"Hey boss, can you here me?"
"I gotcha Face," the boss of the special units military ops team, called "the A-Team" for short, called over the blast of the van's massive stereo system as he signaled to the driver to turn the radio down.
The members of the team all had their special skills to contribute to the whole of the unit, each of the four men being touch as nails, but showing it in different ways. The head of the A-Team was John "Hannibal" Smith. He was an older man and always had a cigar on hand when the going got tough. He was a badass old-timer, having been in Vietnam and having way too many bar fights in his younger days. He was kind of like the grumpy grandpa of the team. His skills in disguise were unsurpassable, and his quick-thinking mind had gotten him and his team out of many possible lethal situations in the past. He had a hard, chiseled face, rough from all the training he went through in Nam. He had pure, icy-blue eyes and dirty blonde stubble that covered most of his jaw and chin. His face was wrinkled, but his expression was harmless. He was tough, but had a soft side that not even his team really ever saw, but nonetheless, it was there.
The loosely second in command to the A-Team was Templeton "Faceman" Peck. He was more of the charming ladies-man type, who would gladly get involved with any woman if it would benefit the mission in some way, and sometimes if it wouldn't. He was sly, suave, smooth-talking, and his skills as the team's con man were beyond incredible. He was able to get his hands on just about anything the team needed, using various disguises, albeit less than Hannibal. He was the one who arranged for supplies, equipment, and sensitive information for the team using numerous scams and hustles. He practically invented the term "player". He had an angular face and a smirk that always seemed to reside on his face at all times. He had striking clear blue eyes and his light brown hair was ruffled, yet clean. He had some light stubble that stretched across his jaw line. He was tall and thin, and man, was he toned. A true player indeed.
But the toughest of all the members of the A-Team had to be Bosco Albert "B.A." (Or Bad Attitude) Baracus. Dude, did the guy have some 'tude. He picked fights with almost everyone he came across and if you got on his bad side, you might as well be better off dead. He was a highly-skilled mechanic and had an amazing talent for making impressive machinery out of just about any ordinary parts. He was an excellent fighter and was extremely valuable in hand-to-hand combat. Even though he was easily angered, and often greeted people with a growl, he had his way with the kids. He was built for brawn, but not so much for speed. He was a big, angry black man and was severely ripped; even his muscles had muscles. He had a bunch of tattoos and sported a black, curly Mohawk that made him look like even more of a badass. He had chocolate brown eyes and a curly goatee. He was truly a force to be reckoned with.
But mainly, the only person that constantly got on his nerves was Murdock, the final member of the team. There weren't too many words to describe H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock. He was the most childish and unbelievable of the team members, but when he was flying a helicopter, he was a whole different person. Even his teammates sometimes were unclear if Murdock was truly insane or just exceptionally good at pretending he was (or a combination of the two). To sum it up, Murdock was crazy. He always wore one of his numerous, dusty old ball-caps and some camouflage attire. He had stormy grey/ blue eyes, and he was the best at faking different accents and characters. He was a scrawny little guy and the shortest of the four men, but no one seemed to mess with him due to his erratic behavior. He looked like he didn't belong to the team, but he was an extremely important part of the unit and he never seemed to leave even if they wanted him to. All four of these men held there own and kicked some serious ass when they were in the zone. That was the A-Team.
After the music was turned down to a reasonable level, the members of the A-Team got ready, both physically and mentally for the mission ahead. Hannibal was gathering all the equipment for the operation. He grabbed a portable radio from the shelf in the van that served as the base of operations for the group. The van was B.A's and he had just gotten it out of the shop. He remembered to make sure to not let his precious van be in the way of Murdock in any way after what had happened eight years ago. He still doesn't like to talk about it.
Speaking of the devil, Murdock popped his head out from the front passenger seat, turning to look at Hannibal and Face who were getting ready for B.A to get them to the extraction point. B.A was driving the van and he looked around anxiously at the road.
"You sure that this is the best way to get to this Dmitri character? I mean, this is gonna be like a birthday party for him, so don't you think he'll like, have a bunch o' guards and shit left and right in there? Plus, are you gonna let Face be the one to find him? I have a bone to pick with this guy after what he did to my cousin, Ray-Ray."
"Jesus, does everyone have a cousin named Ray-Ray, or is it just me?" Face muttered to Hannibal who was deeply studying the papers in front of him on the table that sat in the middle of the van.
Hannibal set his bandolier down on the shaky table and glanced up at Face who was bouncing up and down in excitement and punching the air.
"Yeah….I think its okay," Hannibal replied to B.A, disregarding Face's Ray-Ray remark. "This mission doesn't involve brute strength, B.A., but this is the kind of mission that needs someone who looks a little less…threatening than you. Plus Face has the knowledge to retrieve the information without causing too much of a scene," He answered with authority.
"Man Hannibal, you sure?"
Hannibal looked at Face and he smiled.
"I think I can trust him."
"Thanks boss," Face replied happily. He didn't get to do missions very much on his own and when he did, it was always a blast. Usually, quite literally.
B.A shook his head and murmured quietly to himself as he sped toward the intersection.
Murdock unbuckled his seat belt and hurried over to the table, sitting down in the chair in a fetal position and looking at the blueprints of an elaborate building that lay before him in the light. He pointed to a large room in the center of one of the layouts.
"Is that the ballroom?"
"No, that's just a giant hallway where a bunch of people stand and talk to each other while music's played in the background on a lighted stage," Face said sarcastically.
"Crazy fool…" muttered B.A from the driver's seat.
Hannibal rolled his eyes and nodded his head toward Murdock who stood up and went to go get his soda from the front seat. Hannibal then turned to Face once again and pointed to the ballroom on the blueprint.
"Right here is, obviously, the ballroom, and that's where you will be taken when you first arrive by the greeters at the door. Then you're gonna wanna turn on your ear piece where I'll be giving you orders and listening in on your conversations with the guests."
"Why the guests, boss? I mean, are they part of the whole picture or what?" Face asked.
"Yes. Dmitri had a special guest list sent out to only those who are greatly respected in the underground crime scene. Real sketchy people. Everyone at this party will know Dmitri in some way, and listen to me Face- If you see anyone, that you, well…"
"Wanna do," B.A called loudly from the front of the van.
"-As in a woman. Face- control yourself with your emotions. This mission is extremely important and we can't afford to mess this one up because of another girl whom you idiotically claim is the one and only." Hannibal said firmly.
"Yeah and you never spend more than an hour with a woman unless she's dead or passed out anyway, Face," B.A announced loudly, chuckling to himself.
Face scowled at B.A from the back.
"Oh, it looks like we're here! I'll get the radios. Tally-ho!" Murdock called in his random British accent.
"I never will get that guy," Face said as B.A huffed and was probably rolling his eyes.
Hannibal got a cigar and handed Face a high caliber gun to take with him into the party.
"Good luck, kid. Be careful and be quick- get in and get out. No stalling," Hannibal said as he puffed away on his cigar and winked at him, a wide grin on his tanned face.
The van pulled up to the huge mansion and Face got out, waved to the guys, and started to make his way quickly to the entrance of the gigantic house. As the van pulled away silently, he started to ready himself. He straightened up his tuxedo and stood up tall, looking around in excitement. The greeters at the front doors ushered him into the ballroom and he gave them a friendly smile as he walked by them and into the huge towering room.
Music played softly in the background and Face looked around at all the people, knowing that each and every one of them was a member of the secret and deceptive world of underground crime and assuring himself that he had to extract the information on the next big crime quickly. He walked forward to find someone to strike up a conversation with and find out where he could find Dimitri. He pressed a finger to his ear piece, turning it on, and talked quietly, but clearly into the device.
"I'm in."
Face was sipping on some punch, peach flavored, and Murdock's favorite kind.
"Hey, Hannibal, put Murdock on," Face chuckled as he looked about the groups of people surrounding him.
There was a brief silence and then a crackling noise on the other end.
"Murdock here, Face."
"I'm drinking some punch right now. And guess what kind it is…"
"What kind?"
"Peach."
There was another silence on the other end and then a loud bang.
Face flinched at the sound as Hannibal got back on.
"Thanks man, now he's in a complete juice fit right now. You know how he gets with that punch….Jesus, Face." Hannibal responded half-joking, half-serious.
Face chuckled, but then abruptly stopped as his eyes settled upon a woman across the room that was walking around with a glass of punch in her hand.
His eyes widened and he almost dropped his punch all over himself and the floor. The woman was truly a diamond in the rough. She stood out from the crowd like a sore thumb. She looked like she belonged in a Victoria's Secret commercial on T.V., not at some crappy ballroom birthday party for some low life. She had eyes that were even bluer and clearer than Face's and she was a little shorter than him, by about an inch or two. She was very thin but had nice, balanced curves. She had light, tanned skin and she walked with a kind of power and authority that attracted Face like a magnetic. Her hair was long and curly and it was a dirty blonde color, sort of like Face's. She had the perfect amount of makeup on, and she had on long, dangly diamond earrings. She wore a long and sparkling satin black dress that showed her shoulders and she held a small silver handbag in her left hand. She was beautiful, and unfortunately, Face just couldn't resist.
"Hey Hannibal, sorry, man."
"What? Oh wait… don't tell me Face. You better not be- oh God, please Face, don't-"
"Like I said boss, sorry. I just can't help myself."
He could hear Hannibal growling on the other line.
"Face DON'T!-"
Face switched off his ear piece and the last thing he heard was someone laughing in the background. Probably B.A, no doubt. Or Murdock thinking about drinking punch. Face couldn't really tell.
He then grinned to himself. He looked back at the woman as she started walking away. Face hurried toward her in a way that he could see her but she couldn't see him. He already had a plan. God, he was good with the ladies.
Her body language seemed a little strange, but he kept up with her pace and then he made a quick turn and headed for her. This was it.
They bumped right into each other like two cars t-boning each other on the road. The woman abruptly stopped and her glass with the peach punch in it fell onto the floor, breaking into a million pieces. She looked down at the shattered glass and then lifted her head up until she was staring directly into Face's eyes.
She was even more unbelievably beautiful up close. Face felt his heart jump in his chest as she stared at him with her glistening blue eyes. He swallowed heavily.
"Oh God, I'm so sorry! Did I get anything on your tux?"
Her voice was as smooth as silk. Her eyes sparkled as she furrowed her eyebrows in concern.
"Oh, no, I'm okay. Most of it got on the floor," Face said as he flashed a pearly white smile. "Hey, do I know you from somewhere? I just feel like I've seen you before…"
"I don't think I know you…but I've seen a lot of men in my time. More than you could imagine," The woman smiled.
Face laughed deeply.
"Well, I've seen my share of women in my time as well...I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name miss."
The woman shifted her weight so she could get closer to Face, or at least that's what he wanted to think.
"It's Vivian. Vivian Ross. And you would be…"
"Templeton Peck. I know, but it's kind of the name my parents gave me."
Vivian played with her hair and looked deeply at his face.
"Well, I think it suits you very well."
He put his hand in his tux pocket and smirked jokingly. The woman opened her hand bag as a phone started to ring. She looked at the caller I.D and then the smile on her face dropped abruptly.
"Oh shit…"
Face looked confused as she put a hand on her forehead like she was angry about something.
"What is it Mrs. Ross?" he asked.
"Just my crazy family. Hey, look Mr. Peck, I gotta go. I'm sorry, I'll- see you around. Nice meeting you."
Just as soon as they had met, she had gone, leaving Face standing there in the middle of the ballroom, alone.
Face really didn't want to, but he turned on his ear piece to the sound of Murdock making monkey noises and B.A cursing at him. Hannibal sighed deeply.
"Hey boss, it's me. You doing okay with those two?"
"Well, you and your freakin' high testosterone levels almost gave me a goddamn heart attack. Hurry up; we're getting pretty restless all cooped up in this claustrophobic van of B.A's." Hannibal said.
"I'm going, I'm going. Hey, I met this woman who-"
"Save it Face." Hannibal cautioned angrily.
"Okay. I'll see you soon. I'm gonna go find some random shady character to pick on. Keep in touch in case things get a little…rowdy." Face said as he looked around for the strangely beautiful woman in the midst of the crowd.
Face started toward the bathrooms and halfway there he spotted a tall, scrawny-looking guy who was about the same age as the woman, who he assumed was about his own age. He had messy blonde hair and misty, sky blue eyes. He had tiny muscles and large goobery ears that stuck out like a deranged bat's. He looked like a strange, hyper teenager who seriously needed to take his meds. Face stumbled on his feet uncomfortably as he passed the guy who seemed to be watching him like a hawk as he headed into the bathroom. But as soon as Face entered the restroom, he knew the guy had followed him in. No one was in the bathroom with him so Face whipped out his shiny new gun and spun around, shoving the gun in the skinny guy's face, but the guy somehow managed to strip his gun away from him and stick it into Face's own chest. He pulled back the hammer of the gun and cocked his head to the side. But he lowered the gun and handed it back to Face, smiling.
"A little slow on the draw, dude," he said.
Face was stunned to hear this guy act so calmly after getting a gun shoved in his face. The scrawny guy chuckled and stuck his boney hand out toward Face, who was reluctant to shake it.
"Don't worry, I won't bite."
Face glared up at the guy and then at his hand.
"It's just not everyday that I meet someone who's quicker than me with a gun."
The guy laughed and Face showed a sly half-smile.
"I like you, you're dangerous," the guy said, smiling.
Face shook the guy's hand, grinning. But he then raised his eyebrow and put his gun back into the recesses of his tuxedo.
"Who the hell are you, if it's not too bold to ask?"
The guy's smile vanished and he suddenly started to look around the small bathroom as if he could tell that someone was listening in on their conversation.
"The name's Monte Simmons. But everyone who knows me calls me Striker."
Face grunted.
"Striker, eh? Well everyone who knows me calls me Face."
"Face? Man…" the guy paused for a second and shook his head, starting to shake.
Face scrunched his eyes as if the kid would explode and moved back a step, just in case.
"Awesome!"
Face smiled. He liked this guy, but it was a little too suspicious that a guy like him would be at a party like this just for the cocktails and giving Dimitri birthday presents.
"So, Striker; what brings you to this lavishly evil party this evening?" Face asked.
"Well, I didn't really have a choice."
Striker leaned in towards Face.
"It's my half-sister. She's here on a mission. She's kind of a spy, and she came her because she was given this assignment from her boss, who's name is Jonathon Cobb. The only reason I just told you that she and I are spies is because I assume you're one yourself," he paused and waited for a reaction from Face. He nodded and Striker continued. "We're sort of a spy duo, you could say. She's the smart, tough and pretty one, and I'm the intimidating, dangerous, and gun-crazy one. Sorry I followed you in here though. I have a knack for picking out the bad guys, which I can get mixed up with the good guys if they act the same way. You were acting suspicious and your body language told me that you had something to hide."
"Very nice! You're assumption is oddly correct. I'm here on my own solo mission with my, um, team of four listening in. They're outside to help save my ass if things get too crazy. As you can see, I brought my own backup with me-" he stopped and showed Striker his shiny new toy from within his tux. "I'm here to acquire some information on Dmitri's next-
"Bank heist, I know. We're both here for the same thing. Dude! You wanna team up? It'll be awesome! But we gotta find my little sis first; she kinda disappeared on me, and we seriously need to find her, quick. This should be a pretty simple mission, but you never know what could happen."
Face shrugged. He knew the feeling.
"Well, what was your plan with your cousin before we met? Were you gonna try to slip into Dmitri's room and get some of his documents and blueprints off of his computer? That's what I was planning to do. I brought an untraceable SD card with me to put the all the dirt on."
Striker nodded.
"Same plan as us. Dude! We are on fire to-night! Let's go!"
Striker unbuttoned his suit and two silver guns became visible to Face. A bandolier was strapped over his shoulder, a massive amount of rounds stuck to it that shone in the bright light of the bathroom. Face's eyes widened. Somehow, that scrawny little guy had room to hide a fucking AK-47 inside his suit. It was attached to his weapon's belt, along with about a hundred knives and shanks; it was like witnessing an inmates dream. Face glanced up at Striker, whose face was as excited as a little kids on Christmas morning. Murdock was gonna love this guy.
Striker eyed Face as he brought out a small pistol, putting it in his pocket and buttoning back up his shirt.
"Let's go get us some confidential shit my friend!"