I think we should make some swift vacation plans.

Before they send another girl after us with long legs, huh?

Ah, no, that could happen to anyone.

Yes, Face, but it always happens to you.

- Face and Hannibal, "Incident at Crystal Lake"


He escaped? How could that happen, he escaped? Al, you didn't open the Waiting Room door, did you? Oh, please tell me you didn't open the Waiting Room door. You did, you did, I can't believe this!

Well, I couldn't help it, he took us by surprise! Somehow, he got a hold of a gun, and he held the gun straight at me like that, and what could I do? I couldn't do anything!

Okay, okay, okay. He got out of the Waiting Room, okay, but at least he's still in the complex. Right? I can't believe this is happening, Al! You've got to get him back!

- Sam and Al, "Killin' Time"

Chapter 9: Got To Go

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1999

WAITING ROOM

PROJECT QUANTUM LEAP

STALLIONS GATE, NEW MEXICO

7:30PM MOUNTAIN TIME

Templeton sighed after Tina left the room, leaving him alone again. He didn't know how long he had been alone since her departure, since there was literally no way of telling what time it was, much less how much time had passed. He was still very much being kept in the dark, and he didn't like it. Things were definitely not right about this whole situation, especially where he was, his change in clothing, his memory that was filled with craters deeper than some of the shelled out areas in 'Nam, among many other things.

If Hannibal had been with him, he would have likely come up with a plan by now to secure their escape. And, as impossible as the plan might have seemed, even with a few hiccups along the way, it still would have somehow worked. It usually did, even if they got a bit beat up in the process, but it did . . . and that brought a smile to his lips.

But, Hannibal wasn't there, and he really needed to not only get some answers, but he needed to find a way out, which meant coming up with his own plan for escape. But, even if he could get out of this room, what would he find beyond the doors? Would the route to freedom be pretty easy, or was he going to encounter some resistance along the way?

What had that one guy said before . . . the Admiral. That this was a government installation? If it was, then chances were that he likely was going to run into some guys in uniform the moment he left this room he was being held captive in.

He started to pace the room like a caged tiger as he surveyed the area around him. Outside of the table, he could see no drawers, no doors, no windows, no carts, or anything. There simply wasn't anything there that could be used to fashion a tool, a weapon, or anything else.

For all practical purposes, he might have just been better off being locked away in the little rubber rooms in the looney bin, wearing a straightjacket. At least then, he'd have something that he could try to work with in order to escape. Here, there was nothing . . .

Looking back at the table he had been laying on before, he could see some kind of a glass sitting on top of it. He thought about pounding on it as hard as he could, although he thought better of that idea once he realized that the glass was all one piece and pretty thick. He'd likely bruise or break his hands first before he managed to crack it, much less get anything from it that could be useful.

Even though there was no obvious indication of a door . . . no door handle, and certainly not any kind of a keyhole, lock, or keypad . . . he made his way to the wall where he had seen this Admiral exit. As he examined it more closely, even running his hands and fingers along the wall, he could feel the faint . . . almost imperceptible line that indicated that there was a door right there.

From what he had recalled, Tina had used a similar door on another wall. Heading over to that spot, and feeling the wall, the same virtually imperceptible line could be felt. Whoever built this room was very smart to make sure that nothing was left in here to use to allow for an escape . . . but, they certainly hadn't thought about trying to hold someone inside that was a member of the A-Team.

If he couldn't get out the normal way, he'd just have to find some way for his captors to let him out . . .

He wracked his brain, trying to remember something that Hannibal had told him about breaking security, and getting into or out of places easily. What was it? "Come on, Face, think!" he scolded himself, aloud. He knew this one, but for some reason it was just beyond reach of his memory. If there was ever a time that he needed something to jog that memory, this was it.

Then, like a flash bulb going off, the memory exploded into his mind. He recalled Hannibal telling him and Murdock the two best ways of breaking security in order to get into a heavily guarded situation, or even escape from one. He would have told BA, but he had his own way of doing things and lacked the finesse that it often took for one of these two methods.

The first way to break security was through the kitchen. People had to eat . . . that's just human nature. Often hunger would over-ride one's natural instinct, making them think with their stomachs and blinding them to a possible security breech that could happen via food.

A memory bubbled to the surface of when they had managed to break into a tightly secured wedding through the kitchen when they had to rescue Jacqueline Taylor from marrying Calvin Cutter . . . although he had personally hated that plan since Murdock wound up dressing up as the bride, and Face had to marry Jacqueline for a while. Even though the marriage was annulled, he wasn't thrilled with the idea since if he were to ever get married, he'd want it to be with the right woman and at the right time . . . not when anyone else dictated it to him. But, until he found just the right one to settle down with, he enjoyed being able to wine and dine women.

The second was through the bathroom. Just as people had to eat, they also had to . . . well . . . go. Getting into the bathroom often could allow a person to regroup, and perhaps find something in there that they could use in order to overpower any security nearby. That's provided that there wasn't a ventilation shaft in there, through which one might be able to squeeze through and escape. It was often the last place where one would expect someone to break security, and the easiest way to get handcuffs removed since one might have problems . . . well . . . going . . . if their hands were secured. After all, what did they expect a person to do? Flush themselves down the toilet?

Another memory rushed into his mind as he recalled being with Hannibal on a Beller Air flight, posing as Beller and his assistant, to deliver the ransom for hijackers that had taken over the plane to free the hostages, and ultimately try to regain control of the aircraft. Murdock and BA had managed to sneak on board while refueling the plane, and Murdock had crawled through the underbelly of the plane to deliver a message to him and Hannibal via morse code. The message was to go to the lavatory. Hannibal had Face be the one that went there, and Murdock crawled out from a ventilation shaft. If airplane bathrooms weren't already small enough as it was to begin with, having Murdock in there with him just made it worse as they got a little too close for comfort, trying to maneuver around in the tiny space. But, the plan had worked and helped to turn the tide against the hijackers.

Considering where he was, there was no chance of escape through the kitchen, which meant that there was only one option left if he were to try any type of an escape . . .

Drawing in a breath, he balled up his fist and began to pound on what seemed like the door. At the same time, he started calling out, "Hey, someone out there? Come on, open up, will ya? I gotta take a leak and there's no toilet in here!"

Face continued to pound on the hidden door he was standing in front of, and shouting. Inwardly, he was starting to wonder what this place was that they left people confined to a room, didn't give them basic necessities, much less respond when they did request to use something s simple as toilet. Not that he needed to use it for anything other than getting the hell outta there. But in a supposed top secret military installation? It was almost as if they had never heard of the terms of the Geneva Convention. It was taking too long for someone to respond, and it was making him that much more uneasy about this whole situation.

Finally, moments later, the door he had been pounding on opened with a whoosh. His blue eyes rested upon the woman that stood in the doorway and finally answered his calls. She seemed to be young, at least in her late 20s, with longish wavy brunette hair. She wore blue jeans, tennis shoes, and a pink blouse and a white lab coat . . . but the pink was such a bright color that he hadn't seen it before. It was practically blinding.

Quickly, he also assessed the situation in the hallway behind the woman. Although she came to the door alone, he noticed that there was a guard in a military uniform a bit further down the hallway. The slacks were blue with a red stripe . . . not as rich as a royal blue, but just a hair shade darker. He also wore a tan shirt, and white military cap. Around his waist was a white belt with a gun holster. 'A Marine. Why did it have to be a Marine?' he thought to himself.

From what he did manage to remember, Marines were usually highly trained. They often were on the same par as Special Forces, which meant that any attempt to escape likely was going to be very difficult. Of course, Face was also highly trained as well . . . and that fact had saved his life on more than one occasion, both in Vietnam and then on the run following the Hanoi bank robbery. Still, if there was one Marine standing guard, there likely would be others, and their presence would make this escape that much more of a challenge.

"I'm Dr. Sami Jo Fuller," the woman introduced herself, her eyes looking him over almost as if she was trying to see through the aura and look at the real person standing before her. Unfortunately, she couldn't see past it and only saw what appeared to be her biological father. Dr. Samuel Beckett.

Dr. Beckett was a handsome man in his 30s, with brown hair, green eyes, and a small streak of white hair above his forehead. Even though it was just a few strands, she wasn't sure where the white streak had come from. Nobody really was, although many speculated that it was a result of stepping into the Accelerator Chamber and Quantum Leaping.

If Donna had read the report, then chances are she knew what the Visitor really looked like. Ziggy would have been able to pull up a photograph from the past of Lieutenant Templeton Peck. Perhaps when this was done, she'd check with Ziggy and see if she can look at some of the pictures of the Leapee, which would give her a better idea of the person that was currently standing in front of her.

"You needed to, ah, use the washroom?" Sami Jo asked, trying to get a bit of confirmation to be on the safe side. Any contact with the Leapee was risky since there was no way of telling what he'd remember when he would return to his own time. But, in this case it couldn't be avoided. Donna had returned to her quarters, Al was busy talking to Senator McBride, and Dr. Verbena Beeks was currently eating dinner. The first day, once Sam Leaped into someone, was often the most difficult since he often could be operating at a completely different time . . . quite literally. What could be 10:00am for him could sometimes be 2:00am where they were at with the Project.

"Uh, yeah," Face responded, trying to sound both relieved as well as innocent. He was lying through his capped teeth, but he couldn't afford to do anything that would allow her to catch on.

"Follow me. I'll take you to the nearest one," she offered as she started to lead the way from the Waiting Room, completely oblivious to the plan that Face was already hatching in his mind.

Templeton followed behind her, feeling slightly chilled due to the coldness of the floor underneath his bare feet. Why in the world they took his shoes and socks was beyond him. It wasn't like he could make a bomb out of it and blow a hole in the wall to escape. Whoever these guys were, they sure made sure that they had all of their bases covered so he couldn't escape . . . or at least most of them.

Shrugging it off for now, his trained blue eyes carefully scanned his surroundings, taking note of everything around him. The corridors were long and almost seemed like something out of Star Trek. The curved white walls themselves looked like they were ribbed, with horizontal lines running throughout the whole length of the hallways. Seams were clearly evident along the walls, presumably where sections had been bolted together.

The ceiling had a dark item stretching across it, which was also somewhat circular in nature, and reminded him of like a large pipe . . . but this wasn't a pipe. It seemed to be a source of light, although what light it did give off was very gentle. In fact, it didn't give off too much light, or at least not as much as he had expected. He would have thought that it would have been brighter, but that certainly wasn't the case.

The floor was two-tone in color, with white along the edges, and a dark grey in the middle along the main concentration where he presumed people would likely walk. A few lights were also interspersed along the floor, wedged in where the floor met the circular wall, providing just a bit more illumination.

Most of the doorways that he saw around him, like the one he had just emerged from as well as the junctions that connected the corridors were octagonal in shape. A few colored lights accented the ribbed walls, casting it aglow with gentle reds, pinks and blues. If this had been any other situation, then perhaps he would have admired the aesthetic aspects of the design . . . simple, yet effective . . . but this situation was unlike anything he had ever experienced before, which just made the need to get out of there that much more urgent.

There was an occasional doorway that actually seemed to be normal shaped . . . rectangular. He wasn't sure what those were for, or where they led, but hopefully if everything went well he'd find out soon enough.

Not that he minded the present company, or some of the women he had met already since waking up here like that Tina . . .

Quickly clearing those thoughts out of his mind, he reminded himself of the more immediate situation. He needed to not only get out of there, but also find out where the guys where. Surely they had to have realized that he was missing by now, and would be looking for him. But, where was he? Sure, there was all of that top secret installation junk, but where? Was it near Los Angeles? And how could he get word out to the guys to let them know where he was?

One thing that stood out to Face, far more than the design of the hallway was the Marine guards. Outside of the one that he saw from that room he had left, he hadn't seen any other guards. And the one that had been there didn't follow them, which he also found to be very unusual. The fact that the Marine didn't move meant that he wasn't there to guard him, but likely security for whatever resided beyond the doorway that he stood nearby. Although he was curious as to what it was, he didn't have time to stop for a visit and see for himself. He had other priorities in mind.

"Admiral Calavicci said you were in Vietnam," Sami Jo mentioned, a southern twang within the tone of her voice that not only drew Templeton Peck out of his reverie, but also reminded him a bit of Murdock. The A-Team pilot was a Texan native, and his southern drawl occasionally would become so pronounced that one couldn't help but to notice it.

"Huh?" he asked, at first so taken in with trying to observe every single minute nuance of the area surrounding him as they walked through the hallways, things that he could use to his advantage, that he hadn't even realized that she was talking to him. Once the comment finally caught up with his mind, and he realized what she had actually mentioned, he responded, "Oh, yeah. Sorry, I guess my mind was elsewhere. Yeah, I was in Vietnam."

Any normal person would have been put off by his short answer, but not Sami Jo. She had become well known for not giving up when she had her mind set on something. Even those around the Project knew that, since she started working on the Retrieval Program and still continued to do so in spite of the setbacks and failures. Right now, she wanted to learn more about the man that was currently occupying the aura of her biological father. "What was it like over there?" she questioned, hoping to draw him out more than short and sweet answers that didn't reveal much.

"It was a long time ago and . . . well . . . I try not to think about it too much," Templeton admitted. Vietnam was in his past, as it was for all of the A-Team. There was nothing he could do to change what happened, no matter how much he wanted to do so. The most he could do, along with the other members, was survive until Hannibal could figure out a way to get the proof they needed to show that they were ordered to rob the Bank of Hanoi. Sure, he wanted to have a normal life and not be on the run, but until they could figure out a way to clear their names, that would be impossible to achieve.

"Was it that bad over there?" Dr. Fuller continued by asking, still trying to see where the connection was between the Leapee and Al. In a way, she wasn't sure how they could know each other . . . it just seemed highly improbable. Then again, with how he had acted toward Tina, it kind of made her wonder if maybe Al or Templeton Peck took lessons from each other.

Face was a bit surprised with how she continued to ask about Vietnam while walking down the corridors, even though he had tried to avoiding her questions on that. In a way too, what she had asked was a bit of a loaded question. He could answer that in so many ways, it was almost next to impossible to determine what she really was wanting to hear him say . . . how she wanted him to answer. Drawing in a breath, he responded, "Well, war is . . . war. It affects a person deep down . . . changes them. Some still struggle with it, even more than ten years later."

The Lieutenant paused for a moment as he thought about the questions that had just been posed to him. Combine that with the fact that the woman walking next to him was a doctor, and he started to put two and two together. She seemed like another shrink, like Dr. Beeks or the guy who treated Murdock . . . Dr. Richter? He wasn't quite sure of the name due to the gaps in his memory but, still, he wasn't exactly fond of having his brain picked by someone who analyzed him like he was something under a microscope. "You, um, aren't a psychiatrist like Dr. Beeks, or a medical doctor, are you?" he decided to ask.

With how he avoided her questions and gave vague responses so far, Sami Jo realized that he likely wasn't about to go into detail about what happened in Vietnam. It was a shame, because she would have liked to have gotten his side on things. She shook her head gently, her long hair flowing around her shoulders, as she responded, "No, my doctorate is in computer science, actually," she explained. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just . . . uh . . . I've never met so many doctors . . . especially women doctors . . . that weren't into medicine," he noted, sounding a bit disappointed. He wouldn't have minded at all if there had been medical doctors and getting a physical from one of them. A small smile appeared upon his lips at the possibility of that happening. He really did enjoy it whenever a woman had a chance to explore his body . . .

"We're a scientific facility, actually," Dr. Fuller pointed out, choosing her words carefully. She couldn't reveal everything out of concern that maybe he could remember something once he did return to his own time. "We're running an important experiment here, and some of us maintain the computer that oversees it, Mr. Peck."

Thoughts raced through Face's mind as he took in what she had said. What was this place? It was top secret, whatever it was . . . but was it a government installation of some type? Military? Now possibly science? He hadn't heard of any science facilities being under military guard before, at least not since the 1940s and the days when the atomic bomb was being developed. The government took extraordinary measures to protect the scientists working on that, and with good reason. If their research had got out to other foreign powers, the results could have been catastrophic.

There was also something else that caught his attention as well . . . how proper she was with his name. He allowed one of his trademark charming smiles to appear upon his face as he gently informed her, "Please, call me Templeton . . . or Face if you like. Most of my friends call me Face."

"Okay, Mr. Face," she corrected politely, taking note of his smile. It was weird seeing that smile, knowing it was the face of her biological father, yet someone else underneath that aura.

"No," he chuckled as they turned a corner and continued to walk down the hallways. "Just Face." In a way, he was kind of surprised by how innocent she seemed to be . . . how sweet, polite, and genuine. She seemed really interested in learning more about him, and not wanting to pick his brain or see how he felt all the time like that Dr. Beeks.

"Face, what have you been doing since Vietnam?" Sami Jo wondered, still trying to engage him in some kind of a meaningful conversation. Although she was usually pretty busy and didn't take the time to visit or talk to the Leapees, she was very curious about this one and really wanted to learn more about the man that Dr. Beckett had Leaped into. She couldn't explain why, but it kind of brought about a level of comfort, knowing the type of situation her father was in and how he might potentially be able to fix history.

"Well, um, things have been kinda interesting," he responded reluctantly, still being very cryptic with his answers. Although everything so far that she had said to him indicated that she wasn't military, the fact that there had been at least one Marine in the hallways, and this place was being run by a Naval Admiral, suggested that there was at least some military involvement. But, by revealing his name, they would have known about him . . . wouldn't they?

As they turned to walk into another hallway, Dr. Fuller continued to ask, "Can you describe what you mean by interesting?"

"Ah . . . um . . . car chases, stopping diabolical plans, beating up bad guys . . . being like Robin Hood and helping others . . . that kind of thing," he hemmed and hawed. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that this may not have been an elaborate trap by Decker or Fulbright. There was a lot more sophistication behind all of this, far beyond what the two of them were capable of coming up with on their own, or even together. And, even if it was a trap, this place would have been swarming with MPs by now once they had gotten his name. The fact that it wasn't was still very encouraging for his chances to escape.

"That sounds very romantic," Dr. Fuller mentioned, her voice making it sound like she not only admired what he did, but it was almost like a dream or a fantasy come true. She thought that Dr. Beckett was heroic for what he did . . . Leaping into the lives of others and putting his own life at risk sometimes in order to help them. Now, walking next to her, was someone who did something very similar within his own time. That made her that much more curious as to who this person was, and why he helped others. "When I grew up, I loved reading stories. Robin Hood and anything with King Arthur were among my favorites, next to Brigadoon."

Templeton was a bit surprised by this . . . by not only the books she counted as her favorites, but also her overall reaction. It was almost as if it further intrigued her, rather than potentially frightening her away, which made him wonder why. "Really?" he asked, hoping that maybe he could turn the tables a bit and get her to talk about herself rather than playing twenty questions with him.

The long-haired brunette nodded, her hair flowing around her shoulders as she did so. She wasn't sure what it was about Templeton Peck . . . about Face . . . but she just felt comfortable, like he wasn't a threat. "I guess that, since my dad wasn't around to help raise me, reading stories about those that help others . . . like white knights on horses . . . just kinda gave me some comfort."

He thought about it for a while, something nagging at the back of his mind. There was a story that really drew him into the whole adventure of it, the quest for . . . what was it? Something with buried treasure. It was what led him to start scamming. It was the desire to have a better life, not only for himself, but for others who were like him . . . although as a kid, he usually thought of himself first, even if it backfired. But, doing so was fun . . . it was an adventure, and he loved the thrill of not only trying, but also trying not to get caught.

Something that she said, though, caught his attention. From the way it seemed, she had a pretty lonely childhood if she sought the refuge of books. "You were an orphan?" he asked, genuinely wondering if maybe they had at least this one thing in common.

"Nah," Dr. Fuller began to explain as she shook her head, giving Face a gentle smile. Her southern accent punctuated her words again, this time more clearly as she related, "My momma raised me . . . just me and her and Miss Marie, who helped out around the house in Pottersville. My daddy . . . well, it's a long story, but he left my momma 'fore I was born. He came back to help her when she was on trial for murder, but then left again."

Templeton was actually kind of surprised by what the woman next to him said . . . not just that, but also the tone of her voice. She didn't show any signs of animosity, resentment for being abandoned by her father. Instead, there was a deep fondness and affection that Face had not expected. That made him think about his own situation, and not knowing where either of his parents were. If he ever found out who they were, and had a chance to meet them, how would he react? Would he be angry at them for abandoning him? For not trying to look for him? Or would he be understanding, and show the same amount of forgiveness that Sami Jo seemed to have?

The more that she shared her life with him, the more that the first pangs of guilt started to manifest. It was only slight, but it was still enough to cause him to have second thoughts about what he was going to do. She was a sweet girl, even though her accent clearly reminded him of Murdock. She had been through a lot of hurt in her life, growing up without her father, her mother being on trial for murder . . . he was doubting if he should do what he intended to, since he didn't want to hurt her in the process. Besides, if he did make the attempt and was unsuccessful, there was a very good chance he'd be locked up tighter than he was already . . . and to top that off, he wouldn't be given any other details that could prove useful for another escape attempt.

"Were you an orphan, Face?" Sami Jo wondered.

"Huh?" he said instinctively, snapping out of his reverie. He mentally chided himself for letting himself get momentarily caught up with his fascination about her, and not paying more attention, especially to his surroundings. He took a quick glance around and noticed another doorway like the one he had seen earlier, with another Marine guarding this one too. Whatever was beyond that door, it had at least two entrances that he could tell, and was important enough to need to be guarded at both doorways. Realizing that he had been asked a question, Face responded somewhat hesitantly, "Um, yeah, I was."

"What was it like growing up in an orphanage?" she wondered as they both passed the Marine that Templeton had observed. They turned yet another corner after passing him, this time heading away from the central area that seemed to be so well guarded. In a way, the whole level was like a maze and one could get easily lost if they didn't pay attention.

Face shrugged his shoulders a bit, still not wanting to divulge a lot of information about himself beyond what she already knew. "Well, there were other kids, and priests and nuns . . . but it was kinda lonely, not knowing if you'd ever be adopted . . ."

Sami Jo couldn't quite tell, but she thought there was a tinge of sadness to his voice as he talked about things in the orphanage. She didn't press him more, as they approached a doorway. "Here we go. This is where the washroom is," she noted, gesturing toward the room that rested beyond the door.

Lieutenant Peck looked at it, and was actually pleasantly surprised to find an actual door that swung open on a hinge. Not only that, but the door opened inwardly . . . something he knew that he could use to his advantage if his first possible idea on how to escape failed to emerge the way he was thinking. At this point, he strongly hoped that he didn't have to resort to the secondary plan.

"Thanks," he told her before turning on the light and walking inside. He closed the door behind him and immediately started looking around. From what he could immediately see, this wasn't a big bathroom at all. In fact, they probably didn't anticipate a lot of people using it, and designed it to where only one person could be in this bathroom at a time, since there was only one toilet.

He started searching the room for a vent, a removable panel . . . any way that he could possibly get out of here and achieve freedom. His blue eyes spotted a vent, but it was pretty high up and on the wall opposite the toilet. It was also very small too . . . too small, even for someone as lanky as Murdock. Only a mouse could fit through there.

Underneath the vent was a panel that was bolted firmly onto the wall. It looked to be large enough to provide a crawlspace . . . but what could he use in the bathroom to get the thing off? He had no tools in here, and there was nothing that he could remove. There wasn't even a medicine cabinet behind the mirror, like there normally might be sometimes, that might produce something that he could use as well.

No, at this point there was only one way that he was going to be able to use the bathroom to escape. He had to go to his second plan . . . but the presence of the Marines nearby complicated things . . . unless, he could somehow use that to his advantage. His mind quickly set to work to revising his back up plan that hopefully would allow him to achieve the freedom he so desperately yearned for . . .


TUESDAY, MAY 13, 1986

ECHO PARK, CALIFORNIA

3:00AM PACIFIC TIME

Amy walked out onto the balcony of the apartment belonging to Zachary Goldman, finding it hard to sleep. A light breeze had kicked up, bringing a slight chill into the night air. The wind danced within the strands of her hair, causing her to turn into the wind as she relished the sensation.

The lights in the courtyard of the apartment complex had been turned off, except for a single security light near the arched entryway. Her brown eyes glanced heavenward, hoping to make out some of the constellations that glistened in the night sky above. That was proving to be difficult, however, since the ambient light from the rest of the city threatened to mask those stars.

As she continued to look up, her eyes finally found traces of the Little Dipper, and then eventually the Big Dipper . . . and with that the North Star. It shone brightly in the northern sky, providing a gentle yet comforting presence. It was there, ever steady, never moving, always providing guidance and direction for those that chose to follow.

Closing her eyes for a moment, she realized just how much the North Star reminded her of Hannibal. He provided the constant presence, but also the guidance and leadership that the A-Team needed to survive in such a dangerous world . . . in a society where they were sought after like criminals, in spite of the good that they did for those in need.

It just seemed natural that the North Star, which provided such guidance, could be found within the Ursa constellations. One could easily find Ursa Major, the large bear, and used that to find Polaris . . . the North Star . . . within Ursa Minor. Bears were well known for being fearless, fierce, strategic hunters, and aggressive against those that threatened them, but also highly protective of anything that they considered to be their cub.

That really described Hannibal to a "T". He was the strategic force behind the unit, and very much the hunter. Only the prey that Colonel Smith often hunted wasn't an animal, but individuals . . . people who oppressed others, often for their own entertainment or personal gain. His tactics were much like a bear, charging in and often going head first into a situation without any kind of fear at all . . . yet he was also fiercely protective of his men.

A small smile touched her lips at that thought before her eyes scanned the stars again in search of another constellation. It took a bit, but her gaze soon traced the path that outlined Leo, the great lion of the skies. She could make out the strong and powerful form spread out among the stars, and recalled how lions at the zoo were often ferocious and just as aggressive as bears, but also protective as well.

Her thoughts instantly turned to Sergeant B. A. Baracus, the Ordinance Officer of the unit. BA often intimidated people with his growl. It was a defense mechanism, much like a lion's roar, intended to scare people off so they wouldn't get too close and feel his wrath. He was strong, powerful, and a fierce warrior who put everything onto his attack, or when he was fighting someone. Often, BA got matched up with guys that were as big . . . if not bigger than him, and he still managed to somehow fell his enemy.

But, like both a bear and a lion, BA could often be very protective of others as well. She had seen the soft spot he had when it came to kids, as evidenced by how he volunteered at a children's center whenever he had a chance. But, he had also seen how protective he was of the rest of the Team, especially Murdock in spite of how much he got under BA's skin, and even herself as well.

Cats were extremely smart, even big cats like lions . . . and BA was no exception either. He was a genius when it came to anything related to mechanics or electronics. And his mandika hair style . . . the mohawk part of it reminded her of a lion's mane.

Letting out a bit of a contented sigh, her eyes again searched the cosmos above for yet another constellation. Eventually she came upon one that seemed pretty simple with a boxed body, but soon became more elaborate as she found the legs and eventually the head.

Pegasus . . .

Her thoughts dwelled on what she recalled of the movie Clash of the Titans, and the appearance of the winged horse within that film. Sure, it was special effects, but it looked so real. And Pegasus looked to be so majestic, so noble, so regal . . . yet it was also a bit skittish. But, once Perseus managed to ride the magnificent creature that had once run wild, he found that it had become a loyal friend and ally that he could call upon and rely upon during the most difficult situations.

That instantly made her think of Murdock. His craziness reminded her of Pegasus' skittishness, but Murdock had a heart of gold. He always cared about others, and was very noble, extremely loyal, and was a very well trusted ally that one could depend upon when things started happening. Plus, he loved to fly. It was like his second nature, being in the air . . . where he felt the most free, without having to worry about everything taking place on the ground below. It was where he could be himself, without any pretenses or having to put on a farce in order to protect himself.

She recalled the last time she had been in a chopper with Murdock at the controls. It was when they had to save Lin Duk Coo from General Chao. The amount of control he had for the helicopter was beyond compare, even in an urban environment like Los Angeles. Nobody would have dared to have gotten a chopper that close to the ground to try and stop a car, but Murdock did. His bravery was so much like that of Pegasus in that movie.

Drawing in a breath, the smile dropped from her lips for a moment before she searched the night sky again. Finally, her eyes spotted three stars almost in a row, which ultimately led to identifying the rest of the constellation. Of all of the constellations in the night sky, this one was the most recognizable and easiest to spot. It couldn't be drowned out by the lights of the city.

Orion . . .

In several cultures, Orion bore significance as a great hunter. Strong, powerful, sure and accurate, always able to catch his prey, he had gained significant prominence throughout the land. Plenty of women sought to be with him, there was only one woman that he truly loved and chased after. Although there were variations on the mythology behind the legend, it always had a tragic ending, with the great hunter being killed by a scorpion.

In a way, this reminded her a lot of Templeton Peck . . . a tragic figure in his own right. He was very much a hunter, like Orion. She had seen his skill with a rifle, to the point where he could have been a sniper . . . that was just how accurate he was. He, like the rest of the A-Team, wouldn't give up until they caught those that were doing wrong onto others.

And then the women . . .

Face had always been known to have a woman hanging off of each arm sometimes, but there was one woman that he really loved and broke his heart. He had practically bared his soul to Amy on the flight to Mexico, revealing the story of him and Leslie Becktall. Although he had managed to save her and the other nuns and children at the orphanage, his spirit had endured a tragic ending . . . his love, his real love that he had for women had died back there, almost as if it had been stung by the pain of knowing that his dream of settling down and having a normal life would never happen. At least it wouldn't happen with the person that had been his first true love. Sure, he surrounded himself with women after that, almost as if he hunted them down like the A-Team hunted down criminals, but it just wasn't the same. He tried to fill the hole in his heart, his abandonment, with women . . . trying to fill that hole with not only physical intimacy with another woman, but also with making sure that they were satisfied on different levels. It was almost like how those with low self esteem often sought the approval of others to boost their own self worth. He was a shell of his former self when it came to his feelings for women. Sure, he still loved women, but it was different . . . it wasn't the same as it was before. He tried to hide it, and he did a good job with burying the emptiness, but Amy could see right through him . . .

It pained her to think of Templeton Peck in that way, since of all the members of the A-Team, he was the one that she had grown to care about the most. She wasn't sure if it was because of just how tragic his life had been, or how vulnerable he seemed to be emotionally even though he tried to hide it, but he had endeared himself to her in a way that she had never expected . . . and far more than the other members of the A-Team. Sure, she was fond of all of them, but it was Face that had really touched her deeply.

It was Face that she really . . .

"Amy?" an extremely tired voice called to her.

Turning around, she spotted Zack, her friend from the Courier Express who had just interrupted her train of thought. His dark hair was very disheveled, almost to the point where it looked like he plugged his finger in a light socket, and his dark eyes squinted since he emerged without his glasses. He stifled a yawn as he asked his co-worker, "What are you still doing up?"

"Sorry, Zack . . . jet lag. I'm not quite used to being back on California time," Amy lied, hoping that he'd believe her and not try to probe any further into it. Truthfully, she wasn't jet lagged as horribly as she thought she would have been, simply because she had remained awake and alert throughout the entire flight. She just had other things on her mind at the moment.

"You should probably try to get some sleep, Aim. We're going to have to hit the morgue early to get the files and research you wanted, and I gotta sneak in that classified you wanted before the paper goes to print and hits the streets," Zach suggested, trying to hide yet another yawn. He stretched a bit, as if for added emphasis.

"I'll be in soon. And thanks," she expressed gratefully. He had gone out of his way to help her out since her return to the United States. He didn't have to, but he did it graciously and with an eagerness that reminded her of the same spirit she had when she first had to seek out the A-Team in order to find Al Massey. In spite of the potential danger, he picked her up from the airport. She knew her apartment wasn't going to be safe, even though she continued to pay rent on it even after moving to Jakarta. There was a strong chance that they'd be waiting for her there.

Once Zack had retreated back into his apartment, Amy cast a glance up to the heavens once more, searching again for the constellations that she had just saw and reminded her of those that had protected her for a year and a half, and welcomed her as one of their own. She found an inner comfort and calmness, in spite of her situation, just by finding those constellations and recalling the times that she had spent with the A-Team.

"Soon, guys . . ." she whispered gently into the night, almost as if making a promise. "I'll see you soon." Turning, she strolled back into the apartment and walked into the guest room, finally settling down for whatever amount of sleep she may have been able to get before the long day ahead of her.


TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1999

PROJECT QUANTUM LEAP

STALLIONS GATE, NEW MEXICO

7:50PM MOUNTAIN TIME

Sami Jo Fuller waited patiently outside the door of the bathroom, glancing at her watch. It had been more than fifteen minutes since Lieutenant Templeton Peck had entered into the bathroom. From what she knew, people generally didn't take that long in the bathroom unless they were majorly constipated, or it was a woman checking their make up. She knew how women could sometimes take forever . . .

Some of the medical staff had checked over the Leapee, just to make sure that there were no issues medically that would cause him any issues for the duration of his stay in this time. He, like many other previous Visitors, got a clean bill of health. There was nothing wrong with him physically, or even emotionally, that would cause him to remain in the bathroom for as long as he was in there.

She did remember hearing about how some men could be as vain as women when it came to their looks, but she wasn't sure if Lieutenant Peck was like that. From the way that he talked to her, he didn't seem like the type . . . even though she hadn't actually seen a photo of the real him, behind the aura of Dr. Beckett. There was just something about him that simply captivated her . . . that made him seem so genuine and heroic, yet sensitive toward women.

But, whether or not Templeton was vain, he shouldn't have taken this long in the bathroom. No, there had to be something wrong, or he would have come out by now.

Dr. Fuller crossed the remaining few steps to the door, hoping everything was fine, and it was just her imagination getting the better of her. She really hated the idea of having to go and bother some of the other staff, especially if this was something simple that she could handle herself. Gently knocking upon the door, she called out, "Face, are you okay?"

There was no response at first, which caused her brow to furrow with concern. She let out the breath that she didn't realized she was holding when she finally heard his muffled voice respond, "The door is jammed. I can't get it open." No sooner had he said that, the door handle turned slightly, and the door rattled a bit, but it didn't open.

"Let me try," she offered, grabbing onto the handle. She tried to twist it, but found it to be next to impossible to get it to move, no matter how much force she put behind it. It wasn't anything like she had felt before with this door handle, which made her think that maybe he was right. She then also tried to push against the door with her right shoulder, to see if it'd open with a bit of body weight added to it, but again it held firmly in place. "It won't budge. I'm going to get the Marine we saw nearby to give it a try."

She walked away to get the Corporal, the door mercifully hiding the grin that appeared upon the face of Templeton Peck. She was playing right into the hands of the talented con man, and didn't even know it.

It took less than a minute for her to make her way back through the hallways and come across the closest Marine. She approached him, and watched as his body stiffened as he came to attention. It wasn't like he wasn't already standing at attention, but the subtle movement made it that much more pronounced. He had a youthful appearance, and barely even looked old enough to be able to drink. His red hair had been shaved into a buzz cut, and his green eyes looked like emeralds with how piercing they were.

"Corporal Nelson?" she asked to try and get his attention, reading his name plate on his uniform. She knew that the guards weren't supposed to leave the entryways into the Control Room, but she really had no other choice but to seek assistance.

"Yes, ma'am," he responded politely, but firmly.

She blushed a bit upon realizing how embarrassing the situation likely was for the Visitor. "There's someone trapped in the bathroom around the corner, and we can't get the door open. Could you, um, give us a hand with getting him out of there?" she gently requested, hoping she didn't have to reveal who was actually in there.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Fuller, but I'm not permitted to leave my post," he reminded her.

"Please?" she asked again, trying not to sound desperate. She felt really bad about the whole situation, and didn't want to leave Face trapped in the bathroom until a maintenance team could get up to the Control Level. Besides, if Al found out that she did this, he'd likely have a cow. "It should only take a minute."

"Alright, fine," the guard responded, kind of rolling his eyes a bit. He clearly wasn't happy about this, and obviously he didn't need this costing him his assignment here at the Project if someone were to catch him away from his post when he was on duty. This was a good job, and he was very lucky to have it. Most Marines would kill for an opportunity like this, and he didn't want to be pulled from here and sent to some other flea bitten assignment. "Lead the way, Doctor."

Sami Jo turned and led the way back to the bathroom, with the Marine close behind her. It didn't take long for them to return to the location. She was relieved that the Marine agreed to go with her, and hoped that Templeton Peck would also welcome the assistance. Walking up to the door, she knocked on it and announced, "Face? I've got one of the Marines here to help open the door."

"I'll be glad to get outta here," came the muffled response from the other side of the door, which again hid the smug grin that appeared upon Face's countenance. Things were definitely working out according to the backup plan, even though it was in its very early stages. The next few moments would be critical . . .

She nodded to the Marine, who then approached the door himself. He tried the door handle, which didn't seem to want to turn under his grasp. There was something likely wrong with the mechanism, which meant that the only way to free the person trapped inside was to force the door open. "Sir, stand back away from the door," Corporal Nelson directed. "I'm going to try and break it down."

He took a few steps back, moving to the opposite side of the hallway from the door, in order to give himself a bit of a running start. What happened next only took a matter of seconds, and wasn't like anything that he or Dr. Fuller had expected . . .

The Marine rammed his shoulder into the door, expecting to find considerable resistance for a door that was supposedly jammed, but instead found none. Instead, the door flew open, almost as if it was flung open from the inside. He couldn't stop his momentum in time, and crashed hard into the wall inside the bathroom, knocking the air out of his lungs and dazing him.

Templeton Peck acted swiftly, grabbing the gun from the Marine's holster, and hitting him on the back of the head. That sent the Marine spiraling into the realm of unconsciousness. He searched the belt and found a pair of handcuffs. Pulling them out, he secured one cuff around the Marine's right wrist, and the other around the handicapped bar that was fastened to the wall. He wasn't sure where the keys were, but he had no time for that now.

Emerging from the bathroom with a gun in hand, he looked into the stunned face of Dr. Samantha Josephine Fuller. He wasn't sure if she was in shock with what had just happened, or seeing him with a gun in hand. "Come on, we're getting out of here," he urged, wanting to get going before any other Marines showed up with their weapons drawn.

"What happened to Corporal Nelson?" she instinctively asked out of concern. This certainly wasn't what she had expected to have happened when she got the Marine to help free the Leapee from being trapped in the bathroom. The main thought that filled her mind wasn't for her own safety, but the fact that Admiral Calavicci was likely going to be very upset with her for not only letting the Visitor out of the Waiting Room, but also getting the Marine in trouble as well.

"Oh, don't worry about him. He's going to be taking a nap for a while," Face noted, waving the gun slightly to the side. At this point, he didn't want to hang around here any longer than he had to. "Let's go," he ordered simply, his voice lacking the warmth that it bore during their conversation on the way to the bathroom.

Sami Jo froze at the sight of Dr. Samuel Beckett holding a gun . . . or at least the guy who currently looked like him. The gun wasn't exactly pointed at her, but it also wasn't pointed away either. Then again, she had never found herself staring down the barrel of a gun before, which certainly explained why she didn't move.

"Come on, let's go," Face urged a little more forcefully. He waved the gun once more, and the look in his eyes seemed just as cold as his voice had become. Well, not really cold and uncaring since he wouldn't do anything to harm her like the stereotypical cold-blooded killers, but deathly serious. He could see the hesitation from her, and he needed to get her to snap out of it quickly. The longer this took the greater the chances the Marine would wake up and call for help. "I don't want to have to use this, but I will if I have to."

"Go where?" she finally managed to squeak out, her voice starting to waver with fear.

"Out of this place, for starters," he noted simply. He didn't have time to argue with her, as the longer they stood in the hallway, the greater the chances that someone would come across them and raise the alarm. "You're going to take me to the nearest elevator to the parking lot."

Sami Jo nodded, and silently began to make her way down the hallway to the nearest elevator. She was sorely tempted to, once they got on, to activate the emergency stop button and prevent him from escaping, but quickly thought against it. Her mind recalled the discussion with Donna Elesee about the Leapee, and how he had been part of the military before going on the run. That meant he was well trained in the use of firearms and could use the gun at anytime . . . on her, or even on someone else. But, there was still something about him that made her doubt that, in spite of the threat, he'd actually shoot her. If he wanted to fire the gun, he would have done so by now, even though it likely would have alerted security. No, there was still something about him that made her want to trust him with her life.

Face followed Sami Jo to the elevator, walking as close to her as possible in order to try and conceal the gun within his right hand. He wished that this outfit that he was wearing wasn't one-piece, but instead had a pair of pants with a waistband . . . or even a jacket of some type where he could conceal the gun. Having it out like this was extremely risky, and the last thing he needed was for either of them to get hurt.

He watched as she pressed a button that opened the door to the elevator, and followed her inside of it. It quickly closed behind them, carrying them upward based on how the car was moving. As it did so, he allowed his mind to work, racing to formulate what he would do in the next stage of his plan once they reached the parking lot.

'What would Hannibal do in a situation like this?' he thought to himself. Colonel John Hannibal Smith was always the thinker, the strategist, and often came up with the plans. At least that's what he thought, based on what little he remembered. But, what he couldn't remember is if those plans always went as originally devised.

Shaking off that thought for now, he realized that he had to come up with his own plan once they were beyond these walls. He wasn't sure if it was going to be a good plan, or successful, but he had to try . . .

One of the first things he considered was possibly just asking Sami Jo for her car, and leaving her behind. At least here, she'd be safe . . . but what about him? With how there were Marines inside the complex, and hearing that this was some kind of an installation, there was also a very strong chance that there was not only a front gate, but guards at it. If it was him, by himself, they likely wouldn't let him through . . . but they could let the car pass if it was Dr. Fuller behind the wheel.

Even if he were to have gotten past the front gate on his own, he really had no idea where he was, where the nearest city or town was, much less where to go. He could literally end up driving around for hours, and not make it close to some kind of civilization. No, if he had any chance of trying to get to some kind of phone, and figuring out where his friends where, he needed her.

Once he came to that realization, then only one real question remained. After holding a gun on her to try an escape from the installation, how willing would she be to want to help him?

The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. Sami Jo stepped out onto the ground level, followed very closely by Face. "Where's your car?" he asked, hoping to do this as quickly as possible. If this was a top secret facility, chances are there may have been security cameras around, so they had to move quickly.

"Yeah, right over here," she noted as she started to walk in that direction.

As they made their way to her vehicle, Templeton Peck immediately took notice of the other cars around him and how sporty many of them looked. He thought his Corvette was a perfect fit for the lifestyle he tried to lead, but these really took the cake. The body styles weren't like anything he had seen before, and he had prided himself when it came to knowing about fancy and high class sports cars. From what he could also tell, it looked like they were within a well lit underground parking garage.

"This is it," Sami Jo said as she walked up to a convertible. It was blue with very sleek lines that reminded him of a Porsche, although the style was just slightly different. If this was any other situation, he'd take more time to admire this fine automobile.

"Got the keys?" the trained military officer asked, only to see the Doctor nod in response. Once he saw the nod, then he knew this was it. It was now or never . . . and he not only needed to get beyond the walls of this facility, but also find a way to get in touch with the other guys. They'd know what to do, and ultimately figure out where he was so they could find him. He was certain of that. They'd never let him down before, and he couldn't imagine them letting him down now. They'd forge through hell and high water just to find him, just as they did in the jungles of Vietnam. "Get in. You're driving."

She cast a sideward glance at him, but silently complied as she opened the door and slipped behind the wheel of the car. She watched as he climbed in on the passenger side, and hid the gun. If she hadn't even watched his movements, she wouldn't have even known where he had put it. That's how well he concealed it. "Where are we going?" she asked as she started up the engine.

Face took a moment to admire the purr from the vehicle once it started up. 'Man, oh man, BA would love to check this baby out,' he thought to himself with appreciation. If there was one thing that he shared with the muscular Sergeant, this was it . . . a love of cars that could drive fast. Of course, it was necessary due to their situation. He also took the time to think about the question that was just posed to him. Drawing in a breath, he responded, "Someplace where it's safe . . . and where I can use a phone. Know of a place that'll fit that description?"

A small smile appeared on the computer technician's face as she nodded. "Yeah, I do," she responded gently, not wanting to make Templeton Peck nervous in any way. Even though she still trusted him, he had the gun and she didn't want to do anything that would cause him to have to use it . . . especially on her. She reached forward and shifted the car into gear, and then stepped on the accelerator.

Face watched Sami Jo as she drove out of the parking garage into the evening air. He didn't know exactly what time it was, but the sky was cast in brilliant reds and oranges, reminding him of sunsets around Los Angeles, although the sky was incredibly hazy almost as if it contained a lot of dust. This likely meant that it was sometime in the evening and there likely had been some kind of a sandstorm, even though the conditions eased off a bit with the day easing into the gentle strains of night. The low visibility reminded him of being in a thick fog, although it wasn't impossible to see ahead of the car or navigate . . . but it was going to be a challenge. It was warm out, in spite of the setting sun . . . much warmer than he was used to in Los Angeles. He suspected that, once the heat returned tomorrow en force, the sandstorms would also return with a vengeance as well, making visibility next to impossible.

As his eyes adjusted being out in the open, after being under artificial light for however many hours, he looked around at the environment, taking in everything he could. The hills flowed around them, the brown earth on the hills and the ground dotted with brown and faded green brush. Whatever this place was, it wasn't as picturesque as the Valley of the Gods or Monument Valley and the red bluffs in those two locations. But, just from what he was able to see so far, he could tell that this was definitely the desert.

Knowing that information, it made him that much more thankful that he had decided to have Sami Jo drive him. He'd hate to get lost and run out of gas in a place like this. The temperature at night in the open desert usually dropped like a rock, from what he remembered from his military training, and then there was also the animals that came out after the sun set and preyed upon anything that moved or crawled, searching for anything that it could consider as food.

Looking behind them, Face spotted a white building nestled into the rock face around it. It was fitted in so well that it almost seemed to be built into the hills. The building bore dark horizontal lines that covered the length of the structure, which reminded him of the stripes on a normal prisoner uniform that he recalled from some of his favorite cop shows. Only, in this case, this wasn't prisoner stripes . . . not on a building. As he looked closer, he could see that this was a series of balconies, one on each floor. It probably allowed those inside the facility a chance to get out for a bit and get some fresh air, so they weren't constantly cooped up.

He returned his attention to the road ahead of them, as well as to Sami Jo Fuller, who was behind the wheel and driving. She was driving fast . . . very fast. He leaned over a bit and glanced at the speedometer, and was shocked to see just how high it had gone, and he didn't even realize it. 'Man, Hannibal would like this girl,' he thought to himself, recalling how he made a run to Hamburger Heaven look like the Daytona 500. The wind whipped through her brunette hair, causing it to fly around her in a way that he actually found attractive.

It didn't take too long before they started to approach a gate, and just as he suspected there was a uniformed Marine standing guard there. He watched as the car drove up, and then slowed down to stop at the gate. The officer . . . no, enlisted based on his stripes . . . walked out of the shack and brought up a hand to shield his eyes against the sand that was still blowing in the wind and threatened his vision.

"Dr. Fuller, the facility is on lock down at the moment. I'm afraid you can't leave due to the sandstorms," he explained. He looked into the car and also noted what looked like Dr. Samuel Beckett with her, but didn't see anything amiss. If he was with her, there likely had to be a good reason why.

"The winds have died down a bit, and visibility is no worse than a thick fog from off the swamps in Pottersville," Sami Jo countered. She didn't know about the lockdown, and indeed she could see the roadway. Visibility wasn't the greatest, but it wasn't horrible either. It was similar to driving in a fog. She looked over to Face, who gave a slight shake of his head. It was almost imperceptible, but it was enough to indicate that she shouldn't share her true destination. "Besides, I need to visit a neighbor's home in Sorocco. I, uh, promised a neighbor that I'd check on her pet while she was away, and if I don't get back to fill the food and water, who knows what'll happen."

The Corporal looked at her strangely when he heard the location. "Um, Doctor, I thought you lived in Alamagordo, not Sorocco?" he pointed out, not sure if he should have corrected her or not.

She glanced over to Face for a moment, almost as if drawing reassurance from him. Turning back to the Marine, she brushed her hair aside and explained, "Um, yeah. She was my neighbor there but moved to Sorocco and asked me to take care of her pet at her new home in Sorocco."

Face studied Sami Jo's face as she talked to the Marine. He wasn't sure if what she was telling him was the truth, or something she was making up in order to get past the guard, but if she was lying she was pretty convincing at it. Even he would have believed her.

Something that she said also stood out at him as well.

Sorocco? Alamagordo? Did he hear right?

The last thing he had remembered before waking up here in this nightmare was being in the fan and getting closer to Los Angeles. Alamagordo and Sorocco were in New Mexico. How in the world could he get from California to New Mexico, and not even be aware of it? A drive of that distance would normally have taken several hours, maybe a bit less, depending on how fast one was going.

"I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that, Dr. Fuller. Isn't there someone you can call to do that on your behalf?" he questioned, trying to deter her from leaving due to the low visibility. As a trained member of the military, he knew how dangerous being in the desert could be, especially when sandstorms kicked up.

Sami Jo shook her head as she responded to the guard. "No, I'm afraid not. Nobody else has the key. Please, it's just going to be for a couple of hours, and then I'll be back. I promise," she urged once more, the tone of her voice trying to indicate how important this was.

The guard let out a sigh, knowing that he couldn't refuse Dr. Beckett. Admiral Calavicci may be the Administrator, but Dr. Beckett was the founder of the facility and bore the ultimate authority. And if he was in the car with Dr. Fuller, there had to be a very, very good reason why. "Very well, Dr. Fuller, but I suggest you at least put the hood up on your convertible. It'll help to keep the dust out from the sandstorm for the trip. Be careful along I-380, as you'll be driving head first into the high winds, and that'll be blinding with the blowing sand," he conceded.

Samantha Josephine Fuller nodded and pressed a button on the dash board of her vehicle. Once she had done so, the protective cover in the back retracted and the roof emerged from it. It raised up in such a way that it reminded Templeton Peck of the Aquamanic emerging from the deep waters, and eventually angled forward to close. Once it shut, the guard raised the gate and allowed them to pass.

"So we're going to Alamagordo?" Face asked for confirmation after taking a hint from what the guard had said during the conversation. He watched as she pulled out onto the road . . . or however much they could see of it within this sandstorm. Considering how smooth she was with the guard, he wouldn't have been surprised if she had totally made that up. But, considering how he recognized her, wouldn't he have known if she wasn't being truthful about where she lived?

She gave a bit of a nod as she focused her concentration on the road ahead of her. Right now, trying to drive was the most important thing since the last thing she needed . . . with a visibility like this . . . was to run off the road and end up in a ditch. There were a lot of areas that were flat along the route, but the closer they'd get to Alamagordo, the more a few hills would rise up again. "My home is there," she noted gently, not bothering to look to where he sat. She didn't even pay attention to the gun he held and concealed from the guard. "You mentioned you needed a safe place to go and make a call, and that's the best place I could think of."

Face fell silent for a moment s e considered everything that was going on. The longer this went on, the more that this did seem like a puzzle to him . . . one big puzzle, but in this case the pieces were not only all mixed up, but they were of different sizes and none seem to fit together in such a way to provide him with some kind of a bigger picture. "I wish Murdock was here," he mused quietly to himself. "He always loved putting together the puzzles."

The blonde haired Lieutenant's thoughts were brought back to reality as he heard Dr. Fuller ask, "Who's Murdock?"

Face did a double take for a moment, wondering if maybe if she was some kind of mind reader. That's when he realized that he had actually mentioned Murdock by name when he talked about puzzles . . . not too loud, but obviously loud enough to where she was able to overhear. "He's, um . . . he's a friend of mine," he recalled fondly. "Really one of the best friends a guy could ever have."

Sami Jo nodded, taking what he had just said to heart. She grew up with friends, but none of them were very close to her . . . not after the legacy of her mother, the tainted legacy due to her grandmother being institutionalized, and her mother being accused of the death of Violet and then eventually Lila Aider. The people in the town were often afraid that the whole family was cursed, which is why she was glad that they moved to Chicago once she finished high school. "Is he the guy you'd want to call?" she questioned.

"Yeah, one of them," Face admitted without thinking much about what he was saying. "That's if I can get a hold of him at the VA . . ."

"He works there?" Sami Jo assumed, interrupting what he was going to say.

Templeton sighed, realizing the corner he had gotten himself into. There was no way that he'd be able to get out of this one and ride the rest of the way to Alamagordo in silence, avoiding her questions. "Not . . . quite," he admitted somewhat hesitantly. There really wasn't an easy way to explain this. "He, ah, lives there. It's a long story."

She risked a glance in his direction and gave him a gentle smile. "I wouldn't mind hearing about it. It'll take about thirty minutes to get to my home in this sandstorm, so we've got time," she noted, trying to get him to open up again. Her voice was gentle and soothing, and indicated that she was not only fascinated by him, but she had a level of trust in him that couldn't be explained.

Lieutenant Peck hesitated again, wondering just how much he should tell her. Was she a plant for Decker or Fulbright? There were a few times that a woman was used to lure him into a trap, even by the MPs. But here, she just helped him to leave a facility that was under guard, and was willing to drive him to her home. Would they show up and arrest him the moment they got there? Of course, he still had the gun and that likely had some part of compelling her to cooperate, but she could have refused. And if she had refused, he would have respected that and figured things out on his own . . . somehow. He had learned how to be resourceful at a young age, and he used that skill to his benefit as often as possible.

The mind of Templeton Peck considered the idea that was starting to develop in response to her request that he share more information about himself . . . about his friends. Maybe he could use that as a bargaining chip in order to guarantee that he could get what he needed. It'd almost be like making a deal with the devil, in a way, although this devil was a pretty thing that only wanted to know more about him and his friends. But, if he had to forge through the hottest fires of Hell in order to get in touch with his friends, he'd do it in a heartbeat.

"I'll make you a deal," he decided to offer, hoping he was making the right choice in doing this. He just hoped that, if it came down to it, he wouldn't have to make good on his end of things and possibly put her life in danger by sharing the knowledge she so desperately craved. "If I make my calls and I'm able to get a hold of my friends, then I'll answer all of your questions and tell you everything you want to know."

The computer scientist was stunned by this offer, making her wonder why the sudden change of heart . . . but she certainly wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth and turn it down. This really was what she was hoping for. It wasn't that she couldn't learn some of the details from Ziggy, but sometimes it was just better coming straight from the source rather than reading it in a report or getting it second or third hand. "Fair enough," she acquiesced. Her voice was very sincere as she added, "And for what it's worth, I hope that you do contact your friends."

"I hope so too . . ." Face mused thoughtfully as he returned his focus to the road ahead of them, hoping that the guys were okay and not in trouble . . .