Disclaimer: I do not own, nor did I create, any of the A-team characters (main or support) nor do I own, nor did I create, any of the episodes. That credit is due to Stephen J. Cannell and his associates. Any familiar catch phrases also belong to the Cannell team.

Abels 1,2,3,4 etc is Cannell's method for referring to the body guard agents Stockwell would assign to watch the A-team and enforce his control.

Chapter Spoiler Alert: None needed for this installment.

Chapter Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoy this chapter and thank you all for reading my story.

Chapter Summary: Hannibal swings his plan into action.

Chronicles of a Colonel: by LAGC

Chapter Three - The A-team's Great Escape

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"This is great stuff, Papa! My only fear is that my teacher will think it's all fiction and the assignment is creative non-fiction about my family history." worried my grandchild.

I chuckled and told her, "We have newspaper articles and court documents to back us up if needed."

Then my wife called out from the kitchen, "Ok you two. It's time to break for lunch."

"Aw, Grandma, please we are at a really pivotal part in the story." pleaded my biographer.

"The story will still be the same after lunch. Besides I'm not explaining to your Dad why his baby girl passed out from lack of food while under my watch." Maggie chastised gently.

"Ok ok Doc we are coming." I said. In my mind I laughed because Murdock was right, Maggie Sullivan always was the only person who could successfully give me an order.

I was looking forward to telling Rachel the rest of the story.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The next day passed slowly. BA had let me know that the van was good to go. Face played the nurse maid role and did the laundry all day, but under that cover was able to gather enough of our clothes to keep us looking neat and clean and thereby unnoticeable in the general public.

During our time with Stockwell I had been stashing cash money throughout the property. I now gathered it and deposited in the van, hidden in an old toolbox.

Frankie was in charge of lunch detail that day. BA had sat at the kitchen counter working on a broken walkie-talkie while Santana cooked. He was keeping a close eye on the duplicitous chef to make sure nutrition was all the meal contained.

I was returning from tanning on the pool deck and heard their conversation as I entered the kitchen.

"Should I make enough egg salad for Murdock too?" Frankie asked BA

"I don't know, Man. Go ask Face or the Fool himself." rumbled the Big Guy

"Is Murdock still tossing his cookies?" he asked, going a bit green around the gills.

"I just checked on Murdock. Egg salad will be to heavy but a simple chicken noodle soup would be great. There are some cans in the pantry." I answered as I strode in.

While Frankie went off to fetch the can, I flashed BA a quick thumbs up.

A bit later Face came into the kitchen and gathered up the tray with Murdock's soup. He put his sandwich on the tray too saying he'd eat with his patient.

"Where are you and Rhonda off to tonight?" I inquired to begin a normal conversation so the day would seem just like any other day

"Oh a sweet number like Rhonda deserves the best of the best. So we are doing dinner and a concert in DC." he blustered. "We'll even have a chauffeured limo courtesy of the Abels.

"Sound like you're putting on quite a grand production for this lady." I said.

"Ah... but Johnny. She's a gorgeous specimen of the human female. Masterpieces like her must know they are adored." he waxed on.

"I don't know, Man. A woman who needs to be wined and dined and treated like a movie star ain't usually worth the effort." BA added.

"Oh but she is BA. She is. Tell him, Johnny, I know you understand this."

I simply grinned and lit my cigar.

"Ok gonna finish cleaning up in here then I'm going to go get ready for my date. Setting up the whole Santana Charm takes time."

About four hours later. BA and I were sitting in the den. Frankie came in dressed to impress in a grey suit. He had two ties in his hand.

"Hey guys which tie goes best? The blue or the deep purple?" he asked like a confused teenager.

"Use the purple one. Ladies are naturally attracted to purple." advised Face as he joined us.

"Okay Faceman. Purple it is." Frank said as he wrapped the tie around his neck.

Just then Abels 0ne and Two appeared at the door.

"Oh hey hey. My footmen are here to escort me to my fair maiden. Hey nobody wait up for me tonight, ya hear." he joked as he left.

We waited until we heard the limo drive off and the electric main gates open. Then we all jumped into action. Murdock was in the kitchen keeping tabs on Abels Three and Four. I ordered my men to get to the van and turn it over as soon as they heard my signal, then to meet me in the delivery driveway.

None of them asked what the signal was, they all knew by now that they'd recognize it when it happened.

I went off in the direction of the swimming pool. Earlier I had hidden a mannequin dressed like Stockwell under Murdock's pool raft. Now I tossed the thing into the water. It was semi buoyant thanks to a life jacket under the suit. I used a remote control to set off the C4 I had planted in the BBQ grill while "tanning". Boy, can propane make a lot of noise. Then I played my special recording of Stockwell's voice. I had spliced enough footage together to make it sound like he was screaming for the Abels to help him. They came racing around the corner. One jumped into the pool instantly to rescue their boss. The other hesitated. That one, I shot with a tranquilizer dart. By time he hit the ground the soggy Abel learned that the dummy wasn't really drowning. He swam quickly to the pool deck next to his comrade. I punched him in his stunned face and as he collapsed I injected him with a reduced dose of BA's bed-time juice. Then I tied the Abels together, put them on the inflatable raft, and floated them out in the pool.

By this time I heard the van squealing into the driveway. I ran to it and dove through the open slider. As Face slammed it shut, I made my way to my seat while ordering, "GO BA!" We sped off down the delivery driveway. The gate was closed and locked but the Big Guy simply rammed our way through. He raced left down the road. Fortunately the main gate and the delivery gate opened up onto two completely different roads. With any luck we have a good head start before anyone could report our absence. Everyone settled into our traditional seats ready to hit the road. We were back on the run and damn if it didn't feel good.

"We are aiming for West Virginia." I informed my men. Then I added "Stay off the main roads and highways, BA. That should make it harder for Stockwell to track us. I plotted a course on secondary roads last night." I said showing him a map with a highlighted route.

He scanned the map and nodded confidently.

"Yeah, Man. I figured we'd do this so I previewed some maps last night too." he replied.

I glanced around the van. It was stacked high with several large duffle bags.

"Ok men report in on the success of our pre-operation scrounging." I ordered

"I managed to stow away about a weeks worth of clothing for each of us. And some basic camping supplies." said Face.

"The van's double gas tanks are full and I stocked another tank full in jerry cans." BA contributed.

"I snuck out a weeks supply of rations, Hannibal. And a fully stocked first aid kit." Murdock added.

"Nice guys. Nice." I replied then said, "I made sure the arsenal was replenished too."

"Sounds like we can cover some good ground before we have to risk interacting with the public, Colonel" said Face handing me a cigar.

"Yes it would seem so, Lieutenant" I lit my cigar and took a slow drag, then I said what I knew my team was waiting to hear,

"I love it when a plan comes together!"