* * * * * NOTE * * * *
Wow, finally finally, I found some time to finish this long chapter and post it here. I hope you still enjoy the story. It ends with some action today!
Thanks for your reviews guys!

Chapter 11: Strange encounters

The sun was setting over the hills, changing the color of the sky into a deep orange glow. The A-team was on their way back to their clients farmhouse. Hannibal was pensively smoking his cigar while admiring the beautiful dusk in front of them. He clutched an ice pack against his ribs with his bruised arm. killing two birds with one stone, so to say.
Dave had stayed behind at the warehouse. He told them that he had to finish some business first before joining them for dinner.
Joe had promised Hannibal to call to the warehouse whenever he and Patty were on their way home from the hospital after they visited their son. As soon as Hannibal hung up the phone, and gathered his men (with some difficulty because B.A was still chasing Murdock) they left. He wanted to be the first one to arrive at the farm to check the house and its perimeter for unwanted company. Hannibal didn't want his clients to be alone at the house tonight, especially not after his own encounter during the day. He feared another ambush on the family was lurking around the corner, and the guy who had attacked him had unfortunately gotten away. For some reason, the colonel couldn't be sure if this man was the same person who attacked their client's son Mike. But he had a feeling there was a connection at least. It was too much of a coincidence that his own 'accident' happened at exactly the same circumstances today. Hannibal cursed himself for not being more careful.

With a sore arm, a bruised rib and a still slightly throbbing head, he took another puff from his cigar. He needed to think. The van was unusually quiet. All men looked on edge. Hannibal glanced at B.A who didn't show any emotion in his face while keeping his eyes on the road. But he could tell from the occasional glances shot in his direction and the tensed muscles in his arms that the big man was on high alert and worried about his commander. And so were the other two, he noticed, using the rearview mirror.

"Sooo.." Hannibal broke the silence (all three men jumped).
"Have you boys managed to pick up that little parcel today?" Hannibal asked, turning his seat around to face the two men in the back.
Face nodded. He relaxed a little and beamed at the colonel. "Yep. And may I add it went as smooth as a well-oiled racing wagon?"
Murdock pointed at the box with the Tiffany lamp safely strapped between their seats. "The most hideous thing you'll ever see, colonel", he added, making a face.
"Fantastic", Hannibal grinned. This little bit of good news lifted his spirits again.
"That should poke that big ugly bear Mitchell out of his cave, don't you think?" He added with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Face sent him a wry smile. "What's your plan, Hannibal?" He asked non-enthusiastically.
"Well, tonight will be fairly easy. We guard the family and we take watch around the house."
Hannibal slightly shifted in his seat to avoid the pain in his ribs. "As for tomorrow, I am expecting a certain unwanted visitor at Joe's antique store, and we need to be prepared. Setting up some 'bear traps' as we go." Hannibal said, already enjoying the thought of it.
"And I need to go through the employee list with Joe tonight. I have a bad feeling about this Patrick we met today, right B.A?".
B.A nodded, a frown appearing on his face.
"Who's Patrick?" Face asked.
"Ah of course, you two haven't met him yet." Hannibal said. He quickly gave them a short summary of the event.
"Somethin' about him ain't right". B.A rumbled.
Hannibal shrugged. "Yes. But maybe it was just bad manners" He looked pensively at B.A, knowing the man had a good hunch about people.
"But I feel we need to keep a close eye on him if he ever shows up tomorrow." Hannibal continued. " We don't know where he was during the attack today, and I haven't seen him after the attack either, which I strike as odd. We know he only started working for Joe a few weeks ago, and we need to consider that the recent sabotage and accidents may have been caused by an insider…."
The guys nodded, all silently with their own thoughts.

Arriving at the farmhouse, the team did a quick perimeter check.
Satisfied that they didn't find anything, they waited for Patty and Joe to arrive.
Soon they all sat around the kitchen table having dinner together. Patty had prepared a crockpot that morning, and it smelled delicious. All men happily dug in. Patty smiled, looking around at the full table. She had started to develop a liking for this strange assortment of men whom she only met that morning. Even though she'd never seen a weirder bunch of characters like them before, something about them was comforting. There was this strange chemistry going on that simply worked. She enjoyed seeing them eating and making jokes. Murdock, who had hung his jacket and cap over his chair, nudged B.A, pointing at something on the table and making a remark that made the dark man growl. Face shushed the big guy quietly and Hannibal chuckled.
The only people missing were Dave, who was still at the warehouse, and of course their son Mike.
Patty's mood dropped at the thought of her son. She sighed quietly, wiping a white strand of hair from her eyes. The thin lines on her face hardened from grief and worry about her son. There had been no progress in Mike's condition yet.
Face, sitting next to Patty, looked up and noticed the woman's paled face and sad expression. He bent forward and started a quiet conversation with the elderly woman in an attempt to comfort her. Patty smiled. "You're such a sweet lad, you know that?" She patted Face gently on the hand.
Murdock, noticing the gesture between the two people, smiled inwardly. He knew that his buddy really cared. It was so typical of him to try and comfort people he'd see hurting. In age, Patty could be Face's mom.
Heck, she could even be his own mom for that matter. Suddenly Murdock thought of his mother who died when he was only seven years old. At times he still missed her very much. Face had never known his mom. Maybe that was why he always felt concerned for elderly ladies in need.
Murdock took a small bite from his plate and glanced at Patty again, who, thanks to Face, was smiling now. They were going to help these people, no matter what!

In the meantime, Hannibal had given Joe an update on the events of the day and was asking specific questions about all their employees. Murdock drew his attention back to the conversation while B.A hungrily took seconds from Patty's dish.
"I think you've met most of my staff by now." Joe said pensively putting down his fork on the table. "I understand you've met Rosy and Patrick?"
"We did", Hannibal nodded.
Joe took a sip from his beer and continued: "Roseanne is our accounting lady, but also our shopkeeper. Patrick is our delivery guy and handyman. He picks up and delivers our goods, and when something needs to get fixed, he's our man too. He seems to be quite good with electricity and mechanics.
Then of course there is Dave. You guys already had a chance to get to know him today. We know him for a couple of years now and he lives with us in this house. I guess he's become part of the family. He's a cheerful kid with a big heart"
"Hmmpf" Murdock mocked, a little bit too loudly.
Jumping at his own sound, he looked up to meet Hannibal's piercing blue eyes. He hastily looked down at his plate again.
B.A and Face also looked up and glanced slightly bewildered at the pilot.
With slightly flushed cheeks Murdock continued picking his almost untouched food with his fork. Patty briefly glanced at Murdock with a raised eyebrow, but then focused on her husband again.
Joe, who didn't notice the small interruption at all, continued.
"Dave does some of our refurbishing, and he and my son Mike often go on scavenger hunts with me. Finding 'new antiques' so to say." Joe smiled.
"The boy's clever and, like Mike, he's got a very good eye for the trade. I bet he'd love to take over the business some day. But so does Mike.
Sometimes it seems there is a bit of a rivalry going on between the two. Like it's a contest who finds the best antiques during a field trip"
Joe chuckled, looking sorrowful at his wife. "Of course they're just making fun."
Hannibal nodded, taking note of every word Joe said. He casually glanced at Murdock and was startled for a second.
Murdock, who had stopped picking at his food, was now staring at Joe with a darkened expression on his face that Hannibal didn't recognize from his usually so cheerful captain. Hannibal made a mental note to talk with his pilot after dinner.
"Are those all your employees, Joe?", the colonel asked, continuing the conversation.
"Almost. We have two more, though one of them is away on a leave" Joe answered. "We usually have Christopher for the deliveries and pickups, but sadly he had an accident three weeks ago and is now coping with a bad knee injury. Patrick is actually the guy replacing him until Chris has recovered enough from the surgery."
"I need to pay Chris and his wife Marian a visit soon" the soft voice of Patty sounded from the opposite of the table.
Hannibal looked up in alert. He had almost forgotten about her presence.
Patty sighed. "I really miss them and hope that Chris will be able to return soon... I don't like this Patrick guy very much." Her eyebrow slightly puckered before continuing: "He's… I dunno..I guess I just don't like his attitude".
Joe shrugged sheepishly. "Chris will be back soon, dear. But for now we'll have to make do with Patrick. Dave recommended him, remember? And I haven't gotten any complaints as of yet".
Patty nodded and resigned from the conversation. Hannibal wasn't surprised to learn that Patty also had her doubts about their newest employee.
Murdock stared blankly at his fork again. B.A, who once more helped himself to a fresh plate of food, checked on his teammate from the corner of his eyes. He noticed that the crazy man looked troubled and wasn't touching his food. "You okay, fool?", he whispered.
Murdock looked up in surprise, slightly unfocused as if he'd had to climb out of some very deep thoughts. He nodded at the dark man with a weak smile and resumed staring blankly in front of him. B.A shrugged. He would not get anything out of Murdock now. Face, slowly sipping his beer, peered at the lanky man at the other end of the table. He was wondering what was going on in his mind.

"You mentioned 'two' more employees?" Hannibal continued the conversation. "Who's the last one?"
"That will be Sean", Joe answered. "I bet you haven't met him yet. Sean is someone who keeps more to himself. He only visits a few times a week to work in the workshop, but he prefers working at home where he has his own studio. He refurbishes our most delicate antiques. The man has high knowledge of certain eras and art styles. Never met anyone like him before who knows 'that' much about the business. He's like a walking encyclopedia. And regarding the refurbishments, I've seen him performing miracles on furniture that looked like it had seen the last of days. He's a real pro, but a bit of a loner."
Joe paused to take another sip of his beer. Wiping his mustache he suddenly remembered something
" Actually. This might be something you guys would like to know. He rents the old wooden shack and barn at the far edge of our grounds. Just a few short miles from our farm at walking distance. He sometimes visits to discuss new projects."

In the distance, they could hear a door slam. All people at the table looked up when muffled footsteps approached the kitchen. Suddenly the kitchen door opened and Dave's bright face appeared.
"Hey peeps, what's for dinner", he said with a cheerful voice. Dave entered the kitchen with a broad smile on his face. "Sorry I'm late Patty", he added, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Taking off his jacket he sat down in the empty chair next to Murdock, who immediately tensed. His grip on his unused fork increased. B.A noticing the change glared at the man sitting next to Murdock. What did the crazy fool have so much against Dave?

Patty smiled at Dave, and stood up to get him a plate and a glass of beer.
"You're late kid", Joe said, bending over the table to pat Dave hard on the shoulder.
"Yeah, sorry about that." Dave chuckled. "Still had some important business to take care of, you know"
"What kinda business, oh Forcefield-man?". Murdock asked quietly, but his voice sounded slightly threatening. He was still clutching his fork, almost like a weapon now.
Dave turned around to face Murdock, his eyebrows raised.
"You really have to explain yourself. What's that nonsense about force fields all the time, buddy? I have no clue what you're talking about", he said innocently with an odd smile on his face.
A tense silence fell over the kitchen. Joe and Patty looked at Murdock, completely puzzled.
But Face, B.A and Hannibal looked alerted.
Murdock scrutinized Dave with a dark glare on his face. Bending slightly forward, he pointed at the younger man with his fork. Dave didn't stir. He just stared back at Murdock,... unnerved, waiting..., almost challenging him.
"Dunno, buddy", Murdock retorted. "It's your forcefield, not mine….. See?"
As to make a point, Murdock poked at the air in front of Dave's face with his fork. Dave didn't even flinch.
"SEE?!" Murdock said again, putting emphasis to his words.
Getting no reaction from Dave, Murdock stared the younger man in the pale blue eyes. Putting his fork down he added: "I rest my case..".
Hannibal stood up from the table.
"Captain, a word if you don't mind..". The colonel looked at his pilot with a serious expression on his face and gestured toward the door leading to the corridor.
Murdock's cheeks flushed slightly. He nodded and with a grinding sound from his chair he stood up from the table. Feeling all eyes upon him he felt like a small boy who was going to be reprimanded. Reluctantly he walked to the corridor with Hannibal following close behind him.
Face hesitated for a minute. He looked from the clients to B.A, who looked back in concern. Then his eyes followed the two men leaving the room.
Face gave B.A a meaningful look and said: "I'll be right back". He hoped B.A could keep the clients company and entertain them for a bit.
B.A, who saw what was coming, looked nervously at Patty and Joe. Entertaining people wasn't really one of his specialties.
"But the crazy fool is seein' something in his head again." He thought. "Better have Face check on him than me".
As if nothing happened, Dave started scooping up food on his plate.
Face glanced at him one more time, then quickly stood up and followed Hannibal and Murdock into the corridor.

The colonel had lead Murdock to the living room. After Face entered too, he closed the door behind them.
Hannibal folded his arms and stood in front of the lanky man who seemed to shrink a little at his stare.
"Spill it, Captain", he said sternly. "What's with that behavior you're showing us today".
Murdock plucked at the bottom of his flannel shirt while staring at his feet, not knowing what to say or where to start.
"You better share it with us, buddy", Face added more gently. "You know you can't keep a secret from us for long. And bottling it all up is not a healthy thing to do"
Murdock puffed his cheeks and let out a long sigh. Walking toward the fireplace he pretended to admire the hideous little angel sculptures, decorating the shelf.
He swallowed: "It's…. It's just... Oh I don't know!". Murdock started with visible frustration.
"He .. the guy BUGS me!... That Dave...just….REALLY bugs me!". Murdock's voice became a bit high pitched. He started pacing in front of the fireplace, moving his arms and hands frantically while talking.
"He's the big bad buggy boogieman of bugs,… er..no, that doesn't sound right. He's a Bugging Boogie Budging boogiewoogie, No no no no, I mean.. He's a buggable man! Geez, NO, that's not what I meant either!" The pacing increased while the crazy man was struggling for words.
"Something with bugs ALRIGHT?!" he spat out frustrated while muttering rapidly under his breath "bugging, buggable, big eyed bug, buggle, soddin' damn buggies, bugging me" under his breath with balled fists.
"Calm down, captain", Hannibal said with a calmer voice, approaching the agitated man cautiously.
Murdock turned around rapidly to face Hannibal who froze on the spot, his gloved hands defensively in front of him.
"I can't just put my finger on it colonel", Murdock said with a frustrated sigh, but with a calmer voice now. Looking at Face he added hopefully: "You believe me, don't you?"
Face frowned at Murdock, not sure what to answer. As a professional conman, he hadn't observed any strange behavior in Dave, and Murdock was known for his paranoia sometimes. "Do 'you' think he's conning us?" He asked his friend who looked at him nervously.
"I don't know!", said Murdock, who started his pacing again.
"It's.. I dunno,.. just a feeling. A GUT feeling!" He paused, wearily rubbing his eyes.
He suddenly felt so tired. It had been a long day and explaining what was going on in his chaotic mind wasn't easy. Face and Hannibal exchanged meaningful glances.
"I'm sorry that I have to ask this but...When was the last time you've taken your medication". Hannibal asked gently.
Murdock lowered his hand, his eyes widened slightly with anger. Was the colonel going to blame it all on his mental state? He stared at Hannibal for a moment, then at Face who looked at him in concern. He sighed. No, even though it hurt a little that they had to ask him that, he knew that the colonel was just using logic. Maybe it really was just his paranoia taking over. It had happened before, though it had been a while. What had Dave actually done to him to cause him to act this way?
He didn't like the guy, that was a fact. But he wasn't sure why the young man agitated him so much. Did he actually give him a good reason? Murdock couldn't think of any. He just knew at first glance that he really REALLY didn't like the guy.
Something simply didn't feel right. But it didn't make sense.
Sticking his hands deep in his pants pocket, Murdock slumped his shoulders and looked at the ground.
"I guess it's about time I took 'm." He answered curtly, scraping a foot over the floor.
"But what about 'your' gut feeling for Patrick, Hannibal?" He suddenly bounced back at his commander. "Is your gut feeling better then mine?"
Hannibal already expected the question, and gave it some thought before answering.
"We're not saying that what you say isn't true, captain". He said, putting a reassuring hand on Murdock's shoulder. "But Dave hasn't shown any signs of weird behavior and has been very helpful all day." Murdock pulled a face and shrugged.
"But I also know that it won't be the first time you were right about something. So we'll keep an extra eye on Dave if that will comfort you." Hannibal added.
"It would", Murdock muttered thankfully under his breath.
"I'll let B.A know about it. He'll keep close watch on him too." Hannibal said, nudging the relieved captain and the conman to the door.
"Let's join the others, but not until you've taken your medication first, captain. And I would encourage you to try and act more neutrally in front of Dave tonight." Hannibal said sternly, scrutinizing the pilot. He could see that Murdock was tired from a day full of sensory triggers and worries. Hannibal knew it drained the crazy man out of energy at times, resulting in a hyperactive state of mind.
"The more important it is that he takes his medication right now. We've got a long night ahead of us." Hannibal thought, opening the living room door and walking into the corridor.
"Before I forget. The two of you are having first watch tonight" he said casually while walking back to the kitchen with his men on his heels.
Face moaned slightly. "There goes my beauty sleep….AGAIN." He muttered grumpily, while buttoning his suit jacket.
Hannibal couldn't help but chuckle. Pausing at the kitchen door with his hand on the handle he whispered with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes: "By the way, Face, did you really leave poor B.A all alone with our clients just now?"
Face gave Hannibal an apologetic smile. "You sure it's B.A we need to worry about?"
Murdock couldn't help grinning too. He felt a bit better after the conversation, knowing his friends wouldn't let him down after all. And he was going to take his meds, just to be sure he would be okay.

A few hours later, Face and Murdock had their first watch. Hannibal and B.A went to bed early that night to catch up some extra sleep before it was their turn to take over. They both slept in their own bedroom. Hannibal shared his room with Face, and B.A shared his room with Murdock. But thanks to the current arrangements, they could both sleep privately without any snoring from a possible roommate. Hannibal still felt a bit groggy after his short but intense encounter with the piece of furniture. He needed his energy for the next watch. The colonel didn't seem to have a concussion or any serious head trauma, and he silently thanked the heavens for that. Though some sleep would do him good.

Armed with his M16 assault rifle, Face walked the dark grounds around the farmhouse. The air was cool and the moon was out, casting an eerie glow on the scenery around him. The trees gently moved in the wind, their leaves making a calming rustling sound. Until now, nothing special had happened. Except that the conman almost had a heart attack when a couple of geese (that he hadn't noticed) honked angrily at him in alarm when he passed close by their pond. Other than that, it had been quiet and peaceful.
Nevertheless, Face was on high alert, looking for any movement or things out of place he peered in the distance. He kept thinking about Hannibal's attack that afternoon and Murdock's agitation that evening. They needed to keep their wits and he needed to expect the unexpected.
Face wondered how his buddy was doing right now. He made sure that Murdock had taken his meds before starting the watch with him. They had a short talk, and laughed about the con they pulled off that afternoon, but Face could tell that his friend was still feeling slightly unsettled. Murdock was, like him, surveying the other part of the grounds on his own. All alone with all but his overly active mind to accompany him. And maybe his invisible dog Billy...

Face shivered slightly under his coat. It was getting chilly. He glanced at his watch and sighed in relief. Only 15 more minutes to go until their shift was over and Hannibal and B.A would come to relieve them from their duties. Nothing had happened so far.
He was walking the perimeter for the umpteenth time now. Passing a row of bushes close to the front door of the farm house, Face suddenly freezed in track. As quickly and silently as he could he jumped behind the bushes and lay flat on his belly. Aiming his rifle he peered around the leaves to see what was causing the sound. It was quiet, and for a few seconds, all he could hear was the wind rustling through the leaves of the trees. Just as Face thought his imagination was playing tricks on him, he heard the noise again. A dark figure appeared, stealthily glancing to his left and right before walking toward the house, right at Face's hiding spot.
The figure was clutching something in his hand. What was it? An envelope?
Face didn't have time to think about it. The moment the figure passed the bushes he jumped up, aimed his rifle at the intruder and yelled: "HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEAD!"
The figure, a tall man with dark curly hair and long arms, rapidly turned around. His dark eyes widened in surprise seeing Face, who was at least a head shorter, standing behind him. In a reflex to protect himself, he launched himself onto Face who didn't anticipate the unexpected move in time. The two men fell grappling backward into the bushes. The tall man clawed at Face's rifle, but the conman successfully prevented the move, hitting the man in his eye with his elbow. In response, Face received a firm blow to the jaw. Temporary seeing black dots, he struggled to get the heavy man from his back. Using his rifle he hit his opponent hard in the ribs. The other man howled in pain. Clutching his ribs and gasping for breath, he moved on his side, giving Face the upper hand to quickly pick himself up from the ground and point his rifle at the intruder once again. Face spit out blood on the ground. His dentist was going to love this..
The crumpled figure on the ground moved slowly and turned his head angrily to face the armed man standing in front of him.
Scrutinizing the intruder's face, Face's eyes suddenly widened.
"YOU?!" He panted loudly, gazing into the man's eyes with a look of surprise.

In the farm house, lights were switched on.