Original subtitles

up Ambassador Reynolds.

Airwolf is flying support of this mission, not decoy.

General Lacy's son is dead. You're up on charges and you want to talk about

rules? The defense calls General Wilbur Lacy.

You leave him out of this. It's too late for that, Coombs.

I won't allow it.

Then I walk.

you

Heavy ground fire.

Like we expected.

It wasn't supposed to go down like this.

What's the package?

The ambassador to Colombia.

He was kidnapped by guerrillas three months ago.

We're getting him back.

Coombe's job, Raph, is a military unit. What are we doing here?

Strictly support.

Telltale Leader, this is Telltale Ground.

You're ready for pickup.

Telltale Ground, Telltale Ground, this is Telltale Leader.

You're to pop smoke. I have your LZ in sight.

I read you, Telltale leader.

Roger, Airwolf. You are to secure the package and proceed to Farmer's Garden.

Combat team will complete Operation Telltale.

Airwolf is flying support of this mission, not decoy.

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

You are Captain Courageous in the Mekong Delta, but combat team is my team, not

your company's.

Listen, Coombs. The ambassador is waiting.

This is telltale leader prepare to pick up ground forces telltale for cover the

retreat telltale to going down Roger telltale to

Have no fear telltale force

here. I'll cut your flakes boys Do it

don't talk about it boy

Going in for the pickup.

Heavy ground fire. Telltale leader, bring us support.

We've got you covered.

It's everything you got.

Come on, Telltale ground. Move him closer.

We better be quick.

It doesn't look like it's going to make it.

And we're out of here, Telltale Leader.

Telltale Leader,

this is Airwolf.

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

The man who shot Liberty Valance. He shot Liberty Valance.

He was the greatest of them all.

Can of 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.

Chef time.

No, we don't.

We've got company. Two o'clock.

Incoming. Right on your tail.

Chef. You got it.

Hey, buddy. Come to papa.

Coombs, this is Airwolf.

Big fighter destroyed on Route 2, Farmer's Garden.

Watch your tail. Over.

Roger that, Airwolf.

Thanks.

Colonel, we have a code red. Brown fire.

You son of a... Hey, what's Coombs doing?

What the hell?

Brad, watch it. Oh, my God.

Lacey's hit.

What's going on

Telltale for telltale for

telltale for acknowledge

Coombs hit Lacey.

Did you see it?

Coombs hit Lacey. Yeah, I saw it.

What the hell happened?

You still look out of place in a uniform, even as a reserve.

Skip the niceties and answer the question.

You know what I never liked about you, Hawk?

No discipline.

You were good.

Probably the best flyer I ever saw.

But the rules, the rules never got in your way, did they?

General Lacey's son is dead. You're up on charges and you want to talk about

rules? I want you to defend me at the hearing tomorrow.

You've got to be kidding.

Look, Hawk, 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, Hawk, 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 every judge on that panel knows it because they are, too.

The Army takes care of its own.

Brad Lacy was one of their own.

So be it.

It's in their hands.

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 a man who loved his country, and

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

Amen.

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, has spared this.

I want you to defend Coombs.

General, I... I know the reply, son.

But 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.

St. John, I love these two men.

And now one is dead.

The other, he won't talk to me, 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 top-notch lawyer young

but competent She'll be assisting you in the preliminaries

If it should go to trial well

Cross that bridge.

Let's get one thing straight.

I didn't ask for this assignment, but I'm going to 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, Ms.

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. Hawk?

That's major to you, Captain.

It's standard procedure for the defense and the prosecution attorney to meet

with the judge before trial.

Who is the prosecutor?

I have it right here in my case.

Oh! Captain Parkinson. Good afternoon, sir.

Major Hawk.

I'd like you to meet the prosecuting attorney.

We've met.

I was with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington for two years before joining

the company.

And since I was on the mission, I guess that 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.

You didn't do it, Jason.

I talked to all the witnesses. I reviewed all the evidence.

And I read Coombs' statement.

He's as guilty as hell.

Steve Coombs may be a lot of things, but he's not a murderer.

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.

And he doesn't even want to defend himself.

Well, I guess...

Unless you flew with him, you just can't understand.

So you flew with him. You're going to introduce that as evidence in court?

That and anything else it takes.

Compliments of Lydia.

Thank you. Thank you.

Lydia,

my dear, brewskis in a bucket.

Four for four.

Thompson and Jones.

At the very same.

Major Hock.

Sir.

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

We have contact.

Bang.

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 killed?

Brad was a nice kid.

And I'm sorry he's dead.

But what's done is done.

You know, Thompson, your attitude stinks.

Come on. Come on. Get out of here. Get out of here.

Sorry about that, Lydia.

He deserved it.

Besides, it's been dull since Brad died.

Come on, everybody.

Drinks on the house.

Drinks on the house.

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.

St. 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?

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.

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 the left into Lieutenant Lacy.

Was Colonel Coombs' hard left turn standard defensive maneuver?

It was not.

Lieutenant Lacy was forced to take radical defensive action.

From what you saw, did it appear that Colonel Coombs flew intentionally into

Lieutenant Lacy's aircraft?

Sir, this man doesn't know what Colonel Coombs intended.

But he can draw inferences from what he observed.

Overruled. Proceed.

Yes, sir. It did appear intentional.

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 has lost his life here.

He deserves your loyalty also.

A few nights before the mission, some of us were at Lydia's. It's a bar a couple

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 kill Lieutenant Lacey.

So, Colonel Coombs said that he would kill Brad Lacey if he didn't stop.

Stop what, Lieutenant?

I don't know.

Thank you, Lieutenant Jennings.

Thank you for doing your duty.

Prosecution rests.

A short recess, sir.

Well, it's after 1600 hours now.

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 going to tell you.

Just wait until you see what I do with computers.

Just keep her steady, Jo.

I'm holding.

Bingo.

Witch activated.

Going down.

Let's hope that camera's still in one piece.

Have you got it?

Almost.

Uh-oh, we got company.

Great timing, guys.

I'll increase the electromagnetic voltage.

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

Cameron, 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.

Yeah, 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 I'm trying to find a needle in a

haystack

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.

There must be 30 units in that complex, 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. Then you're reaching.

You got a problem with that? I got a problem with you looking everywhere but

at Coombs for Brad Lacey's killer.

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.

What in the hell do you think you're doing? That 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 Assault

Team. I did.

Why, General? Why Coombs?

At this time, the combat team essentially is in a constant state of

war 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.

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 love 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's one hell of a flyer.

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 weaklings 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 just what was all this fighting

about? Maybe Coombs finally had enough of Brad, too.

I don't know.

Man,

there's nothing here.

I have an idea.

What would two men fight over?

There's got to be something in here.

Well, if your buddy Coombs would tell us something, then we wouldn't have to play

Dick Tracy like this.

Yeah, well, why don't we get started? You take the bedroom, 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 your search

Allie? Did you find something?

What do you make of this?

It stopped up.

Uh-huh.

And here's the stopper.

Looks like it's been dripping for days.

Probably since Brad died.

Yeah.

This is heavyweight stuff.

A combat plan to attack and destroy three munitions stockades in Central

America. Dates, times, locations.

Do you know what this means?

Yeah, Brad Lacy was a traitor.

No wonder Coombs took the fall. He was protecting the general.

They said, kill 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, Hawk.

Where

was

he heading?

He was last seen north-northwest from the base where he stole the chopper.

He's headed for 29 Palms.

Damn missile testing grounds.

Coombe. Come in, Coombe. Answer me, damn it.

Stand by.

I think I got him coming up on the scope.

At coordinates locked.

You're flying into restricted airspace, Coombe. For God's sake, talk to me.

Let her check on ground activity in the area. Way ahead of you.

I know about the ring, Coombs.

Picking up readings of a maneuver in progress.

All personnel, clear launch area.

All personnel, clear launch area.

Surface-to-air missile testing commences in T-minus 30 seconds and counting.

Coombs, come in. I know you can hear me.

I don't want a confrontation, Hawk. 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.

Test site is secure.

Drones are airborne.

T-minus 20 seconds and count.

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 going to have two new drones.

Turn around, Coombs. What do you think you'll accomplish by this?

I'm a flyer hawk, not a speech maker, and I know that I've got a crashing

burn, but I ain't got to take all that BS down below.

All you have to do is tell what happened.

I already told you I can't do that.

Fire Got three incoming missiles Sunburst

coming up Let's

take it give me turbos Mike you've got it

Ooh, this one has our name on it. Use a sunburst.

Temporarily out of stock.

I'd better try something else fast.

Hang on.

That'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 shot.

We're even now.

And thanks.

But, sir... Counsel, your client has escaped. He's left himself without

defense.

Major Hawk, what's 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.

What's going on?

I can't tell you right now, but don't let him out of your sight.

Here they are.

We got a little over...

Two hours to run these through ballistics.

Think you can 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.

Now, this is a computer-enhanced image of the film we've just seen.

It brings up images which the human eye cannot detect.

Now, 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 have already testified that

your helicopter was flying permission so What is that burst?

I have no idea You're a liar Thompson Objection the defense is

harassing the witness.

I'll allow you to proceed major But I caution you as to the seriousness of an

accusation of perjury You would better be able to back it up. Yes, sir

I'll ask you again, Captain. What is that burst?

And I told you, I don't know.

It's machine gun fire, Thompson. The mission was a blue. The enemy had been

contained on the ground.

You weren't firing at the enemy, Captain. You were firing on Brad Lacey.

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 murderer?

Get off it, Hawk.

You recognize these, Captain?

Not specifically, no.

These are standard 7.62 millimeter rounds that each combat machine gun

uses, right?

Yeah, they look like it. I'm going to ask you one more time, Thompson.

Did you fire on Brad Lacy?

This is craziness.

You're right.

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

from your guns.

But you weren't alone in 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, it was about the ring, wasn't it, Captain?

I have no idea what you're talking about.

Operation The Ring.

Brad Lacy was being paid to sell information to the enemy. He was a

traitor.

You and the others found out about it, and 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 Lacy was suspect in Battle of 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 murdered him in cold blood.

You and your precious elite team planned it out.

You waited till Brad was alone in the helicopter and then you shot him down.

He was a danger to us all.

To the team.

Coons 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.

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 by

Thank you.