Author's Notes: Excluding season five (the worst), the A-Team was never caught for long and even worked for the government on occasion without going back to prison... How? Why? It's not very long, but this is my little attempt to answer those questions. Simply; they had someone watching over them...
Disclaimer: I don't own the A-Team... I haven't even managed to HIRE the A-Team, couldn't find the right Chinese Laundry...
"Suicide Squad"
By; J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'
Fort Bragg Maximum Security Military Stockade
January 17, 1973...
"Colonel Smith, John... alias 'Hannibal.'"
A white haired man in prison fatigues nodded, wishing he had a cigar.
"First Lieutenant Templeton Peck... alias the 'Faceman'."
Next to Colonel Smith, a younger man who looked more like he should be wearing a suit and tie smiled.
"And lastly, Sergeant Bosco Albert Baracus, who goes by his initials 'B.A.'... also considered to stand for 'Bad Attitude'.
The last of the three men sitting at the table was a black man larger than the other two with an equally large mohawk. Across from them, another black man, wearing a general's uniform, snapped a folder shut.
"I am General Nicholas Waller, U.S. Army... Gentlemen, according to records, you three were the best combat team we had in South-East Asia... until you robbed the Bank of Hanoi. Whether or not you were ordered to do so, and the exact date of that mission... is inconsequential. I assume you've all heard the term 'suicide squad' before?"
The three prisoners nodded.
"Congratulations. You're the U.S. Army's newest Suicide Squad."
Hannibal leaned forward across the table, "Excuse me, General, but none of us remember volunteering."
"You didn't," Waller almost had to smile, "You were drafted. Your A-team unit was one of the best we had in Vietnam, and there are certain elements in military command that... disagree, with the decision to convict you."
"Gee, thanks, General," Hannibal replied, "But we can't leave yet; the theater club is putting on a showing of 'Julius Caesar' later this month. Don't want to miss that."
It didn't escape Waller that Hannibal's reference was to a play about politics and betrayal, two subjects directly connected with their case.
Fortunately for Hannibal, Waller had a sense of humor, "So you'd rather take 'Julius Caesar' over freedom?"
"I tried to get them to do something more exciting, but Colonel Lynch wouldn't let us have any explosives for the finale."
"Colonel Smith, what we're offering is to let you go... with strings, of course."
"And how can we be sure of that?"
"Simple. In fifteen minutes, the prison's going to suffer a blackout. My own MPs will escort you off the premises and it will be made to look as though you've escaped. This is to give the government plausible deniability for your actions. For all intents and purposes, you will be wanted criminals, pursued by the military police. I will, however, see to it that anyone assigned to your pursuit will be unable to capture you. That's the offer, Colonel, Lieutenant, Sergeant... take it or leave it."
"Doesn't sound like we have a choice, does it, General?"
"Oh, you have a choice, Colonel. It's just not much of one."
Twenty minutes later...
"Colonel Lynch, sir! Prisoners Smith, Peck and Baracus have escaped!"
And so it began...
Author's Note: Complete, one-shot, finite!