Firestorm (episode)/Transcript (2023)

On board a JetRanger

Hawke: Hey there's nothing wrong with this chopper.

Dominic: It's got no pep, no pizazz, I'm telling you its got no beans.

Hawke: Well, it's not Airwolf. That's not your problem.

Dominic: That's a subject we should be discussing. Any piece of machinery gets rusty unless you use it.

Hawke: Dom, that's a very special piece of machinery. You don't just taxi it around.

Dominic: Regular maintenance flights. That's all I'm proposing.

Hawke: You're cute.

Dominic: I miss my baby.

Hawke: What the hell do you do with a man who falls in love with a machine?

Dominic: (laughs)

Santini Air

(JetRanger lands and shuts down)

Everett: Hey String.

Hawke: Ev, how are you doing?

Everett: Good timing. Just got a call Mr Santini. Er Angie down at Four Corners.

Dominic: Thanks, Ev.

Everett: You got it.

Dominic: Keep me company?

Hawke: Mother Santini. I swear you're going to qualify for Sainthood.

Dominic: (laughs)

(pickup starts)

Angie's Bar

(music from jukebox)

Eddie: They are out there. And nobody listens. Nobody listens. Something going on out there. There's lights. And don't nobody say different. You can be damned straight about that. Nothing gets past me.

Angie: Give it a shot, Eddie. How about a sandwich? I make a mean ham on rye.

Eddie: Leave it. What are you looking at? Hey you think I am may be crazy or something? Is that right? What are you, deaf?

Soldier: Hey I'm just minding my own business, okay?

Angie: Leave it alone.

Eddie: Soldier? Weekend warrior. I was a soldier. I'm telling you.

Angie: Come on, don't. Let me pour you another beer....

Eddie: There is something out there in that desert. Lights on at night. Hey, I'm talking to you.

Soldier: Okay, whatever you say.

Angie: Oh!

(scuffle)

Dominic: Hey stop it! Come on! Come on, you guys, three on one. Come on.

Eddie: Nice guys.

Soldier: Hey he picked it, not me.

Hawke: Hey, why don't you guys just sit down and enjoy your drinks.

Dominic: Come on. Let's get some fresh air.

Eddie: Hey why did you call Laurel and Hardy here?

Angie: Eddie, every time you start muttering about UFOs....

Eddie: I didn't say that!

Angie: I know what's coming next.

Dominic: All right, all right. Come on. You want another war. Let's go.

Eddie: I don't need a nurse maid. Why don't you guys get lost.

Hawke: I'll follow you.

Eddie: Follow yourself. I'll be fine. If I need a ride, I'll phone one of my friends from Mars.

Dominic: Look, you're not going to get behind that wheel.

Eddie: Give me

Dominic: Come on. Look, I'm your friend. Now do you want me to break your arm to prove it? Huh? Now come on, get in there.

(car engines start)

Eddie's Trailer

(car doors open then shut)

Eddie: Dominic, how many times has it been that you put me to bed?

Dominic: How many times have you promised to give up?

Eddie: (incoherent) You just see I'm a [???] with the D Ts. But [???]. I see things in the desert.

Dominic: The only monsters to battle from outer space.

Eddie: I see things in the desert at night.

Dominic: Sure you do, Eddie, sure you do.

(buzzing sound of a fly)

Hawke: You making this a life's work?

Dominic: Believe it or not, under all that booze is a good man. Or once upon a time he was.

Hawke: Yeah, once upon a time.

Dominic: Of course, you and I are perfect.

Hawke: Of course.

(pick up starts and Hawke and Dominic drive off)

Night time at Eddie's trailer

(coyotes howling)

Eddie: Go baby.

(coyotes howling)

(whooshing)

(resolves into rotor sounds as it gets closer)

Eddie: Oh no. Get out! Go away! No! No! Get out!

(explosion)

Hospital

(voice on PA) Dr. Lasanne to O.R. Dr. Lasanne please report to the O.R. immediately.

(machine beeping)

Dominic: You look like hell, you know that?

Eddie: I didn't want to show up my friends.

Dominic: I just thought I'd drop by to see if you need anything. I've got magazines here.

Eddie: Thanks a lot, Dominic. Sorry I can't shake your hand.

(Voice on PA) Dr. Berger please report to the visitors desk. Dr. Berger please report to the visitors desk.

Dominic: You know the booze had worn off by the time we found you. And still you were yelling that snakes were crawling all over your body.

Eddie: Yeah Dom, I know, I know the story.

Dominic: You gotta get rid of that habit. You gotta to knock it off. Or you're going to die. You gotta quit, Ed.

Eddie: Well may be this time I'll dream .... [???]

Dominic: Oh what the hell, what's the use. You wanna commit suicide, go ahead. Last night you fell in a ditch. May be next time, you'll hit your hard head just a little bit harder.

Eddie: Hey Dominic, I wanna thank you, thank you very much.

Dominic: Oh, it's nothing. I just wanna know if I can do anything for you.

Eddie: No.

Dominic: Just get well, will you. Get well, you dumb donkey.

Eddie: Dominic, Dominic, I didn't fall in a ditch. That isn't how it happend. There was this thing.

(heart monitor beeps faster)

Dominic: Come on, come on, you gotta calm down, will ya?

Eddie: I swear to God. I swear to God. You gotta listen to me. You gotta listen to me.

Dominic: Eddie, Calm down! Calm down!

Eddie: You remember what I told you about the light. Well this time it came back.And not far this time. Came for me.

Dominic: Easy, easy.

Eddie: It was blinding me. And the sound. The sound was so bad I though that my head was going to crack open. The pain, you gotta believe me....

Nurse: Call Dr. Ferguson.

Dominic: I believe you.

Nurse: Sir, please.

Eddie: Don't leave me. Dominic! You gotta it was nothing like this earth. I swear to God. You gotta believe me. Dominic! It's like nothing on this earth, I swear to you.

Santini Air

Hawke: Ah come on, Dom. Eddie's a nice guy, I like him too. But he's a drunk. I mean who knows what he sees. Pink elephants?

Dominic: If he says he saw something then I say we ought to check that something out. As a favor to me.

Hawke: You know when he first started talking about these things he was seeing in the desert, you drove out there. What did you find? Nothing.

Dominic: It's a big desert, String. There's miles and miles and miles and miles. You know that. And if you're going to take a lot around, there's only one way to cover the country.

Hawke: You're incurable.

Dominic: I miss our baby. (laughs) Hey wait for me!

On board Airwolf

(Airwolf lifts off)

Hawke: Ready?

Dominic: Ready.

Hawke: Don't see much out there but cactus. No abandoned mine. We're just spitting distance from the lair. Can't imagine anything being out there we don't know about.

Dominic: The scope's out. Like something's throwing out interference. What did I tell you about maintenance huh? Especially with this lady. She's a prototype of which there ain't any other. Parts break down, you know.

Hawke: Well then we'll run video, just like they did back in your day.

Dominic: Stick that in your hat.

Hawke: Run infra red, thermal standard

Dominic: Running infra red, thermal and standard.

(scanning sounds)Dominic: We're approaching a mining camp. Let's start taking pictures.

Dominic: Ah hah! You know all anybody sees now is a old rummy. But Eddie Dona who was one of the best pilots I ever saw. There was a crash. A lot of people were hurt. It was a mechanical malfunction. But go tell Eddie about the screams.

Dominic: The doctors managed to put everything back together again, everything but his nerve. Oh he tried to fly again but he couldn't. After a while all he wanted to do was disappear.

Hawke: What are you going to do about it.

Dominic: I don't know. I suppose when I pick him up at the hospital tonight I'll give him lecture number one hundred and eleven.

Hawke: Good luck.

Dominic: Here. That should get us a good look. I appreciate, it, String.

Hawke: Let's head home and see what we got.

Nighttime at Eddie's Trailer

Eddie: Dom, I want you to know I really appreciate this.

Dominic: I don't want to hear that. All I want to hear is that you are getting well. You hear what I'm telling yah?

Eddie: Yep yep, yes.

Dominic: Don't give me that yep yep yes yes. Other people have beaten this. You can too if you just get rid of the stuff. Then you won't see monsters out there anymore.

Eddie: Well, good night and thanks a lot, Dom.

Dominic: Okay.

(outside, eerie, whooshing sound.)

Eddie: Dom, I'm not so crazy, huh! I'm not so crazy, huh! You see I told you! Get down!

(Eerie sound gets louder)

Santini Air

(machine prints photos)

Hawke: Hey Ev, you know where Dom's hiding?

Everett: No, I was looking for him myself, earlier. I know last night he was headed for Eddie's place. Say listen, if you see him, tell him I need authorisation for these new parts.

Hawke: Yeah, I'll tell him.

Eddies trailer and into Sandowner's base

(helicopter)

(loudspeaker on helicopter) Hold it right there. You're trespassing.

(gunfire)

(jeep drives up)

Man: Get into the jeep.

(jeep starts and drives off)

(PA system in the base: Padescar work on the solid fuel. Padescar work on the solid fuel. Dr. Griggs to the launch pad. Dr. Griggs to the launch pad.)

(PA system: All crews please notify your section chief before leaving the compound. I repeat, all crews check in with your section chiefs before leaving....)

Sandower's command post

Technician: All coordinates, confirmed, General.

Sandower: What do you want here, Mr. Hawke.

Hawke: You know me?

Sadowner: Let's say we make it our business to know who's who in the neighbourhood. Now what do you want here.

Hawke: I got a friend of mine here.

Sandower: Tell me a story, Mr. Hawke. Tell me about Firestorm. Firestorm, Mr. Hawke.

Hawke: I don't know what you're talking about.

(struggle)

Sandower: Bamboo shoots under the fingernails are passe. In a few moments you will tell me all I want to know about Firestorm, or about Stringfellow Hawke, or anything else I want to know.

Hawke: I don't know you.

Sandower: Tell me a story, Mr. Hawke. Tell me about Firestorm.

Sandower: Tell me a story, Mr. Hawke. Tell me about Firestorm.

Sandower: Talk to me, come on.

Hawke: I don't know.

Sandower: Your friend Eddie liked to talk about lights in the desert, didn't he?

Hawke: Eddie, Eddie's a drunk.

Sandower: A resilient drunk, drunk with a voice. We thought we'd killed him.

Sandower: What did he tell you?

Hawke: Lights. That are out of this world.

Tanya: Any more could kill him.

(Flashback: explosions and gunfire in the Vietnam jungle. )

Sandower: Firestorm, Mr. Hawke. What did your friend see. What does he know? Did he tell anyone else? Who will be following you here?

(Flashback: more explosions, guns. Hawke shoots a pistol)

Sandower: (distorted voice) Firestorm.

(Still a flashback. More pistol shots from Hawke. A Phantom flies by. Explosions.)

Sandower: You still with us, Mr. Hawke?

(Flashback: crowd of protesters.)

(Flashback: Sandower: America's on fire from within and without. It's a firestorm but make no mistake, it will engulf us all.

Hawke: Oh, Sandoz.... Sandies.

(Flashback: Sandower: The enemy's winning the war from within. they've subverted our media, our youth, the time is now or never for a surgical first strike. Hawke: Guy scared me to death.)

Hawke: Sandower.

Sandower: Tell me, Mr. Hawke. What is your connection with the intelligence community?

(Flashback: Reporter: General Sandower....

Sandower: It is now Mister.

Reporter: Mr. Sandower, you have been relieved as a General of the Army because of your extreme views.

Sandower: All I will say is God Bless America and God help her.

Reporter: Will you now retire to private life, sir?

Sandower: I will serve my country, my way. I'm a soldier. I'll save you, once more.)

Hawke: You're him.

(Flashback. Sandower: I'll make one final statement. Day by day America plays the peacemaker while the enemy grows stronger. Ultimately where do you think this will lead? I will tell you. To a....)

Sandower: Firestorm.

Hawke: You're Sandower.

Sandower: Tell me a story, Mr. Hawke.

In a lock up at the base

Dominic: Get up. Walk around. It takes a while to wear off.

(PA system: All crews please notify your section chief before leaving the compound. All crews please notify your section chief before leaving....)

Hawke: Am I the guy that said you were seeing pink elephants.

Eddie: All is forgiven. Now what?

Dominic: Anybody know you're here?

Hawke: What? I couldn't go show the pictures around we took from Airwolf. That guy Sandower is crazy.

Dominic: He may seem crazy, but he knows what he is doing. Did they bring you past the missile on the way in? Would you believe it's nuclear armed? And they're getting ready to fire it. At Moscow no less.

Hawke: A tactical first strike. World War 3.

Dominic: You got it.

(PA system: Dr. Emerson to the launchpad. Dr. Emerson to the launchpad.)

Hawke: Is that the only guard?

Eddie: Yeah, he's armed. Well I need a strike, I need a drink!

(voices from inside the lock up)

Hawke: Yeah your damned drunken friend.

Eddie: Hey, lay off.

Hawke: Your friend's a lousy lush.

Guard: Cut it out in there.

Eddie: Who you calling a lush?

(stuff knocking around like there's a fight in the lock up.)

(strangling sounds as guard is grabbed. Clink of keys being removed.)

(door unlocked)

Dominic: Okay?

Guard: Freeze!

(gunfire)

(alarm buzzer)

Dominic: Thanks.

Hawke: You take that jeep. I'll give you cover.

(more gunfire)

Sandower: Stop them! Stop them! Stop them!

Eddie: Dom, look!

Dominic: String!

(more shots, truck explodes.)

Sandower's command post

Sandower: Set for launch!

Tanya: But you said you were going to alert the media!

Sandower: They'll know it soon enough.

Tanya: We have to explain. We have a purpose.

Sandower: Alert the launch crew.

Outside, in the base compound

Hawke: [???]

Hawke: Get out of here! I'll pick you up [???] Get out of here!

Dominic: Go on. Argh!

(Hawke continues to fire. Another explosion.)

(jeep starts and drives off. Hawke starts a motorbike and drives off.)

Sandower's command post

Sandower: Disconnect umbilical lines. Make ready to launch.

(beeping sounds)

Sandower: Attention, stand by for count down. Repeat, stand by for count down.

Eddie's trailer

Eddie: We made it, Dom, we made it. Dom, Dom, you okay? Dom, you're all right?

Dominic: Can you get me inside?

Eddie: Sure. Sure, sure. Put your leg here. Come on. The other leg, come on. Easy does it. We made it baby. Put your arm up here. Easy. Just easy.

(meanwhile at the Wolf's Lair)

(Airwolf engines start. Music.)

(Airwolf lifts off.)

(turbos)

Eddie: (on the phone) Yeah, thanks. Well, Mercy General's on its way. Now er, let's improvise a little, er, first aid. Here.

Dominic: Eddie, no booze.

Eddie: No, lectures Dom, we have been through one hell of an afternoon of activity, pal.

Dominic: Eddie, just sit down and shut up and listen.

Eddie: I'm listening, I'm listening.

Dominic: Eddie, if String got away, he's gone for help.

Eddie: You think they'll get there in time?

Dominic: There's no they, you and him are going to have to get rid of that mad man yourselves.

Eddie: Me? Hey Dom, me?

Dominic: He can't do it alone.

Eddie: Dom, look at me.

Dominic: You gonna have to help him fly, Eddie.

Eddie: Fly? No way, no way.

Dominic: It's only a chopper, sorta.

(jeeps approaching)

Eddie: Here they come, they're coming after us! You gotta help. We gotta get out of here. Here, come on.

Dominic: Help me.

Eddie: Put your hand....

Dominic: Help me up.

Eddie: Why sure, here. Here. Come on.

(jeeps approach closer. Airwolf pops up above them.)

(gunfire)

(Airwolf arms weapons. ADF extends and pivots. Fires rocket. Jeep explodes.)

Eddie: Never seen anything like it.

(Airwolf lands.)

Hawke: Dom, you're okay? Did you call for help?

Eddie: Yeah, they're on their way.

Dominic: Meet your new copilot.

Eddie: What are you talking about, Dom. I can't fly that plane.

Dominic: I'm sorry I can't help you, but I'll probably be unconscious when you needed me.

Eddie: I can't fly, I haven't flown in 10 years. What are you saying, Dom.

Hawke: Hey you see what's going on out there. We got one chance in a million to stop 'em. If I go alone, we got none. You just do what I say.

Eddie: Dom, I can't go!

Dominic: Eddie, you've always kept crying that you wanted to turn it around, if I hung in there with you. Well now's your chance. Go on, turn it around. Go on, boy.

Eddie: I can't. I can't do it.

Dominic: Oh forget it.

Eddie: All right, all right, I'll go.

On board Airwolf

Hawke: Hold on!

(turbos)

Eddie: Mother of God!

Sandower's command post

(PA system: Three minutes and counting down.)

Tanya: Unidentified aircraft approaching, approximately 18 miles at speed Mach 1 plus.

Sandower: That fast, it's military. They got the word. No matter. We have air defense systems. Now's the time to use the, go!

Sandower: Launch as scheduled. Two minutes and thirty, counting down.

On board Airwolf

Eddie: Can't count on me, it's flying too fast.

Hawke: Listen, I can fly this bird all by myself. I just need you to bring the weapons online.

Eddie: Anyone who depends on a drunk is a fool.

Hawke: Unless you got to count on that drunk to save millions of lives. Buddy, you're it.

(Hawk SAM missile launches.)

(Another SAM launches)

Hawke: Rockets.

Eddie: Rockets. We'll be killed.

Hawke: Panel on the right. It says Sunburst. Pop one now.

Eddie: On the right what?

Hawke: On the right, it says Sunburst. Give me one.

(Sunburst deploys.)

(Missile explodes.)

Hawke: Give me another one.

(Another Sunburst deploys.)

(Missile explodes.)

(One of Sandower's choppers approaches.)

(Airwolf fires a missile.)

(Chopper explodes.)

(Vehicle mounted SAM launches a missile.)

(Multiple explosions. Airwolf launches missiles. Truck explodes.)

Eddie: We got it.

Hawke: No time to celebrate yet.

Eddie: What is it?

Hawke: They've got ignition.

Hawke: I've got to lock on.

Hawke: [???]

Eddie: Right.

Sandower:(at command post) Fire!

(Airwolf launches Copperhead.)

(turbos)

(ICBM lifts off.)

Sandower:(at command post) We have lift off!

(Personnel in command post cheer.)

(Copperhead hits the ICBM.)

(nuclear explosion)

Eddie; We did it! (laughs)

Hawke: (laughs) We sure did, Eddie. We sure did.

Eddie's trailer

(voice on radio: Government spokesmen confirmed reports of a nuclear test in the remote Crystal Sands desert basin. It is stressed that the test was routine in nature and did not constitute any shift in administration policy. In other news from Washington, your taxes are going up....)

Dominic: Well, Eddie. Here you are.

Eddie: Hey guys, it was a great experience. But the next time you go, don't call me, I'll call you.

Dominic: Ah, you loved it.

Hawke: Yeah you did good, Eddie. Present and accounted for.

Eddie: I gotta admit, I felt pretty good in that machine.

Hawke: You know it'll be probably best not to mention that machine.

Eddie: I understand.

Dominic: Now, you dumb donkey, you know what it is to get it altogether?

Eddie: I'm gonna be trying.

Dominic: Trying? I'm gonna take this one good wing and I'm gonna....

Eddie: Uh uh, we wouldn't want that would we?

Dominic: (laughs) See ya.

(locks door of trailer. Unscrews bottle)

(door opens)

Dominic: Eddie, I forgot to tell ya....

Dominic: Eddie, nobody can live your life for you. You have to figure it out for yourself. When you go, call me, huh?