7. Hay Bale Getaway

Disclaimer: I do not own The A Team movie or television series or any of the delightful characters found on The A Team.

Hannibal's quote of the month: Make the best with what tools and talents you have been given.

oooooo

"Okay, okay. So this wasn't part of the plan." Hannibal ducked behind the stack of hay bales, his cigar firmly clamped in the side of his mouth.

His Lieutenant was already hiding there. Face occasionally raised his head long enough to return fire on the kidnapper and his henchmen. They had likewise taken cover among the trees forming the boundary between the farmyard and the forest.

"Really? You mean you didn't anticipate them not wanting us to grab Porter's daughter and bring her back to her father?" The conman gave Hannibal a sarcastic smirk and reloaded his nickel plated Colt Lawman MK III. Peering back over his shoulder at the barn, he shook his head. "I just hope our ammunition holds out long enough for B. A. and Murdock to rig something up."

"Don't worry. They know what to do. Here." The Colonel shoved the Uzi carbine into Face's hands and muttered, "Cover me."

As the Lieutenant laid down cover fire, Hannibal ran in a semi-crouch back to the dark confines of the barn.

"What've we got, B. A.?" The Colonel gave Sheila Porter, the purpose of their mission, a nod as he entered the building and strode back to where his men were hard at work. He glanced approvingly at the hay wagon and the tractor hooked up to it. The burly mechanic had affixed the doors of an old Ford truck to either side of the driver's seat. Hay bales wedged in the broken out windows provided extra protection for the driver.

B. A. grunted as he lifted another hay bale up to the back of the wagon. "Enough of these linin' the walls of this an' we should have a movin' barricade." He looked up at Murdock who seemed to have a bit more of a struggle than the black man as he hefted the bale into place on the fourth tier on the left side. "Make sure ya leave 'nough of a gap to fit the barrel of a gun through."

The pilot let out an exasperated huff and shifted the position of the bale slightly. Placing his hands on his hips and glaring at B. A. in mock consternation, he sneered, "Details, details. Should I cover th' interior with art deco prints, make it more homey?" Turning his attention to Hannibal, he asked, "Billy says he wants to get outta here pretty soon, Colonel. Don' we have 'nough o' these in place?"

Hannibal smiled indulgently, a sparkle in his eye. "You're the tallest one among us, Captain. Why don't you see if you have enough cover if you crouch down behind that hay wall?"

"Aw, but Colonel. B. A. here's a city boy. I'm th' one's been raised on th' farm. Can't I drive, jus' this once?" The Captain was in full pout as he cocked his head to one side and looked down at the two men.

"Okay. You can drive. But we still have to know there's enough of a wall for B. A., Face and me. So humor me." Murdock's smile took over his whole face and the Colonel's grin widened in response.

As the pilot did as he was ordered, the Colonel clapped B. A. on the shoulder. "Sloppy of Warner to give us all the tools we need to make our getaway."

The black Sergeant shrugged and Murdock nodded from his position behind the hay bale wall. "Should be good 'nough, Colonel. If ya hand me up that grenade launcher 'n' the rifle, I'll put 'em in position. Oh, 'n' th' li'l lady, too."

The Colonel handed the weapons to the pilot, then helped the young teen up into the back of the wagon. "Find a place near the front and lie flat on your stomach." After seeing her do what she was told, the Colonel let B. A. take position with the Ruger AC556K and he crouched beside him with the other weapon.

"Let's go, Captain!" Hannibal yelled even as Murdock climbed up and over the truck doors and into the tractor seat.

The pilot turned over the engine and as the knocking sound evened out and the hay wagon jerked forward the two men and girl in back could hear a "Yahooo!" that trailed off into a howl of triumph.

The Colonel's eyes glinted with amusement as he muttered, "Nice, Murdock."

As they cleared the barn doors, he yelled, "Time to go, Lieutenant" and laid down fire as the conman scrambled into the wagon.