Hello hello. I hope you've had a superlovely time with family, friends or just your pet during the holidays.
I found some time to write again and enjoyed it immensely after another hiatus.
As always, thanks for your comments, reviews and remarks. I really hope I can still entertain you with my story.
Here goes:

Chapter 14 - Fight like a dog!

"Hiya Face," Hannibal grinned, sending a cheeky wave at his lieutenant. "How's things,"

"Not too shabby." came the reply.

The three crooks who were still standing in the doorway of the chamber jumped at the voice. Murdock turned his head expectantly toward the door opening.
Sartinaro's expression changed from glee into one of shock as he and his two bodyguards whirled around to face a rather handsome man standing closely behind them. The man seemed cheerful as he pointed his shotgun at them.

"Pleased to meet you," Face said rather politely while stepping into the light with a blinding smile.

But even though he seemed pleased, his blue eyes didn't show any sign of amusement at all. They were cold and angry and never left the three men standing in front of him.

"You...," Sartinaro hissed as he recognized the conman.

"Yes, me!" Face replied dryly, his mocking smile fading quickly.

He was currently pointing the shotgun at the headman's heart while at the same time keeping an eye on the two bodyguards.

"Drop those weapons, or you'll be out of a job before you know it, he told the two giants quietly. His calm appearance was almost unnerving. They both looked questionably at their boss.

"Do it.." Sartinaro said with an angered voice as the two men grudgingly complied and threw their weapons to the floor.

" Good," Face said. "Now turn around with your hands in the air and move," he gestured them forward with a small movement of his shotgun.

Murdock, who'd been listening intently from the floor, whooped at these words.

"Now THAT's what I call an element of surprise!" he thought while grinning from ear to ear.

At least it had been better than 'his own' performance, which he thought had been a bit of a disappointment really.
However, at the sound of Murdock's voice, Face's eyes instantly flicked away from his opponents to look into the room. Standing outside of the chamber, he hadn't known for sure if Murdock had been there, or if he was still alive at all. Hearing the unmistakable Murdock-whoop made his heart do a quick summersault, but his unattentiveness just lasted a second too long.
Noticing Face's distraction, one of Sartinaro's bodyguards immediately lurched forward taking the conman by surprise. The man grappled his arms around the shotgun which caused Face to lose his balance. But the conman recovered quickly and he punched his elbow right into the man's nose. The crook swayed backward as he yelped in pain. Angered, and with blood running down his nostrils, he launched his fist at Face. The conman tried to dodge it but was too late. The blow in his stomach made him gasp for air. But he didn't give in and readied himself for another punch.
Hannibal, in the meantime, hadn't been sitting still either. The moment the commotion started, he'd jumped onto the other bodyguard, treating him on a well-aimed punch in the teeth. But the man was taller then he was, and the blow didn't have the impact the colonel intended it to have.
He too received a smack on the head, and slightly confused, he staggered backward. Both A-team members were now caught up in a fight with a man who was bigger and stronger than they were. Murdock looked helplessly as he tried to get up on his feet but instantly fell back down. The floor was too wobbly, and so were his legs.
His eyes widened as he noticed Sartinaro making use of the distraction while the men were fighting each other tooth and nail. He didn't seem to consider Murdock nor B.A a threat while he feverishly searched the floor for a weapon. The guns had been kicked into different directions as they made contact with the stamping feet of the fighting men.
Finally, the gang leader spotted a gun close to Murdock and reached for it. As he picked it up, he slowly aimed it at the group while squinting his eyes in excitement. A mean grin spread on his face as his fingers curled around the trigger. He was going to fire, and it didn't seem to matter to him if he was going to hit one of his own men or not.

"No...," Murdock groaned while inching himself forward on hands and knees.

Seeing that his friends were too distracted to notice and the fact that the big guy was still non-responsive made him wish Billy was here to help.

"What can I do?! What would Billy do?" he wondered.

Then it hit him. It was easy really. He was going to take a leaf out of Billy's book!
With a growl that would've made his invisible dog proud, he lurched forward, grabbed one of Sartinaro's legs and bit him hard in the calf. The man screamed in both surprise and terror as he felt the clenching teeth in his leg and instinctively tried to kick Murdock away before aiming his gun at the pilot. But like a genuine dog, Murdock just wouldn't butch. Without drawing actual blood, he tore his way into the fabric with his teeth like a madman, his attempts amplified with angry growls and snarls. He needed to keep the man distracted as long as he could!
Face, who'd seen Murdock move toward the mobster from the corner of his eyes urged himself to hurry up. With a mighty effort, he successfully planted the butt of his shotgun into the bodyguard's windpipe, making the man double forward with choking gasps.
With one last blow, Face skillfully hit his opponent on the back of the head and the man crumpled to the floor.
Trusting that Hannibal could hold his own, the lieutenant leaped over his victim and ran to the pilot's aid just as Murdock sank his teeth in the crook's leg again. The crook was screaming from the top of his lungs while whirling his pistol around at Murdock, desperate to get a good aim.
Reaching the screaming and kicking Sartinaro, Face realized he was too close to shoot his gun. Instead, he raised his shotgun once more and gave the man a mighty whack to the head only a second before Sartinaro fired his gun at Murdock.
Murdock yelped at the sound and let go of the leg. The bullet missed its target by mere inches and skidded over the floor right into a pile of moldy cardboard boxes. The fired weapon clattered onto the cold tiles as the villain lost his balance and hit the ground hard.

"Get him off of me! He's mad! He's RAVING MAD!" Sartinaro screamed as he furiously tried to crawl away from Murdock in a haze of confusion and fright.

"No worries," Hannibal said after finally flooring his opponent and coming to his friends' aid to tie Sartinaro's hands on his back, "He's been vaccinated against rabies. So he should be fine."

Sartinaro didn't seem to appreciate Hannibal's sense of humor and yelled even harder.

"He should be PUT DOWN like the deranged lunatic he is!"

*WHACK*

There was no time for Sartinaro to regret his words as Hannibal punched the man square in the face and straight into oblivion.

"Nobody speaks about my men like that," he said simply while dusting off his gloved hands for good measure.

Noting that his commander had the situation fully under control, Face shouldered his shotgun and kneeled down in front of his friend while anxiously grabbing his shoulders.

"Murdock! Murdock, are you alright?!"

But Murdock didn't seem to hear him. He sat hunched down on hands and knees, still growling quietly while spitting out bits of fabric with an expression of clear disgust on his face. He wiped his mouth vigorously while trying to calm down his breathing. Maybe impersonating Billy hadn't been such a good idea after all. His head was pounding and buzzing like there was a stampede of crazy buffalos running around, and he squeezed his eyes shut as he was sure the floor was trying to pull him into a whirlpool of blackness.

"Murdock? Please be okay. Can you hear me?"

But the dazed pilot still didn't seem to register anything around him.
Feeling desperate, the conman just couldn't help himself and wrapped both arms around his friend's shoulders in a tight embrace. For a moment, he felt Murdock's body startle, but then the lanky man relaxed and gradually leaned into him. Face heard a quiet sob and patted his friend nervously on the back not knowing how welcoming and overwhelming this sudden gesture of kindness was to the pilot. Without realizing it, recognition through the simple smell of his expensive suit and fading cologne brought Murdock back to reality. It was currently as comforting as the soft jingle of B.A's jewelry or the smoke of Hannibal's Cuban cigars would've been.

Still holding on to his friend, the conman looked over at Hannibal who had started gathering and moving the unconscious crooks around the chamber.
For a brief moment, they locked eyes and Hannibal nodded at his lieutenant before he started tying up the group of criminals with the large tie wraps he'd brought along.
They didn't need words to know what their next move would be. The commander could see that Face was holding onto Murdock for dear life, and he was going to give him that moment. Especially since he knew how worried the kid had been when they'd assumed him dead.
Meanwhile, Murdock was fighting to stay alert. But it was getting harder and harder.
The team was complete now, and all he could feel was the sense of relief and happiness filling his heart. But there was a darkness closing in on him too as fatigue was taking its toll. Murdock grimaced slightly while his face rested against his friend's shoulder. It was 'so' tempting to just give in and let the world of oblivion dissolve him. But shouldn't he fight it? Didn't they need him awake?
He'd managed to track down B.A like a real sleuth. And in turn, Faceman and Hannibal had miraculously located the two of them as well! The team was complete, so it was all gonna be okay again. But deep down, he knew they weren't exactly out of trouble yet.
B.A still needed to get to a hospital and fast! And they really needed to get out of this place... but...
...He just felt SO tired.

"Hey hey, Stay with me buddy," He heard Face's worried voice from far away.

Still holding on to his friend, Face noticed how Murdock's body started to lean heavier on him. He looked alarmed as he gently shook the pilot awake.
Hearing Face's voice helped. Murdock's mind grasped at it as if it was a lifeline. He swallowed hard as he struggled his way out of the darkness and forced himself to open his eyes.

"I'm up, Faceman," he mumbled as he tried gathering his thoughts.

Without letting go, Face gently pushed Murdock out of his embrace to have a better look at him. He had been beyond relieved to find him alive but something wasn't right. What on earth could've happened to his friend who seemed to be covered all-over in dirt, cobwebs, and clumps of dust? Sitting face to face, the conman tried to make a quick assessment of the pilot's condition. For the first time, he noticed a thin line of dried blood that had trickled down Murdock's right temple from under his baseball cap.
Checking Murdock's eyes, he discerned they looked bloodshot and unfocused. And even though it was hard to see due to the lack of light in the room, the conman was sure that the pupils were dilated too. Face cursed inwardly. There was at least a bad concussion going on, and a head wound that needed to be looked at...

Starting to feel uneasy under his friend's scrutiny, Murdock looked away and followed a tiny spider that was scurrying over Faceman's shoulder. He felt a tinge of guilt as he noted how his friend's suit seemed dirty from their embrace.

"I'm okay," he mumbled while turning away from the conman and looking at B.A in concern. "Better have a look at our big guy here. He's much worse!"

Face nodded and let go of the pilot. He quickly knelt down beside the unconscious B.A and checked his pulse. His frown deepened as he felt the coldness of B.A's hands and noticed the infected leg and arm injury. While Face felt B.A's forehead, Murdock crawled closer and tried to nudge their friend awake. There was no response. This was bad.

"Hannibal, I saw a small medical center in this building, not far from the basement. I'm going to check if they have anything helpful that we can use to transport B.A with.
The state he's in, I don't think it's wise to drag him around too much."

Hannibal agreed but Murdock looked at his best friend with a frightened expression on his face. He didn't want him to leave already! Not now the team was finally together.
As if Face knew what was playing inside Murdock's head he gave the pilot a gentle squeeze on the shoulder before getting up.

"I'll be back before you know it," he reassured him before hurrying out of the chamber and leaving the three men alone.

Murdock frowned at his unconscious friend, trying to focus on the situation at hand. The big guy needed medical attention ASAP but there wasn't anything he could do for him right now. Then he looked around the room and noticed how Hannibal was still busy tying and securing the crooks. But there were still weapons everywhere on the ground. So sloppy...
He should help his commander to speed things up.

"Hold on there, oh Baracan one," he mumbled. "I'll be right back. Gotta help our Colonel a little,"

Exhaling long and low, he gathered his strength and to his own surprise, managed to push himself off the ground again.
Maybe B.A's condition had given him new strength, or perhaps it was the risk of getting a case of butt freeze from the cold floor that kept him going. Whatever it was, he knew he needed to do something. Slowly but deliberately, Murdock started picking up the guns. The least he could do was making sure they were out of harm's way. He even found his flashlight and pocket knife and plucked them from the floor as well.
Hannibal looked up from his work.

"How's B.A doing?"

"Not good, boss," was the answer that was filled with worry..

Hannibal expression hardened as he cast a quick glance at his sergeant. He had to hurry.
He turned around to have a look at his workmanship. Regardless the circumstances, he had to admit it kinda looked like a work of art, even if he said so himself. All unconscious men, including Sartinaro, were now sitting slumped down in a circle with their backs leaning against each other. Each of them had their hands and feet bound together while being connected to their partners with even more tie wraps. Some of them started to wake up and sluggishly looked around. One of them, the rogue who'd received a dagger in his hand, even tried to move his arms, but so far his attempts were fruitless. If the crooks wanted to get up, they would have to move as a unit and seeing the state some of them were in, that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

"Nice work, col'nel," Murdock said appreciatively as Hannibal double-checked every tie-wrap for good measure.

"Gee, thanks Murdock!" Hannibal smiled despite himself.

"Don't think I won't be getting out of here, Smith," an angry voice snarled from the floor.

Hannibal and Murdock looked down at Sartinaro who'd finally gained consciousness and was now glaring up at the A-team members from his awkward position. His expression was one of pure hatred.

"I'll hunt you and your dear A-team down until I've destroyed each and every one of you, even if it's the last thing I do!"

Hannibal folded his arms and raised a sceptical eyebrow.

"So... How many men do you think you'll need to get that job done?" he scoffed. "Seems to me that they can't even tie their own shoelaces if they wanted to. What makes you think they can do it next time?"

"Those morons are disposable," Sartinaro answered coldly. "Next time I will screen them more thoroughly, you can count on that. No more low-brained shoplifters or psychopathic murderers. These men have proved themselves useless. I guess I will have to take care of them later..."

At this, Don pricked up his ears and slowly turned his head at his boss with a look of disbelief and anger on his face.
Oblivious to the building disgust of his right-hand assistant, Sartinaro went on.

"But mark my words, Smith. The moment I get out of this situation. I will haunt you. No judge, no prison, no authorities can stop me. And next time I won't be so soft on you. You won't see me coming and you will always have to watch your backs until it drives you mad.
I will squeeze the four of you into pulp. You can count on it."

Murdock's face darkened dangerously, and before Hannibal had time to come back with one of his witty remarks he let go of the weapons and surged forward. His Swiss army knife flicked open revealing a sharp blade of steel. Within a second, it found its way to the villain's throat while the pilot's other hand grabbed Sartinaro's necktie and pulled the man closer to his face. Almost nose to nose now, the evil man looked nervously into Murdock's blazing black eyes that had lost all kindness and seemed ready to kill.

"You'll leave my friends alone, or I'll turn you into a bag of spinach-flavored dog biscuits!" he snarled, sounding out of breath. "Nobody likes spinach-flavored dog biscuits..."

The crook chuckled coldly.

"You're not going to kill me," he said more bravely than he actually felt. "That's not what the A-team does. You'll just run like you always do. But I'll find you again. I just need to spread the word."

"Then I'll make sure you'll never say a word again!" Murdock growled.

Sartinaro's eyes widened, wondering if he'd gone too far.

"Murdock!" Hannibal shouted in alarm, but the pilot ignored him.

His knife swished and with a swift movement, he cut off the crook's necktie and pushed its remains unceremoniously into the man's protesting mouth.
Sartinaro made a gagging sound as Murdock slowly rose back to his feet. Hannibal exhaled slowly in relief but couldn't prevent a chuckle as the pilot pocketed his knife and turned around to face him.

"Colonel, I er... I just umm...," He stammered, looking disorientated while swaying dangerously on his feet.

"sit right here...," he decided while his knees buckled.

Hannibal was just in time to catch the pilot and help him to the ground. Murdock huffed as he raised his knees and rested his head on his forearms while the colonel rubbed his back to keep the man grounded.

"Easy captain. That's about enough excitement for today!"

Murdock nodded silently. He really had to agree on that matter.

At that same moment, Face entered the room with an old rickety wheelchair. Its rubber tires were almost gone but it would at least help them transport the heavy sergeant more swiftly to the van.

"Do we leave those guns here on the floor?" he asked, looking at the weapons that lay spread on the tiles again.

"Hang on," Hannibal said as he quickly gathered them and stepped outside the chamber.

Looking around, he spotted the perfect place to get rid of the weapons. He walked toward it and dropped the guns right into a deep pit that looked like it was once used as some sort of garbage disposal.

"They won't be needing them anymore..." he said matter-of-factly to a surprised Face as he re-entered the chamber.

Then, as one man, Hannibal and Face carefully lifted the unconscious B.A onto the wheelchair. Checking on his friend with eyes that betrayed a deep concern, Hannibal put B.A's feet onto the footrests while Murdock sat waiting on the floor with a vacant expression on his face.
Without waking up, B.A's head lolled forward onto his chest. Hannibal noticed that the sergeant still didn't show any sign of consciousness which worried him a lot more than he let on

"Did you call them?" He asked his lieutenant.

"They're on their way," Face acknowledged, sounding slightly reserved.

"Good..." Hannibal nodded.

Looking the conman firmly in the eye, he added: "It's really the best solution, Face."

Face, who avoided Hannibal's gaze, shrugged. "If you say so,"

"Get B.A to the stairs and wait for us. I'll take Murdock," Hannibal instructed as he bent down to help Murdock back to his feet.

He didn't have time to go into a debate with his lieutenant whether calling the cops or dealing with the crooks themselves was the best option or not. In the end, Hannibal had the final say in the matter, and he'd decided that it would be best if the authorities dealt with the group of thugs. Right now, taking care of their wounded friends had his priority.
Nevertheless, seen the circumstances and Sartinaro's most recent threats, he suddenly wasn't so sure that the system was going to work this time. Maybe Sartinaro was indeed capable of finding another way out and if that was the case, he would most definitely be on their tails again.
But that was a worry he would have to deal with later.

"Up you go, Captain,"

Face shot Sartinaro and his men one last resentful look before steering the wheelchair with its heavy load toward the cellar's exit. No more time to waste!
They would have to carry the bulky sergeant up the stairs before putting him back into the wheelchair again.

While supporting the pilot, Hannibal turned around one more time to face the crooks.
Still gagged with his own necktie, Sartinaro glared at him in silence.
If only looks could kill...

"You're lucky you know," Hannibal said with a cold twinkle in his steel-blue eyes.

"We're leaving you here for the authorities to find. They received an anonymous tip about a big drugs-operation at this exact location, and they're on their way right as we speak.
But to be honest with you, I'm kinda hoping that they'll forget to check the basement. Part of me is begging me to leave you to your fate and let you rot in hell."

At the slightly worried look on Sartinaro's face, Hannibal added: "Like I said... you're one lucky sleazeball,"

Hannibal then moved away from the scumbags. He slammed the chamber door shut with a kick of his boot, and locked it securely with his free hand. Then he quickly guided Murdock out of the damp and cold corridor to join the rest of the team. As he sat the weary pilot down to help Face carrying B.A up the stairs, Murdock suddenly stiffened.

"The guy... in the drugs room!" he said. "There is one more guy..."

"Already taken care of, buddy," Face replied while groaning a little under the weight of the heavy sergeant.

Murdock sighed in relief.
A few moments later, the four made their way through the building as fast as they could. But their progress was agonizing and slow. Face had a hard time pushing B.A forward in a wheelchair that was almost too old and rusty to carry his weight, and Hannibal had to use his free hand to keep the slumped down sergeant in a sitting position while simultaneously trying to support the weary captain on his other shoulder.
Nevertheless, they marched on until they finally reached the exit doors of the old building. Stepping outside, the cool breeze and the blinding light of the sun dazzled them all. In the far distance, they could hear sirens approaching.

"Wait here!" Face said as he promptly parked the wheelchair on the crooked pavement and made a dash to the side of the building.

There was a roar of an engine, and an old pickup truck sped around the corner. Face parked it in front of his friends and stepped out to help Hannibal opening the hatch. With their combined effort, they lifted B.A in the back of the truck. Murdock climbed in and settled down next to the sergeant, making sure to keep his body steady during the ride.

"Captain, can you tell us where the van is?" Hannibal inquired with urgency in his voice. Murdock had to wrack his tired brain for a second.

"Er...Yes...Have you seen those old sheds on your way here?" He answered as quick as he could. "I've hidden it behind the one that's situated next to that farm house over there that has no roof." He pointed at the old ruins that were situated close to their current location.

"Perfect..."

Hannibal closed the hatch and hurried to the front cabin to transfer the directions to his lieutenant who'd already started the engine. The clock was ticking as the sound of the sirens were getting dangerously close! Face hit the gas and sped down the road as fast as he dared with the two injured men in the back.

As they closed in on the buildings, Murdock yelled: "Make a left here!" over the roaring engine. Face heard him and turned the corner only a moment before the law enforcers were getting into view. Hoping they'd gone unnoticed, Face directed the pickup toward the half-collapsed shed and whooped as he spotted the van. The old buildings and scraggly old bushes conveniently hid them from view while the police cars rushed by into the direction of the old visitor's center with wailing sirens.

Face parked the pickup truck next to their trusty old GMC and leaped out to remove the few branches that Murdock had used to conceal it. He opened the back doors, then rushed back to help Hannibal carry B.A inside the van and lay him down onto the floor in the back. Looking at the sergeant's paled features, he just hoped they hadn't moved him around too much.
While Hannibal helped Murdock into the van, Face suddenly noticed the broken-off antenna. So that's why they hadn't been able to communicate with their friends. He cursed and helplessly looked around. They really needed to be able to use their car phone. Then he remembered that the pick-up truck was equipped with a phone too and it had a similar-looking antenna. A wild idea came to mind and Face moved quickly. The van's antenna was only missing its top part but the base seemed to be fine. The conman wasn't exactly technical skilled but knew he had to try out his theory. Testing his luck, he hurried toward the pickup and untwisted the top segment of its antenna before hurrying back to the van. Standing inside the door opening of the driver's seat, he reached over the roof for the broken part oft he receiver, removed it, and replaced it with the new part. To his amazement it fit! Stupid luck!

"Smart thinking, Face," Hannibal said admiringly as he realized what the lieutenant was doing.

"We'll have to see if it works first," Face said not sounding very convinced.

"No time to worry about it now," Hannibal said. "Let's step on it, lieutenant!"

As the colonel closed the back doors, Face jumped behind the wheel and started the engine. Hitting the gas pedal, they finally sped away from the wretched place as fast as they could. Face could still hear the sirens at the mining buildings but knew the police would be too preoccupied to notice them going down the road. As the distance between the A-team and the Silver Creek ghost town grew, a burning silence fell over the van.
Murdock clumsily lowered himself beside the unconscious B.A while Hannibal rummaged through the first aid kit for antiseptics, bandages and a pair of scissors.
It was a long shot, but maybe not too late to do something. He used the scissors to cut away the entire pants leg to reveal the infected leg wound and winced at the sight of it. He was almost glad that the sergeant was unconscious as he knew it must've been hurting like hell.

"Hold on, B.A," he mumbled under his breath while trying his best to work on the wound.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw the pilot taking off his jacket and folding it underneath B.A's head with shaking hands. He noticed Murdock's pale feverish complexion and heavily-lidded eyes. The pilot was clearly reaching his limit too.

"How're you doing, captain?" he asked while bandaging B.A's leg to prevent further damage.

"Aw you know me, col'nel. I'm pert as a cricket..." Murdock replied while leaning back against the side of the van. "safe as granny's snuff box..." he added faintly, not moving his eyes away from B.A.

The colonel frowned worriedly as he discerned a slight slur in the man's speech. He needed a new plan and fast! Ready to put his lieutenants' remarkable foresight to a test, he stood up and made his way to his usual front seat to pick up the car phone. Hannibal sighed in relief when he heard a signal that indicated it was actually working! Showing a thumbs up at his lieutenant he dialed a number.

"Who're you gonna call?" Face asked as they were quickly approaching the freeway.

"Ghostbusters," came a thin voice from the back.

Face winced.

"At least he didn't lose his sense of humor, huh?" he muttered as Hannibal listened impatiently to the waiting tone.

"I'm calling Maggie," Hannibal answered, hoping with all his might that she was home.

"Maggie? But Bad Rock is about a day's drive from here! B.A might not make it that far!" Face exclaimed.

"We're not going to see her, lieutenant," Hannibal said impatiently.

There was a click on the other line.

"Ah, Maggie?," He quickly said as his heart almost made a summersault at hearing the female voice answering the phone.

"I need your help. We have two injured men here.
Please tell me if you know a doctor around this area who we can trust to help us! We're in Utah near Salt Lake City!"

Hannibal bit his lip in anticipation as he listened to the soft voice on the other end of the line.
Please let her be able to help!

TBC