Flight of the Hawk Read Online Free Page A

a way to turn my condition into something useful. Well, I think I have. But you have to wait downstairs to see it.”
    “Very well.” Henry turned and marched down the stairs.
    Andy shut his bedroom door and tore open the package. He laid the contents out on his bedspread and reached under his bed for the rocket booster.
    Moments later he stood in front of his full-length mirror dressed in brown tights and a feather-covered jacket with long golden wings attached to its back. His face was hidden by a mask of a hawk’s face. A wide, flowing cape, with slits cut in it for the wings, hung from his shoulders, and on his feet were shiny brown boots with tiny wings on the sides.
    “Not bad.” Andy turned so that he could see his back in the mirror. “Now if I can just get Henry to go for it.” He moved to the door and yelled, “Henry, are you down there?”
    “Yes, Master Hawkes. But there’s something you should know.”
    Andy touched the button on the harness under his costume and the rocket booster fired into action. He leaped over the stair railing and flapped his wings. He made two passesacross the large entry and then landed gracefully in the middle of the room.
    “Well? What do you think?”
    Henry blinked. “I must say, you startled me, sir.”
    “No, I mean what do you think about my idea?”
    “Your idea?”
    “You told me to come up with something that would help people. Here it is—the Hawk.”
    “I’m sorry for being so dimwitted, sir, but I don’t quite—”
    “Come on, Henry. You’ve heard of Super Spiderkid and some of those guys, haven’t you? Well, you’re looking at the latest in a long line of superheroes—the Hawk!”
    “I don’t know about Henry, but I’m certainly impressed.”
    Andy spun around. Leslie Diamond was standing in the doorway of the study.
    “I’m sorry, sir,” Henry said. “I had no idea what you were up to, so I let her in.”
    Andy fumbled for his words. “That—That’s perfectly fine, Henry. I mean, you know,what’s wrong with my social worker seeing, uh, one of my birthday presents?”
    “Birthday presents? That’s funny. Your records say that your birthday isn’t until December.” Leslie smiled pleasantly.
    “It was an early present.”
    “Listen, Andy, I don’t want to pull rank here. But if you and I are going to get along you’re going to have to start leveling with me. What’s going on?”
    Andy looked at Henry. “What do you think?”
    “The company has had Ms. Diamond thoroughly investigated, and they report that she is single, dedicated to her work, lives with her cat, and has no contact with gangsters of any kind.”
    “What!” Leslie stormed. “You have no right—”
    “But do you think we can trust her?” Andy asked.
    “It appears we have little choice, sir.”
    Andy sighed. “All right, Ms. Diamond, I’ll level with you, but I have to warn you it’s a little weird.”

C HAPTER 11
    “Ms. Diamond’s all right, Henry. Except for the part when she tried to wrestle the kitchen knife away from me before I could cut my finger. All in all, I thought she took the whole thing pretty well. Didn’t you? You know, for a social worker?”
    “Yes, sir, she seems like a very nice person.”
    “I’m glad she agreed to file the papers letting you be my permanent guardian until I’m legally of age.”
    “It pleases me that you are happy, sir. Nowabout this Hawk business. What exactly does one do if one is to become a successful superhero?”
    “Lots of stuff. For one thing, a superhero flies around making the world a safer place to live. And maybe as the Hawk I’ll be able to catch the guys who killed my parents and grandfather.”
    “I see. And you intend to accomplish this by …?”
    “Come on, Henry. I’m new at this. We’ll just have to handle each case as it comes along.”
    “Very good, sir. When do we start?”
    “How about right now? We could go save someone from being mugged or something.”
    “And what will my