Part II - And Pilot Makes Four

"Murdock, will you just calm down and quit looking at the road behind us every two minutes? Nobody is after us. And even if they were, I don't think they could catch us if I opened this baby up."

Face gave the steering wheel of his Corvette a loving pat as Murdock looked over the interior of the car.

"Easy for you to say, muchacho. You aren't the one with the permanent reservation in the rubber room."

"No - just the guy skipping my appointment with a firing squad. Come on, buddy - let's not think about that junk. Me and you? We're going to have a whole week together. Just like we always talked about doing back over in 'Nam. Nobody shooting at us. Just beaches, sun and fun."

Murdock just took a deep breath and then nodded before tilting back his head and letting out a howl. He hadn't done that since leaving Vietnam. Felt pretty good. Bouncing the passenger seat a little, Murdock reached over and patted the dashboard.

"This is the latest model year, isn't it, Faceman? How you swing something like - never mind. I forgot who I was speaking to for a minute."

Taking that as a compliment, Face beamed, then reached over and gave his friend a nudge on the shoulder.

"We've almost there. We're going to be meeting the Colonel and B.A. just outside of L.A."

"So, what is it he wanted to see me about? Not that I don't want to see everyone, of course. It's been too long since we've been together. We are going to be together? I am going to see them, right?"

"Yes, you'll be seeing them in just a few more minutes. Sorry, pal. I promised Hannibal that I wouldn't spill the beans."

"That's an odd saying. I can't imagine why spilling beans would make anyone upset. Unless it was pork and beans. That's just messy."

Face just chuckled at that.

"That's more the Murdock I remember. Don't change, buddy."

"I have to change, Face. Otherwise my socks get all stiff. And we won't even talk about my boxers. I wonder why they call them boxers? Why not poodles?"

"Could you imagine telling a guy to pull up his poodles?"

"I guess you have a point there, Faceman. Hey! Is that B.A. and Hannibal?"

Smirking, Hannibal gave a wave back to the wildly waving Murdock as B.A. just sighed.

"Tell me again why this is a good idea, Hannibal. Fool's not right in the head."

"He's one of us, B.A. Exactly how many of the three of us would be alive right now if it wasn't for Murdock?"

Fingering the single thick gold chain he was wearing, B.A. sighed again.

"None of us. You're right. He's one of us. Don't mean I want to be catchin' his crazy though."

As soon as the Corvette came to a stop, Murdock came bouncing out like super-high ball from a vending machine. Before B.A. had time to fend him off, Murdock had attached himself to the side of the burly black man like Velcro. Face was trying without a great deal of success not to laugh at the expression on B.A. He just wished he'd had a camera. Of course, if B.A. had seen him taking a picture, he'd probably have made him eat it. Camera and all.

Before B.A. could growl or curse or shove Murdock away, he heard the tremors in the pilot's voice and froze. Was Murdock crying?

"I never thought I'd see you guys again."

Awkwardly, B.A. gave the still-clinging man a pat.

"Well - guess I sorta missed you too, Fool. But what's this fuss all about?"

Face had joined them by now and laid a hand on Murdock's back, looking at Hannibal.

"Some jerk sent Murdock a telegram informing him of our deaths, Colonel. I thought for a minute that he was going to pass out when he recognized me."

"Face told me you guys were okay. I guess I was just afraid it would turn out to be me imagining what I wanted to hear."

Hannibal's scowl matched B.A.'s as he moved over to form a tight knot with his men. He had a decent idea exactly who that jerk might have been.

"We all made it out, Captain. All of four of us. We three are going to be settling down in L.A. Plenty of places for us to stay under the radar. And we're going to be working as a team again. I want you to be part of that with us, Murdock."

Detaching himself somewhat apologetically from B.A., Murdock gave his damp face a rough swipe, then looked into B.A.'s eyes.

"Do you want that as well, Big Guy?"

As many trepidations as B.A. had about Murdock's mental state, he couldn't bring himself to say anything cruel to someone who had been so torn up over thinking that he'd lost them all.

"Yeah, I do, Fool. Like the Colonel said, you're one of us. Just keep your crazy to yourself."

That got a chuckle out of Murdock.

"You make it sound like a cold. That would be neat if you could spread it by sneezing. No, that's wrong. You'd probably have to spread crazy by laughing. Or hiccups. Probably hiccups because hiccups are more like sneezing and coughing."

"Same jibber-jabber, just a different topic."

Hannibal gave Murdock's shoulder a little squeeze.

"Well, Captain? Your choice. Are you with us?"

The grin that broke out reminded all of them of before. Before the POW camp. Before the crash.

"I'm with you."

"In that case? Gentlemen, the A-Team is open for business."