Part X – Into the Dark

It only took a moment for B.A. to notice that Face had stopped moving - unless you counted trembling. Continuing to cart the guard around with him, he moved to the base of the stairs and shouted up.

"Colonel! Complications!"

Hannibal winced. He was afraid there'd be complications of some sort. He took a moment to shove one of the new desks against the door, then grabbed several random objects and positioned them near the edge of the desktop. It wouldn't hold anyone back for long, but the noise from the falling objects should at least tell them that they had company coming.

That accomplished, he hurried downstairs, giving B.A. a questioning look. In answer, B.A. just motioned with his head in Face's direction. One glance was all it took to get Hannibal over to his lieutenant's side. Face nearly jumped out of his skin when the Colonel touched his shoulder.

"Easy there. Talk to me, Lieutenant."

He'd never seen Face so shaken. He soon knew why as Face began to talk quickly as if he were afraid that if he slowed down, he wouldn't be able to get it out. He told all of the details of his nightmare - and how, so far, everything was in line with that scene.

Hannibal gave his shoulder a squeeze. No wonder the kid was quaking, but they needed to get past that and quickly.

"Well, I'm changing the script as of now. Captain Murdock?"

"Colonel?"

Hannibal barely heard him through the door.

"He sounds bad, Lieutenant. Get this thing open now."

The tone was that of an order and years in the service responded in his mind, snapping Face back to reality.

"Yes, sir."

As Face got back to work, B.A. spoke up.

"This fool I got here is saying that no-one goes in that room at all. Tape player there was spouting out something in Vietnamese when we came down. Face shut it off."

That comment made Hannibal come over and eye the guard himself.

"No-one? How is he being fed? Getting water? Hell, does that thing even have a latrine?"

"I - never seen the inside. When we bring food, once we're in position, the lights are turned off. There's a hatch that we put his bowls in."

"Show us this 'hatch'."

The man made a shaky gesture and B.A. hauled him around to the backside of the cell. There, about a foot off of the floor, was a small latched door, about eight inches square. Hannibal's eyes narrowed as he examined it, then he removed his jacket to block the light as he eased it open slightly. The stench was foul and he could feel some of the heat and humidity coming through, but all he could see was darkness.

"How long are the lights in there off each day?"

The man in B.A.'s grip squirmed, but remained silent until B.A. got right in his face again.

"Unless you want to have to start partin' your hair at the back of your head to be able to blow your fool nose, you best answer the Colonel now."

The man literally squeaked out his answer.

"n-n-n-no lights."

"Excuse me?"

"There ar-r-aren't any lights in there."

The fury blazing up in Hannibal's eyes was the last straw for the guard - he fainted. Just then, Face called out.

"Finally got it, sir."

"Put the trash in the corner, Sergeant, then join us."

"With pleasure. Hey - Colonel - Murdock's stuff is back here. Everything. Pants, jacket, hat, shoes."

"Bring it with you."

Hannibal stalked back to Face's side and Face stared at the cold anger plainly visible on Hannibal's features - though thankfully, obviously not directed at him. He watched as Hannibal considered and then reconsidered what to say. B.A. had rejoined them before he actually spoke.

"We need to try and block as much of this light from going in as possible. We're going to need that mask, Lieutenant. However long he's been in there, he's been in the dark. His eyes are going to need slow readjustment. Brace yourselves, men. I doubt this is going to be pleasant."

At Hannibal's nod, Face eased the door open and all three of them averted their faces as they were hit with hot, muggy air choked with the mixed odors of urine, feces and sweat. The whimper they heard wasn't a promising sound, but it was better than the silence they'd all been fearing.

B.A. stuck out his hand.

"Give me the mask, Faceman. He's my brother now, I should carry him out."

Face didn't argue - he was, quite frankly, trying not to throw up. They couldn't see anything really, and what little they could make out was the light off of B.A.'s chains. They heard him speaking softly as if he were speaking to one of his kids at the Youth Center after they'd skinned their knee.

Following the soft glow on the chains, they saw him go down low and then slowly stand back up. Even before he turned, he spoke. The last time they'd heard B.A. use that tone was when a group of toughs had broken his mother's arm.

"Some fool is gonna die for this."

Turning around, he made his way slowly out, carrying Murdock very gingerly. When he finally got his first good look at him, Face blanched.

"Oh God, Colonel - it's worse than my dream."

That's when Face lost his fight with his stomach along with what was left of his breakfast.