[The A-Team is still the red-hot property of Stephen J Cannell (RIP)]

[This chapter is based loosely on Hannibal's account of the robbery as shown in the TV series "Trial by Fire".]

Chapter 1: Bank heist

[Timeline: Hanoi, North Vietnam – 27 January 1971 (am)]

Three members of the A-Team - Colonel "Hannibal" Smith, Lieutenant "Faceman" Peck and Sargent "BA" Baracus - had been commissioned by their CO, General Morrison, to undertake a covert operation to rob the Hanoi Bank. This action had been sanctioned by the government in an effort to help bring the Vietnam War to an end, by cutting off monies supplied to the Vietcong.

Their personal pilot, Captain HM Murdock, had successfully inserted them approximately 20 klicks outside the city of Hanoi. A jeep was conveniently waiting for them, not far from the co-ordinates where Murdock had dropped them off, to get them into the centre of Hanoi.

It was late morning and the Vietnamese were celebrating the Tet New Year. All the shops, local businesses and schools were closed, giving them the perfect camouflage to cover up the heist.

Face, who was dressed in the traditional black pyjamas and conical hat, was patiently waiting by the get-away jeep. Hannibal and BA, dressed in army fatigues, were to carry out the task of robbing the bank. BA had taken out the alarm earlier and Hannibal had dealt with the guards. Together they had blown the safe, the explosion drowned out by the fireworks and noise of the carnival outside.

Everything was going to plan until two NVA soldiers wandered casually over and stood inches away from the jeep, leaving Face no choice but to commandeer another vehicle. It was also at that moment when BA appeared at the bank window to check Face's position, instantly arousing the suspicion of the two soldiers. They hurried over to the bank, rifles at the ready.

"Colonel!" exclaimed BA. "We've been busted! We've gotta get out of here – now!"

Hannibal had finished stuffing the contents of the safe, which consisted of 10,000,000 piasters, into his green army sack. He turned round to find BA by his side, looking at him anxiously. Then suddenly and without warning, Face came crashing through the front of the building in a newly acquired escape vehicle.

"Need a lift?" he enquired coolly, as Hannibal and BA dived into the jeep.

"Nice timing, kid!" drawled Hannibal.

The two soldiers were left floundering in the wake of Face's spectacular entrance as they become entangled in the falling debris. The Lieutenant slammed his foot down hard on the accelerator pedal and reversed expertly back out into the street. No-one seemed to have heard or seen the commotion as the carnival was now in full swing.

It wasn't long before they were weaving their way back through the crowded town of Hanoi, heading towards the DMZ. Their orders were to lay low until all the fuss had died down before bringing the money back to Nha Trang HQ. Murdock was to meet them at an already arranged time and place to make the extraction in exactly four days' time.

"That's was close!" remarked Face as he finally relaxed his steely grip on the steering wheel.

"Ain't it always!" smirked back Hannibal, a newly lit cigar already clamped between his teeth.

BA shook his head disapprovingly, as he watched his adrenaline, pumped-up leader, grinning manically back at Face.

"He's on the jazz ag'in," he said, with a weary expression on his face. "Hannibal's on the jazz!"

[Note: DMZ stood for Demilitarized Zone (also known as the 38th parallel), which was considered to be neutral territory during the Vietnam war.]