Signed, Sealed, Delivered
By Becki.
Summary: The Team have just escaped from Fort Bragg and a close friend of theirs delivers a letter and a parcel to Murdock.
Comments: Something short that I came up with while writing the main story. Decided I needed something to lead into the main thing – kind of like an intro. Please – I just love comments and it only takes a moment. Set just after their escape.
Disclaimer: A-Team characters aren't mine. The situation is. Oh and Jenna is mine.
The car was cold. Not just cold in fact. It was more of a North Pole meets the South Pole and she was caught right in the middle knowing that no matter which way she went she was going to freeze her toes off kind of cold.
She took her eyes off the road for a moment and made sure that all the heating controls were turned up fully. They were. It didn't help matters that she was driving out in the middle of no-where on a winters night either.
She winced as a car drove past with their headlights on full and half cursed as she was left with echoes of the light in her eyes. Some people were so inconsiderate sometimes. Unfortunately in her line of work she met a lot of inconsiderate people. She was lucky though, to have a close knit group of people she was thankful to call family.
Her thoughts were pulled back into reality as a news flash caught her ears and she turned up the old radio in the car.
"And the main news again, three army officers have escaped from Fort Bragg only hours ago. Colonel Hannibal Smith, Lieutenant Templeton Peck and Sergeant Bosco Baracus were awaiting trial for robbing the bank of Hanoi. If anyone knows of their whereabouts or has any information the number to contact is -"
Jen changed the station to some random music channel having heard enough. She smiled gently to herself and looked down to the crisp white envelope and brown paper package sitting on the seat beside her. She certainly had information on them but she wasn't about to give it up, not for all the tea in China.
Hannibal had contacted her only moments after their escape and she'd snuck out of the office at work and driven down to the deserted industrial area that was only a few miles from Fort Bragg. The code they'd given her meant that they were in the southernmost building on the estate and she'd parked just outside the door in wait as they had told her to. It hadn't been long before she heard a low whistle and saw three figures jog out of the building and jump into her tinted windowed car, Hannibal in the front and the other two in the back. She smiled at him, then turned and gave a smile to each of the men in the back as well. She'd known Hannibal all her life, and even though she'd only met Face and BA a few times during their downtime between tours and once they were captured, she felt she had them both pegged pretty well.
"Did you get it?"
Hannibal asked her. She smiled and nodded.
"Yep, looks good too – and with the paint job you asked for BA." She said looking to him, he smiled back as she continued. "Plus there's a few extra hi-tech trinkets in the back courtesy of CIA. A few guns, grenades, photographic equipment, binoculars, bugging equipment, and a few other little bits."
Hannibal smiled, sticking a cigar in his mouth.
"Good work, Jen."
She gave him a small nod, and turned to face front to start the car up.
They'd all been pretty amazed by the black van and everything she had managed to procure as well. They all gave her a brief hug and disappeared, but not before Hannibal had given her a letter and parcel, and instructions on what to do with it. The items were now sitting on the seat beside her, signed and sealed and waiting to be delivered into the right hands. One HM Murdock. She hadn't met him but had heard the stories. He had been their chopper pilot through thick and thin and was part of their Team.
She noticed a sign at the side of the road and read it. 'Westwood'. Finally she was there. She'd been driving half the night and was really starting to tire. Following the road signs she soon found herself outside where she wanted to be. She'd been mildly shocked when Hannibal had told her where Murdock was, but at the same time she understood the pressures and horrific events many had seen over in 'Nam, and even though they hardly spoke of it, she could see the deep lines of past memories etched into their faces; the kind of memories only a few see in their nightmares because most could not even imagine that kind of horror. The kind that brought even the strongest men to their knees and turned them into shaken, tortured souls. People like her father, Hannibal and her new friends, the hardened military sort had been able to shake off the everyday effects and only deal with their fears in their dreams – the amount of time she awoke in the night to hear her father, or Hannibal if he was staying over, roaming about the house, unable to sleep. The worst times were when they cried out in their sleep and never woke, leaving her laying in her bed in the dark with a fear deep in her heart about what was really out there. What her family were really protecting her from.
Her thoughts got her thinking about her chosen career as she grabbed the envelope, the wrapped package and her wallet, and got out her car, stretching as she took a look around. Since she'd been a child she'd always had a fascination about what scared her, made her heart pound with fear. And she chased the feeling, faced it head on while trying to work out why it had that effect on her, but just before she could figure it out the fear would dissipate. Many of her childhood phobia's – the dark, spiders, thunder, heights – none of them had the same effect on her once she'd met them face to face. She thought about the reason why she'd joined the military, why she'd picked the area she was now training in. At first she hadn't understood the appeal to that line of work, but now she had a pretty good grasp on her own mind. The need for facing her fears had escalated over the years, following her from childhood into adulthood. And the only fears she couldn't get a grasp on are the ones her father had faced in all those years in the military. Fears she had to know about, in order to understand her father better. It was integral to her to know her father, what had made him tick, because she was a great deal like her father, and not having him there in her life was like a part of her was missing, and she felt that, if she could only understand him, she could understand herself.
Reaching the hospital doors, she entered, showed her ID to the receptionist and after a brief overlook of the entrance way, she followed the signs to the psyche ward. It was off a separate branch to the actual hospital, and had it's own reception area. Being 3am she was getting a few strange looks, but she walked up to the desk with a purpose and pulled out her ID once again.
"Hello, I'm agent Kawalski and I'm here to see Captain HM Murdock."
The receptionist, a stern, big built nurse with hair like steel wool, gave her a glare.
"I'm sorry agent Kawalski, but Captain Murdock doesn't want to see anyone, especially at this time of night. Plus our regulations state no visitors except between 10am and 2pm."
She stated firmly. Jen didn't waver.
"This is a matter of national security. We believe that Captain Murdock maybe able to help us in the capture of three prisoners who escaped from Fort Bragg yesterday evening. Three military men who are wanted for some serious crimes. And our organisation can overrule any regulations you have."
She added as an afterthought. The woman didn't look happy but knew the young woman was speaking the truth. She gave the woman a look then beckoned over a young orderly who had been cleaning the floor.
"Show agent Kawalski to Captain Murdock's room."
The young man nodded and turned to Jen.
"This way please."
He said gesturing to a corridor, and she followed him down. It was like a maze, corridors leading off corridors, wooden doors with small barred windows in leading to who knows where. Finally he stopped outside one of the doors, floor One, room 39. He pulled out a key and opened the door, then before he let her in he spoke.
"If you need any help there's an orderly just at the end of the corridor down there."
She nodded a thanks and entered the dark room, closing the door behind her. She waited for her eyes to get used to the pitch blackness. The room was square and hosted a bed that ran along the same wall as the corridor, a wardrobe next to the window, a desk and a chair that were next to the bed, but little else. The walls were bare and white. As her eyes got used to the dark she saw a figure sitting on the bed. He was sitting on the side, his feet on the floor, staring out towards the small window in the room.
"Captain Murdock?" He didn't reply, so she tried again. "Captain Murdock."
She stepped closer. He was wearing a pair of beige trousers, a black t-shirt and a brown leather jacket that looked relatively new, but broken in. His hair was a mess, sticking out at all angles on his head.
"Is it okay to put the light on?"
She asked. He didn't reply with words, but leaned slightly to the left and switched on the lamp sitting on the desk. The room brightened immediately and she could see his face clearly. His skin was smooth and tanned, but his eyes were clouded and misty, a sad expression on his face. She tried a smile.
"That's better. Mind if I sit?"
He shrugged mildly, and she moved over to the chair and sat down. He looked at her properly for the first time, a hint of thought entering his eyes. She sat watching him for a moment until he spoke.
"You know, you don't look much like a nurse. You're meant to be big and scary and have a deep voice and a beard."
He stated, taking in her appearance. She was clad in jeans and a fitted white shirt with a mid-length black fitted leather coat. She gave a half laugh.
"A nurse? Me? No, I'm no nurse." She turned serious. "My name is Jen, Jenna Kawalski."
She waited for the reaction she knew would come. His eyes darted back to her, widening just slightly.
"Hot potata?"
He questioned with his drawling accent. She smiled and nodded. Hot potato was her fathers' nickname in the military. Quite a long story to that one she remembered.
"Your Hot Potata's kid?"
She smiled at the term kid, but nodded all the same.
"The one and only."
He kept staring at her. By the looks on his face he was completely confused.
"Why are you here? Who sent you?"
She frowned.
"You haven't heard?"
She questioned.
"Heard what? The wind blowing? The dogs howling? The footsteps? The voices?"
She sensed a madness deep in his voice. He was obviously deeply traumatised by the events he had witnessed, but there was something else. Something she couldn't place her finger on.
"No, the news today."
She said, deciding to ignore the rest for now. He frowned, but hid his confusion from her. Suddenly, to her shock, his face lit up, changing his whole appearance and he jumped to his feet, bringing his hand to his mouth as if holding a microphone.
"Today, on Newsround, a cat gets stuck up a tree..."
He continued on, ranting like a stereotypical news reporter as she watched with a glimmer of sadness. She let him continue on for a moment until he paused for breath and she butted in.
"The A Team have escaped."
Was all she said. And with that sentence, came the understanding. His expression changed, but only for a fraction of a second, before going blank again. He maybe in a psyche ward, and he maybe having trouble dealing with his feelings and emotions from his time in 'Nam, but there was a certain hint of control within him. It was faint but it was there.
"Escaped?"
He questioned, sitting back down on the bed with crossed legs.
"Yes. They sent me here to give you these, and to make sure you were okay."
She told him as she held out the letter and package. He took them with a thank you and placed the letter in his lap, taking hold of the package and ripping into it like it was his birthday. He soon got in and opened the box, pulling out a blue piece of curled material. He uncurled it to reveal a blue baseball cap and a smile crossed his face.
"I thought I'd lost this."
"Face had it. He found it amongst his belongings."
Murdock smiled and placed it on his head before turning to the letter.
Jen watched as Murdock picked the letter up with care and slowly eased it open like a Doctor cutting into a patient. It amazed her how one minute he was like a child and the next, he was incredibly serious and complex. His face was the picture of concentration as he slid the letter from the envelope and opened it up to read. Jen didn't know what Hannibal and the others had written and watched Murdock's facial expressions as he read through it carefully. Again, she saw that glint in his eyes. The hint of something deeper, of some semblance of control. After a few more minutes Murdock looked up at her, having finished reading.
"Do you know what this says?"
Jen shook her head.
"No, there wasn't enough time. All Hannibal said when he handed me it was that he needed a yes or no answer from you."
Murdock nodded in understanding as he thought about what was written. After a few more moments silence, Jen decided to try some small talk in hopes of striking up a conversation.
"I've got to say it's nice to finally meet you, having heard so much about you from the others."
"Snap." He said with a smile. "Hannibal spoke of you often. We always spoke of normal things when...when..."
He couldn't think of how to continue, or possibly didn't want to.
"When things become abnormal."
Jen finished. He smiled in thanks and nodded in agreement.
"Hannibal also asked me to visit you often. Make sure you had everything you need. He wanted me to ask you if you are going to be okay?"
She asked tentatively. He looked off into the distance, thinking.
"You know," He said finally. "I think I will."
Jen saw something that could be construed as possibly a cross between happiness and a release from something, pass through Murdock as he spoke.
""And the answer to Hannibal's question is yes. Most definitely a yes."
A smile crossed his face then, and the control vanished to be replaced with a childish intrigue.
"So, Hannibal's God-Daughter eh? What's that like?"
Jen smiled, thinking about the friendship that was being formed between them at that very moment as she answered his question and all the others that followed. They talked about everything and anything as long as it had no connection to 'Nam or the army and when the Doctor came to see Murdock the next day after Jen had left, he was amazed at the improvement in him. He was no longer quiet and withdrawn, but more relaxed and happier in his surroundings.
And when Jen spoke to Hannibal, she asked him what the question had been and the reply made her smile.
"I asked him whether he still wanted a place on the A-Team. To be our eyes and ears on the outside. To help us help others."
The main story – Echoes Of My Mind - is to arrive soon. But meanwhile – what did you all think of this? Good prologue to the main story?
Echoes Of My Mind Summary: The Team lost someone close to them 8 years ago for reasons unknown. How have they coped and how will they cope when she's suddenly back from the grave, with no recollection of them, and bringing her work home with her. Set in 1983.