Every Thought Captive

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

Chapter 51 Alarm Bells

The waitress tried to keep her gaze on the white-haired man she noticed seemed to direct the rest of the group. She couldn't help peeking at Amy's skin again.

Meg repeated her question. "Would you like separate receipts or will it be all on one?" She had to physically turn toward Hannibal and away from the reporter to keep from staring at the sun-blistered face.

The Colonel peered at Stafford who swallowed and avoided his eyes. "Put it all on one," Hannibal said, satisfied the medical man was going to stay quiet.

"Would you like to order something to drink?"

Hannibal glanced at Amy and then at the blonde. He had noticed her curiosity and wondered if she hadn't seen something like it already that day. "Four coffees. B. A.?"

"Large milk for me," B. A. grunted. She finished writing and left them to scan the menus.

"Did you see the way she looked at Amy's sunburn, Hannibal? Maybe Murdock's been here?" Face watched the waitress as she filled a glass with milk, placed four cups on a tray with the glass and poured a carafe of coffee.

"I noticed that, too, kid. When she comes back, I'll handle the questions, okay?" The Colonel smiled when Meg returned and began pouring coffee for the travelers.

"I wonder if you could help us out with something, miss. We're looking for a friend of ours. Tall, about six-foot two, thinning brown hair, brown eyes, skinny. May have been wearing a navy-colored ball cap. He was with two other men."

"That would describe a lot of people, mister." Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Why do you want to know?"

Hannibal shrugged. "No particular reason." He didn't want her to have law enforcement check them out for asking too many questions.

Meg looked at Amy again and shivered. "That looks painful."

"It is," the reporter murmured. Leaning forward she addressed the waitress with a friendliness sure to put the woman at ease. "The man we're looking for was with me when this happened. I'm his sister. Two men attacked us on a trail and we spent too long in the sun, I'm afraid. His face and hands would look a lot like this."

Face raised his eyebrows at Hannibal's questioning look and smiled. He absently ran his hand up and down Amy's back as she continued to talk to the waitress.

All of them could see the waitress hesitate to give out information about a customer. She chewed the end of her pen as she frowned at Amy.

"Please? It's important we find him. He was supposed to fly with me to southeast Texas to visit his grandparents and now he's gone off with these two men. We think they're trying to get my brother to do something that will hurt him." The reporter sniffed and dabbed at her eyes with the white paper napkin in front of her. "They already hurt me." She held up her casted arm.

Meg's eyes widened as she realized what the two men she had seen with the Texan might do.

"Your brother is the sweetest thing. He was so friendly, a lot nicer than those two guys with him. I sure don't want to see him get hurt." She gasped as a thought came to her. "Do you think maybe these guys are the same ones responsible for that murder that's been on the news?" She gripped her pen tightly in her hand and shivered again.

Amy pretended to not know what the waitress was talking about. "Murder?" she choked out and held the napkin in her fist to her mouth.

Hannibal seamlessly took over while Face slipped his arm around Amy and held her closely as if comforting her. "How long ago were they here? Do you know where they may have gone?"

"They left about an hour ago. I don't know where they were heading but one of them gave your brother a file folder that looked really important. I overheard one of them say the name 'Cazador.' I don't know if that helps." She had grown noticeably pale.

"It helps a lot, miss. We're grateful to you." Hannibal drained his coffee cup and motioned with his head toward the door. Without another word, the rest finished their coffee and prepared to leave. The Colonel stood and smiled at the waitress. "Here's a little something to pay for the coffee and for your information." He pressed a fifty dollar bill into her hand and curled her fingers around it.

She shook her head and glanced at Amy. "The only thanks I'd like is if when you find your brother, you'd bring him back here so I can treat him to some pie and coffee. If I had known he was in trouble, I would've notified the police."

B. A. drank all of his milk and slammed the glass on the table. "That's all right, li'l momma. He ain' gonna be in no mo' trouble soon as we catch up to 'em."

"We'll make sure to drop by this way with our friend when we've got him away from those guys," the Lieutenant reassured her with a smile. "Just so you know he's safe."

Meg patted Amy on the shoulder in sympathy as she left, Face's arm around her in a protective gesture.

As soon as they were outside, Hannibal turned to Amy with a surprised smile on his face. "That was good, very good. Face must be teaching you the finer points of running a scam."

"Yeah," Face agreed, clasping her around the waist. "That was as good as one of my scams. I'm proud of you, sweetheart."

"I almost hated to lie to her. It sounded like Murdock made an impression on her. The 'wanting to get to know you better' kind of impression, if you know what I mean." Amy settled into the back seat with Face on her right nearest the door and Stafford on her left.

"If we can get to him in time, maybe he'll have an opportunity to get to know her better," the Lieutenant murmured.

"Where to, Colonel?" B. A. started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot, waiting at the stop sign to receive instructions.

"Cazador has a ranch with an airstrip around here. We have to find out where that is and see what kind of security there is so we can get at least one of us on that plane." Hannibal lit a new cigar and stared out of the window as he finalized his plans.

"And if we can't, Colonel?" Face asked, his brow puckered with worry for his friend.

The older man looked in the rearview mirror and shook his head in response.

oooooo

"After you, Captain." Hanson stood aside to allow Murdock to precede him through the open glass and wrought iron door. The pilot glanced at the retreating back of Cazador's bodyguard and then at Colonel Jackson, uncertainty etched in his expression.

What th' hell'm I doin' here? Messin' 'round with anythin' havin' t' do with Cazador's a stupid idea.

He tugged the bottom of his half-zipped beige canvas jacket down with both hands. Jackson suggested he wear it but for some reason, it felt like it didn't fit, like it wasn't something he would wear. The navy blue ball cap . . . that was different. It felt as familiar and comfortable on his head as he intuitively knew the cyclic and collective of a Huey would feel in his hands.

What's goin' on with me? Stuff I should 'member, I don', 'n' stuff I don' wanna 'member comes up at th' worst times.

As if reading Murdock's mind, Jackson placed a hand on the pilot's shoulder to reassure him. "It's alright, Captain. With that file, you're a shoo-in to be hired as his pilot. Go ahead. We're both right behind you."

Jackson's eyes were flinty and calculating. Go ahead. You've come this far. Don't think you can desert the mission now after all this work to get you here.

Murdock took a last drag from the cigarette he lit to make his nerves settle down. Crushing the butt out underfoot, he swallowed and turned to follow the bodyguard. The strongman showed them to a small but expensively furnished library.

"I'll let the boss know you're here." Cazador's man, his muscles well-defined even under his three-piece suit, gave them all a look that threatened them with something unpleasant if they should wander from the room.

"Pleasant chap," Murdock murmured with a clipped British accent as he strolled over to the bookcases to scan the titles. He nodded approvingly at the wide selection and almost chuckled aloud when he saw the gold-lettered spine of 'Peter Pan.'

Well, I'll be damned!

A man like Cazador owning a well-worn copy of the children's classic was a little surprising, especially when Murdock knew the businessman was into some very shady operations.

Maybe he's got some kids 'r grandkids he reads to.

As unlikely as that was, Murdock had a new appreciation for this insight into the man who would be interviewing him. The pilot turned the pages and kept his ears open for any movement behind him. Reading the book kept him from having to talk to either Jackson or Hanson. It allowed his muscles to relax and gave him time to think about what he would say to Cazador.

Loud angry words in the hallway announced the arrival of the Tucson businessman.

"I don't care how you do it. Just find out who killed my pilot and make sure they regret it, Horgan."

The door opened and Murdock swung around to see a short wiry man in an expensive suit scanning him from head to foot. The man gave Jackson and Hanson a brief glance before his gaze settled on the book in Murdock's hands.

"Mister Cazador, I heard about Warner's death over the radio and thought I'd better come over to offer my condolences. I'm very sorry to hear about it." Jackson gave Murdock a look that told him to wait for him to make the introductions. "When I heard, I scrambled around to see if I couldn't locate another pilot to fly you to the drop point. I would like to introduce you to Captain H. M. Murdock, one of our best pilots, if not the best, to fly a Huey during the Vietnam War."

The businessman's dark eyes raked over Murdock once more before he spoke. "The book in your hand. One of my grandchildren's favorites. You have read it?"

The pilot nodded and felt a blush inflame his cheeks. "One of my favorites too. I'm sorry. I didn't mean any harm." He turned to jimmy the book back into its place on the bookshelf, uncomfortably aware of the other's man's appraising stare as he did.

"No problem." Cazador swept away the apology with a movement of his hand. "So you are a pilot."

"Yes sir." Murdock locked eyes with the other man, hoping as he did, he displayed an air of confidence and professionalism.

Glad he can' see my heart beatin' so hard it's like it'll explode outta my chest.

He willed himself not to blink so often or flinch. "Colonel Jackson tol' me t' make sure t' bring a résumé o' my military record. I believe this'll give ya an idea o' my qualifications." He drew the file folder from the interior of his jacket and handed it to the businessman.

As Cazador read, Murdock clasped his hands behind him, wishing his palms had not suddenly slicked over with sweat, and stood as straight as he could.

Jackson's eyes were on him. You're doing good, Captain. That thing with the book was a stroke of genius. You made a connection with him.

Cazador raised his eyebrows in surprise as he finished reading. "Do you also fly fixed wing aircraft, Captain Murdock?" He tapped the spine of the folder in his hand, waiting for the answer.

"Mister Cazador, give me anything and I can fly it."

The businessman nodded, his gaze analyzing the pilot's reactions to his questions. "Where I go and what I do are to be kept confidential. Are you a man who knows how to shut his mouth?"

Murdock resisted the urge to pretend to zip his mouth shut and throw away an imaginary key.

That wouldn' help me get this job. Not at all.

Instead he maintained his serious composure and said, "Yes sir."

Just two words but they were the ones Cazador wanted to hear. He had formed his impression of the man who stood before him from the first and evidently liked what he saw.

Murdock knew that. He sensed it from the moment Cazador walked in the room. He was surprised to find he was picking up on other people's thought patterns so easily. The minute Cazador decided to give him the job, Murdock knew.

"Colonel Jackson recommends you and your résumé speaks for itself. And I desperately need the services of a good pilot this afternoon." He didn't say outright that Murdock was hired but he did offer his hand for a handshake to seal the deal.

Part of the pilot wanted to rejoice. Another part of him made his fully awakened sixth sense tingle with a mysterious dread of what might be coming.

"We must take off within the hour, Captain. Would you like to see the Cessna you will be flying?"

"Yes." Murdock liked to get to know a plane before taking it into the sky. His fear faded away as excitement took its place.

Cazador smiled and invited him to come with him. As the businessman ushered Murdock out of the room, he gave Hanson instructions from over his shoulder. "Make sure my contacts at the drop point are ready and waiting, Mister Hanson. Then join us out on the airstrip." He acknowledged Jackson with a cold nod before leaving. "Colonel Jackson, I'll keep in touch and let you know when our transaction is complete."

Turning back to Murdock, he said, "And now, Captain. Let me introduce you to Lucky Lady, the plane you'll be flying."

Lucky Lady, huh? Gotta 'ppreciate a man who reads Peter Pan t' his gran'kids 'n' gives a name like that t' his aircraft.

Murdock smiled, relieved to be away from the two men in the library for the time being.

Now if I can jus' get rid o' th' 'larm bells goin' off in my head.