more relevant.

I agree.

Objection overruled.

Colonel Coombs is tough on his team.

No tougher than he is on himself.

If he has one flaw, that is it.

He's tough, but fair with his men.

Has he ever let you or your team down in battle? Objection, sir.

Prior to this incident.

No.

Considering all that you've testified to here today, all that you know of the man, do you believe that Steve Coombs intentionally downed your son? Brad had made some mistakes but he was shaping up.

(INHALES)

Brad was a good man and he was becoming a good soldier.

I respected him for that, just as I respected Steve Coombs.

But I loved them both as sons.

Don't ask me to choose between them, Major.

I'm sick to death with the whole thing.

Coombs was a tough piece of leather.

Maybe too tough.

But he deserves better than this after what he's given those bastards.

You mean Thompson and Jennings? And the rest.

He took a bunch of floppy

-eared puppies and turned them into fighting men.

You have to admit, Thompson is one hell of a flier.

Thompson and the others are fanatics.

They see themselves as the elite, the best and the brightest.

It's their mission to rid themselves of weak links, like Brad.

What are you saying? They wanted him out.

Brad was a screw

-up.

He got onto the team on his father's wings and the team resented Coombs' covering for him.

Why not just report Brad? He was a coward, a gambler, always scrounging money but he was also the General's son.

Well, if Coombs and Brad were so close, then what was all this fighting about? Maybe Coombs finally had enough of Brad, too.

I don't know.

(EXCLAIMS SOFTLY)

(SIGHS)

Man, there is nothing here.

I have an idea.

That's more like it.

What would two men fight over? There's gotta be something in here.

Well, if your buddy, Coombs would tell us something, then we wouldn't have to play d*ck Tracy like this.

Yeah, well, why don't we get started? You take the bedroom and I'll look in here.

No! Why don't you take the bedroom and I'll start in here.

Did anybody ever tell you that you're beautiful when you're a pain Search.

Allie.

Did you find something? What do you make of this? It's stopped up.

Uh

-huh.

And here's the stopper.

Looks like it's been dripping for days.

Probably since Brad d*ed.

Yeah.

This is heavyweight stuff.

A combat plan to att*ck and destroy three munitions stockades in Central America, dates, times, locations.

Do you know what this means? Yeah, Brad Lacey was a traitor.

No wonder Coombs took the fall.

He was protecting the General.

This would k*ll him.

Well, this just ruins our case.

We've just hung our client.

What is it? Well, he's gone.

Gone? Coombs? He managed to take out his guard and somehow got hold of a chopper.

Innocent men don't run, Hawke.

SAINT JOHN: Where was he headed? MIKE: He was last seen north northwest from the place where he stole the chopper.

He's headed for Twenty

-Nine Palms.

Damn! The m*ssile testing grounds.

SAINT JOHN: Coombs, come in, Coombs! Answer me, damn it! Standby.

I think I got him coming up on the scope.

And coordinates locked.

You're flying into restricted airspace, Coombs.

For God's sake, talk to me! Run a check on ground activity in the area.

Way ahead of you.

I know about the Ring, Coombs.

I'm picking up readings of a maneuver in progress.

MAN ON PA: All personnel, clear launch area! All personnel, clear launch area! Surface to air m*ssile testing commences in T

-minus 30 seconds and counting.

Coombs, come in.

I know you can hear me.

I don't want a confrontation, Hawke.

In about 20 seconds, you're going to get one.

You'll be blown to bits.

You can't run away from it.

I'm not running.

I'm just doing the only thing I know how to do.

MAN ON PA: Test site is secure, drones are airborne.

T

-minus 20 seconds and counting.

You can't win this way, Coombs.

Well, that's the hell of it, isn't it! If we don't turn around, this test site is gonna have two new drones.

Turn around, Coombs.

What do you think you'll accomplish by this? I'm a flier, Hawke, not a speechmaker, and I know that I gotta crash and burn but I ain't got to take all that BS down below.

All you have to do is tell us what happened.

(SIGHS)

I already told you.

I can't do that.

Fire.

I've got three incoming missiles.

Sunburst, coming up.

One down.

Another m*ssile is right on Coombs' tail.

Let's take it.

Give me turbos, Mike.

You got it! Ooh, this one has our name on it.

Use the sunburst.

Temporarily out of stock! I better try something else fast! Hang on.

It's still dogging us.

You dragged me into this, Coombs.

You and all that talk about being a soldier, a believer, going by the rules.

We can't shake this one.

Was that all BS too, Coombs? If it was, you can blow me out of the air right now, but, by God, that's what you'll have to do before I let you leave this unfinished.

That's a nice sh*t.

We're even now.

And thanks.

But, sir Counsel, your client has escaped.

He has left himself without defense.

Major Hawke, what is the meaning of this? Sir, we've wasted enough of the court's time.

I move that the defense rest and a verdict rendered.

I'm sorry, sir, but there are extenuating circumstances.

Yes, we'd like to request a short recess, sir.

But there will be no further delays.

Am I understood? Yes, sir.

Thank you, sir.

Prosecution motion denied.

Reconvene at 1500 hours.

(GAVEL BANGS)

What's going on? I can't tell you right now.

But don't let him out of your sight.

(SIGHS)

Here they are.

We've got a little over two hours to run these through ballistics.

Think you can you do it? Two hours? Yeah, I think I can do it.

Let's go.

This is a film of the incident involving Colonel Coombs and Lieutenant Lacey taken by the Army photographer.

That's Lieutenant Lacey on the left, and Colonel Coombs on the right.

Where were you? I was out of frame on the upper right.

Now, you've already testified that Colonel Coombs' helicopter veered into Brad Lacey without any provocation whatsoever.

The picture tells the story.

Watch the screen, sir.

SAINT JOHN: Now this is a computer

-enhanced image of the film we've just seen.

It brings up images which the human eye cannot detect.

The timer reads .

39 seconds.

That's.

39 seconds between the time that Colonel Coombs veered into Brad Lacey and this burst appears in the upper right of the frame.

Where you've already testified that your helicopter was flying formation.

THOMPSON: So? What is that burst? I have no idea.

You're a liar, Thompson.

Objection! The defense is harassing the witness.

I will allow you to proceed, Major.

But I caution you as to the seriousness of an accusation of perjury.

You had better be able to back it up.

Yes, sir.

I'll ask you again, Captain.

What is this burst? And I told you, I don't know! It's machine g*nf*re, Thompson.

The mission was a blue! The enemy had been contained on the ground.

You weren't f*ring at the enemy, Captain.

You were f*ring on Brad Lacey.

(ALL MURMURING)

(GAVEL BANGING)

Order! Colonel Coombs veered into your line of fire to protect Brad.

Not to force him down.

What, because there's little white dots on your computer, I'm a m*rder*r? Get off it, Hawke.

Do you recognize these, Captain? Not specifically, no.

These are standard that each combat machine

-g*n uses, right? Yeah, they look like it.

I'm going to ask you one more time, Thompson.

Did you fire on Brad Lacey? This is craziness.

You're right.

These were taken from the skids of Coombs' aircraft this morning.

They're from your g*ns.

(PEOPLE MURMURING)

But you weren't alone in this This conspiracy.

The whole team, except for Coombs, was in on it.

And what about Colonel Coombs? Why didn't he expose this crime? The fight between Coombs and Brad, was about the Ring, wasn't it, Captain? I have no idea what you're talking about.

Operation The Ring.

Brad Lacey was being paid to sell information to the enemy.

He was a traitor.

You and the others found out about it, and then after blowing him away, you hired Oscar Mendoza, to steal this back for you! The General was a father and a mentor to Steve Coombs.

Coombs would rather have cut off his arm or given up his career than have Brad's treason exposed in court and disgrace the old man.

And you let him! You stood by and let your commander sacrifice himself! Brad Lacey was suspect in battle.

A coward, wasn't he? Yes.

You and the others demanded that he resign his appointment to the team.

But he refused.

Were you elected to carry out the execution or was yours just to be the first blow, the others to follow like the murderers of Caesar? So you m*rder*d him in cold blood.

You and your precious elite team planned it out.

You waited till Brad was alone in a helicopter and then you sh*t him down! He was a danger to us all! To the team! (PEOPLE MURMURING)

Coombs would never let a son of General Lacey's wash out.

There was no other way! And you were willing to use the honor of Steve Coombs, to cover your bloody tracks.

But Brad Lacey is not on trial here.

Steve Coombs is.

And because he loves General Lacey as a father, and as a General, you knew he'd play the scapegoat.

When I was a soldier, I thought I could recognize evil.

And I fought it.

Now I'm faced with this diabolical plot, this perverse code of silence, so that these men, this elite team, could maintain its standard, no matter what the cost.

And everything that Steve Coombs stood for, believed in Honor, loyalty, truth, was used against him.

Steve Coombs was not the assailant.

He was the victim.

So was General Lacey, Brad, (SIGHS)

And so are all of us.

Damn, I hate to lose.

You didn't lose, Jason.

You did your job.

What do you say we go get a beer? You're on.

Losers buy.